Gratitude

As I sit here this Monday morning looking gratefully at a pile of orders to fill (thank you Lord!) something inside me says they can wait while I thank God for another work He has done in my life, Kristina's life and the life of those we encountered this past weekend .  And isn't that most important?  The putting aside of worldly things, schedules and demands in order to praise, worship and give thanks to the One who created us?  Amen.

For those of you who don't know about God's "survivor bag ministry" I'll direct you to the webpage in case you are interested in starting it at your church, youth group, small group, etc.

 

Love In A Bag Ministry

 

For those of you who do know about it and were praying for us this weekend - thank you for your prayers.  It was a God-filled, awesome day!

 

It didn't seem so awesome when we started out to Philly in the morning.  We were grateful the sun was shining, no snow or ice, but for some reason my GPS was on the wrong setting (unknown to us) and what should have been a 45 minute drive turned into 90 minute drive!  And it was into unknown territory and some frankly scary neighborhoods.  While I like to travel and I like adventure, I do NOT like to be lost!  Control issues?  I think so!  However, God was in control and being 45 minutes late was part of His plan ;-)

 

After finally arriving at the parking garage, we filled up our backpacks and rolling cooler, prayed, then set out on foot.  While we know a park area near the museums where many, many homeless camp out, we wanted to try and start out finding the single ones that are by themselves in order that we could really talk with them individually.  So we set out to the downtown touristy area.  God did not disappoint as our paths crossed with so many street homeless.  Some were saved, some were not....... some were ready to chat with us  ............. actually most were ready to chat and only a few were not.  

 

Grady -  asked for prayer and that God would know what his needs are

Robert - pray for relief from the pains associated with being out in the elements

Deidre

Lemule Davis - pray for money needed for diabetes meds

Richie - pray for job

Darlene - pray for housing - she's been out in this weather because the shelters are full

 

We went back to our car to reload our back packs and then headed off to the museum area.  There was another Christian group who had set up a soup kitchen outside so the number of homeless there was great.  Once we opened our backpacks and brought out the first survivor kit they all came running and we were wiped out in a matter of minutes.  Because it's hard to talk to them individually in a setting like that, we make sure each bag has some type of tract and/or a Daily Bread.  God's word must go out to each of them no matter what. 

 

As always I thank God for using me (and my family, Paul, Jon and Kristina) in this ministry.  It is an honor and a privilege and I am grateful beyond words.  I thank God for all the people who have supported us financially and with prayer.  As I reflected on the weekend I realized something that just made me even more grateful.  In a short 10 years (sometimes it seems long but in the view of eternity it is a hiccup) God has taken me from someone who basically despised the homeless and wasn't a true Christian to becoming a born-again Christian with  a heart for the homeless.  He has taken me from a baby Christian who was afraid to pray in front of anyone (I used to jot down a prayer before Bible class in case I was called on to pray!) to holding hands with the homeless on a crowded street in Philly and praying out loud so all walking by can have ears to hear if He so pleases.  Now that is a true blessing - and it is ALL of God because I never could have done any of this in my own power and strength. 

 

In closing let me try to convey the moment that brings me right to the feet of Jesus like no other moment ever has.  It's the moment we are walking down a busy street of upscale stores with well dressed people hurrying by and there is Lemule Davis standing with a cup, leaning against a building, dirty clothes with holes, unshaved, desheveled.  It's the moment we stop to talk to Lemule and he tells us how he is trying to get enough money together for his diabetes medicine and yes, he can surely use a survivor bag.  It's the moment his eyes light up when we ask if we can pray with him.  It's the moment he takes our hands and we stand in a circle on that busy street praying.  It's the moment of feeling that calloused, dry hand that has been exposed to the elements for so long and knowing it's a hand that God made and loves and a hand that His son, Jesus Christ came to die for. That's the moment that brings me to the feet of my Savior.  Thank you Lord - I am undeserving and yet You have blessed me beyond my imagination.  Thank you Jesus.  

 

 



 

 

 



Prayer

Prayer is like preaching in that it is a human act also.  It is a human act that God has ordained and which he delights in because it reflects the dependence of his creatures upon him.  He has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will.  "And this is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).  When we don't know how to pray according to God's will but desire it earnestly, "the Spirit of God intercedes for us according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).

In other words, just as God will see to it that his Word is proclaimed as a means to saving the elect, so he will see to it that all those prayers are prayed which he has promised to respond to.  I think Paul's words in Romans 15:18 would apply equally well to his preaching and his praying ministry:  "I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles."  Even our prayers are a gift from the one who "works in us that which is pleasing in his sight" (Hebrews 13:21).  Oh, how grateful we should be that he has chosen us to be employed in this high service!  How eager we should be to spend much time in prayer!

John Piper

The Lure of Doctrine Without Power

Does anyone really think that America today is lacking preachers, books, Bible translations, and neat doctrinal statements?  What we really lack is the passion to call upon the Lord until he opens the heavens and shows himself powerful.

Let me make a bold statement:  Christianity is not predominantly a teaching religion.  We have been almost overrun these days by the cult of the speaker.  The person who can stand up and expound correct doctrine is viewed as essential; without such a talent the church would not know what to do.  As I said in an earlier chapter, the North American church has made the sermon the centerpiece of the meeting, rather than the throne of grace, where God acts in people's lives.

The Jewish faith in Jesus' day was dominated by rabbis - teachers of the law.  Their doctrine was thorough.  Jesus told them, "you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:39-40 italics added).  They knew the written word of God very well, but not the living Word, even as he stood before them.

The Scriptures are not so much the goal as they are an arrow that points us to the life-changing Christ.

It is fine to explain about God, but far too few people today are experiencing the living Christ in their lives.  We are not seeing God's visitation in our gatherings.  We are not on the lookout for his outstretched hand.

The teaching of sound doctrine is a prelude, if you will, to the supernatural.  It is also a guide, a set of boundaries to keep emotion and exuberance within proper channels.

But as Paul said, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3?6).  If the Holy Spirit is not given an opening among us, if his work is not welcomed, if we are afraid of what he might do, we leave ourselves with nothing but death.

Granted, extremists have done fanatical things in the name of the Holy Spirit that have frightened many sincere Christians away.  Chaotic meetings with silly things going on and a lack of reverence for God have driven many to prefer a quiet, orderly lecture.  But this is just another tactic of the enemy to make us throw out the baby with the bathwater.  Satan's tendency is always to push us toward one extreme or the other:  deadness or fanaticism.

North American Christians must no longer accept the status quo.  No more neat little meetings, even with the benefit of 100 percent correct doctrine.  Are we hiding behind the doctrine of God's omnipresence, that he is everywhere around the globe, especially "where two or three are gathered together". . . to the point that we don't seriously ask and expect to see him work with power in our lives here and now? Shouldn't we implore him to manifest himself?  Moses did.  Joshua did.  Elijah did.  Elisha did.  Peter did. Philip did. Paul did.  Shouldn't we?

God will manifest himself in direct proportion to our passion for him.  The principle he laid down long ago is still true:  "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" . . . .
(Jer. 29:13).

Jim Cymbala
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire


My challenge for you -  and for me -  is to truly seek God and His will.  Not to just say the words, but to mean them.  And if we cannot do that now, then we should start by praying for the strength and courage needed to truly seek Him.  Being a Christian is not for sissies.  It's a road full of trials and tribulations, persecution and rejection, failures and shortcomings.  We may, at any given time, be asked to give up everything, even our lives.  We may find ourselves in a strange land with a strange people.  But one promise from our Creator is worth all the sacrifice we might ever endure.  After all, what He asks of us is nothing short of what He has already gone through a thousand times over.