Sunday, September 05, 2004

Get Up, Get Going! You've Had The Invitation For Years!

Greetings, this is my first posting so I thank you for being one of my first readers. I hope you find this interesting and even inspiring enough to come back at least once a week. Now, on with what's on my mind.Just this past week, while talking with one of my college professors about witnessing, I mentioned I like to witness every chance I can. He made some comment about never having felt the leading of the Holy Spirit on such a regular basis. I told him that from time to time it was his responsibility to ask the Holy Spirit to come with him, rather than wait till he was kicked in the butt to get going. The poor man paled to an unbelieveable off white/grayish tint and told me he'd never heard such a statement. I truly felt sorry for him. Reaching the age of fifty plus and still not understanding the Great Commission. Trully an unfortunate situation for him.In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says it clearly enough. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (NIV) We have already been given the commission, our marching orders so to speak so why do people feel they must wait for a specific invitation in each and every situation before witnessing of the love of God for mankind? Would you have prefered that the person that introduced you to Jesus had done that?No one is unaware of how bad conditions are in this world. People living in Satan's grip killing thousands in the name of God, drug dealers more prevelant than super markets, deviant sex being taught as a normal way of life in our schools, and on and on. Still, good, God fearing, God loving Christians feel their job is to sit in a corner and make braids out of the phone cord while waiting for God's personal call before doing His work.Jesus made it quite clear in Acts 1:8 that as soon as the Holy Spirit comes upon us that we will have power to be His witness to the fartherest corners of the earth. Now, since we know that the Spirit is ours the instant we genuinely recieve Jesus as our savior, then the power we need is already ours. The idea of waiting for a specific invitation, of just waiting in idleness while countless lost souls go into eternity without Jesus, is not of God, and whatever is not of God is of Satan.Well, what if we're not supposed to talk to a particular person right then about Jesus? Remember when Paul wanted to head into Asia to spread the gospel but the Holy Spirit prevented them from going. If any of us should get ahead of God's plan, or His will, the Holy Spirit will let us know and send us in the direction we should go. In the mean time, why not fulfill the commision given to us two thousand years ago by Jesus Himself, and go forth and make disciples. What have you got to loose.