Refreshing and Re-igniting our Passion for the Great Commission

An impartation of the passion for mission to fulfill His Mandate, Our Mission.

The Ministers Training and Togetherness in Prayer (2TiP) was held at Trinity Christian Centre on July 6, 2023. After the opening prayer and worship, the attendees were introduced to Rev Louise Ho.

Guest-speaker and Her Passion

She and her husband Rev Melvin Ho are retired missionaries with AG World Missions, USA. They have extensive mission experiences in various parts of the world. Rev Louise addressed the topic Refreshing and Re-igniting our Passion for the Great Commission. In the hustle and bustle of life, it is so important not to lose focus on the call to reach out to the nations for the glory of God.

Mission is God’s Purpose

From Psalms 67:1-7, Rev Louise reminded us that mission is our great celebration of God’s purpose and contemporary working in the world; the continuing extension and realization of the victory of the Cross. There are signs of revival and breakthroughs in nations which are linked to prayer movements.

1. The Theology of Missions. God is on a mission to save and redeem humanity; the heart of God for the nations is expressed throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus authorized believers to go to the nations, make disciples, baptize, and teach them to obey the commandments of God. They were turning the world “right side up.” People were reached both eastward and westward. In recent years the gospel is now going “from everywhere to everywhere” as a result of migration.
   
2. Missions as the Response of God’s People. Passionate love for Jesus undergirds the privilege to be used by God to fulfill His mission. Rev Louise showcased many historic responses on missions. Henry Martyn states, “The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” A Romanian Lutheran priest Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001) recalled how the Christians conducted missions in the prison: “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their (the communists’) terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us. So, everyone was happy.”
   
3. Missions in Action in the 21^st century. Rev Louise’s list includes the following:

• The power of personal testimony, each Christian a personal witness.
• The pivotal role of the pastor (delegation).
• The importance of a Spirit-directed plan. Diversity and creativity.
• Local, national, and global implementation (worldwide Church and unreached or at least reached area issues). Interconnectedness and cooperation. Sharing principles.
• Political and socio-economic issues and contexts. Cross-cultural and contextual matters (equipping). What is possible and best practice when and where.
• The power of technology and availability of materials.

In conclusion, Rev Louise asked, how will our churches respond to “His Mandate, Our Mission” if we were to have 1 million churches by the end of 2033. The answer is From Personal-passion, to Church-wide passion, and action by the Holy Spirit.