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Topic: Evangelism (11/01/07)
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TITLE: Baking With God | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jean Thornberry
11/08/07 -
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By Jean Thornberry
One day as I was thinking about all of the lost, hurting, and hungry people who have no one to turn to, not even Jesus, my heart was moved with compassion. These people have absolutely no hope, only the deepest darkness of soul. Loneliness and despair hold them captive with a grip of iron, holding them in cruel bondage and not letting go. How they long to be free from their icy prison and be held in the warm, tender arms of love! I cried out, “Lord, please set them free! How they need you!”
The Lord then asked me a question which pierced my soul. “Who will feed them the Bread of Life? Who will show them my love? Who will be my arms to reach these hurting people?” Suddenly, I was humbled at the very thought of God working through people. The Lord can do all things- what need does He have of us? Does He really need our help? Ice cold reality hit like a brick: NO, HE DOESN’T! Like many others, all this time I looked at evangelism like God needed me to do it. If I didn’t share the Lord with a person, that person would be forever lost. All the work depended on me, and if I didn’t do it, it would never be done. Far from it! It is all of us who need the Lord’s help, not the other way around! God’s work will be done whether or not we choose to be a part of it. The will of God does not depend on man. Whatever He determines to do, He will do!! Can not the Lord appear to anyone and speak the Gospel to them? YES! We are not essential to His work. “Then why use us?” I wondered. “So you can share in My joy by working with Me!” the Lord lovingly replied. Even though He doesn’t need us to do His work, He graciously invites us to be part of it!
The Lord showed me it is like a child helping his mother bake cookies. The mother could bake the cookies herself, but she has invited her child to help make them. (The mother represents God, the child is us, and the cookies are God's works) He has given the child an opportunity to share in what He is doing! The child smiles and eagerly jumps in to help. The mother shows the child just what to do, guiding him every step of the way from mixing bowl to oven. A pleasant aroma fills the room as the cookies bake. The smell causes the child to become excited and makes him eager to take a bite! When the cookies come out of the oven, the mother hands one to the child with a big smile and says to him, "Look what we accomplished together! Now enjoy every bite!" The child takes a bite and enjoys every morsel, thinking to himself that he had a part in making this sweet cookie! Now, tasting that yummy cookie, will that child not want to help his mother again? After seeing and tasting of what God does through us, will we not want to serve Him again and again? How sweet it is when the Lord makes us part of His work! How sweeter it is to share in His joy when it is completed and taste what we have created together!!! That is His blessing to us!! Like delivering cookies to others, we share His blessings with others so they too may taste that the Lord is sweet and join in His work!!!! What greater work is there than evangelism?
The Lord is calling people into His kitchen to help Him bake up His wonderful works! Are we ready to bake with God and smell the fragrant aroma of Him transforming lives through us? All who answer the call will one day taste the sweet cookie and exclaim, “Wow! Look what You have done! How wonderful it is to serve You!” The Lord will reply with a smile, “I make only masterpieces!” Well done good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord! Enjoy your reward!”
Let’s bake with God today!
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You have written a beautiful analogy. I love it when God reveals concepts like that to us! Having an idea about how things work in God's Kingdom by revelation is wonderful, isn't it? When God shows us the way it is, it sticks with us forever.
Too often, I fear, no matter how much I love that sweet aroma, I am found in the playroom, leaving most of the baking in Mom's hands, missing the blessing of partnership.