In Part 1, Preacher Weng discusses “The Request for Blessing”. In Part 2, he discusses “The Reason for Blessing” and “A Prayer to God for all Peoples”.

 

If you have not read the previous parts and want to read them, either go to our website (www.hopebpc.com) or request hard copies from the Lively Hope Committee members.

 

May God bless you as you read this final part…………...

 

 

What can a Christian, who prays for the conversion of all nations through mission work, anticipate when the Lord returns again? The psalmist says, "O let the nations be glad and sing for joy" (Psalm 67:4a). Why? Why should the nations be so happy and sing for joy? Because Christ is coming to judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth (Psalm 67:4b). Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace, is coming back to judge and govern the earth (Rev 19:20) as the Holy and Righteous King! Such anticipation should make every Christian even more excited about bringing the nations to Christ! God forbid that knowing that Jesus is coming soon should make any Church of God less passionate about evangelism and missions. It should make God's people more passionate and have a burden for missions to save souls!

 

Psalm 67:5, “Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee,” may seems like a redundant repetition of verse 3, yet it should be noted that this highlights the importance of the idea of calling all the people to Him by actively engaging in the evangelism and mission work as a church in order to fulfil the great commission of Jesus Christ! Spurgeon says, “These words are no vain repetition, but are a chorus worthy to be sung again and again.”

 

 

These two verses conclude the prayer of the Psalmist but it also look into the future when Christ would rule as the King over all the earth. When the earth knows God's way and His salvation, then she will yield her increase (Psalm 67:6a). What is the increase of the earth? The increase speaks of the fruit that would come forth out of the multitude of believers from every tongue and kindred in the form of praises as they all worship and fear Him (Psalm 67:7b). There is a tremendous blessing for the one or a church whose vision is the conversion of heathens and is actively involved in the mission endeavour. For when a church shares God's heart and vision for the world to evangelize the lost, the church will be greatly blessed, for the Psalmist says, "even our own God, shall bless us" (Psalm 67:6b). But in order for a church to be blessed, a church must go out to fulfil the great commission and pray for the conversion of the lost and get involved in the mission work - for it works like a cycle. When a church is involved in the mission work, it aligns the church with the heart of God (Matthew 28:19,20) and the church is blessed even more, so she can use that blessing to be involved in more missions work. Have we stopped believing that God blesses when we obey and fulfil God's commandment in the Great Commission? Have we stopped seeking to extend that blessing to all the earth and pray that all may come to know Him? When all the earth shall praise Him or yield the fruit, we render glory to God because all the ends of the earth fear Him (Psalm 67:7b) as it culminates when our Lord returns to rule the earth physically on earth when all the nations worship, praise and fear Him from every tongue and kindred. Yet at present, the church has a work to do and a mission to be fulfilled, and it never ends until the second coming of our LORD.

 

 

The works of evangelism and missions may face many obstacles, challenges, hindrances and even attacks from the evil one, but the church must go all the way to render our commitment, love and devotion to the One who has redeemed us out of our sins and from eternal damnation with His precious blood. May we all pray to cause God's face to shine upon us so that we may find ourselves worthy to become a channel of blessing by committing ourselves in the missions work, and anticipate the glorious and soon return of our Lord, Saviour and King to judge and govern all the people on the earth in His righteous Kingdom!

 

Preacher David Weng