I recently hosted a couple ladies from Louisiana in my apartment in the suburbs of Philly. One day, they came back from South Street with a seemingly religious ‘Christian’ pamphlet that was handed to them on the street while they were waiting in line for cheesesteaks. As I was looking over the pamphlet which was structured in a question and answer format, I read the following:
Q: Should I go to church?
A: Absolutely NOT! The church age is over…
You may be asking what does this have to do with my expectations for this trip? Everything. I do not believe that the church age is over. Perhaps it’s because we are currently studying the book of Romans in my small group and I’m reading Acts during my daily devotions, but lately I’ve just felt such a connection with Paul. I believe that the church age is not over, but we need to get back to the basics of the early church like in Acts. I expect that 2009 for me will be like being a part of the early church in Acts. We will not be staying inside the walls of the church building or staying within the community in which we live, but we will be taking the Word out and we will be preaching, teaching, and healing as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. God has undeniably put international missions on my heart similar to what Paul says in Romans.
Romans 15: 20-21:
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
During this time, I also expect that we will face many of the challenges that those in the early church faced. It will not be a cake walk (in fact, I don’t expect to have cake for a year!), but it will be a rocky path. I expect it to be heartbreaking to see the hurt, the pain, and the struggles that some people face everyday that I don’t currently see on the surface in suburban America. I expect my heart to be continuously broken for those who need the Lord. I expect to cry more during this 11 month adventure for the Lord than I’ve cried in my whole life combined (I was not a crier, but am starting to become one). I expect to be blessed by those very people that I’m on this trip to bless. I expect to preach the Word and receive the Word. I expect that I will become more in tune with God’s voice than I have ever been before. I expect to grow spiritually in ways I cannot foresee. I expect that it will be a very difficult year physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but will be rewarding beyond what I can imagine. The following verse has been significant throughout my life:
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.
I expect that I will recommit daily to be the living sacrifice that God is calling me to be and I expect that concept will have an entirely new meaning for me as I truly lay down my life, pick up my cross, and follow Jesus around the world to reach out and serve 24/7 for eleven months.
I don’t just expect, but I know that dedicating 2009 to serve the Lord on this trip will be life changing!
