Did you volunteer? Or, were you drafted? That’s the call many a young man was asked during World War II, The Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, The Cold War . . . and down through our American history . . . from our country’s very beginnings to present day conflicts!
Did our ancestors contribute or did they pay someone else to do their service for them? When your country calls, can they count on you?
That’s the same message we heard today. Our own Jack Lyons and Ben Cole shared their hearts today at Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) about their response when God called, each could have said, “Why Me, Lord” or “Who? Me? Lord, Not Me!”, “Let Someone Else Go!”.
Brother Jack shared his call to Africa and to a place of unbelievable poverty. A place where the presence of Jesus was so sorely needed, a place where the supreme being for hundreds of years was that of witchcraft and ancestral worship, a place where extreme poverty and neglect reigned over all, even the poorest of the poor in our country would be rich by comparison.
Touched by the need and led by the Holy Spirit, Jack has volunteered to return again soon with his Baptist team to share and minister to those far away brethren for, as Jack so graciously said, “God called, I am going”.
Brother Ben shared his calling to Brazil. As he stood tall before us, quietly speaking in his best pastoral voice, Ben (in his stocking feet…Ben always shares shorn of shoes) gave a testimony of what Jesus had done for him and how he had been used to bring the story of Jesus and salvation to hundreds and hundreds of souls in remote areas of Brazil.
Over the years Ben has made many trips to Brazil and has preached salvation in the rural areas as well as in metropolitan churches in the cities. His message is always the same,“Jesus, today and forever” and plans are already being made to return once again to a country and people that he loves so dearly! God called – He went!
With rapt attention, we followed both men today with a renewed feeling and a great spiritual resonance knowing that we too can be a part of these ministries – whether by going or by giving our support. And the question is not whether or not we will answer, but only WHEN.
Your Senior Guys and Gals
