A couple of weeks ago, a young man in our community lost his life in a tragic automobile accident. Brandon McDaniel was a student at North Greenville, a co-founder of “My Calvary” Band; and a young man with a great heart for the Lord.  A number of people in our church had an opportunity to have an impact on this young man. Just before his death, Brandon returned from a mission trip to India. His life was changed as he saw the need for the gospel around the world. Those who loved him and cared for him played a significant part in shaping him to serve the Lord. I am including an entry from his blog from India. I am doing it because these are words that will challenge each of us to take seriously our call to reach the world.

Brandon’s Words of Challenge

God is working.  God is moving.  God is convicting.  God is breaking.  God is building.  God is doing huge things and He is using the country of India to show me how real those things are. We serve a God that is active.  We serve a God that convicts and changes lives all over the world in all types of cultures.  He is passionate about His people and desires for them to know Him and to live their lives for Him.  It is a beautiful thing.

We live our lives waiting on God to tell us to go when He has clearly already done so.  Seeing the need in this country for more disciples that can share the love of God has opened my eyes to how important this is…how important it is to go.  Without you, someone may go without hearing.  Without YOU, someone may go without hearing of God’s love!  We cannot go day by day relying on and expecting others to take Christ to the world.  We cannot continue to latch onto our comfort and our self-centered desires.  We are clearly ordered and commanded to go.  I believe that it is impossible to truly be a follower of Christ if this commandment is ignored because this is the main point in BEING a follower…to bring others to know HIM.

We have the life but we choose not to share it with those who need to hear.  It is not a matter of how you can get there if it means distance for you.  It is not a matter of why you should go because it is obvious.  It is not a matter of whether or not you should because if there was ONE thing you should do and just one it would be to GO.  It is a matter of where your heart is.  Do you care enough to go? Is your heart for the world greater than your heart for yourself?  Do you care enough to speak life into the lifeless?  Hope into the hopeless?  Healing into the broken?  Love into the unloved?  Someone cared enough to speak life into you.

It’s very simple.  Go. Make. Baptize.  There is no excuse.  We have been given all of the methods in doing so.  Our heart will determine what we do with it.  There is such a bigger picture than our safe and free America.

Go.
The lost are waiting.
The lifeless are eager to hear.
You have life.  What will you do with it?

Many people are thinking what he could have done were it not for this accident.   His death has been a voice and a witness that has gone far beyond the influence of the average 20 year old. As I read his entire blog, I was impressed by the way the Lord continued to develop his sense of responsibility and call. I share this with you because it is a challenge for all of us and should be a reminder of what God can do when we invest in the lives of others.