Maasai

I saw the movie “King Solomon’s Mines” as a teen and my imagination was captured by the height of the Maasai tribesmen as well as their culture at the time. Not until the turn of this century did I discover a distant familial connection to the book’s author, H. Rider Haggard, through a distant cousin, Blanche Blick Burnham.

It is a small world, and I was blessed to be given another glimpse into the Maasai community by Pastor John Tino, by his own words:

I am a blood born child of the Maasai community in Kenya.

I was very impressed by this line at the bottom of his home page:

This web site JohnTino.com does not receive donations

Instead of seeking personal gain, his work is funded through About Face Missions. After looking over John’s site, and AFM, I’m reminded of several verses:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Christ used “teach” in our Great Commission:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19)

But the teaching is just as the preaching:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:13-14)

There must be a teacher before there can be a student. How can we, so far away, be of help. Our finances are limited, our budgets strained. The needs are many, resources few. Then came the answer, from God’s word:

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:36-38)

Pray ye the Lord, that He will send. We can all do that. There is no impact on our budget, no pain in our pocketbook and we’re fulfilling a command Christ gave His disciples. Pray.

Take care, though, and be prepared for your heart to be moved and your budget impacted when you receive a call from God for a specific part of the harvest. Yes, we may be called as part of those laborers. Why not? We’ve given Him our lives, should we not be prepared to respond when He calls? Jesus was, and was sent:

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. (John 17:7-8)

Why then should we not respond as He and others:

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:8)