From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Susan asked Mr. Beaver about Aslan, “…Is he quite safe?”.
Mr Beaver replied, “Safe?….who said anything about safe?
Course he isn’t safe… but he’s good…”
God is calling. He's whispering to me that it's time to take action. And, He's not whispering in the way one does when playing that silly game of "gossip" where kids sit around in a circle and quickly whisper something to the one next to them so that by the time it gets to the last person the message is lost. His whispers are clear and easily understood. It's time for action on my part to live out my walk with Him.
For the last several months David has been agonizing over New Hope and how effective/ineffective we are in our ministry. I can't tell you how many hours I've heard him talk about it (insert smiley face :o) here because I meant that in the best way). God has been making him very uncomfortable with "doing church" as usual because people are still lost. People are still hungry. Kids will go without coats this winter and the elderly without sufficient heating. Our attending church 3 times a week to be spiritually fed and have our fellowship refreshed isn't enough. We've got to step out and live our faith.
God whispered last week when several of us attended a workshop/seminar by Reggie McNeil. The man has some radical ideas about the church, but more so, the man has some pretty sad statistics on what the church has become. We're not reaching out, but we're very good about taking care of our own. Yes, we'll take care of others by giving our monies, but what about being Christ's hands to the community?
Again, God whispered through a lovely young widow . I teach her son piano each week. And, each week she has sat and listened intently as I prayed with her son before his lesson began. I do this with all my students and never really thought about a parent's reaction to prayer. No parent has ever responded or reacted to it before. But last Friday, she did; she was genuinely touched. I kind of brushed it aside with "God is good and cares enough to actually listen; isn't it awesome?" I continued teaching and glanced out to see her sitting there reading one of the "pew Bibles." I know that she has a skewed view of Christianity: "I believe there are many ways to God." I know she's eager to find out more. As the lesson ended I told her if she wanted to take the Bible to go ahead. New Hope is awesome about giving away the more easily understood NLT Bibles and on occasions like this I understand how important that is. She was thrilled. She is a very intelligent well-to-do young woman. She wants to give back to the community. She wants a hands-on part in it, though. She wants to give of herself and asked if we ever had projects within the community that she could take part in. Yes, God whispers that it's time for us to live out our faith.
Susan asked Mr. Beaver about Aslan, “…Is he quite safe?”.
Mr Beaver replied, “Safe?….who said anything about safe?
Course he isn’t safe… but he’s good…”
God is calling. He's whispering to me that it's time to take action. And, He's not whispering in the way one does when playing that silly game of "gossip" where kids sit around in a circle and quickly whisper something to the one next to them so that by the time it gets to the last person the message is lost. His whispers are clear and easily understood. It's time for action on my part to live out my walk with Him.
For the last several months David has been agonizing over New Hope and how effective/ineffective we are in our ministry. I can't tell you how many hours I've heard him talk about it (insert smiley face :o) here because I meant that in the best way). God has been making him very uncomfortable with "doing church" as usual because people are still lost. People are still hungry. Kids will go without coats this winter and the elderly without sufficient heating. Our attending church 3 times a week to be spiritually fed and have our fellowship refreshed isn't enough. We've got to step out and live our faith.
God whispered last week when several of us attended a workshop/seminar by Reggie McNeil. The man has some radical ideas about the church, but more so, the man has some pretty sad statistics on what the church has become. We're not reaching out, but we're very good about taking care of our own. Yes, we'll take care of others by giving our monies, but what about being Christ's hands to the community?
Again, God whispered through a lovely young widow . I teach her son piano each week. And, each week she has sat and listened intently as I prayed with her son before his lesson began. I do this with all my students and never really thought about a parent's reaction to prayer. No parent has ever responded or reacted to it before. But last Friday, she did; she was genuinely touched. I kind of brushed it aside with "God is good and cares enough to actually listen; isn't it awesome?" I continued teaching and glanced out to see her sitting there reading one of the "pew Bibles." I know that she has a skewed view of Christianity: "I believe there are many ways to God." I know she's eager to find out more. As the lesson ended I told her if she wanted to take the Bible to go ahead. New Hope is awesome about giving away the more easily understood NLT Bibles and on occasions like this I understand how important that is. She was thrilled. She is a very intelligent well-to-do young woman. She wants to give back to the community. She wants a hands-on part in it, though. She wants to give of herself and asked if we ever had projects within the community that she could take part in. Yes, God whispers that it's time for us to live out our faith.
And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to.
If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself.
James 1:22
If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself.
James 1:22
What can we do?
For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.
- Jesus Christ
I'm not sure how we'll do it at New Hope, but I want to be obedient. I want to live the life that God has for me. I want to bless others with His hands working through my hands.
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