Newsletter Article September 26, 2007

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
This week we are sending a team to Mexico (Michael Dunbar, Janis Woods, Rick Peggs, Sharon Vinson), and yesterday, the team that is going to Kenya met to prepare for our trip next month (Cindy Dudding, Melette Meloy, David Holt, Kenn Swehla, Steve Schofield). This may bring up the question in your minds: why do we do missions in foreign lands? The short answer is that Jesus commanded us to, but we will unpack that a little more fully. The PRIMARY reason we go on mission trips is to RESPOND TO CHRIST’S CALL - [Jesus declared,] “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8); Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in 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 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20); He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). These commands of Jesus are clear and explicit.
Another important reason is it reminds us our primary allegiance in life is in God, and when we commit our lives to Christ, we are made brothers and sisters with people from all over the world. Remember the Bible’s description of Heaven, “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.” (Revelation 7:9). The suffering people of Kenya and Mexico are my brothers and sisters, just as they are yours if you have committed your life to Jesus Christ. We know the obligation that we have to be our brother’s keeper, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if a man or woman claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him or her? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him or her, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his or her physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”. (James 2:14-17). Knowing the extreme suffering that is going on in Kenya, with people dying daily from lack of food, how could I not go? What good am I as a Pastor of the gospel of Jesus Christ if I turned away? I want my children to know that when the cry of world’s suffering people is heard, those who have felt the saving grace of Jesus Christ respond with compassion and action because God loves them as much as He loves us. That is why we go. Selah.