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Missiology Through Scripture: Declaring God’s Perfect Rule

By Mike Pettengill, Apr 11, 2019

“Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.’”
– Psalm 96:10

This passage was once used to assert the earth (and not the sun) is at the center of the universe. Instead, this verse contrasts the instability of life apart from God and the stability found only in Christ. The unchanging nature of God provides our certainty. Our lands are not established on a moral or ethical foundation, but on the never changing characteristics of the immutable Yahweh.

God has created the nations, governed the nations, and will judge the nations. Through his purposeful actions Christ will create stability and peace. God’s perfect justice will be the ruling force over all the nations. John Wesley said, “God hath now set up his kingdom in the world. The nations of the world shall by the means of it enjoy an established and lasting peace.” The psalmist declares the kingship of God over all the nations. Through God’s judgment and rule the nations will enjoy the perfect harmony found only in Christ.

The Lord has called his missionaries to go into the world and proclaim God’s perfect rule always has and always will be in place. The people are not to seek the fairness and goodness as determined by the world. The fairness which can only be found in the perfect rule of Christ is our eternal goal. A missionary is not to enter a new culture and declare to the people their culture and lifestyle is acceptable and perfectly laudable. Every culture, every government, every lifestyle which is void of Christ is detestable and sinful. Disciples of Christ do not seek to infuse Jesus into someone’s life to make it a little better. Our missionaries are to learn cultures, so they can reach the people within and teach their lifestyle, as it is, is an affront to the perfect God. Christ must not be a part of our life but must reign over every facet of our lives.

Mike Pettengill is a veteran MTW missionary and the director of MTW West Coast.

 

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Pray for missionaries as they face a wide variety of stressors related to living and serving cross-culturally on the mission field.

Pray for current missionaries, future missionaries, sending churches, and donors to be willing to ask the question, "How could God use me?"

Please pray for Haiti, and particularly for the safety of our ministry partners in Gonaives as they continue to labor patiently with the people.

Pray that believers in Poland would get theological materials they need in their heart language through a new publishing ministry. 

Pray for MTW's ministry in Haiti in the midst of ongoing gang violence and ongoing instability.

Pray for the people of Ukraine including the pastors, elders, and church members we work with. Pray that the war would end, and that God would use this crisis to draw Ukrainians to Himself. 

Pray for the Ethiopia ACT project, which cares for the sick and vulnerable in Addis Ababa. Pray for staff and for participants.

Pray for the Island to Island partnership bringing together Pacific Islands nations for a coordinated gospel effort. Pray for churches in Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. 

Pray that as we engage people globally with cultural sensitivity, that they would be open to relationships with MTW missionaries and, more importantly, open to the truth of the gospel.

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