Commission

Luke 4:18-19

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lords favour.

Matthew 28:19-20

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Soirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

This is very clear in the New Testament. This is our mission. Jesus came with this mission and fulfilled it, along with the wonderful work of reconcilliation He finished on the Cross. We exist yo worship God and to proclaim Him to the Earth with  a purpose.

Most churches have mission statements, and can be long and detailed with many words. Do they contain within them, no matter how ling or short, the mission they exist for? Does the church operate within the mission given by Christ?

The Church is a growing, living thing and changes all the time. Each church changes by generation to generation, Pastor to Pastor, Elder to Elder. As a church grows, it might need to look again at its mission statement, it might need changing or rewriting. Above all, I feel a church needs a mission statement, and it needs to be known by every member and followed from Leadership down. It has to be taken on by all as a personal mission within the community and local areas, and within its own walls. If we start with the words of Jesus and try to follow His ways, we wont be far short of the right paths at any time, but only if we stay as close to Him as we can.

Saying No is Ok….

Sitting on my sofa, snuggled up watching Nascar. I got thinking about some of the stuff I say No to, and why. Sometimes, or like at the moment, most of the time, we have to say No to people we love, friends, church family or others when we are asked to do something. I dont know about you, but after 2 and a half years of illness, I still feel mean about it.

My church family are wonderful in that they dont really ask me to do much, especially if it will make me more poorly, and most of the time they are just as loving if I say No. We as a family, have been called to the church we are at. We are part of a family of believers and we are there for a reason.

Saying No, is very, very Ok when said with love and sometimes the touch of the Lord that we are not to do that something we have been asked. We may feel guilty for saying No or feel that we are being manipulated to change our answer. If you know the answer has to be No, stand your ground, and if still unsure, make sure you talk to the Lord to see if you are still hearing right.

Saying No is ok.