"Well, No One Told Me"

            Joanne and I went to an event at the Collins Center at UMO Tuesday night on her birthday. We showed up at 6:15 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. start time. At least that’s what it said on our tickets. We got inside and they were not opening the auditorium doors. Quarter of… ten of… five of seven, and still nothing. I couldn’t figure out what was happening, so I went to the ticket information booth to find out. Turns out that the event had been changed to 8:00 p.m.. The first thing I thought was, “Well, no one told me.” In fact, I was a little miffed. I don’t really like to have my time wasted, and it seemed to me that someone could have emailed me (having purchased the tickets online) to let me know of the change. What we had was a failure to communicate.

            The Collins Center website had been communicating it for quite a while. Since I have no regular reason to go to their website, I missed the change announcements and proceeded on outdated information. While the annoyed part of me felt like finding fault in the situation, another part of me understood that the information was there - and effort was made to let people know – it just did not reach me. So I had to put up with a little inconvenience. But I was with my favorite person and she ended up having time to finish the book we’re inviting church members to read (I Am a Church Member).

            Two spiritual connections to this situation come to my mind. One is how thankful I am that everything God communicates through His Word is 100% reliable, unchanging, and useful for my life every day. It never misses the mark or needs updating or changing. I don’t ever have to worry that what God has said in the past will undergo modification so as to catch me off guard. It is as true today as the day it was written. It is also as relevant. And God has no need of changing it, or changing His plans. He is right on schedule in all His ways, and He always will be.

            The second connection is the need for good, direct communication of spiritual things. Joe Bayly’s wonderful little story called The Gospel Blimp depicts a small group of Christians – surrounded by neighbors who don’t know the Lord, but might be interested – latching on to all kinds of spectacular ways of communicating the Gospel… except making friends and sharing at a personal level. The culmination of their efforts is hiring a blimp from which they drop thousands of tracts upon unsuspecting people hoping some will be converted. The point of the story is that nothing compares to a personal, caring, direct sharing of Christ’s love with others. All the communication techniques, technologies, newspaper ads, posters, banners, and strategies of many kinds are pretty much useless (though I will not limit what the Holy Spirit may use) compared to what comes directly from our hearts as we engage people. If Christ is there, I have something to share. People may never see a presentation of the Gospel on TV, the radio… or they may never read the Bible or a book in which the Gospel is communicated… or they may never go to a Christian website that presents Christ… etc.. But they will see you and me. They will hear you and me. Christ in us (Savior, Lord, Friend)… cannot be missed by the people in our lives every day. I do well to remember that I am God’s primary communication resource in the world today.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV) ¹⁰  As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, ¹¹  so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 24:35 (NIV)  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

PRAYER:  Father, may I be a vessel for the Gospel, poured out by you into the lives of others. May the Spirit so fill me with the life of Christ that your grace will flow through me to others as it is given to me in such overwhelming abundance.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott