EXPOSITION:
Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. -Spurgeon
In today’s reading the spirit of Paul the Apostle was stirred up in him when he saw the level of idolatry in the city of Athens. It is this stirring up in us that produces authentic missions work. The missionary (Paul) sees the door of opportunities to convey the message of truth to the lost.
In the Fijian missiology, according to oral tradition, a village, Naikorokoro, in Kadavu was free from the widespread death of hundreds of people after being infected with the measles in the 1800s. The village holds an annual church service and feast on the 22nd of January to celebrate and commemorate this history. They retell the story at this annual service of how elders of the village got together to pray to the Christian God to save them from the measles and they were saved. They tell of how Naikorokoro was the only village in the island of Kadavu that did not lose a life to measles. Do you know why? The missionary assured them of God’s healing power; and it worked. The whole island turned to the Christian God.
CRITICAL VERSE:
‘For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you’. (Acts 17:23 ASV)
LIFE APPLICATION:
Dearly beloved, anytime people come our way in one difficulty or the other, it is an open door to share the good news of the Kingdom. As other nationals troop into our localities let us seize the opportunity to lead them to the saving knowledge of Christ. What missionary opportunities do you see around you?