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Cover Article
“A Great Need Today - Servants"
The great heroes of the faith include such names as Moses and
Paul. Each of these stands tall in his respective Testament of Scripture. The
greatest Light in all of Scripture, of course, is Jesus Christ, God in human
flesh, Savior of all who will trust Him. Each is very different from the other,
and there are probably a host of similarities they share. One thing was clear
about each - they were servants. Notice the testimony of God’s Word about each
one.
At least a dozen times we find Moses called “God’s servant.” Numbers 12:7, 8
relate to us the spoken words of God, “But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house. {8}With him I speak face to face, clearly and
not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to
speak against my servant Moses?” Even after his death, Moses is referred to as
the servant of the Lord, as many as five times in Joshua chapter 1 alone! This
first national leader of Israel paid a great price to be God’s servant. He went
before Pharaoh to ask him to let God’s people go. He went before the people to
prepare them to leave Egypt. Neither Egypt’s king nor the slave nation responded
positively - Moses was refused, scorned, and left mostly alone in his task. But
he was God’s servant, and as such, a person is never alone.
Perhaps the greatest intellect of his day, Saul of Tarsus was captured by
Christ. His former standing in his nation was cast aside in favor of his Captor,
Christ. He wrote to the Philippians (3:5-7) that he was “circumcised on the
eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church;
as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now
consider loss for the sake of Christ.” He referred to himself in the most
servile terms in Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:10, and Titus 1:1. In a favorite verse
of mine, he makes a similar reference, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ
Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake” (2 Corinthians
4:5). His service for Christ also came at high cost - listen to his testimony
from 2 Corinthians 11, “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to
talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more
frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and
again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked,
I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I
have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own
countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the
country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and
toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and
have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything
else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” What an
example as a servant!
Then we see Jesus - always the greatest Example of any
virtue, including that of being a Servant. As you read through the gospel
accounts, you observe Him serving people in many ways. He heals the sick, feeds
the hungry, calms the fears of disciples in a storm-tossed boat. He wraps a
towel around Himself and washes the feet of His disciples to teach us to be
servants. The supreme act of service is His death on the cross. Listen as Mark
(10:45) records His statement, again teaching His followers the importance of
serving: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for many.” Isaiah referred to Jesus as God’s
Servant seven centuries before His birth: “See, my servant will act wisely ; he
will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” Paul later reflected that the
incarnation of Jesus (His coming in human flesh) included “taking the very
nature of a servant.” If Moses and Paul were at risk to be servants, Christ was
even more so. The incessant chatter about the “suspicions” surrounding His
birth; the allegations that His undeniable miracle-working power came from
Satan; the rejection by those He came to save; His own family thinking He was
“beside Himself.” As the poet said, “None of the ransomed ever knew how deep
were the waters crossed, or how dark was the night that our Lord passed through
e’er He found His sheep that was lost.”
And what about us? What about you and me? Are we to “be
carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the
prize, and sailed through bloody seas?” Or are we ready to strip off the
garments of comfort and ease, replacing them with battle gear, that we might
enter the fray in Jesus’ name? “Sure I must fight if I would win; increase my
courage, Lord. I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by Thy Word.” Let
us say with a more modern poet, “Make me a servant, humble and meek; Lord let me
lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be, ‘Make me a
servant, make me a servant, make me a servant, to Thee.”
We are blessed with so many of God’s children serving here at
PRM. Today Karen called about bringing a friend down to serve a meal. Yesterday
Larry confirmed three groups from his church who will serve two meals and do a
third project before the month is over. Last night Norman brought a small group
from his church down to serve a meal to the homeless. Already this week Ben and
Ted (Sunday), Eric and a small group (Tuesday), and Curtis (Thursday) have
shared the Word of God in our chapel services. Brother Hal drove down from
Denbigh (Monday & Tuesday mornings) to accompany our singing on the piano.
Yesterday morning Ebony sent over three cases of good used work shoes and boots
that will serve well men who need them for employment. Do you see the pattern?
In such a short time so many have done so much to serve the Lord by serving
needy people. We are grateful to God for those who daily bless us by following
the example of Moses, Paul, and Jesus - being servants. May God increase their
number and multiply their efforts in this ministry (another word for service).
Superintendent's
Corner
"A Great Staff"
Life and ministry are always full of joys. Some times are
more abundant than others in the blessings that flow. I want to share with you
what a thrill it is to serve at the Mission with the terrific staff we have. God
has always had good folks in place here, but the current group is outstanding. I
am especially excited to observe the way the staff members work together, the
mutual respect they show, the ways in which they compliment and complement one
another in ministry. One worker recently commented to me that another stafffer
“really has the Spirit of the Lord in him.” How my heart was blessed that one
would show it and the other would see it!
Another joy with this staff is how they each bring different gifts and abilities
to the work. They fill each other’s gaps, so to speak. Where one is weak,
another comes alongside him in strength. Among this group there are industry,
organization, carefulness, risk-taking. There are the “plodders,” who move with
more care than speed, but get the job done. There are those who grab a task and
have it done before you can turn around. One worker is really focused on the
task at hand, while another is able to back up and see the big picture better.
Some are task-oriented; others are people-centered. And all are necessary to the
accomplishment of God’s work, be it in the church or at the Rescue Mission.
Watching these men and ladies step up to help each other, offering to fill in
when someone is feeling poorly, or take over for a fellow-worker to go to a
special event, blesses a leader’s heart. This group, as much as any we have seen
God assemble (and He certainly did that!), demonstrates the unity of the body in
the diversity of gifts - gifts that are under the Spirit’s control.
Some of you pray for the Mission regularly, and we are so grateful for that
help. May I ask that when you think of us, you remember to ask God to bless the
staff? Alan and I could never do all that is needed at the Mission without the
capable, willing, tireless, Spirit-energized work of the remaining staff. We
count on them every day, and they come through again and again. “Thank You, God,
for surrounding us with people whose hearts You have touched” (1 Samuel 10:26).
As Saul was thus blessed, so are we.
A Note From Alan
"Dad"
Many of you have been praying for my folks since their
health began to fail. We deeply appreciate your cards, letters, emails, text
messages, and prayers. Mom is doing well in the Alzheimer's center where she now
lives. She has pleasant days, excellent food, and sweet folks to care for her.
My Dad, who suffered from emphysema for several years, was called home to Heaven
on January 26, 2011. I had the difficult honor of preaching his grave side
funeral. That task was much easier because we knew Dad to be a believer. Four
years ago my parents both wrote down their testimonies for us. I'm so glad they
did. We miss Dad daily, but we know he no longer suffers and that he is in the
presence of his Savior. I'm thrilled to be able to share his written testimony
with you. - Alan
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