Archive for June, 2010

One Day

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , on June 30, 2010| 2 Comments »

We arrived here at the Lewis House Monday afternoon (following an awesome meeting with our new Children’s Pastor-jumping the gun a little on that but I feel pretty good about the match). I wonder how many go on a missions trip and expect an Angelic Fanfare as they arrive or the heavens to open and the HS to descend in the form of a dove. I arrived with a quiet peace that we are doing God’s will for us and knowing that he is going to bless it. I have no idea what that is going to look like but I trust Him and know that He is faithful.
We had a wonderful afternoon of fellowship with George and Sarah. We pieced together a plan for this week and then I had an great night at Everfree.

Tuesday we got to work. George installed a washer and dryer in the basement for visitors to use and then we gutted the room. They had previously installed a furnace there, which included cutting through cinder block. Anyone who has done this will appreciate the mess. Allana and the girls tackled the nursery, going through donated toys, tossing the ones that were not appropriate , cleaning and organizing.
Everyone pitched in and worked hard. I am very proud of all of our kids and my lovely wife .

After dinner we hit the streets. Sami and Emily went with Erin and Naomi and found that ministry can be FUN! George, Robert and I walked the neighborhood. Allana and Chayla went with Stacy on BUNNY DUTY.

We had prayed beforehand and God had laid on George’s heart finding someone under a tree. I had gotten a strong impression of moving shadows. As we turned the corner onto Sylvania we saw a woman sweeping the sidewalk under the shadow of a BIG tree. She is a single mom with three boys under the age of 4. George asked her if we could pray for her and she asked us to pray for her family. We did and then I invited her to the BCC single Mom’s event coming up. Surprise Surprise , her Mom lives in Temperance and she was excited to get more details (which being men we did not have so Allana and I will be headed back there today). As we walked we met kids, parents, young men, old men, young women and old women. They all had one thing in common THEY DESPERATELY NEED JESUS! We prayed for some, chatted with others. We invited some and just opened lines of fellowship with others. Tired but blessed we returned to the Lewis House.

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that YOU will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 6

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Email test

Posted in Uncategorized on June 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

When blogging by email it is best to make sure you put the correct address into your address book.  We won’t discuss how long it took me to figure this out (a couple of weeks),how many times I sent a test email (hmmm I wonder where they went???) and how much time I spent scouring the help pages of WordPress to figure out what I was doing wrong (more than I care to think about, but it was some interesting if unhelpful reading…they should put on the very first page about this function:  Make sure the address that you are sending to is correct!).  Well one dilemma solved…time to head home and chill a bit before heading out to BCC to greet and be blessed!

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It is all about Two Girls

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , on June 26, 2010| 1 Comment »

It is all about the two girls. Two little lost and hurting girls God sent our way as an opportunity to serve Him, love the Lost and serve others. We were tired, hot and honestly thought that nobody would show up for our youth and Children’s ministry. We had actually planned to return to the BLock Party that we helped set up at BCC when no kids showed up but God had other plans. So there they were two little girls who desperately need the hand of God in there lives. No miracles were performed, no great sermons preached, none came forward for salvation but I could feel God SMILING over my shoulder as he said, “I told you so.” I have been studying Relational Ministry but He taught me more tonight than in all the studying. Tonight it was all about the two little girls. Keep your eyes and Spirit open because tomorrow It’s going to be about…well I just guess I will Keep my eyes open and my heart in tune and He will let meknow ..

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Summer!

Posted in Life and Ministry, tagged , , , , , , on June 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I am so excited for what God has brought to myself and my family this summer.  Last week I had the privilege of sharing BLAST with a great group of leaders and junior highers at BCC.  This week Allana and the kids are having a blast at Sonquest Rainforest VBS.  The blessings have already started to rain down and the summer is barely started.

Monday we head to Toledo and The Lewis House (www.mylewishouse.com) .  We are ready for God to do great things and are excited to spend this time with our family in Christ there.  God has been amazing as he has opened the way for us to serve Him.  At the end of July we head out for our great western sweep.  It will be an exciting time of seeing friends and family but even more Allana and I believe it will be a time of ministry.  We are looking forward to sharing our faith and taking hold of ministry opportunities that God puts in our path.  I am sure after our month at The Lewis House we will be Spiritually pumped and overflowing with joy to share both with those who don’t know Him as Lord and Savior and with our brothers and sisters in Christ!  We are ready for all the “outrageous” things God has for us! (ok..so maybe with the help of the Holy Spirit I will be ready for all the OUTRAGEOUS things God has for us!)

AMEN

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I Serve an Outrageous God- Repost

Posted in Bible Study, tagged , , , , , , on June 15, 2010| 4 Comments »

(more…)

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So What do you do when God says, “Send your army home”?

Posted in Bible Study, tagged , , , , , , on June 11, 2010| 1 Comment »

I find the fact that God is laying Gideon on my heart a little concerning.  I don’t want to send my army home.  I want to rely on my talents, skills, intelligence and education to do the things that he has called me to do.  I am finding that there is a great but often unrecognized difference between using your God given gifts and relying on your own resources.

As I begin this summer of service to him I find myself staring at that dividing line.  Sometimes it seems precise and clear.  Other times it seems blurry and tenuous.  I find myself praying, “Lord help me send the army home and rely on YOU! AND help me use the GIFTS that you have given me to bring your KINGDOM to the very best of my ability.”  I am excited that even at this late time in my life and after years of relying on myself God has given me great opportunity to serve HIM.

OK ARMY, I guess it is time for you to go home….

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The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,

Posted in Bible Study, tagged , , , , , , on June 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I have been thinking about Gideon lately.  God has me running Judges 7:2 over in my mind. 

 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,

I am ever amazed at the unity of a book written over a period of millenia. 

If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about–but not before God.  Romans 4:2

 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the LORD.”  I Corinthians 1:27-31

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

God wanted to save Israel by faith.  So he reduced her to the point that there was NO salvation except by His grace.  Here lies the tension between faith and works.  Gideon could have all of the faith in the world but if he had not stepped out in obedience to God, it would have been dead faith.  This is what James is talking about in James 2.  When we accept our own absolute inability to contribute in the slightest bit to our own salvation and step out in faith because he said to, that is when God says ok, now I will do it because in this you will know that I am God.

  When we send the majority of our force home, when we stand facing the Red Sea with Pharaoh at our backs, when we step onto the stormy sea because He said to….then we say with David “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalms 18:2).  When God asks you to give up your advantage, take the risk, it is because he is preparing to do great things.

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