Faith

May 13, 2012 by Sam

Another great blog from my favorite blogger!

Allana Jane Guidry's avatarLearning To Fly

Image

So, I have been thinking a lot about faith lately – Faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see (Heb 11:1).  That’s what the Word of God says faith is. I gotta just be open and honest (I know, how else would I be)…. this verse has thrown me for loops, along with so many others in scripture.  With so many of my pregnancies I have stood on what I would call faith – I believed with all my heart Jesus could heal – I believed with all my heart He could breathe life into each of those sweet babies to have live here on earth….. yet each of the 7 pregnancies since March 9th 2006 have ended the same – death – “O ye of little faith” “Your faith has made you well” — God I don’t understand! I have…

View original post 637 more words

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Some Thoughts on Ordination

May 11, 2012 by Sam

“1. To invest officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or priestly authority.”  (Merriam Webster online)

Ordination is so much more than I ever though it would be.  As our ordination approaches God has been speaking to me, driving me to explore this idea of an official investiture in ministerial authority and responsibility.  The priests of the Old Testament were ordained to serve before God.  Leviticus 16:32  talks of the hereditary nature of the Old Testament priesthood yet still he had to be anointed and ordained.

The New Testament is perhaps  less explicit yet we cannot but envision ordination in Acts 13 when the elders of the Church of Antioch laid hands on Paul and Barnabas investing them with the authority of the nascent church to carry the gospel message to new lands.  I love the next verse, “The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit…”  Ordination then is not a symbol of The Lewis House but it is a call to the Holy Spirit by our peers, friends and colleagues.  It is a call for Him to send us on our way empowered by spiritual gifts which as Paul expressed to Timothy, we must fan into flame in the performance of the ministry that He has for us.

For Allana and I it is an acceptance of the responsibilities that are inextricably attached to the empowerment and authority that is represented by our ordination.  I would venture to say that if the past year has been our “engagement” to full-time ministry in service of the Gospel that the ordination is the marriage ceremony.  We commit ourselves to His service and recognize His call on our lives.  We trust that he will bring to completion the work that he has begun in us.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Sharing Our Hearts

May 7, 2012 by Sam

This video clip is of Allana and I sharing about the ministry that God has called us to.  We are so thankful for Pastor Nate Elarton and the people of Compelled Church  ;For the opportunity to share our heart for The Lewis House and the Five Points neighborhood of Toledo and for their tremendous generosity!

Posted in Life and Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

They Sure Look Pretty!

April 30, 2012 by Sam

TLH Steps and Walkway

They sure look pretty!

I hope many of you have had a chance to see the new steps put in by Bill H. and Stevenson Building and Supply.  We are so very grateful for them.  Of course I have had more than just an opportunity to look at them.  I have walked up and down on them.  I have sat on them.  I have even dropped things on them and I can tell you that they are solid.

However the pretty white color that makes them look so new and beautiful is deceiving.  While it is great to spray the new concrete with this beautiful sealer, it is not the sealer that gives the stairs their strength and makes them sturdy and safe.  If the concrete under the white sealer is bad, the stairs are going to crumble.  It is the quality of the concrete that determines whether the steps and walkways will endure the tests of time, weather and abuse that is sure to come.

Our Christian lives are like those steps.  We can apply all of the sealer that we want but if it is not being applied over the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior then eventually our lives will crumble because the sealer will not be enough to hold us together.  We can attend every church service there is, serve our community and behave in every way like the ideal christian man or woman but without the rock of Jesus and power of the Holy Spirit underpinning all of those “do’s” it is like a foolish man building his house on a pile of sand (Matthew 7:24-29).  Matthew ends Jesus’  illustration with this statement:

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:28-29)

It is Jesus that gives our Christian lives authority.  This is the authority that gives substance to all the things that we do.  Without it all the doings collapse under the weight of eternity just as our steps and walkways would collapse if the concrete was faulty, or if say we tried to build the steps from sand or clay.

However there is a reason that Bill sprayed a 5 gallon bucket of concrete sealer on his work.  I don’t want you to think that all the things that we are called to do as followers of Christ are meaningless.  If we do not take care to seal our relationship with Christ, over time we will be worn down.  This is perhaps more insidious and destructive than the collapse of poorly constructed steps. It begins with the best intentions and then is slowly worn away because we accepted Christ into our lives and made him the base of our steps but then we don’t follow his guidance.  We do not apply the sealing works of His Word, of prayer, of fellowship with other believers, of love, of discipline.  Without these we will soon succumb to the lies of the enemy and he will destroy our effectiveness as children of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.  (Galatians 6:10-13)

If we lay steps of the Solid Rock and then apply the seals of the Word, prayer and obedience then I am confident “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

Posted in Bible Study | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

A Year in the Life

April 25, 2012 by Sam

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since we moved into The Lewis House and began our lives as full-time urban missionaries. This span of 365+ days has been at once nothing like I had imagined it to be and more than I had ever thought it would be.

As I sit here at my computer and type this out I know without a doubt that the man who left the restaurant business three years ago could not have stood through the last year.  God has brought through an amazing process to bring me here to The Lewis House.  It would be redundant to take you on that journey with me again.  You would be better served reading my lovely wife’s article “The Journey to the Mission”.  I re-blogged it last month.

Even one year ago my financial expectations were that God would provide sufficient funds to cover all of our needs and provide for a nice little salary and we would live the “American Dream” as missionaries to Toledo.  I understand the naiveté of that now (someone much wiser than myself made the gentle effort to cushion what could have been grand disappointment), but even though the mechanism of God’s provision has not  been what I expected it to be the efficacy of that provision has been so far above what I could have dreamed of. Though by the world’s standards we live below the poverty line (a fact which

More important than the earthly provision is the spiritual transformation that I have experienced.

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we , who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s gory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:17

This transformation is not dependent on our earthly circumstances but I can see how our earthly circumstances impact our ability to recognize that transformation.  Paul said:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13)

Without the times of want Paul might not have recognized the transformation that he had undergone.  Without the times of plenty he could not have appreciated the Spiritual transformation that engaged his contentment in the times of wanting.

We should not assume that this transformation was completed miraculously on the road to Damascus.  It was a process that passed Paul through the Arabian wilderness, the narrow streets and prickly political paths of Jerusalem, the urbane halls of Asia Minor and the intellectual collections of Greece.  It was a transformation that continued until he was called home on a fateful day in Rome.  It is a process that we all undergo and one that includes times of plenty and times of want.  It includes times of great joy and times of crushing grief.

Each of us has a path to follow and every path is a little different but it is all about one Spirit and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is into his wonderful likeness that we are being changed.  Like Paul I am so thankful to all of you who have come along side of us and answered God’s call to support us in our ministry. (Philippians 4:10) We have been so blessed by the generosity of God’s people.  Even as you develop in your lives “ever increasing glory” you enable us to do the things that God has called us to do and to continue our transformation spreading the light of His Glory to our neighbors.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Eager for the Gospel

March 1, 2012 by Sam

Eager for the Gospel

We are currently in the middle of our Kid’s Club program at Whittier Elementary School just down the street from us.  It is such a blessing and a challenge to me to watch the kids worship with abandon and soak up His word with eagerness.  Have we grown to old and stiff to dance before the Lord as David did?  Where did our eagerness for the Bible go?

I strive daily to exercise the disciplines that will bring me closer to God.  I pray for the eagerness and abandon that these children display to bring me closer to the Kingdom of God. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 18:3 NIV)  Perhaps they are a foretaste of heaven in their innocent enthusiasm for Him.  I am so blessed to be given the opportunity to speak truth into their lives and to have them speak it right back into mine.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Unpublished

January 26, 2012 by Sam

Yes it has been a really long time since I have been here and I really have no reason why?  I have four other posts that begin with substantially that same sentence that never made it to the blog.  Certainly many blog-worthy things have happened in the past 8 months.

Last summer was amazing!  Full of events, activities and most importantly God moments.  It ended with a mixture of sadness and joy as my grandmother went to be with Jesus.  However the excitement of celebrating her 100th birthday with her in July was incredible.  The Lewis House was buzzing with summer activities and God was there supplying our needs even as I predicted financial doom over and over again.  ( Yes I still do that…a little more quietly than before…I am learning.)  The crush of the holidays was just that but punctuated by the incredible generosity of a local restaurateur who made Thanksgiving wonderful for many of our neighbors.  The generosity of God’s people continued as we were able to distribute 30 bags of gifts door to door the week before Christmas.  Women from all over came to TLH to pamper the ladies of Five Points.  All to say that it was not God’s inaction that led to the neglect of my blog.

I think that many times our lives in Christ are like my blog.  We get so tied up in things that we just cannot make that connection to God.  When we “sit” at the “computer” of our lives it feels like God is not moving in a way that is exciting or interesting.  We are able to start out in a good direction but cannot sustain the movement until we get a published product.  However when we take time to reflect and commit to action His hand in our lives and in our world becomes so apparent.  So whether or not I become more faithful to this blog, I do commit myself to spending time with God daily and publishing him everyday in my life.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Jesus Loves The Little Children

June 26, 2011 by Sam

image

image

image

image

image

….of Toledo!

God is moving in Toledo! What an incredible Saturday we had.  God blessed us with awesome weather and the largest group of kids we have seen for this event.  It was great to seem them smile and laugh during the crafts and game time and such a blessing to see them sit quietly and listen to the Gospel message that will truly change Five Points!

This week we are hosting a missions team from New Life Church. We are excited to work with teenagers who have a heart for missions. We are looking forward to seeing Jesus in action this week in Five Points!

We have room this summer for more missions teams.  If you would be interested in bringing a group of adults, teens or your family out for a missions experience closer to home (or far away depending on where you are) send me an email or message me on Facebook!

Posted in Life and Ministry | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

I Proclaim Liberty

June 5, 2011 by Sam

I Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants

8 “‘Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.  

Leviticus 25:8-12

In this the Sabbath year of Sabbath years of Sabbath days I proclaim to you the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the Son of the Living God Jesus Christ.

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:34

 

We live in the year of Jubilee.  The Son of God has come and declared freedom for all the inhabitants of the the land.

18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:18-19

 

We have all been captives.  We have all been oppressed.  Some of us still are trapped in a false sense of freedom, trapped in the lie that sin is liberating.  This captivity, this oppression knows no ethnic, national, economic or social boundaries.  It chains the rich and poor alike.  It causes destruction and oppression in the halls of power and the boardrooms of the world.  It brings death and hopelessness to the streets of poverty. It spreads darkness and despair in the homes of the middle class. It mocks us, declaring hope and escape in money, power, pleasure and self-seeking lives.  In the end it brings death to ALL those in its grasp.

    I Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants

With Peter we must cry out our soberness and sanity before men as we proclaim the great work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

 

“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]

22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2:14-24

Call on the name of the Lord and be saved.  Call on the name of the Lord and experience the pouring out of His Spirit!

I Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants

 

Posted in Bible Study | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

G VS G

June 1, 2011 by Sam

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

How many times have I read this passage?  I would not even dare to guess.  Probably many more times than is apparent by the state of my love life.  BTW how is your love life?  Perhaps not an uncommon question among the sitcoms, romantic comedies and even dramas of the world.  As a Christian I should ask this question more often than I have.  However the key to the answer is not in the question.  It is rather in Paul’s words recorded (by the inspiration of God) in 1 Corinthians 13.  It is in the magnificent story of a God who fashions an incredible plan throughout history to teach his creation the truth about love, a truth that was lost so many centuries ago in a place called Eden.

So how is your love life?  The Prodigal son knew that his love life was great.  His family was rich, his friends abundant and I would imagine he was quite the ladies man.  On the world economy he was a love billionaire and he knew it.  So when his buddies asked, “How’s your love life?”  our boy could get a grin and say, “I am getting it all!  In fact I am going to go to my father and get even more!  My love life is going to be totally out of control then!”

“The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.” Luke 15:11

I bet he walked away thinking how much he loved his old man.  He was caught up in love, the love of the world.  It is about what we can get.  It is about how people, actions and things make US feel.  It is an economy of love that is pervasive in the world and invasive in the Body of Christ.  It is an economy of love that can only be escaped by death and resurrection to new life and even then it is an economy of love that will sap the strength of the faithful, destroy families, destroy churches, destroy ministries and spread deception everywhere that it takes hold.  It is the great battle of Getting vs. Giving.  It is the economy of Love that left the prodigal penniless, friendless and without hope.  However we serve a God of hope, of redemption, of resurrection and of reconciliation so that no matter how deeply we have sunk into the World’s love He will welcome us home and kill the fatted calf for a feast beyond all expectation and imagination when we return to him.  No matter how broken we are Jesus is ready and willing to accept us into his Love, a love of giving even to the ultimate sacrifice.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”   Phil. 2:4b-11

How’s your love life?  Give Giving a try.  The Bible gives us the rest of the story and I’ll give you a hint:  In G vs G, Giving wins.

Posted in Bible Study, I'm Just Sayin' | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »