Recently, members of my church in conjunction with a sister church went on a mission trip to Peru. It was an evangelical trip with the purpose of talking with Peruvians in a few small towns about Christ, salvation and having a personal relationship with Christ. I was able to take numerous pictures. The photograph above of a city commissioner from a small town holding out an olive to us had special significance to me.
Why go to Peru? Christ commands us in the great commission as follows: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20). Further, Christ instructs us that we will be his “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). Therefore, we are to witness locally, in our state, country and throughout the world.
Ok, why the importance of the olive to me. After driving for hours through the desert on the Pan-American Highway, the last thing I expected to see at our destination was tons of olives. Olives and the olive tree have a special significance in the Bible. Most of you have probably heard the expression, “to offer someone an olive branch.” It means an offering of good will or peace. The history of its meaning can be traced back to Noah when he released the dove from the ark and it returned with an olive branch signifying that the flood was receding and that God had taken mercy on mankind. (Genesis 8:11). Olives were an important crop during Biblical times and a failed olive crop impacted the whole economy. However, even with a failed olive crop (or our present day equivalent), we can find peace by trusting in God.
Though the fig tree does not bud
And there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my savior.
The sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
(Habakkuk 3:17-19)
We can have this same peace and joy today. As Paul tells us,
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:8)
You can have the same peace as Habakkuk and as described by Paul regardless of your circumstances. Our olive branch is Christ.
We have salvation by grace through faith alone. Because of man’s sin, our sin, we are guilty before God and the price for our sin is death. By grace, God sent his only begotten Son to live in this world, be crucified on the cross and raised from the dead. By the precious blood of Jesus we are cleansed of our sins. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) There is only one path to salvation and eternal life and that path is through Christ.
To be saved and have eternal life and peace:
1) Admit that you are a sinner,
2) Be willing to turn from sin (repent)
3) Believe that Jesus died for you, was buried and rose from the dead, and
4) Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal savior.
Your prayer can be as simple as follows:
Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior.
If you have prayed and asked Jesus to forgive you and save you, we would like to hear from you. Please let us know if you have any questions about salvation. You can post your questions or comments or email us. For more information on missions, visit http://www.namb.net/ or http://www.imb.org/
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In Woldenberg Park, New Orleans, Uncle Mal explains to my son and another child about mankind’s great social responsibilities. Malcolm Woldenberg and Stephen Goldring were successful business men, prominent leaders and committed philanthropists who gave to numerous health, education, welfare and cultural organizations. Their work continues today through the Goldring Family Foundation, Woldenberg Foundation and other family foundations.
