I think most everyone here is aware of our mission involvements around the world over the past two decades from our weekly prayers for our "partners in the gospel around the world."
A partner or sister church in NE Rwanda in Ngarama since 2002. Working on a building there that houses a congregation of 1500 and now is the hub of 6 or 7 other sub- parishes! That partnership led us to the relationship with two young men who are now graduating and entering work with us we hope over the next few months with the Rwandan Hope Project. A Medical worker and a business student, named Olivier Welcome and Peter or Jean Pierre Nsingeminye. Olivier graduated in November and will take his national board's next month and Peter who will graduate this coming November. We also help one of our own sons of Rez, Sam Katungwensi, the son of Fr Stanley & Anne Katungwensi. Sam is a Masters student at Makerere University in Kampala,Uganda in
Information Computer Technology.
Along side these we pray for and support a pastor and family in Nazareth, Israel... Yakov (Jacob) & Ruth Dolinsky and Congregation Tsur Yeshuati in Upper Nazareth.
We have supported Bible Translation in Russia and continue to pray for the work of the Institute for Bible Translation in Moscow. Ask Al Throckmorton about the impact of that work on him and on Russia.
Thank you to Al and the men's group for great faithfulness over many years.
Missionaries in N Africa, the Middle East, and many other areas to numerous to mention recieved our prayers and donations over the years. Your King Soopers and Amazon purchases are some of the fuel for these outreaches and initiatives. And more is on the horizon, both locally and globally.
We've been focused on getting into and paying for this land and building for the past two years or so, but the day is coming quickly where we will once again lift our eyes to the call that God has on us to engage with his world, both near and far.
One of my favorite old hymns is entitled The Love of God!
The Love Of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin
O love of God how rich and pure
How measureless and strong
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels song
When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall
When men who here refuse to pray
On rocks and hills and mountains call
God's love so sure shall still endure
All measureless and strong
Redeeming grace to Adam's race
The saints and angels song
Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky
Frederick Martin Lehman | Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai
__________________
This is the WHY of missions! It never changes! METHODS CHANGE, MESSAGE DOESN'T.
We all know the verse by heart. There are signs at NFL games and on NFL players faces! It's the most searched for verse on Google ever! WHY? CAUSE IT'S SUCH GREAT NEWS!
John 3:16 ...
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
And who knows verse 17?
"For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through him, might be saved! "
Turn with me for a moment to 2 Corinthians 5. Bibles are under the chair in front of you. 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, beginning at verse 14
I'm going to read from The Passion Translation:
For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and motivates us, because we are absolutely convinced that he has given his life for all of us.
Skip down a few verses to 16a...
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh...
Once again from TPT...
So then, from now on, we have a new perspective that refuses to evaluate people merely by their outward appearances. For that’s how we once viewed the Anointed One, but no longer do we see him [OR OTHERS] with limited human insight.
And now 17 -21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
AND AGAIN FROM THE TPT...
And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them [BECAUSE HE IS] directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to him.”
[AND HERE IS THE MESSAGE WE CONTINUALLY SHARE !]
For God made the only one who did not know sin to become sin for us, so that we who did not know righteousness might become the righteousness of God through our union with him.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
We talk a lot here about our Willingness our Availability and our Obedience. This is what THAT whole formulation is all about, friends. It's all about our going day by day into our every day lives with this motivation, this conviction and the overwhelming love of God in our hearts for others. Just show that love to others and there's no head banging that is required!
Just open your mouth and let them hear and see the Love of God in you!
Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky
Amen.
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