The Great Commission, or Great Suggestion?




, , I have been praying five months for someone to come and share the way of peace with us,” the Hindu woman said softly through her tears, “and now you have come.” The glory of the Lord’s saving grace shone on the woman and her family that day. Such is the nature of e3 partners short term mission trips. I knew as the Hindu woman in Nepal spoke to me that no power in Heaven or earth could stop Almighty God from finding His lost lambs. He had heard the prayer of this idol worshipping woman, and answered the cry of her heart by revealing Himself in a simple Gospel presentation. The opportunity to be in a foreign land, sharing the gospel, came to me through a series of God-sent circumstances, in answer to my own heart’s cry of “Hear I am, send me.” My whole Christian life had been spent as an associate lay Pastor’s wife, raising our sons and being happy in my own little world. The gracious Father had prompted my heart that there was something I was missing, something crucial, and I had sought for the answer to this for months. The answer was simple: stop being self-serving and living in my comfort zone. There is a spiritual battle going on, and it is a matter of life and death, Heaven or hell, and is as real as our tangible world around us. Here I was, living is such a way as to avoid the heat of battle, not to embrace it! The Lord had laid the same call on my husband’s heart at the same time, and as we fasted and prayed for direction, the doors were opened to be a part of e3 partners, and “Go ye into all the world” became a blessed reality. The only way to describe being on a campaign, is as close to Heaven as it gets! E3 Partners is a Church Planting, short term missions facilitator. They have been doing this for about 25 years, and are very meticulous about the leading of the lost to Christ, with IMMEDIATE follow up into a solid discipleship program with the national Christians. No church plant is done without the national Church being able, willing , and called by God to nurture and fellowship the new converts into the fold of God. We go to train the nationals in evangelizing and discipling their own people. The goal is to reach the unreached with the message of salvation, and to train ourselves ‘right out of a job’ by the week’s end. Anyone and everyone who is a Christian, saved by the blood of Christ, whether a new Christian or not, is fully capable of sharing the simple message of salvation! In fact, we are all instructed to pursue global outreach by Christ Himself. (Matt. 28:18-20) “And Jesus came up 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 the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Acts 1:8) “...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” What an honor! If you are a Christian, you are fully called and will be enabled by the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, to “go” and share the message of salvation. It isn’t our ability or inability as a person- the Lord will use you if you will step out in faith and answer the call to the lost. Here with family and friends, the fellow on the street corner asking for handouts, the executive in the big business downtown, in a far city where the streetgangs are rampant, or in a foreign land. Has the Lord has laid a restlessness on your heart to do more for Him, to participate in something of eternal value, making the difference of life or death in the lives of the unsaved? Would you consider praying about coming on a one to two week long church planting trip? It will change your life in Christ completely, and invigorate your entire being for the work to be done here, in your own sphere of influence and in your own ministry. I will be co-leading a campaign to Panama on April 11th-19th. We will be doing door to door evangelism sharing Christ within neighborhoods where the national Christians have seen the need, and desire to see the people reached for Christ. This is one of the least intimidating countries to go to, and a good place for the unsure and nervous to ‘cut their teeth on’. There are many other trips going to 31 different countries this year. If Panama is not for you, go to the e3 Partners website and sign up for wherever the Lord sends you. No one leading these trips receives monetary gain- it is pure Kingdom work!