Advance the Gospel

Biblical Attributes of a Missionary: Love

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We have been looking at characteristics (or attributes) that key missionaries in the Bible had in common.  Each of these men were different.  Each of them had different backgrounds, different “mission fields”, different results.  At the same time, each of these missionaries had things in common.  Today we are going to be looking at love.  Love should be the driving force of every missionary.  It is not the love for people (although that is important), but love for God that should propel the believer to the mission field to proclaim salvation in Jesus!  Although I think that most don’t need examples of this, here are a few…

  •  Paul
    • Paul spoke of love in 1 Corinthians 13.  The word in the KJV is charity, it simply means “love”.  The  Greek word “agape” (in one form or another) is used 258 times in the New Testament.  The word means “a sacrificial love in action”.  This is best exemplified in Jesus (more on that later).
    • “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
    • Paul speaks to the Corinthian church about love.  He explains that if he had all sorts of spiritual gifts, but did not have agape love, he was nothing more than a “tinkling cymbal”.  Spiritual gifts are wonderful, but do not take the place of love.  Paul went on to explain that good works and great acts of sacrifice is worth nothing apart from love.
    • Paul showed the love of Christ to people who believed, to people who would turn on him, to people who rejected the Gospel, to people who maliciously sought to kill him!
  • Jesus
    • Jesus spoke of love many times.  In fact, the “agape” word was used by or about Jesus in the Gospel records 49 times!
    • Here are a few examples…
      • “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
      • “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35
      • “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13
      • “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Luke 6:35
    • One of the first attributes of God that comes to mind is love.  Jesus has great love for the Father and great love for the world!

Again, there are many different examples of this, these are just examples.  How can we be missionaries, ambassadors on the behalf or our God is we are not filled with, motivated by, and driven by love?  Our God is love.  God loves His children.  God loves the lost!  We should be filled with this same love!

Biblical Attributes of a Missionary – Submission

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When studying the Biblical attributes of a missionary, there are some things that immediately come to mind.  Other things are not as obvious.  For this post, we are going to look at submission.  This is in context to the recognition that they are not their own, they are bought and belong to God!

“What do you want to do with your life?”  This question is asked in different ways throughout life.  When a youth graduates from high school or college, this is a prominent time for this kind of question.  For the Christian, it doesn’t matter what they “want” to do with their life, because it is not their own.  They have been bought with a price.  The verse that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”  Paul is reminding the Corinthian Church that they do not belong to themselves, they belong to Jesus.  The Biblical missionary realizes that his life is not his own.

I think Paul would have much more desired to work with his own people.  The Jews were on his heart.  Paul says in Romans 9:3, “For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”  I think that if he had his choice, he would have given his life to reach his brethren the Jews.  But Paul didn’t make the decision, he submitted himself to his Master!  Paul’s desires were put away as he submitted himself to God and God’s plan.  By doing this, Paul gave his life as the apostle to the Gentiles.

What about Jesus?  Jesus clearly submitted Himself to God the Father.  There are many clear instances of this, I will highlight just one.  In John 5, the Jews wanted to kill Jesus for healing an invalid on the Sabbath Day.  Jesus’ answer, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” John 5:19-23.  Jesus is God in Flesh, even so He willingly submitted Himself to God the Father.  Are they co-equal?  I believe so.  So why would Jesus willingly submit Himself under God the Father when they are equal?  The answer is because it was necessary.  This was the Father’s plan and so Jesus submitted Himself.

Are you submitting yourself to God?  Remember, you are not your own, you are in Christ, you are bought with a price!  Live in light of the Truth that your Master wants to use you today.  Submit yourself to God!

November 2014 Missions Letter

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Back Home, Back On The Road!

October was a wonderful month!  We had been out on the road for seven weeks and arrived to our house in Atlanta, but we didn’t stop there.  This month we have travelled 4,000 miles and have been in 15 scheduled services!  We have been in Ohio, North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, and our home state Georgia.  In all of this we have had churches partner with us!

We continue on this month to be in scheduled meetings in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, and Florida.  Please pray that we will be used of God to be a blessing to the people God has us with and that God will give us favor with each church family.  We are at 25% after seven months of deputation.  We are gaining ground and look to see God give us the increase each service we have the opportunity to present.

Serving Together,

Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, and Ivy Henry

 

Blessings Along The Way

As we travel on deputation, we have the blessing of meeting people along the way.  We meet pastors in different stages of life and ministry.  We meet brothers and sisters in Christ who have unique testimonies of how Jesus has worked in their lives.  It really is a blessing for us!  This past month, I was with a pastor who had been a pastor longer than I have been alive.  I love it when they share their wisdom with me!  I was with a pastor who
had just taken the church a year or so ago.  I am encouraged to hear the man’s zeal and vision of where he sees the church going!  All along the way, I am challenged and encouraged by brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving the Lord!

Biblical Attributes of a Missionary: Determination

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We have looked at boldness as a Biblical attribute of a missionary.  We now will turn our attention to determination.  Determination is a firmness of purpose, a resoluteness.  It is a purposed unwavering.  The very definition of determination is a description of the apostles who took the Gospel to the world!  They were firm in their purpose (making Jesus known among all nations, that everyone might be saved).  They were resolute!  They did not waver, nor were they distracted by other things of lesser importance!  Determination can be found all through the book of Acts.  Here are a few specific examples.
Paul lived with great determination.  Perhaps the greatest example of this is Paul and the persecution he endured.
  • “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:24-28
    • Any one of these things would make many men quit.  Many would see this as God telling them that this is not His will.  Paul was determined.  These things did not stop Paul, he pressed on.  This is determination.
  • “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” 1 Corinthians 16:9
    • This verse displays Paul’s determination.  If these words came out of most Christian’s lips, we would use the word “but” instead of “and”.  A great door and effectual is opened unto me, BUT there are many adversaries.  Paul used the conjunction “AND”.  Paul was determined.  Any adversaries along the way would not cause him to stop, he even counted on them being in the way.  Paul’s determination to make the Gospel known caused him to view adversaries as an inevitable fact.  Even so Paul pressed on!
Jesus was absolutely determined
  • “ For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38
    • What was Jesus determined to do?  He was determined to fulfill His Father’s plan!
  • “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Matthew 4:1-11
    • When tempted, Jesus would not waver.  He was firm in His purpose.  Now, Jesus would never succumb Satan’s wickedness anyway, but I think that this illustrates Jesus’ determination.
  • “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.” John 13:26-27
    • This is in reference to Judas Iscariot at the last supper.  How does this show Jesus’ determination?  Even betrayal and heart break did not stop Jesus from accomplishing His Father’s plan.  The knowledge of the excruciating pain that was to come did not stop Jesus.  He told Judas to do what he was going to do quickly.  Would it hurt?  Yes.  Would the betrayal hurt?  Yes.  Would the pain be incredibly bad?  Yes.  Even so, Jesus was absolutely resolute.
There are many other examples of determination amongst Jesus’ disciples.  A biblical missionary must be determined to make the Gospel of Jesus known among all nations.  All mankind is guilty and in their sins, those of us who are in Christ have a responsibility to make Jesus known that all may be in Christ!