I was asked recently (not for the first time) if it was hard not to have a job/work on a daily basis?  If you know anything about how men are wired you can probably understand when I say that it’s not easy for me to hear those kinds of things.  Work and accomplishments are some of the first things we men rely upon to validate who we are, our worth, and significance.

Thankfully when the question came I was able to head off my wounded pride before any outbursts and redirect my thoughts to the gift these months are for our family.  Within the mission world we refer to these months of visiting our home/sending country as “home assignment”.  Many of the goals we have for these months center around the Lord Jesus and our need to be connected to Him the Vine from which we are nourished, grow, and produce fruit.  Both in the gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles you can see this pattern of fulltime ministry engagements, followed up by respite and coming away, resulting in renewed vigor and re-engagement in Kingdom work.

I have been giving extra time to studying God’s word and one particular theme that has grown larger and larger in the pages of scripture is this brief window of time in which we now live called the Church age.  The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 speaks volumes to me about what God is doing in these last days.  If you read the parable you will find God (the king) sending out His servants to invite one and all both, “bad and good” to come to His party, to join the wedding feast.  An invitation not based upon the worth of those called but upon the good nature of the King.  All are welcome yet only those who enter with the wedding clothes on may come.  This is fundamental to the invitation; all are invited to enter through the Door to take upon them the “garment” of Christ’s righteousness.  He is the Door by which all must enter.

We are living in an age of amazing grace, given to us by the Lord Jesus.

“Of His fullness we have all received and grace for grace” Jn 1:16.

Just as this age had a beginning it will also have a consummation and we are counseled by Jesus to be watchful for the Masters return.  That is one sign associated with a faithful and wise servant, Matthew 24:45.  Watchful yet at peace, as Peter tells us,

“Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…” 2 Peter 3:14-15 (NASB95)[1]

His appearing, Titus calls our “blessed hope” Titus 2:13.  We trust you are reminded today of the amazing grace which is ours through Calvary’s cross and reminded that His coming is near, “at the door.”

Keep looking up,

Tim & Andrea Ullum