How do you know your mission?

[Doer]

Well, for a long time now, I've had this inner feeling to go on missionaries. However, I've never really been right with God. A couple days ago I stumbled upon near-death experiences, and it changed the way I thought. It scared me, and it made me realize that God is'nt as merciful as I thought. I thought I could say the prayer, and be accepted. Boy was I wrong. I realized you have to live the commitment, and not judge how good you are by how others are. You need to get better and better. Just because you accepted Jesus as your lord and savior, doesn't make you better than the rest. The commitmet is the important part.

Anyways, I've had this feeling to go on missionaries, but I'm not really sure if its really God. I also have this tiny feeling that Im going to one day sacrafice my life for Jesus (Killed for Jesus). I dont know if this is my mission or what, thats why I'm asking you guys. Has anyone ever felt this way before?

[clayharryman]

Be careful, young'n in Christ!

You sound like me. I was raised in the church, but never really latched on to Jesus until I was 36 years old. I wanted to become a preacher, go into missions, and generally shout it from the mountaintops. Since then, however, I've learned a few things about being a preacher/missionary.

You will be expected to answer questions that cannot be answered without experience and education. Perhaps you have studied the bible all your life and committed it to memory, but it never really meant anything to you until recently. How well do you really know the bible?

You don't come out of elementary school and begin teaching first grade. You must first go through years of training so you can teach others. It's the same with God's word. Just because you've accepted it doesn't mean you know it well enough to try and carry it to the nations. The devil will jump on that and discourage you more than you can imagine.

The best way to try is go on a mission trip with your church or other group. Here in Houston we have mission trips from various churches and two Christian radio stations going all summer long. You have to pay your own way -- perhaps you can raise money from your congregation to defray costs -- but you will learn what missions is all about.

If you find that you like it, enroll in a Bible school before continuing. You can continue working with others as you go through school, but you need the education.

What are you good at? I am good with computers. I've found my own mission field right here in Houston teaching computers to disadvantaged inner-city youth. We get junked computers, repair them, and learn how to do things with them. We learn Windows, Linux, networking, Office -- you name it!

Perhaps you will find, as I did, that your mission field is at home. The United States is quickly losing sight of Christ. We are falling down the slippery slope that our Eurpoean cousins have plowed for us.

Most of all, pray. Pray for God's guidance. Pray that He will show you what He wants you to do. Be prepared for a possibly painful experience as I have endured. God will shape you into His child.

I will be praying for you. I will pray that you find the guidance you seek. Remember, though, that you need to be spiritually mature before you can go out and bring others home.

[Reformationist]

Well, for a long time now, I've had this inner feeling to go on missionaries. However, I've never really been right with God. A couple days ago I stumbled upon near-death experiences, and it changed the way I thought. It scared me, and it made me realize that God is'nt as merciful as I thought. I thought I could say the prayer, and be accepted. Boy was I wrong. I realized you have to live the commitment, and not judge how good you are by how others are. You need to get better and better. Just because you accepted Jesus as your lord and savior, doesn't make you better than the rest. The commitmet is the important part.

Anyways, I've had this feeling to go on missionaries, but I'm not really sure if its really God. I also have this tiny feeling that Im going to one day sacrafice my life for Jesus (Killed for Jesus). I dont know if this is my mission or what, thats why I'm asking you guys. Has anyone ever felt this way before?

First off, nothing you've ever done or will do will make you "right with God." You are reconciled to God because of the work of Christ and God's merciful imputation to you of the merit for that vicarious work. That said, I agree that our job is to obey God. It just needs to be reiterated that our obedience is not what makes us right with God, nor is it what keeps us right with God.

As to whether you go on a mission to spread the Gospel, I applaud your desire to serve the Lord but are there not people in your own neighborhood whom you could share the truth of God's Word with?

Lastly, I do not know how merciful you thought God is but, I guarantee, He is infinitely more merciful than any of us could imagine.

God bless

[Doer]

I know he's merciful, very merciful. But, what I really meant was that hes not just going to hand it over to us. Dont we have to earn it? As in, making the commitment to serve God, not just the sinners prayer. I dont know, I just always had this feeling that I'm suppose to go to the areas where nobody else wants to go, and help there, even if it means my life. It seems to me that somebody has to do it.

[dvd_holc]

We don't earn anything. We don't earn salvation from deeds.

Eph. 2:8-10
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are meant to do good works which are the harmony of God...ie...the fruits of the Spirit.

Gal 5:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control....

But we don't earn it. We live it because best possible life. Further, we live in great anticipation for the day of restoration and the days after that where his justice and kingdom of heaven on earth will run unimpeded from disharmony and any levels of disconnection with itself.

[ChrisinMI]

I know he's merciful, very merciful. But, what I really meant was that hes not just going to hand it over to us. Dont we have to earn it? As in, making the commitment to serve God, not just the sinners prayer. I dont know, I just always had this feeling that I'm suppose to go to the areas where nobody else wants to go, and help there, even if it means my life. It seems to me that somebody has to do it.

No earning.... Faith gets us what we need.

You do need to continue to grow in Christ. You need to learn more, study more, and practice being like Jesus more. This is a process that will never be completed until we die and live with our Savior in Heaven. It will take all of us our entire earthly existance to get it right! Pray! Maybe he does want you on missions... But maybe the mission is not what you imagine. There are many ways to go on missions! Home and abroad. Our church has a sign that you can see as you leave the church it reads "You are entering the Mission Field" Reminding us that all around us are people that need to know our Savior. Its part of the Great Commission. Is all of our jobto spread the Gospel of the Good News!

[jingwei]

Faith is greater than fear. After a while your fear will wear off and you will be back in your old self if you don't try to change your heart.

[Reformationist]

I know he's merciful, very merciful. But, what I really meant was that hes not just going to hand it over to us. Dont we have to earn it?

All people, whether they acknowledge His authority or not, have the obligation to obey Him. As for earning it (by it I assume you mean salvation or, at least, reconciliation), no. We are incapable of "earning it" because we are incapable of providing what God has required, i.e., perfect obedience. This is why He has set forth a substitute to atone for the sins of His people. In Christ alone are we reconciled to God and placed in the bosom of His love.

As in, making the commitment to serve God, not just the sinners prayer. I dont know, I just always had this feeling that I'm suppose to go to the areas where nobody else wants to go, and help there, even if it means my life. It seems to me that somebody has to do it.

Yes we should be committed in our walk with the Lord. The "sinner's prayer" is a silly, nonsensical notion that man has put forth in an effort to glorify himself. Salvation is of God. We are the recipients of His mercy, not because we asked for it in some magical "sinner's prayer" but because He has loved us and was, for Christ's sake, willing to extend it.

Holy, holy, holy is the name of the Lord Almighty. :bow:

God bless

[Doer]

I knew that we cant earn it, man I must be writing my messages wrong. Perhaps I should reread what Im writing when Im done. Ok, so tell me what it is were suppose to do.

I see it as this, please tell me if im right. Accept Jesus as your lord and savior, continue to grow (wheather it be in love, faith, spiritually, etc...), tell others about God, continue until you go home (metaphor). Is that the basis of the Christian life?

[dvd_holc]

I knew that we cant earn it, man I must be writing my messages wrong. Perhaps I should reread what Im writing when Im done. Ok, so tell me what it is were suppose to do.

I see it as this, please tell me if im right. Accept Jesus as your lord and savior, continue to grow (wheather it be in love, faith, spiritually, etc...), tell others about God, continue until you go home (metaphor). Is that the basis of the Christian life?Yes, we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Our sacrifice is dieing to sin as Christ did to live in Christ by faith. Yes, we continue to mature in faith. We live in harmony with him and God the Father. One day we will die (possible). At that point, we will go to a temporary home of Heaven (of course as long as Jesus does not return during your life time and the whole end times thing). Then, with the the return of Jesus the next major step in restoration will occur where he will reign with the faithful for 1000 years. Then, Satan will be unbound for a short time. Then the final restoration of humanity and Earth will occur where God will put a end of disharmony on Earth, and Heaven and Earth will be united where God the Father will dwell permenantly with us. We live in great anticipation of that day. We live as we are in that day. We live to original purpose of humanity. We continue the restoration movement of humanity through the hand of God. God's grace is gift from God. He enters into our life more fully when we let him handle it.

[dvd_holc]

Finally, we prayful in all things. We wait patiently to know the calling of each moment. Let God guide you. We have assurance in him.

Phil 4:4-9
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

[ChrisinMI]

I knew that we cant earn it, man I must be writing my messages wrong. Perhaps I should reread what Im writing when Im done. Ok, so tell me what it is were suppose to do.

I see it as this, please tell me if im right. Accept Jesus as your lord and savior, continue to grow (wheather it be in love, faith, spiritually, etc...), tell others about God, continue until you go home (metaphor). Is that the basis of the Christian life?

In a nutshell...yes! But along the way... God will bless you, test you and love you! He wants to be NUMBER ONE in your life in thought and deed! Satan will find very creative ways to sway you from doing this so beware! The closer we get to Christ...the more Satan tries to attack us!