Worship

“Same God” by Elevation Worship

Scripture

“‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.'” -John 14:12, ESV

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” -Hebrews 11:39-40, ESV

“‘But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.'” -Acts 20:24, ESV

“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'” -Acts 1:8, ESV

“‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.'” -Revelation 22:12, ESV

A Vision of Modern Mission Fields

I just returned from a powerful and gut-wrenching trip to Latin America where our team ministered in a nation that has been decimated by years of communism. They endured the COVID-19 lockdowns with no medicine, unclean water, and food shortages. Many people are fleeing this country because they cannot endure the suffering any longer. Many believers are falling away in the midst of the pain. We sat with them in their homes, and hundreds and hundreds of people gave their lives to Jesus. My team returned with their hearts wrecked for the lost. This was a not a one-time event for these nine; it was the beginning of a life centered on the Great Commission. Many people will go on an evangelism trip and place a period at the end of that week. Their hearts are moved, but they go back to life as normal. Not these nine. This trip ended with an ellipsis as they asked the Lord for what is next for each of them and remained simply undone in His goodness.

The Call to Raise Up Missionaries

I know my calling. It’s not only to be a missionary to my nation and the nations, but it is to raise up other women who are shifting their lives from pursuing the great American dream to pursuing the Great Commission. I am looking for women who want to raise their hands and say, “Whatever it costs, Jesus send me.” To raise up missionaries in our nation is one of the most redemptive moves of the Spirit I can do as we watch America quickly slip into post-Christendom. We used to be the No. 1 sending nation of missionaries since the birth of our nation, but no longer is that the reality. I long to answer the promise of God’s heart in Psalm 68: “The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng … (Psalm 68:11, emphasis added).”

We are in an Acts 29 chapter, where the story is being written by surrendered lives who are answering the call of the Spirit and following Jesus no matter the cost. We are also living in a place where the Church has been lulled asleep, and the Great Commission is passed to a select few. Jesus never intended the Great Commission to become “the Great Suggestion.” How did we even get to this place in America?

The assignments and callings we have been entrusted to fulfill are specifically for the present-day Church. We have been assigned a responsibility to finish the missionary task, not given to any other generation. Our assignments are given on the heels of those who have gone before us, who have poured their lives out for the gospel, who have sown the ground in tears and intercession, and who have worked the harvest field faithfully. The current revival we are in today has come because of the faithfulness of the Lord to His Word and the faithful harvesters who went ahead of us in both prayer and movement. And looking on is the great cloud of witnesses, cheering and praying for us to finish our race.

The Early Church Model

“People were attracted to the early church. Who wouldn’t be fascinated by a group that shared possessions, rejoiced nonstop, had peace beyond comprehension and immeasurable power, never complained, always gave thanks …? Some people joined them, others hated them, but few could ignore them. They wouldn’t allow people to ignore them as they went out fearlessly sharing the gospel. This is our heritage. This is in our DNA. We must stop creating safe places for people to hide and start developing fearless warriors to send out.” -Francis Chan, “Letters to the Church”

Here’s the grave reality for many people today: Jesus is coming back, and they do not know Him. We have been entrusted to preach the gospel of God’s grace to the ends of the Earth. We take only one thing with us to Heaven—other people. We can’t take our barns full of cash investments or our homes stashed full of our earthly treasures. Beloved in the Lord, this is our hour of rerouting to get our eyes focused on Christ who is standing at the finish line. It requires a level of surrender and sanctification that only Jesus can do in us. But this is the life and the ellipsis of the Christ follower: “For me to live is Christ … (Philippians 1:21).” He fills in the rest.

We have the joy of fulfilling the assignments and callings of past generations. What they started we carry to completion. But we can also abort our own callings and obedience because of distraction, idols of the heart, weariness, and lack of repentance. Let it not be said of us who are awakening to the Spirit of God in a bold and courageous way that we ever discarded the call of God. I pray that each one of us will stay awake, stay anchored in the Word of God, and not fall away when scores of saints lose their theological footing very soon (it’s already beginning to take place). It’s imperative to finish this last lap, holding on to Jesus with everything we’ve got.

“We have come to that place in history now, and the Lord looks to us… Will we be His people now, as the world looks to us in the midst of madness? Our Bible studies and sermons have all been meaningless if we do not make what we learned come alive in ways that are self-sacrificial and that show that we really do know that God has defeated death. To do anything less than this is to represent a lie, and to lie to God in doing so. How else shall we put it? This is the hour for which each of us has been born. If we live fully in that freedom for which Christ has set us free, we will see God’s hand in ways we dare not imagine. We will see miracles small and great, and we will see not only revival, but reformation. We will see the goodness of God make its way into everything we do, because that is God’s will for us and for the world at this time.” -Eric Metaxas, “Letter to the American Church”

A Prayer for Faithfulness

I pray: God, please have mercy on Your people and give us the grace to stay awake and fulfill what was on Your heart when You commissioned each of us in Matthew 28:18-20,“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the ‘age.’” Find us faithful with our lamps filled with oil when You return. Jesus, help us not to become sleepy, fearful, and distracted in this hour. Guard us by Your mercy and grace.

“The time is now! There is an urgency by the Spirit of Grace to lay the sickle into the ripened harvest fields now and without delay.” -Patricia King

I will meet you in the harvest field!

• Tickets are available for our next Dallas luncheon on February 22! You can also register to attend virtually.
• Dallas residents, don’t miss out on our in-person Prayer Retreat on February 25! This will be a relaxing and intentional day in the presence of your Bridegroom.