A Word from Our Missionary
Several folks have asked me what the Association will do now that we have decided to delay any action on purchasing an office site. As I prepared to preach in one of our churches last Sunday, this was on my mind, and I thought of the situation faced by the Apostle Paul and some of his co-workers in Acts 16.
1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Paul had good intentions of going on in his missionary travels, but twice, the Lord stopped him from doing so. It was surely not a sin to want to spread the Gospel, but it was not God's timing for this particular band of missionaries to go in either of those directions at that time. While they waited, however, Paul was able to accomplish some important tasks.
First, he built upon what God had already done. He shared the decision of Acts 15, that the Gospel was equally open to Gentiles and Jews, with the churches in the area where he was. The result was stronger churches that were reaching people for Christ (v. 5).
Second, he worked with the people closest to him, building his team in two ways. One was to invest himself in preparing a young believer named Timothy, helping him get ready for mission work and ministry that would outlast his own. The other was adding a believer named Luke--OK, so you don't see his name in there, but notice the change from "they" to "we" in verse 10. The author of Luke and Acts joined Paul's team at this point, and Luke became a faithful partner for years to come. It's interesting to me that during this delay, God brought into Paul's circle men who would account for four books of the New Testament--one man who would write two books (Luke/Acts) and one man who would receive two books (1/2 Timothy).
Third, he was ready when God opened a door of opportunity. As soon as God sent the Macedonian Call, "Immediately we sought to go." That's the kind of obedience God expects from all of us. A period of forced waiting doesn't mean we'll never move again; we need to be like a bench player in basketball, keeping one eye on the game and another on the coach so that we'll be ready to go in the minute we're called.
So, while we're waiting to see if God will lead us toward the purchase of a building or building site, let's build on what He has already done. Pray for our Mission Trip, and be open to God's call to new ones. Use your VBS preparation and materials to plan the very best VBS you can have this summer to reach lost people and build up believers. As you plan for your new church year, encourage every worker to get some kind of training to teach God's word more effectively and to reach more people for Christ.
Build up the people closest to you. Help encourage your members, but also those of neighboring churches. Come on out to Brotherhood and let other men see that they're not alone in the workplace as believers in Christ. Be an active part of our Ministers' Conference and share your ideas and concerns with others. God isn't writing any new Scriptures, but He's certainly still helping us understand the ones we already have. Consider taking part in one of our Continuing Education classes to deepen your understanding of the Bible.
Finally, be ready when God opens doors of opportunity. New ministries are around us, waiting to be discovered by willing workers. When God gives you a vision, confirm it with Scripture, share it with fellow believers, and go through that open door of service.
May our Lord richly bless you,
Bro. Ray
