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...
What does God do? “Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts” (Acts 3:2). This is a passage reflecting on previously overlooked parts of the Bible. It's a verse that was read casually without attaching any special meaning to it, a passage that was simply passed over. The specific verse mentioned is Acts 3:2a - "Now a man crippled from birth …." Until now, I had only thought of the story as Peter and John going up to the temple and instructing the man who was unable to walk from birth to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (v. 6). However, during a recent early morning prayer meeting, I was reminded of John 9:1, which speaks of a man blind from birth. Perhaps the reason for this connection is that the Acts 3:2 passage caused me to think of the man blind from birth from John 9:1, w...