Get on the plane(of discipleship)

Matthew 28:18-20    And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 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.

My wife leaves this morning on her first mission trip to Romania for almost two weeks. She knew very early she was called to go on this trip; she felt that call on her heart and responded to that tug in obedience. She heard and felt that tug because she had been seeking God with all her heart after the life changing experience of loosing her job. She felt as though she had hit bottom, but God had ordained it to pick her up. Her life has incredibly changed, and I have seen incredible spiritual growth since her world was rocked. She is now about to experience God as never before, way out of her comfort zone, where He lives. A mission trip is a life changing experience, for you see God do what you cannot; you see God orchestrate situations that only He can; your eyes are opened through your heart with the removal of the distractions of this world, and a life dedicated to God during that trip. Many times it breeds a life changed to that focus for much more than just the trip.

There are those going on this flight halfway around the world that are terrified of flying! Do you love your God enough to face your fears? Do you trust your God enough to place your life in His hands; to do what you are terrified of doing? That is where He lives, in accomplishing what you cannot. Look at the promise found in verse 18, that proceeds the Great Commission to go and become disciples in verses 19 & 20. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. The power and the promise that God is in control of all circumstances should bring peace. The enemy is the author of fear and doubt. The enemy does not want you to rest on the promise of verse 18. When God tells you to GO, he is with you for the journey. He may allow tribulation before and during that journey, but it is all under his control, and it is all designed to draw you near, and to draw glory to Him.

How do you exemplify a disciple, one who follows the Great Commission? One who spreads the Good News that Jesus Christ has come to save a dying world. That there is an eternal hope for a heart placed in Him that the world cannot steal away. That all the troubles that you face in this life are but temporary, and paradise promised with Him is eternal. You cannot become a disciple until you truly possess that hope; you must have such a heart for Christ that you seek him every day. Psalm 63:1 A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. The heart of a disciple is an image created by God. The heart of disciple is one that seeks, finds, and simply cannot contain their joy of finding Him. Once you begin to experience God in prayer, his Word, and your life daily, keeping him to yourself is simply not a possibility any longer. You will talk to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, strangers, or maybe, just maybe, face your fears and get on a plane to go halfway around the world.