Important Questions

07. June 2013 · Comments Off on Important Questions · Categories: 2013, Devotional

I read… the words sink in. The reality of our situation as a church sets in. If only we could be more awake!

 

“Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted.

“What are we thinking of, that we cling to our selfish love of ease, while all around us souls are perishing?
Have our hearts become utterly callous?
Can we not see and understand that we have a work to do in behalf of others?
My brethren and sisters, are you among those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not?
Is it in vain that God has given you a knowledge of His will?
Is it in vain that He has sent you warning after warning of the nearness of the end?
Do you believe the declarations of His word concerning what is coming upon the world?
Do you believe that God’s judgments are hanging over the inhabitants of the earth?
How, then, can you sit at ease, careless and indifferent?” –Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 26, 27. {ChS 80.9}

How can we? Careless, indifferent, sitting in our comfortable chair, waiting for Christ to return! What kind of unfaithfulness is this? Will we not go out and do what God has commanded us to do?

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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.”  Matthew 28:19,20

We have the command. God has commanded us. What will we do? What will you do?

Fear

18. April 2013 · Comments Off on Fear · Categories: 2013, Devotional

“There’s been a bombing at the marathon.” The man said to the person on the other end of the line.

That’s weird. I thought to myself. What is he talking about? I was in the airport waiting for my plane to head back home.  30 minutes later as I board the aircraft the TVs in front of each seat are playing CNN. So that’s what it’s about. But I don’t get my headphones out to listen.

3 hours later I sit in the Denver airport watching snow drift quietly down outside the window. It’s amazing! It’s snowing in April. But it feels like I haven’t seen winter in a year! Actually it’s almost true. The guy next to me never stops talking to his girlfriend on the phone. It sounds like he’s never seen snow like this before. He’s worried that the flight is going to be late. He might get stranded in Denver because of the snow! I can’t help but shake my head. I figure that the Denver airport knows how to deal with snow.

An hour later I’m walking down the narrow corridor to board the plane. I scoop up some snow that drifted through a crack at the top of the wall. It’s nice to feel winter again! The snow melts in my hand as I walk toward the plane.

This time I get a window seat. We taxi out toward the runway through the falling snow stopping at the de-ice station. After a long wait the captain comes over the PA saying that we can’t take off because the tower is calling it ‘heavy snow’. We taxi back to the gate and wait for 45 minutes till the snow lets up. Quickly heading to the de-ice station the surface of the aircraft is washed and we take to the skies.

Again the TVs are tuned to the breaking news. This time I pull my headphones out and plug them in to listen. The news sinks in. The blast. Shrapnel flying everywhere. The big fireball. People running for their lives. Some falling down dead. It’s a tragedy. Yet still I watch. The news repeats itself. The reporters keep reporting. Stories of heroes. Doctors. Policemen. Runners. Going beyond the call of duty. Treating, rescuing, donating blood. But the question is asked, “How could this happen?”. Policemen and security personnel everywhere and yet someone planted a bomb! It could happen anywhere. No one is safe! What do we have to do to keep everyone safe? The point drives home bringing with it fear. But… Fear?

Our God isn’t a God of fear. Is he? 2Tim 1:7. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  He certainly is not a God of fear! And He doesn’t want us to be fearful either. It is easy to let fear bear sway. Fear is a powerful thing. But we cannot let it take control of us. We can’t afford to. Even if the odds are infinite, God will still take care of us. And remember: “Perfect love casts out fear”. If we really love God then that same love will ban fear from our lives. God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He doesn’t want us to be controlled by it. He wants to give us the victory over it.

I lean back in my seat and go to sleep. After an hour I wake up over western Kentucky. A huge thunderstorm is flashing light all across the sky. We all will have lightning flash into our life at one time or another. How will we deal with it? Will it control us? Or will we let God’s love cast out all fear?Thunderstorm

 

 

Overwhelmed

08. March 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: 2013, Devotional, Mission Reports

“How many villages are we passing when we go to our site?” Jon asks. We are on our way back from one of the sites we’ve been working in this week.

“Many. But these are small villages, you know.” The answer came no sooner than another question was asked-

“How many of these villages are unreached?” The question comes.

“All of them.” comes the reply. No Christian influence in countless villages scattered throughout the countryside! True even though small, the combined inhabitants make up a larger number and are just as precious to Jesus as anyone else. Why should they have no opportunity, unreached just because they are in a smaller village?

“Someone should start a primary school here” Someone else had an idea. A good idea at that. A primary school could serve the needs of a number of these small villages and give education as well as knowledge of God to those in these villages. Educating the young it would create an entering wedge into many homes already open to the gospel.

But this is not the only such idea that has come up on this trip. Starting a primary school was only one. We had also found other villages where we wanted to start evening schools. Then there were three villages where one of the Bible workers had specifically requested evening schools. And the pastors in this Region asked for media ministry… Not to mention the need for more Bible workers to follow up in these new places.

I sit. Overwhelmed. A sense of tiredness strikes me. After this last year of toil and burnout, my mind becomes terribly tired and overwhelmed when I find opportunities like this, because I know I can’t do it all. Who will help? Are we waiting for God to do something? He’s already given us the command, He’s waiting for us! Opportunities are perpetual and boundless in this place where the gospel has hardly placed it’s foot.

A local Bible worker’s salary is $60 US, a get by income for most Bible workers, but so many JFA Bible workers are working here faithfully and winning souls for Christ. So many other places need Bible workers, so many places have no Bible workers, no churches, not just Adventist churches, but no church of any Christian denomination! The people are in darkness, in ignorance, they have no knowledge of God or His love. They are clueless!

Jesus gave everything to save us. What are you willing to give to Him? Who will go to impart the knowledge and love to these precious souls? Who will send someone to them? Who will fund local workers? Who will contribute time and talents? Who? Will you? If not you, then who?

Security

08. March 2013 · 2 comments · Categories: 2013, Devotional, Mission Reports

“I can’t be a missionary before I’m 25.”

“Why not?” I ask surprised. I’m talking with a younger member of our group about missions.

“Because I want to finish school and college and get a job and get married first.”

I don’t understand… so many youth in our church somehow do exactly this. And the problem is that often once they get through college and they get that good paying, secure job they want, they are tied down with debt and are unable to break free to fulfill God’s command in Mat 28.

We are too attracted to the ease and the security that the world’s way of life offers. The regular job. The nice house to live in. The car to drive every day. For many of us, our worst trouble is when we lose our job, or when the car is totaled in an accident, or when the house burns down.

But the real question is: What are we living for? Who are we living for?  Do you really want the security that the world offers? A good paying job, a nice house, good neighbors, that boat in the back yard? Sure you can still try to be a witness for God even if you have the comforts of life. But what does your experience with God really consist of? Is it just talk? or is it real?

Don’t you want to live for God? to take security under His wings? It doesn’t matter if you have a nice house, or a nice car, or live in a nice neighborhood. These things don’t matter if you want God’s security. But if you want God’s security you have to go where he asks you to go even if it’s not secure. Just think, going to an unsafe place because God asks you to go is actually the most secure and safe place to go! If God asks you to go, then He know’s its for your eternal good. You may not have a nice house, a nice car, a good paying job, or even a paying job at all, but you will learn to depend on God more, and the eternal wages will make it worth it.

Do you want to live for God? Do you want to fulfill His plan for your life? to place His wishes above your own? to place the things of this world in second place to Him and His wishes? Even though you might not have a nice house or the comforts of this life, He promises a mansion for you in heaven. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to you?

Torn

27. February 2013 · Comments Off on Torn · Categories: 2013, Devotional, Mission Reports

Feb 21 2013

Why does it happen? If you’re committed there’s no choice…

Masses of people fly outside the window next to my seat in the van.

We are on our way to the meetings we’ve been doing this week. Yesterday we went to a village with a  population of 500 people. This village is completely unreached! There is no church. No Bible worker. No Adventists. Not even a Christian living there! No knowledge of God. No Christian influence until last night. Last night we drove in the rough main road to the village stopping at a paved cement part of the road. Setting up right on the road, a Hindu temple provided a place for the people to sit. Probably 50 or more people came last night. Gabe shared one of Eric B Hare’s children stories first, then he followed that with a talk about the importance of water for health.

Tonight I’m on my way there again. I didn’t plan to go, it happened at the last minute. Since I’ve been here with the camera to record for a show, I’ve been a floater without an assigned team. I planned to go with another team working on the other side of town. But Gabe was feeling sick and wasn’t able to go tonight. I didn’t want to go in his place… I needed to record with the other team… but there was no one else to go to this village of 500. If I didn’t go the site would have to close for this night. If I did go, then I would miss the other team. What to do? It’s not fear of being in front of people, rather it’s inability to fill both needs. It’s not the first time I’ve been torn like this. If only I could do both… but I can’t. Why is there no one else to go? In a minute my mind was made up.

60-70 people show up tonight. One of the local brothers who came with us shared a children story. Next it was my turn. Using the little projector, I shared basics of health. Going through each of the 8 doctors of health I explained briefly about each one.

The last one came with an opportunity. I shared about my God. A God who cares about every part of our lives. A God who loves us. A God who wants to be our friend. No doubt this was all new to these people. Next a question… “How many of you want to learn more about this God?” More than 10 hands went up…

A Bible worker could work in this village if there was a sponsor… Are you willing to sponsor a Bible worker for this village or others like it? There are infinite opportunities! Or perhaps you would be willing to go and train people here, or to do meetings in these unreached places. Are you willing?

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