@ the crossroads

Crossroads supports Jeremy & Mindie Tice, missionaries to the Yalunka people of Guinea, West Africa.  Today I found this call to prayer in my inbox and I wanted to pass it along to you to enlist your prayer support for the mission efforts of the Tice family….

GUINEA:  This Thursday and Friday, Jeremy Tice and Yalunka believers from Soulemania will be teaching about the resurrection to Yalunka people in the villages of Sisiya and Maxanya. This lesson will open the door for a decision to be made about following Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts and minds of these Yalunka people. Pray they will choose new freedom in Christ.

Thanks for praying…

A few weeks ago, my seven year old daughter Abbie got off of the school bus in tears.  She had been intimidated by a fifth grade boy who seemed to have the gift of bullying.  As a parent, seeing a child in emotional turmoil due to the violent insecurity of another is not a pleasant experience.  The natural inclination to insulate and protect my daughter in this situation was very strong.  However, after conferring with my wife, it was decided that the best course of action was to not contact the school, but rather to debrief with Abbie and seize a teachable moment about how to handle one of life’s inevitable forces…INTIMIDATION.

Nehemiah, one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament, dealt with ongoing waves of intimidation throughout his God-given mission of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  In fact, the main theme of Nehemiah 6 is intimidation; specific forms of intimidation were thrown Nehemiah’s way in repeated attempts to thwart his leadership and mission.  Here are the various manifestations of intimidation faced by Nehemiah:

Intimidation through threats of physical harm

Nehemiah 6:1-4  When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it–though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates–Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”  But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them wiht this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.  Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”  Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

The threat of physical harm for Christian beliefs and practices in America is pretty rare compared to what Christ followers must endure in many other countries.  Here are just a few sobering statistics about the persecuted church:

*More than 70% of all Christians now live in countries where they are experiencing persecution.  In some cases EXTREME persecution.

*Over the last 20 centuries, more than 70 million Christians have been martyred–killed, executed, murdered–for Christ.

*More Christians have been martyred in the last 100 years than all other years since AD 30 combined.

*More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, 60% of these are children.

*150,000 to 165,000 Christians are martyred each year.

Jesus clearly taught that discipleship involves the risk of persecution and physical harm.  John 15:18-20 says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.  Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…” 

One of the amazing traits of Nehemiah’s leadership is his ability to stay focused on the mission in the midst of intimidation and persecution.  He said, “I am carrying on a great project….why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”  There are times when the church is tempted to shy away from radical mission living for trivial reasons (we don’t have large enough facilities, we don’t have enough money, we lack the right people, etc.).  We can learn something from Nehemiah’s fearlessness in the face of intimidation.  His focus was on obedience to God, no matter what the cost.  May God raise up followers of Jesus Christ who are more focused on mission and obedience than on intimidating forces of resistance. 

Intimidation through false accusations and rumors

Nehemiah 6:5-9 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written: “It is reported among the nations–and Geshem says that it is true–that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall.  Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!  Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.”  I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”  They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”  But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

The intimidation for Nehemiah now comes in the form of threatening words.  A vicious rumor has the power to bring great levels of disturbance, anxiety, and distraction.  The Bible describes one of Satan’s pastimes as accusation (Rev. 12:10).  False accusations were thrown at Nehemiah in the hopes that fear would bring paralysis, thus stopping the completion of the wall project.  We can learn something from the way Nehemiah handles this form of intimidation.  He briefly states the false nature of the accusations and then turns his thoughts to God in prayer.  He prays for strength as the opposition mounts yet another attack.  We have all had the experience of someone spreading rumors about us or falsely accusing us of wrongdoing.  These situations can be very demoralizing and they will weaken our resolve if we listen to the false messages.  God will help us stay the course in these difficult moments as we cry out to him for a sense of perspective and truth in the minefield of rumor.

Intimidation through false religion and deception

Nehemiah 6:10-13  One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home.  He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you–by night they are coming to kill you.”  But I said, “Should a man like me run away?  Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go!”  I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.  He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

The intimidation in this situation was meant to lure Nehemiah into doing something that was incongruous with the command of God.  In speaking with Aaron the priest, God had stated, “But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain.  I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift.  Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”  Nehemiah was not a priest, he was a governor.  Thus, he was not allowed in the inner area of the temple.  The attempt to get Nehemiah to hide in the temple may have been successful if Nehemiah did not have an understanding of the Law of God.  However, Nehemiah’s deep devotion to God prevented him from falling into the deceptive enticement of Shemaiah.  The irony of this situation is that an advertisement for safety (”Let us meet in the house of God”), if acted upon, would have turned into a disaster for Nehemiah.  An attempt at self-preservation would have led to self-destruction.  False, deceptive teaching is often human-centered in its orientation and focused on achieving self-actualization.  True theology is God-centered and is focused on people being changed by the power of God’s grace, not through creative human power and ingenuity. 

One of the ongoing challenges for followers of Jesus Christ is to be faithful to the mission that God has given, even when facing continuous waves of intimidation.  May God give you the strength to persevere, no matter what kind of ”bullying” comes your way.   

Last Sunday we dealt with some inside opposition to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall in Nehemiah 5.  The Jews experienced opposition from outside their community as well, but Nehemiah displays the danger of God’s family turning against one another in the realm of economics in chapter 5.  There were some wealthy Jews who were taking advantage of their fellow Jews by charging interest on loans (in opposition to the Law as outlined in Leviticus 25) and the poor were quickly becoming poorer due to the fact that they had put their regular jobs on hold to be a part of the wall rebuilding project.  When Nehemiah heard of the injustice and the effect it was having on the Jewish community, he became very angry.  The mission that Nehemiah was working hard to complete in a unified manner was becoming fragmented and weakened by greed and selfishness.  Here are some of the truths that we can learn from Nehemiah 5 about money and mission:

1) Generosity toward the needs of others should characterize those who follow Christ.  There is no room for greed in the church.  In fact, greed will kill the mission of the church.  This is one of the reasons the account of Ananias and Sapphira is recorded in Acts 5 as one of the key incidents of the early church.  God does not look kindly upon deception, including deceit and corruption in the handling of money.  Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead because they lied about money.  Vibrant community within the church and effective witness in the world depend upon honesty, trustworthiness, and transparency. 

2) One of the key indicators of an effective missional church is the “love factor” of those within the church.  Nehemiah speaks to the wealthy Jews who were taking advantage of their brothers and sisters: “What you are doing is not right.  Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?” (Neh. 5:9)  Nehemiah is concerned that the lack of compassion among the Jews will be seen by the Gentiles and result in disgrace.  In the same way, ongoing conflict, injustice, and lack of compassion within the body of Christ will derail the effecive witness of the church.

This “love factor” (which has the expression of unity) is so significant that Jesus makes it a major component of his prayer for us:

…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me…(John 17:23)  

The apostle John writes, ”If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”  (1 John 3:17)  John connects love with generosity.  The love of God is by nature generous.  Those who are truly in love with God will overflow with love for others and a missional presence will be established by the church in the world.

3) Proper stewardship of God’s resources involves the voluntary restraining of spending so that the needs of others may be met.  Although Nehemiah was a wealthy individual with many privileges, he voluntarily gave up some of the economic privileges to communicate his passion for justice and to ensure that the poor were adequately resourced.

Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year-twelve years-neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.  But the earlier governors-those preceding me-placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine.  Their assistants also lorded it over the people.  But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.  Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall.  All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land…..I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. (Neh. 5:14-16, 18)

The early church was a powerful witness, partially due to their radical economic practices.  Luke records that “all the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 2:44-45)  The church community modeled the voluntary restraint of acquistion and possessions so that the practical needs of others could be met.  This is a powerful vision for the church, especially the church in America as we are surrounded by the strong messages calling us to the endless consumption of goods and services.

My morning devotions have been taking me lately through the Old Testament book of Job, a powerful book that deals with the topic theologians have come to know as theodicy, or the problem of evil.  In other words, how can evil and suffering coexist in the world with an all-powerful, all-knowing, and compassionate God?  Great question…

We have all gone through seasons of life where we have questioned God on his activity (or seeming lack of activity) in our lives.  Sometimes the pain and trying circumstances of our existence can well up into angry questions before the sovereign throne of God.  Here are a couple of my reflections on Job’s experience that have been impressed upon my heart over the past few days:

1) Right in the middle of Job’s suffering, he is reminded of God’s life. 

Job confesses, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27)  Those of us on the other side of the cross of Christ have the opportunity to center our lives on the wonderful reality of Christ’s death and resurrection.  Our God is alive; this life is our hope as we eagerly await “our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:23)  For, as the Apostle Paul has written, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

2) God is the Ultimate Question-er and the One who alone is Sovereign over all

Job was looking for an answer from God regarding all the suffering in his life; he was full of questions.  God does respond, but in a somewhat unexpected way.  “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.  He said: ‘Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me…” (Job 38:1-3)  Then again in Job 40, God says to Job, “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me…”   Repetition in scripture means pay attention, an important point is being made.  The point here is that God is in control of the events of our lives.  He is perfectly sovereign and all of our suffering is under his watchful eye.  When we question God, he responds with a list of questions for us:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”

“Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?”

“Have the gates of death been shown to you?”

“Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?” 

You get the point!  No wonder Job responded to God by saying, “I am unworthy–how can I reply to you?  I put my hand over my mouth.” (Job 40:4)

God was communicating to Job the human inability to fully grasp the sovereign plan of God.  Even if God did fully reveal His plan in our suffering, I don’t believe we could understand it completely.  It would simply be too much for us to fathom as God’s ways are so much higher and greater than ours.  The sovereign power of God should drive us to confess these words of Paul to the Romans:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose….For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28, 38-39)

If you are walking through a season of suffering, take heart today in the knowledge that God has control over your suffering and there is nothing that can separate you from His perfect love.  God’s sovereignty communicates to us that He knows our suffering.  God’s love expressed to us through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection communicates to us that He is an intimate, relational God, willing to draw near to us in our suffering and provide a way to glorify Him as we suffer, knowing all the time that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor. 4:17)

Spring is an exciting time at Crossroads because many people are preparing to go out on mission trips during the summer months.  Even if you are not a member of the Africa or Mexico mission teams, you still have a vital role to play in the Gospel going out to the ends of the earth.  Please be a person of prayer and be a generous financial supporter of Crossroads missions.  As one church has put it, there are 3 types of people when it comes to world missions: go-ers, senders, and the disobedient.  The question is not whether to support missions, but rather how to support missions.  Here are some practical ways you can help with missions at Crossroads in the days ahead:

1) If you’re a golfer, sign up for the Mission Africa golf tournament coming up on Saturday, May 10 at Bridgewater golf course in Lakeland.  This is a great opportunity for golfers to introduce their friends to Crossroads.  If you would like to register for the tournament, contact the Crossroads office.

2) Make a financial contribution for a water well in Africa.  The Crossroads Africa team will be able to provide clean drinking water for people in Zambia through the work of Seeds of Hope International Partnerships.  Water wells cost $5,500 and there is an additional expense of $1,000 to provide hygiene training for the people.  Your investment in this project will go a long way in providing the people of Zambia with better health.

3) Make a financial contribution for a house in Mexico.  The Crossroads team will be providing a home for a Mexican family.  Cost of a home is approximately $5,500. 

4) Pray for the following people who will be going out of the country on Crossroads mission trips this summer: April Hershberger, Kacey Lorton, Randy Childress, Jon English, Mike Morrell, Fred Cogdill, Amanda Percy, Jessica Brown, Bridgette Dreher, Jay Edgar, Ashley Ezell, Matt Ford, Tori Ford, Laci Leibe, Colleen Mattingly, Denise Mattingly, Ryan Persichetti, Travis Whirl, Stephen Ketelhut.

5) Provide clothing for children in need at Garner Elementary School in Winter Haven.  The nurse’s closet at Garner is in great need of children’s shirts and belts.  For more detailed information on this local mission project, check out the news section of the Crossoads website.  Donations may be brought to Crossroads over the next several weeks.

Crossroads is such a generous church!  Thank you for making sacrifices along the way so that the mission of the church can press forward in the world!  A few months from now, I look forward to hearing about…

*children in Africa who are drinking clean water for the first time

*a family in Mexico with a new house

*children in Winter Haven who were blessed with new school clothes

*answers to countless prayers!

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

This morning I spent some time in the physical therapy office receiving some treatment for my lower back problem.  One of the treatments I regularly receive is lumbar spinal traction.  I am placed on a special bed that retracts and extends with closely monitored movement and I am fitted with a velcro belt around my waist and another one around my shoulders.  The purpose of this therapy is to stretch my vertebrae and decrease the amount of compression on the intervertebral discs, thus diminishing the level of pain.  In essence, the goal is to create space. 

While I am receiving this treatment, the therapist will normally turn the lights out and tell me to “rest and relax.”  Today as I was staring at the ceiling in the darkened room, I began to wonder why it often takes me being tied down with velcro on a spinal decompression table to truly enter a time of rest.  If the decision is mine, I will normally take active production over rest and Sabbath.  God knows our propensity for doing and so He gave a command to prevent us from getting confused into thinking that we are ones who really make life happen.  

Exodus 20:8-11 (The 4th Commandment) says: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” 

Sabbath rest is important for several reasons:

1) God commanded it.  Not resting is a sin. 

2) When we work non-stop we are telling God that we don’t really trust Him to provide for our needs.  The distinction between Creator and creation is blurred; we begin to run our lives under the illusion that we are in control.  In essence, we put ourselves in the place of God by refusing to acknowledge His presence in our lives.  Ceasing is an act of worship because it says to God, “You are my Provider.  Every good and perfect gift comes from you!”

3) Rest and Sabbath teach us to live fully in the moment, not in the past or future.  So much of our lives are spent regretting the past and fretting about the future.  When we rest, we are forced to be fully alive in the present.  When I am on the decompression table, my thoughts are directed to that present moment.  Without physical mobility, I seize the moments to be in the presence of God through prayer.  In fact, the physical restrictions actually enhance my awareness of God’s presence.  When there is nowhere to run with our feet, we are given the opportunity to run with our heart to the God who longs for us to be in communion with Him.

I recently read a wonderful book called The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel.  If you want to dive more deeply into the theological insights surrounding the biblical theme of Sabbath, I would strongly recommend this book.  Here is a quote from the Prologue (p.9):

One of the most distinguised words in the Bible is the word qadosh, holy; a word which more than any other is representative of the mystery and majesty of the divine.  Now what was the first holy object in the history of the world?  Was it a mountain?  Was it an altar?

It is, indeed a unique occassion at which the distinguised word qadosh is used for the first time: in the Book of Genesis at the end of the story of creation.  How extremely significant is the fact that it is applied to time: “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.”  There is no reference in the record of creation to any object in space that would be endowed with the quality of holiness. 

This is a radical departure from accustomed religious thinking.  The mythical mind would expect that, after heaven and earth have been established, God would create a holy place–a holy mountain or a holy spring–whereupon a sanctuary is to be established.  Yet it seems as if to the Bible it is holiness in time, the Sabbath, which comes first.

When is the last time you experienced holiness in time?  Have you experienced God’s powerful presence through Sabbath rest recently?  If not, I encourage you to decompress and allow God’s grace to create some new space in your life, a life that probably often feels compressed from multiple sides.  Try it.  God commands it.  Our life depends upon it.

I call it spiritual traction….

Abbie, my seven year old daughter has an artistic flair.  There is a constant flow of pictures, paintings, stories, and songs streaming from her bedroom.  One of the inspiring aspects to observe about these various creations is the time, energy, and meticulous detail that goes into each creative work.  Abbie’s desire is to use her gifts to their fullest potential; she works hard to present the very best work possible.

Recently, I was sick in bed and Abbie quietly entered the bedroom to present her most recent work of art: a “get well” card.  This particular work contained these simple words:

Dear Daddy, I hope you feel better soon!  I love you!  Love, Abbie.

As I have reflected upon Abbie’s sensitive, compassionate use of her artistic gift, my thoughts have been drawn to the realm of worship.  The Bible teaches that worship is not just about music, instruments, and singing, but rather the whole of life that is enraptured in the presence of God.  A simple card to someone who is sick can serve as a powerful act of worship; praying with someone over the phone who is going through a painful life struggle is an act of worship; sending someone $10 to help with a financial need can be an act of worship that may lead to powerful opportunities for meaningful ministry. 

Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

What is the whatever that God has called you to do?  Are you viewing these activities as acts of worship done in the name of Christ?  Are you using your gifts and talents to their fullest potential?  Or, are you simply trying to get by with the least amount of effort?

When the people of Jerusalem were rebuilding the wall under the leadership of Nehemiah, the Bible records a powerful verse (Nehemiah 4:6): “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”

I love that phrase, “…the people worked with all their heart.”  The King James Version puts it this way: “…the people had a mind to work.”  Oh the amazing work that can be accomplished when people have a mind to work and when they work with all their heart.  I believe that when people work with all their hearts they are viewing their work as an act of worship to God.  For the Jews, the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem was extremely important for their identity as a people and for their safety.  The wall would also help to protect their center of worship, the temple of God.  The seemingly mundane task of building walls was really an important act of worship; it was communicating value and worth to God.

Don’t see your work as mundane.  God likes to do transforming work through daily jobs and routine assignments.  Do your best for His glory.  Even if it’s writing a get well card.

Vision: I had the opportunity to meet with a prospective church planter this morning.  The leadership team of Crossroads has been praying through and dialoguing about the initial phases of the next Crossroads plant.  We are a church that values the ongoing multiplication of disciples and churches for the glory of God.  Please join the Crossroads leadership team in prayer as we collectively seek God in our mission to reach those in Polk County who have no relationship with Jesus Christ or a local church. 

As I was talking to this prospective planter this morning, I was struck by how often the word risk entered our conversation.  Following passionately after Christ is risky business; it is risky on family, finances, and jobs.  Living by faith is counter to our default mode of existence which is normally defined by a longing for security and stability.  I believe the church is most fully alive when there is the greatest level of dependence on the power of God; God’s power flows most freely when we have come to the “end of ourselves” and we are willing to risk all for His Kingdom. 

Our current teaching series on the Old Testament memoir of Nehemiah entitled, Broken Hearts, Active Lives,is full of risk.  When Nehemiah the cupbearer approaches King Artaxerxes to ask him if he can go and rebuild the broken down walls of Jerusalem, he is acting in tremendous faith and risk.  His very life was possibly at risk for asking to leave the king’s court and pursue another endeavor.  The request could have been perceived by Artaxerxes as lack of loyalty.  However, Nehemiah laid it all on the line and his memoir records it this way (Neh. 2:4-5):

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Mission: Are we willing to lay it all on the line for Christ and the mission of the church in the world?  Are we willing to pay the price necessary to touch more and more people’s lives with the transforming message of the gospel?  Mission for Christ is by its very nature an uncomfortable activity because to take the good news of Christ to new areas means that new frontier will be explored.  The Apostle Paul, church planter and explorer of new mission frontiers, lived an extremely uncomfortable life.  He described his experiences to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:24-28):

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.  I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

The pages of mission history are full of people who, like the Apostle Paul, were willing to put their lives on the line to proclaim the supremacy of Jesus Christ.  David Brainerd, a missionary to American Indians in the 1700’s, wrote these words in his diary (The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, edited by Jonathan Edwards):

…I have been often exposed to cold and hunger in the wilderness, where the comforts of life were not to be had; have frequently been lost in the woods; and sometimes obliged to ride much of the night; and once lay out in the woods all night; yet, blessed be God, he has preserved me! 

The joy of the Christ follower comes not through the comforts of this life, but through the ever-growing affection placed directly on Christ and His mission in the world.

In 1909, J. Campbell White, the Secretary of the Layman’s Missionary Movement wrote these words:

Most men (and women) are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives.  Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose toward the world he came to redeem.  Fame, pleasure, and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast wiht the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans.  The men (and women) who are putting everything into Christ’s undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.

As we press forward with the mission God has given us as individuals and as a church, may we keep in mind that we are laboring for sweet and pricess rewards.  Our labors are not in vain!

Grab the vision; live the mission,

Mark Nelson