some verse from this a.m.

Psalm 28:1 O Lord, You are my Rock of safety.

   Please help me, don't refuse to answer me.

For if You are silent, I might as well give up & die.

vs 7 The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger.

   I trust Him with all my heart.

He helps me, & my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Luke 10:2b The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.

   Pray to the Lord Who is in charge of the harvest, & ask Him to send out more workers for His fields.

3a Go now...

I was watching the China channel yesterday afternoon. Yeah, we have a channel from China on Dish Network. Don't ask me why. It's just there ;-)

The were doing a travelogue to Tibet. There's a festival once a year there in Lhasa, the capital where pilgrims go up on the side of a mountain & Buddhist monks put up a massive picture of the Buddha that's displayed on the side of the mountain.

The narrator was talking about how the pilgrims walk there, prostrating themselves every few feet. When they get there, they throw white silk scarves down the front of the painting "in the hope they will receive a blessing."

The narrator also talked about how this is a significant festival for the people, being i the presence of this picture of the Buddha. She said the air was heavy with how important this is to the people.

It was a very interesting show, from a cultural viewpoint. I'm fascinated with China. But on the other hand, the whole time I'm watching it, I'm thinking how I loved to say to these people...

   "you don't have to do all that.

   "Jesus came - in love for us, provided a way to connect in a relationship w/ God.

   "Forget the prayer wheels,

     pilgrimage walking,

     prostrating yourself,

     & throwing white silk scarves.

   "Jesus made a way that is so simple to God."

The first part of the last verse from this morning says 2 important words - Go now...

Many of us think we have to go to China, or "deepest, darkest Africa."

We can go to the people God has put in our path. I'm gonna see some of them today. We all will.

And these people will be just like the Tibetan Buddhists - doing stuff they don't need to, when a way was mode in love by Jesus to our Father - to the very thing we're all longing for.

And if you're a Christ follower like me, let's remember one other thing...

You & I are Christ followers because someone(s) took the time to tell us about Jesus & the way He's provided.

Where would you & I be if that person(s) didn't follow through with that mandate to "Go now..."?

Yeah, we'd still be where we were.

You & I are that someone to countless people. Do we dare slack off? These are eternal issues for the people  we're mandated to touch. And eternity is a very long time.