EDITOR’S LETTER Start where?
L
Column by Carol Pipes
ise Morissette has had a difficult life. Until recently, Lise would drink every day until she fell asleep. Numbed by the alcohol and longing for love, she found its counterfeit in the arms of several men. “I’m not proud to say this,” admits Lise. “But it’s my life.”
Sick of her hopeless lifestyle, Lise came to the decision that she would either live or die and she would make the decision fast.
“One morning I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked at my reflection and didn’t like what I saw,” recalls Lise. “I said a prayer to the Lord and I said, ‘Listen Lord—I’m putting my life in your hands, because my life is nothing. So I’m trust- ing you with my life, because you cannot do worse than me.’” From that moment she felt her life being redirected.
There came a time when Lise wanted to see what a Christian church was like. That’s when she discovered Eglise Renaissance de Long Sault in Grenville, Que- bec, a church started by North American missionary Jacques Avakian. The church
was a safe harbor, a place where Lise could learn about God without being judged. “I loved it from the first time,” she says. “I thank God for everything He has done for me. I have so much gratefulness when I read my Bible. That is my life today.”
Jacques and missionaries like him are seeing God work in the lives of people like Lise every day. When we think about reaching North America with the gospel, it can seem like an overwhelming task. In the U.S. and Canada more than 259 million people don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We can’t shirk our responsibility to reach those people. But how or where do we start? It begins in our own hearts. Just as Lise looked in the mirror and allowed God to penetrate and reveal her heart, we need to consistently connect with God and let Him continually transform us. Only He can give us a passion for the lost and a desire to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ. Having seen first-hand what our missionaries do in North America and around the world, I feel com- pelled to take part in what they’re doing. Each of us has a role to play in expanding God’s Kingdom. All around us are opportunities to build bridges to share the gospel with people from every nation. We can all pray, give and go to fulfill the Great Commission.
Are you ready to accept the challenge to ‘Start Here’? Are you willing to align your heart with God’s and join Him in His mission to advance His glory? During the Week of Prayer for North American Missions, consider how, where and with whom you need to start communicating the gospel and making disciples of those who don’t yet know God.
Carol Pipes, editor
cpipes@namb.net
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onmission.com
JOHN SWAIN
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