"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8
How do you share God's love and truth with others?
I thought I was suppose to be a full-time overseas missionary when I was in my early twenties. I decided this without really asking God what He wanted for me. Thankfully, God closed doors in that area and opened doors in other areas. But I was devastated at the time! From that experience, I slowly learned that God's idea of sharing His love and salvation with others is much broader than mine.
I have a passion for missions and have had the privilege of teaching missions to children for over ten years. I tell the kids that missions is sharing God's love and truth wherever we go. If we are a Christian, it is a command- not an option. A mission field can be our neighborhood, school, workplace, city, or any place around the world.
I see so many people leaving mission work to the "missionaries." We are the "church" and it falls to us to tell others the good news. If it seems boring, time-consuming, uncomfortable or scary then we need to ask God to change our perspective. If God is filling my life with joy and peace, why wouldn't I want to share that with others?
In our old neighborhood, my husband and I got to know some kids around our area and invited them over on the weekends for Biblestudy time, games and snacks. A lot of the kids didn't have adults watching them when they were at home and they longed for adult attention. Most hadn't been to church and one girl told us she had never heard of Jesus.
Later, we started a Tuesday prayer night for the families on our block. We met at the house of a lady who had lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Most people knew her and felt more comfortable at her house. Although not everyone came to the prayer time, most would share their concerns with us and appreciated the prayers for their families as we went from house to house beforehand.
Our current neighborhood is full of "churched" people who are not as open to getting outside their homes and sharing with one another. So we've had to find different ways to do missions in this area. I encourage my church kids to really look for ways to reach out and share God with our community. Children's Shelters, Food Banks, Clothing Banks, and Prison Ministries are just a few places where people can jump in and help meet important needs of those who are hurting and need God's help to make a difference in their lives.
My point is that people EVERYWHERE need God's love and truth. Don't wait around for an opportunity- go looking for one. Whether in your neighborhood, in another state or halfway around the world, the needs are great! Jump in and be a part of what God is doing!
Earlier this summer, I asked you to pray for Pastor Steven James, who has been following this blog since the start. He is the pastor of Verona 7th Day Baptist Church in New York. He had an opportunity to go to Kenya during the month of June. While there, he was able to see the needs of the people, connect with them on a personal level and walk away with the knowledge of how his church can continue to minister to the people there. If you didn't follow along with his blog during his trip, you can read a few highlights by clicking on the two links below.
Meeting First with the First!
http://www.sdbkenyanconnection.blogspot.com/2012/06/meeting-first-with-first....
Snapshots of SDB Kenyan Churches
http://www.sdbkenyanconnection.blogspot.com/2012/06/snapshots-of-sdb-kenyan-c...
I still believe that going to another country to share God's truth can be an eye-opening experience that will change your perspective on the world forever! If God ever opens the doors for you to take such a trip, don't hesitate! But I have also come to firmly believe that we are all missionaries ever day wherever we find ourselves!
Until next week,
Lisa G.
*By the way, I wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the prayers concerning the health of me and the baby! I saw a different doctor last week and am praying right now for wisdom concerning what type of care and treatment to proceed with. The great news is that I got to see the baby and he/she is doing well!
