So in my first post I mentioned that my purpose on this missions trip is to be a Barnabas. But to anyone who has never heard that name, you may be wondering that means… so let me share a little 🙂 Maybe about 5 years ago the Lord led me to serve in a prayer ministry at a church, and every time we met we would receive a devotion from a man named Charles who went home to be with the Lord just a few years later. On two different days the Lord used this man to share different sets of verses to really speak to me and reveal His will for me. One time it was this:
“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” – Psalm 116:1-2
The Lord spoke to me then and there and said “I hear your prayers…” I knew that prayer was going to become a big part of my ministry from then on, and since then it has. But the other verses that Charles shared one time that really spoke to me also was this…
“Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.” – Acts 11:22-23
When I read and heard these verses, again I felt the Lord speak to me “This is what I want you to do.” Barnabas went out to a place where the gospel was preached, and people responded by believing, so he could encourage them in their new life in Christ. Pretty much like what would be called a “new believers ministry” 🙂 My purpose in going is to share the gospel with others, but mainly also to encourage and pray (prayer is also a big part of my ministry) for new believers that may come to Christ as result so that “with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord” even when we are gone. I can’t count how many opportunities the Lord has given me throughout my walk to encourage other believers 😀 I love it… it’s such a blessing to see the Lord liven up and bring new hope and joy to believers – whether new or struggling. In fact, just today I had an opportunity to encourage and pray for a believer I met in the grocery store parking lot who just rededicated about 2 months ago! 😀 awesome!
So here are a few things my study bible pointed out:
- Encouragement tends to be private rather than public, most people need it when they feel most alone (This is often true! Most of my ministry has always been one-on-one with others)
- Barnabas was DRAWN to people he could encourage (v.24, Also true :D)
- When he encouraged believers, non-believers wanted to become believers (that’s what I’m hoping for as well)
- Kept both Paul and Mark going when either of them might have failed(I want to encourage my fellow workers as well along the way)
I am so very excited to do the work of the Lord as a ‘Barnabas’ in different countries around the world! 😀 I don’t know to what degree the Lord will use me in this when I come back from the trip, but I am confident that not only will these new believers be encouraged, but I will be encouraged by seeing the Lord give them new life and joy, and YOU will be encouraged as I share these things in my blog posts 😀 Now that you have a better idea of what I will be doing on the mission field, if you have not considered possibly donating to help me onto this trip to do the Lord’s work in different countries, may you consider praying about it and be a part of furthering God’s Kingdom – let’s do this TOGETHER! 😀 New blog post coming soon, God bless you!
