Angel food Ministries provides a cheap alternative to grocery shopping. A benefit to angel food is it can provide for families that are small to families that are very large. Angel food Ministry has a website where people order and then they come pick it up at the nearest place that partners with Angel Food.

There is only one place in Williamsburg that partners with Angel Food and that is CrossWalk Community Church.  Every third Saturday of the month people come and pick up their food from CrossWalk.  The process is run very smoothly. People drive up in front of the church, and the volunteers get their receipt and bring the food out to them. There are also volunteers who will pray with them. I recently had a chance to volunteer with Angel Food. It was a great experience, and I would love to do it again. It was a blessing to be able to pray with the people and meet the members of my community.  If you have any questions about volunteering with Angel Food Ministries you can call Crosswalk Community Church. If you would like to order or receive more information about Angel Food Ministries go to http://www.angelfoodministries.com/

God’s closet is an organization that Crosswalk Community Church supports. The purpose of God’s Closet is to bless needy families with clothing and household items.  The operator of this organization is Carole Nesslerodt. She manages God’s Closet from her home. She and a few other people recently went on a mission trip around Hampton Roads community and gave winter clothing to the people who are in need. I recently had a chance to volunteer with God’s Closet. When I got there, she took me to where she keeps all the donations, and we started separating clothes by gender, size, and age. Carole has two attics filled with clothes. She explained that, although it seems like alot, they had recently given away alot of clothes and they used to have much more. If you are intrested in serving with God’s Closet or giving a donation please leave a comment or contact the church office and somone will conact you with more information.

“Dear Friends in Christ,
 
As  I am writing this letter my heart full with sorrow and compassion for my fellow citizen.  Last thursday we had a fasting prayer meeting at the church with many saints crying before the Lord for the people. Sunday morning we raised several prayer requests on behalf of the people. What is going on in Haiti is like the  plaques in Egypt.
 
According to the health Department:  1,344 people already died with the cholera. The hospital in Les Cayes already identified several cases. Even some police came from Port-au-Prince with the disease. Bethanie Mission is getting prepared. We already purchased a thousand of serum oral, foods and other medicines to go to the area more affected either PAP or Saint Mack
 
WE need your prayers if God doesn’t intervene rapidly Haiti will face the greatness epidemic that we never have before in our history.  I believe our God is a God of love and compassion, please pray that through our prayers and intercessions God will stop the angel of death in our nation.
 
Yours in Christ Harvest,
 
Pastor Ignace Augustin”

On a lighter note, the children from the orphanage in Haiti want to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Check out our page “CW supported Missions” to find some great missionaries that you can pray for. If you would like to be added to a missionary’s email prayer list to receive regular updates, email me at alexis.johnson@crosswalk.cc.

Michael said: “Just got to preach for 2 services in the Haitian Church!!! What an experience! All is well and the papaya is AMAZING!” “Digging footers in Haiti for a new building that happen to have some sewage run off :-/” “Learned a lot about prayer from the people of Haiti tonight.”

Judy said: “Michael talked in both services today using an interpreter. We are sleepless in Haiti, but hope to catch up on that tonight.” “The children in the Bethanie Mission school all wanted me to take their picture. A camera with instant feedback helps bridge the language barrier.” “We spent some time today with the school children. They wanted to try on my chapo (hat).”

Angel said: “Haiti team is safe and sound. Pray for us everyone! 6 hour drive from Port au prince to Les Cayes was very very interesting!”

Heidi said: “Went to the orphanage yesterday! Kids are adorable! Went to the school today. Kids were so excited. Wanted to touch our hair. We tickled them and hugged them. They unbuttoned their shirts just so I would button them back up. Prayer meeting tomorrow night.”

This is the team at 1am preparing to leave for the airport

Earthquake damage

At the church in Les Cayes

Sunday Morning service in Les Cayes

Population: There are approximately 5,416,000 Tatar people in Russia. Around the world, there are approximately 6,719,000 Tatar people.

History: The Tatar have had a strong civilization since the tenth century. Their culture survived the Mongol invasion of the thirteenth century and the Russian conquest of the sixteenth century. In the 1800′s, Tatar cities ranked among the greatest cultural centers of the Islamic world. Today, the Tatar are a settled people, mostly peasants and merchants, who have completely lost their traditional tribal structure. Many of those in the Volga region work on community farms where they raise grains, hemp, legumes, and other fodder crops.

Culture: “Among the Tatar, the father is the legal head of the household. He is also in charge of the family income and how it is spent. The women usually cook, carry water, wash clothes, and tend to the livestock, while the men do more strenuous labor in the fields. Most Tatar are well educated. There are 1800 libraries in Tatarstan, having over 20 million books in Tatar. The Tatar people enjoy the arts – especially theatre, the orchestra, opera, and ballet. Although the Tatar are primarily Islamic, many still observe sabantuy, or “rites of spring.” This is an ancient agricultural festival that is celebrated simultaneously with the anniversary of the founding of the Russian Tatar Republic on June 25. These celebrations have their origins in Shamanism (the belief in an unseen world of gods, demons, and ancestral spirits). The younger generation of Tatar wear contemporary city-style clothing. However, the older, collective farm members wear traditional dress. Many Tatar will identify themselves as Muslims before they will identify themselves as Tatar. Unlike devout Muslims, however, 25% of the Tatar will eat pork, and very few observe the prescribed Islamic fasts.” (see below)

Language: They speak Tatar, however, in urban areas more than 30% of them primarily speak Russian.

Religion: Most are Hanafite Muslim. Some beliefs in supernatural powers such as the “evil eye” still exist from their pre-Islamic days. Islam has had a stronghold on the Tatar people since the ninth century, but their beliefs are typically much more liberal than Orthodox Muslims of Central Asia. Some examples of this are that prayer times are modified in some places so as not to conflict with work schedules, and women are sometimes encouraged to join men at the mosques for prayer.

The Spread of the Gospel: The Tatar people’s views of Christianity has been scarred by the Russian Orthodox church. The Russian Orthodox church attempted to convert the Tatar people through coercion. During the 1600′s and 1800′s, their mosques were frequently burned. Those who “converted” by these measures converted back to Islam when the oppression ended. In 2001, the New Testiment, Genesis, Proverbs, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Ruth and Esther were translated into Tatar. The need for those willing to reach these people is great. Less than 2% are Evangelical Christians.

Reference: www.joshuaproject.net

Location: The Arapaho people are a Native American tribe that is split up into Northern and Southern tribes. The Northern tribe is mainly on a reservation in Wyoming and the Southern tribe is mainly on trust land in Oklahoma.

Poplutaion: There are approximately 9,000-7,000 Arapaho people living in the United States.

History: Early tradition suggests that they lived in permanent villages in the eastern woodlands, where they practiced agriculture. As they moved westward into the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming, they began to split into northern and southern groups. Similar to other Plains tribes, the Arapaho were nomadic, living in teepees and following the buffalo as a primary resource. They took part in trading with other Indians such as the Mandan and Arikara. Bands of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians lived in Colorado until November 1864 when the Sand Creek Massacre, and its aftermath, drove them from the territory.

Government: Each Arapaho tribe has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country. However, the Arapahos are also US citizens and must obey American law.

Language: Arapaho people speak English today. Some elders also speak their native Arapaho language. Here are a few easy Arapaho words: “hebe” (pronounced “heh-beh”) is a greeting used among men, “tous” (pronounced “tose”) is a greeting used among women, and “hahou” (pronounced ha-ho) means “thank you.” Today Arapaho is an endangered language because most children aren’t learning it anymore. Because the Arapaho tribes were merged into two other tribes who didn’t understand Arapaho, it was very difficult for them to preserve their traditional language. However, some Arapaho people are still working to keep their language alive.

Religion: They have their own tribal religion. Everyday objects and actions have an important and symbolic meaning. Like other tribes, they practice the sun dance. Old stories tell of a sacred pipe that was always carried ahead of the northern tribe on their travels. The pipe-bearer would signal the beginning and end of the day’s journey. At night, the tribe would make a circle and camp around the pipe-bearer. The northern tribe of Arapaho still possesses the pipe.

Recent News: In July 2005, Arapahos won a contentious court battle with the State of Wyoming to get into the gaming or casino industry. The 10th Circuit Court ruled that the State of Wyoming was acting in bad faith when it would not negotiate with the Arapahos for gaming. Presently, the Arapaho Tribe owns and operates high-stakes, Class III gaming at the Wind River Casino, Little Wind Casino and 789 Smoke Shop and Casino. They are regulated by a Gaming Commission composed of three Tribal members. The Northern Arapaho Tribe opened the first casinos in Wyoming.

The Spread of the Gospel: They are an unreached people group, and it is estimated that there are between .01% and 2% Evangelical Christians. The Arapaho people are very traditional people, and they have lived hundreds of years with a traditional belief system. When Jesus was finally introduced, His message was clouded by harshness and demands to conform to societal standards. The God of Christianity was misrepresented as a harsh taskmaster. Traditional beliefs and practices were discouraged, leaving Native peoples without a spiritual foundation. That spirit of aimlessness has only increased since.

Adrift without a moral compass, kids are easy prey for an enemy who eagerly tempts and leads them to destruction and death. Suicide becomes an option to young people who believe the enemy’s lies and embrace the hopelessness he sells them. Although the Arapaho people have a rich cultural heritage, they struggle to live as a healthy community. They deal with alcoholism and drug abuse, diabetes, broken families, and limited economic opportunities. Local Christians are convinced that the Gospel message provides answers and offers life-giving hope.

Prayer Requests: Pray that the people’s eyes would be open to the gospel. Pray that that strongholds of gambling, alcoholism, and drug use would be broken. Pray that they would see the true God of the universe who wishes to bring them peace.

References: http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/arapaho.html, http://www.bigorrin.org/arapaho_kids.htm, Wikipedia, Joshua Project, Adventures in Missions)

Here is a very interesting article called Does Missions Destroy Culture? God wants each culture to worship Him with their own expressions. Imagine what it will be like around the throne with all the different cultures worshiping Him!

As of today, we have received $44,233.00 for earthquake relief. Pastor Ignace has received some of this money and I will wire the rest of it to him this coming week. Pastor Ignace said to me in a recent email that, “I am glad money began to come because there are many important things to do to assist the people. When you arrive, we will discuss the possibility of building some temporary shelters for the people before the rainy season – perhaps for four or five thousand homeless. Remember there are over one million people homeless in the capital.”

Pastor Ignace also said to “remember to ask our supporters to pray for Haiti, especially in Les Cayes. According to some scientists, probably we may have another earthquake in Les Cayes. We will have three days of prayers and fasting on February 12th, 13th, and 14th by all the churches in the country. God wants to bring the nation to repentance. After the earthquake thousands of souls came to Christ. Glory to God.”

I, along with Pastor Ignace’ daughter Nehemie, and a medical team of 19, plan to leave the 15th. Nehemie will do interpreting for the doctors. We still are not definite on how we will get to Port au Prince. Missionary Flights International is not definite on scheduling so we are still up in the air about how to get to Haiti. We thought it was definite but then we were told we don’t have a guarantee yet. So be in prayer for us that the Lord’s favor will rest upon our team. Pray that all will work out as the Lord desires. “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” We make plans but the Lord determines the outcome!

Keep on praying! Remember the dates Pastor Ignace mentioned and let’s agree with the Haitian Christians for their concerns.

God bless you. Your support has meant so much to Ignace and Franchette and the Bethanie churches.

With Love,
Mike & Jean”

“Yesterday, January 20, with a team of 20 people from our main church in Les Cayes, we left our compound at 4:00 a.m. and headed to Port-au-Prince. We arrived there at 9:00 a.m. We went with two vehicles, a big yellow school bus and a pickup truck with the goal of distributing aid. We were armed with shoes, clothes of all sizes – even for babies, bras for women, underwear for men and women, pads for women, lotion, shampoo, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, sheets, soap, spaghetti, beans, rice, bread, 5,000 water bags and 20 gallons of water. We even had basins!

To make this possible, we had asked our congregation to bring clothes in good condition. We were amazed at their generosity! They did not have any money to give but they brought LOTS and LOTS of clothes. They also dedicated their time to make packages for their fellow brothers and sisters from Port-au-Prince. From 2:00 p.m. and all through the night, they worked tirelessly to measure the food, put different sizes of clothes in the bags – until it was time for us to go.

Prior to us leaving, we had contacted several pastor friends of ours in different parts of Port-au-Prince, in hope to cover as many areas as possible. We had chosen churches as places of distribution because these churches are the pillars of the community. When we arrived, we divided our team in two. Ignace was with one group. Franchette was with another.

Our first stop was in Carrefour, the epicenter of the earthquake. We gave supplies to about 400 people. Then we went to Delmas 33. There, we met Pastor Luc St. Felix, and we gave him and the elders of the church enough food to feed 500 people.

We also went back to our Bethanie Church in La Plaine. And there, we distributed food to about 250 people. Our fourth stop was Bourdon at the Church of God Headquarters. There were a lot of people there. We were so surprised by the crowd. We started distributing and 1,600 people benefited but there were so many people that we just left the food to be distributed.

We used the assembly line technique to distribute the supplies and we did not expose them all at once. Then, we went back to Delmas 31, at the St. Louis de Gonzague School, which is a big locale. There were so many people – thousands and thousands! We requested the help of the local police, and that was the only camp that we had requested the help of the police, due to the size of the crowd. We gave food to about 800 people. People started to be unruly at one point, and we left the food with some leaders that we had identified.

Church of God of Prophecy on the Bicentenaire was another place that was filled with people. We estimated about 900 to be there. We did not stay to distribute but we gave the supplies to the committee of the church. We did the same thing for the Church Théophile of Martissant. We left supplies with the pastor and the committee of the church for about 600 people in their community.

Souray is a place where people sleep on the streets with nothing but sheets to cover themselves (even before the earthquake). We gave supplies to 150 people on the lower part of Souray and to 200 people on the upper side of Souray.

We worked nonstop and did not even take a break for lunch or dinner. It was hard to navigate at times in PAP because of the debris on the streets and obstacles but we were able to make all of our stops.

On our way back at 7:00 p.m., about an hour into our drive, around the city of Leogane, our school bus began to overheat. We would put water in the radiator, and it would not stay in. It would flow back out (refouler in French). We would put in more water, wait for it to cool and repeat that process over again. When we got to Ti-Goave, and noticed that the bus was overheating even more, we stopped. We took the women with us in the pickup and headed to Les Cayes. The men stayed with Jean-Marie (our driver) and the bus. We ended up getting into Les Cayes at 2:30 in the morning.

We brought back some injured people with us but their cases were not as severe.

We would like to share a particular story that struck us. On our way back to Les Cayes around Cote Plage (Carrefour), we were flagged by a woman on a motorcycle taxi. We asked her where she was going and she told us that she was trying to leave PAP to go to Léogane. In her hands was something wrapped. When she stepped on the bus, we realized that what she was holding were twin babies of a month and a half. They were just discharged from the hospital. She told us that we were angels sent from God. We gave her clothes for her baby and her family, some food and some money and dropped her off in Léogane.

We hope to be used by God to reach as many people as possible. We also have medical teams that will be coming up in the weeks to come from the States and hope to provide care to those refugees that are now in Les Cayes.

Thank you for keeping Haiti in your prayers and hearts.”

“Dear Bethanie Friends,

We haven’t heard anything yet about the Augustin’s second trip to Port au Prince yesterday. I imagine they are overloaded with things to do and probably very tired. Keep on praying for them!

Anyways, I wanted to share something that I saw last week not too long after the earthquake hit. Maybe some of you may have seen this too. On CNN news, they showed a group of Haitians marching through the streets in Port au Prince, some with hands uplifted, singing praise songs to God. The news reporter thought that was remarkable. Isn’t that awesome! What a testimony! I thought of the scripture, “Glorify ye the Lord in the fires.” This is just what the Lord wants to see His people doing!

This week, we received an email from a young man in Les Cayes who was discouraged. He listed all the negatives going on and said it was like living in hell. He was asking us for help. Anyways, in his misery, he let the enemy oppress him to the point of despair. His circumstances are dire and looking at it through the human eye, it does seem hopeless. Yet, even in this circumstance, the Lord will say, “Look up! For your redemption is drawing nigh.” He says, “Where does your help come from? It comes from the Lord.”

The Lord spoke to my heart that He will “bring beauty out of the ashes” in Haiti. Isn’t that just like the Lord! His mercy triumphs over judgment. And this gives me hope, not only for the Haitian people, but also for my own life. I know that God is working everything together for good to bring about His purpose for my life. I just want to be like that group of Haitians that were lifting up their hearts and hands to God, offering praise to Him, as they were going through their fiery trial. They haven’t seen the outcome yet, but they saw with the eye of faith. Yes, God will work this out for good!

So, I say to each of you, “Look Up! Your rescuer is coming!”

Sincerely,
Jean”

“Everybody in Les Cayes is in complete desolation over the loss of a loved one. Today Franchette met someone who has lost seven members of her family. The soccer field in Les Cayes is full of people. People have come from all over Port au Prince to come find refuge.

What you have seen on TV is not even a third of the destruction in Port au Prince. Everything is completely destroyed. Rich as well as poor are dead. Big buildings two, three and four stories high are completely collapsed along with damaged cars. Everything is disorganized – the medicine, government, police. Everything is turned upside down in Port au Prince. How long will it be like this? Nobody knows.

Stores are looted as a result of people searching for food. Everybody in Port au Prince is sleeping on the street. They are afraid to step inside a building. They block the street and allow some space only for cars to go through. They cook on the street, wash themselves on the street. At the refugee camps, they use sheets to give them some shade and privacy.

Yesterday we went to Port au Prince with a van and another vehicle along with ten people for food distribution. When we arrived in Port au Prince, we first stopped at our Bethanie church and gave Christians the food. Our church in Port au Prince didn’t have a church building. They met in a house. The house is still there but the building is cracked. When the earthquake hit the pastor had a wall fall on him and his leg was broke. Now he is in a hospital in Les Cayes. This church has a growing membership of 250 people and holds three services a day.

After helping out the people from our church, we went to seven refugee camps. We brought rice, beans, bread, spaghetti, matches, candles, water, clothes, and shoes. We distributed these things to the people. They are waiting for us to come back. We want to return next week and bring more supplies, more food, more clothes, more water, more everything.

In order to bring the bus to Port au Prince next week, they’ll have to get gas. Gas is expensive and you can’t find it in Les Cayes. I will be sending Jean- Marie to Miragoane to buy it. A gallon of gas costs $30 on the black market. Tomorrow morning at church, we will be asking the people to bring shoes, clothes, and everything else.

We want to thank everyone who is praying and giving to help the needy in Haiti. God bless each of you.”

Franchette Handing out Food

Giving out bags of food

Making plans

“Dear Friends,

Pastor Ignace’s daughter had her mom and dad on Skype and she gave us a call this morning. It was so good to hear their voices! Praise God for being able to communicate with loved ones despite the ongoing tragedy in Haiti. They are doing well. If I understood correctly, Pastor Ignace was in the guesthouse when the earthquake struck. As the building was shaking he called on the name of Jesus. He stated that he has noticed no damage to the guesthouse or the church in Les Cayes. He said there are some buildings down in Les Cayes but there is no disaster in Les Cayes.

They are concerned for the people in Port au Prince. The pastor from our Bethanie church in PAP has a broken leg. The radio transmitter is down. Pastor stated that even though this is a great tragedy for Haiti, he knows that the Lord will work wonders and bring the people through this difficult time. Their hope is in God. They put their trust in Him.

We also heard from Pastor Ignace’s other daughter as well. She had talked with her mom, Franchette, as well. Thankfully, her mom has a laptop that she can use. It wasn’t plugged in when the earthquake struck. All the electronics are down in Les Cayes so people don’t know what is going on. But Franchette can watch CNN and communicate through the laptop. Another praise to God!

Pastor Ignace and Franchette also want to say how very much they appreciate your love being poured out through the support of your prayers. It means more to them than you can imagine. The love of brothers and sisters in the Lord is such a wonderful blessing. I think of the scripture, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”

Anyways, we want to set up a fund for disaster relief. Pastor Ignace and Franchette and the Bethanie church members want to reach out and be a blessing during this time. So if you would like to help them do this, you can send a donation to our address here in Frankenmuth. The address is:

Bethanie Mission of Haiti
P.O. Box 341
Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Thank you so much for your love and we will keep you updated as we learn more. God bless you.
Mike & Jean”

While I believe that God can accomplish anything, I know that He must first share His vision with all of CrossWalk. He is inviting the entire church to participate. I’ve begun prayerfully making goals for 2010, and I am excited about where God wants to take us. I believe he is asking us to step up to the plate and look out at the world around us. He is asking us to DO and GO. He is asking us to stop seeing the call to missions as being only an emotional experience, and see it also as an act of obedience and love to our Savior. He is asking us to spread the only message that brings peace to a lost and dying world. Are you ready to do what what God is asking, CrossWalk? I can promise you the task won’t always be easy, but for those who follow, it will indeed prove to have eternal impact.

What more information?
View waiting children in the US
Bethany Christian Services
The Christian Alliance for Orphans
Lifesong for Orphans
Show Hope
Heart for Orphans

Think about what you can do for an orphan or waiting child this Christmas and for the rest of their lives.

Each and every Christian has been called to missions. How do I know that? That comes straight from the Bible. Matthew 28:19 says, “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.” It doesn’t say, “Therefore wait and see if I will call you to go.” It says, “Therefore GO…”.

In Taking Our Cities for God, John Dawson says, “Don’t wait for a feeling of love in order to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you know that this stranger is created by Him, but separated from Him, so take those first steps in evangelism because you love God. It is not primarily out of a compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is first of all, love for God.” When we love God, we obey Him and do all things for Him.

If your participation in missions is based solely on your feelings of love, burden or compassion, then you will be confused and disappointed to find that feelings come and go, and people let you down. If you do not participate in missions because you lack the burden or compassion for the lost, then you are missing out on God’s calling on your life. God is asking all Christians to be willing to serve Him by reflecting His glory to others, so that they might know Him and be set free from sin. Are you willing?

Here is a video from their trip:

Look again at Matthew 28:19. “Go and make disciples of all nations…” The original Greek word for nations is ethnos, meaning “a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus…a tribe, nation, or people group.” Therefore, the verse is not meaning to say to make disciples of people in the same geographic boundries, but to make disciples of all people groups. Our God loves diversity. He created people different, and He grouped those people together into various people groups (ethnos). These people groups share the same or similar language, backgrounds, and culture. Take a  deeper look at Pakistan. It has a population of about 180,808,000.* Within this one country, there are estimated to be around 389 people groups.* Each individual people group has a similar culture and language. We may go to Pakistan and establish a church in Pakistan among the Chuhra people, but other people groups, such as the Chungar people, may be left unreached.*

God makes no mistake of His intention that every people group will hear the gospel. In fact, Jesus said he will hold off His return until every people group is reached. Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethnos), and then the end will come.” There are other places in the Bible that show signs that the end is near, but this is the only time it is said that a certain event will pinpoint the end – when the gospel is preached to all ethnos or people groups! Also, based on several mentions in Revelation, we know that every people group will be represented in heaven. Revelation 7:9 states, “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.” We see every nation (ethnos), tribe (phule – a people, usually from one of the tribes of Israel), people (laos – people group, or those from the same stock and language), and language represented.

Did you know that there are approximately 16,371 people groups in the world?* 6,645 are considered unreached people groups.* An unreached people group is defined as “a people group among whom there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize to their own people group.”*

It’s time we finish the Great Commission to make disciples of all people groups and speed the return of Christ.

*Statistics from Joshua Project

Is it safe?

• To save us from our sins
• So that we can go to heaven
• To reconcile us with God

What is the main reason for missions? Common answers:

• To tell lost people about Christ
• So people won’t go to hell
• So that we can be a blessing to others

All are good answers. Look at them again. If these are the main reasons for the cross and missions, then what do these reasons  seem to say the cross and missions are about? They seem to say that the cross and missions are about us. However, it is not all about us! The main purpose of the cross and of missions is not about us. It is about God. It is about revealing His glory.  John Piper in Let the Nations Be Glad says, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. … Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.”

Also consider this thought: “God reveals His glory to all nations in order to receive glory from all nations. World evangelization is the fullest expression of God revealing His glory to the nations with the purpose of God receiving glory from the nations.” (Steven Hawthorne Perspectives on the World Christian Movement)

It’s true that Christ came “to seek and save the lost”(Luke 19:10), but consider that this was achieved by Him revealing His glory through His death and resurrection. Christ defeated death and the grave and revealed His glory. Because of this we are called to worship Him and marvel at His glory. I once heard Beth Moore refer to God as a “drama king”. It’s so true! He has shown throughout history that He is willing to reveal His glory in dramatic ways that demand our worship.

Psalm 67:3,4 “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!”

Romans 15:8-9 “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy…”

John 12:27,28 “’Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!’”

Ready to be challenged some more? Listen here to John Piper’s sermon at Wheaton College called “God’s Passion for His Global Glory”: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2350/Audio/