The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 24 August 2020 – TOPIC: BE A MISSIONARY
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TOPIC: BE A MISSIONARY
READ: MATTHEW 10:1-15 (NKJV)1. And when He had called His twelve disciples to [Him,] He gave them power [over] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.2. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother;3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;4. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.5. These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.6. “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.7. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’8. “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.9. “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,10. “nor bag for [your] journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.11. “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.12. “And when you go into a household, greet it.13. “If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.14. “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.15. “Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!THE MESSAGE:Today commemorates St. Bartholomew, an Apostle of Christ and usually identified as Nathaniel. He was one of the first missionaries commissioned by Jesus Christ (verses 1-4). A missionary is a person who is sent to a foreign country to teach people about Christianity. According to tradition, after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, Bartholomew evangelised in the East – in Mesopotamia, Persia, around the Black sea and perhaps reaching as far as India. Like all of the apostles, with the exception of St. John, he met his death by martyrdom. According to tradition, Bartholomew converted the king of Armenia by casting out a demon from the chief idol in the temple and then destroying all the idols. In a rage, the king’s older brother ordered Bartholomew to be seized, beaten and executed.If you are a believer, you have also been enlisted by Christ to be a missionary according to Matthew 28:19. This mission is not yet complete. The call is still extended. We must heed the call. We must either be involved as go-missionaries or co-missionaries. To be a no-missionary is not an option for a child of God. You can use your resources to assist or sponsor those who are on the mission field as you continue to pray for them.PRAYER: Lord, give me the heart of a missionary and preserve the missionaries from all forms of attacks through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen
