Friends

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

I can’t tell you how many times I have read this verse. Actually I pray it every day over me and my girls that we will go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and we will know that Jesus is with us always.

Christians call this the Great Commission. The last recorded words of the Lord Jesus Christ before he ascended into heaven.

It has been my lifelong ambition to fulfil this last directive that Jesus gave us. As you have possibly read before in my blog, telling people about Jesus is my favourite thing and all I ever wanted to do was be a missionary and do exactly that.

But on Saturday night I had an amazing encounter while praying for the next day when I was scheduled to speak at Our Brave New Life at Camp Adair in Hunua. As I wrote last week I was so nervous about sharing with a group of people who had all suffered the death of a loved one. Those nerves never went and this was what had me in prayer the night before.

As I was praying that God would use me and speak through me to bring hope to this amazing group I clearly heard, “Be sure of this: I am with you always.”

It was so clearly spoken that it stopped me abruptly. I knelt there in awe at what I had just heard. Jesus was saying to me, “Be sure of this: I am with you always.”

Tears rolled down my face at the promise just given to me personally by my Saviour.

Throughout the night I continued to repeat those words over and over again and even when I was awoken from my sleep by teenagers coming home in the early hours of the morning, I went straight back to sleep repeating them again.

And yes, He was with me as I spoke to a most incredibly brave group of people on Sunday. I was honoured and humbled to share my story amongst a group of people who have all experienced their own incredible loss. And what a wonderful day we had together!

But what I want to encourage you all with this week is this:

Jesus says to each of you: “Be sure of this: I am with you always.”

The Cambridge dictionary states;

Sure means: to be certain; without any doubt.

Always means: every time or all the time or forever.

So Jesus is making a promise that we are to be certain and be without any doubt that he will be with each of us every time, all the time and forever.

As I stood up after being introduced, I said to Jesus in my mind, “Okay, Jesus you promised you’d be with me so let’s go.” And the nerves that had consumed me for the last couple of weeks disappeared as I walked to the front absolutely confident he was with me.

Be confident: Jesus is with you always!

He’s with you in your work place, your school room and your home.

He’s right beside you through your trial, your success, your failure and your joy.

He’s holding you through your tears, your laughter, your small talk and your deep and meaningful conversations.

He’s beside you in your arguments, your sarcasm and even when foul words come hurtling out your lips. And when you love someone, show kindness, are gentle and comfort another.

Everywhere, anywhere, and all the time – Jesus is with you no matter what!!!!

Walk confident in that promise and never fear – He is with you!!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Romans 8:38 (NLT)

Whenever I read those two words I instantly start humming the well-known theme music and having visions of Ethan Hunt swinging perilously above the floor of the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

So what brought this up you may be wondering, well sometimes I feel like things that God has asked me to do are exactly that – Mission Impossible. In my mind I start making plans that involve trapeze wire and a team of highly trained masterminds to enable me to accomplish the task ahead.

It’s not the first time (nor I dare say will it be the last) that God has given me a mission that is beyond my capabilities or resources.

Welcome to Poland!

When we travelled to Europe doing missions with the band, The Friendly’s, we never had any money to pay for the airfares and yet after a lot of prayer, faith and hard work raising awareness and support for our mission, the Lord always provided exactly the amount that was needed to pay for our airfares and extra luggage costs that always accompany a touring band.

The years of being caregiver for Mark were pretty much Mission Impossible but as I undertook the everyday tasks involved, God gave me the supernatural strength to keep on going.

2003 The day to day “Mission Impossible” of caring for Mark

There are many days when raising my daughters feels like Mission Impossible, but the bible says God gives wisdom to those who ask* making yet another assignment possible.

So you might be wondering what my ‘mission’ that seems impossible is at the moment, well it’s getting my book finished. It was all very well and good writing it, but now we have to tidy it up, get a copy editor to fix it up, find a title that works and work on the cover. Not to mention figuring our way around all the computer stuff involved in publishing an Ebook. (Don’t even know what that is called so we will call it computer stuff for today.)

But seeing as I have been in this spot before, I do have some idea what I need to do, and that is: do the possible so that our incredible amazing God can do the impossible.

I love the story of Peter’s escape from prison found in the Bible in the book of Acts chapter 12. Peter, a disciple of Jesus although by the extra security around him you would have thought he was some dangerous criminal, was in chains sound asleep awaiting trial the next morning for preaching about the resurrected Jesus. Like an epic movie scene a bright light appeared in the cell and there stood an angel of the Lord. Apparently the dramatic entrance was not enough to wake Peter so the angel hit him in the side and yelled, “Quick, get up!” Unbelievably the chains around Peter’s wrist fell off, then the angel instructed Peter to get dressed, put on his sandals, put on his cloak and follow him. Peter dutifully obeyed thinking he was having an awesome dream and the angel led him out of the cell, passed all the guards, even the two that were beside Peter, through one gate and then another gate right up to the big iron gates that opened to the city. Peter followed the angel out and then the angel vanished and it says in verse 11, “Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod…”

Now what I always noticed about this amazing story was that Peter had to do the possible; he had to get up, put on his shoes, clothes and cloak and he had to move his legs and walk. The angel did not miraculously dress him or carry him but the angel of the Lord did do the impossible. He was Peter’s very own highly trained team because he appeared in a locked and secure prison, made the chains around Peters wrist fall off (didn’t even have to pick the lock – so cool!) and somehow blinded all the guards and then opened all the impenetrable gates.

Peter did the possible and the angel of the Lord did the impossible.

This is the plan for everything that Jesus puts on our hearts and gives us the passion to do. We must do the possible – so I must write the book! God has already provided a small team of incredible and talented people to aid this mission and between us we must organise and figure out scary websites so that God can do the impossible by guiding us through the websites and giving us the creativity and inspiration we need and ultimately use the book to encourage others in their own journey through life and the trials that can come.

When we were organising the band’s tours and missions trips we had to do the possible of praying, believing in faith, raising support, booking plane tickets and packing, and then God did the impossible and paid the airfares.

1992 -Leaving for Amsterdam after watching God do the impossible and make a way for us to serve him with Youth With A Mission

It’s all about taking the possible steps.

So this is to encourage all you wonderful folk out there to do the possible to reach your dreams and desires that God has put on your heart, have the faith to believe, and then sit back and watch God do the impossible.

As the voice from the little box that will self-destruct in five seconds says, “your mission should you choose to accept it….”

Choose to accept it!!! It is truly an exciting way to live!!!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 New International Version (NIV)

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;

it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

^*If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.

James 1:5 New Living Translation (NLT)