Did you have any, “big things come in little packages,” gifts this year? Those are some of my favorite kind of gifts. Sometimes those little (in size) gifts are connected to something much bigger. Like wrapping a small box that contain keys to a car, or an engagement ring, or wrapping a sonogram picture that shows you are going to have a baby in a big box and give it to your two daughters for Christmas. These are small things but involve so much more.
Jesus used the little BIG imagery when He was talking about how we should understand the Kingdom of God.
Mark 4:30–32 (NET)
4:30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? 4:31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground—4:32 when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade.”
This parable tells us about Jesus’ own humble beginnings. “can anything good come out of Nazareth,” Nathanael asks Philip. “Come and see,” is his simple reply. Today we are still able to see how small beginnings had no bearings on what Jesus would do and become. If anything the obscurity of Jesus’ birth and hometown magnifies who He is and what He has become. As the minutia of a mustard seed is dwarfed by the resulting tree, so the Kingdom of God has not stopped growing. The prophet Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concluded by saying that the stone which struck the feet of the statue, “became a large mountain that filled the entire earth,” Dan 2:35b
The wild birds that nest in the shade of the expansive tree, isn’t that so descriptive of our salvation in Jesus? Not only us but now we share in the shade of Salvation with brothers and sisters from among the Kendawangan as well. That makes my heart so so glad.
This past Christmas the believers met together for a special remembrance of Jesus’ birth. Instead of the normal 10 people that attend the meeting, it swelled to 40 people. This gave an opportunity for the believers to be a testimony to others in the village who have not attended the teaching meetings. Andrea and I were able to send a special video greeting that they played after the meal.
We are planning to be in Jacksonville for all of 2016 and we would really love to share with you the good work of God among the Kendawangan. Below is our contact information. Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are looking for opportunities to share with you and others God’s little BIG gift.
Grace Sufficient,
Tim & Andrea Ullum
tim_ullum@ntm.org
Tim’s cell: 904-629-7655
Andrea’s cell: 904-584-5010
Agree with G’Ma Joyce. The current size of the Kingdom of God on earth compared to the size at inception is staggering – especially when you consider the environment it is growing in. I like this thought: “small beginnings had no bearings on what Jesus would do and become”.
I fully enjoyed ALL of this. Thank you so much for sending it!!!
BIG LOVE