Introducing the New Christians in Action Missions International President, David Ingerson

Christians in Action Missions International President, David Ingerson

Friday, September 1^st, 2017

Hello and greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. As the new international president and CEO of Christians in Action Missions International, I encourage you to seek to know and understand the heart of God for the world, His creation. And knowing His heart, seek to join Him in His purpose and plan in order to please Him, and bring Him pleasure.

Realizing coming to know God’s heart, is a life-long process, I have made it my life’s singular aim, to know Him—not merely in an academic, or theoretical way, but in truth, and in intimate relationship. I believe the first step in knowing God’s heart is to acknowledge and embrace His love for us—for God is love. Having recognized and received the love of God, our natural inclination is to love Him back.

If we have truly embraced His love, we will certainly desire to know and do what pleases Him, as a small child, secure in his parents’ love, naturally desires to bring joy and pleasure to his parents. As Jesus said in John 14:23:

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

But to obey Him, we must first understand what He expects of us. In order to understand God our Father, we must look to His Son. As He was preparing His disciples for his impending departure, Jesus, said of himself, as recorded in John chapter 14, verse 7, “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well…”

His disciple, Philip questioned Him, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

Not only is Jesus the ultimate representation of God to us, His creation, but also, we understand that Jesus, by His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, is the author of our salvation. We read in Colossians chapter 1, verses 19 and 20, that “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [that is Christ Jesus], ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Therefore, to know God’s heart and please Him, we must understand Jesus’ heart and obey Him. In Matthew chapter 9, verse 35 we read:

^“35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Therefore, to know and obey God’s heart we must identify with Jesus and have compassion, as He had, on the harassed and helpless people around us and, around the world, who are wandering aimlessly without purpose or direction. As we identify with Jesus’ heart and see the people of the world as He sees them, we will be motivated to pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest.

This year, 2017, marks the 60^th year since Christians in Action was founded. Join us as we celebrate the past 60 years of seeking to know and obey God’s heart for the nations—that they may be found in Christ not having a righteousness of their own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. {ref. Phil. 3:9b}

Our mission was founded in 1957 following a concentrated week of prayer. No doubt our founders prayed fervently that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth laborers through this mission, and surely, He has. To the many laborers, serving God in the more than twenty nations where we, Christians in Action Missions International are found today I say, thank you. Thank you for your commitment, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for your service to God. May He richly reward you.

And to everyone else I say, join me as I daily pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His Harvest, for who knows, perhaps He’ll tap you on the shoulder and invite you to join Him in His global harvest. If and when that day comes, may you be prepared to say, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”