Psalm 20 (modified). O LORD, hear me in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend me; send me help from the sanctuary, and strengthen me out of Zion; remember all my offerings, and accept my burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant me according to my own heart, and fulfill all my counsel. Selah!

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures, foraging listlessly here and there. Feeling puny! Got a severe sore throat with laryngitis. (Please pray this will clear up sufficiently to preach tonight!)

Becky and I are in American Canyon (shares a border with Napa) for the annual Home Missions Conference hosted by Calvary Baptist, and its pastor, Marshall Stevens.

I thought about the relationship between Abram’s commission (Genesis 12:1-3):

Genesis 12:1 ¶ Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

And our commission:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Along the still waters, I reflected on the points of connection.

Abram was sent on the authority of Jehovah (Genesis 12:1). We are sent on the authority of Jehovah manifest in flesh, Christ Jesus our Lord (Matthew 28:18).

God promised to direct Abram as he obeyed the LORD (Genesis 12:12 — “unto a land that I will show thee.”) I thought of how God guided Philip, Peter, and Paul to where He wanted them to preach (Acts 1:8 with Philip—8:5 (obedience in trials), 26-29 (direct divine intervention); Peter—Acts 10-11 (direct divine leading); and Pual Acts 16:6-10 (extraordinary divine guidance)).

Some say all you need is Acts 1:8, and the testimony of the Spirit supports that. When the believers were persecuted and scattered, they went everywhere preaching the gospel, obeying Acts 1:8 (Acts 8:1, 4). That’s likely how Philip ended up in Samaria. Philip probably reckoned he would go to Samaria because he knew the Lord’s command expressly included “and unto Samaria” (Acts 1:8).

However, God intervenes to give specific direction to His preachers. Philip, having proven himself to be obedient to the general call of Acts 1:8, the Angel of the LORD interjected Himself into Philip’s ministry and directed him to evangelize in Gaza (a country much in the news today—Acts 8:26). Obedient to this direction, along the way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a servant of Queen Candace. The Spirit directed him to speak to this man, and Philip led him to Christ (Acts 8:27-38). When Philip finished baptizing the Ethiopian, the Spirit caught him away to Azotus, where he began an evangelistic ministry to all the cities of the Philistines until he reached Caesarea, where he settled (Acts 8:39-40).

An unsaved but pious man, Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea, was praying when an Angel appeared to him, giving him direction to send for Peter (Acts 10:1-8). Meanwhile, Peter was praying, and God instructed him to take the gospel to the Gentiles; otherwise, it seems unlikely Peter would have responded to the Gentile’s invitation (Acts 10:9-18). While Peter “thought on the vision,” the Spirit informed him that three men had come for him and that he was to go with them, doubting nothing (Acts 10:19-21). They took him to Cornelius, who heard Peter preach, and he and his entire household were saved (Acts 10:22-48).

Finally, I thought about the Spirit telling Paul not to preach in Asia, or in Bithynia. Then God used a dream to reveal that he was to preach in Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10).

But my thought was to show the connections between Abram’s call and ours. Let’s continue!

Abram was promised he would be a blessing to all nations. From his seed came Israel, which became a great nation (Genesis 12:2—see Exodus 19:6). Today, believing Gentiles and Jews are united as God’s “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9-10). And the greatest nation the world has ever known is America—the friend of the gospel in these last days. His Church is delivering the promised blessing of Abram to all the nations of the world (Matthew 24:14).

Abram was saved by grace through faith alone (Genesis 15:6). This is the root and the spring of the Gospel we preach (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6, see also James 2:23). This is the ultimate blessing: God sent His King, Jesus Christ, in the flesh through Abraham’s seed, to provide redemption for all mankind. We are privileged to deliver the blessing!

Even the truth that we will suffer persecution is included in Abraham’s commission: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). Jesus promised that those who hear Christ will hear us, and those who refuse to hear Him, refuse us (Luke 10:16; John 15:18). Jesus said those who serve him will receive blessings in this life “with persecutions” (Matthew 10:30).

In the valley, Jesus renewed His call to my life: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). I was thrilled to be called His ambassador, delivering His offer of Abraham’s blessing to the world!

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed as we entered the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

I will ot go live today because I’m not feeling well. I believe the Lord wants me to preserve what little voice I have to deliver His message tonight for the Home Missions Conference!