The adventure of Missions

"Now listen, you who say, "today or tommorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money". Why, you do not even know what will happen tommorrow. What is your life? You are a mist, that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "if it is the LORD'S will, we will live and do this or that." - James 4:13-15

" In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps" -Proverbs 16:9

The adventure of Missions is a mission we all should participate in. At the heart of missions is a heart for wanting to share with others what JESUS has done for them. I find it interesting that the passage most use to describe missions starts out with "go into all the world..." It is said that the word translated "go" is best translated "as you are going"

As the different members of the French team work on getting to France to do the work of missions there they are also doing the work of missions now. Missions is not about destination as much as it is about sharing the gospel as you go. A destination is of importance because it helps one focus on a group of people. It allows one to become focused on the mission as well as allows them to focus thier love toward a group of people. Thus, destination is important, because it helps define who to aim love at and love is the purest motive for sharing the gospel.

So here we are as a team planning to go to France. We rest assured that we will arrive there if the LORD is willing. Some may ask? How do you know it is the LORD'S will? That my friends is a great question. To which I will answer with this, We pray, We read, and we listen to the HOLY SPIRIT. We then make choices based on what we discern. Then we travel in that direction and we trust that the LORD will direct our steps. And if what we thought was the destination is not the LORD'S will then we know that every step "as we are going" was designed to bring us to the right destination. Furthermore, every moment "as we are going" provides us with the oppurtunity of missions.

That my friend is the adventure of missions. It is not always sure, but GOD is sure and so is the heart of Missions. The beauty of missions is that when we are following GOD we will always be in his will, because he directs our steps. In our heart we make the plans, and GOD directs our ways. As we are going, the adventure of missions unfolds and the work of missions takes place.

Much love to you all.
The adventure continues

a servant of JESUS CHRIST
Joe W Hartsell Jr