The past several weeks the Lord has been opening my eyes up to some things. I'm not sure what the end result will be. It has potential to be life-changing. Lifestyle-altering. Different from the "norm."
I will just share with you a few things that have stood out to me as I've been reading books and seeking the Lord over the past 3 weeks or so. Like I said before, I'm not sure where all of this may lead but at least it's a start!
One of the first things that hit me in this series of events was the word IMPACT.
"Impact the world…The formal definition of impact is 'a forcible contact between two things.' "
Radical, David Platt
Impact. That's a pretty strong word. Let's look at how Webster's Dictionary defines it.
1) to drive close; to press firmly together; to wedge into a place.
2) to affect of influence, especially in a significant or undesirable manner.
3) contact or impression by touch; collision; forcible contact; force communicated.
God calls us to make a difference in this world for eternity. This life is fleeting, but eternity…well…that's forever. This puts an urgency on things. We are not promised our next breath. We who have this Hope, who have Jesus, MUST be sharing it. We must be impacting the world for Christ.
The next thing that really hit me was about making disciples. As i was reading in Radical on day, I read the section titled "The Gospel and Bourbon Street." The Lord particularly touched my heart as I read about how Platt and some others started a ministry in the French Quarter in New Orleans, LA. I won't go into the whole story, but you should definitely read it. They basically went into Jackson Square and set up a booth right next to the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans (this particular section has tons of tarot card and palm readers, fortune-tellers and voodoo practitioners). They put up a sign: "We'll Tell Your Future for Free." This definitely drew people to come and find out what these people had to say! This gave them the opportunity to basically tell them that their future was not looking so well and then offer a solution to the problem. They shared the gospel with these hurting and lost people. This wasn't a one-time thing with Platt and the others. They came back. They CONSISTENTLY came back. They developed relationships with these homeless people and others who were in the square. They dug into their lives and shared their own with them. People came to the Lord! Disciples were being made.
“Disciple making is not a call for others to come to us to hear the gospel but a command for us to go to others to share the gospel. A command for us to be gospel-loving, gospel-speaking people at every moment and in every context where we find ourselves.” Platt
“As we share the gospel, we impart life, and this is the essence of making disciples. Sharing the life of Christ.” – Platt
This is stirring up something in me, this desire to make disciples. It makes me long for a place to "settle" for more than a year or two and really get to know people and minister to them. I have no details on what this will look like, but thankfully God has already worked out the details and will lead me to where I can serve Him best. I have no idea whether that's in New York or back home in Mississippi or in some village in Africa, but I know I want to share the gospel and invest in people, make disciples.
There is also this thing called "The American Dream." I decided after being in the "real world" when I had my first job in the business world that this so-called 'American Dream' wasn't what I was after in this life. I'm not about climbing the corporate ladder and gainig power and influence and saving up for a big retirement so that I can kick back and live a life of ease when I turn 60. Money is a definite part of how we live though. You have to have it to pay rent and buy food, ect., ect. So even though I haven't been making the big bucks lately, I still have a lot to think about regarding money (how I spend it, how I make it, how I save it, how I give it away). Check out this quote from Platt and just think about it:
"Why not begin operating under the idea that God has given us excess,, not so we could have more, but so we could give more?" – Platt
He goes into a lot of discussion about poverty in the world and the excess of most Americans. Is the way we are living, most definitely myself included in this "we," biblical living, or is it just the American way of living. Are we so focused on me and comfort that we forget about those dying without food and water and the gospel?! Here are 2 questions Platt puts out there for us to think about:
"What would happen…if we stopped asking how much we could spare and started asking how much it was going to take?" – Platt
It's a lot of food for thought, but just thinking about it isn't going to DO anything. We must take action. Which leads me to this next Scripture.
First off lets look at this verse in 3 different versions of the Bible, and then we'll take a look at a couple of Greek definitions of two of the words. It's a very familiar one for most Bible-believers and is a part of The Great Commission.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (King James Version)
"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," (New International Version)
"Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." (The Message)
Here's what the Greek definition of teach is: to disciple: enroll as scholar, instruct, teach
That's where you get the NIV and The Message translations that say make disciples and train everyone. Don't forget that next part of the verse either: ALL NATIONS. A very key phrase.
I think looking at that definition just gives a clearer picture and deeper meaning to what making disciples is all about! This goes back to my second point and expands a bit on it a bit (sorry if this is all over the place! please bear with me as I try to share a bit of what the Lord is doing in my life). : -)
Now let's go to the the very beginning of this famous verse. There you find the a two-letter word: GO.
Greek definition of go: to traverse, i.e. travel (literally or figuratively; especially to remove [figuratively to die], live, etc.): – depart, go (away, forth, one’s way, up), (make a journey, walk.
Check out some of those verbs: traverse, travel, remove, die, live, depart, go walk. Isn't that an amazing definition! Basically, get moving! Be active, not passive. Take action. There are just so many great things in that definition!
So there ya have it! A peak into what the Lord has been stirring inside of me lately. I actually discussed the points in the opposite order of the title, but I guess that's okay. It just made sense for me to list the goal and then back track so to speak. Thanks for reading. This ended up being a long one, but my prayer for you is that you were blessed and challenged and drawn closer to our Savior by reading.
So…
GO (spread the gospel to all nations)
TEACH ( make disciples)
IMPACT (change world for the glory of God )
All glory and praise to Him,
~ Jessica ~
