The cause of Christ is so much bigger than we can imagine. We get to be a small part in God’s big plan, and it is incredible to see where small decisions lead.
Edward Kimble was a Sunday school teacher who led Dwight Moody to Christ. D. L. Moody became a well-known evangelist with crusades that led to thousands being saved, including Pastor Frederick Meyer who reached eventual-evangelist Wilbur Chapman for Christ. Chapman influenced Billy Sunday, who influenced Mordecai Ham to hold tent meetings in Charlotte, NC, where Billy Graham was saved. Later, Billy Graham was preaching in Ashville, NC, where a young man named Ron Comfort was saved out of a rough life. Comfort later became a pastor and was preaching in Guam when my friend, Pastor Lloyd Read, was called to preach as a boy. Now, Pastor Read is leading Harvest Baptist Church in Medford, OR, to plant its fourth church in about seven years. That is how the cause of Christ spreads!
You never know how God is working behind the scenes. You never know who YOU will impact. You never know what a kind word can do for someone.
That is the cause of Christ.
People all around the world need to know the love of Jesus Christ. We have been praying for our missionaries and our upcoming Missions Revival, and we want to see God do something great through our church for His cause around the world.
I was talking to a pastor last week about a friend of his who pastored a rock-concert style church. My friend asked him, “Why do you financially support Heartland Baptist Bible College? We are not exactly the same style as you, you didn’t graduate from this college… why don’t you support your Alma Mater.” The other pastor replied, “My Alma Mater isn’t producing preachers like yours is. Everyone at my Alma Mater wants to be a worship leader.”
I’m glad to be a part of a movement that cares deeply about the Gospel being spread to all the nations, about churches being planted, about the Word of God being preached, and about Christians living for the Lord. It’s not a flashy cause; it’s not even all that “exciting” in terms of how the world defines excitement. But when WE get to be in on God’s plan, it is incredible!
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The “steadfast, unmovable” part comes first, and then comes the “always abounding.” I’m so thankful for our church and what God is doing here for the cause of Christ. Let’s do all we can to fulfill the Great Commission. —Pastor Ryan