FROM THE PASTOR
June 25, 2017
VBS begins tomorrow. For those who are unable to physically participate this year please consider praying for the children and teachers each day. Vacation Bible School is a very special time with a very special appointment to connect with the children. VBS provides an opportunity for the children (and teachers) to learn of Christ and especially His love. VBS also teaches the children to become sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Over my years as a Pastor, I have seen many surrender their lives to the Lord at VBS. I have also seen many seeds planted that I am confident will eventually bear fruit. VBS is about ‘working the fields’ for the Lord. As a farm community, we, of all people, ought to know that first comes the planting, then comes the harvest.
As I reflected on my years of VBS in Rives Jct. as a child, I realized that all those who touched my life are now home with the Lord. For them, I am thankful for the time and investment they made in my life and I am confident that as they stand before the Lord He will remind them of the impact they had on a future Pastor. We never know what God has in mind for a child as we share what God lays on our hearts. We just share in obedience. You see it’s not how perfectly we present the words… it’s that we obediently present them.
It is only as I have become an adult, that I have truly comprehended the sacrifice of time and resources each VBS worker made on my behalf. As a child, I couldn’t express ‘thank you’ as eloquently as I can as an adult… in VBS we need to remember that children say ‘thanks’ in a variety of ways. Each with as much heart as the next.
I’m not sure exactly how I said ‘thank you’ back then and I can’t tell you exactly how, but I can share that I believe that somehow, they knew. I also know many of those same workers never stopped praying for me to be all that God had planned for me until the day they were called home. Remember, every child in VBS is special because God loves them. What an amazing privilege it is to be an extension of God’s love to each one of them. For some, it will be only for this week.
We should remember that not every child will be ‘churched’. Some of the terms we will use will be foreign to them. Be patient and explain it as many times as it takes. Many will not know how to ‘behave’ in church. Express God’s grace toward them. Some may even say or do things that will shock us. That’s the reason God has called them here this week. So, let me suggest that we don’t come into VBS with expectations set. Let’s allow God to touch each life in exactly the way God desires to touch them. Let’s be Jesus to every one of them.
Mark 10:13-16 (NASB)
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.
Thank you for allowing God to use you this week. Thank you to those who have already faithfully prayed. Thank you to those who have worked to make the building and the grounds presentable. Thank you for your investment… you never know… perhaps an investment in a future Pastor, or Missionary, or the beginning of the next great Revival.
Thank You for your faithfulness! Pastor Larry
