The Holy One calls to me this morning to share the beginning of a new day. His voice is clear and His directive undeniable: "Focus on souls, not on the temporal things, and ask that the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into His harvest fields".
Taking care of an elderly, dependent parent brings a sense of responsibility not unlike taking care of a child. We can worry about provisions and meeting the temporal needs of another human to the exclusion of the great commission.
The Holy One is not telling me to ditch my assignment to go to the front lines of the war for souls but His gentle message does cause me to look at my priorities. I know that the battle for souls is raging and time on the clock and calendar is running out. The sand in the hourglass is almost all in the bottom chamber and we must realize time itself is about to end.
One of the things I love and appreciate about eternity is that eternity is time-less and I look forward to that aspect of our eternal destiny: leisurely living. The older I get, the slower I go, so eternity as a clock-absent existence gets more and more endearing as the years on earth fade into history.
Here on earth and throughout my life, time has provided a sense of urgency and been like a whip driving me on to the next thing I feel that I need to accomplish. Its a flesh thing and I will be glad when it is no longer a calculation to be considered. The clock and calendar represent a time cycle of needs vs getting the resources to meet them and priorities can start with pursing the god of this world AKA money.
I hear His voice and my inward thoughts go to the objective of the "church". We are made up of commissioned individuals who come together for community. We are like-minded and like-commissioned people with different gifts called to accomplish the objective: to grow the Kingdom of Heaven for our King. For He is not content that any should eternally perish without Him.
When I read about the beginnings of the "Church of the Way", on the day called Pentecost, the message delivered to the audience of listeners brought 3000 "souls" into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Acts 2:17, Peter addressed the crows, "In the last days, God says, "I will pour out My Spirit on all people:" and he proceeds to tell of Jesus and how prophecies from ancient days spoke of Him. The power of the Spirit was so strong upon Peter and his message, that 3000 accepted his message, believed in Jesus and were baptized and were added to their numbers that day.
The church as a community of like-minded people who believed and were saved was established.
The early church is a model for us of true fellowship and family love but then I come to the question and wonder is there a difference between winning souls and adding people in our efforts to grow the church today? Then there is the issue of persecution and how does that factor into church growth or withering? Persecution is one litmus test in the issue of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The early church knew the danger of following Christ and many had to face the decision between death or denial. Therein also became their life and death dependency on each other as they lived under the persecution and its threats.
The church today is much different, at least here in America. We live far removed from dire persecution and our belief in Jesus can stem from an intellectual religious schematic rather than a deep emotional attachment from our hearts and soul.
Priorities are different when we are committed to winning souls for the Kingdom rather than people for the Church. We are all brought to a place where we must decide where we place the priority of monetary pursuits and the church is no different, just corporate in that decision making. Building the Church on earth as opposed to building the Kingdom of Heaven has different priorities and I wonder if the Lord is pleased with our efforts?
Money to keep the doors open and programs functioning is a necessary part of the administration of an organization, but the Church is not to be so much an organization as an organism with each committed individual doing his or her part. At the top of the "must do" list of each and very one of us should be the priority to pray for lost souls "that the Lord of the harvest" send workers to reap those His Holy Spirit has made ripe unto harvest.
This conviction leads me to to pray for "eyes" to see others as the Lord sees others which may be the key to viewing souls as Jesus does: lost and in need of a Savior. And then to co-labor with Him in His mission to bring these lost souls into His Kingdom.
If we can just diligently pray for more souls to come into the Kingdom of Heaven, I trust that more people will be brought into the church.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Taking care of an elderly, dependent parent brings a sense of responsibility not unlike taking care of a child. We can worry about provisions and meeting the temporal needs of another human to the exclusion of the great commission.
The Holy One is not telling me to ditch my assignment to go to the front lines of the war for souls but His gentle message does cause me to look at my priorities. I know that the battle for souls is raging and time on the clock and calendar is running out. The sand in the hourglass is almost all in the bottom chamber and we must realize time itself is about to end.
One of the things I love and appreciate about eternity is that eternity is time-less and I look forward to that aspect of our eternal destiny: leisurely living. The older I get, the slower I go, so eternity as a clock-absent existence gets more and more endearing as the years on earth fade into history.
Here on earth and throughout my life, time has provided a sense of urgency and been like a whip driving me on to the next thing I feel that I need to accomplish. Its a flesh thing and I will be glad when it is no longer a calculation to be considered. The clock and calendar represent a time cycle of needs vs getting the resources to meet them and priorities can start with pursing the god of this world AKA money.
I hear His voice and my inward thoughts go to the objective of the "church". We are made up of commissioned individuals who come together for community. We are like-minded and like-commissioned people with different gifts called to accomplish the objective: to grow the Kingdom of Heaven for our King. For He is not content that any should eternally perish without Him.
When I read about the beginnings of the "Church of the Way", on the day called Pentecost, the message delivered to the audience of listeners brought 3000 "souls" into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Acts 2:17, Peter addressed the crows, "In the last days, God says, "I will pour out My Spirit on all people:" and he proceeds to tell of Jesus and how prophecies from ancient days spoke of Him. The power of the Spirit was so strong upon Peter and his message, that 3000 accepted his message, believed in Jesus and were baptized and were added to their numbers that day.
The church as a community of like-minded people who believed and were saved was established.
The early church is a model for us of true fellowship and family love but then I come to the question and wonder is there a difference between winning souls and adding people in our efforts to grow the church today? Then there is the issue of persecution and how does that factor into church growth or withering? Persecution is one litmus test in the issue of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The early church knew the danger of following Christ and many had to face the decision between death or denial. Therein also became their life and death dependency on each other as they lived under the persecution and its threats.
The church today is much different, at least here in America. We live far removed from dire persecution and our belief in Jesus can stem from an intellectual religious schematic rather than a deep emotional attachment from our hearts and soul.
Priorities are different when we are committed to winning souls for the Kingdom rather than people for the Church. We are all brought to a place where we must decide where we place the priority of monetary pursuits and the church is no different, just corporate in that decision making. Building the Church on earth as opposed to building the Kingdom of Heaven has different priorities and I wonder if the Lord is pleased with our efforts?
Money to keep the doors open and programs functioning is a necessary part of the administration of an organization, but the Church is not to be so much an organization as an organism with each committed individual doing his or her part. At the top of the "must do" list of each and very one of us should be the priority to pray for lost souls "that the Lord of the harvest" send workers to reap those His Holy Spirit has made ripe unto harvest.
This conviction leads me to to pray for "eyes" to see others as the Lord sees others which may be the key to viewing souls as Jesus does: lost and in need of a Savior. And then to co-labor with Him in His mission to bring these lost souls into His Kingdom.
If we can just diligently pray for more souls to come into the Kingdom of Heaven, I trust that more people will be brought into the church.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saving Souls or Just Adding Bodies?
The Holy One calls to me this morning to share the beginning of a new day. His voice is clear and His directive undeniable: "Focus on souls, not on the temporal things, and ask that the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into His harvest fields".
Taking care of an elderly, dependent parent for years brings a sense of responsibility not unlike taking care of a child. We can worry about provisions and meeting the temporal needs of another human to the exclusion of the great commission. However, wherever we find ourselves in the boundaries of our circumstances, there is always something we can do to advance our Kingdom and glorify our King.
In that season of my life, the Holy One was not telling me to ditch my assignment to go to the front lines of the war for souls but His gentle message caused me to look at my priorities. I know that the battle for souls is raging and time on the clock and calendar is running out. The sand in the hourglass is almost all in the bottom chamber and we must realize time itself is about to end.
One of the things I love and appreciate about eternity is that eternity is time-less and I look forward to that aspect of our eternal destiny: leisurely living. The older I get, the slower I go, so eternity as a clock-absent existence gets more and more endearing as the years on earth fade into history.
Here on earth and throughout my life, time has provided a sense of urgency and been like a whip driving me on to the next thing I feel that I need to accomplish. Its a flesh thing and I will be glad when it is no longer a calculation to be considered. The clock and calendar represent a time cycle of needs vs getting the resources to meet them and priorities can start with pursing the god of this world AKA money.
I hear His voice and my inward thoughts go to the objective of the "church". We are made up of commissioned individuals who come together for community. We are like-minded and like-commissioned people with different gifts called to accomplish the objective: to grow the Kingdom of Heaven for our King. For He is not content that any should eternally perish without Him.
When I read about the beginnings of the "Church of the Way", on the day called Pentecost, the message delivered to the audience of listeners brought 3000 "souls" into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Acts 2:17, Peter addressed the crows, "In the last days, God says, "I will pour out My Spirit on all people:" and he proceeds to tell of Jesus and how prophecies from ancient days spoke of Him. The power of the Spirit was so strong upon Peter and his message, that 3000 accepted his message, believed in Jesus and were baptized and were added to their numbers that day.
The church as a community of like-minded people who believed and were saved was established.
The early church is a model for us of true fellowship and family love but then I come to the question and wonder is there a difference between winning souls and adding people in our efforts to grow the church today? Then there is the issue of persecution and how does that factor into church growth or withering? Persecution is one litmus test in the issue of loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The early church knew the danger of following Christ and many had to face the decision between death or denial. Therein also became their life and death dependency on each other as they lived under the persecution and its threats.
The church today is much different, at least here in America. We live far removed from dire persecution and our belief in Jesus can stem from an intellectual religious schematic rather than a deep emotional attachment from our hearts and soul.
Priorities are different when we are committed to winning souls for the Kingdom rather than people for the Church. We are all brought to a place where we must decide where we place the priority of monetary pursuits and the church is no different, just corporate in that decision making. Building the Church on earth as opposed to building the Kingdom of Heaven has different priorities and I wonder if the Lord is pleased with our efforts?
Money to keep the doors open and programs functioning is a necessary part of the administration of an organization, but the Church is not to be so much an organization as an organism with each committed individual doing his or her part. At the top of the "must do" list of each and very one of us should be the priority to pray for lost souls "that the Lord of the harvest" send workers to reap those His Holy Spirit has made ripe unto harvest.
This conviction leads me to to pray for "eyes" to see others as the Lord sees others which may be the key to viewing souls as Jesus does: lost and in need of a Savior. And then to co-labor with Him in His mission to bring these lost souls into His Kingdom.
The Lords final words to His followers was the "Great Commission": "Go into all the world and make disciples".......
If we can just diligently pray for more souls to come into the Kingdom of Heaven, seek and seize the opportunities we are given to model what it is to be a "Child of the King", I trust that more people will be brought into the church as well as into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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