~ from Pastor Dean
Why should we continually seek to live in a close abiding union with Jesus?
Why ask for the Lord to be our only portion?
Why read, meditate on and memorize His Word?
Why cultivate a sensitive and responsive ear to the wise and loving voice of His Holy Spirit?
Why pursue training and mentoring so we can reach our full potential with the gifts and abilities He has entrusted to us?
Why forsake comfort and the status quo to work heartily as unto the Lord at home, in our jobs, within our church and, as He leads, in cities and remote villages around the world?
Why live this way and why capture stories like Meg Benedik’s and celebrate them, as we are doing in today’s newsletter?
Of the many true and good answers, today I am thanking God for this one – when we unite with Jesus and His followers around the globe in living this way we get to take part in something beyond what any one of us or any one congregation could ever do. We get to participate in the ultimate vision of God as declared in these and a thousand other verses.
- “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”” (Galatians 3:8, ESV)
- “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV)
- ““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”” (Psalm 46:10, ESV)
- “In his name the nations will put their hope.”” (Matthew 12:21, NIV84)
- “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)
- “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”” (Revelation 7:9–10, NIV84)
And to think, we get to join our great God in this great work by simply being faithful to live with and love like Jesus, resting in the promise that He will reverberate His glory and expand His kingdom in and through Meg and all of us who faithfully follow His voice.