And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mathew 28:18-20
How many times have you heard someone speak of a loved ones dying words? Or words someone spoke as left? Can you imagine.. had we lived in the days when Jesus was walking, teaching, preaching, and he was about to leave our presence...I would be hanging on His every word. So why don't we do that now? He GIVES us an instruction book full of LIFE and TRUTH, direction and wisdom.
JESUS LEFT the disciples with specific words of instruction. No grey area...HE TOLD them what they were to do:: ya ready?
1. GO and make disciples of ALL the NATIONS
2. Baptize them (ALL the Nations) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
3. Teach them to observe ALL things I have commanded.
Then...Jesus gives us a promise... " I AM WITH YOU, to the END of the age" FOREVER. He is with me FOREVER.
God spoke to Phillip & I almost 8 years ago and called us to work in the ministy. With our hands to the plow. We have been dragging our feet, no doubt. But our hearts cry is to be used by Him ...whenever...WHEREVER, WHATEVER!! Around that same time, our pastor at the time, intorduced us to the people of Uganda, Africa. He traveled there often and his love and passion for the people of Africa was CONTAGIOUS! Phillip and I knew someday we would go. 2 weeks ago as this most recent ministry opportunity in Uganda presented itself I was really.. I mean really shocked...when God started PRESSING into my spirit..that NOW was the time. I mean I even told him "God...someday... i will go... not now" (HAHA---dont tell God NO!!) THat...pounding in my chest and throat would not go away... i was being DRAWN. Then Pastor Keith began to tell us what the team would be doing. He said Encounter weekened (something our church does in order to the works of the devil, and SET people FREE from the chains that have them bound)... Phillip & I had just helped lead one of these weekends, and I am passionate about this area of ministry. I knew.. right then, I was suppose to go. I didnt say it out loud though!! As Phillip and I drove home... I kept praying that God would speak to Phillip and give him peace with me going NOW..."someday" had come!! As we talked, he just did have peace. and every single time I told God a reason I couldnt "GO" NOW....GOD provided the solution...i mean immediately. The biggest obstacle I could see was the financial obligation. And i KNEW in my Spirit HE would handle that...that HE even WANTED TO SHOW Me--to stretch me... in my faith... HE wanted to FUND this journey HIMSELF...with HIS people. wow. THEN I told Phillip.. "what is frightening to me right now, is I can see it.. i have a VISION of me..there..right now I can SEE it"... about 15 seconds later, I got a text from Theresa from church..she said "How did Rod & Diana do? Do you think anyone caught the VISION?"!!!!!!!!!! CONFIRMATION. In the next weeks i had several other CONFIRMING signs. I'll include a pic of one below... I was BLOWN away walking up to this LITERAL SIGN!! I still needed a confirming word thru scripture though before I would commit. Monday I was feeling especially overwhelmed at the thought of leaving my children for 2 weeks...and heaping all that extra responsibility onto my husband. I even felt ..selfish. It was a sad day. THEN a friend called...Linda Johnson is her sweet name...she said she had a WORD for ME!!! THAT got my attention:: Deu 3:18 ""Then I commanded you at that time, saying: 'The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. 'But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, 'until the LORD has given rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.' THE LAND for me is Africa, my family, for now...shall stay here, HE WILL take care of them and then I WILL return to them. THE next day...I struggled with fear.. so I went back to this word... i mean... i wasnt just struggling...it was almost a crippling fear..and this was THE day I had to give Diana--team leader--my answer... I got this word back out..and just stared at it. Then I kept reading...."'Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done....; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), DO NOT BE AFRAID of them; the LORD your GOD HIMSELF WILL FIGHT FOR YOU." WOW WOW WOW!!!!! WHat better promise do I need??????
For me, I GO June 22, 2011!!! I am excited. I want you, my friends & family to catch my passion!! I have recieved several emails of concern, however. So I want to make a couple of things clear. I GO---because HE TOLD me to. He spoke right to my spirit that day in church... you know the feeling..like when you got saved...did you ever feel that and...just let it pass by WITHOUT going to the alter...or crying out ... I have... and when I realized that that ...thumping...pounding was the HS trying to get my attention.. I NEVER NEVER WaNT TO IGNORE that prompting again. BUT ALSO...its right there...in HIS word....JESUS HIMSELF said to "GO" to the NATIONS...JESUS is LORD of the EARTH and HE died for the sins of people from ALL NATIONS. WE--YOU are to GO whether it is to your next door neighbor, the lady sitting in the pue at church...there...but lost and broken, the drug addict, the prisoner, the orphan, OR to another country---and MAKE DISCIPLES. Its not an option people..ITS A COMMAND. STRAIGHT from Jesus..before His death. We are not ALL evangelist in the formal sense, but we HAVE ALL recieved gifts from GOD, that we CAN USE to fullfill the Great COmmision. SO if HE tells you to DO something...TO GO, TO GIVE, TO LOVE, TO FORGIVE... JUST DO IT. NO FEAR. As we OBEY, we can find comfort knowing that JESUS IS ALWAYS with us.
SO to my friends that are worried about me leaving my family for 2 weeks... please understand... there is a much bigger picture here. HE died for me. and His final words were for ME (and YOU)... I am obeying HIM. HE has every hair on my head counted...he bottles everyone of my tears....and HE loves Phillip, Logan, Brady COle, Max and Kylee.....MORE than I ever could. hear me............ I T R U S T HIM. I trust Him because He loves me. I trust Him because HE has proven Himself trustworthy and I trust Him because HE SAYS to. When I leave this world... I WILL LEAVE BOLDY...having LOVED MUCH, having GIVEN MUCH, and having recieved more ---even if today were my final day---than I could have ever possibly have imagined. My hearts cry...is to BE HIS hands and FEET...to GO wherever HE sends me...to a WORLD...that is LOST. I pray YOU catch that vision. HE is ALL I need. and that is the BEST, nost important thing I can teach my children... I want JESUS to be ALL they need. THEY are watching us.... I dont want them to see mom was too afraid to be obedient. GOD is my protector...my sheild. I TRUST HIM.
and I love you all very much!!
Fundraiser UPDATE:: another 200.00 donation brings my total raised to:::: 1510.00
total left to raise for my plane ticket is 290.00 !!!!!!!!!!
THEN we will be onto raise the additional 1700.00 needed for the trip expenses.
ALSO, my ministry bag will be filled with pens, pencils, erasers and crayons. I have recieved some pencils and a coupl of boxes of crayons. PLEASE GIVE.
and LASTLY, PLEASE cover this entire journey and everyone involved and their families in prayer. From the 9 of us who already have our tickets and our families...to the ones who are still praying for a WAY... to the people in the villages of Lira, Uganda. PREPARE THE WAY LORD....
joellebrooks@hotmail.com 256-558-6625 paypal accepted.
No comments:
Post a Comment