A. What Is Biblical Mission? “Biblical mission means more than simply going overseas to plant churches or spread civilization. It means the church participating in the ‘mission of God (Missio Dei)’ and seeking the restoration of God’s rule and glory throughout the whole earth. Mission is not a program that begins with human enthusiasm; rather, it is the heart of God that runs throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and is a fundamental reason for the church’s existence. Let me clearly summarize five essential principles of true mission as presented in Scripture. 🌍 1. The Mission of God (Missio Dei) The subject and initiator of mission is not human beings but God. In order to save fallen humanity, God first comes to us, sends His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. He is the “missionary God” who sends. Biblical basis: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (John 20:21) Key meaning: The church acknowledges that God has the initiative in mission and serves as His agent, obed...
‘My circumstances have turned out …’ “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). How do I look at the situation I am facing now? Is this the situation I expected? Perhaps the situation that I face now is a situation that I didn’t want or expected. So now I am dissatisfied with my situation. And now I am struggling because of my dissatisfied situation. It is painful and I am distressed. I wonder how long I have to stay in this hard and painful situation. So when I look at my situation, I become discouraged and even despair. There is no hope. What should I do? Today I read Bible Philippians 1:12. In reading, I came to think about Apostle Paul saying “my circumstances have turned out ….” First, I thought about the Paul’s circumstances. ...