I have been meditating on Psalm 67 this week. Let me share a few thoughts with you on this wonderful prayer and song of thanksgiving.
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you."
God made a covenant with Abraham that He would bless him and that Abraham and his family would be a blessing to all the nations. [Gen. 12:1-3] All who have trusted in Jesus as Savior are recipients of this promise. We are blessed in order to be a blessing to everyone else everywhere.
"May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you."
People from every nation (people group) will rejoice and delight themselves in God when they experience the just and gracious rule of Christ over them. John Piper has said it well; “Mission is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is... Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions...Missions begins and ends in worship.” [From ‘Let the Nations be Glad']
"Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."
Abundant harvest is the result of God’s blessing. When people begin to walk in God’s ways, harvests tend to become more fruitful. Being able to sit down and enjoy a good meal with friends and family is something to give thanks to God about. We also anticipate from the Lord abundant spiritual harvest in and through our lives.
This beautiful Psalm begins with a prayer asking for God’s grace and blessing to be upon us so that people from many nations may come to know the Lord. It ends with a song of thanksgiving for this very thing; He will bless us and people everywhere; across the street and to the far reaches of the planet; will join us in worshiping Him.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thoughts From Holland
I just returned from Holland where I spent several days last week with about 30 church leaders from around the world. All of us were related to the Newfrontiers family of churches. It was wonderful to hear of numerous unreached or nearly unreached people groups receiving the Good News about Jesus through people from our churches. In some of these places reproducing churches are multiplying. One of our friends shared how in his country 10 years ago they had 8 people in their church, today there are 1800 people gathering in seven different churches they have started.
Edward Buria, who serves the church in Kenya apostolically, told us of the terrible famine that has been going on in their nation for the last several years. Some of their own church members have perished in the famine. Churches are rallying together to help serve those most affected by this crisis in genuine compassion. Edward, however, went on to tell us how that even in face of these huge problems many new churches are being planted and many people are coming to faith in Christ.
Our good friend Scott Marques shared how in Southern Africa God is using the combination of the Biblical principles of Farming God’s Way (now called Foundations for Farming) to help pave the way for planting sustainable and reproducing churches. Scott made this statement, “As the church loves God, believes God, receives God and lives for God’s glory, the church has the power to bring a life-giving, ‘transformational’ effect, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the world around it.” We have plenty of evidence that this is actually happening through church after church around the world.
To sum up our time in Holland I want to mention something Terry Virgo shared with us that really impacted me. He said we must share clearly that as Christians we are a ‘new creation’ in Christ. We no longer fall under the category of ‘sinners’ but that of ‘saints’ (i.e. ‘holy ones’). In other words, we are not only freed from sins’ guilt, but from sins’ power through Christ. Therefore we should not expect to go on sinning but rather to see the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. This reality points up the need for each new believer to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Living out, in this present life, what it means to be a ‘new creation’ in Christ requires the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. To be a ‘transformational’ people we must be a Spirit-filled people.
Edward Buria, who serves the church in Kenya apostolically, told us of the terrible famine that has been going on in their nation for the last several years. Some of their own church members have perished in the famine. Churches are rallying together to help serve those most affected by this crisis in genuine compassion. Edward, however, went on to tell us how that even in face of these huge problems many new churches are being planted and many people are coming to faith in Christ.
Our good friend Scott Marques shared how in Southern Africa God is using the combination of the Biblical principles of Farming God’s Way (now called Foundations for Farming) to help pave the way for planting sustainable and reproducing churches. Scott made this statement, “As the church loves God, believes God, receives God and lives for God’s glory, the church has the power to bring a life-giving, ‘transformational’ effect, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the world around it.” We have plenty of evidence that this is actually happening through church after church around the world.
To sum up our time in Holland I want to mention something Terry Virgo shared with us that really impacted me. He said we must share clearly that as Christians we are a ‘new creation’ in Christ. We no longer fall under the category of ‘sinners’ but that of ‘saints’ (i.e. ‘holy ones’). In other words, we are not only freed from sins’ guilt, but from sins’ power through Christ. Therefore we should not expect to go on sinning but rather to see the fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives. This reality points up the need for each new believer to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Living out, in this present life, what it means to be a ‘new creation’ in Christ requires the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. To be a ‘transformational’ people we must be a Spirit-filled people.
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