Jesus commanded His followers in Mark 16:15, And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." And in Acts 1:8 He tells us, " But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
Simply put, the great Commission is, 'Go tell somebody'! Although a Christian for a while, the thought of going up to a stranger or even entering their homes, and tell them about the love of God and what He has done for us through Jesus' death on the cross, terrified me. It was more a fear of being rejected by people, after telling them the good news. After all, it was much easier talking about Him and what He's done, to people who believed the same or those close who didn't mind listening. I knew on the inside that I could not run from this because it was my Lord's command to me. I felt disappointed in myself and I knew I was not in obedience to Him.
My first Commission trip, was with a huge group and I was scared because I thought I didn't have what it takes to do this. A lie from the devil who would try anything to stop us from telling others that God loves them and that He has a great plan for their lives. The Holy Spirit brought to remembrance that He who is in me, was greater than he who is in the world. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and that He is the Helper, He gives us the right words to speak. And yes that is exactly what He did, I had to rely on Him, trust Him and work together with my team because we needed each other. Working together as a group and putting others ahead of yourself made it so easy to tell people about Christ. Jesus said these signs shall follow them that believe, when preaching the good news signs and wonders must follow the preaching of the word (Mark 16:20). I learned in those moments when we asked people if they had any sickness, etc. When they said yes we pray the prayer of faith that will heal the sick for it is by His stripes that we are healed. God would honour His word and according to their faith He heals them. I wanted to just cry because in the beginning I was scared that nothing will happen and they will think God is not real. But God used the team to help overcome that lie, because He watches over His word. I have seen deaf ears open, blind eyes opened and pain leave peoples' bodies through the laying on of hands. I met a man on the dusty road after speaking to a shop owner who received Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. He told me he was deaf in one ear so asked him if believed in Jesus, yes he answered but he did not receive Him as Lord. So I told Him what Jesus has done for us on the cross, the man said he wants to receive Jesus as his Lord and have a relationship with Him. After praying the prayer of salvation I laid my hands on his ear commanding the deaf ear to open in Jesus name. It opened and the man could hear as clear as the other ear. Hallelujah, glory to God!I have now done six trips and each experience is different and it gets better.
Commission trip leaders make the trip exciting, worthwhile and give you an experience you will never forget. They prepare the journey well ahead spiritually and physically to give each person that comes on a trip an unforgettable experience. They make each individual feel at home and new comers feel welcome and great to be part of what God is doing through the whole team. Their focus on the vision of Every Tribe Mission helps you to be focused and serve the vision with passion. We must deliver that which we have received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures and that He is coming back. It is by confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believing in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead that we are saved. People know about God but not everybody has a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. People we meet, believe that by going to church that they are saved. When we tell them what the Bible says concerning salvation and having a relationship with the Lord Jesus, they realize that they don't have a relationship with Him. The love of God is so powerful, and hearing that God, the Creator of the universe loves you and that He's not mad at you melts the hardest heart. Out in the field you see how people live and your heart melts and the love of God compels you to live not only for yourselves. Just think for a moment, what if nobody ever told me about Jesus, where would I have been today?
Jesus said, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Today His voice still speaks that the harvest is plenty and we have to go into the harvest field to pick the fruit. Commission trips are made possible through Every Tribe Missions. They make it possible for you and me to go into the world and preach the gospel. Being part of a trip also ignites a new passion for the lost, and gives you vision to go and tell where you are an influence already. It gives you boldness to speak to strangers, I can testify to that, it is amazing. Out there, people are hungry to hear the truth, they hunger for love that is real and they are just waiting for you and me, to let out what God has placed inside us. So come on, join us on one of our scheduled Every Tribe Missions Open trips!
