Wednesday 27 February 2008 at 12:55 pm
So about 11 years ago we started an ESL class in a new believers home in Cedar Point. Not long after that the new owner allowed us to start parking the bus on the public street and holding a kids club, that makes me miss Miss Pam. Then the new owner gave us a one bedroom Apartment and Tanya and Andy started “The Basement”. Then the new owner moved us into a three bedroom apartment that use to flood all the time. The new owner then moved us into a two bedroom apartment where we have existed until now. The new owner (do you see a pattern here) is not going to maintain an office on site so he is allowing us to move into the old office for the Community Center.
We will be moving the community center between now and Tuesday. Please pray for the move to go smoothly. I am excited about the new location. Amy will be returning from Costa Rica to a new Community Center with improved language skills. She will be spending much less time in the office and will be working full time on impacting that culture and community.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
Thursday 21 February 2008 at 9:23 pm
Someone once commented a few years ago, calling me a youngster, that though I might be passionate for the Lord in the present, that itself would "pass" with age. You can imagine how encouraged I was to hear that, but my point is that such horrid statement reveals the heart of the person that said that, more so, then on the validity of his statement, of which I see none. In contrast, I have had the privilage to work with servants in Mission Raleigh, who don't serve God because of a paycheck they might receive, or even for a pat on the back, but rather, because they passionately love the lost, and most definitly love Jesus. All I'll say is at least one of them I know, invests quality amounts of time preparing for each 15-20 min lesson for his teenagers each week. Though the teenagers may never notice that, and he may never care to share that with anyone else, the Lord is not unaware of his labor of love and passion for these special teenagers. I am proud to serve with many other servants like these, and my prayer is that I may be counted among them before the Lord, and found faithful to Him no matter what age I may be.
Monday 18 February 2008 at 7:02 pm
I confess that I struggle with the Siren Call of my office and Chair. How nice it would seem to be to work from my office and administrate, advise, write and work “normal hours”. It is really hard for me to leave my comfortable office and head out to walk miles of concrete in all types of weather.
Then a day like to today the Lord shows me what he wants of me. I was in Raleigh North most of the day today and I taught kids about Jesus, showed a new Missionary how to Hang out and Hover, shared the Gospel, saw someone come to know Christ as Lord, Ministered, Discipled and renewed my call to the uncomfortable.
...you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.-- Isaiah 58:12
Wednesday 13 February 2008 at 5:28 pm
One of the residents at Valleybrook Apts, lets call him Don, was such an encouragement to me today. As a growing young man of God, four kids in house, one more on the
way, he finds time today just to call me up this late afternoon because he
wanted me to know he was praying for me and had no other reason to call
then that he was thinking about me and thankful for our friendship. If I needed any help, to let him know. I have gotten to know him and his family fairly well since they had moved down to Valleybrook last year, and knowing that a personal friend, such as he, would give such a timely encouragement, is all glory to the Lord!
It was a much needed encouragement and just reminder to me how an encouraging word
Sunday 10 February 2008 at 08:27 am
So one of the youth that my wife Jess and I know well in the community shared an interesting conversation she had with a classmate at school. In between class, somehow the conversation veered towards a spiritual subject in between classes, and she went ahead and asked if that person believed in Jesus. The classmate answered something to the effect, "Oh, sure, I believe in God!" And without hesitation, our youth quoted James 2:19 and then said, "So even Satan believes is God, so you gotta know more than that!
We have been working with her since she is one of the few believers her
age and we enjoy watching her learn the Word of God and growing as a
Christian. Jessica disciples her outside of youth nite, on a regular basis, and it is exciting how the Lord is teaching her the importance of being a true witness!
Sunday 03 February 2008 at 2:16 pm
One of the highlights about being in such an apartment ministry is
seeing someone truly believe and trust in Christ personally as Savior,
but also reach out in their own community in obedience, and allowing
Jesus to be Lord and Master. A young man, we'll call him "Peter," is a
father of three children, and after becoming a believer a few weeks
back, as of late has been reading his bible at home and at work, trying
to apply it, learning to pray, and seeking opportunities to tell others
in his neighborhood about Jesus. Lord has given me the privilage to
disciple with him and spend time with him and makig visits to neighbors.
I think sometimes well-meaning
people, even believers, sometimes get in their mind that success iwhen any
given persons/families life, is truly changed by Christ when they move out of
a certain sub par living condition to a new home,
surrounding, etc. having been saved and received some economic blessing.
Granted the American Dream is one name for it, but from a biblical and
spiritual perspective, moving away from a problem will not change the
problem, especially if the problem involves lostness and sin. Moving the light away from a room only allows more darkness. The
American dream as most know it is grabbing at mist, but that which is done for the
kingdom of God is eternal, beyond one nations dream.
I'm glad Peter is learning to do that now, living for the Lord where he is.
