"All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me; therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you. I will be with you always til the end of the age."
It's one of those passages that we've grown up with and can spout off without much thought. Yet, this week, I've seen these words with new eyes:
We live in a world of many authorities. The basic authority of most people is self. We make our own way. We make our own decisions based on our own knowledge and thinking. But, Jesus reminds us that HE has all authority. Whether we yield to His authority or not, does not determine the existence and truth of His authority. As a believer in Jesus' authority, He has asked me to be his representative--not in far away lands, or even in Latin American lands. He doesn't dictate where. He simply asks me to purposefully/intentionally BE his representative. As His ambassador, I don't keep Jesus tucked away in a box for Sundays. He is in my actions in whatever I do. He is in my words in whatever I say. In my relationships at work and play, it is my desire that others will want to know the One I call my Authority. Should others be interested in learning of Him, I am always ready to introduce them to my Master. Some people are interested, others are not--it's only my place to BE...not to force. Those who are interested are made into disciples by falling in love with Jesus as they come to know Him through the Word of God. They come to understand the extent of God's love in His plan to restore our relationship to Him through the sacrifice of His Son. As people become convicted of their need for a Saviour--when they come face to face with such love in action, they grasp hold of the gift offered to them--the gift of coming under a new Authority--the gift of renewed r
elationship with God. There is nothing I love better than witnessing a new believer die to himself (his own authority), and be raised a new creation under a new Authority in the waters of baptism!!!! But that's not the end of the story. Baby Christians must be further immersed into God's Word to learn more about faithfulness and purposefulness in Christian living. It's so very different from the living that is propagated by the "world". It's not easy "going against the stream" of the world, but we don't do it alone. God has promised to be with us--all the way to the end of this Christian age when Jesus shows Himself to the whole world in His return. Until that time, He asks us to continue being His representatives.Bernard and I have adopted Matthew 28:18-20 as our mission statement. Wherever we have lived we have tried to be God's representatives. Both of us have been given the gift of evangelism. We have a deep desire to make Jesus known to others. We have lived out our mission statement in various contexts--in secular work, in church work, and in a Christian educational setting. We have come to believe that we are most effective, as well as happiest, when we are living in a full-time supported ministry. We don't want to administrate a mega church. We don't want to maintain an established church. We don't want to create and manage programs of a church. We just want to live among people to give them the opportunity to ask about our Authority. (Of course, they don't ask in those specific words!!) Then it thrills us to introduce them to our Master, making disciples of them, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, then teaching them all that Jesus has commanded us.
Bernard and I started out our married lives living among the people of Mexico, and we are now living out our later years among the people of Mexico. We have never been more fulfilled in our work!! We have joined a great team of two like-minded couples. We love being able to devote our whole lives to living among the people and teaching those who are interested in tasting the goodness of our Master. We love doing it; and we do it well, not by our own abilities, but through God's power and the talents and weaknesses with which God has gifted us. Talents to converse and teach, weaknesses to bring us back to dependence upon God when we wander away. We are so very grateful for all the events that God has orchestrated to bring us to this point in our lives.
While we were retooling with Gailyn and Becky VanRheenen in the Mission Alive program out of Ft. Worth, Texas, Bernard and I continued to pray that God would lead us to join a passionate team. We didn't care where we would live and minister, as much as we cared about with whom. We walked through the doors of gathering a team to church plant on the prairies of Canada. We investigated opportunities to join para-church organizations. We considered returning to Mexico after being gone seventeen years. The Saskatoon Church, with which we were working, supported us fully in pursuing the work that God was establishing for our hands (See last week's blog.). They lifted us up in prayer and provided our retooling opportunities. Finally the call came as a result of our visit to Mexico in December 2007. Malcolm and Glenn Pointon and their families asked us to consider joining their church-planting team in Lazaro Caradenas, Michoacan, Mexico. How could we join them??? We didn't even know them!!! That would be foreign mission suicide!! Yet in the months to follow, Bernard and I both kept coming back to the offer of joining the work in Lazaro. With a decision needing to be made, we lived one month in the reality of joining the Lazaro team. During that time, there were no burning bushes, no whispers of wind, nor did God speak to us from heaven--but it just seemed "right" to join the Lazaro work. We announced our decision in late February, then began making arrangements to relocate to Mexico. Saskatoon agreed to accept support on our behalf. We began getting the word out for our need for financial assistance. We have been overwhelmed with the confidence so many have placed in us by providing our monthly salary, thus far. We are grateful to our MountainView family in Dauphin, Manitoba and Moose Mountain at Kenosee Lake, SK. The rest of our support, until June comes from the Swift Current family and many, many individual supporters. Before coming to Mexico, we began putting "feelers" out for a supporting congregation. However, we were also being tugged with the need to be with our team for a while to assure we were a "good fit"
together. Now after four months, we have no doubt that we correctly heard the call of God for the work He has established for us here in Mexico. Our team doesn't just have a vision for making Jesus known to the people of Lazaro Cardenas, but to those all along the Pacific Coast!! We have a BIG vision because we serve a BIG God!Our commitment to this team and work brings us to the point of preparing for our future years here in Mexico. Next week's blog will continue the theme of "Contemplations" as we voice our visions and dreams for the future work God has established for our hands here in Mexico. Until then, blessings as you contemplate the many events that God has orchestrated to bring you to the work He has established for your hands.
1 comment:
Good to read your reports Alicia. Hi to the candy boy!
Sharon
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