"Yet you do not have because you do not ask." (James 4:2)

There was a saying of George Mueller that faith grows with use. If we would have great faith we must begin to use the little faith we already have. Put it to work by reverent and faithful praying, and it will grow and become stronger day by day. Dare to trust God for something small and ordinary and next week or next year you may be able to trust Him for answers bordering on the miraculous.

Everyone has some faith, said Mueller; the difference among us is one of degree only, and the man of small faith may be simply the one who has not dared to exercise the little faith he has.
According to the Bible, we have because we ask, or we have not because we ask not. It does not take much wisdom to discover our next move. Is it not to pray, and pray again and again till the answer comes? God waits to be invited to display His power in behalf of His people. The world situation is such that nothing less than God can straighten it out. Let us not fail the world and disappoint God by failing to pray.

Ron

Compel People To Come In

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
(Mark 16:15)

People need the Lord. But they will never know the Lord unless you and I are willing to share Jesus with our world. It's what God has called every one of us to do.

In Luke 14, beginning in verse 15, Jesus tells a story, or parable, of a beautiful banquet that has been prepared. But when the master of the house says, "Invite the guests," all the guests begin to make excuses. They all reject the master's invitation. So the master says, "Fine, go tell the blind, the lame, the maimed; go into the highways and hedges, go into the streets, the lanes, the back alleys and invite all of those folks to come in."

This parable gives us important insight into our responsibility to share the gospel. First, verse 21 shows who is to go and extend the invitation to the banquet, the servants. If we are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's our job to share Christ to issue the invitation to his "banquet" of salvation.

Next, it shows how we are to go. Verse 22 says, "And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in.'" We're to go and share the gospel in every form and every fashion with every kind of method that we can use that honors God!

Third, we are shown who are we to go to. Verse 21 again shows us that we're to go and reach the poor: the physically poor, materially poor, spiritually poor. All are poor without the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when are we to go? Again, verse 21 says we're to go quickly. There's never been an opportunity better than right now.

Finally, we are told in verse 23, why are we to go. "That my house may be filled." Jesus is talking about His heavenly house, and He is looking for us to reach more and more people who need to hear the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to spend eternity with Him.
God has prepared the banquet of salvation. Are you willing to be His servant, going to a spiritually hungry world and extending His invitation to come and dine with Him for eternity? I hope your answer is YES!

Above is a picture of Evangelist Junior Hill and myself at New Prospect Baptist church. Bro. Junior has preached in over 1300 revivals and multitudes have come to faith in Christ from his faithfulness to the gospel. Like the passage of scriputure above, he has been faithful inviting people to Jesus for over 50 years. "Well done, thy good and faithful servant!"

Ron

Overcoming Distractions

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:6)

Among the enemies to devotion none is so harmful as distractions.
Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs the interests or shifts our life focus from the kingdom of God within us to the world around us, that is a distraction; and the world is full of them. Our science based civilization has given us many benefits but it has multiplied our distractions and so taken away far more than it has given....
The remedy for distractions is the same now as it was in earlier and simpler times: prayer, meditation and the cultivation of the inner life. The psalmist said "Be still, and know," and Christ told us to enter into our closet, shut the door and pray unto the Father.
It still works....

Distractions must be conquered or they will conquer us. So let us cultivate simplicity; let us want fewer things; let us walk in the Spirit; let us fill our minds with the Word of God and our hearts with praise. In that way we can live in peace even in such a distraught world as this. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."

Ron

Soul Winning Messages

This Sunday I will begin a two part series of messages on "Soul Winning." Our text will be Romans 9:1-5. We will study the desire of the apostle Paul to see his people, the Jews, come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I look forward seeing you with open Bible, receptive heart and a burden for souls.

Our 6th Annual Romania Mission Golf Tournament is just a few weeks away, May 17. This is a 4 Man Scramble tournament and the only cost is $50 per man or $200 per team. I still need Hole Sponsors and if your business, Sunday school class, civic group, etc; would like to be a sponsor, just contact me by phone or email ronhorton@centurytel.net You can also register online at http://www.newprospectweb.org/ We will begin the tournament with lunch at 11:30 AM and have a "putting contest" and start the tournament around 1:00 PM. Pray for "dry weather!"

This tournament is all about "soul winning" overseas in Romania. The picture above is me presenting Pastor Irinel Cazacu of Ploesti Romania, partnership support for their mission churches.
The money raised in our golf tournament will go toward helping churches in Romania reach their neighbors, friends and family with the gospel. There is "no business like Soul Business!"

Bro. Ron

Welcome to Ron's Blog!

Well,
I finally joined the world of the bloggers. I hope this new means of communication will be a source of inspiration as well as information.
As I write these words, I am reminded once again of the brevity of life. I have had so many friends pass through the "valley of the shadow of death" in these past few months. For those who have received the Lord as their Savior, it is but a glorious journey. He has gone before them to "prepare a place" far better than any place I have ever been or seen. I know that many of their loved ones miss them deeply. I miss them as well. But those who knew Jesus would never want to come back to this land but rather stay in the "land that is fairer than day." We may not have much longer ourselves. We need to be sharing our faith with those that are not prepared to make the appointment, but will one day (Heb. 9:27). I have been blessed to serve as a pastor for 18 years in two different churches. I have conducted many funeral services but never preached a single persons funeral. They did that while they were alive on planet earth. Today, Lord help all of us to preach it well.

Ron