Some of my best friends often tell me I
will have a big reward in heaven. However I think the “Jesus way of doing
rewards” doesn’t have much to do with what a person thinks he or she has
accomplished. I write up lots of exciting things. Other
missionaries and ministers have labored much harder than I and in much more
dangerous and difficult circumstances and lived these same kind of experiences
dozens, even hundreds of times over and never shared it in print with anyone.
Over there “on the other side” the “first will be last and the last will be
first.” I feel that the Lord is allowing me to receive my reward down
here… so there won’t even be a mention of these things in heaven… except maybe
a whole lot of hugs… which will be reward enough for me.
I was trying to make my way out of the
stadium after the final service of the Union of the Assemblies of God national
General Council an hour or so ago… and a man wearing an usher’s vest grabbed
me. He told me that he remembered how I had preached in a tent here in
Salta in 1972 and painted pictures every night. He had been 9 years
old! Missionary Paul Brannan preached the first part of that crusade and
I continued after him. Our first AG church in this great city of Salta
was born from that tent-meeting. Joseph and Ellen Anonby, from Canada,
were our church planting resident missionaries working here then. I
didn’t have Felipe or Perfume yet, but this brother remembered the Hawaiian
Guitar. That tent-meeting was his families’ introduction into the message
of the Gospel of Jesus. And now he is one of our ministers and together
with his wife they are starting a new work in a little village about 20 miles
out of town. They hugged me to pieces. I grabbed a passerby to take
their picture.
I have been hugged and kissed on one or
both cheeks by many people this week! Some told me their story.
Others thought I should remember them. Many of them I know by name, but
many others… I haven’t got a clue. J
We’ll talk it over in the bye and bye!
Ralph
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