(From my column “Looking Forward and
Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, April, 1988.)
[NOTE on
January 7, 2014: This article was written more than 25 years ago, but it is
still true today. SGT is now further in debt than the total amount we raised
during that important year. We have virtually stopped asking for help, and
donations to reduce the debt have diminished to nearly nothing. We believe God
would have us be debt free once again, so to all of you who love SGT, consider
this article as if it had been written today.]
In Joshua 1:2, God told Joshua, “Lead
my people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.” Later He said, “be
bold and strong” and “you need only to be courageous and to obey.” Joshua told
the people to “get ready to cross
the Jordan,” to “go across and conquer and live in the land which God has given
us,” and to “purify themselves.” Ever since God showed Stained Glass Theatre
our “Promised Land,” we have felt God speaking to us and leading us through the
book of Joshua. We have tried to listen and be sensitive to God’s principles.
We desire with all our hearts to proceed exactly as God would have us to go—to
do all in His timing.
As we study the beautiful words and
wisdom in the book of Joshua, this special book to us, we can see a wonderful
plan of action—God’s plan. First was the call for bold, courageous, and
obedient leadership; second was the
call for preparation; and third was
the call for purification. As we
have sought God’s will for SGT, we believe that He has shown us His
expectations and will by revealing to us in His Word principles that never
change and never fail. Those principles would seem to be:
—bold,
courageous leadership requires Faith
—preparation
requires Work and Obedience
—purification
requires Cleansing through Repentance
—the reward is Victory and Blessings
We believe that God would have us
follow these principles, remembering that the call was not to just a few but to
all of Israel. So, too, now the call is for all, for I am certain the “Promised Land” God has shown us is not
just meant to be a great blessing and challenge for those of us who work
directly with the theatre. It is rather for all who love and share the vision
of the SGT ministry: our faithful friends, supporters, laborers, and patrons.
Yes, it is a dream, a promise, for us all.
I am also certain that to release God’s power, revealed in His Word, we must
apply His principles and truths to our own lives and situations. That is what
we are trying to do at SGT. We know that God has shown us our “Promised Land” and that He has called us to provide bold and courageous leadership and that He has
given us our time for preparation
and our time for purification.
In dealing with the first principle,
bold and courageous leadership, all I can say is that those of us who are in
leadership positions are trying. We are praying and seeking to be sensitive to
God’s direction. We ask you to pray for us daily.
What about the second principle—or
time of preparation? I sincerely believe that the year the Lord has given us to raise the $60,000 we need in order to
move into our new home debt free is our time
of preparation. It is not a time to wait and do nothing. God has given us time
that must be used wisely so that when the moment comes to “cross over,” we will be ready—we will have the funds required. So how are we doing in our time of preparation? Good, but not good enough. I
feel we got off to a good start but
in recent months we have “slacked off” expecting God to do miracles without us
doing our part. We must change this
and get back to work! I have no doubt that God will do His part if we do ours. And
what is our part? We must seek His guidance, and we must be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He leads
us. When I felt God speak to my heart that He was going to give us one year to
raise the $60,000 and go into our
“Promised Land” debt free, I never for one moment sensed God telling us to sit
on our hands for one year and expect Him to drop the money from heaven like
manna. Indeed, no, I knew He was saying WORK
and I will guide you and bless you.
Have we been working? Yes! Has God guided us? YES! Has God blessed us? YES.
Abundantly! But He has blessed us in accordance with our work.
I know that many times God directs us
to pray and wait upon Him. Other times God directs us to pray and move into
action. I believe the latter was God’s mandate to SGT. And what is the work we
are to do? That’s simple—we are to ask!
Ask whoever and whenever God prompts us. We must pray for God to lead us to
people who will give. And, also, pray that God will give us the boldness and
courage to ask those whom He reveals to us. It’s not easy to ask for
contributions. I know, for I hate it, too. It has been hard for me to ask and
I’m sure we have not received some gifts that God had for us because at times
I’ve lacked the boldness and courage to be obedient to God’s prompting and ask.
As I’ve asked less in the last few
months, God has blessed us less. The
message is clear—waste not the time given you! I must, we all must be
obedient if God is to bless us. And so I must ask you, our friends, to join
with us. Please help!
As I said before, the challenge is for
all who love SGT. Please respond now with a generous gift or pledge! But
more, help us by asking others you know, as God leads you, to give. If everyone
who received this newsletter responded by giving or raising $50, we would more
than have the $35,000 needed to go over the top. Please pray! Please help! Please
ask! Our preparation time is two-thirds gone, and we have less than half of the
funds needed. We must not fail because we did nothing.
If we are faithful in what God has
directed us to do, then we can rest in the assurance of God’s promise to Joshua
and to us—Joshua 1:5 “. . . I will not abandon you or fail to help
you.” And we say—Rejoice! Rejoice in the faithfulness of our Lord! Thank You,
Father! Praise Your Holy Name!
COMING NEXT: LESSONS
FROM JOSHUA—PART II
Leaders at SGT had one final step in
their preparation before entering their “Promised Land.”
