Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read our updates. 2014 has been a landmark year for the directors of LOTV. It was great to see the work of the Holy Spirit guiding us along the way. From Psalms 136, I’m reminded that whatever happens to us, “His mercy endures forever”, Amen. We strive hard to stick to our goal, which is to bring more sheep to His fold, through works requiring love and faith, which the Lord has supplied to us in measure.
It does take a lot of love through Jesus Christ to help those who are struggling in their lives. The basic human nature of being uncomfortable around strangers, thinking our way is the best, and the challenges in life are met head-on every time we try to help someone. The old saying that “it’s their problem, not mine”, is often the norm when we look around us; however, we can find our own self-centeredness when we recall those teenagers aboard the Korean ferry that killed hundreds. Many heard the call from elders and authority figures to go back to their cabins and wait for help. There were too many obedient Korean teenagers on that boat, unfortunately. Because all the crew members saved their own skin left the children behind.
I recently started on reading Susie Jennings autobiography, 31 Days of Mountaintop Miracles. After the death of her husband, she mentioned that when she started to practice obedience, she asked, “what can I do for you Lord and the community?” The Holy Spirit spoke to her heart, to help the homeless, and that’s when the blessing of the Lord begin. And the rest as they say is history. Obeying the voice in our hearts from the Lord is something I have learned over the years, and it is not an easy thing to follow, but with the help from the Holy Spirit, it can become incredibly easy and wonderful to experience.
Society’s ethnocentricity and our culture/race often become norms, and “rules” we think are acceptable, as was in Jesus’ time. So that’s why many Jews still did not believe the Messiah when He was right before their eyes, because they lost their true focus. That is what I pondered for the past 2 years. Why does God not open the eyes of more Christians to see that our real enemy is Satan, and he’s using our pride, religion, and culture to divide us and make us draw further from God? We believe in men more often than in God, and for that, we will all be in danger of the spiritual death as well, if we don’t wake up someday. The notion I hear from other Christians, is “that’s not what I was taught”, which makes me think back of how I had that same attitude in the past. But thank God, I came a long way since, and hope to encourage you that in your prayers, ask for God’s “will”, if you dare, because it will open your hearts and mind, and you may like what you see and understand.
But the more I look, and search out His will, the more I realize how important it is for me to help bring back His lost sheep. And the more I work in His name, the more I’m finding out my own understanding is lacking. His sheep are out there; who’s going to lend a helping hand? So yes, I’m grateful God brought Andrew, our Executive Director, as my spiritual big brother. I pray that more of His workers will join our efforts: In the name of Jesus Christ, not in the name of any denomination or church organization. As is when God called out, “whom shall I send, and who will go before us?” Hope we all reply, “Here am I, send me.”
Dave