Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews11:1
Today we conclude our series on being Traders. Here's the definition we have been working with....
A Trader is a new kind of Missionary - not defined by Geography - but willing to apply the parable of the Good Samaritan
and to go and do likewise.
A Trader is intentional with their
time, talent and skills.
They trade-in their pursuits for His pursuits.
They trade in time, money and comfort for a world that needs Christ.
A Trader looks beyond the temptations of the here and now.
A Trader resists the temptation to settle for temporary satisfaction in the present. They see a bigger picture - they long for something more permanent.
The whole of Hebrews 11 is a list of trades! e.g.:
v4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.
v7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
v8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
v24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
And so on...
To have faith is to be a Trader.
To walk in faith is trade our purposes for God's purposes
To be a Trader is to TRUST that God's plan is better than the (empty) promises of materialism and comfort.
Are you a TRADER?
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Hope you have enjoyed the series!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
