This is not another one of those posts to make you think I am no longer going on the World Race. I am most definitely leaving in 16 days!
Now that we have that out of the way, here starts this blog. 🙂
Many people have asked me ‘Why are you going on the World Race?’ ‘Why don’t you just stay here? There are plenty of people in need here in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania/United States…’
Well, short answer: Because God told me to. Not in a loud, audible, booming voice, but God has made it clear, in his own timing and own ways, that this is what I am supposed to do for the next eleven months of my life.
Yes, I am aware that there are plenty of people in need here in the US, especially in a city like Philadelphia. And I don’t have to go overseas to do missions. I get that. When I was looking into possible ministries to volunteer with for a year, there were a few local ministries that I looked in to. This city, this nation is just as much a mission field as Africa, Asia, or Latin America.
Jesus told his disciples “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). Does this mean every Christian is called to go abroad and preach the Gospel? Not exactly. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said to his disciples “You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Every Christian is called to bear witness to Jesus and tell people about Him everywhere.
So what’s with this Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth thing?
Jerusalem was where the disciples were when Jesus said this to them at the beginning of Acts. Judea is the region of Israel south of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ time, Jews saw Samaritans as unclean people. They were half Jewish, half “worldly.” When journeying from Judea to Galilee, Jews would walk around the entire region of Samaria to avoid having any contact with Samaritans. It was the last place any of the disciples would have wanted to go.
In the book of Acts, the disciples stayed in Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension. There, they began experiencing persecution. Due to this persecution, many were scattered into Judea and Samaria—and
those that had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4). This verse also makes it clear that not all were scattered.
The same is true for today. Some are sent to the nations, some are not. Either way, Christians are to bear witness to the work of the cross and preach the Gospel always; whether that is in Uganda or in a cubicle in the States.
“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”
~ 1 Corinthians 10:31
