| As we prayed and sought the Lord, He opened our eyes to see a harvest that is plentiful…a field ripe for harvest. Right before us was a mission field - People lost without hope in a dying world…lingering between life and death, heaven and hell. Blinded by sin and the lies of the evil one…prisoners of their own minds. People living in parks, on the streets…without food and clothing – struggling and deceived in and through their circumstances. In our hearts we heard the words of Jesus saying, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothe me. I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35-36) When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. At one time, we too, were a part of the crowd. Jesus in His mercy and grace saved us. He restored us and clothe us in His righteousness. He healed us and fed us through His Word. He delivered us out of darkness into His glorious light. His great love and compassion for these people touches our hearts to respond in His love and to obey His command to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind….and to love our neighbor as ourselves.” (Matthew 22:37-39) We love because He first loved us… The Lord has placed a burden in our hearts to see these captives set free…to be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them (Jude 22,23); to love them unconditionally with the love of Jesus… and to judge not. All for the extension and the expansion of God’s kingdom and His glory. God’s Word says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” We have tasted and seen the good hand of the Lord not only in the lives of those He has called us to serve, but especially in our lives! God has been teaching us so much and doing a lot of changing and rearranging in our hearts…always taking us back to the cross. To be more than conquerors through Christ who loves us and to experience a victorious life in overcoming our own struggles, temptations, etc…. and to not grow weary in doing good… Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” He has shown us in our weakness how His strength is made perfect in us…and apart from Him we can do nothing. Faithful is He who calls and He will do it! Truly God has been so FAITHFUL! PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW! |