Do you have a life verse? If not, how about this one, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves?”
I have heard a lot of people share with me their life verse, but I have never heard of anyone claiming Matt. 10:16? Kurt reminded us last week that the “persecuted church” around the world experiences the reality of Matt. 10:16 daily.
In 1984 we were missionaries in the Philippines, and I set up a 4-week Sports Ambassadors trip to Mindanao in the southern Philippines. I set up the trip ahead of time and remember sleeping at a pastor’s house on the floor one night with rats running all over. I think I eventually fell asleep! We would play at least one basketball game every day and sometimes 2 sharing Christ. Then at night I would take the team comprised of players from our home and sending church to encourage the believers. One night we went to an Assemblies of God church in a city called Digos and had some great fellowship. A few weeks after the trip I picked up the Manila Bulletin and there on the front page was a picture of a church in Digos. Muslim guerrillas murdered 56 of our brothers and sisters. It was not a pretty picture.
I was in Jos, Nigeria 3 years ago doing a 4-day leadership conference for 3,000 Christian leaders. On my return from Jos to the capital city we went through about 10-12 military roadblocks, and the soldiers were armed with machine guns and AK 47’s. Over 1,200 believers have been killed by Jihadists during the first 6 months of this year – the world is not a friendly place for Christ followers!
This Sunday we will examine one of the most exacting passages on discipleship from the lips of the Lord of the harvest. I hope that you will read Matt. 10:24-31 ahead of time and join us at 10:45 am for our 1 service. We cannot meet inside this Sunday but can outside with a maximum of 200. Why not bring your chair, your coat, your Bible and join us!
Branded for Jesus’ sake,
Glen