In most parts of the United States, harvest season is upon us. Whether it is grain in the Great Plains, truck farms in the Southeast, or harvests elsewhere, this is the season of reaping.
Similarly, this past month has been a season of spiritual reaping for our ministry. It has been many years since we have seen the numbers of people trusting Christ in our meetings like we have been seeing this year. The year has had its share of distractions (see previous posts), but God has brought us through them, and we rejoice in the people that have professed Christ in different parts of the country.
Please permit me to share the specifics of one story. Pax is a young man living in the panhandle of Idaho. His brother first heard the gospel in our meeting a couple of years ago and eventually trusted Christ as Savior. Beginning on Sunday morning and going through the week, Pax heard the Gospel. The Holy Spirit was working in his heart, but he was not ready to fully yield. He even came forward in a couple of the services, but declined to allow anyone to speak with him one-on-one. Thursday, I preached from the story of Saul on the Damascus Road. I entitled my message "When God Confronts Man." After hearing the message, Pax came again to the altar and this time, he allowed the pastor to deal with him privately. He finally surrendered everything to God and trusted Christ that night. It was Thursday. Pax's whole family has some headwinds to overcome. It has been overwhelming, however, to see what God has done so far in their hearts. We look forward to what He will continue to do in the future.
Our ministry has been in the Intermountain west this past month with the exception of one week in North Carolina. Thank God for the invention of the airplane. In a few days, Sarah and I will head to the airport once again and get on board a plane to a meeting in West Tennessee. After that, it is Colorado and South Dakota before we head home for Thanksgiving.
One of the highlights for me in this month has been seeing my two younger children take the leap into greater ministry. For years, Abigail did children's meetings every night of our meetings. This is a tremendous addition to the service, especially considering the fact that many unsaved people are not in the habit of teaching their children how to behave in church. When Abigail went to college in August of this year, we felt her absence in dealing with the children. Esther has now stepped into her shoes, and I am grateful.
Daniel was asked to lead singing in our last meeting. For a 13-year-old, he doesn't do a bad job.
The bottom line is that I love seeing my children step up and take on more ministry responsibility.
We lack a little bit of fully paying off the truck. I will let everyone know when that need is met.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
