Be the Evangelist

   “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, to the close of the age.”  (Matt 28: 19-20)

   This is the commission Jesus gave to His apostles.  He tasked them with evangelizing the whole world in His name.  All but John would be martyred in following Jesus’ wish to spread the Gospel far and wide.  They knew that bringing salvation to the world was worth dying for.

   As we look around today we see many things wrong in our world.  Morality seems to be virtually non-existent.  It would be easy to conclude that perhaps God should bring another flood and wash away the sin and depravity.  Yet God promised Noah that He would never again destroy all in a flood.  He had a plan and His plan was Jesus.

   I believe one reason we see so much evil in the world is because that is what is shown to us.  Newspapers, magazines, television and the internet are full of the bad but rarely show us the good.  There good is there, it just doesn’t sell as well as evil.  People seem to be more interested in the violence, sexuality and perversion of our society than in the love, caring and morality that we should be focused on.  Satin is alive and well in this world.

   We, just as the apostles, have a responsibility to Jesus to spread His word.  If we share the joy of our faith and love of God perhaps we can make some small change in the world.  If we speak up for the good and denounce the evil maybe we can influence others to do the same.  The thing we cannot do is drift along letting Satan have his way.  If we do, we are failing in our mission to evangelize the world.

   Jesus said He would be with us always, until the end of the age.  This age we live in is only temporary.  We truly are the Pilgrim Church; sojourners in a foreign land.  When we reject the evil and promote the good we are doing the work Jesus asks of us.  Our life is to be an example to others of the love and mercy of God.  We are the evangelists who can change the world one person at a time.

   “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  (Luke 15:10)