Dear Praying Friends,
“Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
(John 4:35)
“Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.”
(Lamentations 3:51)
My friends, the heart of America waxes colder and colder, as the needs of the mission field become greater. What are we to do? Can just a few faithful Christians make any difference at all? Does what we do or try to do matter? Have our efforts any value at all? At times, does our work seem fruitless, worthless? I believe we have all felt that way from time to time. We work and work, but it seems we are only going in circles. Praise the Lord for his promise in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”
What then? Let us just continue doing the Lord’s work and obeying his will. The actual harvest is up to him. The question remains, “How?” One answer is found in John 4:35, “Look on the fields…” Why should we look on the fields? We are already working so hard, we are looking on our field, working hard in our “Jerusalem”. Just as Jesus commanded Peter to let down the NETS (plural) and Peter said, “…nevertheless, at thy word I will let the NET” (singular), we say we will look unto the FIELD (singular) not FIELDS (plural) and just like Peter, we miss out on innumerable blessings.
What about our young people? How can we possibly keep them unspotted from the World? Again I say, the answer is found in God’s Word. Lamentations 3:51 says, “Mine eye affecteth mine heart…” What we see changes us. So, as our season of mission trips is upon us, we implore you to PRAY for us as we take folks into Mexico. PRAY for the dear Mexican people as they SEE and HEAR, many for the first time, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they would be receptive to the message and be SAVED! PRAY for the young people who come on our trips, that their hearts will be tender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. PRAY and ask the Lord what he would have you to do in answer to His command to look unto the FIELDS ( plural).
Unfortunately, the reverse application of Lamentations 3:51 is also true. Our culture in America is rife with commercialism, materialism, egoism, and sensuality. These philosophies so permeate our society that we cannot possibly shelter our children from them, though we try. Time and time again, faithful parents who love the Lord and train their children right, nonetheless lose them to the world, the flesh and the devil. Why? I believe it is partly due to the bombardment of the advertising of “Vanity Fair”. Wealth and self-satisfaction are portrayed as the way to happiness, and our precious children are falling for it time and time again! So, what can we do? Well, let us give them something else to look at. Let’s give them another option. Why do you think “FIELDS” (plural) is so significant? I believe it is because we are more open and receptive to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we are out of our comfort zone, away from the stresses and pressures and distractions of our daily lives, and free to focus on what God would have for us.
We know you pray for us faithfully, and words cannot express our gratitude. We would ask that you also pray that more churches would see fit to come and “give us a hand” for one short week. In all the years we have been involved in the evangelistic trip ministry, we have never heard one person say they were sorry they came on a missions trip! Would to God more would follow their example!
May God bless you richly!
Your Fellow Labourers in Mexico,
Stephen Dyck & Family
