RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” — Romans 9:15 (KJV) There is the story in Luke 18:9–14 of two people who went into the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee approached God with mixed attitudes. First, he thanked God: “I thank thee, God.” Then, he began to negotiate with God, stating his piety and sanctimonious way of life: 1. I am not greedy. 2. I am not dishonest. 3. I am not an adulterer. 4. I am not like everybody else. 5. I am not like the tax collector. 6. I fast twice a week. 7. I give a tenth of all my income. He could not have done all these without the help of God. And sincerely, in today's world, he must be born again to gain access to the grace that provides such strength (John 3:3; 1 Corinthians 15:10). There was another man—the tax collector—whose prayer was simply: “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). This form of pra...

“They are God’s people; he made them his children and revealed his glory to them. He made his covenants with them and gave them the Law. They have the true worship; they have received God’s promises. They are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors; and Christ, as a human being, belongs to their race. May God, who rules over all, be praised forever! Amen.” Romans 9:4–5 There is something profoundly remarkable about the story of Israel. From Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to Moses, David, the prophets, Esther and ultimately Jesus Christ, the history of this people is inseparably woven into the unfolding history of God's redemptive purpose for humanity. The Scriptures do not present Israel merely as another ancient nation. Paul deliberately identifies their extraordinary privileges: “the adoption to sonship, the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises” (Romans 9:4). Their ancestors are honoured in Scripture, and, most remarkably, Christ...

“May you always think kindly of me,” she replied. Then she went away, ate some food, and was no longer sad. 1 Samuel 1:18 Hannah went to God with a deeply troubled heart. Scripture says that “the LORD had closed her womb” (1 Samuel 1:5, 6). Her barrenness was not merely a social embarrassment; it was a burden that had become a source of continual sorrow. She was deeply distressed and wept bitterly as she prayed. Her lips moved, but her voice could hardly be heard. Eli, the priest, misunderstood her and thought she was drunk (1 Samuel 1:12–14). Imagine what that must have felt like—to come into God's presence with a broken heart and still be misunderstood by the very person you might expect to understand you. Hannah could have responded with anger. She could have allowed her pain to make her disrespectful. Instead, she answered Eli respectfully: “No, my lord… I am a woman deeply troubled… I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.” 1 Samuel 1:15 Hannah did not allow her pain t...