Spiritual Nourishment
This past week Kathy and I attended the Freed-Hardeman University Lectureship in Henderson, Tennessee, (the 87th annual FHU Lectureship.) We went as church relations representatives of BibleTalk.tv. The Tennessee food was good and the Tennessee weather even better. We spent quality time with some of our wonderful life-long friends. There was a man there, whom I baptized in 1999 and have not seen in 20 years. It was heart-warming to hear of his successful ministry and meet two of his four children.
We met new believers and talked with them about how the church is doing in different parts of the country and even around the world. We met missionaries from South Africa, Haiti, Nepal, Honduras, India, and Russia. They spoke of hungry souls wanting to be taught but having no one to teach them. Kathy and I shared how BT could fill the gaps of outreach and train new teachers and preachers. The more I learn about the Lord's church, the more I love it.
We were networking, learning how we could help each other get the truth of God's Word to a world tired of lies and false religion. But we weren't networking the way worldly business do. With each of us focusing on application of God's Word, His will, we were learning from each other and learning together better ways to get the gospel to people. When the prodigal son came to his senses, he said to himself,
"How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!"
- Luke 15:17
It wasn't physical bread he was starving for. It was the bread of heaven, the spiritual nourishment that comes only from Jesus. Some build walls that keep people out of the kingdom. We need to build gates. We need to build bridges to bring people in, people dying from spiritual malnutrition. Do you want lost souls to be saved? Let's talk about how to reach these people.