Quote from Forum Archives on October 16, 2001, 8:59 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Yesterday, the Weekly Verses brought out a theme about how
important it is that we recognize our role and purpose in life -
to seek our God and serve Him in every aspect of who we are and
what we do. So often, it is our attitude that affects the end
result.

Just as it did yesterday, the scripture points us to the Lord,
accomplishing HIS purposes in our lives rather than our own. I
can tell you something profound about making that choice and
sticking with it. God may not necessarily give you what you
want, and almost certainly He will do things that you are not
expecting. This happens in my life all the time. But the one
thing God WILL always do for each of us is what is best. If we
are struggling in one or more areas, yet we cling to God,
faithfully following in the direction that He sends us, I can
assure and guarantee you that what will result is far better than
anything I could EVER engineer on my own.

So once again, we are left with the question, "How will I respond
today to God?" Will I offer myself to Him, or will I continue to
demand to have things my own way, and continue to avoid His plan
for my life? I'm asking myself those kinds of questions - are
you?

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

October 16

The Key to the Master's Orders

"Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His
harvest" (Matthew 9:38).

The key to the missionary's difficult task is in the hand of
God, and that key is prayer, not work -- that is, not work as the
word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting
of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary's difficult
task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of
medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The
key is in following the Master's orders -- the key is prayer.
"Pray the Lord of the harvest ..." In the natural realm,
prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that
prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.

From Jesus Christ's perspective, there are no nations, but only
the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but
with regard to only one Person -- Jesus Christ? He owns the
harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction
of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that
laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people
all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap
even one of them, but simply waste our Lord's time in
over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to
come into your father's or your brother's life -- are you there
as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your
response, "Oh, but I have a special work to do!" No Christian has
a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ's
own, "a servant [who] is not greater than his master" (John
13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he
intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work -- He calls
us to Himself. "Pray the Lord of the harvest," and He will
engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.

Authorized By The Oswald Chambers Publications Association,

1997 RBC Ministries--Grand Rapids, MI 49555-0001

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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