This is a long post - but, I think (of course) that it's worth the read...

On July 26, 2005, I was in Orlando Florida on a business trip. This was also the day for the NASA launch of the space shuttle Discovery. The talk all morning long was on the pending launch. As time drew near, employees of the facility grew increasingly excited and turned up their radios to share the news of the pending countdown. The plan was that ten-minutes before the launch, everyone interested would go outside and look towards the sky for when the shuttle would fly past us. I too was excited. I’d never seen a space shuttle blast off in person. I’d only experienced it on television. Now that I have, there is nothing like experiencing it first hand. It got me to thinking about my own spirituality and that of all professing believers.

As professing believers, do we share the good news? Do we live broadcast lives or do we keep the greatest gift to ourselves because we are ashamed. It’s interesting, even after tragedy in 2003, the NASA space program went forward. People rallied around the new launch and the shuttle blasted off. But, what happens to you and I when we have a disaster or tragedy? We try to sweep it under the rug and hope that either nobody knows or that everyone will quickly forget about it. We do not always recognize that our situation is an opportunity to share the good news. Our tests give us the basis for our testimony. Even when we initially fail, upon the moment of success we can recount how good God has been and share what His relationship means to us. We always want to share at revival time but what about the other 51 weeks of the year? What keeps us from sharing the good news? Jesus said in Matthew 28 :19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” We’ve been commanded to share the good news. And we don’t have any reason not too. We don’t have any reason to be afraid because verse 20 follows up and says “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” So, that lets us know that when we go to share, we have been given instructions about what to do and most importantly, Jesus says that He will be with us always which literally means “all the way” or you can also look at it as meaning "perpetually, incessantly, invariably, at any and every time.” So, there’s no need to fear.

Perhaps the main reason that we don’t share the good news like we should is that we have gotten altogether too casual in our walk with God. We only “tune in” when something is going on. I think back again to the shuttle launch. On an ordinary day, employees would not have their radios tuned in and would not be talking over cubicle walls and hanging out at the copier conversing about whether or not the launch would be scrubbed or go forward. No, on a normal day, they would stick to their normal routine – absent the radio piping in information about the activities of NASA. And, perhaps that’s the way we approach our relationship with God. As long as everything is routine, we do not perceive any special need to “tune in”, but if something is going on out of the ordinary, that’s when we turn into God’s best friend, calling on Him, begging Him, and pleading with Him. He is the news at the copiers of our lives. He is the one that gets the attention. And, it makes me wonder – is that fair to God? Do you really think He only wants to hear from you when you need something? Do you only want to hear from that relative only when they need something? When we accept Christ, we become part of God’s family. If we had to stand up and introduce our brother Jesus, what would we say? What adoration could we heap on Him? Would we have to use a shovel or a spoon?

And, perhaps you know enough about Him that you could use a shovel but at some point, we get distracted in the pace of life. We lose time and lose our zeal for God. The great thing about God is that we can always get recharged just for the asking. In prayer, we get recharged. In study of the Holy Scriptures we get recharged. In fellowship with strong believers, we get recharged. In worship, we get recharged. And, when we get recharged, we need to go out and share our spiritual energy with those who’ve lost the way or have yet to find it. We have a commandment – are we operating under it?

As we go out to share the good news – let us do so with great enthusiasm that flows from our heart and spirit. The employees had great enthusiasm as we watched that shuttle ascend into outer space. We watched and we cheered. We were amazed at what we saw and the evidence of the experience lingered in the form of an excited glow throughout the remainder of the work day. No one had done anything but watch. NASA and its multitude of experts by the grace of God did the work that day. And, the same holds true everyday for us as professing believers. We have not done anything but watch either. Through our spiritual eyes, we journey back thousands of years ago. We have watched Jesus come to Earth, dwell here, teach here, leave instructions for how to live here, we watched him die here and rise here. So, what are we doing while we’re here? We should be sharing the good news, watching for His return and cheering for the souls that are being added to the Kingdom. Our salvation was free. We can at least do as He commands.

What would happen if we do more than accept Christ but get on the launch pad of His desires for us? We would blast off into a spirit-realm that literally touches the Heavenlies. I don’t know about you, but that sounds good to me! 3…2…1…I’m blasting off!