Participants: Debbie Young
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000831
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01:04 Look upon Jesus, sinless is He;
01:11 Father, impute His life unto me. 01:18 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 01:26 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 01:35 Cover with His life, whiter than snow; 01:43 Fullness of His life then shall I know; 01:53 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 02:01 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 02:12 Deep are the wounds transgression has made; 02:19 Red are the stains; my soul is afraid. 02:27 O to be covered, Jesus, with Thee, 02:34 Safe from the law that now judgeth me! 02:47 Longing the joy of pardon to know; 02:53 Jesus holds out a robe white as snow; 03:00 "Lord, I accept it! Leaving my own, 03:09 Gladly I wear Thy pure life alone." 03:18 Cover with His life, whiter than snow; 03:25 Fullness of His life then shall I know; 03:36 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 03:44 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 03:53 Cover with His life, whiter than snow; 04:01 Fullness of His life then shall I know; 04:12 My life of scarlet, my sin and woe, 04:21 Cover with His life, whiter than snow. 04:48 This ASI convention, it is indeed a gala affair, 04:56 not just an extraordinary event as the 04:58 word implies. You see gala can be seen as 05:02 an acronym that captures the essence 05:05 of what ASI is all about, gratitude, 05:10 the appreciation we are quick to give Jesus, 05:12 who emboldens us to tell others about His love 05:16 and His soon return. Attitude, the spirit of 05:20 compassion and urgency that guides the intent 05:24 of every witnessing encounter. Latitude, 05:30 the flexibility of approach we seek from the 05:32 Holy Spirit to effectively reach every 05:35 person for Jesus. Aptitude, the capacity 05:41 for service, each one possesses as we 05:44 recognize that our availability is the only 05:48 prerequisite. Yes, this ASI's 60th anniversary 05:53 convention is a gala affair. God has been and 05:59 is very good to us, that is something to 06:03 celebrate, but when this session is over, 06:09 when the celebration ends and the 06:13 memories of these moments fade, what 06:17 will keep us pressing forward? What will keep 06:21 ASI an evangelism focused organization? 06:25 What will fuel our determination to partner 06:29 with divine agents to reach the world 06:31 for Jesus? These are the questions we 06:36 must answer this evening, let us pray. 06:41 Lord Jesus, I offer my heart and my soul 06:44 to you, so that I might be a mouthpiece 06:47 tonight for your message, for your people. 06:52 Give us open, receptive and vulnerable 06:55 hearts, so that we would not only be hearers 06:58 but doers. In Jesus name I pray, amen. 07:03 I have become very fond of particular story 07:07 in the Bible, one that I stumbled across 07:09 in my devotions, that I thought was very 07:12 interesting and I think it has unique 07:15 applicability for us today. And so if you 07:18 have your Bibles I would like you to turn to 07:20 Second Chronicles the 15th chapter. 07:24 Second Chronicles 15 and we're going 07:28 to meet, we're going to read selected verses 07:31 to kind of capture the flavor of the story. 07:35 So in 2nd Chronicles 15 and verse 1 and 2 07:39 it reads. And the Spirit of God came upon 07:43 Azariah, the son of Oded and he went 07:46 out to meet Asa and said unto him, 07:49 "hea ye me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. 07:55 The Lord is with you while ye be with him. 07:58 If you seek him, he will be found of you, 08:01 but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 08:05 Let's got to verse 8. And When Asa heard 08:09 these words and the prophecy of Oded 08:12 the prophet, he took courage and put away 08:16 the abominable idols out of all land of Judah 08:19 and Benjamin and out of the cities which he 08:22 had taken from Mount Ephraim, and renewed 08:25 the altar of the Lord that was before the 08:28 portico of the Lord. Verse 12 and they 08:33 speaking of Judah and Benjamin. Entered 08:36 into a covenant to seek the LORD, God 08:38 of their fathers, with all their hearts and 08:41 with all their soul. Verse 15 and all Judah 08:46 rejoiced at the oath for they had sworn with 08:50 all their heart and sought Him with their 08:52 whole desire and he was found of them 08:55 and the Lord gave them rest round the bows. 08:59 Verse 16, and also concerning Maachah 09:03 the mother of Asa the King, he removed her 09:07 from being Queen, because she had made 09:10 an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, 09:14 and stamped it, and burned it at the brook 09:18 Kidron. Verse 19, and there was no more war 09:24 until the five and thirty fifth year of the reign 09:27 of Asa. Now you can catch the flavor of this 09:31 story that this was a time in Judah's history 09:34 where there was obviously conflict and war 09:38 and unrest all around, and this had been going 09:42 on for a very, very long time, And Asa was 09:50 approached by a prophet who told him that 09:55 if you seek the Lord, He will be fond of you 09:58 but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 10:02 Well King Asa was convicted of this 10:05 mission, to serve the God of his fathers 10:09 and his responsibility to lead the nation 10:12 of Judah to do the same. Despite these 10:16 years of unrest, conflict and adversity, 10:19 once King Asa got his priorities straight, 10:22 God was able to work on his behalf and 10:25 in the lives of his people. Asa even 10:29 rebuked his own mother, destroyed her 10:32 idols and demoted her from Queenship. 10:36 You try that with your mother and see what 10:38 happens. He was committed to follow God, 10:42 no matter the cost or the consequence, 10:47 talking with their friend Dan Houghton, 10:49 the other night and he said a statement that 10:51 was very striking to me. He said you know 10:54 we must do right because it's right and 10:58 leave the consequences to God. 11:02 ASI in existence for 60 years has enjoyed 11:07 a similar type of prosperity. God's 11:10 blessing has been evident as ASI members 11:13 have responded with earnest commitment 11:16 to the Gospel commission. Our motto sharing 11:20 Christ in the market place has not been the 11:22 driving force but the inevitable result 11:25 of staying true to the mission within, 11:28 keeping God first. ASI's long history gives 11:36 meaningful reflection and encouragement 11:39 as we look to the future but we must 11:42 hasten to understand that our continued 11:45 success. God's continued blessings are 11:49 contingent upon our maintaining a deep 11:52 abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. 11:56 King Asa forgot that critical fact. 12:00 If you look in 2nd Chronicles chapter 16, 12:04 we see the unfortunate results of 12:07 underestimating the importance of 12:09 maintaining this connection. 12:12 The importance of maintaining and paying 12:14 attention to the mission within. Let's go 12:18 to our Bibles and look at 2nd Chronicles 16 12:24 and I want to just paint this picture for you 12:26 a little bit because you remember in 12:29 the beginning when Asa heard the words 12:31 of the prophet, he decided to adhere 12:34 to the counsel and go back to God an allow 12:37 Him to control their lives. Well, in this 12:40 particular chapter what happens is Asa decides 12:43 that he is going to do his own thing. You see 12:46 the King of Israel at that time decided to 12:49 come into Judis into Asa and the Kingdom 12:54 of Judah into their territory and they were 12:56 kind of reeking havoc and moving into 12:58 their space and Asa didn't really like it that 13:02 much and he decided, well what I will do 13:06 is I will approach the King of Syria, and 13:09 so he actually bribed the King of Syria and 13:12 said, you know what? Let me pay you, 13:14 I would love to pay you and give you all 13:16 these wonderful gifts and this money if you 13:20 would break your allegiance with Israel 13:22 and because kind of help me get rid of them 13:25 off of my territory. And so the King of Syria 13:30 with his eyes wide with wondering greed 13:33 accepted that proposition and he 13:36 gathered his army and his captains and they 13:39 went and they reeked havoc with Israel and 13:41 moved them away from the land. And so that's 13:46 what happened but that wasn't the end of 13:49 the story. We read in 2nd Chronicles 16 13:53 verse 7 and at that time, Hanani, the seer, 14:00 came to Asa, King of Judah, and said unto him. 14:04 Because thou hast relied on the King of 14:08 Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, 14:12 therefore is the host of the King of Syria 14:15 escaped out of thine hand. Were not the 14:19 Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, 14:21 with very many chariots and horsemen? 14:24 Yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, 14:27 he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes 14:31 of the LORD run to and fro throughout 14:34 the whole earth, to show himself strong 14:36 in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect 14:40 toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: 14:46 therefore from henceforth thou shalt have 14:50 wars. For 35 years, 35 years Judah experienced 14:57 prosperity and peace and somehow King Asa 15:02 forgot the mission within, somehow 15:06 he forgot that God was the one who secured 15:09 their presence, who protected their borders, 15:12 who gave them peace and prosperity. 15:19 Will we forget? Well being the recipient of 15:24 long time blessings bring short time recognition 15:28 about the source of those blessings? 15:31 Will multiple and continuous success 15:34 breed independence and self reliance? 15:37 It happened to King Asa and Judah, can 15:42 that happen to ASI, can this happen to you 15:46 and to me. ASI's mission is to, let me coin 15:52 the theme of this term, of this convention, 15:54 to tell the world and to tell them now by any 16:00 means possible that Jesus loves them, 16:03 wants to be the Lord of their lives and is 16:05 coming to take them home. Even though 16:08 this mission is embedded in the very fabric 16:11 of the organization, the only safeguard 16:15 against compromise and distraction is 16:18 spiritual vigilance. Our only protection from 16:23 ourselves is that we remember that we 16:26 are nothing and that God is everything. 16:32 I had a conversation with Juan Chrisman, 16:34 just the other day as the convention was 16:36 starting and we talked and we were looking at, 16:39 know there's a little anxiety for those of us 16:41 who are involved in the planning as 16:43 the convention is beginning. Do we 16:44 have all our eyes started in our tease cross, 16:47 is everything okay. Have we covered every base, 16:49 have we made every provision for every 16:51 possible emergency and Ron you know Debbie 16:56 this is really interesting. When we get 16:57 to heaven, you know what we're gonna 16:58 realize that we had nothing to do with 17:01 anything. That God took care of everything 17:05 and had everything going exactly the way 17:08 he wanted it to go. Well that's really very 17:12 interesting because we believe that we 17:14 are in charge and have some control of so 17:17 much and yet really our only task, 17:21 our only responsibility is to make the mission 17:25 within our soul motivation. Ellen White 17:30 says in a devotional that they may know 17:32 page 212. There is no safety anywhere, 17:39 Satan has come down with great power and 17:42 is working with all deceivableness of 17:44 unrighteousness in them that perish. 17:46 Those who do not follow in Christ's footsteps 17:50 will find themselves following another leader. 17:55 They have listened to strange voices until 17:58 they cannot distinguish the voice of the true 18:00 shepherd. Little by little they ceased to 18:04 hear the warnings, the reproves, the 18:07 instructions. Human wisdom came in, human 18:11 imaginations were followed. Much reliance 18:14 is placed upon human exertion and devices 18:16 and they can perceptively go on until they 18:20 are fully satisfied with their own wisdom, 18:23 their own inventions and are filled with their 18:27 own doings. Have faith in God, I am still 18:32 quoting. However stormy may be the times 18:36 looking unto Jesus was the author and finisher 18:39 of your faith, you will be complete in Him, 18:43 abide in the old pass, whoever may turn back 18:48 and that's what Asa did. No matter even 18:51 if it cost his relationship with his 18:54 mother, he was going forward responding 18:57 to the mission within to follow Jesus. Be 19:01 rooted and grounded and built up in the 19:03 most holy faith, a living epistle, known and 19:07 read of all men. I believe this is a 19:13 message relevant for ASI today, for 19:16 ASI people are independent, risk 19:19 takers, visionaries, doers, movers and 19:22 shakers for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 19:26 But we don't want these particular attributes, 19:29 gifts and talents to place us at risk for 19:33 standing alone in our own self sufficiency. 19:37 We must remember that it is the mission 19:40 within that brings us blessing and success. 19:47 It is the mission within that secures the 19:51 mission without, the conviction to keep 19:54 God first secures the mission to share 19:59 Christ in the market place. It is our 20:03 individual relationship with Jesus that 20:06 keeps our organizational mission in 20:09 proper perspective and alignment with the 20:11 Gospel commission found in Matthew 20:14 28 line 19 to 20. For how could we possibly 20:19 meet that divine imperative without 20:22 the power of the Holy Spirit. After all, 20:27 it says go and teach all that I have 20:31 commanded you and how will we know 20:34 what has been commanded if we are not 20:37 steeped in the word of God. King Asa wasn't 20:42 reminded of the mission without, to tell 20:47 and show his world about the God of his 20:50 fathers. He wasn't reminded that it was 20:53 important for him to make sure that he 20:56 passed out certain number of tracks. 20:58 He wasn't reminded that it was important 21:02 for him to adhere to a certain diet. 21:05 He wasn't reminded that it was important 21:08 for him to make sure that he told all that 21:13 he came in contact with about the Seventh 21:15 Day Sabbath. He wasn't reminded that 21:18 it was critical for him to share the principles 21:22 of Bible study and to understand how 21:25 to pray and to read the word and to 21:29 integrate that into his mind. He wasn't 21:31 reminded about those outward things, 21:35 the mission without. He was reminded 21:39 however that it was his intimate connection 21:43 with God that brought strength and success 21:46 to God's people. The mission without those 21:51 things that I mentioned before, being 21:54 important, very important and critical 21:57 must be submissive to the mission within. 22:02 The mission within meant God controlled 22:06 his life and rulership perspective. 22:10 So that when he went out to give Bible 22:12 studies, when he taught people the 22:15 principles of health. When he told people 22:18 about the wonder of the Sabbath, when 22:22 he did these things, it had power and impact, 22:28 that was important but it was only 22:31 important because he already had what 22:35 it took to fuel the power that was 22:37 needed to do those things. He had paid 22:40 attention to the mission within. I 22:45 sincerely believe that ASI has come into 22:47 existence to be a catalyst for more 22:50 affective and broad reaching spreading 22:53 of the Gospel. The historical 22:56 prospective that will unfold during this ASI 22:58 convention will give credence to that fact. 23:02 It will also reaffirm that our personal 23:06 relationship with Jesus Christ is 23:09 fundamental to igniting a passion for 23:12 ministry in the hearts of leaders, members, 23:15 supporters and observers alike. 23:19 The global impact and influence of ASI 23:23 is unprecedented. When one considers 23:27 its humble beginnings with what the world 23:30 might call a band of misfits, old, young, 23:37 rich, poor and poorer, black, white, 23:45 supporting ministries, professionals, 23:47 business owners all co-laborers with 23:51 the church. I suspect that no other 23:57 organization with similar composition 24:00 has affected the kind of worldwide 24:03 movement to realize a singular goal 24:07 for us to hasten the second coming of 24:10 Jesus Christ. You see, we setup goals 24:18 and we develop strategies and we 24:24 design marketing and promotion materials 24:31 and we, I try and understand and 24:33 identify what can we do so we have 24:35 a greater presence in the world. 24:37 What can we do for all of these things, 24:39 what can we do to be more affective 24:41 and let me tell you those are all very 24:43 good things, but I hasten to tell you 24:49 a couple of other things. The power 24:52 is not in the planning and we must 24:57 plan for Ellen White says in Gospel workers 25:01 page 236, there must be far more personal 25:05 responsibility. Far more thinking and 25:09 planning, far more mental power brought 25:15 into the labor, put forth for the master. 25:18 This would enlarge the capacity of the 25:21 mind and give keener perceptions as to 25:25 what to do and how. So planning is good 25:30 and we encourage, we're counseled that 25:32 we must plan. The power is not in our 25:38 presence, the power is not in the 25:42 innovative tools that we might develop to 25:46 use and share. To use for our sharing Christ 25:49 in the market place, but we must go 25:53 where ever Christ leads us and we must 25:55 be creative so that we can reach people 25:57 in every part of the world. Ellen White 26:02 says in the Review and Herald 1911, March 2, 26:05 God's workers must be ever on watch. 26:08 Ready to speak a word in season to those 26:11 who are searching for truth, they must 26:14 take advantage of every opportunity 26:17 to win souls for the Savior. The Holy Spirit 26:23 will guide and direct those who stand ready 26:26 to go where God calls and to speak with the 26:29 words he gives them. The power is 26:35 also not in the promotion of ASI, inviting 26:39 those of like mind and station to forces 26:42 with us, to spread the Gospel in uncanny 26:46 ways and unexpected places. I remember 26:50 our first encounter with ASI, it was I believe 26:54 maybe 1992, we were in Toronto, Canada. 26:58 Ray and I having had a ministry with media, 27:03 with radio. Quiet Moment Ministries, 27:05 we had a burden to be able to let the 27:07 community know that Seventh Day 27:09 Adventist Christians were not ordinary 27:13 Christians, Seventh day Adventist Christians 27:17 we're not those who are so involved 27:19 and in focused in our religion that we 27:23 weren't concerned and had compassion 27:26 for the needs of the world. So isn't that 27:29 Christ's method that we need to meet 27:33 the needs of those. Let them know that 27:37 we desire their good and then bid them 27:38 follow us. We were amazed as we walked 27:42 the halls, attended the general sessions 27:45 and the seminars and it was so interesting 27:47 because see in our radio program, 27:49 we interviewed people like you. Oh it was 27:54 you, people who had ministries that met 27:58 people's needs as an open doors and 28:01 opening word to be able to invite them 28:03 to Jesus. And as we looked and as we saw 28:06 all the different people amongst this crowd 28:09 that we had come to know through interview. 28:12 We realized that we had stumbled on an 28:15 evangelism gold mine and we were thrilled 28:20 with the things that we saw. And that 28:22 we experienced and we were thrilled to see 28:26 that people put deliberate attention 28:30 and strategic methodology in the 28:32 spreading of the Gospel. We're especially 28:35 thrilled to see that people were willing 28:37 to put their money where their mouths 28:38 were. But we were most impressed with 28:43 this kind of passion that seemed to burn 28:46 and urge people forward for the Gospel. 28:50 It was wonderful to see that people loved 28:53 Jesus and so much so that had bubbled 28:58 out in their lives with everything that 29:00 they did. And that they looked for 29:03 different ways, what can I do more, 29:05 how can I do different, what can I do 29:07 more to serve Jesus and to let people 29:09 know that he is coming again. And all 29:12 of this was an outgrowth of the kind 29:14 of mission within their love and desire 29:18 to serve Jesus. It was a wonderful 29:22 experience and that's why we're here 29:24 today, now we have learned as we have 29:28 rubbed shoulders with you and as if we have 29:30 talked with you and become friends, 29:32 life long friends that the important part 29:37 of this whole operation is not the mission 29:40 without, it's the mission within. What's 29:46 important that we put God first. 29:52 Ellen White says in Testimonies to The 29:55 Church volume 4 page 306. We are now 30:01 upon the very borders of the eternal 30:03 world but it is the purpose of the 30:05 adversary of souls to lead us to far off the 30:09 close of time. Satan will in every conceivable 30:14 manner assail those who profess to be 30:18 the commandment keeping people of God 30:20 and to be waiting for the second appearing 30:22 of our Savior in the clouds of heaven with 30:24 power and great glory. You see the power 30:27 is not in the planning, the power is not 30:29 in presence. The power is not in promotion, 30:32 the power is in the Holy Spirit. For Matthew 30:37 6:33 says, seek ye first the kingdom of 30:42 God and all these things will be added, 30:46 from the book, Thoughts From The Mount 30:49 of Blessings, page 101 if you will seek 30:53 the Lord and be converted everyday, 30:56 everyday. If you will of your own spiritual 31:03 choice be free and joyous in God. 31:08 If with gladsome consent of heart to his 31:11 gracious call you come wearing the yolk of 31:14 Christ, the yolk of obedience and service. 31:19 All your murmurings will seize, will be 31:22 stilled, all your difficulties will be 31:26 removed. All the perplexing problems 31:30 that now confront you will be solved and 31:34 I need to read that again, because it is 31:36 powerful, it's a wonderful promise in 31:40 support of the word of God that he will 31:42 never leave nor forsake us and he will 31:44 meet all of our needs. If you will seek the 31:47 Lord and be converted everyday. 31:50 If you will of your own spiritual choice 31:52 be free and joyous in God. It with 31:54 gladsome consent of heart to his 31:57 gracious call; you come wearing the yolk 31:59 of Christ, the yolk of obedience and 32:01 service. All your murmurings will be 32:05 stilled, some, most? No, all, all your 32:11 difficulties will be removed. All the 32:17 perplexing problems that now confront 32:19 you will be solved. The Bible says in Isaiah 32:24 54 that no weapon formed against you shall 32:28 prosper, praise God for the blessing of ASI. 32:33 But all these things have come only at 32:35 the heeding of the mission within. 32:39 The conviction to seek God first. 32:44 It's important for us from time to time 32:48 to step back and take a look, to reflect, 32:52 to understand and then refocus. 32:57 So that we can proceed as long as we 33:00 have clear in our mind's eye what the 33:02 mission and the vision is and if we don't do 33:06 that. We can get a little misguided, 33:11 little off track, waylaid, delayed. So this 33:19 kind of an event is very important. 33:24 It's important not only because we want 33:26 to celebrate where God has brought us, 33:31 but this event needs to sober us to know 33:35 that we've got double work to do. 33:39 When will Jesus come? When we've done 33:42 what we need to do. It is said that Christ 33:49 will not come until his character is perfectly 33:53 reproduced in our lives, that's the mission 33:57 within. If we don't pay attention to mission 34:01 within, the mission without becomes 34:05 more impotent. We must tend to the mission 34:10 within, First Peter 5:8 says be sober, 34:17 be vigilant because your advisory the 34:20 devil as a roaring lion walking above seeking 34:23 whom he may devour. You know, 34:24 I looked at it, look that up with me, 34:26 First Peter 5:8 and I discovered something 34:30 because we always repeated, at least 34:33 I did, always repeated that verse and 34:36 for some reason I read further and it just 34:44 gave me a whole different insight of 34:48 what I think the Bible is trying to say. 34:51 First Peter 5:8, 35:00 Alright, this is interesting. Look at 35:02 First Peter 5:8, 9 and 10. Be sober, 35:09 be vigilant; because your adversary 35:11 the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, 35:14 seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist 35:17 steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same 35:21 afflictions are accomplished in your 35:23 brethren that are in the world. But the 35:26 God of all grace, who hath called us into 35:28 his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after 35:31 that ye have suffered a while, make you 35:33 perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. 35:37 This told me that the devil was after us, 35:42 you understand that, be sober, be vigilant; 35:45 because your adversary the devil, as a roaring 35:47 lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may 35:49 devour, Whom resist steadfast in the faith. 35:54 He is targeting each one of us, 35:58 every ASI member because we're serious 36:00 about paying attention to the mission 36:01 within and he knows that if he can derail 36:04 us from that focus he's got us. 36:09 So this vigilance is really much more 36:12 critical and important then we can ever 36:15 imagine. And I have long heard sermons 36:21 and presentations and urgings and counsel 36:23 about the importance of Bible study and 36:26 prayer and fasting. And it's not until the 36:30 Lord revealed to me in the preparation 36:32 for this message that I don't understand, 36:35 the real significance. The real significance 36:40 even in the success of ASI, the importance 36:44 of me, an individual, managing and taking 36:48 care of and paying attention to the mission 36:51 within. And it told me that if I focus on 36:57 what I need to do, if each of us focuses 37:01 on what we need to do and what you 37:05 need to do. The organization will 37:07 automatically flourish, that was a Revelation 37:14 to me. May be you got it but I got it more 37:18 and so if we all pay attention to what 37:21 we're supposed to then where will ASI go, 37:26 what could stop us from conquering the world 37:28 for Jesus Christ. Yes, the power is not 37:33 in the planning, it's not in the presence and 37:36 it's not in the promotion and those are 37:38 important but the power is with the Holy Spirit. 37:41 And we get the Holy Spirit by submitting 37:44 ourselves to Jesus and paying attention 37:49 to the mission within. It's an incredible 37:55 opportunity to be able to work for Jesus, 38:00 incredible and to be vulnerable and 38:04 I believe we heard that all we need to do 38:07 is be available, it's amazing what he does 38:11 with availability. We don't have to sign up 38:14 for anything, we just have to say I'm here, 38:17 I'm ready and somehow the Holy Spirit seems 38:20 to take it from there and pulls us all 38:23 together and sets us on a right track so 38:26 that we can do what we need to do. 38:27 Now I know you've heard, you may have 38:29 heard this story but I just have to, 38:31 I have to repeat it, I have to share it 38:33 with you because it's just kind of, 38:36 to me emphasizes this point that is so 38:40 important for us to be focused on taking 38:42 care of the mission within. And I remember 38:48 it was actually in 2001 when we went 38:51 to the Philippines and that was a time 38:55 that we actually piloted the new beginnings 38:59 DVD sermon series. And a band of us unlikely 39:05 candidates for the gospel I tell you, nurses 39:07 and teachers and business people and printers 39:11 and school kids and everybody excited 39:15 and having paying attention to the mission 39:17 within said okay, we're gonna go. 39:20 We're gonna go, we're gonna take care 39:21 of this, we're gonna. We were really excited 39:24 and we'll know that we'll be able to prepare, 39:26 we'll have all of our notes and we would 39:29 have been able to study everything and 39:31 be prepared, so we had no fear really, 39:35 a little bit of anxiety but we would be 39:37 prepared. And so as we go on and Karen 39:42 Houghton may remember this. We actually 39:43 enroute to the Philippines going over 39:47 we landed in California, we went to a 39:52 restaurant and we were eating and we were 39:54 really anxious then because we realized 39:57 we didn't have all of those sermons that 39:59 we were supposed to have to be prepared. 40:03 We wanted to be ready, we wanted to know 40:07 our stuff because God requires us to be 40:10 prepared and to know our stuff. And we 40:13 we're talking there at the table and ringing 40:15 our hands just a little bit because there were 40:18 several sermons that we hadn't even seen yet. 40:22 And I a nurse was supposed to hold an 40:25 evangelistic series? Pretty scary. 40:31 And as we talked around the table it dawned 40:35 on us. You know, nothing ever dawns on us, 40:37 if you're connected, there is no such thing 40:40 as a by the way thought because the Holy Spirit 40:44 impresses if you are listening and we were 40:47 listening because we needed to hear some 40:49 because we were little scared. And so we 40:53 talked and say what do gonna do yeah and 40:56 I don't know and well when I get there I am 40:58 not even sleeping because I got to go over 40:59 all those sermons and we were just trying 41:01 to figure out how we're gonna make up 41:03 for our lost territory and the Holy Spirit 41:07 spoke to us and said gotcha. You are exactly 41:12 where I want you because I need you to 41:16 lean on me. I want you to be prepared, 41:21 to the extent that you have prepared your 41:23 heart, that you have paid attention to 41:26 the mission within, then I can work wonders 41:31 through you. Then as we realize and we did 41:35 what we did through the power of the Holy Spirit 41:38 that God gave us souls, over 3000 souls 41:43 and our small group sat in wonder with tears 41:46 streaming down our eyes, we could not believe 41:49 that something like this, souls saved for the 41:52 kingdom, for eternity because of something 41:55 that came out of our mouth and it was true. 42:02 Because we are taking care of the mission 42:05 within. So God took care of the mission without. 42:11 I remember in Kenya in the year 2005, 42:15 we went on with ShareHim, a small band 42:18 of us ASI leaders and members. And we 42:22 go over the air in and off course now we've 42:24 done this before, so we're experts. Yeah, 42:27 we're done it one time before, so we're 42:29 experts and so we're trying to figure out 42:32 how we're gonna do this thing. Now you know 42:34 as I said planning, presence, all of those 42:37 things are important, so we had planned. 42:39 And you know God has an interesting way 42:41 of addressing things because sometimes 42:43 the very things we plan that we're trying to 42:46 do in the best way, God for some reason 42:49 sees fit to upset. Just to remind us that 42:53 someone else really is in control and it's 42:56 not us and so that what comes forth is 42:59 something completely different then what 43:02 we had planned, although the outcome is 43:04 exactly what we wanted. So we had our sites 43:10 and we had plan to go you know to these 43:12 particular sites and oops, okay somebody 43:15 didn't come. So we need another speaker and 43:20 I remember Robert Folkenberg's Jr. 43:22 his wife, she was coming along to be a wife 43:26 and to help and to do what she could and 43:29 to take care of the children and whatever 43:32 needed to happen. And she got fingered; 43:34 we have another site we need to cover. 43:37 Can you preach? Said me, can I preach? Okay, 43:46 I'll try. Are you sure and do you know that 43:51 she preached with power because she submitted 43:55 a willing heart. She took care of the mission 43:58 within. So God took care of the mission without. 44:03 It really is a very simple formula and 44:07 some how we are sometimes like King Asa 44:12 and even though years and years and years 44:15 have gone past. We realize that we've been 44:18 the recipient of blessings and 44:20 successes; we just might forget who's in 44:23 charge, the mission within that's what most 44:30 important. I think of the time that again 44:40 in Kenya, now this is really interesting 44:41 because you see. When you pray and your 44:46 prayers are answered you are grateful 44:47 for that and it's a miracle and it's really 44:49 exciting but when they are not answered, 44:52 how exciting is that? What do you do 44:55 with that? How do you handle when you pray 44:58 and pray and pray and the prayer that you 45:01 are praying that one doesn't really get 45:03 get answered? And I am thinking about 45:05 the time that we were going to the site 45:09 and it was looking like it was going 45:12 to rain and I'll short and give you the 45:13 abbreviated version which for an ASI member 45:15 there is no such thing as an abbreviated version. 45:18 And so we were going to the site and it was 45:21 getting cloudy and it looked like it was 45:23 going to rain and I was nervous, what are 45:26 we gonna do? And so I prayed and said Lord 45:29 what's gonna happen here? And I was just 45:32 kind of ringing my hands and when the person 45:35 came to pick me up, he said okay Debbie 45:38 we're ready to go. I said okay, have you notice 45:40 the guy outside, did you drive in the same 45:43 place that I am. Windy, clouds kind of starting 45:48 to build a wind, so much for being in Kenya 45:52 during a time when you are not suppose 45:53 to have that kind of weather. So we get 45:56 to the site and I am sitting there with my 46:02 translator, the preliminary is finished. 46:08 I am shaking because I don't know what I am 46:10 gonna do. Because it's becoming more and 46:13 more harmonious, clouds are building in, 46:18 we get up to speak and I decide. Okay 46:21 Lord, I am gonna give this to you. it's not me, 46:24 it's you. And I raised my hand and I say we 46:29 need to pray that God holds back the rain 46:31 because you need to hear this message. 46:36 And I pray and God answers my prayer. 46:40 The clouds kind of hang in the sky and it turns 46:44 this interesting orange purple pink color. 46:49 And we preach and we go to through sermon. 46:50 We extended appeal people come forward, 46:53 we are really blessed, we get people together 46:55 and we get all their names and we make plans. 46:59 We get every thing together and then 47:02 everybody is about ready to go home those 47:03 who have come for. Because everybody 47:04 else is left to walk home and the sky's cut loose. 47:12 My what an experience that was, I could have 47:15 floated home. No one had to take me home because 47:19 God answered my prayer that was exciting. 47:23 Because I had extended myself, I am taking 47:25 care of the mission within and said okay 47:28 Lord Mission without. That's your territory; 47:36 next night same exact thing happened only 47:43 it started raining before we got to the site. 47:47 I am saying okay Lord what about this prayer 47:49 that I am praying that you know, that I did last 47:52 night, it didn't work tonight. As we get 47:56 there and the people are under the over hangs 47:59 and I ask the pastor he said, what do we 48:02 do. He says he asked the people, the people said 48:05 we need to have a meeting. So we get 48:08 things together and kind of try and jury rig 48:10 something underneath the tents. And then 48:12 much to our surprise and really not without 48:15 us really paying attention, we look up and 48:18 the rain stopped. And it dawned on me, 48:21 boy God you are really something, because 48:24 somebody out there was praying desperately 48:26 for rain. And I was praying desperately 48:30 for no rain and isn't it just like God to be able 48:36 to answer anyone and everyone's prayer 48:39 at the same time. We must take care of the 48:43 mission within and leave the mission without 48:46 to God. So on this 60th anniversary of ASI 48:52 with the history of God's leading to give us 48:56 confidence and the promise of his 48:59 presence to give us courage for the future 49:05 when challenges seems to overwhelm. Remember 49:09 the mission within, when the very foundation of 49:12 the organization seems to crack under the 49:15 pressure of scrutiny and criticism. Remember 49:18 the mission within. When the limits seem to have 49:23 no solution, remember the mission within, when 49:28 growth and progress out strip the 49:31 organizational infrastructure. 49:34 Remember the mission within. When 49:37 interpersonal relationships are 49:39 strained by disappointments, 49:41 failures or diverging opinions, remember the 49:44 mission within. When distracted by good things 49:50 and tempted to stray from the original 49:53 mission, remember the mission within. 49:59 In this hurry up world, with a mindset that 50:03 thinks everything is most effectively achieved 50:06 by a remote, a microwave, fast food or 50:08 some other kind of instantaneous method. 50:11 We need to hit the pause button and attend 50:15 to the mission within. When we've said the 50:18 last amen and depart to tell the world that 50:24 is what will keep us pressing forward 50:27 the mission within. That is what will keep 50:31 ASI an evangelism focused organization 50:35 the mission within. That is what will fuel our 50:40 determination to partner with divine agents 50:43 to reach the world for Jesus. The mission 50:47 within, I end with this quote from Jeremiah 50:53 29:12 and 13. Then shall ye call upon me, 50:58 and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I 51:01 will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me 51:04 and find me, when ye shall search for 51:08 me with all your heart. The mission within. |
Revised 2014-12-17