Missions Paul

Matthew 21

The vehicle that took Jesus into the city of his baptismal death was ready even though it didn’t look like it.
Jesus is riding a young donkey which the other gospels say had not been ridden before.
An unbroken colt in a city of mayhem, noise and chaos would be very hard to handle it would go crazy with such an environment. Surely this is not the vehicle to use, it is not ready?
Yet with its mother next to it and the Prince of Peace on it then it will be at peace.
We can set the standard of what is ready or not. Often we say we are not ready or people can block our destiny saying we are inexperienced, not gifted enough, not wise enough.
But today, maybe others have done more, seen more, know more than you. However, this is your time, your moment, your life to live for God. The Prince of Peace is coming with you on a journey, he is steering you, it’s a new day!

Matthew 20: 32

Sometimes we get the chance of this question.

It is not a question to highlight any lack or to embarrass.

Nor is it a question suggesting a lack of intelligence of the questioner.

It is an opportunity to declare your faith in His ability.

So what is your answer?

#MeetOurMissionaries Sian Davies: Uganda “Biojemmss is a christian organisation that aims to nurture and care for children in parental absence. It caters for orphans, street children and children fleeing from war, conflict and abuse. Having partnered with Elim Missions since 2009 Biojemmess mission is to support and equip children/youth to reach their full potential by providing an environment that is child-centred and empowerment focused.” http://elim.im/davies

Matthew 19

What perspective of life did Jesus hold to?

In answer to a question on divorce we see His perspective was ‘at the beginning’. His answer was ‘what was Gods original intention?’ At the beginning there was never a need for a certificate of divorce.

The mission of Jesus was to link man back to the beginning.

How did God reveal Himself at the beginning? It was El Elohim: Creator God. “In the beginning El Elohim created”

We need to hold in our hearts the El Elohim.

This revelation of God as it forms in you will change your praying and expecting and what you do and how you spend your life.

The El Elohim revelation is ‘Give me wisdom, give me strategies, use me to change the culture I work in and live in.’

The Creator God releasing what is inside of us, creating, producing and changing.

It is a significant move from ‘Help me get through this day’ to ‘Help me to change this day into a creative day’.

We become involved in our world, not trying to escape it afraid we may be tainted by it.

We are raised into a taskforce to bring creation out of chaos.

Matthew 18 can be summarised as this:

How great have you become that you have stopped searching for the one who sinned against you that you may forgive them?

Matthew 17

Contrasts and Comparisons

Just as Moses had three companions on the mountain so Jesus chooses three of his closest companions.

Just as Moses face shone and was transfigured so the disciples see Jesus as they’ve never seen him before.

The return of Moses and Elijah was expected in connection with the Messianic age and here they are with Jesus.

Just as the bright shekinah glory cloud enveloped Moses here it is again, a sign of the presence of God.

Just as Moses fell facedown so did the disciples as they heard the voice of God.

‘When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus’.

Jesus then remains alone. Moses and Elijah are gone, for it is Jesus alone who is to be heard and who is Saviour!

Matthew 16

You have followed Jesus for 2 days over hills and rocky terrain and you arrive at Caesarea Philippi. This was a location famous for its pagan rituals and sacrifices. Jesus then leads you to a famous cliff called the ‘Rock of gods’. At the base of the 100 feet high cliff was a cave called ‘the gates of Hades’ and people believed gods such as Baal entered the cave. Into the crevices of the rock the people had placed hundreds of idols and statues.

Here, Jesus taught the people about His and their mission.

Standing near one of the shrines, Peter declares “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

“You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

On this rock of gods and every religion imaginable, I will build my church.

There is no cliff face for us but we live in a culture of idols and false religion.

The disciples were familiar with the Scriptures that tell us we are from a different rock.

The gates of Hades will not stand up against the power of the Church. Our mission is to take on evil and defeat it within culture.

Today this is why God has planted you where you are. In the factory, neighbourhood, school etc. It is not easy to live and work in such an environment. But it is here where Jesus is building His church.

Matthew 15

No matter what position you find yourself in, God has a place for you if you so desire Him.

The Jews despised people who lived in Tyre and Sidon. Jesus had said, “it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you who see miracles but don’t believe.” Matthew 11:22.
The disciples thought they knew who Jesus had time for and it sure wasn’t this woman. “send her away” v23.
As for Jesus he is trying to teach the disciples through experience. He declares, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
He reinstates his position, “Yes disciples she is an outcast, I don’t want her. Will anyone of you disagree with me?” No they didn’t and they failed the test.

“It is not right to take the childrens bread (Israel) and toss it to the dogs”. Jesus is testing again, this time the woman.
Will she see the salvation plan that God ultimately desire to heal all peoples, Jew and Gentile? Or will she fight back at Jesus?
“But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table.” She got it. She understood what the disciples didn’t. Even as an outcast if she persevered she would get a crumb. And one crumb from the master’s table is all she needed.

Matthew 14

Jesus calls to us “come”. But the territory between the boat and Jesus often looks impossible. The only way to walk in the impossible is to stop trusting your boat and start trusting your Saviour. There is a big difference. Trusting the boat is easy. You can touch it, it feels secure. There are always other people in the boat and if they’re okay then you will be also. It is tangible, you are safe.

So often we want to get out of that experience on the boat and expect that trusting Jesus will bring the same feelings – the feelings on the water are not the feelings on the boat.

Peter was not walking on a bridge or stepping stones, but water with the wind and waves against him.

This was a very hard thing for Peter to do – it took a lot of strength for Peter to walk against those winds. How did he do it when there was nothing tangible under His feet?

At that moment Peter was a God chaser, a true follower of Jesus. His Spirit was in control of his flesh. His mind was crying out “this is not safe!!!”

You can take a leap of faith. It will affect your feelings big time. It will not feel safe, it will not feel like the boat feelings, you will feel that things have gotten worse. You may be tempted to think whether or not this was a good idea. But with your eyes on Jesus it is more than possible for you to do what you have never ever done before. It is possible for you to leave people behind in their comfort zones as you become all you can become for God.

Matthew 13

So many have nearly given everything, they nearly entered the victory place of total devotion but stopped short of ‘everything’.

v46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

John Huss was a Czech priest and a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the 16th century. Before the Catholics burned him at the stake and lying in chains in prison he wrote this:

Without you I cannot do anything and especially, for your sake I cannot go to a cruel death. Grant me a ready spirit, a fearless heart, a right faith, a firm hope, and a perfect love, that for your sake I may lay down my life with patience and joy.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Pastor, whose book The Cost of Discipleship is a classic was part of a staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship. He was executed by hanging in April 1945 while imprisoned at a Nazi concentration camp, just 23 days before the German surrender.

He wrote these words before his death:

Suffering willingly endured is stronger than evil; it spells death to evil … The worse evil, the readier must the Christian be to suffer.

Majasobtsova began her early life as an atheist but then gave her life to Christ who would ask her to give everything for Him. Her and her father helped many Jews escape the occupation.

On Easter Saturday 1945 at the Ravensbruck concentration camp she took the place of a Jewish woman who was going to the gas chamber, one day before the Red Cross liberated the camp.

She wrote these words as she went:

Lord, I am your messenger. Throw me like a blazing torch into the night.

When Jesus is your pearl of greatest value then you will sell all for Him. Everything.