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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We are in Acts 13 and studying the strategy of Paul and Barnabas as they were thrust out into modern Turkey by the living God. They are preaching and sowing seed just as Jesus Christ did and Jesus commanded them (and us too) to do.
On the Cross, when Jesus Christ hung and died, no more meaningful seed has ever been sown, and what a harvest three days later when this same Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And what a harvest some seven weeks later when 3,000 people came to believe that He was the Saviour, the Lord, the Son of God. It is the Risen Jesus who says to His disciples - "As the Father sent me, that is how I am sending you."
Jesus Christ sends us into the world like seed and with seed. He scatters us. Every Christian is called or commanded to be a missionary. All of us are called to be Christian missiles, and we are either obedient to that call, or disobedient to that call.
We sow words. We sow love. We sow mercy. We sow money. We sow prayer and worship. Intercessory prayer and sincere worship are real seeds too. We witness to Christ Jesus, and we look for a spiritual harvest.
Paul and Barnabas go on, but the young John Mark, who was with them, goes back. The going was now becoming pretty tough. Sometimes the young or weak can give up easily. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going!
What do people do when the novelty of serving Jesus Christ wears off? What sort of things do we tend to think or say when we see and realise that it is not going to be as easy as we might first have thought?
Soldiers of Jesus Christ do not come and go when they feel like it. Soldiers of Jesus Christ don't go where they want to. Soldiers of Jesus Christ - Christian missiles - are men and women under orders. We are a people who have said to Jesus - "We are going to obey Your Commands."
There comes that time when we say, "Jesus, we are going to be obedient - reliable - loyal - dependable - especially when the going gets tough and the warfare fierce."
Have you actually told God that you are going to take your calling seriously? If not, can I challenge you to do so today? That is, if God really is calling you!
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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