Tag: Mission

A Safe Place

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

A “safe place” has been defined as “a place that provides a physically and emotionally safe environment for a person or group of people, especially a place where people can freely express themselves without fear of prejudice, negative judgment, etc.”. The communities we all live in have been challenged to meet the demands of strong cultural influences that in themselves have created the need for more diverse safe spaces. 

As I read through scripture, I am reminded in various ways that “safe places” are not a new thing, especially if you read through the book of Psalms. Often described as a place of refuge or hiding place, the writers describe more than just a physical space, they were pointing to their relationship with God as their place of refuge. 

Psalm 46:1-3 says that “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalm 91:2 describes God as “My refuge and strength” while Psalm 46:1 echo’s these words. Psalm 32:7 says, “You are my hiding place”. 

Scripture also draws for us some thought-provoking word pictures that describe God as a place of refuge. He is called a “Fortress” (Ps 46:7); A rock, a fortress, and a deliverer. (2 Sa 22:2-3); A shelter or shade (Ps 91:1); Sheltering wings (Ps 57:1); A shield (Ge 15:1), and a tower (Pr. 18:10). All these word pictures share in the meaning of how God is our place of refuge, a safe place to abide in.

As a follower of Christ, where is your place of refuge? What do you do or where do you go to feel safe? Where can you go to freely express yourself as a child of God?

I have had the privilege of being raised in the church since the day I was born. Over the many years of life that I have lived the church has been a safe place for me. Within the “four walls” of the church is a place where I can freely express myself without fear of prejudice and negative judgement. 

In addition to the definition already given here, a place of refuge can also be described as a “stronghold from which to launch a counterattack”. While this may sound a little extreme, I do believe that this is true. A church committed to extending the mission of Christ becomes the training grounds or center for equipping people to live out their faith in a world resistant to knowing and accepting the good news of the gospel. 

Christ is the head of the church. Colossians chapter 1:15-18 states “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”

Knowing that Christ is the head of the church, we can take refuge in him. He becomes the rock our salvation is built on, he is the shelter, the shade where we can find rest, he becomes our shield of defense, a fortress where we can find safety and peace from the trails and temptations of the world constantly places in front of us. This has been my experience with the church, I know that this is not everyone’s experience. There are those who have been hurt by others in the church, it is my hope and prayer that these hurts/hearts can be healed, and the church can be the safe place it was designed to be. 

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On Purpose & for a Purpose

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

The product development team behind the design of the French’s Mustard bottle have done something very much on purpose and for a very specific purpose. You will notice a tiny yet noteworthy feature on the base of the lid, a seemingly insignificant dimple of plastic. This small yet useful feature is there to hold the hinged bottle tip back from messing up the stream of mustard as it is squeezed onto your food. (Go ahead, get up and check it for yourself, your mustard plying experience will never be the same). 

In my last post I shared some thoughts about the confidence Paul had in his role as a servant of God. This Spirit filled confidence gave him a purpose as he lived out God’s will for his life. In the opening words of his letter to Titus he highlights this purpose, 

“…to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness…” 

If you have been a part of a church, you will likely be familiar with its mission and vision statements. These short yet powerful statements give direction and purpose to the life of the church. With hope and trust in God, everything the church does is to help further the mission and vision laid out before them.

In these opening words to Titus Paul has stated for us his personal mission statement. A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person and identifies your purpose. It explains what you will do to pursue that purpose.

Paul is a man of action, his words “to further the faith of God’s elect”, give us a sense of movement or growth in our faith. The word “further” gives us a picture that he is extending something toward us, leading or guiding us forward down a particular path. That something is the “knowledge of the truth”. Simply stated, the knowledge and truth Paul describes here is hearing and understanding the message of the gospel in a personal and transformational way. 

Paul does not just stop there; he goes on to explain further the purpose of this action. The destination of that path Paul leads us down is a lifelong journey to godliness. If you read on in Paul’s letter to Titus, he begins to break down the appropriate behaviors and responsibilities of those who are involved in leading the church (to be an example for others). His words describe how a life transformed by the gospel should reflect the love of Jesus and his Father in heaven so that others will see him. 

Do you have a personal mission statement for your life? Does it challenge you to take action in your life and the lives of others? Is your mission Christ-centered? What is your goal, your destination in life? What have you learned from Paul’s words?

It is my hope and prayer that these questions and Paul’s words inspire you to think about your mission in life. Pray and ask God to help you know and understand his will for your life. Live life on purpose and for a purpose, let the truth of the gospel be the center of your life on mission with Jesus. 

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Big Shoes to Fill

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment
Here is a somewhat interesting fact about me, I wear size 15 shoes. Now, to most of you that might not sound so interesting but when your “in my shoes” it certainly can make for some curious conversation. I have been the heel of many big shoe remarks like, “at least you don’t need water skies”, or “wow, you have your own flippers for swimming”. While I inherited my larger than average foot size from my father who was a size 16, I do wonder how this will play out for any one of my three daughters. 
 
We often use the expression they have some “big shoes to fill” when a person takes over a job that the person before them performed particularly well. It typically means that it is going to be hard to do the job as well as they did. 
 
Recently as I began reading through the book of Joshua I was thinking about the “shoes” that Joshua was filling. The leadership role that Moses provided in the deliverance of the nation of Israel out of Egypt and the giving of the law would have been a tough act to follow. Joshua had some big shoes to fill but he was not alone. 
 
Standing on the shores of the Jordan River the Lord gave direction to Joshua to move forward in the promise that he would provide for them all that they needed. His words to Joshua read like this, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” What incredible words these would have been for Joshua to hear from the Lord as he stepped into his new role as the nation’s leader.
 
As followers of Jesus, we all have some big shoes to fill as we are called to carry on his mission. Jesus clearly lays out his mission for us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
 
These words in Matthew chapter 28 are as real for us today as the day they were spoken by Christ himself to his disciples. Just as Joshua had a mission from God to continue leading the nation of Israel, we too have a God given mission to continue as his disciples. The mission is clear and might sound simple enough yet in our eyes there are seemingly unmoveable barriers in front of us. We might feel like Joshua standing at the shore of the Jordan River wondering how the impossible might happen. 
 
The incredible words spoken to Joshua by God as he stepped into his role as leader are echoed in Christ words to his disciples and to us following the command to go and make disciples of all nations, Jesus reminds us of an incredible promise that we see and hear all throughout the pages of scripture, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
Yes, we may have some big shoes to fill in carrying on the mission Jesus started but he continues to live in us through his Spirit today. We are not alone in our own shoes. As Christ followers, we carry within us the same power of the living God who parted the waters of the Jordan River for Joshua and the people of Israel. How many steps have you tried to take on your own in carrying out the mission given to us? Remember this, God is with you always, to the very end of the age, you are not alone. 
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The Great _ommission

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

An omission is defined as “the action of excluding or leaving out someone or something”. Today, I have purposely left something out in my title, did it catch your attention? I feel it is befitting of the mysterious tendency that creeps into the ordinary day-to-day pattern of life we as believers can sometimes drift into. The exclusion or omission of clear instruction in our spiritual life has an impact on our mission as followers of Jesus Christ. We all tend to drift without continuous reminders of who we are called to be and what our mission is as believers. 

Like the disciples, we have been given a clear and concise mandate as believers, it is recorded for us in Matthew chapter 28: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This is the mission we chose to accept when we entered into a personal relationship with the Son of God. His words to us, his clear instructions are central to the life we are to live as his disciples.  We are called to be disciple making disciples. So, what does this look like for us today, in what context are we to “go”?

The first thing that we must consider as we walk in obedience to this command today is the promise that follows it; something that we often forget when we begin to slip into that mysterious tendency I mentioned earlier, Jesus says: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” There should be incredible encouragement found for each one of us in this promise, not just in the beginning as we are fired up and ready to go, but right through till the end. He is with us, (think about that for a minute). “Go” in this passage refers to the act of going in a particular direction. Figuratively, it refers to taking a particular course of action, and in this case has an effect on someone becoming a disciple (a follower of Christ). The Great Commission is not only meant to cross borders (all nations) but is a call for all believers to be active in their own little parts of the world. This means we are to actively influence those who are close to us, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, community members by living out our faith in a way that brings about change (transformational change) in their lives. 

Have you been living in omission to the Great Commission? Has life shifted your focus to a different mission? One of the best ways to build your confidence in sharing your faith so that you can fulfill your God given mission, is to immerse yourself in His word. The Bible is full of incredible testimonies of God’s amazing mercy and grace. His word has been inspiring believers for centuries to be on task, to be ready for action and to go out into the world on mission for him. It is my prayer for you that you are a disciple making disciple.