RECAP: Living the Call (Miscellaneous Speakers and Call to action by Gregg Henzilman)
Scripture: Mathew 28:16-20, Luke 10:1-24
This week our service was about missionaries and ‘living the call’. We heard testimonies, stories from mission teams we have sent out and learned about missionaries we support as well as new missions that are being started. Afterward Greg who attends our Church and works for Power To Change (Family Life Canada) spoke to us about how we are going to seek God’s call to action. He talked about the great commission mentioned in Psalm 46:10.
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
This verse is not new to me however I never really thought of the whole verse in it’s context. The last part of the verse about how God will be honored in every nation is actually very astounding. This is a prophesy and it will happen, question is will you and I be a part of how it happens. I decided to read the whole chapter and I learned some new things, notice the verses I have in bold,
6 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! 7 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. 8 Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
11 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.
The part of this chapter that stands out to me the most is that the Lord’s Armies are among us…that is awesome! I love that thought. The nations are in chaos for some of us our lives are in chaos too but no matter where we go whether it be Congo or our local hospital His Armies are here among us and we have nothing to fear. So many of us, myself included are living in fear instead of living the call so I really find this verse comforting and it gives me courage. When I finally get my paper work complete and I walk into the hospital with my harp I am going to picture the Lord’s Army all around. I will feel more courageous knowing that God’s Armies are going to be there to guard and protect me. My biggest fear of being at the hospital is when people find out that I am a Christian they’ll ask me difficult questions like, “If there is a God than why is He allowing all this pain and suffering to happen to me?” Now I can stop and picture the Army of God all around me and gracefully tell them about how God sent His Son into the world and He did heal the sick but than we crucified Him. Than I’ll go on to share with them about God’s grace of salvation and how God still loves and forgave us even though we crucified His Son.
Greg also did some research and found out that there are 6847 people groups that have never even heard the gospel yet. That adds up to 2.7 billion people. That means one of those people are dying every second so by the time I finish this blog about 3600 of those people will have died never having heard the gospel! A lot of these groups that he mentioned are represented by people that have immigrated to Canada. So even if you can’t see yourself going to the Congo or India don’t right yourself off to living the call. Greg’s call to action was easy PRAY, GIVE, SEND, GO. Just try one of these for example PRAY or GIVE. Living the call is not rocket science…it can be as easy as praying. Greg also talked about how easily people will decide to go on vacation without any thought of prayer about it but when asked to go on a missions trip they reply, “Oh I’ll have to pray about that.”
I love the scripture that Greg mentioned about sharing the gospel in new places as the Apostle Paul did…
Rom15:20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
21I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says,
“Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.”
22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
One of the ways I love spending part of my vacation is volunteering at Joy Bible Camp for the week of Girls Camp. It’s hardly like going to Congo but I believe that the Bible Camps are our mission fields here in North America . You may consider trying this or dedicating your summer to praying for Bible Camp and even sponsoring a child. VBS is another amazing way to live the call in our own community. God is going to call us all in different ways and that’s all a part of His plan. Will you follow His command for your life?
Rev 7:9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10And they were shouting with a great roar,
“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”
In the clay,
Chantal Dube