Urgent Reprints for New Book Warning of God’s Judgment
A book warning of God’s impending judgment on America has gone to a second reprint within days of release, to keep up with demand.
Hollifield Retires After 44 Years with International Offices
January 11, 2012–A celebration was held today in recognition of Rev. Charles Hollifield, who retired last month after 44 years of service with the Church of God International Offices.
Moving with God Among “People on The Move”
A memory from my childhood years takes me back to a summer night in Fresno, California where gathered in our backyard for a church watermelon picnic. Naturally, as everyone sat on the grass socializing, the visitors spat the seeds out into the grass. Within days, the combination of the early morning dew and the hot afternoon sunshine produced hundreds of budding watermelon plants scattered across the lawn (more of this story is found on pp. 48-49 of “Globalbeliever.com,” my missions “eBook” found at www.MissionsResourceGroup.org).
The New Testament writer James used the imagery of seeds blown in the wind as he wrote to early Christian migrants on the move, dispersed across the Mediterranean world through persecution. His word “scattered” in James 1.1 is the New Testament Greek term “diaspora.”
“… to Christians scattered among the nations” (James 1.1 NIV)
“…dispersed throughout the world” (New English Bible)
“…living abroad” (Twentieth Century New Testament)
“Google” search that word “diaspora,” along with “diaspora mission(s),” and “diaspora missiology” and get ready to move with God among people on the move. In fact, the late missions visionary/missiologist Ralph Winter wrote that, “…Diaspora missiology may well be the most important undigested reality in missions thinking today. We simply have not caught up with the fact that most of the world’s people can no longer be defined geographically.”
What is “diaspora missions/missiology” and what is its significance for “globalbelievers” as we strive to faithfully obey the commission of Jesus Christ among the nations? As defined by the Global Diaspora Network:
“…as a missiological framework for understanding and participating in God’s redemptive mission among people living outside their place of origin” (from the “Seoul Declaration on Diaspora Missiology” published at www.lausanne.org and in Scattered to Gather: Embracing the Global Trend of Diaspora. Manila, Philippines. LifeChange Publishing 2010).
Here is our emerging world missions future: “People are on the move as never before. Migration is one of the great global realities of our era. It is estimated that 200 million people are living outside their countries of origin, voluntarily or involuntarily” (from the Lausanne “Cape Town Commitment”).
The wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing. Unreached people groups are being scattered and sown among the nations. Our harvest opportunity is unprecedented! Let us move with God among people on the move and mobilize Great Commission believers to reach the global diaspora!
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Dr. Grant McClung, President of Missions Resource Group (www.MissionsResourceGroup.org), is a member of the Global Diaspora Network Advisory Board and International Missionary Educator with Church of God World Missions. His book, Globalbeliever.com: Connecting To God’s Work in Your World, is distributed by Pathway Press.
Don’t Limit God With Little Prayers
When I stepped into 2012, God challenged me to pray big—and to expect the unexpected.
