Overcoming Time and Space
by Lonnie Lane
We seem to have overcome time and space in our generation. With email today, what could have taken weeks for a letter to arrive at its destination and an answer to come back can now be there in the time it takes to tap a few keys on a keyboard and hit “Send.” Phones enable us to hear the voice of a loved one that we might not otherwise hear for months or years, or possibly ever if they lived far enough away from us. Now with cell phones, we can basically talk with anyone anywhere at any time. Technology being what it is, time and space are no longer hindrances to communication or staying in touch.
In my job for Messianic Vision, I do a lot of communicating with a lot of folks. Sometimes I feel like I am sitting at “Communication Central” in my little office. Today, for instance, I spoke to a gentleman soon to be one of Sid’s guests telling us of a prayer meeting he’d attended in Jerusalem that was of prophetic significance. A woman from northern Canada saw a show and took the time to call and tell us how she was touched by it. I received an email from Zambia asking for permission to reprint a Messianic Vision article. They are an African congregation involved in restoring Jewish Roots to Zambia. I connected them with the leading pastor of our 24 Messianic Vision congregations in Malawi as they both have hearts for Israel. Today I got an email saying they are looking forward to meeting and working together to bring the vision to Africa.
Another email came from a “Berliner” suggesting a possible guest and a week or so ago some folks who watch Sid on the “tellie” called from England about sending a manuscript which arrived just today. Yesterday an email arrived from a man in India who originally wrote asking about how to start a One New Man congregation in his city and who has since become an intercessor for Messianic Vision. Others write to ask how to start house fellowships. As you can’t always tell from emails where people are from, I periodically ask and find that they are from somewhere I’ve never been, even in the States, but here we are sharing things of the Lord as if we had been friends for years.
It’s all given me a great sense of how linked together we who are the Lord’s are by His Spirit. True, we can communicate easily, but when we do, we’re all on the same page — God’s Page!! Those who contact us here at Messianic Vision share Sid and his staff’s vision for One New Man and to see Israel and the Church restored to God’s ways and His power as we prepare the way of the Lord for His return.
Prayer is also unlimited by time and space. Our prayers cross boundaries that might be impenetrable otherwise — cultural, religious, ethnic or political barriers, or barriers of tradition, of hatred or fear. We pray and God intervenes and brings change and healing and hope. We pray today, but the timing of the answer is in God’s hands. I was taught as a young believer, “God is often late but He’s always on time.” He brings our prayers to bear on situations at just the divinely ordained time. He’s not limited by when we pray. The important thing is that we do pray.
Often when I get a call or an email I take a moment to pray for that person or the project or ministry they’re involved in. Just a little prayer of blessing usually, but it makes me feel a part of their lives in a small way. I believe my prayer makes a difference, just as I cherish prayers on my behalf and believe God enriches my life through them.
No prayer is too small or too big. No prayer is insignificant when it’s prayed in faith and caring. It could all be summed up by another email that came today from a woman in Pennsylvania who ended her email with “Keep on praying — because God keeps on listening.”
Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundationk, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Used by permission.