Ready to Harvest Fields?

Mat 9:37-38--Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
x
x
Our church just finished up its Vacation Bible School for 2008, the first school we have had in several years. We had a lot of new workers along with those who have done VBS many times before. The one thing that seemed to be on their hearts was, "How can we touch kids?" I saw one lady who was hardly able get up as she moved around to the songs and encouraged the kids and the adults. It was a treat. I saw a man pick up a child in a laundry basket and run that child to the finish line. I saw children learn lessons about service and then set out to serve their family and their friends and their community and most of all Jesus.
x
The key ingredient in our VBS was service, and not just service to be busy, but service with a purpose. My friends, if you are taking time to read this, I hope you'll add a couple of seconds to your time to pray for the community of Mulberry Grove which needs served in Jesus' name so that people can find Jesus. It was really no surprise that 1/3 of the kids who came to our VBS don't have a church home; they come for special programs but they get no guidance from their parents in terms of spiritual things. That doesn't surprise me either after I met the father in town who said he didn't want to influence his child's view on religion; he wanted the child to make up his own mind; the child was 5. I have a feeling the child would have picked Jesus anyway!
x
It is now time to make a difference, whether it is the church I preach to or any other church in town or anywhere around us. I should think watching the dismal failure of our economy, the politcal confusion and unrest, the meltdown of world leadership, and the more than adequate reminders of God's power acting on the weather and tectonic plates of our world, should point us back to Christ.
x
Can we learn a lesson from the 16,500 native missionaries serving Asia under the Gospel for Asia banner? Catastrophies have hit their world like megaton bombs -- but yet they still go after the harvest! It's hard work; but they press on. Thank you, native missionaries, for helping us see what we need to be reminded of--get the folks at home!

Father, at times we forget because of the world around us; help us to remember to take the world for Jesus. And be with the folks in our community that their hearts will be open and that we will be ready to take them the message. In Jesus' name, Amen!