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Under Fire
GO!!
    You have probably heard the expression, “What part of  ‘GO’ do you not understand?  At the risk of being a little blunt , it seems pretty simple.  (Yes, I wrote “go” not “no.”)  The big question is what are we to go and do?  Well, Jesus is pretty plain about that.  In Matthew 28:19, Jesus says, “GO.”  That implies we are to move out , change our location, proceed  somewhere.   That word by itself does not imply a direction.  We can go forward towards something.  Or, we can go backward away from something.  Or, we can go to the side.  We can go forward into battle, or go backward from the battle (retreat or desert).  We can go toward Jesus and go toward eternal salvation.  Or we can go away, or sideways from Jesus and go toward eternal damnation.
     It is amazing how much we hate change, how much we hate to “go.”  Jesus must have understood that and that is why he gave such an adamant  command.  He wants us to GO!!  He  actually gave two commands:  “GO” and “MAKE.”  So we are to go forward , but we go forward with a mission.  It is not enough to find converts, or to witness.  We are to invest into their lives to MAKE disciples.  We need to make disciples, that make disciples, that make disciples, etc.  Jesus felt this to be such an integral part of the process he stated it as a command.  That should be good enough for us.
     It is interesting that another meaning of  “go” is to die.  So, either you can go by moving forward, or you can die.  It is your choice.  Unfortunately, a lot of men inside the church and outside the church today have chosen to die.  Everything else in the world has taken on more importance than the things of God.  Even our families come in second or third place or even worse in many cases to our jobs.  We even brag about being married to our jobs.  We seem to be more concerned about laying up treasures that will last only a few years instead of ones that will last forever.
     Jesus made the commands to “go” and to “make" after he  spent three years preparing, disciplining, and educating his disciples so they could go out and make disciples themselves.  Then, they were sent out.  They had matured in Him.
     Are you a mature Christian? Where is your heart?  To answer that, let me as three more questions.  Do you strive to get closer to God?  Can you call yourself a disciple of Jesus?  Are you prepared to GO?  If the answer is “NO” to any of the last three questions you may need to reconsider some things.    Do not wait any longer.  Now is the time to start discipling so you can GO make disciples.  Now is the time to start to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
This is Mark Erickson and you are Under Fire.

KEY BIBLE VERSES:
Matt 28:19-20
19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." NIV

Matt 6:19-21
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NIV