JESUS WENT: To all the Towns and Villages

Hi this is breeding welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life. Welcome to learn that life I'm still gone and I'm here with my special guest cohost for this theory. My best friend and has been tamed, is exciting to be here. I can't wait to go through this series with you well as you can tell, Bernie's not here right now I'm.

He had a surgery and so he's recovering from that surgery and doing very well and we can't wait to have him back in the studio when the party we know we are praying for you. Wishing you well, and praying God's blessings upon your life and your healing burning you can relax. I have no desire to take over your spot at words of why I'm simply keeping your seat warm until you get back. Absolutely what today we are launching our five-week Easter series with our friend Maj. Luis Melendez to be discussing the places and people to whom Jesus went and how his actions should be reflected in our own lives.

Lisa such a fun-loving, full of life, character, and he and his wife Laura back to share the common appointment they were in McAllen we still have some associations and in relationships with people in McAllen who still talk about them talk about their ministry down the Rio Grande Valley. Yeah, absolutely. I think people are enjoying his teachings. He's full of life and when we just look forward to what God has to say to room during the session and Bernie as we alluded to at the beginning of this we are continuing to pray for you. We can't wait to see and hear you back behind this all hello this is Maj. Luis Melinda Salvation Army with the college were doing our Easter series and I just want to live our listeners know where this Easter series will be under theme Jesus went as we look at the great commission Jesus said, go and make disciples or go and preach the good news the message to the whole world, so it's almost like if you summon us to go.

I'm pretty sure he went somewhere. So that's what were going to be looking throughout the series. Places that Jesus went that we as Christians followers of Jesus Christ can also go and continue the action that movement forward of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's do that during this Easter series by going to those places that Jesus went today in this first episode, which is to look at Jesus went to all all the towns and villages we have heard so many times about the great commission and we of the Salvation Army. We have responded with action or might I say positively be reminded of the specific words of Jesus Christ from the gospel of Matthew 28 verse 19 therefore go and make disciples of all nations gospel of Mark 16 puts it this way.

Jesus said, go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Now that's a hefty task to keep us busy. The great commission can be wrapped up with the expression I believe. So go to all that is quite clear directive and imperative if you ask me. Sounds like a command in order to charge an instruction to obey not the Salvation Army has gone to many places in the world hundred and 31 countries to be exact, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ while doing the most good.

Now you may ask, how can this be done well do we have an example of this, of course, we do we have Jesus Christ set before us, and here's our Lord and our Savior and our servant leader. Did you know that when Peter the disciple of Jesus visited Cornelius the centurion recorded in acts chapter 10 he preached to the Gentiles of the house saying I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is susceptible to him.

You know the message got sent to the people of Israel announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all, you know what has happened throughout the province of Judea beginning in Galilee. After baptism, but John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and how he Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him. This is how the gospel becomes a message for all the nations by doing what Jesus did and that is that Jesus went.

Jesus went around doing good, doing his father's will. According to Albert Schweitzer. The three most important ways to lead people are by example by example and by example. So Matthew chapter 9 verse 35 requires that Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. We must do what Jesus did he want everywhere through all the towns and villages and he did want it taught he proclaimed.

In other words he preached and he healed this verse summarizes Jesus's ministry and mailing the same words as Matthew 423 does the introduction to the sermon on the Mount note the verbs. Jesus goes about teaching, proclaiming, and healing commissions the disciples to become his partners in these activities. The ministries of the disciples thus grows naturally out of the ministry of Jesus.

Jesus provides the shape that their ministry will take first by the example of his ministry. And secondly, by this commission to go and preach the gospel in the IVP Bible background commentary of the New Testament. Dr. Craig Keener from Asbury theological seminary, writes and I quote both Jesus's proclamation and practical acts of compassion go beyond what many Christians call ministry today. Our communities are ravaged by demonic forces violence and injustice in all kinds of human pain while the church often remains irrelevant, except to the few who ventured through our doors to follow Jesus's model of ministry. More Christians must stop simply going to church and learn to become the church among our communities in evangelism and ministry to social needs." So are we sensing the compassion of Jesus to go everywhere wherever there was a synagogue, a place of prayer and worship to teach about God. He was there he preached the gospel of the kingdom. One of peace and forgiveness, reconciliation and salvation freedom and righteousness to all who believe and assent, and Jesus went healing physically and spiritually. The needs of many paralytic's blind lepers, deaf mute and freed the demon possessed. Besides, healing the sick. Jesus Christ did many more miracles like turning water into wine of the highest quality walking on rough water during the storm, raising several people from the dead, multiplying food into an abundance for many thousands of people who are hungry and on and on we go with the many miracles so the intended mission of Jesus was promoting the well-being of men wherever Jesus went and did miracles for the bodies of men healing the sick, supplying physical once, but more so he sought to promote the highest spiritual good of the people, teaching, rebuking, and loving them.

This was his business. Above all things. He had this at heart. He came into the world, he came to do good and not evil, to bless and not to curse to fill the world with peace love and happiness to forgive the sins of the laws by dying on the cross. What greater good than this, Jesus went around doing good.

Be mindful of our mission statement. The Salvation Army in international movement is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible it's ministry is motivated by the love of God.

Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination. So the questions arise. If Jesus went during his earthly ministry to every major city, town and village without discrimination. Let me put it this way if there was a town and people lived there. Jesus went so I ask are you going are you teaching and preaching and healing those in need in your communities are we following the example that Jesus set before us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Can you hear him calling the song that comes to my mind is where he leads me I will follow one written by Ernest W blandly which goes where he leads me I will follow who where he leads me will follow where he leads me I will follow go with with all the way. I would like to maybe rephrase that.

I'll go with him, with him where he went. So go and teach go and preach go in witness go and make disciples going to heal, go where Jesus went go to all the towns and villages and cities that you know and preach, teach, and he is the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call one 802 299965 Landis Ave., PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony. Would love to use your story on the air. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes. Your favorite podcast store and be sure to give us a rating. Just search for the Salvation Army's words of life. Follow us on social media for the latest episode extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see this is brain join us next time for the Salvation Army's life