Be Like the Lord

Jonah was God's reluctant Old Testament missionary. We know that God told him to go to Nineveh and preach repentance to the people, but we don't know for sure why he didn't want to go except in one sense. Jonah actually told us in Jonah 4:2. He said to the Lord, 'I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster.' 

The character of God made Jonah run the other way. Even before leaving Israel he knew God would forgive if the Ninevehites repented, and he didn't want them to repent.

Be like the Lord. Be merciful, share His mercy for sinners; be compassionate, hope to see them free from their sin; be slow to become angry at their indifference; be rich in faithful love, persist in sharing what you know they need - Jesus; take the message they need to avoid disaster.

You can share the Lord's character with people in Peru. Join us as we go this summer.

Don't be like Jonah - 2!

Exciting news! One of the church members who talked to Judy and I at the Main Campus Mission trips informational meetings told me Sunday that she plans to put in her application. The Lord is growing our team. I can't wait to see who He brings on next.

As I said before, don't ask whether you should go, ask why you shouldn't. The Lord already told us all to go in general, don't let worry about going the right place hinder your obedience. Jesus said go into all the world--(He wasn't specific about where to go)--and preach the gospel--(He was specific about what to share). Let me tell you a secret: the right place to go is where ever you go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So it's not so much about the where of obedience, as it is about the message shared as you are obedient. You are going to share God's heart, and that can be done anywhere.

So what is God's heart? We can learn that from a guy who lived hundreds of years before Jesus commanded us to go. Jonah was an Old Testament missionary. God told him to go to Nineveh, and we all remember his reaction: he tried to run from the presence of our omnipresent God. He didn't want to go to Nineveh.

Now I've heard many preachers and teachers try to explain why Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh. Reasons range from he was afraid of the barbaric Assyrians to he hated them because they were Israel's enemies to they were so evil they were un-redeemable. But Jonah told us why he didn't want to go in Jonah 4:2 (ESV): 'And he prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster."' Jonah knew the Lord and He knew that if he preached the Lord would find some way to be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and would relent from disaster. He didn't want to see the Ninevehites forgiven for whatever reason, and he knew the Lord would let them off.

Don't be like Jonah. I know you won't. Embrace the Lord's grace and mercy. Wouldn't it be great to bring the Lord's grace, mercy, slowness to anger, and abundance of steadfast love to the people of Peru? Wouldn't it be exciting to be part of the Lord's relenting from the disaster of spiritual lostness for people you don't yet know? Jonah didn't want to be the Lord's conduit for blessings on his enemies; I'm sure you want to be the Lord's conduit for blessings on the new friends you will meet in Peru.

Don't Be Like Jonah!

Our Sunday School class just finished a study of Jonah. You know he was an Old Testament missionary. God sent him to a different culture, one he hated, one that was full of people who hated his people, and were known to be wicked and cruel.

But the story is not about Jonah, it's about God. It reveals God's reasons for sending out missionaries. We saw five points about why God sends out missionaries. I'll just give you one so this will be a blog and not a book.

Jonah 1:2 tells us that God told Jonah, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me." The phrase 'their evil has come up before Me' is interesting. Hadn't our omniscient (all-knowing) God noticed their evil before. Certainly Jonah had; he ran in the other direction. Since God is all-knowing this phrase can't mean He had just now seen their evil. So why did it come to His attention now? Maybe their pile of evil got so big that He just got tired of it. That doesn't sound much like God either.

Try adding to that statement the fact that God knew how the people of Nineveh would respond to Jonah's message. He knew they would repent. So maybe 'their evil has come up before Me' meant that He knew the time was right for them to hear and repent. He knew they were ready, so He sent in His Old Testament missionary, His reluctant, run away missionary.

God's timing is impeccable; He knows just when to set things in motion; He knows just the words that need to be said, by just the person, at just the time. He knew it in Jonah's day, and He knows it today. You could be just the person for someone in Peru, and maybe for many someones. There's only one way to be sure: go, take God's message of salvation with you.

Check back soon!

Ask the Lord, Apply to Serve

Last two Sundays we had short-term missions trips information meetings. Six church members showed interest in serving with us in Peru. Praise the Lord these are members who have never been with us before. Now is the time for prayer and applications. Ask the Lord if you should join our team, or better yet ask Him why you shouldn't.

In Acts 16:6-8, Paul and his mission team tried going one direction, but the Lord stopped them. They tried another direction, but again the Lord stopped them. They were heading a third direction when the Lord gave Paul a vision of a Macedonia guy saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

When Paul didn't have a specific direction he didn't stay, he asked the Lord's direction and started moving. He knew the Lord would get him where he needed to be. His default mode was going, not staying.

Jesus has already said go (see Matthew 28:18-20). If you're wondering about your involvement maybe you should assume He wants you to go, and only decide not to go if He makes it clear you shouldn't. Our usual practice, our default mode, our everyday task should be going.

Oh, and if you can think of someone else who should think about going with us send them the link to this blog. Maybe you could be the Macedonian guy in their vision from the Lord.

Ask the Lord, apply to serve.

Let the Lord Build Our Team

Yesterday we started the 2016 mission year at HGBC with an interest meeting at North Campus. Representatives from several mission teams came to describe their planned trips and talk to church members interested in participating.

We on the Peru Team were excited to see four people step up to show their interest.

Two more interest meetings will be held at Main Campus, one after each of the worship services, next Sunday, February 7th. We are praying to fill the positions and begin training/preparation meetings soon.

Pray that the Lord will build our team with believers who are committed to Him, and willing to serve in any capacity.