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Money & Missions

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth—He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” Psalm 33:12-15

I was bumping along in my devotion through the Psalms on Monday morning and this verse caught my attention. The word ‘nation’ is the Hebrew word goyim meaning peoples. This verse is often quoted with the word nation being used as a politico-geographical area under which people have some kind of nationalistic identity. But I think the term goyim is referring to a smaller group and class of people, what missiologists would call a people group, or what we might refer to as an ethnic group. I assume that in this verse the Psalmist was referring to the people of Israel, the Hebrews, whom God had chosen to be His people. The glory of God deserves the praises of all the nations, not just a few.

When we send teams on mission, our teams work through unique methods to shine the glorious light of Jesus into the dark places. Guanajuato is one of the spiritually darkest states in Mexico. We will be sending a medical team of Dr. Randy Kemp, Matt Pollock, Kay Deerwester, Denise Bird, Dewight Bird, Joan Dotson, Robert Foxx, D.J. Peton, Wyatt Peton, Hope Serviss, and Tandi Coates on April 5-12, 2008. This team will be serving alongside missionaries, Ben and Susie Argil, and ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of San Miguel. They will host a medical clinic in a radio station building that our Mexico Construction Mission Team worked on last year. We need to generate about $5,000 to support the work of this trip and to help team members with expenses.

We will take a love offering for the Mexico Medical Team on Sunday, March 9 during the morning services. I want to challenge you to pray and ask the Lord how he would have you give to this important ministry work in San Miguel. In John Piper’s book, Let the Nations Be Glad, he writes about the necessity of believers today making financial sacrifices for the gospel to be spread around the globe.

Jesus presses us toward a wartime lifestyle that does not value simplicity for simplicity sake but values wartime austerity for what it can produce for the cause of world evangelization. He said, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail” (Luke 12:33). “Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). “Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:29-31).

The point is that an $80,000 or a $180,000 salary does not have to be accompanied by an $80,000 or a $180,000 lifestyle. God is calling us to be conduits of his grace, not cul-de-sacs.

This coming Sunday is another opportunity for you to be a conduit of grace for Jesus’ plan to bring the nations to Himself.

Category : Tommy Talk