GO
by Gail Rodgers
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She stood on the Mount of Olives. A faint breeze touched her cheeks. The tour guide’s voice faded as she took in her surroundings. This was the very place Jesus stood when He gave parting instructions to His followers!
Her eyes took in the landscape below and the beautiful city of Jerusalem. She recalled the Scripture of Jesus weeping over that city. What great compassion He had for those whose hearts were far from Him. Her heart was stirred.
The tour guide’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He was reading the final words of Jesus just before He returned to Heaven after His resurrection from the dead. It’s “The Great Commission” from Matthew 28:18 – 20…
“Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
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She was challenged by the question that came next. “Imagine”, said the tour guide, “that you are looking into the face of Jesus as He prepares to leave this earth. Lovingly and with longing in His eyes, He asks you, “What part of the Great Commission don’t you understand?” It’s a thought-provoking question as we bustle through our hectic days. Do I care about bringing people to know Jesus?
As my friend shared her Mount of Olives experience with me I recalled the words of a wise preacher. His statement left its imprint on my heart many years ago. He said… “If your life as a Christian is not lived out on the wavelength of the Great Commission – then your life is irrelevant to God’s plan for change in our world.”
Irrelevant! Not a word I want to describe my life as a Christian. I want to understand this Great Commission in a fresh way and live my life empowered by God to share His love in my daily world.
As you go today, through the mundane and the specific, be challenged to allow the Holy Spirit to continually flow through you. As your life touches others with the compassion of Jesus you will be blessed. It’s where you will find meaning. You were created to be relevant to God’s plan for change in our world!
~Father God,
As I go about my day give me a fresh focus on what it means to “go” and make followers of You. Let my life become more relevant to Your purposes for me and for the world around me. Help me today. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Questions : How do you live your life… is it with the Great Commission in mind at all times? How would you like to be more involved in helping to change the world?
About the Author: http://tmdevotionals.com/women/authors/gail-rodgers/
Tags: Great Commission, Holy Spirit, Jesus, pray, prayer
16 Responses to “GO”
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Maia, I chuckled at myself for not figuring out your typo. I thought, I do not know what this type of service is. Glad I was able to help you with a good laugh. We all need to laugh . . . even at ourselves. Thank you for describing your church’s fast. I was wondering if each individual fast varied. I am anxious to hear about the praise reports from this Sunday. We just started our 40 Days of Community this week in our small group and also at church. I am looking forward to it. It includes daily devotionals, questions, and journaling. Hope you get your computer fixed soon.
Judy,
I have laughed so hard reading my last comment to you I ment to type “miracle service” I did’nt realize I had spelled it wrong!Ha!
Anyway about the 21 day fast..as a church different people did different things, some because of health reasons could not do the water only, so they did what they call the Daniel fast it includes fruit and veg. only some peolpe did do water only some like me fasted lunch and supper, others felt God leading them to fast from T.V. or certian drinks like coke, coffee, The bottom line was to fast and pray I think we spend so much time eating watching t.v. or other things that we could be spending that time with God, lots of people said that during the fasting time they were delivered from habits like smoking, chewing tobacco, or even drinking caffine…To some this would not be a big deal but so many people here struggle with smoking (we live in Kentucky lots of people here raise tobacco)and I think God has really delt with them to lay those habits down even with watching so much t.v….anyway hope this gave you alittle insight I’ll let you know how this Sunday goes, we have lots of praise reports the fowlling Sunday, sorry if it takes me awhile to get back to you, my harddrive in my computer at home has crashed and I have to use the computer at the salon..talk to you soon!have a blessed day
Maia,
Tell me about your 21 day fast. What did you fast from? Food? A certain meal or certain type of food? I am not familiar with the term “marical”. I need to look it up.
Judy
I did read that book it was awsome!! Pastor is looking for the other book for me, and yes it is awsome how God used what you heard Sunday to pass on to me…We had our marical service Sunday it was the close of our churches 21 day fast and it was great, I think it showed many of the people how important fasting is, even in this day and time that fasting and prayer is for today I can’t wait til this sunday to see how many people were healed and all the prayers that went up were answered, we saw many healed sunday during the service my husband was very humbled at the whole service and each day I see God working in him and I see a stiring in his spirit, I know God has called him I just pray that he will gain the confidence to KNOW in his heart he is called..keep praying!!thanks again!
Maia, you are most welcome. Isn’t it always amazing how the Lord brings together what we need? It always makes me rejoice and praise Him. It’s so exciting. I had no idea what I listened to on SUnday would be something I could share with you today. Let me know if you are able to get that book.
Did you read Rick Warren’s first book, the Purpose Driven Life?
PATTI
STILL GETTING YOUR EMAILS BACK
SHARON
Gail thanks so much for today’s devotional. This seem to be
what the Lord has been impressing in my spirit, about the
great commisson. No I do not live with the great commisson
in mind at all times, but Iam mindful of it a lot . Today’s
lesson is reminding me to be more mindful of the great
commisson of witnessing, making disciples. I am so blessed
because I work for a crisis pregnancy center, which is a
ministry. I have the opportunity to share Jesus with young
ladies five days of the week, when they come in to our center. Since I am sort of a quiet person, to have persons
to come to me, and one on one with them is great. I realize
that i also have reach outside of this place and share Christ with others, this I try to do. When I go to the
different places like the prison, shelter, this is an
opportunity fo share Jesus with somebody who need to get to
know him. This is the motivation for me getting involved in
these works, nothing is more important to God and his
kingdom is souls. As the time of Jesus Christ return draws
nearer and nearer, I believe the call kof the great commisson will sound out louder and louder in our spirits.
I have not apprehended it all, as the Apostle Paul said in
Philippian, no I have not arrived, Iam still a continue
work in progress by the Lord. The Lord gave us an assign-
ment to do in has absence, and that was the great commisson,
this assignment was given to every christian. Jesus when he
was on earth his main focus and determination was to do and
finish the work{assignment} that God gave him to do. Jesus
accomplished that very thing, and now he is asking us his
body to do what he did. I just want to encourage you all to
follow Jesus great example, which plan to put into practice
more than I have been doing. I just want to please the Lord,
nothing else matter more to me than pleasing him. I want to
be able to stand before him in the end, and hear him say
well done my good and faithful servant. sisters this is
truly my heart felted desire. When it is all said and done
in this life, only that which we do for Christ shall last,
meaning have eternal rewards. sisters in Christ have a
peaceful and joyful day in the Lord!
I think when we focus on our shortcomings as deliverers of the Good News, we are tempted to back down and pass up our opportunity to invite others into the Kingdom. God doesn’t need us to be great orators, or crafty salespersons, just real people willing to share our testimony. Satan knows that he can distract us with our fragile egos, but when it becomes less about ourselves and more about Jesus and what He has done, then the joy of our salvation is like honey-comb, it’s sweetness drawing others in for a taste.
Judy,
Thanks so much for the information, I was just thinking last night it would be good to send some reading matiral with him, we have lots of books at church and I’m going to call Pastor today to look into getting that book if we don’t already have it at church…It also sounds like a good book to have for a Wed. night bible study! Thanks again!!
A VERY GOOD DEVOTIONAL TODAY. PATTI I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO EMAIL YOU FOR 2 DAYS AND THEY KEEP COMMING BACK. PLEASE LET ME HEAR FROM YOU AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU ARE
SHARON B
Maia, our lesson at church on Sunday was about 40 days of community. A short video clip was played from Rick Warren’s talk. He wrote about the 40 Days of Community. He said God created two institutions—marriage and the church. That people are not meant to be alone or to worship alone. He listed 4 reasons to worship and that we do better when we worship together. Also, that we grow better together than on our own. I have not read it yet, but am looking forward to this bible study we’re going to do in our small groups. Perhaps you could get this paperback book for him to read while he is in Ecquador. God Bless you.
So often today the “job description” of going out and teaching, preaching, baptizing in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is thought of something more for missionaries, pastors, Sunday school teachers and or Bible teachers to do.
However, yes, Gail,it does refer to me, too, just as it refers to all of us. The kicker of the question though is how do I put it into my daily life? Wow! you head right to the root of the situation, don’t you! :-) Well, some days are better than others, I am sure, and I still have a long way to go. I am definitely a “work in “progress”.
These are some things I do, but I need to improve for I am a long way from the Great Commission:
1) I pray daily for the Holy Spirit and that I will hear Him and be obedient.
2)I pray for God’s purpose in my life and I will fulfill it.
3) I pray to be the reflection of the love of Christ in my daily walk.
4) I pray for salvation of family, friends, and people I do not know.
5) I order extra Our Daily bread daily devotional booklets and hand them out. I used to give them to students when we taught Sunday school before my stroke, now I give them to Bible study members, family, and friends. Have also given them out to some people I visit at the local nursing home.
So you see, I have a LONG way to go. Seems like right now I am in the praying and listening stage. I have been sitting at the feet of Jesus for over 6 years, resting and healing and working on improving my health and abilities from my stroke. As a person who used to teach, but then could not talk very well due to my stroke I became very self-conscious about talking. I have improved a lot, (Praise the Lord!)and can talk again, but I still notice the residual effects. I seem to be getting a strong desire to serve Him again. I have a feeling my healing time is over and I am waiting, praying, listening, for where He is going to direct me or to bring into my life.
Thank you, Gail. It is a hard question to ask ourselves, but an honest one we need to ask. Bless you.
Good morning all you Glory Girls! It is a cold day here in Oregon, but a beautiful sunny one. After all the rain we’ve been having it is a welcome sight.
This devotion today was really good, I just had a conversation with my husband last night about witnessing, he had to take his daughter (she is 21) to pick up her taxes last night and he was trying to talk to her about her failing marriage and if she would just put God in the center of the relationship things would work…She says she is saved and she does’nt feel the need to be in church and she told him last night it said in the Bible that God could not enter a building or man made structure…Bless his heart he was so upset and frustrated when he came home. He is a new christian and he feel so inadaquate to challange her, but I tried to explain last night that he must study the Word and there he would find the answers. He said “I am getting ready to go on this missions trip, and what if they ask me to pray or do something I ‘m not good at?”
I told him God is sending him there to learn and to talk with others about him and God would be there to help him.
So as my husband take a very big step in witnessing to his daughter and son-in-law please pray that God will give him the words and that as he studies Gods word he will understand it.. and that as he goes on this missions trip to Ecudor that God will show him that he has a Great calling on his life he just has to trust…
What a tremendous assignment our Lord has given to His disciples.
Go and teach everything that He has taught the first disciples.
WOW!! There’s no assurance that His Word will be accepted, and it probably will not, but we are commissioned to go and teach anyway, regardless of the cost of persecution, of rejection, of false accusations, of everything the enemies of the cross can throw against us. “Go ye, therefore and teach, baptizing them in thename of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Forlo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Matt. 28:19,20.
Gail,
Yes! What a great previledge for everyone of us to be given this authority and power to preach and teach to all nation. Everyone has burdens to carry everyday we must look to Jesus always and do not let be mislead by the purpose of our calling. Thanks God for saving us.To God be the Glory forever and ever. Amen!
Evelyn B.
GAIL,
THIS DEVOTIONAL ON THE GREAT COMMISSION IS DIFFENENTLY A CHALLANGE!!!! GO OUT AND MAKE FELLOWERS OF THEM. WOW. I WILL BE AWARE ALL DAY AND IN THE MANY DAYS AHEAD ABOUT THIS DEVOTIONAL.
I WILL GO OUT TODAY AND DO JUST IS SAYS IN THIS.
GOD BLESS EVERONE
CHRIS G/