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Reaching the forgotten children and youth of Raleigh
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Friday 31 August 2007 at 05:24 am
• Isaiah 30:20-21 (NIV) Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
• John 10:2-5 (NIV) "The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
• 1 Sam 15:22 (NIV) ..."Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings ...as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice..."
• Proverbs 14:15 (NIV) A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.
• John 12:28 (NIV) [Jesus prayed,] "Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine."
Jesus went out of His way to point out that the voice was not for His benefit because He heard God all the time. He was in constant communion with the Father. But the disciples needed to hear it, so they could have faith to believe. Remember, Jesus was about to be rejected by the religious establishment, taunted and humiliated, and executed. So God spoke audibly. God knows when we need a sure word, and works around our lack of maturity in times of great need.
There is no shortcut to spiritual understanding. You have to learn to walk with God and to know His voice; otherwise, you will mistake your own voice for His. You even may be fooled by the voice of Satan, or you may hear the clamoring voice of the world. It is so easy to get these voices mixed up. Usually, God speaks to us in a still, small, quiet voice (see I Kings 19:11-13). It takes time, prayer, and waiting on God to hear His voice.
Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that "the word of God is living and active"
Remember that God wants us to listen to him. In Proverbs we read "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favors from the Lord." (Proverbs 8:34) and Jesus said "My sheep listen to my voice." (John 10:27)
Friday 31 August 2007 at 05:13 am
In Ephesians 6:12 we are told:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
What a week I have had. It all started Sunday when we had some issues at Raleigh North and even though I had a scheduled appointment and had forgotten my phone I knew that I need to minister. (It is amazing how allow our schedule silence the spirit.)
Anyhow I went on and sit on a brother in Christ front porch and started praying and reading scripture with him. Then another brother in Christ came by and we were sitting there talking about what God expected from us men. It was a great time of encouragement and teaching. I am amazed that I had two Godly men serving in their own community.
On Tuesday we had Game Night at Cedar Point and as I was sitting there watching the youth have a blast with some games a young lady came and asked me if I knew anyone who did drug counseling. I asked her for whom and she said for me. Amy and I talked with her and later I had a chance to minister to her and calm her down when she got upset for good reason.
I also got to set up some time with a special kid who I have great hope full. He will help me with my Espanola and I will get to hang out and hover with him.
Today I sit at a pew with a discouraged Missionary who has a dry bones ministry. She said she was under spiritual warfare I said really me too. But you are all the time she said to which I replied welcome to my world. We talked a bit and were rejoicing before we were done.
Today I got a call from a Missionary who led a young lady to Jesus!
Tomorrow I have to say good bye to a missionary I hate to lose but God has European plans for him. It will be a bitter sweet good bye. It will be even harder because he is so good at goodbyes.
In the midst of this wonderful week I allowed the enemy to do all that he could do to rob me of my joy. Well he failed and I am exhausted but joyous as I write this.
Keep fighting the good fight God will be victorious.
Tuesday 28 August 2007 at 08:50 am
Tuesday 21 August 2007 at 3:05 pm
Ezekiel 33:7-9 says
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.
It is a good reminder that if we are in the apartments and fail to tell the “wicked man” of God’s grace then that blood is on our hands.
Preach the Good News!
Friday 17 August 2007 at 1:15 pm
We have learned a lot from God at this conference. Especially in reaching our hispanic communites.
God has confirmed how he is leading me to radically change how we do ministries such as school supplies, thanksgiving and Christmas.
The group that has came has had a great time learning, ministering and growing together.
More to come
Tuesday 14 August 2007 at 8:37 pm
Today I was trying to get everything ready so that I could go and teach at this national conference for apartment ministry. Life was getting crazier by the moment and I was running out of time. So I called Amy and told her I would have to miss youth nite and called Ella and told her that I may not make Raleigh North either.
I realized soon after that God was not going to le me get by with that so I left stuff undone and headed down to CP to hang out. I never had the luxury of having a youth group in a community with a pool. One stop and I had found a chunk of my youth including a few MIA’s. I had a great time hanging out with them. Then after supper Kris and I headed down to Raleigh North. First any day I am in the apartments with Kris is a GREAT day. Beyond that we had a great time of encouragement with my RN Team and they prayed me off for the conference.
As I was driving back I told Kris what a hypocrite I would have been to have dropped my entire apartment works to get ready to go teach people about reaching people in the apartments.
Monday 06 August 2007 at 8:40 pm
Miss Leona, she was frail,
Yet she was strong.
She was full of love,
always with a sweet smile.
She raised her children,
then she raised theirs.
I never heard her complain.
She was meek and humble.
When Wes asked her if she was going to heaven,
she said No!
He shared how we all have sinned,
and good deeds wouldn’t get us in.
He told her how Jesus had came,
and victory was hers to claim.
He told her to make Him Lord,
and how heaven was assured.
She bowed her head and prayed,
and at the cross her sins were laid.
Two weeks later I preached
her funeral.
Miss Mary, she was a large lady,
larger than me.
She was full of love.
For her children and
for theirs.
She always asked me to pray.
She had a laugh of love.
She would sit and talk into the night.
When I asked
if she was going to heaven,
she said No!
I shared how we all have sinned,
and good deeds wouldn’t get us in.
I told her how Jesus had came,
and victory was hers to claim.
I told her to make Him Lord,
and how heaven was assured.
She bowed her head and prayed,
and at the cross her sins were laid.
Two days later I preached
her funeral.
How many times do we fail
to share what Jesus told us to tell?
How many times do we say,
next time thy pass my way?
How often are they left untold
and Heaven’s glory they never behold?
Thursday 02 August 2007 at 1:37 pm
(more)
Thursday 02 August 2007 at 07:48 am
I have been counseling with a recent widow. She is struggling with raising a large family alone. I asked her if she was letting other Christians help her. She said that everyone's idea of help was to either fuss at her kids or offer her endless advice about what she is doing wrong. What is it about us that makes us think that we have the answer and that everyone is just dying for us to give them the secret to make life perfect? To make it worse we disperse this life changing advice while we are trying to survive our own screwed up lives.
Wednesdays are always hard days for me. I have meetings and “church” stuff to do from the time I arrive until the time I leave. This week was harder than usual as we had a Mission Team here and I was not able to really interact with them at all. I praise the Lord that He sent this team here for the third straight year. While they’re a blessing to our kids and others at our mission points, most importantly they minister to my staff. I am very grateful for my staff being encouraged.
I was talking to Rick today and we were both remarking about the increased violence we have seen in our communities. The violence has been more widespread than I have seen in 12 years. Every morning when I leave I tell my wife, “I love you and if I die for my faith today remember that it’s worth it.” I have a full understanding that I may go to Heaven from a bullet of a 9mm. To die is Gain to live is Christ.
The promotional video is in its final stages. Matthew and Dana have stayed faithful through all the spiritual warfare in producing this video. I already have three churches waiting for the DVD and Satan does not like losing the ground that he has held in multi-housing communities for so long.
Totally Free Yard Sale at Walnut Terrace today, what was we thinking?
