“Survive what?”, you ask. The current election cycle? The immigration crisis and the problems (criminal and societal) it has caused across our nation? The State sponsored moral crisis that has invaded our society and culture? Programs and policies that do more to divide Americans than unite us? Etc., etc., etc… I’m sure that anyone reading is already thinking about any number of specific examples for the categories of issues facing not only our nation but every American citizen, in one way or another.

As Christians, we know (or should know), and often tell others that God is in control, but what do we mean when we say that? Do we mean that, at the end of the day, God will work all things together for the good of His people (Rom 8:28), or do we mean that God actually controls and directs the affairs of men and their nations? We suggest the latter. The two theological terms we use to describe God’s role in the affairs of men are His “sovereignty” and His “providence”. They are inextricably connected, but different terms. John Piper describes them as:

“God’s sovereignty is his right and power to do all that he decides to do. Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” But notice that nothing in that definition of sovereignty refers to God’s wisdom or God’s plans. When he decides to do a thing, he does it, and no one can stop him. That’s sovereignty.

So, to make sovereignty a Christian concept, not just a philosophical one, we have to bring in other things we know about God from the Bible, like wisdom and justice and righteousness and grace. Providence, however, includes what sovereignty doesn’t. Providence, as I use the word and as most Christians have used it, is sovereignty in the service of wise purposes. Or you could say providence is wise and purposeful sovereignty.”[i]

To return to the issue of America surviving our tumultuous times, John Piper offers the following concerning God’s sovereign rule over nations:

· Psalm 103:19: “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” That’s true now, and that’s true always.

· Psalms 47:2: “The Lord . . . is . . . a great king over all the earth.”

· Proverbs 8:15: “By me kings reign.” There’s no reign of any king anywhere at any time except by God’s decree.

· Daniel 4:17: “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

· And when God puts the kings in place, he governs what they do. Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”[ii]

Several passages in the book of Daniel describe God’s control of the nations:

“He [God] changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:21 NIV)

God raises up rulers as well as removes them. Daniel also wrote,

“For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones. The purpose of this decree is that the whole world may understand that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses—even to the lowliest of humans.” (Daniel 4:17 NLT)

The prophet Daniel made it quite clear to the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar that God is the ruler of the nations when pronouncing judgment upon him. He said,

“You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.” (Daniel 4:32 NIV)

Not only is God the sovereign ruler over the nations, God is the One who ultimately judges the nations. The psalmist wrote about this aspect of God’s character. He said,

“I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’” For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. (Psalm 75:4-7 ESV)

The prophet Daniel stressed the fact that God will give the kingdom to whomever He wills. He can withdraw kings as well as raise them up. They rule at His pleasure.

So What?

What does all that have to do with our nation, the United States of America? Will we survive? Will the upcoming election result in America becoming great again, or will the current decline continue? Will American thrive again, or is judgment coming against a nation that seems to have turned against God?

Well, since the fate of our nation is in God’s hands, perhaps we should ask ourselves the same question Dr. Francis Scheffer asked in the title of one of his books, “How Should We Then Live?”. Do we, as Christians have a specific mission – a particular job to do as we wait for the blessed return of Christ to rule and reign on earth?

That question was answered by Jesus himself when, on his way to Jerusalem to meet his fate he, along with some of his disciples visited the home of the tax collector Zacchaeus and told them a parable:

“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”(Luke 19:12-13, KJV)

We know the rest of the story. The servants who invested the money given to them were commended, while the one who buried it for safekeeping it was chastised.

We are to ‘occupy’, (‘do business’ in more modern translations) until Jesus comes back. What business? Jesus left no doubt their either:

“ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Matt 24:14)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

No matter what our main occupation or situation in life might be, we are to be about the business of the gospel, proclaiming it and making disciples. We are to be about ‘investing’ the gospel in our own lives and in the lives of others. We should be continuously growing in our own knowledge of God and His Son, sitting under sound Biblical teaching, and at the same time pointing the lost around us to the Cross of Christ and helping other believers grow in their faith.

And that isn’t just the mission we have as individual Christians, but it’s also the calling and mission of Christian Military Fellowship. CMF exists to help Christians, especially those serving in our Armed Forces not only grow in their own faith, but also to be engaged in the Great Commission until Jesus returns to rule and reign forever.

[i] Are God’s Providence and God’s Sovereignty the Same? | Desiring God

[ii] Does Christ Rule the Nations Now? | Desiring God

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” – (John 10:27-29)

“No stronger passage in all the Word of God can be found guaranteeing the absolute security of every child of God. Note the SEVEN STRANDS in the rope which binds them to God.

FIRST, they are Christ’s sheep, and it is the duty of the shepherd to care for each of his flock! To suggest that any of Christ’s sheep may be lost is to blaspheme the Shepherd Himself.

SECOND, it is said “They follow” Christ, and no exceptions are made; the Lord does not say they ought to, but declares they do. If then the sheep “follow” Christ they must reach Heaven, for that is where the Shepherd is gone!

THIRD, to the sheep is imparted “eternal life”: to speak of eternal life ending is a contradiction in terms.

FOURTH, this eternal life is “given” to them: they did nothing to merit it, consequently they can do nothing to demerit it.

FIFTH, the Lord Himself declares that His sheep “shall never perish,” consequently the man who declares that it is possible for a child of God to go to Hell makes God a liar.

SIXTH, from the SHEPHERD’S “hand” none is able to pluck them, hence the Devil is unable to encompass the destruction of a single one of them.

SEVENTH, above them is the FATHER’S “hand,” hence it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to jump out of the hand of Christ even if they tried to. It has been well said that if one soul who trusted in Christ should be missing in Heaven, there would be one vacant seat there, one crown unused, one harp unstrung; and this would grieve all Heaven and proclaim a disappointed God.

But such a thing is utterly impossible!”

~ Arthur Pink, “Exposition of the Gospel of John”

Article by Tony Reinke, Senior writer, desiringGod.org

On the extent of who will be saved, the Bible makes two clear points:

1. God desires that all sinners be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23; Matthew 23:37).
2. God chose some people from eternity past (the elect), to be saved unconditionally, and only those elect will genuinely respond to the gospel and be saved (Matthew 22:14; John 6:37, 44, 65; 8:47; 10:26–29; Romans 8:29–30; 9:6–23; 11:5–10; 1 Corinthians 1:26–30; Ephesians 1:4–5; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; James 2:5).

But how these two biblical truths (that seem to contradict) actually relate, has perplexed theologians and inquiring Christian minds for many centuries, sparking vigorous debates and (more recently) fiery comment threads on Facebook.

This pair of doctrines force questions like:

• Can God genuinely will that all be saved (1), and yet only choose to save only some, the elect (2)?
• Is it even logical to hold that God can at the same time will salvation for all (1), and not will salvation for all (2)?
• If (1) and (2) are true, is God schizophrenic or confused? (1 Corinthians 14:33)
• Or can a sovereign, all-powerful God who does whatever he pleases, hold wishful desires for the salvation of all that he cannot fulfill?
• Which leads to asking, is there a power in the universe greater than God, frustrating his desires?
• Or can God will in different ways simultaneously?
• Or should modern Christians simply downplay election in order to highlight God’s desire for the salvation of all?
• Because if we equally hold to election, isn’t our general offer of the gospel to all sinners disingenuous?
• And won’t election erode the energy and incentive for global missions and evangelism that we derive from God’s desire for all to be saved?
• And how does the ultimate aim of God’s own glory factor into this discussion?

These are just a few of the thick questions involved.

Finding the answers is like climbing Mount Everest. Not everyone is up for the climb, but we believe it can be done, and there are guides to help if you want to make the attempt. John Piper offers himself as a Sherpa of sorts for the steep climb in his new little book, Does God Desire All to Be Saved?

If you’re asking these types of questions — and if you’re up for the climb — the 50-page book is available as a free download here, or purchase here.

Tony Reinke (@tonyreinke) is a senior teacher for Desiring God, host of the Ask Pastor John podcast, and author of Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions (2024). He lives in the Phoenix area with his wife and three children.

“I am the True Vine.”—JOHN 15:1.

ALL earthly things are the shadows of heavenly realities,—the expression, in created, visible forms, of the invisible glory of God. The Life and the Truth are in heaven; on earth we have figures and shadows of the heavenly truths. When Jesus says: I am the True Vine, He tells us that all the vines of earth are pictures and emblems of Himself. He is the Divine reality, of which they are the created expression. They all point to Him, and preach Him, and reveal Him. If you would know Jesus, study the vine.

How many eyes have gazed on and admired the great vine at Hampton Court, with its beautiful fruit. Come and gaze on the Heavenly Vine till your eye turns from all else to admire Him. How many, in a sunny clime, sit and rest under the shadow of their vine. Come and be still under the shadow of the True Vine, and rest under it from the heat of the day. What countless numbers rejoice in the fruit of the vine. Come, and take, and eat of the heavenly fruit of the True Vine, and let your soul say: I sat under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste.

I am the True Vine. This is a heavenly mystery. The earthly vine can teach you much about this Vine of Heaven. Many interesting and beautiful points of comparison suggest themselves, and help us to get conceptions of what Christ meant. But such thoughts do not teach us to know what the Heavenly Vine really is, in its cooling shade, and its lifegiving fruit. The experience of this is part of the hidden mystery, which none but Jesus Himself, by His Holy Spirit, can unfold and impart.

I am the True Vine. The vine is the Living Lord, who Himself speaks, and gives, and works all that He has for us. If you would know the meaning and power of that word, do not think to find it by thought or study; these may help to show you what you must get from Him, to awaken desire and hope and prayer, but they cannot show you the Vine. Jesus alone can reveal Himself. He gives His Holy Spirit to open the eyes to gaze upon Himself, to open the heart to receive Himself. He must Himself speak the word to you and me.

I am the True Vine. And what am I to do, if I want the mystery, in all its heavenly beauty and blessing, opened up to me? With what you already know of the parable, bow down and be still, worship and wait, until the Divine Word enters your heart, and you feel His Holy Presence with you, and in you. The overshadowing of His Holy Love will give you the perfect calm and rest of knowing that the Vine will do all.

I am the True Vine. He who speaks is God, in His infinite power able to enter into us. He is man, one with us. He is the Crucified One, who won a perfect righteousness and a Divine life for us through His death. He is the glorified One, who from the throne gives His Spirit to make His Presence real and true. He speaks—oh! listen, not to His words only, but to Himself, as He whispers secretly day by day: I AM THE TRUE VINE. All that the Vine can ever be to its branch, I WILL BE TO YOU.

Holy Lord Jesus! the Heavenly Vine of God’s own planting, I beseech Thee, reveal Thyself to my soul. Let the Holy Spirit, not in thought, but in experience, give me to know all that Thou, the Son of God, art to me as the True Vine.

Murray, A. (1898). The Mystery of the True Vine: Meditations for a Month (pp. 15–19). J. Nisbet & Co. (Public Domain)

This is the 6^th post published at my other blog, The Battle Cry, with “The Main Thing” as the subject. There are links to the other posts at the bottom of today’s edition. We thought today (11 Feb 2024) would be a good day to reemphasize what is perhaps the world’s most important truth.

You simply cannot escape the excitement and fervent lead-up to the Super Bowl, each and every year. It’s non-stop for just about every media outlet you can imagine. The ‘Greatest Superbowl Ad Ever’ campaign is already underway, as well as innumerable opportunities to buy all sorts of San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs ‘stuff’. Brittany Mahomes (wife of the Chiefs’ QB) is on the latest SI Swimsuit edition. Our daughter-in-law, an absolute sweetheart, even posted a picture of a 49ers cake she baked.

I confess that we (the DanDee couple) watched the playoffs in anticipation of one of our teams making it to the big one. That didn’t happen so maybe we’ll each pick a team and just enjoy watching the game. We still like watching, especially since it seems like some of the controversy over kneeling for the national anthem and ‘woke’ beer commercials have died down.

Having said all that, it might be important to mention that this year, with another presidential election in the near future, just might be the most significant period in the history of our nation, if regardless of which political party, if any, has your allegiance. It does seem like the Super Bowl and the upcoming election are the two topics dominating the national media, with the several international crises following right on their heels.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve become accustomed lately to reading headlines and skipping detailed articles. I’m not just talking about the above topics. You can add natural catastrophes, wars and rumors of war, rising crime, young children being ‘groomed’ to consider what is abomination to God completely acceptable and normal behavior, along with all the rest of the LGBTQ(??) and ‘woke’ agendas. Current issues and events can easily makes us fearful, angry, or both.

To summarize, it just seems like things are becoming worse and worse all across the planet. Christians shouldn’t be surprised, however, because the Bible does tell us that “lawlessness, as well as many other catastrophes and disasters will increase” as we approach the return of Christ, the removal of His church from this earth and His impending judgment. (Matthew 24:2-26). What are we, as followers of Christ to do? To borrow from Dr. Francis Shaeffer’s timeless masterpiece, “How Then Shall We Live?”.

First, it’s important to remember that all of the ills of our culture, our nation, and indeed the entire world are a result of the first Adam’s sin and fall in the Garden of Eden. It’s also self-evident that we cannot, as individuals, solve many of the problems and issue we face in today’s world.

We can however, when we realize that much of what ails us, our nation, and our world can be traced to the sin that resides in the hearts and minds of sinful fallen men, be positive change agents. And that, my friends brings us right back to ‘The Main Thing’ – the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, in at least two ways.

1. It is only the gospel of Jesus Christ – his perfect life, death and resurrection for the sins of his people that can resolve the issue of sin! By his perfect life, death and resurrection Jesus paid the price for our sin, satisfying God’s just wrath toward the sins of his people.

“He (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, ESV)

2. God has entrusted his children with the mission of sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world around us, making the Great Commission perhaps the greatest privilege the Creator has ever bestowed upon his creation!

With all that said, I ask myself, “How ya doin’ with that?”

Today, if not every day, is a good time to ask ourselves if we are keeping the main thing, the MAIN thing!

Be Blessed!

________

Links to the other “Main Thing” posts:

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing – What IS the Gospel?

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing – Christ died for OUR SINS

Keeping the Main Thing The Main Thing – What Happened on the Cross?

The Main Thing is STILL the MAIN THING

The Main Thing is Still the ‘Main Thing’

The movie/film series based on Dr. Schaeffer’s book can be viewed on YouTube at: How Should We Then Live (1977) | Full Movie | Francis Schaeffer | Edith Schaeffer (youtube.com)

Here is the introduction to a lengthy, yet hugely informative article concerning the “He Gets Us” campaign, some of which filled screens during the NFL playoffs and will again appear during the Super Bowl.

Last year, I wrote an article called “7 Problems with the He Gets Us Campaign,” in which I critically responded to the $100 million advertising campaign featuring a website, billboards in major cities, a book, and ads that have been viewed more than 300 million times. Perhaps most visibly, the campaign’s ads were featured in last year’s Super Bowl. When thousands of people went searching for more information on it, my article came up, and it went viral—actually pulling down my site at one point! Clearly, a lot of people are interested in knowing more about the nature of these ads.

Fast forward to 2024. Super Bowl Sunday is in a few days, and He Gets Us will once again be running ads that generate widespread curiosity. Given the reach of the campaign and high interest level, I wanted to do an updated evaluation of what He Gets Us is doing today. To that end, I’m going to answer four questions:

1. Does the He Gets Us Campaign get skeptics interested in Jesus?
2. Does the He Gets Us Campaign get skeptics interested in the right Jesus?
3. Do the He Gets Us campaign reading plans take people to the next level of understanding Jesus (beyond the slick website and TV ads)?
4. Does the He Gets Us campaign direct people to theologically solid churches for continuing their search for truth?

I highly recommend reading this latest article, as well as Natasha Crain’s first article, which is linked to above and can also be accessed here. The remainder of this article can be read online at:

Here Comes the He Gets Us Campaign Again: Why Its Portrayal of Jesus is Still a Problem | Natasha Crain

Be Blessed!

Paul wrote his second letter to the church in Corinth c. 56 A.D., possibly from Philippi. At the time of that letter’s writing many people, particularly Jews, did not accept Paul’s gospel. To them it was veiled, but Paul would not change it to make it more palatable, as his opponents had done (see 2 Cor 11:4). Those who rejected the gospel message were unable and unwilling to accept it, aided in their unbelief by Satan, the “god of this world” (cf. Eph_2:2) who, though defeated by Christ continues his hold over this present world. His blinding of peoples’ minds makes it impossible for them to see the light of the gospel.

Paul wrote both of his letters to the Thessalonian church c. 51 A.D, a few years earlier than his letters to the church in Corinth. In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul hoped to encourage their young but growing faith, He also spoke of the end times, reminding them that the Lord’s second coming was still in the future, contradicting the false teachers who had been presenting fake letters as if from Paul and telling the Thessalonian believers that the day of the Lord had already come.

Paul had already told them (2 Thess 2:1-4) that before Christ’s return the “lawless one” (the antichrist) would enter history, proclaiming himself to be God. Paul told them that God Himself would send a “strong delusion” to unbelievers so that they would believe the lie and worship the man of lawlessness. Ultimately, Jesus would kill the man of sin with His very breath when He does return and Satan defeated once again, this time for all eternity.

Can you see the similarities in Paul’s letters? First, the work of Satan is evident in both. Paul told the church at Corinth that Satan was, and still is “the God of this world”, while in writing to the Thessalonians, Paul described Satan’s last attempt to truly rule the world by ushering in the man of sin to proclaim to be God, ultimately to be defeated for eternity (Satan and the antichrist).

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Paul describes unbelievers in both passages as having “blind minds” and being under a “strong delusion” so that they are unable and unwilling to hear and understand the message of the gospel and be saved. Rather, they would believe lies. And when we look around the world we live in today, it seems like we are living in an overwhelming “sea of lies” on multiple fronts, or as one of my Battle Buddies describes it, a moral cesspool. that was unimaginable 20 years ago.

Why is all of this significant!?

I’m glad you asked! No matter how bad it seems (insanity on steroids?) our mission as believers and pilgrims on this earth has never changed and it never will. That mission is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world. Paul almost makes that sound like “mission impossible”. I said “almost”.

When we remember that we have been called to merely be faithful to the message of the gospel (1 Cor 15:1-4) and let God do the “saving”, it’s not just mission “possible”, but a mission with guaranteed success! God will open hearts to hear, just as He did with Lydia in Philippi (Acts 16); and Jesus WILL Save His people from their sins! (Matt 1:21)

_______________

All scripture references are from the ESV translation.

Be Blessed!

The above quotation is from the Season 16, Episode 15 of the popular television crime drama, NCIS, titled  crossing the Line. It was spoken by an NCIS Agent to his son. The Agent was later killed in a Navy Yard bombing while his son was visiting him at work. The son visited the NCIS offices as a high school student several years later to try and find closure. But enough of the NCIS episode, and why did I mention it?

Watching the old show again (original shows are always better than the spin offs) reminded me that our NCIS quote has been spoken by wise parents to their children, military leaders to their troops, managers to their employees, and mentors to their mentees for probably centuries, in one form or another. It reminds us that instead of complaining about problems and issues, we should be about fixing things if we are able.

As an an old retired soldier myself and also a Christian, I am also reminded of another quote, “Jesus is the Answer”, which was an Andre Crouch song from 1973, and later covered by countless Christian musicians.

The truth is, quite frankly, that Jesus IS the answer to all the world’s problems, both personal and cultural, political, and societal. And while I understand being part of the solution to problems, we as Christians can never “be” Jesus. We cannot, and never will die for the sins of others, but we can share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – that it was the incarnate Son of God who did die for the sins of His people, and in so doing be part of the ultimate solution.

Regardless what our temporal purpose might be, we have an overarching purpose to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in a lost and dying world.The Apostle Paul defined that message quite clearly in his 1st Letter to the Corinthian church:

“ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,  and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, “ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, ESV)

Be blessed as you go forth and proclaim it!

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus’ statement to his disciples in the above passage that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few brings to mind at least three questions:

1. Where is the harvest?

2. What is the harvest?

3. Who are the laborers?

Question 1: Where is the harvest?

If we are to use Jesus’ example in this passage to define the location of the harvest, we must include first of all, towns and villages, along with their synagogues in which Jesus taught both religious leaders and the ordinary people in attendance (v 35). Second, we should conclude that there is a harvest wherever Jesus saw crowds of needy people (v 36). Third, the harvest field might be described as being ‘out there’, since Jesus spoke of ‘sending’ laborers into the harvest field. In other words the ‘harvest’ is wherever there are people.

Question 2: What is the harvest?

On a macro level, the harvest is defined as a ‘field’. It’s interesting to note that in the passage, the terms harvest and field are singular. Perhaps Jesus was referring to God’s called out remnant people as a single entity, what we might call the universal invisible church. If so, it’s a really BIG field!

On the micro level, we can say that it’s a ‘people’ field, in the same way we might be driving through Illinois and see miles and miles of corn fields. The harvest Jesus spoke of is made up of people – people who are ‘harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’ Where there is no shepherd to protect and care for the sheep, they are harassed by the wolves and are often become lunchmeat, as it were. In spiritual terms, everyone living apart from Christ (the good Shepherd) is being constantly ‘harassed’ by sin and ‘helpless’ to do anything about it. The difference between sheep and wolves on one hand, and people and sin on the other is that sheep are afraid of angry wolves and people apart from Christ love their sin.

Question 3: Who are the laborers?

Our passage from Matthew ends with Jesus telling his disciples to ‘ask the Lord of the harvest (God) to send laborers (field hands) into his (God’s) harvest field. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples that he would be sending them (which he did), he told them to pray that more laborers be sent! It seems to be a given that field hands be sent by God. Jesus didn’t say ‘pray for more workers’, he said ask the Lord to send more.

Then there is a matter of the qualification(s) required for working in God’s harvest field. Well, since the job defines the qualifications, and in our passage we have Jesus proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (the gospel), might we say that God’s laborers are those who know his gospel? And since Jesus looked upon the crowds with deep compassion should compassion for the lost be the mark of the most effective worker?

Now that we have described the laborer in the harvest as a compassionate proclaimer of the gospel, we need to ask if qualified ‘field hands’ are limited to those who are specially gifted preachers, teachers, evangelists, etc.? We say no, and here’s why. There are at least two groups of people in the New Testament who provide us examples. The first group is includes those who personally encountered Jesus and then told others. The woman at the well, the man born blind, and the women who went to Jesus’ tomb come immediately to mind. There are many more.

The second group would be those who, after Jesus’ resurrection, and beginning at Pentecost, heard the gospel and believed – several thousand in Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost followed by many, many more, in Judea, Samaria, and parts beyond. Read the book of Acts for an account of how and where the gospel was proclaimed, carried by gifted and empowered preachers, teachers and evangelists, but also shared by ordinary folks; Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, soldiers and civilians, male and female, who had heard and believed the gospel.

My Christian brothers and sisters, the ordinary folks are US!

One last question: Are you a field hand, or just a consumer?

Be Blessed!

Many of you know that I have been connected to a Christian ministry, Christian Military Fellowship (CMF) for over 40 years now that supports men and women in our Armed Forces, linking them up with each other, providing excellent Christian growth resources, and equipping them to be ambassadors for Christ in the military. Since I first published this blog post, CMF has redesigned its worldwide web presence at the above link, making it more user friendly. In addition to updating the Web site, CMF has joined the Faithlife community and made available to CMF members, an extensive suite of Bible study resources from Logos.

In the years I have been connected to CMF, I’ve had the opportunity to be an integral part of the ministry as a Local Contact, Local Representative, Area Coordinator and have also served in a leadership role. Of all the parachurch ministries focused on our men and women in uniform, CMF is among the smallest, and at the same time unique in that the ministry vision is to equip men and women in uniform to be ‘indigenous’ missionaries in uniform.

Hers’s a true story. Years ago, a Chaplain at Ft. Devens invited me and another Christian brother to a men’s breakfast sponsored by a local church of his denomination. He told the men in attendance that active duty soldiers like the two of us were able to take the message of the Gospel to places where he could/would never be able to set foot. That made a huge impression on me and confirmed to me that rather than attend Bible College and Seminary with an eye to the Chaplaincy (once a personal goal) was not where God wanted me to be, but as a soldier for Christ I was to remain in the enlisted ranks of US Army Special Forces, from which I retired in 1996 as a Sergeant Major.

Please take a few minutes to check out Christian Military Fellowship, as well as  Faithlife and Logos. maybe become a part of the CMF family, or even just support the work that they do. Without the support of regular folks like you all, either directly to CMF, or via charitable organization campaigns like the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), we wouldn’t be able to do what we do for our men and women in uniform.

Feel free to share this with your friends and families and thanks for a few moments of your time!

Be blessed!