God's Timing ...or yours?

Recently I shared with the Church Board a devotional on the law of Timing. Bottom line – When is as important as What & Where. Doing a right thing may cause a resistance when the time is wrong. Right timing though makes a good decision even better. We sing “God will make thing beautiful in His time.” Ancient preacher Ecclesiastes wrote that “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted….” Whole list of “timings” is supplied there (Eccl. 3:1-8)
It is difficult for us to know the time. When you read the story of Esther you hear an uncertainty at first in the words of her uncle Mordecai: “Who knows? Perhaps you have come for just such a time as this." (Esther 4:14) Ancient Israelites were blessed to have a special tribe, sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1^st Chronicles 12:32)
How well do you know the time of your life? An opportunity today might be the very reason and purpose of your whole life. Apostle Paul advises us to redeem the time in these wicked evil days. (Ephesians 5:16)
There are people who hibernate in the winter, daydream in the spring, vacation whole summer and then feel sorry in the fall. Others use winter to dream, plan, set goals, envision the year ahead. When the spring comes they go and plant, pay the price and risk all for the dream, cultivating it the whole summer. Such are richly rewarded when the harvest time comes.
Each person may be in a different season. Even in the nature seasons are not all the same length. They do come in sequence. But different crops may have different timing. Crops could be cultivated in several areas simultaneously, yet harvested at different times and different seasons. Jesus said to his disciples that there is always a time of harvest. There is always someone ready. (John 4:35)
A year ago when we had a meeting with those interested in evangelism and outreach we read a vision given to Ellen G. White September 29, 1886, some 120 years ago, (read it in Gospel Workers, p.136-139).
A large company went looking for berries. She began to gather the fruit near by, but very carefully, for fear of picking the green berries, which were so mingled with the ripe fruit that she could pick only one or two berries from a cluster. Some of the nice large berries had fallen to the ground, and were half consumed by worms and insects. She thought: "if this field had only been entered before, all this precious fruit might have been saved! But it is too late now.” She however, picked these from the ground, to see if there was any good in them. Even if the whole berry is spoiled, she would at least show the brethren what they might have found if they had not been too late. When the ripe were picked she went back to the same bushes to find that green were ripening too.
A simple parable, a straightforward vision – there is always people ripe for harvest. Do not hang up on those who are not ready. Work with those who are fully prepared by Holy Spirit to join the “bucket.” In time - the rest will ripen.
Where are you in your life? What is your timing? Are you winterizing for long hibernation? Or are you planting seeds of relationships and service for God’s Kingdom? Maybe you are working on a certain field waiting for the harvest? Remember – God has many different fields, and there is always someone ready to be harvested. Discover God’s timing and plans. Are you ready?

Bricks, walls...or Cathedrals?

This month we are running two outreach programs simultaneously: Satellite Evangelism and the CHIP. I have enjoyed first 4 nights of lifestyle changing messages together with Sandra. One particular illustration used by Dr. Hans Diehl on the first night was so powerful that I would like to share with you and invite you for greater consistency in what we do.
A man was walking by a construction site and asked one worker what he was doing.
- “Why! I lay bricks!” - exclaimed worker.
He asked the next worker “What are you doing?”
- “Well, I build a wall!” - answered craftsman.
He proceeded further and asked another worker about his labor.
- “I build the cathedral….” - came a reply.
Those who care only about bricks, may miss a day here and a day there, and still lay some more bricks. But those who care enough to see a cathedral go up will not miss a brick in a wall. As we come together night after night to raise a cathedral of learning – don’t miss important bricks, don’t miss significant teachings about the times in which we live.
Be consistent in your learning, and in your approach to people. Remember the Jesus’ model of Evangelism (Luke 10:5-9).
Bless the people and bring them peace.
Build relationships with them, share a meal, do things together.
Bring healing, show care and concern for their physical wellbeing.
Finally – share the Good News that the Kingdom of God is upon us.
Can’t lay a roof in the foundation is not there. Consistency is the key, as prophet Isaiah says “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line” (Isaiah 28:10)
Just in two weeks we will host another event – inviting people back for the study on the Sanctuary during the Day of Atonement weekend. Befriend all who comes, build relationships with them, that we may introduce them to more and more blessings from God’s Word!
Remember that Christ’s way of Evangelism begins with loving relationships. Love them into God’s kingdom, and build each other for God’s kingdom!

Comforting others as we are comforted

Last week I introduced Jesus’ model of Evangelism (Luke 10:5-9). Simple four steps:
Bless the people and bring them peace
Build relationships with them, share a meal, do things together
Bring healing, show care and concern for their physical wellbeing
Finally – share the Good News that the Kingdom of God is upon us.
Evangelism is possible only if we experience it first. Reading the account of Luke 10 we discover that Jesus, the Master preacher, did not wait for people to come, but went himself, and sent his workers ahead. He sent those who had experienced God’s kingdom first hand.
Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2^nd Corinthians 1:3-4)
When we receive comfort, peace, healing, relationships, truth, and much more then we are able to give it to others.
This Fall season we are beginning to reach out to the community around us with the Good News of God’s Kingdom. Let all who have been comforted by God, let all who have received God’s Grace go and comfort others, go and share God’s grace with others.
In the same letter Paul is reminding Corinthians that we receive according to how much we invest: “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2^nd Corinthians 9:6)
About 2000 flyers are prepared with invitation to the upcoming 10 nights of Most Amazing bible Prophecies with Doug Batchelor. This afternoon we invite all to go and invite our neighborhood community to this event. Take some and invite your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, your acquaintances, anyone and everyone you come in contact with. Look at people with God’s eyes – each a candidate for God’s Kingdom. And remember - it is only after we have blessed people, developed relationships with them, and prayed for them that our presentation of the Gospel will be effective. The blessing, the fellowship, and the miracle are the tangible evidence that the Kingdom of God has moved into neighborhood and parked beside us!
Remember that Christ’s way of Evangelism begins with loving relationships. Love them into God’s kingdom, and don’t let anyone take away your experience of laboring in Gods harvest field!

Jesus' model of Evangelism

Evangelism was not on a “radar” for us in the past two years, as we were more concerned about raising the bar on Loving Relationships within the congregation, and most recently began to think about forming small groups. Yet, our current church structure offers evangelism as our strength.
Some think that if we only get a “quality” speaker, a “big name” – people would come. Consider Jesus – the best quality speaker, the Gospel-incarnate Himself: did not wait for people to come, but organized bands of disciples and sent them two by two. Read the story in Luke 10. And as they went he also instructed them with the most effective formula for evangelism.
Luke 10:5-9 presents Jesus’ model:
First of all - bless them! (vv.5-6) bless the people you are going to, wish them peace, bring them peace. Are you wishing blessings on your neighbors? What do you wish your them?

• "I wish his stereo would just blow up!"
• "Those teens are so wild, one day they’ll come home in a body bag!"
• "How can she keep having kids when she can’t look after the ones she has?"
• "I hope one of these days his car actually gets stolen so we don’t have to hear that stupid alarm at all hours!"

Before we can offer peace we must have it ourselves first. Peace, the “shalom” - absence of strife, well being, completeness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, safety, good relationships, prosperity. Pray that you may offer peace.
Second step – build relationships! (vv.7-8) Do not impose, but cherish invitations. Eat together, value relationships offered, don’t chase new ones – invest in each one offered and develop it. Instead of going from home to home getting numbers, get to know few for real. Jesus was a good cook. Every time he taught was at the table. Remember the path to a heart is through the stomach. True in marriage, true in every relationship building! Jesus spent more time building relationship - eating and drinking with people than anything else! Follow his lead!
Third step – bring healing (v.9^a) Physical infirmities close the door of the soul to receive the good news. When people are ill – pray for healing and expect miracles. This is Jesus’ way. Our evangelistic meetings need to go beyond lecturing, and offer healing for body, mind and soul every time.
And finally – preach the Gospel – the Kingdom of God has come and is available among us. (v.9^b) Spirituality is a very personal and intimate topic. Over-zealous people are always bringing it up to soon. It is only after we have blessed our neighbors, developed relationships with them, and prayed for them that our presentation of the Gospel will be effective. The blessing, the fellowship, and the miracle are the tangible evidence that the Kingdom of God has moved into neighborhood and parked beside us!
Remember that Christ’s way of Evangelism begins with loving relationships. Love them into God’s kingdom, and don’t let anyone take away your experience of laboring in gods harvest field!