I confess my own lack of faith when I consider the task before us as outlined in Matthew 24:14, where Jesus states: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

We may think that we are making some progress on the local front, but compared to the global picture, we’ve yet to scratch the surface. After five mission trips to India, one begins to fathom the enormity of heralding a message to more than 1 billion people with less than 5 percent serving as local messengers. When looking at the big picture of such an undertaking, we are reminded of the question: How does one eat an elephant?

The reply: One bite at a time. So it is in our quest as messengers of the kingdom _ one person at a time.

The beauty of the process for me is that I become re-convinced of the story of salvation as I have opportunity to share it with strangers for the very first time. It is a marvel to come from a land of plenty and receive the richest of graciousness at the hands of those who quite literally have nothing. In socializing with a village community of 500, I was astonished to find children of all ages rejoicing in receiving a toothbrush as a gift. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t comprehend it.

As Americans, we look at each other in disbelief over such a sight, but it is only a preparation for what is yet to come. Imagine a sea of smiling faces engulfing you as you present sports equipment for cricket games to the village chief on behalf of the children. This is just one paddle and one ball. Then there was a young teenager crippled by polio from birth who became ecstatic when she received a wheelchair that would transport her through the village.

Those are just some of the marvels of the testimony Jesus mentions. Heartwarming and yet so chillingly real _ they awaken us to the world of possibilities under impossible circumstances.

If there be any biblical testimony of inspiration when we find ourselves against all odds _ it has to be the encore presentation of feeding the multitudes. Yes _ the loaves and the fishes provided by a young lad that when placed in divine hands became a satisfactory meal for each of the 4,000 feasting on abundant grace. There are lessons to be learned from this account that would serve us well in local and international venues of opportunity.

Listen to this:

"Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them."

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry"¦"

His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.

"Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was 4,000, besides women and children.

The first thing we have to do is recognize what we have. What are our resources? Identify what you’ve got and then make it available to God. Put it in his hands and trust the outcome to him. We can’t give what we don’t have, but we can give all that we do have. Utilize the resources given you.

Secondly _ spread the wealth. Share what you have until it runs out. Give what is given you as long as you’ve got it to give.

An old Romanian proverb demonstrates that when the hand is closed in grasping as to hold on to something with a clenched fist, God cannot put anything in it. God cannot bless the recipient. But when the hand is opened in distributing the gift to others, God can keep pouring in as needed. This is Divine Economics.

Finally, value the leftovers. Nothing is insignificant. Even the small, seeming insignificant crumbs can add up to seven basketfuls _ enough for the ride home. Don’t overlook the fragments _ they may just feed the next multitude and herald the Gospel message into all the world!

Pastor Robert Mackay is minister of the Oneonta Seventh-Day Adventist Church.