"PEOPLE NEED THE LORD"
I was sitting and listening as the
congregation belted out the words of the well loved song by
Steve Green, "when will we realize, people need the Lord." The pastor
indicated after the song it was now my turn to stand and speak. So I took my
notes from my Bible and left them on the chair beside me and walked to the
pulpit and turned instead to Matthew 9 :36-38, -" Seeing the
people, He felt compassion for them,because they were
distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to
His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are
few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest
to send out workers into His harvest." To "send out" means to
"EJECT"- Laborers need to be ejected into Gods Harvest. The problem is not
that there are not enough lost people to go around, the problem may be the
unwillingness of people to value Jesus Christ enough to care for those whom He
died for and be willing to allow Him to eject them into a part of the harvest,
where laborers are needed.
Not far from where John Keith and I had been
for three weeks, we saw poverty we had never seen before, We met
an extraordinary couple, Terence and his dear wife, who for 6 years
have been going into various poverty infested areas feeding the poor a
bowl of soup a day and when possibly accompanied by some yogurt and
bread. All donated and wonderfully prepared by Olga and Eric { who had been
Terrence, Sunday school teacher when he was a boy} Terrence in a small
truck packs his truck, at times John Keith- who gets car sick {but never told
us} sat back there in the heat of the noon day sun in a vehicle piled up
with food for those who had none to feed them and daily and weekly, and
monthly and yearly Terrence and his dear wife and a few volunteers minister to
these people who stand in the heat of the noon day sun- waiting for a bowl
of "Gruel" like looking stuff. Where do they get their support? From the Lord
Almighty turning to Him to ask not only for the provision for these dear souls
who sit in darkness but also for themselves so they may eat and pay their bills.
That morning I challenged the people who had
wonderfully and heart-fully sang "People need the Lord" to consider the passage
from Matt 9 when Jesus looked on the multitudes "He felt Compassion" When we look at those in
the shacks - called homes to hundreds of thousands not far from where we were do
they "FEEL" "Compassion" or "Contempt" for those souls whom Jesus hung on the
cross for?. It is one thing for us to sing "People need the Lord." It
is quite another thing to be moved with compassion. The difference between
feeling sorrow and compassion, can be summed up this way. "Sorrow will
move your emotions. Compassion will move your will and cause you to ACT on the
circumstances and own it as though it were your own and do something about
it.
The Disciples were told to "Pray to the Lord of
the Harvest to beseech the Lord to send- compel laborers into
His Harvest". People need the Lord- but are you ready to be the answer to the
prayer to be sent into His Harvest? When you look on the multitudes who are not
like you, don't smell like you, do you "feel" compassion - and act upon it or do you
"feel contempt" and like
the religious in the story of the good Samaritan walk on the other side of
the street - having come from worshiping the Lord leaving someone
wounded and lying in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. But you
have been to "church" and have participated in "church" things. But what about
the People? Is church just about singing songs, hearing someone speak, having a
nice cup of tea or coffee afterwards. Trying to beat the mad dash to the nearest
local restaurant to eat more food than you actually need?
"AIDAN I WANT TO GO TO SOUTH AFRICA WITH
YOU"
The Day before I left to fly to South Africa, I Called a dear
widow to check on her, and she was excited John -Keith and I were going
to South Africa. She said "Aidan I want to go with you. I know your leaving
tomorrow but I am going to send a check" And in the picture below? You see
myself and Terrence shake hands after he had traveled to hear me speak at a
men's breakfast.
Terrence daily feeds people throughout the
region. He does not have enough help, nor a truck big enough to carry the "soup"
to the hungry. If you would like to help, in ministering you may contact Mike
Budler , who is a missionary with Evangelical Baptists Missions who can answer
any questions you have in partnering in helping; {For
more information contact Mike Budler at(http://capetown.ebm.org);
;serving at
www.gracebaptistparklands.co.za sent by Village Baptist Church (www.vbcaurora.org) and assisted by
Evangelical Baptist Missions (www.ebm.org)} They have an account set up titled
"POVERTY FUND". Please contact Mike for more details to any questions you
may have
Those who had provided bread for his ministry
had stopped donating so he had to buy some cheap bread
where possible. So I told him as we shook hands that there was a lady who on
behalf of herself and her husband who now was in Heaven wanted to
participate - and half of the money I was giving to him was for bread , the
other part for him and his wife. Here is a lady who had no idea that she would
be feeding people half way around the world...and neither did I when I
received from her a gift on behalf of the Master to aid in the
Harvest.....
We had been looking into the exact way we could
give people an opportunity through a reputable ministry in South
Africa to give to help those who in some cases have one meal a day to feed
a child and to also have the tracts in their native tongues so they may hear of
Jesus who not only at one stage "FELT
COMPASSION" but today still "FEELS COMPASSION" and calls for His church
to "Beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into His
Harvest." We are thankful that through Mike Budler and the organization he is
with- any resources which are given are totally given towards the ministry. IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO MINISTER TO THE "SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION" you may write to us at
our ministry address- mark your check for "South Africa" and we will make sure
100 per cent gets to where it is needed. Already by His doing , He has raised up
the resources to put a 38 year old lady through Bible school for the next year -
paid for. It started with seventy cents from my youngest son Isaiah who is 8 and
within one week we had enough to pay for her schooling , so she may share the
GOOD NEWS in her own language. We want to be apart of His Harvest and invite you
to join us if you wish.
In my message that morning we looked at 4
ways we can advance the Gospel in our circumstances-
1. -Pray- 2. Proclaim- 3. Provide.
4. Practice it-. Yes people need the Lord .... but are you
willing to be one of those who like Isaiah will say "Here am I Lord, send me."
Terence's wife is ill and in need of prayer. Yet the harvest has occupied
their horizon. Is the song "People need the Lord" - a lovely song to you
or does it cause you to act out in response? To pray that God may give you a
heart to pray and make you and send you as a laborer into the Harvest of
the Lord"- wherever He chooses.
If you would like to be part of the Ministry to support those in
need of food for their stomach's and food for their souls. PLEASE CONTACT MIKE
Budler at the address information above or feel free to contact us, us and
we will put you in contact with those who can answer your questions. And like
that dear widow ," Go..." and make a difference. Nothing is too small. in the
furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
PRAY FOR THE MINISTRY IN SOUTH
AFRICA - where beauty and Poverty co exist- where two worlds are
so close yet so far, where songs abound towards Heaven "People need the Lord"
and where not far away." few believe and put into practice by the committing of
their own lives to minister and share, and show and give , and be to a
people the hands and feet and heart of the Lord who loves not merely
the church goer who sings truth but those who are dead in sins , in need of
truth bearers and truth carriers." He still FEELS COMPASSION
In the words of the song;
"When will we realize ...people need the
Lord."
Would you make this your prayer today for my
family , yourself , your family and congregation,
1. GRANT US COMPASSION
2. TEACH US TO PRAY
3. MAKE US LABORERS
4. EJECT US INTO YOUR HARVEST
LORD.
"God forgive us
for our lack of compassion for the lost and our feelings and action of contempt
and indifference. please grant onto us a heart of compassion and teach us
to pray that you will send forth laborers into Your harvest.... and if it would
pleas You.... here am I Lord, send me"
Thank you , PLEASE , PLEASE
PRAY