I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest...
Two weeks from now we get to witness again God’s power and grace through our Hope For You concert. What a privilege that the Lord counted us worthy to be part of His harvest. I remember what Jesus said in John 4:35John 4:35 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
WP-Bible plugin. He said, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”
The soul-harvest is a matter of immediate urgency. There are many who still need to be saved. It’s easy to lose the burden for the lost or think that the work is done! The truth is there’s a lot of work yet to be done! Jesus said the harvest is before us. The lesson for us is: The Time is NOW! The time is now to do God’s will. The time is now to reach out to the lost; the time is now to share the love of God.
“Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.”
What are we waiting for? To hear a voice from heaven? Don’t you know that thousands die and slip into eternal fire without Christ? I’m not saying that we could save the whole world but I’m saying that God has called us to participate in the harvest. And you know what’s God’s number one priority is? His glory in the saving of souls! We need to pray toward that end, we need to give toward that end, we need to serve toward that end.
Jesus continued in vs.36 of John 4, “Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” Notice the idea of rejoicing there. What great joy there is in serving God, in doing His will, in finishing His work – and hearing those words, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter in to the joy of the Lord!” There will be rewards for faithful service.
Now is the day of salvation! There is no day that God stops from reaching out to somebody needing His salvation!
WP-Bible plugin, Jesus followed up, “Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” In other words, this is the work of everyone! Your prayer, your witnessing, your giving, support in anyway contribute to the work of spreading the gospel! One sows another reaps. And there’s joy, there are rewards for everyone!
The Bible says, “Now is the day of salvation! There is no day that God stops from reaching out to somebody needing His salvation! There’s a harvest out there – what is needed are faithful witnesses, faithful workers who will bring in the harvest to God’s kingdom! What is your priority? What is most important to you? Is your priority in line with God’s priority? Do you seek to know God’s will for your life, do it and continuing in it? This is God’s best for you, for us all. This is the secret of satisfaction!
Come April 27 we depart to Bangkok for a mission trip. Including Uganda Mission last 2004, this is the 4th time we sent a mission team outside of the country. It’s the third time in Thailand. God uses people to accomplish His purpose. And you are that people, dear church. With your generous help and support, responding to God’s call, you have made yourselves partners with us. And with that, thank you!
Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered...
Oh how great our God is! He is our sufficiency. He specializes in using the weak to shame the strong! He is expert in the impossibilities – for what is impossible with man, is possible with God! Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered. The Midianite army was 135,000 strong, while Gideon’s force numbered a mere 32,000re 32,000 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin. Gideon must’ve been pondering his slim chance of survival. Yet God said, “That’s too many.” The downsizing resulted in a vulnerable 22,000e 22,000 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z 1! Vrstica 0 ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin man reduction-in-force. Gideon was left with a meager 300 troops. His only option was to trust God or perish. He was left virtually without an army. God’s reason for this downsizing is so that they would not glory in themselves, that they would not say it’s their own strength that gave them victory. You know the story – God gave the victory!
Now God frequently trims our resources to get us to depend entirely on Him. Sickness, financial reversal, family conflict, and other difficulties cause us to turn our lives over to God. Unlike popular psychologists, God does not propose that we should believe in ourselves. Our self-centered society celebrates self-reliance. But God strips us bare, forcing us to recognize our frailty and inadequacy. God shows us that human resources are insufficient for the battles we face. God then teaches us the lesson of dependence, which results in confidence. Here’s the truth of the matter: When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!
When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!
Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.
Congratulations to the Graduates! To the College students (and to the parents’ wallet also!) there’s always that feeling of relief and release! All the time, energy and money spent will culminate in graduation day. Alas! Whew! They’re not a waste after all. Praise God! Another chapter of their lives is done and another chapter will be written.
Following Jesus is not a one hundred meter-dash run but it’s a marathon…
“What’s next?” is the big question. Some might have the idea already but many may still be standing on the crossroads of life wondering which way to take. May our Lord Jesus give them wisdom and guidance as look to His guidance. The Christian life is like that. Following Jesus is not a one hundred meter-dash run but it’s a marathon. It’s a lifelong assignment. Empowered by His Spirit and guided by His gracious hand, we go from chapter to chapter, phase after phase, change after change, from faith to faith until we reach the finish line. And there at the finish line, is our graduation day. We graduate from this life either by translation (via rapture airlines) or by physical death. The Bible calls our “graduation day” the “Bema Seat of Christ.” It’s a judgment not unto condemnation but unto rewards or lost of rewards (1 Cor.3:12-15).” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:102 Cor. 5:10 English: King James Version (1611) - KJV 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Until that day, like the apostle Paul, by the grace of God we must FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, FINISH THE RACE AND KEEP THE FAITH (2 Tim.4:7).” If we do there is in store for us the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to us on that day – to all who have longed for His appearing (2 Tim.4:8).”
Crossroads…
For those who are on the crossroads, let me share this with you:
“Sometimes, when I look back and think of all the “could-have-beens” in my life,
I often wonder: did I make the right choice? Did I miss a road sign?…
Am I on the right track?… CROSSROADS…
They happen all the time — saying goodbye to some, choosing only one.
Letting go, holding on… settling for now, but facing what must come…
Yes, in life we all reach a crossroad sometime.
We make painful decisions and take some risks as we pursue our dreams.
But one should not stay at the CROSSROADS too long.
For even the birds have to leave their nests sometime and learn how to fly.
Life’s road is long and rough, and there are stretches when one has to do it all alone.
And should you meet the cross at the road, be consoled.
Yes, more often than not, the road less traveled will surely bring you home.
Face the light and the shadow falls behind you.
Turn your back and the shadow stays in front of you.
Indeed the truth hurts, but it will surely set you free.
The bitter pangs of parting will give birth to another moment called growing.
So grow on… until it’s time for you to move on…and face the crossroads again,
knowing that God loves you and is in control of everything. Be strong at the crossroads.”
