Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Rainbow Reflector a number of years ago. It has been impressed upon us that God has chosen to bless the ministry of Rainbow and He has chosen to use people to help perpetuate the work here. Once again this year over 400 people have partnered with us to further the outreach.

The masses of people; jammed into shopping malls, crowded into huge auditoriums, shoved into small apartments, wandering through dark inner city streets. People: caught up in the rat race, lost in time in the wilderness, secluded by the miles of vast space, excluded by the many who don’t care. There are over 5 billion of us on this planet we call earth. Each day there are thousands more. “Multitudes” says it all.

The multitudes may be hard for some of us to fathom, especially when it may be miles to the nearest neighbor. But we have seen the multitudes, even if it is for a day downtown during Christmas shopping, or watching a football game on TV. Isolation from, does not reduce the multitudes, nor their needs.

We have a tendency to be bothered by the needs of the multitudes, but Jesus had compassion. We want them and their needs to go away, but Jesus goes to them.

Some 21 years ago, a pastor by the name of Eric Johnson spoke simply and earnestly to a group of college guys as they were building the gym above Rainbow’s main hall. He said with his Swedish accent, ”preach Jesus, give them Jesus, live for Jesus.”

Live Jesus! As we are confronted by the masses or the individual, let us be moved with the same compassion that compelled Jesus to serve even to the extent of giving His life. In His actions, all, including you and I may benefit from His love. It is His love and example that drives me, pulls me, even overwhelms me, thus causing me to exclaim, “Behold the fields! Lord, what do You have for me in this huge task that is comprised of the multitudes, my neighbors, my family, and yes even myself?”

In the fields of opportunity where we perceive nothing but barren soil, Jesus sees the harvest. In the fields that are tilled and yet nothing is growing, Jesus sees the harvest. In the fields that are swept by pestilence and drought, Jesus sees the harvest. In the fields that are loaded with fruit, but night is coming, Jesus sees the harvest to the end. Jesus sees the harvest as plentiful. So what am I to do?

What are we to do?

Pray!

Pray?

Pray. As stated in Matthew 9, pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers and that the workers will be willing to serve as they are called. Pray that we as individuals will not be taken by what the multitudes are doing, but rather what Christ wants to do in our lives to reach the multitudes. Pray without ceasing that the work of Christ upon the cross will be first and foremost in our own lives, so that in turn our example, or rather the example of Christ in us will be a light in a sin darkened world. Pray that we will see the vast harvest ahead as Christ sees it. Pray that we will have the compassion of the Saviour to the extent that we are willing to lose our own life and then we will find real life. Pray. Partners in prayer unto the harvest.

What are we to do?

Persevere. Persevere even when faced with the valley of the shadow of death. Persevere in the task that God leads us into, even if there are “giants in the land”. Be willing to stand in the gap when there is not enough help or a comrade has fallen. Persevere even when it appears that you are on the losing side, for we know in Christ that will never come to be. As Dr. Bob Jones used to say, “ do right till the stars fall.” Persevere. Partners in perseverance unto the harvest.

What are we to do?

Give provision. Provide to the ministry in Jesus, because He owns more than the cattle on a thousand hills. What has He entrusted you with? Provide to the least among us because then we are providing for the Most High. Work, for night is coming. Provide till the day is done. Partners in provision unto the harvest.

What are we to do?

Build on a solid past for a sound future. Make sure that your life is built on the Solid Rock. Get in the construction business and emphasize the need for the individual to have a firm foundation. Jesus said to make disciples, and disciples need a good understanding of where they have come from and where they are going. Be a living testimony to what God has done. Partners of the past for the future.

Proclaim. How lovely are the feet of them that proclaim the Good News. Preach the Word in season and out of season. Go into all the world and make disciples. Tell the world of the truth that can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Partners in proclaiming the Gospel.

What are we to do?

Promote. Promote biblical truths and how they affect our every day lives. Satan is the master of deception and if he can sidetrack us on any truth, he has his foot in the door. That can not be, nor should we ever be satisfied with “almost right”. We must search the Scriptures diligently for truth and then abide by it. Be a crusader for the truth of God at home, in your community, and around the world. Partners in promoting truth unto the harvest.

What are we to do?

Pay tribute. Not to man’s self righteousness, but rather to the grace and mercy of a righteous and holy God working through man. A number of times in the Bible we read of monuments, memorials, and alters that were set up. These were not to be worshipped, but rather used as a reminder to God’s mighty acts and marvelous ways in dealing with His people. Partners in paying tribute unto the harvest.

What are we to do?

Preserve. We have a responsiblity to preserving our Godly heritage within our families, as they are the building blocks of any nation.To preserve our family’s heritage runs the risk of focusing inward. However, too much will be sacrificed if we run scared and throw the testimony of God’s working throughout the generations to the wind. In this day of crushed families, present the fact that in God’s strength a family legacy is possible and very much in the plan of God. Partners for preservation of our families’ heritage.

What are we to do?

Protect. What would our Christianity be if we did not care for the physical wellbeing of each individual in the multitudes. Jesus showed compassion and healed many. The book of James lays out the guideline for genuine religion in a practical sense that one could touch. How dare we forget to help the innocent as we have done in America, with our blatant disrespect for God by reducing the unborn to a piece of tissue and the aged and impaired to worthless beings. To ignore the protection and safety of the multitudes and forget their daily needs goes totally against the love of Christ for the multitudes. Partners for protection and safety unto the harvest.

Profess. Profess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and Live it!!! The Word of God is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet. The Word of God is sharper than any two eged sword and it endures forever. It is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for reproof, and instruction in righteousness.

It comes down to this, ladies and gentlemen: if we want to impact the masses or the individual we must have the compassion of Christ. To do that we must have a passion to know Christ and to make him known. We are blessed with His Word, the Bible and we must study it, learn it, live it and then we will profess it. Partners in Professing unto the harvest.

Truthfully, we at Rainbow are some of those people that measure distance to our neighbors in miles, and yes ,multitudes are experienced mainly at Christmas time when we go to the mall in Rapid City. At the same time, God has given us our multitudes in our own backyard with outreach ministry of summer camp as well the Friday Nite Progams. We have been blessed by these experiences and can testify that having “compassion for the multitudes” is not a one-sided experience.

We have been impressed by the fact that a servant heart goes a long way and the parntnerships that have been established by many within the body of Christ is a real joy. It is the desire of Rainbow Bible Ranch to enrich these partnerships, so that many more would receive the blessing that is bestowed upon all that have a part in the ministry of Rainbow, and in so doing magnify the glory that belongs to our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are seeking ways in which we may be of better service to the family of God, the multitudes, and you as an individual. The wheels have been set in motion, as we have taken and attempted to identify the different partnerships that exist within the ministry of Rainbow. We have also begun to look at other partnership possiblilities that could benefit other folks as well.

“Partners unto the Harvest” is what we have entitled this effort. In preparation, identifing needs, and trusting the Lord’s direction, we have been amazed by the intertwining efforts of so many to make Rainbow Bible Ranch a reality for nearly 22 years. We have also been impressed by the fact that more partnerships are needed to continue as the Lord leads.

We will be honest with you. Partnerships require effort on both sides to be effective. Our current partnership correlates with the different efforts that have been listed throughout this article. They are:

Partners of the Past for the Future