EACH ONE, REACH ONE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“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.”
(Matthew 28:19-20)

MEDITATION:
If the Lord saved us so that we would continue living the same way,
what would be the point?
If there are no changes in our life regarding our attitude and purpose,
then how have we benefited from the sacrifice of Jesus?

But thankfully He doesn’t save us and leave us to continue in the rut we are in.
We should be grateful to our Savior for not only saving us, but also
for giving us a new purpose for living and a zest for serving Him.
No longer are we insignificant and awaiting an eternal death.
Instead, we have become an important member of God’s earthly ministry.

Some are called to full time ministry (pastors, missionaries, etc.),
but every Christian is all called to be active participant in the Lord’s ministry.
We have a new and significant purpose in life
that not only blesses others, but is rewarding to us as well.

When some are saved, they realize immediately what God expects of them
and they are anxious to find areas where they can serve the Him.
But for others, it can be an “aha” moment as they mature spiritually
and discover their significance and importance to the Lord.

Regardless of when we realize that the Lord trusts us to be His servants,
Satan will try to convince us of several things to the contrary, including:
– Serving Him requires an effort on our part that may take us
out of our comfort zone and God doesn’t want us to be uncomfortable.
– There are many other Christians who can serve Him, so He doesn’t need us.
– Saving people is God’s work so we need to stay out of His way.
– We will mess things up and drive people away from the Lord
because we are unequipped to be witnesses for Him
(we wouldn’t know the right things to say and when to say them).

I’m sure we could add many more, but the bottom line is, Satan wants
to distract and discourage Christians from obeying the Lord’s commands.
We are not saved to disobey His commands,
we are saved to be a part of the Lord’s ministry.

Have you ever shared with someone the story of how God saved you?
Have you explained to them how you suddenly realized you were a sinner
separated from the Lord, and that you had a destiny with eternal punishment
which includes being separated from your Creator forever?

More than likely there was someone who had an influence on your
decision to surrender your life to the Lord, and now it’s your turn to
‘pay it forward’ and have a positive impact on the life of someone else.
Every person who has been saved has a testimony
that allows them to obey the Lord’s command to make disciples of others.

ACTION:
Realize that God’s commands are to be obeyed – they are not suggestions.
How will you respond to His commands?
Think about your testimony and be prepared to share it with anyone at any time.
Don’t allow Satan to convince you
that someone may ask a question you cannot answer.
It is okay to be honest and respond with, “I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out”.
It s not a sin to be ignorant or uniformed on some issues.

Jesus did not call us to be lawyers to argue a case; he called us to be His witnesses.
It is not a daunting and burdensome task, but an exciting and fulfilling journey
which can destroy the doldrums of life and improve one’s self-esteem.
God wants us to be willing to answer His call and obey His commands.
He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us for serving Him.
Will you become one of His witness today?

If you see someone who appears to be distraught try saying something like,
“You seemed bothered about something, would you
like to meet for a cup of coffee and talk about it?”
If they agree, then be prepared to listen and ask questions rather than
thinking about how you can give them advice and share your testimony.
When the timing is right the Holy Spirit will let you know, and that is when
you can tell them how the Lord helped you get through some difficult times.

When you meet someone outside the home (sales clerk, cashier, teller,
barber, etc.), as you tell them to “have a nice day”, in a non-confrontational
way add, “is there anything you need me to pray about?”
You would be surprised at the number of people
who are desperately waiting for someone to say that to them.
God has a path for each of us and we need to be willing to follow it.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me! Thank You for the
Christians You placed in my path who loved me, who wanted to
be obedient to You, and who wanted me to be saved too. Help me
to be willing to obey Your commands to make disciples of others.
I pray that You will help me to think about my testimony and to be
prepared to share with others at any time. Teach me to be sensitive
to any and all opportunities for sharing my testimony with others
who need to be saved.”

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