Real Hope - Real Jesus

When we think of support for missionaries, we most naturally think about finances.

After all, when we and our partner missionary organisation send someone to a distant location to preach Christ, we know that there are many costs that need to be met.

Our church loves to financially support missionaries, and we do so by allocating a proportion of your regular financial gifts. Yet, we must never forget that our support for missionaries extends also to our prayers.

When I sit down for my morning prayers, I use an app called ‘PrayerMate’, which helps me remember to pray for CMS, the Church Missionary Society. Alternatively, you might just like the paper version, which works just as well!

But the main point is that we need to keep remembering that God uses our prayers to do his will to share the saving message of Jesus to all the nations.

When we pray for our missionaries on our own each day, or together each weekend in church, we are providing critical support for those who work with us to share the great news of Jesus with the world.

This weekend, as we celebrate CMS Sunday, let’s make a commitment to personally pray for our mission partners, and for CMS as well, who encourage us to use these words:

God of love, whose will it is that everyone should be saved, bless the Church Missionary Society and all who have gone out in its fellowship to preach, to teach and to heal. Guard, guide and use them; raise up more people in your world wide church to pray and to work, to care and to understand, to give to you and to go for you, that your church may grow, you will be done, your kingdom come and your glory be revealed through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jodie

One of the best ways to understand our Australian identity is to travel to another country.

During my recent trip to Canada, I discovered many ways in which Aussies differ.

Canadians love eating poutine (a fancy version of chips and gravy), but we love meat pies, and of course, Vegemite.

Canadians love ice hockey and curling, but Aussies follow rugby and AFL.

But beyond food and sport, there are other ways in which our identities different, even though we share so much with our Commonwealth cousins.

When it comes to our Christian identity, it’s sometimes difficult to see a difference between us and those in the world.

After all, we still battle with the same temptations that all humans face.

Yet, as those who have been given freedom by Jesus, we now have the Spirit of God in us, leading us to bear his fruit.

And that will lead us to show love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23.)

This is our new identity, as we live the new life that God has given us.

And the result of this is a new community that enjoys this fruit through the special relationships that stand on the foundation of the love and mercy shown us in Christ.

Which means that the benefits of following Jesus don’t stop at our personal forgiveness and hope: they extend to the richness of life together, as we enjoy a taste of the perfect life in Heaven.

So, Christians, let’s pray that God would continue to bring forth in us the fruit of his Spirit.

And if you’re not yet a follower of Jesus, then there’s no better time to find forgiveness and hope in him, so that you might also feel the love of true community.

Jodie