Jan en Joke

Hello all,

Again about 1 Chronicles 27 v 1- 15.

This thought came into my mind.
I 'saw' spiritually a woman from the tribe of Issachar.
She was talking in a loud and a little bit angry way to her husband:
" What is the use of this going of you into the C.W.A...."
(Common wealth army)
`....for this so called ´social conscription´, ( S.C.).
Here...in your own tribe all factors of importance are present:
- your wife, your children, your living
- your family, your acquaintancy.
What have we to do with Zebulon, Manasse and Gad. They are ar least our neighbours and we see even them hardly.
And perhaps they send you to such places as Efraim, Aser or something of the kind".

But her husband answers:
"Listen...our king David tells us, that we have a common history, even with Naftali and Dan.
And when I'm doing my service in Benjamin, Ruben or Juda , it is good for the total of tribes, all coming forth from father Jacob and further down.
Together we have a big task to do, Moses has told us. And still further back there were the ancestors Abraham and Isaäc. And to take part in that task I am now going into ' this service to the common wealth'.
And I do it with pleasure. I am sure to bring back new ideas and to enrich our own tribe. You know yourself that we had a guy up here from Simeon and he did usefull work at ours".

And then I thought about us, Christians of now.
We are so busy with that little church of us, somewhere in Urk, Wellington, Minsk or on all other tens of thousands places.
But the Lord asks to everybody of us:
" Be a volunteer for the whole of the ' Holy commonwealth' everywhere. It is not needed all the time, but when you feel, it is your turn, then be usefull. When you are doing your duty for all God's children everywhere, when you keep them together in one rich general knowing of their big task to spread the evangely of Jesus Christ, God and man , redeemer, all over the world...what next: then you will bring from everywhere in ' the fighting church on the whole of the earth' fresh news and you will be a better member of your own ' tribe', your own congregation".

And that is, what I am doing now in Flanders, Germany and up here.

I am glad with this work as a volunteer for the kingdom and I feel a better member of my own 'tribe', when I tell them about what I experience everywhere..and anew I give myself with fresh ideas to - for instance- my work with the 8-10 years children or with preaching on 31 of august.

Ger