Global Perspective

Global Perspective

2 Timothy 4: ⁹ Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ Demas fell in love with this present world and has deserted me, going off to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he can help me in the work. ¹² I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring my coat that I left in Troas with Carpus; bring the books too, and especially the ones made of parchment.

 

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“Why would anyone leave this country?” I said out loud. I then defended my position by saying “We got mountains, forests, beaches, deserts and snow for vacation. We have homeless and unsaved people here. Why go anyplace else?” Then a pastor asked me to go with a group to another country. There I saw different needs that were cultural.

 

• I had no idea other people had needs.”
• I saw the world from “my” perspective.
• I never thought I would travel around the world telling people about CHRIST.

 

Saul had a local mission to kill people who followed JESUS. BUT GOD blinded him, healed him and gave him a new mission to preach about JESUS to the Gentiles. He went all over spreading the Gospel of JESUS versus persecuting the church. He was given a global perspective.

 

My Observation

• GOD wants all people to be saved.
• GOD wants me to participate in telling people about HIS SON locally, semi-locally and abroad.
• GOD sees other people who look different than me as HIS children.

 

Having a global perspective is hard to do without exposure. I mean, when I lived comfortably in my neighborhood, people looked and acted like me. I had no idea what other cultures were going through as barriers to believing in JESUS. BUT GOD wanted me to see more.

 

HE orchestrated interactions that were combative at first and then said, “Look at people the way I see them.” HIS love was without prejudice or hatred. HE loves everyone so much that JESUS died for all sins. I gladly open my eyes to GOD’s perspective of wanting everyone saved.

 

Challenge

• Do you see the global perspective of the writer?
• What are the needs you can fulfill in other cultures?
• Will you use your gifts and talents in a local, semi-local and global way for the LORD today?

Simple Math

Simple Math

John 7: ⁴⁰ Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” ⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of Him. ⁴⁴ Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

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“Multiplication is addition only quicker and division is subtraction that is just as quick” my math teacher said. I learned the principle and went home. Weekends later I went camping. In a playful way, one of the campers pulled a knife on another.

As the knifeless person pushed the blade away, his hand was cut deeply. Suddenly we were divided at the camp the entire weekend. It happened quickly.

• I have noticed division happens quickly.
• I have been involved with dividing people against “those” people.
• I have warned others to stay away from “those” people.

The crowd tried to figure out who JESUS was. Some said HE is the CHRIST, while others said HE is the Prophet. But there was a group who refused to believe and they traced HIS roots back to where HE lived in Galilee. Arguments grew and division rose.

• GOD wants me to follow HIM in unity with others.
• GOD wants me to figure out what is important and unify rather than divide.
• GOD wants me to have grace for others so the unity can speak louder than being right.

Division amongst those who try to follow GOD is a serious problem with HIM. The words “They are doing it wrong” seems to be easy to say yet difficult to rectify. I have been guilty for packing up “my way of doing things” and leaving a church group, searching for a group who acts and sometimes looks like me.

BUT GOD wants different. HE wants me treat all sin the same. HE wants me to look at my sin as ghastly as someone else’s. After my confession that I need GOD as my savior, HE wants me to treat others with care so they will point their lives to HIM. I am glad HE forgives me.

• Are you part of dividing GOD’s kingdom?
• Will you look at what is causing the division and allow GOD to handle the outcome?
• Will you do your part to show unity so others can be healed by GOD?

You Are Doing It

Luke 7: ²⁹ And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

³¹ And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.’

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵ But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

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“You are doing it wrong” I said to the person as I jumped in and started “helping” them. After a while I took over the task and the person shrunk away. “Thank goodness! They weren’t meeting my standards anyway.”

• Three have been times when I set the bar high when it came to meeting “my” expectations.
• There have been times when I talked about people who made mistakes and could not cut it.
• There have been times when I looked down on others who could not perform to what I thought should be the performance level.

The Pharisees and lawyers rejected being baptized by anyone who would call JESUS “GOD.” Their attitude seemed like they were doing everything right and JESUS was doing everything wrong. GOD HIMSELF appeared to them as a sinner and a drunkard.

• JESUS says to me “Do no judge lest you be judged.”
• JESUS says to me “Serve everyone, just as I have come to serve mankind.”:
• JESUS says to me “Follow ME and serve those who do not look or act like you.”

“You are doing it right” should be the words I say to someone who worships JESUS differently than I do. Instead of judging the people to “my” standard,

I should be praising GOD that there is another person who is doing things for HIS kingdom and I don’t have to do all the work. Unity is something GOD wants me to have so the kingdom can grow stronger.

• Are you judging someone?
• Do you feel you are doing things better than other people?
• Can you stop labeling people and start praising and encouraging them to follow GOD today?

Multiplication and Division

Matthew 12: ²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

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“Divide and conquer” was the advice of my boss. I heard it all the time and even used these words. It may have been used in a harmless way at the time to tackle a problem. Division can also have extreme consequences.

• I have seen families divided to long term hurt.
• I have seen neighborhoods divided to long term degradation.
• I have seen churches divided to eternal consequences of someone observing.

Divisive tactics begin by slander followed by justification of a point. “First let me show you how stupid that person is” followed by “Here is why I am right.” Blindly I followed these tactics. It was called “The Game.” GOD was not pleased with those tactics.

• GOD wants me to see others with the value HE sees I them.
• GOD wants me to be with HIM instead of being against HIM.
• GOD wants me to multiply instead of divide.

Living together in peace with people who are against me is difficult but worth it. They may look different than me or even have very different views, BUT GOD wants me to remain and be HIS servant.  HE wants me to pray for the different just as much as I pray for my friends and family.

GOD wants me to bring people together so we can multiply HIS kingdom in unity in CHRIST.

• Are you divisive?
• Do you find yourself brooding over someone?
• Can you stop your pouting and join them so you can bring the kingdom to more people?
• Will you ask for GOD’s strength to stay where you are and reach your different neighbors?