Today is Day 5 of our Spirtual Adventure of getting to know and then actively praying for Northern Thailand Impact Ministry (NTIM) and all of the various unreached people groups in and around Northern Thailand. Thank you for joining us for this great time of seeking the face of God on behalf of millions who have never heard the message of our Lord Jesus.
DAY 5 – December 5, 2015 – “Getting Ready For the Great Harvest”
God wants to use ordinary people like you and me in the process of building bridges to the hearts of people that God can use to draw them to Himself. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16. If we are serious about following Jesus and becoming fishers of men, we must consider the concept of preparing for the harvest through being the salt and light of Jesus. As any farmer knows, if we want a harvest, we must do the hard work of preparing the soil and getting the soil ready for the seed to be planted. A farmer can have the best seeds in the world but if the soil is not ready, the seeds will not produce anything.
I am convinced that one of the most overlooked yet critical aspects of evangelism among people who do not know Jesus is the whole process of changing “attitudes” of resistance to Christianity and building bridges of friendship, and trust on a foundation of integrity. This can be done through a number of “platforms” and “organizations” that reflect the love and light of Jesus but one of NTIM’s most influential and successful ways of doing this has been through the platform of a legitimate English language school that isn’t a “front for evangelism” at all but teaches English with integrity and is registered with the Thai government through the Ministry of Education of Thailand.
Yet the byproduct of teaching English with integrity and as the salt and light of Jesus is trust, friendship, blessing, and an opportunity to speak into the lives of lost people. This is the “part of evangelism” that I most often equate with “plowing the ground” and “preparing the soil.” The soil must be prepared if we are to reach the lost.
Prayer Example:“Lord, you have told us to be salt and light. We want to thank you for Grace Language School and those that serve as your salt and light to the nations. We ask that you might bless these servants of yours in all that they say and do so that the lost in Northern Thailand might be drawn to you and be open to the good seed of the gospel. We ask that you would send more of your people into the fields to teach at Grace Language School so that more of the unreached peoples living in Northern Thailand may have a chance to taste and see your goodness and glorify your great name. We pray this in the name of Jesus.”