By BILL Snell |
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POWER OF SIMPLE FAITH IN ACTION
AGRICULTURE teaches us much about how the Kingdom of God operates . In many ways , the harvest depicts God β s plan , purpose , and method of redeeming lost humanity . In the garden of Eden , God blessed Adam and Eve , saying , β Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it , and have dominion β¦β ( Genesis 1:28 , ESV ). Prior to β the fall ,β God exhorted Adam and Eve to eat of the β tree of life β and reject the β tree of the knowledge of good and evil ,β Jesus was the β tree of life β ( notice the agricultural metaphors ).
Approximately 2,500 years later , God delivered His people through Moses out of 400 years of Egyptian slavery and bondage . He describes to Moses the β promised land β as one β flowing with milk and honey β ( Exodus 33:3 ).
Fifteen hundred years later , Jesus , the Messiah , identifies Himself as the β bread of life β ( John 6:35 ), often conveying principles of the Kingdom of God through His teachings using agricultural metaphors ; β I am the vine , you are the branches . My Father is the vinedresser β ( John 15:5a ; 1b , NASB ).
Regarding faith , Jesus likened it to a β mustard seed β ( Matthew 17:20 ).
By casual observance , faith may seem small and seemingly insignificant
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. Yet , there is latent power within faith , like the unseen life within the seed . Unless the seed dies , the life within isn β t realized and released .
Faith frequently comes to a place of death within each of us . Our eyes become distracted by overwhelming evidence to the contrary , our hearts feel heavy and unsure , and doubts work to uproot the fledgling seed of faith within us . Yet , there remains unimaginable power and life within that seed .
Once faith as small as a mustard seed is acted upon , miraculous things are the result β mountains that stood in opposition are cast into the sea .
Similarly , Run for the Son β s yearly efforts begin small and many times seem insignificant . However , over the last 37 years , the β God factor β engages , the Holy Spirit anoints , and the promises of God begin to unfold as individual seeds of faith are put in action .
Our storied ministry partnership between CMA and MVI produced the Transportation Program as we now know it , occurring 37 years ago . What was small in the beginning has become a mighty tool of faith in action as it has been held in the hands of God , not ours , to bring about miraculous results year after year .
RFS isn β t a program ; it β s a movement !
Here are some of the results from last year :
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β’ 691 modes of transportation provided to indigenous pastors , church planters , and evangelists having no adequate form of transportation
β’ 6,900 churches planted
β’ 58 countries impacted
β’ Over 20,000,000 salvations since RFS gifts of transportation began Can you hear the Heavens rejoicing ? If we don β t cry out with jubilee , celebrating God β s power and love shown through these Kingdom exploits , the very rocks will cry out in our stead .
I β ve said it before : we are witnessing an β acceleration effect β globally as the Spirit of God anoints men and women who are going into all the world preaching the Gospel , making disciples , and laying their lives down for Jesus β sake .
Providing suitable and dependable transportation for these precious ones is an honor that CMA and MVI share . I love you , CMA ! Please don β t succumb to discouragement when times are tough and your RFS efforts seem futile and laborious . God is in charge .
β Faithful is He who calls you , and He also will do it β ( 1 Thessalonians 5:24 , NASB ).
With much love , admiration , and devotion . CMA
Bill Snell serves as President of Missionary Ventures International .
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13βͺSEPTEMBER 2024βͺwww . cmausa . org |