President Stumbo set the tone for the rest of the week by reflecting on one of the most unassuming words in our vocabulary—and. In the name of our denomination, this word plays a crucial role in displaying the two parts of our movement, Christian and Missionary. We are a denominational family that cares deeply about making disciples in both our neighborhoods and the nations.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples,
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Do you notice these ands? God spoke them for a reason. “Don’t place an ‘or’ where God has placed an ‘and,'” Stumbo said. “We cause unnecessary divisions, we limit Kingdom advance, and we miss the full expression of the Body of Christ when we insert our ‘or’ where we should have an ‘and.'”
In Scripture, "and" also paints a picture of the glory of God. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Lion and the Lamb, the First and the Last, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Shepherd and the Overseer of our souls. We have a glorious God, and we have the incredible pleasure of belonging to Him. We are His.
