Category: As you go…

Here is a quote from James Hudson Taylor who was a missionary in China for 54 years, beginning in 1853: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

Let’s believe in the Lord’s provisions and blessings as we proclaim aloud Psalm 67:1-3, 6-7 NIV –

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

“This image of favor here is one where God turns to us, smiles, and causes his face to shine upon us. Throughout the psalms the shining of God’s face or light is coupled with the anticipation of deliverance, redemption, or salvation… God blesses us so that others will be blessed in the same way as well. He blesses us so that his ways and his salvation are known among all nations. Through us, may the nations in our workplaces, on our campuses and schools, and in our cities experience this same blessing of deliverance, redemption, and salvation and become a people who praise the Lord.” (From Pastor Cory’s Message)

As we praise to this song, “No Other Plan” by Elijah Oyelade, let’s receive, stay in, be in and walk in all the Lord’s blessings… as we go (click here).

Let’s pray: Father, “what you want is all we want. What you want that’s all we need. What you want that’s all that matters. Not our will but yours be done. Not our thoughts but yours dear Lord.” We pray for your blessings as the youth minister in Puerto Rico this upcoming week.  May the nations be blessed “in our workplaces, on our campuses and schools and in our cities.” That your worship may be established in all the places you have called us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

– EK

“It is as we go on the mission that we grow into the calling we have received… As we go on the mission, he leads us to face the issues in our lives and to mature in faith.” (From Pastor Cory’s Message)

Let’s read about the transformational and maturing process written by Dr. Helen Roseveare in her book, Living Sacrifice: Willing to be Whittled as an Arrow. She was a missionary in Congo for 20 years, from 1953-1973.

“Could I see that God wanted to transform my life from a somewhat ugly, useless branch to an arrow, a tool usable in His hands, for the furtherance of His purposes? To be thus transformed, was I willing – am I still willing – for the whittling, sandpapering, stripping, processes necessary in my Christian life? The snapping of thorns might include drastic dealing with hidden jealousies and unknown prides, giving up prized rights in leadership and administration. The final stripping of the bark might include lessons to be learned regarding death to self – self-defense, self-pity, self-justification, self-vindication, self-sufficiency, all the mechanisms of preventing the hurt of too deep involvement. Am I prepared for the pain, which may at times seem like sacrifice, in order to be made a tool in His service? Can I see such minor ‘sacrifices’ in light of the great sacrifice of Calvary, where Christ gave all for me?”

Let’s once again submit our hearts to the Lord as we proclaim aloud Isaiah 64:8 NIV –

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

In surrender, let’s praise with the song, “Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)” by Graham Kendrick (click here).

Let’s pray: Father, we recognize again that it is so, so not about us and that it is all about you, your love through Jesus and your mission.  You are the potter, and we are the clay.  Would you mold us so that we can be a “tool usable in your hands”? In Jesus’ name. Amen.

– EK

“Compassion is different from empathy. Empathy is an awareness of other people’s emotional experiences and an attempt to feel those same emotions from their perspective. Empathy is rooted in feeling. However, compassion not only recognizes what someone is going through, but is also accompanied by the desire to take action to help the other person… Jesus saw that the crowds were harassed and helpless and led his disciples to pray, ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.’ This kind of compassion is not rooted in human feelings and emotions. It has to come from God. As we see the people we are called to and as we pray, may the Lord fill our hearts with his compassion to see what he sees, to feel what he feels, to pray the prayers of his heart, and then to go and be the answers to those prayers by serving with sacrificial love as he did. Only God can compel us through the Holy Spirit to love as he loved us.” (From Pastor Cory’s Message)

In thankfulness, let’s remember our Lord Jesus’ compassion toward us and others as we proclaim aloud Matthew 9:35-38 NIV –

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Let’s praise the Lord through this song, “All Because of You” by Elijah Olyelade (click here).

Let’s pray:  Dear Lord, we worship you, our God of all compassion and it is “all because of you.”  As we go, may you fill our hearts with your compassion to see the ones that we are to see and to love in action.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

– EK

Isaiah 6:8 NIV – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

“Many years ago, during university, in a time of personal prayer, I heard God’s calling to be a missionary. I didn’t know who, how, what or where. All this was in God’s hands and has been ever since. That time of prayer marked a turning point in my life, where everything was surrendered. Every decision, every step = Only His will. Of course, I have made many missteps along the way, but God has kept me postured toward Him, leaning into His will, only to follow. 20 years ago, almost to the date, I found myself, therefore, in Paris. I definitely felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But there was a deep yearning to serve the Lord and love people different from me. It’s all worth it. Anything I have given, God has paid back at least 100-fold. And God brings me into joy through all the trials and hardships. I count it pure joy. It’s been in His goodness and kindness, surrounded by His love and grace, leaning fully on the power of the Spirit to bring others into this great salvation.” (From Missionary Sarah Chen’s Testimony)

Let’s proclaim aloud Psalm 96:2-3 NIV –
Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Let’s praise to this song, “Follow” sung by Melodie Malone (click here):

Prayer: Dear Lord, today is a new day that I respond before you, “here am I, send me!”  Day after day, I will follow you and count it all joy as I sing praises to your name and proclaim your salvation to all those around me.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

– EK

Let’s read aloud together this confession, passage, and prayer.

The whole Bible reveals the mission of God to bring all things in heaven and earth into unity under Christ, reconciling them through the blood of his cross. In fulfilling his mission, God will transform the creation broken by sin and evil into the new creation in which there is no more sin or curse. God will fulfil his promise to Abraham to bless all nations on the earth, through the gospel of Jesus, the Messiah, the seed of Abraham. God will transform the fractured world of nations that are scattered under the judgment of God into the new humanity that will be redeemed by the blood of Christ from every tribe, nation, people and language, and will be gathered to worship our God and Savior. God will destroy the reign of death, corruption and violence when Christ returns to establish his eternal reign of life, justice and peace. Then God, Immanuel, will dwell with us, and the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever. (The Cape Town Commitment, 10. We love the mission of God)

John 3:16 NIV – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Prayer – Thank you Father for how you so loved us through Jesus and gave us new life to live for you and your mission.  As we “go” on your mission today, we proclaim you as Lord. We praise you, for you are so good. And in prayer, we depend on you for all things. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s continue in praise as we sing, “Because of Jesus” by Charity Gayle (click here).

– EK