"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
Mark 16:15 NIV1984
"And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."
Mark 16:15 NLT 2007
Those words has been on my mind more than ever this past week. Most of the time I get the honor and privilege to serve the Lord in different congregations and I do like doing this but meanwhile I see that there could be so much more done outside the four walls of the church than preach to the choir that is already saved. I like to ignite people but I love to see people repent and give their lives to Jesus Christ and get saved by the only one who can save, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ! Amen!
Those words has been on my mind more than ever this past week. Most of the time I get the honor and privilege to serve the Lord in different congregations and I do like doing this but meanwhile I see that there could be so much more done outside the four walls of the church than preach to the choir that is already saved. I like to ignite people but I love to see people repent and give their lives to Jesus Christ and get saved by the only one who can save, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ! Amen!
As we see in those two parallel translations of Mark 16:15 the NIV version and most of the older versions tells us to preach the good news to all creation. The NLT says to everyone. It is clear enough that the good news has to be spread world wide from east to west and from north to south and to every little corner in all the world. Therefore we have to step out of our comfort zone and do our Fathers will as THIS is HIS will for ALL Christians, not only those who are pastors or elders.
To be honest with you all I am a bit tired of congregations with "elders" who do everything pushing down the rest in their seats Sunday morning and between that nothing happens. There are too many churches like that around and it is time for a change. It is time to go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone. This means that we have to GO OUT and not IN. OUT of the church and INTO the world where all the people are. As I have written before the church has became something like a boat full of fishermen throwing out the nets inside the boat instead of throwing them in the sea (outside the boat) where all the fish is. Also if the "elders" are the only fishermen it is NOT going to work. In a fishing village there is a mission for everyone. Someone has to fix the nets, someone has to take care of the boat, someone has to take care of the harvest, someone has to take care of the dock and so on...
Last friday I got another vision regarding to this. Me and brother Martin Kantola were invited to sing and play for a local company at their some kind of "inspiration day". We were invited to the end of the day at 1pm in the afternoon at a local pub. First of all I thought that this will be fun. Later I started to think about it and that was when I called up brother Martin and asked him to join me on this gig. I just felt that going into the world on a mission like this I need to have at least one more brother with me as Jesus also sent out His disciples two and two. I am thankful that brother Martin backed me up and came last friday and we had a wonderful time.
It was not only the "gig" that was wonderful. Immediately when we stepped into the pub we ran into people with beer glasses who were looking for someone to talk to. It is always easy to start talking to some guy with a guitar on his back. At least it looks like it. Are you going to play? What do you have in your case, it is a guitar or a gun? So many questions for them to open up the discussion with. We got to share the good news to people even before the gig and during the gig all the people in that pub heard the good news about Jesus Christ. Someone wanted us to play some Creedence and they got some Creedence. When we go into the world we have to speak their language to reach them. What would have happened if I had had that attitude and told them that "all worldly music is satanic" and I am not going to give you any Creedence? That would have ruined all that took place in that pub that day. We had many good talks after the gig and people were crying during the gig. I love being out serving the Lord where the unsaved people are. Thats where I want to be!
Now I have a vision that I want to share with you all and all the congregations in this area. Are YOU ready to go out to a pub in town every Sunday, maybe at noon and bring the church to the people. You can not be religious doing this, you have to have passion, the passion of the heart of Jesus Christ and the love and need for the lost ones.
The good news for 20.000 people
On Saturday and Sunday the Ambassadors For Jesus Christ attended the Ostrobothnia Exhibition in Korsholm outside Vasa and the exhibiton was visited by nearly 20.000 people. We were there both days and we gave away bibles to those who wanted a bible, we prayed for those who wanted to be prayed for and we told people about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Again we were outside the four walls of the church and this was the fifth year in a row we attended this exhibition. So far we have given away 4000 Bibles on this event and we had many good conversations with people.
One thing that I realized was that when I had my mouth open and spoke to people and told them about Jesus something happened inside of me. It literally felt like living water flowing out of me and I felt so good. If there was a silent time I immediately started to think about different circumstances and other things and I did not feel so good but again when someone showed up at our boot and I got to speak about Jesus I got this same good feeling and God spoke to me through myself. It might sound stupid or weird to say that I ministered to myself but thats what happened. I got convicted of that Jesus lives in my heart as thats what I spoke about, about Him who dragged me up from the pit of destruction, forgave me all my sins, saved me and gave me a totally new life together with Him. Again the Bible is true; the mouth speaks what the heart is filled with" (Luke 6:45).
Being outside the four walls of the church
I am even more convicted as I am writing this than I was before I started to write that my place is outside the four walls of the church. It is easy to respond to invitations to different congregations and travel around and speak inside the four walls and you also get paid something so you can pay for you expenses and so on. Being outside the four walls of the church is different. There is nobody that pays you for what you do and there is a price for everything in todays world. You pay for gas, you pay for sound equipment, you pay taxes and you pay for guitar strings. The list could be made long but I will not make a long list. What I want to say is that being outside the four walls of the church is costing money and I do not mind doing it for free. I love what I am doing and I am not going to give up. This is just the beginning of what GOD has called me to do and I can not wait for that day when we are starting to go into all the world and preach the good news together with my family as a family. That is my biggest dream right now, to serve the Lord together with my family as a family and I know we are walking that direction but until then I will continue doing what I am doing.
Next week I am going to play at a benefit concert for the Star of Hope. I highly respect their work and this is my way to sow into what they do. The week after that I am traveling to the eastern part of the country to do an outdoor concert in a small town called Nurmes. This is a real challenge as it is an area known of being in darkness and the concert will be out on a market place on a Friday night when everybody is out drinking. I know people will spit at me, yell at me and shout bad words at me and that is the price I have to pay doing it. Still I know that some of the young people will respond to the good news as the world of God never returns empty (Isaiah 55:11).
As it is right now I personally live on an existential minimum and this is in the way for going into the world and preach the good news. To be honest there are NOT one church supporting my ministry, all is financially supported by private persons and Frank Mangs Center. I would like for you all to pray for my ministry and for the ministry finances as we are in need of more funds to fulfill the work and walk through the doors God has opened. IF you are interested sowing into this ground you can click on the link below and read more about sharing our vision to reach the youth and the unsaved people in Finland, Sweden and also in the USA. I am traveling to the USA twice a year now and during the last two trips I have seen GOD turn up in such amazing ways doing amazing wonders and miracles and people are getting saved. Thats what it is all about, bringing people to Salvation in Jesus Christ.
Love you all, God Bless!
Pontus
Frank Mangs Center are standing behind me as an organization and together we have decided that it is not wise to stand outside the open doors just because there are not enough money to walk through those doors.
Frank Mangs Center have opened up a new account for this ministry and we are now looking for people who would like to partner with us monthly. At least I would ask you all to pray for our work and for the harvest of 2012. You can read more about being a partner in finnish or swedish by clicking HERE.
