And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28: 18-20
Hello my friends. It has been awhile since I posted on here but I felt lead to talk about my latest adventure south of the Rio Grande. I recently was gone on a mission trip to Rio Bravo Mexico. I must say that it was life changing experience. Here in America I enjoy everyday what the average family enjoys(smart phones, laptop computers, WIFI internet, Starbucks, climate control, satellite television, and so on). I was able to enjoy a some time spent without any modern technology or should I say modern conveniences. After this trip I don't know that I want these modern conveniences anymore. I am beginning to think that they are modern inconveniences to be honest.
I was preaching this morning a sermon that I called Fearless Following Day Nine. God gave me this while I was laying sick in bed with the stomach flu on Day Seven of an eight day mission trip. Tom and Debbie Turner granted me some time to lead a devotion in the airport while we were waiting to board our plane Monday morning. The passages of scripture were Joshua 1: 1-9 and Matthew 28: 16-20. Joshua was commanded by God to be strong and very courageous three times in the first nine verses and the way to be prosperous was to meditate in the book of the law day and night. God was commissioning Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Jesus commissioned us to go tell the whole world who He is and what He did for us on the cross. I started asking myself why don't we go?
God hit me with a song called "If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns. I am being convinced that a lot people don't go because they don't know. Then I started asking why don't they know? God revealed something about myself and I am sure many of you can relate that we are too busy with our daily lives. What I really mean is our modern conveniences have us distracted. I love sports, movies, and keeping up with my friends but the danger is that can consume your time and you leave your first love out of the equation. In Mexico I had little to no cell phone service, no television, no Facebook, no air conditioning, but what did I have? I had my favorite Bible, a book by David Platt called "Follow Me", and my prayer journal. To be able to have the time I had to commune with God and develop my relationship with my Savior is something that I didn't know that I was missing. The only way to be strong and very courageous is to pour God's word into you. It's what gives you courage. You read what God did in the lives of the Bible saints and it inspires us to trust and go forward in faith that God will do the same thing for us today. The Bible saints were ordinary humans with extraordinary faith in a great God. Maybe that's what the church needs is a transformed heart especially myself. What can God do in us and through us if we would take the time for Him to prepare us for it. It's like the story of two farmers. Both of them desperately needed rain, and they prayed for rain but only one of them prepared his fields for it. Who really trusted God to send the rain? Who received the rain? The one who had the faith to prepare his fields. We need to start preparing for rain in our lives and realms of influence. Do we really want to serve Jesus and follow His commandment to love one another as He loved us? It would cost us something but the cost for Him was much greater. It may cost us some time and money but it cost Jesus His life. If we were worth dying for how much more would the church be able to impact the lives if we loved like He did. God will open the doors for us to witness but we need to prepare ourselves first. Right now I would love to give up all of my modern conveniences in able to continue growing my faith and in my walk with the Lord like I was in Mexico. I felt a peace that I can't even begin to describe. I can honestly say that it is well with my soul. Sometimes you are the one that ends up being the most blessed when you go somewhere on mission for God. To be honest I saw how happy these people were and some of them live in houses that I wouldn't call a good barns but they were happy and they had Jesus. I am beginning to see that all of our modern conveniences are really just inconveniences. Maybe what we really need is to lose these modern conveniences and be left only with Jesus for awhile. For me I can honestly say that it changed my life in eight days. I am striving and planning on living my life like everyday is Day Nine. Live as if the mission trip never ended. Live with purpose of pouring out His love on those around me. Maybe it would change your life if you were to have the same experience that I had too.
Lastly, to all my friends I made on this trip and some of you I already knew I thank my God upon every remembrance of you(Phil. 1:3). I consider myself blessed beyond measure to have been able to spend this time with you. The memories I have from being on this trip will last throughout the rest of my life. I love you all and thank you for your testimony in Jesus Christ. Your faith helped inspire mine. I look forward to fellowshipping with all of you again. May God Bless You!
