God.

 I want to share a bit about God, in the sense that He is God.

Pause. Think. Read.

HE is GOD

If you think about that statement it will start to blow your mind, which is both a blessing and thrilling! These thoughts were spurred on by a conversation I had last night (8/16) with some friends, Josh & Jennifer Dean.

HE is GOD. This is an entirely exclusive statement. I say exclusive in the sense that, by those few words, all statements or arguments for the existence of another TRUE "god" is totally and utterly destroyed. Any other "god" is false. I reach this conclusion because the Bible (God) states, "I am God." The Bible is final, absolute truth, and thus cannot be reckoned with, only submitted to (2 Tim 3:16-17). Therefore, by necessity can there be another? The answer is clear. NO. It states, "He is God." IT does not state "He is a God," and certainly not, "He is a god." 

The Bible, absolute Truth, states that He is God. Lets take the book of Isaiah...

"To whom them will you liken Me, that I would be his equal?" says the Holy One. (40:25)

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"I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He." (41:4)

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"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven images." (42:8)

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"And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me...and I am God. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?" (43:10-11, 13)

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"I am the first and the last, and there is no God besides Me." (44:6)

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"I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no God...there is no one beside Me, I am the LORD, and there is no other." (45:5, 6b)

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"I am the LORD, and there is none else." (45:18)

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"And there is no God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other." (45:21b-22)

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"For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me." (46:9)

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...and then it culminates here...

"For the sake of MY name I delay MY wrath, and for MY praise I restrain it for you, in order not to cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For MY own sake, for MY own sake, I will act; for how can MY name be profaned? And MY glory I will not give to another. ... I am He, I am the first, I am also the last." (48:9-12)

Honestly, I feel as though the only appropriate thing is to quit writing, because what can I add?

I can read this, hear it, and live by it but I am disabled when I try to grasp it, or seek to comprehend it. He is God, and only He knows what that means. I pray to learn more and more of who He is as I grow in grace!

How should Christian missions be carried out?

I have been processing my take on the question, "What is your concept of missions?" Honestly, I don't know that there is exactly one way to "do" missions, but I think there are key points to all mission work that make an effort correct and effective or not.

Does that make sense?

This is my take ... All mission work, no matter what form it may take, needs to do the following:

1. The efforts to spread the gospel must have a right motivation. The sole right motivation for missions must ultimately be the increasing glory of God the Father! I am not seeking to be a missionary because men need to be saved, at least that is not my first and foremost motivation! I am going because not all men praise and worship my heavenly Father, who is worthy of praise from the lips and hearts of all men! (above: William Carey, father of modern missions)
2. All efforts need to result in planting local, indigenous churches, or if a local, indigenous body of believers exist, then to build up that body. Indigenous believers will, 100% of the time, be more effective and more fruitful missionaries in their own land, with their own people, in their own culture and customs than Western missionaries. That means, as a western missionary, I need to be seeking to work myself out a "job" in each area I may go to!
3. Holism! Do you know that word? You need to! All missions need to be holistically focused and executed! James 2:14-17 and Matthew 25:40 confirm holistic ministry. How can a starving man hear the "good news"? To him it will be a clanging gong, nothing more! But, holistic ministry is nothing if holism becomes the driving force rather than the Gospel!

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Jesus

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Jesus

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seal; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." - Revelation 5:9, spoken of Jesus