Saturday, January 28, 2017
Psalm 67:1-2 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
MISSION THOUGHTS FROM MARTIN
A Spirit of Holy Restlessness -- When a Christian begins to know Christ by faith as his Savior who has redeemed him from death and brought him into His kingdom of grace, his heart is thoroughly permeated by God. Then he would like to help everyone to enjoy this same blessedness. For he has no greater joy than the treasured knowledge of Christ. So he begins to teach and exhort others, confesses, and commends his blessedness before everyone, and sighs and prays that they, too, may come to this grace. He has a restless spirit while enjoying the supreme rest of God's gracious forgiving love. Therefore he cannot be quiet or idle but is forever struggling and striving with all his powers, as one living only to spread God's honor and praise farther among men, to cause others also to receive this spirit of grace and through it also to help them pray.
Mission Work is Christlike -- The Lord wants to say: You have received enough from Me -- peace and joy and everything you ought to have; personally you need no more. Therefore work now, look at what I have done, and imitate it. My Father has sent Me into the world for your sake alone, in order to help you, not to benefit Myself. This I have done: I have died for you and have given you all I am and have. Therefore you should think and act in like manner. Henceforth spend your lives serving and helping everyone; otherwise you would have nothing to do on earth, for through faith you have enough of everything. Therefore I send you into the world as My Father has sent Me, that is, that every Christian may instruct and teach his fellow man also to come to Christ.
Begin at Home -- The noblest and greatest work and the most important service we can do for God on earth is bringing others, especially those entrusted to us, to a saving knowledge of Christ by the holy Gospel.
Luther Looks to Foreign Fields -- I do hope that our Gospel, now shining with a light so great, will, before Judgment Day, make an attack also on that abominable prophet Mohammed. May our Lord Jesus Christ do this soon. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
From "What Luther Says," by Ewald Plass. Vol. II, pp. 958-960.
