Wow - this whole summer has been a whirl-wind of activities...[work, travel to CO, Northern CA, Family reunion, Special wedding, travel home to Oklahoma, Arkansas, ASI in Tampa FL, back Home to AR, and now back to California etc] and just staying on my feet, much less blogging and telling everyone about it, has been a challenge!! God has been teaching me many things and has impressed many things upon my heart though...which I'll be sharing as I can make the time.

For the moment, I'd like to share about this week's Prayer Meeting that I held here at Advent Hope back in Loma Linda, and about the burden that God has pressed even more upon my heart lately.

This week we talked not just about the work that is being accomplished in saving souls, but rather in the GREAT WORK there is yet to do!!! It is painfully sobering...

We took turns reading through the inspirational quotes below, then we took time to reflect on the picture shown above, as we asked ourselves the question....

"Where do we fit in this picture?"

Are we American Christians sooo occupied with the good things of life, eating great food at awesome vegetarian restaurants.....(You know they have everything now days!), pampering our vanity with this luxury or that, saving up for a new outfit, car, computer, or expensive toy, enjoying peaceful vactions or entertaining amusements (do you know that 25-30,000 children die every day from starvation and poverty? How many more still alive are starving for a Savior??), going to Christian concerts or conferences where we talk about reaching the lost but rarely go home to actually reach the lost (hey I'm guilty - I do it too!!), negotiating important business deals (after all, we give our money to the Lord's work), working hard to pay off our debts or provide for our family....(none of these activities are bad, you know)! Or maybe we're just buried in our studies, trying to get through school or trying to raise our family!!

But have we gotten sooo preoccupied with our lives, that we have FORGOTTEN that THE WORLD AROUND US IS DROWNING WITHOUT A SAVIOR?!!

God commands us to give to the poor...and anyone who doesn't know Christ is poor... So, as you read through the following quotes - ask yourself - "Where do I fit in this picture? What do the priorities of my life reflect?"

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18,19

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"And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather [every] grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God." Luke 19:10

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"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:." Duet 15:7

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"I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." Duet 29:16

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"Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?" Duet 30:25

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"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Jam 4:17

"Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the loss of a single soul." 4SP 457

"Are we as a people asleep? Oh, if the young men & young women in our institutions who are now unready for the Lord’s appearing, unfitted to become members of the Lord’s family, could only discern the signs of the times, what a change would be seen in them! The Lord Jesus is calling for self-denying workers to follow in His footsteps, to walk and work for Him, to lift the cross, and to follow where He leads the way." Maranatha 138

"[Context] God is permitting the elements of confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A power from beneath is working to bring about the last great scenes in the drama - Satan coming as Christ.....Transgression has almost reached it’s limit. Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings. The end is very near. We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise!" 8T 28

"The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come. Although loath to punish, nevertheless, He will punish, and that speedly. Those who walk in the light will see signs of the approaching peril; but they are not to sit in quiet, unconcerned expectancy of ruin, comforting themselves with the belief that God will shelter His people in the day of visitation. Far from it. They should realize that it is their duty to labor diligently to save others, looking with strong faith to God for help. ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." 5T 209

"Said the angel, 'Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye will have to die a greater death to the world than ye have ever yet died.' I saw that there was a great work to do for them and but little time in which to do it." Early Writings, Page 64.

"By all that has given us advantage over another, be it education and retirement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience, we are in debt to those less favored, and so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the weak." Ministry of Healing 29

"The people of God should be wide awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but wholly in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer. . . ." 3SM 414

"We Are Nearing the Crisis. We are nearing the most important crisis that has ever come upon the world. If we are not wide awake and watching, it will steal upon us as a thief. Satan is preparing to work through his human agencies in secrecy. . . ."3SM 414

"It is not excitement we wish to create, but deep, earnest consideration, that those who hear shall do solid work, real, sound, genuine work that will be enduring as eternity." Letter 102, 1894

"The signs are rapidly fulfilling, yet it would seem that but few realize that the day of the Lord is coming, swiftly, silently, as a thief in the night. Many are saying, "Peace and safety." Unless they are watching and waiting for their Lord, they will be taken as in a snare. . . ." 3SM 408

"The Lord calls for volunteers who will be self-denying, who will endure hardness as good soldiers of the cross of Christ. He calls for workers who are willing to be laborers together with Him....The last great battle in behalf of truth and righteousness is to be fought, and God would have His soldiers go forth in faith. Christians, do you discern the signs of the times?" ST, June 21, 1899 par. 10

"Religion, pure, undefiled religion, is intensely practical. Nothing but earnest, wholehearted labor will avail in the saving of souls." Letter 43, 1902. CM 77

"When we labor diligently for the salvation of our fellow men, God will prosper our every efforts." 9T 86

And finally, the ultimate challenge...

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matt 19:21