In my previous article, “Church, I Am Calling You Out”, I sent out a call to join me in getting up off our collective apathy and get moving for the cause of Christ – namely winning souls for His Kingdom, in whatever time we have left before the Rapture, in the hope of perhaps speeding His return. In response to this article, over 100 people “stood up” and said with a collective voice “I Will!”
Despite being just joyfully overwhelmed at the numbers, the stories that are accompanying these voices have really struck a chord in me. It has caused me to see the vastness of ways God’s people can work toward filling the Kingdom. There are many out there who are already actively working in very creative ways to spread the Good News, but there also are many out there who want to be doing something, and are unsure of how or where to start. Some just need someone to say, “Hey, come with me! Let’s go and do this for the Kingdom!”
I wanted to follow up with this article to speak to these latter people – the ones stuck in neutral and unsure how to finally get the gears to catch.
First I want you to know this: I can empathize with you entirely. I was – not that long ago – in that very same place. I prayed to God – many times and very fervently – that I was ready to move, if only He would stop my tires from spinning and give me some traction to move. My mental picture was that of a Formula One race car being held about waist-high above pavement, in full gear, fuel burning, but not making an inch of progress. I had all kinds of excuses: wrong timing, ineptness, unsure of myself, fear of persecution, and on and on. God finally showed me the reality of the situation. He wasn’t withholding opportunity while my wheels spun. I had essentially laid down a waist-high pedestal of bricks – each “reason” and excuse a single, immobilizing brick. Getting the picture? I was holding my wheels up as I rested on these bricks, and I have no doubt the enemy enjoyed helping me fashion each one of them and fitting them to the undercarriage of my work.
So what changed? Upon reflecting on some of the promises of God, I decided enough was enough. It didn’t matter if I felt I was ready or not. It didn’t matter if I could answer every tough question like a scholar. It didn’t matter if I would be looked down upon, or thought of as strange or not Politically Correct…and on and on ad nauseum. None of it mattered! My God is BIGGER than all of it and He PROMISED to carry the load for me as long as I let Him do it (Matthew 6:25-34, 1 Peter 5:1-11). He PROMISED me that I am able to do what He has done, and greater (John 14:12)! He PROMISED that the message is True and suited to the task put before me (2 Timothy 3:16). In short, it was time for me to decide: was I going to take my God and King’s PROMISES as true, or was I going to sit still and complain that I am not seeing His promises being fulfilled, tacitly blaming Him for that? As you may have guessed, I decided on the former over the latter. I tried the latter – for a very long time – and having now started in the direction of the former, the only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner.
Here is a new mental picture for you: in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, there is a point where Dr. Jones and his group come to a wide chasm. In every way they can see it is a dead end, there is no way to cross, and thus no hope of moving forward. Being the hero of the story, he of course must take that step. He stands at the edge, closes his eyes, shifts his weight toward what he cannot see and…VOILA! Solid footing! The view then changes to one where no mortal person could actually view, and there it is: a sold bridge to the next adventure.
This is the mindset I have now taken on. I know that what I can see or deduce from my limited viewpoint by no means defines any sort of limitation. In order to move forward with His work, I truly need to close my eyes to my perception of things and put 100% of my trust that when my foot falls, He will be there with a solid place for it to land. I have yet to be disappointed. No doubt from His vantage point, He sees that solid bridge He has set in place leading to that next great adventure at home with Him!
I don’t have all the answers – I don’t need to. He will provide what I need as I go. I don’t need you, or want you, to heap praise upon me – I will just direct it to Him where it belongs. I don’t need to rehearse my words – He will give me what I need to say when I need to say it.
So to those of you who are sitting aside waiting for someone to DO something, or waiting for that opportune time to set yourself in motion – YOU are the someone you are waiting on to do something, and RIGHT NOW is the opportune time to do it! My friends, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ – at this very moment my heart is practically bursting in my chest with a Love for you I can barely contain! And even in this I know I cannot even come close to what Love our God and King feel for you! He is waiting for you to destroy the barriers you have erected and start doing the work of His kingdom. You CAN do it! You want to pass out tracts? Great! Go DO it! You want to tell people your testimony and what God has done in your life? Great! Go DO it! You want to get together with several of your believing Brothers and Sisters and work on some project, put up a billboard, create a YouTube video, write an article, print out cards to hand to grocery clerks and slip into magazines at the doctor’s office waiting room? Great! Go DO it. Start on it TODAY. Don’t wait – every day you wait is one more lost opportunity. “Later” never arrives.
Look, my Brothers and Sisters – we no longer have the time to waver on this. You no doubt have heard the Holy Spirit speaking to you on the lateness of the hour. Why else are you here reading this? You KNOW time is short! We don’t have the luxury of “later” – souls are falling through to that deep pit, forever separated from the GREATEST LOVE this world can know, each one sharing the same thought – “This did not have to happen”. Let’s grab these people – one at a time if need be – before they have to think that thought in the place where a decision the other way does not make a difference. Let’s DO this! If you would like to come along with me and that group of 100 to do the work, we would love to have you, just email me. But if not, fine – just get out there and DO His work!
Take my hand. Close your eyes. Lean forward as you take that step and do not be afraid – HIS perfect, solid ground WILL catch you!
In Great Love through Christ Jesus our Exalted King,
Ryan Vanderstelt