Our Commission & A Prayer Request

“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’” (Luke 24:45-47)

This is a comprehensive commission. It includes:

• The person: Christ
• The resources: the power of God
• The objective: all nations
• The message: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
• The means: the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins
• The starting point: Jerusalem

It seems to be fairly common in the churches since the Great Commission was given to leave out some of the content, either in belief or in practice. Please take an inventory of your life as a Christian and see if you believe and practice this commission. What have you left out?

When we first came to Idaho in 1971, our objective was to take Idaho and Washington in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with, of course, the rest of the body of Christ. Our strategy was to open two evangelistic stores, one in Pullman and one in Moscow. These two cities were decisive points in the battle for these two states. The subordinate objectives were the two decisive points, the cities themselves. We were to take them first.

The bookstores were to be command posts for many other advances into the universities and cities. These advances included concerts, conferences, daily Bible studies, classes on life between the sexes, schools of practical Christianity, publishing, personal evangelism, and encouraging churches and other ministries.

This went well for about 14 years. In the same 14 years, we opened several other ministries at decisive points in Arizona, Wyoming, southern Idaho, and Utah. In later years, our direction changed; some of it was good, and some of it not so good, and our energy fell off. This was not immoral, but I think it was disobedience to the Great Commission. I accept the responsibility and have confessed it as sin. We are working to get back on track. I am asking you for prayer and advice as we rework our strategy and tactics to reach our God-given assigned objectives.

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