“Go!”

Go. This simple two-letter utterance is the first word of the great commission. It is one of two foundational tasks of Christ's church; the edification of the faithful, and the proclamation of the gospel to the world. Throughout scripture, accounts of the calling of servants to bring the word of God to the people abound. In the days of the Old Testament, the prophets brought the word to God's children. In the sixth chapter of Isaiah we read of the calling of the prophet; “ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?, and who will go for us? And I said, “Here am I, Send me!” He said “Go and tell the people…” Isaiah 6:8-9 The eagerness and excitement of Isaiah's response is evident.

Passion and desire are essential to mission work. God calls people into the mission field who have passion and enthusiasm to reach the lost. Men awaiting their first call into the ministry heard these words from the preacher at the call service, “Get out there with some Godly passion!” Evangelism and mission work is demanding, and does not always produce immediate results so the desire for outreach and evangelism must often overcome frustration and disappointment. In other words the work must be its own reward.

In the apostolic age, men were called to plant the church in the hearts of people everywhere. Matthew's gospel reports Jesus appointed twelve, designating them apostles – …” that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and to have authority.” Mark 3:14 The mission would not be easy. He said he was sending them out as sheep among wolves. They would have to rely on their faith and the Holy Spirit more than skill or knowledge. The apostle Paul was called by Jesus after his ascension into heaven. Overcoming hardships, sickness and persecutions of every kind, Paul became the greatest missionary of the church.

Today the challenges and opportunities are unprecedented in the mission field. There will never be enough time or resources to perfectly accomplish the great mission to go into all the world with the light of the gospel. The bible tells us the harvest is ripe but the workers are few. But Heaven rejoices when even one soul is added to God's kingdom. Each one who receives Christ and thus lives in the hope and joy of eternity motivates the missionary to continue work for the great harvest.

Dear Lord – Thank you for raising up and calling the Christian missionaries who plant your good seeds of faith. I pray for their protection and effectiveness for the work you have called them to do. Amen

Vigor rating of Seedlings – This is a test for certain species of vegetables which rate the vigor or speed of growth of specific lot #'s and seed sizes per lot numbers. This helps farmers in selecting lot #'s for planting in the harsher soil or weather conditions.