Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Mission:  To Make Jesus Known
Isaiah 55:1-13

“Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is near”

                 The Book of Isaiah is called the Gospel of the Old Testament which reveals God’s Mission and Vision for Israel as a light to enlighten and attract people to God. “I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6.)  God’s eternal plan for humanity is echoed in the words of Isaiah, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.”
(Isaiah 45:22.)
              Isaiah 55:1-2 is an invitation to those who hunger and thirst spiritually, and waste their money for things that do not satisfy.  The invitation also includes a call to repent and return to God.  “Seek Jehovah while may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:7.)  Isaiah 55:8-10 describes the transcendence of God’s ways from our ways.
              The longing and aspirations of those who came to Him were met far above their anticipation or imagination!  Isaiah 55:11-13 takes a different course from one of “Coming” to “Going.”  “My word that goes forth out of my mouth …shall not return unto me void … …For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace.” Those who come to Him in faith are satisfied by drinking from the fountain of living water (Christ), then out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water to quench the spiritual thirst of people wherever he goes.
The Gospel is not to be contained, but to be dispensed to meet the spiritual thirst of people dying without knowing the source of Living Water. Jerusalem was strategically placed to declare God’s sovereignty and majesty through His servants. There was an inflow of people to that city to learn about Jehovah.   Zechariah the prophet paints an interesting scenario. “In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, “let’s go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech.8:23.) Abrahamic Covenant included Gentiles as well as his own descendants. “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’Gen.12:1-3.) 
             When God says that He has made Israel a “light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6), it is a missionary mandate for global mission. The Great Commission is centrifugal, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19.) The church of Jesus Christ is called to continue the mission locally and globally.  John Stott said, “We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.”


 Prayer: Thank you God for sending your only begotten son as a missionary to save the  world.  Grant me a small part in the evangelization of my generation. Amen.

Thought for the day:   “The church that does not evangelize will fossilize” (Oswald Smith)

Theme of the week :  Mission - to make Jesus known

Mathew T John, New  Jersey MTC, Randolph


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