October 19

Daniel 4:17, 25-26

17…that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’… 25 till you [King Nebuchadnezzar] know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will… 26 your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.

Daniel 7:13-14

13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven  there came one like a son of man… 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Mission Impossible—Daniel was sent into exile, into a foreign pagan culture; sent into the lion’s den; sent to interpret dreams; sent to be faithful despite persecution. These little tasks all pointed to the greater mission, to stand as a witness to the hostile nations that Yahweh is Lord of all the earth and King of all nations. The king’s food, schooling in Babylonian arts, idols and furnaces, officials and lions, all tried to cloud out the truth. More than just Daniel’s life was at stake in the lion’s den—what was at stake was the worship and allegiance of the nations and God’s mission to fill the earth with his glory. Who was really king, Yahweh or Darius? Who was a true God, Yahweh or the gods of the Persians?

But God…. God gave wisdom, interpretation of dreams, and protection to his people. He humbled King Nebuchadnezzar. He sent visions to his people in suffering, reminding them that they are not alone but that the King of the world is on their side and will bring a Messiah, the Son of Man (Daniel chs. 7-12). But God proved that he had not abandoned his kingdom and his mission to the kingdoms of this world. He had not abandoned his people, set to be a light to the nations. In fact, the rebellious people who had profaned his name in the Holy Land were now sent out among the nations to be a light within those cultures and nations. God’s glory will go forth! He will draw all men to himself! (Jn. 6:44 ; Jn. 12:32).

Missionaries willingly go into a foreign country, often hostile to the faith with the same vision—God is the true King of all the world, and their particular host country has some who will bow their knee and confess Christ. By their witness and faithfulness, missionaries stand as a citizen of heaven among the kingdoms of this world. Their work participates in Christ’s plundering the kingdom of darkness and bringing more into his kingdom of light (Col. 1:13; Mk. 3:27 ). Christ left the kingdom of heaven to become a pilgrim on this world so that we could become citizens of heaven, and the kingdom of God came, open to all nations and peoples under his eternal dominion. It is this King that missionaries serve as Lord, authority over all nations, and over their own life, resources, goods, time, and moments. For he is a loving King and worthy.

Your Mission

·         Pray that missionaries live out their kingdom calling. Pray that the locals they minister to recognize the King of Heaven and earth.

·         Does your life show that you are more a citizen of America or a citizen of the kingdom? Is Christ enabling you to be a faithful witness?

Mission Impossible Made Possible—Field Notes

Alyssa Eagen

A few years ago, four of my team members (all women) and I travelled to Central Asia for several weeks to help our friends, who were there long-term. One of the ways we helped was by going to a day center for disabled children and orphans several times a week. The center was run by female believers and unbelievers alike, all with incredible spirits of strength.

As our friendships grew with these women, we desperately wanted to bless them.

We decided to throw them a party. We spread the word. Only a few responded, but we went ahead anyway. We were so excited the day before as we got ready to honor our dear friends.

That night, I had an awful dream. The women from the center came to me and said, “We’re sick! And it’s all your fault.” Needless to say, I woke up a bit unsettled. One of my teammates also had a bad dream. So we prayed for the women and ourselves and went about our day. When it was time to go out and meet our friends to guide them back to our house, no one came. We called their phones. No answer. We waited and waited and finally made our way home, pretty discouraged.

Days later, we awkwardly made our way back to the center and asked our friends why they didn’t come.

“Our children got sick! We’re so sorry! We couldn’t come. But ask us again.”

We did and we prayed. A lot. When the day arrived, over fifteen women and children came to our home! This was more than double what we expected the first time around.  As we sat around our table, we shared gifts and honored one another. We broke bread and laughed until we cried. At the end of the night, we prayed for them and our friends let us share the gospel with them! We all left encouraged and, to this day, this story reminds me that God will always work everything for the good and for the best for His children. He never stops opening doors to offer us life.