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Listen while you read: "Moment By Moment"1 (Lyrics) |
According to statistics, in Canada, depending on location, between five and a half to six percent of the people who are able to work cannot find meaningful employment. Yet, employers don't seem to be able to find workers. Every once in a while, there are job fairs held in various places, where those looking for work can talk to company representatives.
The general manager of a small firm near us told me that they are often looking for employees, and that it is really hard to find good workers. I was talking to a gentleman at a church that we attended some time ago, and he told me that he had been trying to retire for the previous four years. He is an installer of countertops, and his boss just could not find anyone to take his place and had been begging him to keep on working.
The shortage of people to do the work which needs to be done is not restricted to the commercial side of things; it also applies to the church. Many of our churches are stopping certain programs because there are no capable people available to do the work. Congregations are aging, and some of those who have done the work of the church for decades are no longer able. A number of our churches are without a pastor, putting a bigger workload on the spiritual leaders of the church.
Luke 9:59-62 – Then [Jesus] said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (NKJV)
It was hard to get people to do His work back then, as it is now.
Luke 10:2 – Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (NKJV)
The early apostles had the same problem. There was a lot of work to be done and there were people who felt that they were being neglected. This problem was brought to the attention of the apostles:
Acts 6:2-4 – Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word." (NKJV)
In the western world, our churches are struggling in so many places. Especially as churches begin to plan for their fall programs, we should realize that there is always room for people who have never helped before to step up. Help is needed indeed.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we pray that a change will come about, that more people will come forward to do the work of Your church, and that all of us who are able will continue to do our part as well. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Thanks, Joel. So true!
Thank you for your email devotional.
So true, Joel. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.
Thank you for sharing this devotional with us. Blessings.
This is such a timely and very appropriate devotional. Thank you.
Thanks, Joel, for your very timely reflection and scriptural references.
Blessings on your day.
Here am l send me, seems to have gone by the wayside. May it soon change.
Have a good day Joel.
Blessings.
Your suggested prayer and the devotional rings true all over the northern hemisphere, Joel. We need to pray a lot.
Thank you.
Joel,
Thoughtful presentation for the need for workers, even calling those homebound believers. We can do any number of things to spread God’s word. God is so awesome to place people in our lives to minister to by phone, e-mail, reading and discussing the Bible and reading devotionals to those who can’t see to read. Thank you for your writing.
Dear Joel,
Thank you for your devotional this morning. So true that it is mainly older people serving in our churches across the country these days and it really is our hope and prayer to see more young people come forward to serve our loving Saviour.
Blessings to you for the work of service you do for our Lord.
(B.C.)
Hi Joel:
As I was reading your devotional, the words “it’s all or nothing”, came to my mind. It is that way with the greatest commandment as well; “to love the Lord with your whole heart, body, mind and soul”.
I want to thank you for your work for the Lord and the devotional you write.
I don’t know about you, but I find it irritating when I hear people say, “well, I’ve already done my share”. Actually, it breaks my heart when I hear this, and I am so eternally grateful that Jesus did not, and He completed the work set out for a Him.
God bless you and thanks.
I don’t know you, but the concern expressed in your posting is indeed a crisis in the institutional church in Canada and applies to all denominations. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada in the last year did an extensive examination of the falling away of young people in churches in Canada. It is severe, has been happening since the 60’s but has become acute amongst young people born in the 80’s, and leaves a huge gap in church leadership.
I do however believe there are many people increasingly following the teachings of Jesus in their personal lives without involvement in the institutional church and mainly because they are disillusioned with the institutional church.
I believe as the institutional church is struggling to continue, outside of its walls are generations of people who have understood the teachings of Jesus and are following His teachings in their personal lives but never attending a church. It remains to be seen if their children will even know who Jesus is. Maybe their children will learn about Jesus from an emerging immigrant refugee church in Canada. I believe the institutional church is changing dramatically in Canada right before our eyes, maybe even disappearing.
I trust God with the future of the body of Christ no matter what It may look like.
Great devotional, Joel, thank you for sharing this important message.
Blessings.
Dear Joel,
A precious and much-needed devotional.
My prayer is, “Lord keep us at the work of making known your love and great sacrifice and help us to serve in whatever ways you have gifted us.
For Jesus’ and his kingdom’s sake. Amen.
Keep writing.
AMEN! I think, that if more believers were about the “harvest” there’d be more workers in our churches. Proclaiming the gospel from the pulpit is, hopefully, preaching to the converted. It needs to be taken into our communities. Unfortunately, we and our people are unprepared, ill-equipped and unwilling to risk doing that. A sad comment to make. It is why churches are dying, I believe.
A number of times I have felt called to a task I did not think I could do, but the Lord always equipped me. But at other times I have realized where no leader came forward, the Lord was directing us to dissolve the program. That can be difficult to deal with.
Right now I have been led to a church which at the moment I cannot attend very often for physical reasons. This church has a lot of good leadership in areas where I have gifts. I offer support as best I can, in other ways.
But I am learning not to feel guilty about my less active role. This story is not yet finished, I sense.
It all comes down to letting the Lord lead the way. And He often surprises us.