The Laborers

The Laborers

“The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.”

Luke 10:2

Sometimes the smallest things leave the most lasting impressions. That’s what happened to me last week when I visited the construction site for Zion Ministerial Institute’s new bible school. Laborers working in the searing heat of the tropical sun were passing buckets of cement up two stories, bucket brigade style, to pour into forms for the concrete pillars that would be the main supports of the building. It wasn’t how hard they were working that caught my attention although they certainly were. And it wasn’t how difficult the conditions were or the sacrifice being made for $7 a day even though both were readily apparent.

No, it was the fact that many people, students, staff and visitors alike, would enjoy the fruit of their labors for many years to come. What they were doing was going to be lasting; it was going to be lasting in importance, lasting in the difference it made for the school and lasting in having a part in bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. In a world in which so much is disposable and in which so much time and energy are expended on temporary pleasures and pursuits, the perspective of what they were doing was both refreshing and challenging.

Paul wrote that “our work will be shown for what sort it is”. The Message Bible warns us that “eventually there is going to be an inspection of our work” and that “the inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing.” If we live for today and settle for the temporal, we can expect that the heavenly inspection report will not be very complimentary. But if, on the other hand, we invest in the future and build for the eternal, looking to make a lasting difference, we can expect that the Lord who sees in secret will reward us openly.

The thought of “the Lord who sees in secret” was highlighted that day by seeing laborers whose head and face were almost entirely covered by scarves to protect them from the scorching sun. For all practical purposes, they were unrecognizable. In a similar way, we may labor in obscurity in an area of ministry or in our secular occupation but God sees and He’s the only one who counts. And the hard work and the sacrifice part of their labor only reflect the fact that building something that will make a lasting difference in other lives is much more costly in terms of what is required of us.

Let’s beat God to the inspection and take a look at how we are spending our time, talents and resources. Let’s make sure that the investment we are making with our lives is making a lasting imprint on the lives of others.



God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Intangible of Prayer

The Intangible of Prayer



“Because I know how it’s going to turn out. Through your faithful
prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
everything He wants to do in and through me will be done.”

Philippians 1:19 MSG

In getting ready to leave for the airport in a little less than 2 hours, I’m checking and double checking to make sure I have everything packed for my trip to the Philippines. The list is pretty long:



* 15 Study Bibles (for the Bible School graduates)
* 12 Bottles of Vitamins
* 6 Bags of M&Ms (Easter colors of course)
* Notes for teaching in the Bible School & for speaking at a seminar
* 4 Packages of Licorice, Dove Chocolates, Lido Cookies, etc
* 4 Computer Programs, 1 Cordless Microphone, batteries, etc
* 18 books, 2 other Bibles, Taco Seasoning, Assorted Cheeses, etc
* 2 Hair Straighteners (for the missionaries, of course)
* And innumerable pictures of Hope (so maybe I’m a proud grandpa……..)



Unfortunately, the most important ingredients for this trip being successful aren’t items that I can pack in my suitcases. Those are what Paul was referring to in the verse above when he expressed his confidence that “everything God wants to do in me and through me will be done.” That sounds like an incredible statement to make but Paul knew, first of all, that people would be faithfully praying for him. And he knew from experience the importance and power of prayer offered on another person’s behalf. Knowing that others would be praying for him inspired Paul during this season of his being a Roman prisoner, causing him to be confident not only in his deliverance but in God fulfilling every purpose He had for Paul’s life.



And while I started out applying this verse to my situation and my needing prayer while ministering in the Philippines, my thoughts turned to others who may be needing our prayers to help them in difficult situations. Whether they are battling physical ailments, personal difficulties, or struggling to hold onto hope for the future, we all know those who desperately need our prayers, prayers that will tip the scales in their favor, prayers that will bring the resources of heaven to their aid, prayers that will quite simply make a difference. Are there those in your life who need your faithful prayers? Is it time for you to rise to the occasion for a friend or loved one who isn’t sure how things will turn out in their life? Your faithful prayers are more important than you realize; start today to call on the Lord on the behalf of others who need your help. You’ll be greatly rewarded!



God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Warning Signs

Warning Signs

“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours
become a stumbling block to those who are weak.”

I Corinthians 8:9

Seeing a warning label on a snow blower the other day to “keep hands away from spinning blades” brought a chuckle. It reminded me of my all time favorite warning sign, found on I-94 north of Detroit:

PRISON AREA: DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS

While I have no doubt that the sign is well intentioned, it has somewhat weakened my confidence in Michigan’s Department of Corrections. But at least it has the goal of protecting the person reading the sign. Most warning signs are placed on power tools, appliances and other items, not for the safety of the reader but to protect the company from lawsuits arising from misuse of their product. McDonald’s “Contents Are Hot!” warning label on their coffee is a classic example, born out of a lawsuit, filed and won, by someone who burned themselves with “too hot” coffee.

God’s warnings to you and I are quite different; they are placed in the Word for our sake and our sake alone. They have been given to keep us from needless suffering and sorrow and from bearing the fruit of wrong choices and decisions. I Corinthians 10:12 is a great example of that:

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

Paul was writing and warning about the danger of being overconfidence in ourselves and losing that sense of depending and leaning on the Lord. So often, when everything is going good in our lives, we drift from that place of reliance upon God to trusting in our own ability. And it doesn’t take long for us to get in trouble and make mistakes when God is out of the picture. The scripture at the top of the page is a warning to consider the effects our actions will have on others before we act so that we don’t cause someone who is weak in their faith or new in the Lord to stumble and fall. What is freedom for one person can cause real difficulty and trouble for another. Paul’s warning to consider that in our choices and actions was so that we had a right effect on those around us.

As we read the Word, let’s keep in mind that all the “take heed’s” and “bewares” are there for our benefit. God knows our hearts and our predispositions; He knows our every strength and our particular weaknesses. His warnings are always redemptive, strategically placed for our good. God’s only hidden agenda is His incredible love for you and I. Let’s be more open than ever to His Word being a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.



God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Artificial

Artificial

“….so that you can decide what is best, and thus
be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ.”
-Philippians 1:10

Sunday night it was watching “The Fugitive” and the search for the man with the artificial limb who murdered Dr. Kimble’s wife. On Monday, I put out the coffee for the ladies meeting and, of course, had to fill up the bowl with not only real sugar packets but the artificial sweeteners as well, the blue packets of Equal and the pink packets of Sweet N Low, something for everyone. Back to Sunday and we were discussing replacing the Peace Lilies with artificial versions that won’t have to be watered and trimmed and that won’t suffer the effects of the constant temperature change in the sanctuary.

At Christmas time, there are artificial trees which we’ve resisted so far at home (the real 10 footer John brought home this year was just incredible but that’s for another time). We have artificial hearts being developed by the medical profession, artificial teeth as we age (I know that “crowns” sounds so much better), and who can forget artificial intelligence. And then there is the “artificial smile” reserved for those situations when showing our true feelings is totally inappropriate!

To say that something is artificial is to say that it is an imitation of what is real, not natural or genuine, void of life and incapable of growth. And no matter how commonplace the use of artificial items becomes in our lives, we have to be on guard against the same thing happening in our spiritual lives. Paul warned Timothy of such a thing in II Timothy 3:5 when he spoke of those who “maintained the outward appearance of religion but denied its power”.

Let me try and explain: my four front teeth are artificial, the result of an accident when I was a child. They look real to everyone who sees them, with the exception of the dentist, but they’re not. They are real in appearance only. In the same way, it’s possible to have a Christianity that has all the right appearances, but on the inside is empty and void of life. Jesus came that we “might have real and eternal life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 MSG)

The world is constantly telling us that outward appearance is what matters most but God’s message is the opposite: He is concerned about our hearts, about the inner man, and about the flow of life in each of us. God’s desire is that each one of us experiences life in all its fullness. Artificial Christianity will never satisfy the needs in your life. Don’t be fooled by it; don’t settle for it. The real thing, found in a relationship with the Lord, is there for the man or woman willing to seek after it. And you can rest assured that when you find it, you’ll never let it go!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church