Weekly Post

Believe God is working

Psalm 100:5 says:

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

It matters not what generation you are from—His goodness, His mercy, and His truth are still promised to be there!

We experienced the greatness of that promise again this Sunday in Tea, South Dakota. We had 22 people present, including two deaf men.

I did my best to help them understand what was being said and done, but being unable to sign, I felt much like an interpreter would feel in a foreign country—trying to communicate without knowing the language.

The McDaniels were ministering on “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” and as I watched these two men, I began thinking about how desperately we needed a way to communicate the Gospel to them.

Then I was reminded of something that happened more than 30 years ago.

While pastoring in Salem, Kentucky, we hosted a large Fourth of July celebration. Several area churches attended, including a church from Jonesboro, Illinois. Among those attending were a set of twin sisters.

Years later, one of those twins married a man from South Dakota. We have been in contact with them since arriving here.

Then we discovered something we could never have orchestrated ourselves: she has a degree in sign language!

There’s only one problem—she lives more than three hours away.

But we are now working on using technology so that she can interpret our services remotely, allowing the Gospel to be communicated to these two deaf men.

Think about that for a moment.

More than 30 years ago, God was preparing a young lady to learn sign language.

He knew there would come a day when she would be needed in South Dakota.

He knew two deaf men would walk through the doors of a church that had not even been started yet.

He knew that two 70-year-olds would answer the call to come to South Dakota.

He knew a family of missionaries would be on furlough at just the right time.

And He knew exactly what it would take for two deaf men to hear the Gospel!

That’s not coincidence.

THAT’S GOD!

We may not always understand what God is doing in the moment, but He is working behind the scenes, preparing people, opening doors, and putting pieces together that may be separated by decades and hundreds of miles.

His goodness is everlasting.

His mercy is everlasting.

And His truth endureth to all generations!

HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH

Weekly Tea

Big Church–Little Church

The size of a church is not always determined by its numbers. Large numbers do not necessarily make a large church, just as small numbers don’t necessarily make a small church.

• Any church is small when it loses its vision for evangelism. That holds true for evangelizing the unsaved in other places, too. The challenge Christ gave us includes taking the Gospel to our own community as well as to other parts of the world. It’s a big church, regardless of the numbers, that seeks to reach the lost!

• Any church is small whose members think little of church attendance, prayer, service, or giving. If the attitude is, “How little can I do and still get by?” that church is little. It’s a big church, regardless of its numbers, that thinks in terms of giving its best.

• Any church is small if it doesn’t challenge its young people with full-time Christian service. It’s a small church if the mothers and fathers have to apologize when their children consider the ministry. It’s a big church that sends its best into the service of the King.

• Any church is small where giving is measured by minimums and not maximums. The church is not what it is costing; it’s what the church is doing! It’s a small church that gives grudgingly. It’s a big church, regardless of numbers, that gives of its means with joy.

Any church, regardless of its size, can become large. Any church, regardless of its size, can become small!

Weekly Tea

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Therefore, it is very important to listen. Jesus said, "The first commandment is, 'Hear, O Israel...'" (Mark 12:29). The Bereans were complimented for their listening in Acts 17:11: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind (listening)." Jesus frequently urged His listeners, "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15, 13:9).

We should also listen to one another. One of the ways we show genuine interest and love is by listening. Studies show that we spend around seventy percent of our waking hours in some form of communication, and that forty-five percent is spent in listening. In May 1977, at Southgate, Kentucky, the Beverly Hills theater fire killed 167 people. Reports from the tragedy said a busboy took the microphone from two comedians on stage and told the audience there was a fire, explained where the exits were, and told people to leave immediately. It took the audience a full minute to respond. Many thought he was part of the act. People lost life-giving seconds because of a listening problem. Here are a few ways to improve our listening:

• Find someone to listen to — We are way too concerned with finding someone to talk to. At this moment, someone needs you to listen to them. Paul said, "...weep with those that weep" (Romans 12:15), and again in Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens." One way to fulfill these admonitions is by listening to someone who lives alone, someone who has lost a loved one, or someone going through a personal crisis. Each needs someone who will listen.

• Stop talking — James 1:19 says, "...let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." President Lyndon Johnson had a plaque in his office which read, "You ain't learning nothing when you're talking." God gave us two ears and only one tongue, which He placed in a cage behind ivory bars. Perhaps He wanted us to listen twice as much as we talk. We learn what we can do to help by listening. A physician once wrote, "Many people do not need a doctor; they need an audience." To influence others for good, we need to listen.

• Ask questions — Philip began his conversation with the eunuch by asking a question, Acts 8:30, "...Understandest thou what thou readest?" Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do men say that I the Son of Man am?" (Matthew 16:13). After breakfast with His disciples, Jesus again asked a question about the extent of Peter's commitment, John 21:15, "Lovest thou me?" Listening to ask questions helps us keep on track. It helps us know how a person feels and how we can help.