Called to Save!

‘Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save!’

“The Lord calls for volunteers who will take their stand firmly on His side, and will pledge themselves to unite with Jesus of Nazareth in doing the very work that needs to be done now, just now.”

As the years pass, …2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 – and now 2017!! All the more the reality that this world is NOT OUR HOME we are just a passing through should be realised as we draw nearer to our heavenly home. I wanna go home friends AMEN?! There’s a work to be done, there are souls to be won… let us now put forth undivided efforts to seek and save the lost sheep!

“Let the Lower lights be burning, Send a gleam across the wave, some poor fainting struggling seamen you may rescue you may save!!”

The words of this song are very fitting to the work we are called to do. Here is an illustration of importance and need for earnest work.

In June 2016, an experienced sailor by the name of Steve accompanied a skipper and her husband, as part of the crew, on a race from New Zealand to Fiji. Steve was an experienced seaman and well acquainted with the dangers, as well as joys of sailing. The expedition seemed to be going just fine – the crew had sailed about half way from NZ to Fiji, and had been successfully sharing the shifts. Steve had just finished his shift one morning, and had gone down into the galley to have breakfast, so he removed his gear. Just at that moment as he was preparing to eat he heard an ear-piercing scream! Steve in a moment was up on deck assessing the situation in a spilt second, realising what had just happened he screamed to the skipper, “DUCK!” she immediately obeyed as the boom which had come loose swung over her, having already knocked and killed another crew just minutes before. Just moments later after saving the skipper’s life, Steve was washed overboard. Without his gear, he couldn’t last terribly long in the open sea, so he raised his hand as he struggled in the waters – “some poor fainting struggling seaman” – desperately seeking for help as there were still 4 crew members on the yatch; the skipper, her husband and two others. Yet NOTHING was thrown out to Steve, no efforts were made to save Him! – “you may rescue, you may save” – he waited, watched, waving his hand and then without a rescuer the fainting struggling seaman – was buried beneath the ocean waves – and drowned.

Later an investigation was taken into this incident – and they discovered that despite the hull on the yatch not working, the yatch circled around Steve 3 times! The boat was going around and around, and no one, NO ONE saved him!

This story puts a different perspective on the words the old hymn – “Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, YOU may rescue, YOU may save!”

This is my life’s mission – to rescue and save some poor fainting struggling seaman!  There is a great work to be done. “Are you doing all you can to help? God has given us a commission, which angels might envy.” {MM 131.2} 

“There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. . .” {AG 128.3} 

NOTHING! This should be our mission – to manifest to the world the Saviour’s LOVE, and save some poor fainting, struggling seaman.

God bless and Go bless!

Ash

We All Like Sheep…

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Recently while working with sheep; I was contemplating this verse. If you’ve ever worked with sheep you will know how patience building it can be when they keep going ‘astray’. Yet God says we are all like that.

One question I asked when thinking about this topic is where does going astray start. Everything starts in our thought rights? I found some relevant verses on this in Isaiah chapter fifty five verses six through nine, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Verse eight especially stood out to me, could this be the reason for going astray, the fact that our thoughts are infinitely lower than God’s thoughts? What can be done about this problem? I discovered a verse in proverbs chapter sixteen and verse three, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” When we commit what we do unto the Lord he changes our thoughts to be aligned with what he wants us to do.

The parable of the lost sheep also fits along these lines, in Matthew eighteen and verse twelve we read, “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?”

And then we read in verse fourteen, “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”

Even though we’ve all gone astray God is not willing that any should perish, this reminds me of John three sixteen, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We read that David had this experience in Psalms chapter one hundred and nineteen and verse one hundred and seventy six, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.”

David recognized that he needed God to seek him for him to be found.

One thing I find interesting when working with sheep is that the mostly likely sheep to go astray are hoggets, which are 2 year olds or sheep teenagers. In our youth the devil seems to work very hard to lead us astray, Solomon realized this when he wrote Ecclesiastes twelve one, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” Paul also gives some encouragement in first Timothy chapter four and verse twelve, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Let us remember our creator in our youth and commit our ways unto him.

Stay strong in our saviour,

Luke

Unexpected Answered Prayer

A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of being a part of the Eastward Canvassing Program five weeks of canvassing in Western Australia. On our first day out, I met quite a few eager people who would read the books, but couldn’t afford them. They all seemed to be interested in The Great Controversy as well, and seeing as that is too good a book to miss an opportunity with, I gave a few away.

Later on in the afternoon, I was making some rough calculations in my head, and figuring I really needed some more donations to cover my costs for the day. I prayed, and asked God to give me some donations.

The part of town we were in had an expansive view of the city, which meant lots of steep winding driveways to large posh houses. My friend and I climbed one such driveway, and knocked on the door. A middle-aged man answered the door, and we explained what we were about. He wasn’t interested in God and religion. In fact, he told us he was currently reading a book on evolution and really enjoying it. But he was friendly, so we chatted for a little bit, commenting about the view and so forth. I asked for a donation, and, to my surprise, he willingly gave us a donation although he wouldn’t take any of our literature.

It wasn’t until we were at the bottom of the driveway and beginning the next climb I realized: God had just answered my prayers. He gave me a donation the very next door after I’d prayed for it. Praise God I was well able to cover my costs that day!

It also amazes me how God works through people who don’t even acknowledge He exists. It’s fascinating – and also somewhat humorous – to think that unbelievers and even staunch atheists are supporting the spread of the good news by their donations. Praise God who works out everything “according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Jesus Christ our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” Ephesians 3:11-12

So keep trusting God, and don't be surprised if He answers your prayers through ways you weren't expecting!

-Jess :)

A Kind, Courteous Christian?

I heard this quote recently in a message at a youth camp and it got me thinking about what it really means.

…A kind, courteous Christian is the most powerful argument that can be produced in favor of Christianity.  {GW 122.1}

If a kind and courteous Christian is the most powerful argument in favor of Christianity then shouldn’t our example be winning souls for Christ’s kingdom?

So what does it really mean to be a kind and courteous Christian?

The Bible doesn’t mention these two words a lot but I found a couple of verses.

In Ephesians chapter four and verse thirty two it says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”  If we are to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us, then we should be kind as Christ was too, right?                         

I looked at a definition of kind, Having a benevolent, courteous, friendly, generous, gentle, liberal, sympathetic or warm-hearted nature or disposition, marked by consideration for – and service to – others. All these characteristics are important but the one that stood out to me was ‘consideration for – and service to – others.’ This is really a characteristic that can make a big impact on people especially when we live in a very inward focused world. We could almost sum up the definition of kind with the words, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’ couldn’t we?

But Jesus says in Matthew chapter five verses forty three to forty eight, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” To love our neighbour as one’s self is one thing but Jesus says to love our enemies. He just said love your neighbour as thyself so when he says love your enemies, he would be meaning love our enemies as one’s self right? So could the definition of kind be ‘to love one’s enemies as his own self?’

The word courteous is only mention once in the bible. The bible says in first Peter chapter three and verse eight, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” Courteous is in this list along with compassion and love which is basically being kind right?

I also looked at the definition of courteous, showing regard or thought for others; especially, displaying good manners or etiquette. One thing that stuck out to me in this definition was ‘regard or thought for others’ this seems to be a common thread through these thoughts I have been looking at.

If I was to sum up in two words what my definition of a kind, courteous Christian was; it would be ‘others focused.’

Let us all aspire through Christ to be more focused on others and less on ourselves.

What is your opinion of a kind, courteous Christian; let us know in the comments.

Keep the faith,

Luke

Is Encouraging Each Other Important?

I recently attended a youth camp at which the primary focus was outreach. It was a great encouragement to me especially hearing testimonies of how God was working with and in us. I went looking in the Bible for some verses about encouraging one another. I found a verse in first Thessalonians chapter four and verse eighteen, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” This verse is straight after the verses that talk about Jesus’ second coming. If we are to comfort one another with thoughts of Christ’s soon coming, wouldn’t it also be of great comfort to encourage one another with testimonies of more souls come to the light of Christ’s soon returning?

I also looked at Ellen White’s writings to see what she had to say on the topic. In Manuscript Releases I found this quote, “The Lord wants living members in His church, men and women who will encourage one another in faithful service.” I also found another great quote in Steps to Christ, “We sustain a loss when we neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and encourage one another in the service of God. The truths of His Word lose their vividness and importance in our minds. Our hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by their sanctifying influence, and we decline in spirituality. In our association as Christians we lose much by lack of sympathy with one another. He who shuts himself up to himself is not filling the position that God designed he should. The proper cultivation of the social elements in our nature brings us into sympathy with others and is a means of development and strength to us in the service of God.”

We may not be able to associate and encourage each other in person all the time, but we can share our testimony and experiences to encourage one another in faith and service.

If you have any testimonies or experiences of the working of our Almighty Savior in your life, we’d love to hear them and be able share them with others.

God bless and go bless,

Luke

Submit a Testimony

Our Inability is God's Opportunity

“Until you know that life is a war, you cannot know what prayer is for.” – J. Piper

I was talking to some friends, and the topic of canvassing came up. They asked, “Are you coming canvassing tomorrow?” I replied, “Of course! You don’t have to convince me.” Little did I realise it would be more difficult than I had anticipated. I woke up the next morning with a very sore throat, struggling to talk, and coughing a lot. I determined to go out anyway.

After lunch, my team leader said, “Are you ready to get out Ash?” I hesitated as I really don’t like letting people down, but I said, “I’m really sorry I’m not feeling to good, and I have lost my voice…”

After a while, I decided I was going to try, although I knew in my own strength I was incapable but with God all things are possible, so I said, “Can you drop me off – I’ll give it a shot!” With a prayer and some encouragement I was sent to canvass with a friend, and as soon as we got together we knelt down and prayed, asking God to bless, open hearts and doors as he saw fit, prepare the way for us and fill in for our insufficiency.

Not long later we came to this door, and the elderly gentleman who answered expressed he wasn’t really interested, but was more than happy to have a chat. So we talked about religion, God, the misery in the world, loving your neighbour, and a number of different areas of religion. Throughout the conversation he inferred he thought we were doing a great job, but he had looked at all the religions and he had set his mind on the right one. He then mentioned that, loving your neighbour is the underlying principle of his religion. After discussing with him, I asked if he would be willing to take a Path to Peace or a DVD and just have a read/watch, He said, “Okay, I can do that.” I then asked if he would mind if we prayed with him before we left, and he agreed. So he turned from not being willing to look at anything, to committing to read the book.

A couple of doors later we met a very devout atheist. He was handicapped and rarely left his house; it took him a while to open the door. I handed him the Great Controversy, but he was not interested. He told us he had been through enough and seen enough years to know what was right and wrong. But I wasn’t convinced. He wanted to donate to us, but I didn’t have enough change, so I radioed the team leader and asked for some change.

As I walked to the van to get the change, I was trying to think What could I say to this man? I kept thinking, He just doesn’t know what he is missing out on. I got to the van, talked with the leader, and asked a few questions, as well as sharing the experience, and went back to the door – with a new fire to ignite this man’s candle. After some discussion he agreed to take a DVD and watch it. Praise the Lord! I was just delighted. It is one thing to sell a book, but it is another thing when someone commits to study and take a serious look into Christianity. Especially an atheist!

Time always passes too quickly, and it wasn’t long later when I heard the call, “Get ready for pick up. We will be there in five minutes.”

My heart almost sank, I thought, We can't finish a day here. So we walked quickly on to the next door and to my surprise, after a drawn out conversation, we sold a Great Controversy. My friend was over-joyed and laughing just as the van came to pick us up. Our team leader said, “Looks like you two are having to much fun; I might have to just take one of you!” We were both enjoying it so much, we requested to continue and our request was granted – thanks to our team leader!

As we went on, we came to another door, canvassed the lady, and smiled as we told her about Bountiful Health, which she had already taken a vested interest in. I canvassed her the Great Controversy and without any convincing she told us she liked it and would like to get both. But she only had a fifty-dollar note, so I suggested, “Well, you could get any other book we’ve got as well for that much.” She said, “Oh okay! Can I get another cookbook?” We agreed, and the deal was done!

That day was a blessing, and although I found it challenging to talk, between coughing and being unwell, God intervened and through my weakness He was strong! On the first door we got out two Bountiful Health and one Great Controversy, and on the last door we got out two Bountiful Health and one Great Controversy!

God’s grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Don’t doubt what He can do for you; pray and except miracles! He is waiting for an excuse to bless His ambassadors! 

-Ash

Providential Canvassing Experiences

Earlier this year, I was out canvassing with a friend. It was one of my first times canvassing. We knocked on a door where there was obviously a tradesman working inside. I was thinking to myself that he’d be too busy to talk. But he came to the door, although he had been tiling and had glue on his hands so couldn’t handle the books. My friend canvassed him Bountiful Health and he was very interested and said he’d buy it for his mother. So he went off to get the money and came back with $20 which he said was all he had. He alluded to the fact that he was on his own and when we gave him a Path to Peace he said he’d read that one himself. We left and went next door. 

As we were walking, I asked my friend why she hadn’t canvassed him the other books – was it because he said that was all the money he had? She said she should have and we discussed how we both sensed that there was something wrong and that he was close to tears. So we went back and canvassed him the other books and he broke down and started to cry. He told us how his wife had left him a couple of years ago and that he still loved her and felt he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. He said he didn’t see his nineteen year old daughter anymore either. He so appreciated that we just took the time to listen to him. We were able to leave him with a Health and Peace which he was very grateful for, and said he would start reading that night.

Later that day, I was canvassing with Jessica in power hour and by this time I was doing the cookbook canvas myself. We had just left someone’s door and walked back to the curb to move on to the next house, when a young lady, who was walking her dog, approached us and asked if we have cookbooks. She had obviously heard our canvas at the previous door! She had a look at all our books, and especially liked Bountiful Health – while the dog tangled her up in its lead and behaved very impatiently. She showed us she lived in a house just over the road and if we came back to her house in twenty minutes, she’d be finished walking the dog, and she’d give us money for a cookbook. So we went back, and she took Bountiful Health and the complimentary Path to Peace. It was an amazing experience because we did nothing – she approached us.

-Jenny