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Articles by Jack Canady |
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THE TIME HAS NOT COME Dear Leaders Chosen of God, It was a historical church in New England. The building looked like a Norman Rockwell illustration. Its steeple pointed toward heaven, but for many years, the preaching from the pulpit did not lift up Jesus as the hope of the world. The empty message had emptied the building. The handful of people left, were asking our Mission for help. These nice people had been working hard to keep the doors open but were beginning to lose hope. I wondered, as I talked to them, "Do any of these people really know You as Savior, Lord? Some of them are up in years. If they do not know You where will they go when they die?" I knew the answer but I prayed the prayer anyway. "What can I say that will open the door for one of our missionary families to come here and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ?" "You have one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen," I began. "I know you have worked hard to keep these doors open. I notice that your tall steeple points toward heaven. That is what we want to help you do. The pastor we will send to you will do what your steeple does. He will lift up Jesus as the way to heaven and he use the book you have sitting on the table at the front of your sanctuary as the guide of life. He will be preaching from the Bible." They were delighted and voted on the spot to ask us to send them a pastor. After the meeting an older couple escorted us to our car. "Thank you so much for coming," the husband said as he enthusiastically shook our hands. My wife and I accepted Christ as our Savior long ago. We have been praying 15 years for this moment." Back in Israel's history, the people had been waiting for 16 years for that moment to come. They were a minority of refugees in a land that use to be theirs. God had told them to rebuild the temple, (His house). They started with enthusiasm but had been completely shut down. Those now in control did not want it to happen. Then one day someone said, "It is time to finish what we started." Unfortunately the response of the leaders was not the same as the people in that New England church. "THE TIME HAS NOT COME," they said, (Haggai 1:2). How many times have you heard words like that Leaders Chosen of God? Would you be in God's service today if you had listened? Then God had His prophet preach. "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this house to lie in ruins," (1:3)? WOW! Speak of the direct approach. In those days prophets had been killed for less. How would these refugees respond? "Then Zerubbabel (Governor)...and Joshua (High Priest)...with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him...and they came and worked on the house of the LORD," (1:12, 14). FINALLY the right response! That was REVIVAL! It took four years but the house of God was rebuilt. It took several years of faithful preaching in that New England church but it is now a solid lighthouse for the Gospel and sound preaching of the Word of God. In both incidents two of the things God used were His faithful messengers and people who finally said yes to God. Be God's visionaries. When those around you say it can't be done, you be the one to say, "It IS God's time!" If those to whom you preach that message say yes to God, hold on. God will do the impossible. In His love, Pastor Jack |
Copyrights: Content (c) 2012 Circuit 'Riter Ministries. |
