Chronicles

God gave this word to me shortly after returning from Portugal in
September of '05. I had actually posted a message in Off Topic from
the hotel kiosk, where we were staying in Lisbon. It was a great trip
and my mind was opened to a great many things, one of which is how
good we actually have it here in the U.S.

Maze


I know it has been a while, since I have shared one these, but God
opened my eyes to some things during our mission trip. On our recent
venture to Portugal, during our group devotion in the morning, we each
had a chance to lead two devotional times. Well, I went with what
comes easy for me. I prayed for God to start up with the weekly words
again and I would use those to lead my times of the devotional. God
was awesome in what He shared. On our approach to Lisbon, from
Frankfurt, I noticed that were infinite numbers of apartment buildings
throughout the city. This is how the people there live. From the rich
to the poor, everyone seems to live in an apartment. I then began
looking at a little bit bigger picture. Seeing all of these buildings,
they formed an intricate maze, like the ones you used to try and solve
as a child. But, with no start and no finish. Then, I saw all the
people that looked lost in these mazes. I was taken back by the
amounts of people roaming the streets with, what looked like, no where
to go. When we got to the hotel room and I began studying to find some
biblical examples of what I saw, I came across a few verses that I
really liked and that spoke to me personally. The first comes from
Jeremiah 50:6 and it says:

My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray
and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and
cannot remember how to get back to the fold.

That really spoke to me in that here I am looking at all of these
people and saying to myself "How have they all gone astray?" Some were
lead that way by the devil, himself, and others by false teachers.
Others have fallen away from their Christianity. Either way, they are
lost and need to be found. Which brings me to the next verse, which
comes from Romans 2:19:

You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a beacon
light for people who are lost in darkness without God.

Now, I looked at the whole context, and it didn't seem to make
sense to what I was thinking, but the verse by itself spoke to me in a
way that totally made sense. We, as Christians, as supposed to be a
guide sent by God, to help lead the lost to the Lord. We are God's
shepherds to lead those to the beacon of light, who is our Lord, who
are lost in the darkness that is our world. But then comes the
challenging part. Going when you are called to go. I found a verse in
one of Jesus' parables. It comes from the story of the lost sheep:



"If a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is
lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others and go
out into the hills to search for the lost one?" Matt 18:12



I told the guys that I felt that we left the ninety-nine, our
families, friends and co-workers, to go find the lost sheep. It's a
tough thing to do, being obedient to God's call, but once you do it
and take that first step, God takes care of the rest. And some people
may ask themselves, what if only one person gets saved, or no one at
all? Well, it is not up to us to save someone, that is all God. We are
called to be obedient and that's what we were. But even if it is only one:

Luke 15:7

"In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who
returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and
haven't strayed away!"


From the same story, Jesus spells it our pretty clearly. Even if
it's just one, he died for that one and heaven will have a party for
that one. So, don't feel as though you may not accomplish anything if
no one gets saved right in front of you. Be obedient, go plant a seed.
God will grow that seed and you may not find out what happens until
you get to heaven. In the meantime, go lead the lost out of their
maze, a maze that is engulfed in the dark. God will be with you the
whole way because:

Psalm 23:4

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be
afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect
and comfort me.


Thank you all for being a part of our lives. I believe if you pray
about it, God will give you somewhere to go, whether it is here at
home, or abroad. We are all called to go somewhere. God bless and have
a great day.




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JR