"What is that in thine hand?" "What hast thou in the house?" (Ex. 4:2; 2 Kings 4:2).
    "I am not able!" or "We are not able" has often been the cry of God's own people who have become afflicted with a slothful, lukewarm half-heartedness, (Num. 11:14; 13:21). "I have no ability for preaching!" "I am not qualified to teach a Sunday School class!" "I have no gift for dealing personally with people!" "There is, really, nothing that I can do!" On and on they go with their escapist alibi's -- in spite of the fact that EVERY child of God is represented, in the Scriptures, as having some "gift", some function to perform in the body of Christ.
    God never expects a person to do anything for which he is not fit. He does, however, expect each of us to find out what it is that He has equipped us to do -- and to get on with the job. Nor will this be difficult if we are only
  "Content to fill a little space,
     If God be glorified."
    As a general rule, the work God wants us to do is that which lies at hand; the materials required for

    Though attendance was somewhat less than at our previous Fellowship Meetings, the spirit and fellowship of our June 24-25 meeting have never been surpassed. It was a blessing to have our brethren come so far to share with us in this time of praise and worship.
    Messages (and/or devotionals) were brought by brethren: Willie Spilman, Colorado; Roland Allen, Paraguay; James Danley, Florida; Homer Bryan, Louisiana; Eldwyn Rogers, Chile; Mike Little, Arkansas; Mitchell Lewis, Illinois; Ron Lewis, Arkansas; Lonnie Ford, Hawaii; Sam Arnold, Kentucky; James McCoy, Hawaii; and Leonard Ford, Alaska. We deeply appreciate the contribution made by each of these brethren to the success of this endeavor.
    And our ladies are to be commended for the way they provided food for all who came. E.G.
    "Church services will be much more enjoyable if you refuse to sit in the seat of the scornful". Study God's word with diligence;
Hide it in your heart,
Live it out in your life, and Share it with the world.

    My church is composed of people just like myself. We make it what it is. It will be a friendly church if I am friendly. It will accomplish great things if I am faithful to my task. It will make generous gifts to worthwhile causes if I am a generous, cheerful giver. It will bring others to share in its worship and fellowship if I bring them. It will be a church that is known for its loyalty and love, fearlessness and faith -- a church with a noble spirit -- if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these qualities.
    Thus, by the help and grace of God, I WILL DEDICATE MYSELF to the task of being what I want my church to be.
    WILL YOU??
    "One very quickly loses interest in church if he has nothing invested".

    Most of us are familiar with the story (Gen. 25:29-34) of Esau's return from hunting -- exhausted, hungry and willing to sacrifice anything for food. Catering to the passion of the moment, he gave no thought to the future. He exchanged his birthright for a bowl of soup -- "despising his birthright!"
    HOW UTTERLY STUPID!" you say? But, what about you and me? What is OUR "mess of pottage"? We constantly face temptations to sacrifice something of infinite worth to satisfy some sudden, violent, passionate desire. It may involve an insatiable greed for: food, drink, drugs, money or other material possessions. It may be a yielding to: anger, disappointment, depression, or an overwhelming desire for sexual indulgence without waiting for the proper framework. Any yielding to the "desire-of-the-moment" -- despising the plans and promises of God for our future -- may be regarded as OUR "mess of pottage".
    By denial of carnal impulses we may demonstrate our belief that no suffering of the present is worthy of comparison with the glory divinely purposed for men of faith. And, in comparison with the coming eternal day, the time wherein we may demonstrate such faith -- running patiently the race set before us -- is very brief.
    Let us not over-value that mess of pottage", (Heb. l2:l5-l6). The price of our redemption deserves far greater concern for the honor of Jesus' name, and deeper loyalty, than we often give! E.G.

ON USING WHAT WE HAVE .. Cont'd.

the task are those already in our possession.
    This is what is suggested by the two simple questions with which this article begins. By each of them we are introduced to a marvelous work WROUGHT BY GOD through weak instruments. To the first question MOSES answered, "A rod". And, with that rod, he was sent forth to overthrow the might of Egypt, and deliver God's people from their bondage. To the latter, the answer of the widow was "A pot of oil". From that pot of oil came forth what paid her debt, saved her sons from slavery and provided her with a comfortable living.


    It does not seem very worldly-wise for an 80-year-old man, armed with a simple rod, to challenge the greatest ruler and best equipped army in the world -- Pharaoh, with his host of chariots and horsemen. Could he really be so foolish as to imagine that he has any prospect for success? So far as he knew, there was nothing magic or unique about his "rod". It was such as any shepherd might cut from a bush.
    But, when that rod was claimed by God, it became GOD'S ROD! Thus, it is written that when Moses returned to Egypt he took "the rod of God in his hand", (Ex. 14:20). With that rod he smote the river, and it became blood. He smote the dust, and it turned to lice. He stretched the rod toward the heavens, and they poured out hail upon the

enemies of his people. He stretched it out over the Red Sea, and a way was made for the covenant nation to pass through on dry ground. And, when he stretched it out again, Pharaoh and all his chariot-hosts were drowned in the waters that overwhelmed them.
    The simple "rod in his hand" was an instrument of power and blessing throughout the life of Moses; it was that because GOD POSSESSED IT for the furtherance of His own purpose -- and because Moses was willing to use it for God's glory!
    What is that in YOUR hand?


    In 2 Kings 14 is the story of a poor widow who was deeply in debt and whose creditors had come to take her two sons as bondmen. She appealed to Elisha, the prophet, for counsel.
    The prophet inquired: "What hast thou in thine house?" And she replied: "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil". She was, therefore, instructed to borrow empty vessels from her neighbors -- "not a few".
    At the prophet's command she borrowed the vessels. Then, entering her home, and shutting the door upon herself and her sons, she began to pour oil from her pot into the vessels that she had borrowed. Only when the last vessel was filled did her pot of oil cease to flow.
    Puzzled as to what to do with so much oil, she once more inquired of the man of God and was instructed "Go, sell the oil & pay thy debt,

and live thou and thy children of the rest". The widow had what appeared to be a very insignificant possession. But, in God's hands, it was multiplied so as to adequately meet her need.


    In the performance of His mighty wonders the Lord accepts, and makes use of that which we have. He might as easily accomplish His purposes in other ways, but it pleases Him to take us into the fellowship of His labors. He could have broken the power of Egypt and set His people free without Moses OR his rod. He

might have filled the widow's house with silver or gold, apart from the pot of oil. But, that was not His way. He is pleased to work with what His people possess -- convincing us that "Little is much, if God is in it"!
    God could well do without any of us today. Or, He could instantly fit us with greater ability, knowledge, utterance and favor with men than what we now possess. But, that is not His way. When we truly love Him, and desire to serve Him, He is pleased to take us just as we are, and with just what we have. He can use both us and what little we have in His glorious work.
    Each of us should desire to put our very best (our all) into the Lord's service; but, we should not be discouraged by the smallness or seeming weakness of our best. It is wicked to sit down and DO NOTHING just because we cannot preach like Paul; or that we refuse to give anything because we cannot make such an impressive offering as David's heaps of gold. "If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not", (2 Cor. 8:12).
    The same Lord who had use for Rahab's red cord, for Shamgar's ox-goad, for David's sling, for Mary's pot of ointment, for Dorcas' needle and for the widow's mite, still asks: "What is that in THINE hand?" and "What hast thou in the house?" Bring it to Him -- whatever it is -- to use AS HE WILL. So may you earn the commendation he gave to Mary: "She hath DONE WHAT SHE COULD".