Be an encounter!

God's heart is for his people to be a blessing to the whole world. This means that any community they live in, room they walk into or friendship they make will encounter the literal presence of God.

Jesus said, 'I have been given all authority in Heaven and on earth', then told his followers, 'Go and make disciples of all the nations...be sure of this: I am with you always' (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT). Break that down. Jesus has authority over Heaven and earth, he's given that to us, and he'll give us power and supernatural kindness to invite others to follow him. Whether they decide to follow is between him and them. As well as experiencing our own joy of faith, we're to take other people, and their potential relationships with God, seriously - it's our responsibility to show others the goodness of God.

Scottish pastor Alan Scott writes about the advice churches sometimes give to people heading to university: 'We warn them of the dangers inherent in their new environment, the options available as presented by the enemy. Rarely do we give them the options the Father makes available... What if we commissioned them saying, "By the grace of God you have three/four years to change a campus?"'



So what now? If you're just about to start a new term at school, uni or work, who has God put in your environment that you can introduce to him? Wherever you go, how can you bless those around you with an encounter with the living God? Ask him to show you who.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Wherever you go, make disciples of all nations.' Matthew 28:18 CEV
— SOULFOOD —

Heb 11:17-13:25, Luke 10:25-37, Ps 33:1-12, Pro 5:7-14