H. L. Sheppard
Bulletin/Theme
March 2006
One
little widow with an issue of blood, one Lazarus over whom He wept, one little
dwarf who climbed a sycamore tree, one harlot who washed His feet with her
tears, one recalcitrant cursing Apostle, one repentant thief on a cross…Jesus
was always concerned with the “One.” Before he would touch the many, He
required Himself to touch the “One.”
Jesus
never got lost in the maze of the multitude. He never allowed the suffocating press of the
crowds that thronged Him to impede His progress and hinder His pursuit of the
“One.”
The
crushing mob that surrounded him was no match for the little lady who was so
intent on touching the Lord that she was willing to lay her life on the line
and crawl through the crowd to brush the hem of His garment. Jesus immediately felt the impact of the “One”
who truly needed Him. His disciples were
befuddled. They pointed out that any one
of hundreds could have touched Him. But
no, He recognized the touch of “THE ONE” whose life was most dramatically
changed by an encounter with The Christ. Of all the people around Him, Jesus
Christ pinpointed the ONE who touched Him. He was always sensitive to the ONE. He was never so swallowed up in the sea of
humanity around Him, that He could not reach out a saving hand to one drowning
soul who needed His help.
During
the course of the past twenty years, we have seen a growth rate of almost 600%
in our attendance. Through great sacrifice
and tenacious faith, we have provided a beautiful sanctuary for the gathering
of the many. But, in the final analysis,
when we carefully peruse the congregation of 300, or 400, 500 people…what we
come to realize is: “This great gathering of God’s People was built ONE SOUL at
a time!”
We
are proclaiming 2006 as:
“THE YEAR OF ONE”
We
will temporarily take our eyes off the panoramic vision of the immeasurable
masses. We will take the time day by day
moment by moment to focus more carefully on the “ONE” soul near each of us that
is in dire need of the Master’s touch. We will concentrate our attention upon the
man, the woman the young person who desperately needs God. We will give our time and expend our energies;
we will make the salvation of “ONE” soul the focal point of our life in 2006:
What
are you doing to reach “ONE”?