The Will and Purpose of God
Often times I reflect back to the prohetic words spoken over Carol and me the night the elders and prophets prayed over us in our commissioning service back in St. Louis on May 30, 2004. I love to recall that because it serves as a powerful way in which the Lord has kept us encouraged as we literally watch HIS word come to pass in our lives and in this ministry.
One of those Words dealt with the kind of people we would minister to. The description spoken through Prophetess Melissa Clayton was that we would minister to those who were
1.) sprouting,
2.) budding,
3.) blossoming and to
4.) those in their fruitful bearing years.
The past few weeks, the little "sprouts" have come forth. Every Friday night, just before we get started, four little children from the neighborhood come strolling into the facility where we meet. Two boys (who happen to be twins) and two girls, make their way from the apartment building situated directly across the street from the church, and come marching in happily to learn songs and let us pray for them before we let them go play on the fooseball, air hockey and pool tables.
It all started one particular week when they wandered in and we just let them play. After a couple of weeks of that, I called them into the sanctuary with us and told them we'd all learn a couple of songs and then they could play. Carol and I taught them a couple of the children favorites from back in St. Louis: If We Build It and The Lord Reigns. They are fun songs that incorporate some dance steps and hand movements. Afterwards, we prayed for them and let them go play.
The next week they came back asking for us to sing the Build It and the "ocean song" (part of the lyrics from The Lord Reigns). We sang the two songs and played a Veggie Tales video. Once again we prayed for them and let them go play.
Last week, they came in as ususal and asked to sing the two songs, but this time they wanted to learn something new. So we taught them one of our all time favorites called "Nod Your Head" Well, they didn't want to STOP singing that one. WE had to stop because WE were tired and out of breath.
This time though, I took a few moments to talk to them about Jesus. They were full of questions and comments, so we just listened for a while. Then I asked them if they had ever asked Jesus to come into their hearts. They talked about praying to GOD for their grandmother, but I said, "Praying to GOD about grandma is really good, but that's not what I asked. I asked, have you ever asked Jesus to come into your heart." They each said no, so we took the time to explain why Jesus came and had to die. They were really full of questions on that point and one little girl remembered to movie, The Passion, and it really helped to explain that the people didn't just kill Jesus, but that Jesus let them do that to Him for US. By the end of that conversation, they let me lead them in a simple prayer to ask Jesus to come into their hearts.
After that, we let them go play!
I write this because it reminds ME that this is why we are here in Harrisburg, PA. Right now we are ministering to 14 people (when you include the four children) who come in EVERY week, hungry and anxious for the worship and the Word!
We are just as passionate and excited about ministering to these 14 as we would be to 140 or 1400. The LORD prepared us for 14 years to move to Harrisburg, go through all that we have been through thus far, and finally come to a place where we could say, we love these 14 people and despite all that has happened, we are not failures. I find it amazing that when we started with Pastor Ray in 1987, it was only seven of us. Now we have this new start with fourteen of us. We have twice as many and we are twice as grateful and thankful. We are in the will of GOD; the purpose of GOD.
It is the Will of GOD for us to pour into these 14 people. We're not focused on, or wishing for something bigger. With so much apathy in the church in America, it is a blessing to minister to people who have a hunger for the things of GOD. We've expereinced some of the other side of negative repsonses in the church and this is a whole lot better. This has nothing to do with numbers. It's not about quantity. It's about the QUALITY of the quantity.
GOD said we would minister to people in various stages of personal and spiritual growth and the past few weeks, HE has allowed us and honored us with the priviledge of leading these little SPROUTS into HIS Kingdom and HIS will for their lives.
To GOD be the GLORY!!!
Often times I reflect back to the prohetic words spoken over Carol and me the night the elders and prophets prayed over us in our commissioning service back in St. Louis on May 30, 2004. I love to recall that because it serves as a powerful way in which the Lord has kept us encouraged as we literally watch HIS word come to pass in our lives and in this ministry.
One of those Words dealt with the kind of people we would minister to. The description spoken through Prophetess Melissa Clayton was that we would minister to those who were
1.) sprouting,
2.) budding,
3.) blossoming and to
4.) those in their fruitful bearing years.
The past few weeks, the little "sprouts" have come forth. Every Friday night, just before we get started, four little children from the neighborhood come strolling into the facility where we meet. Two boys (who happen to be twins) and two girls, make their way from the apartment building situated directly across the street from the church, and come marching in happily to learn songs and let us pray for them before we let them go play on the fooseball, air hockey and pool tables.
It all started one particular week when they wandered in and we just let them play. After a couple of weeks of that, I called them into the sanctuary with us and told them we'd all learn a couple of songs and then they could play. Carol and I taught them a couple of the children favorites from back in St. Louis: If We Build It and The Lord Reigns. They are fun songs that incorporate some dance steps and hand movements. Afterwards, we prayed for them and let them go play.
The next week they came back asking for us to sing the Build It and the "ocean song" (part of the lyrics from The Lord Reigns). We sang the two songs and played a Veggie Tales video. Once again we prayed for them and let them go play.
Last week, they came in as ususal and asked to sing the two songs, but this time they wanted to learn something new. So we taught them one of our all time favorites called "Nod Your Head" Well, they didn't want to STOP singing that one. WE had to stop because WE were tired and out of breath.
This time though, I took a few moments to talk to them about Jesus. They were full of questions and comments, so we just listened for a while. Then I asked them if they had ever asked Jesus to come into their hearts. They talked about praying to GOD for their grandmother, but I said, "Praying to GOD about grandma is really good, but that's not what I asked. I asked, have you ever asked Jesus to come into your heart." They each said no, so we took the time to explain why Jesus came and had to die. They were really full of questions on that point and one little girl remembered to movie, The Passion, and it really helped to explain that the people didn't just kill Jesus, but that Jesus let them do that to Him for US. By the end of that conversation, they let me lead them in a simple prayer to ask Jesus to come into their hearts.
After that, we let them go play!
I write this because it reminds ME that this is why we are here in Harrisburg, PA. Right now we are ministering to 14 people (when you include the four children) who come in EVERY week, hungry and anxious for the worship and the Word!
We are just as passionate and excited about ministering to these 14 as we would be to 140 or 1400. The LORD prepared us for 14 years to move to Harrisburg, go through all that we have been through thus far, and finally come to a place where we could say, we love these 14 people and despite all that has happened, we are not failures. I find it amazing that when we started with Pastor Ray in 1987, it was only seven of us. Now we have this new start with fourteen of us. We have twice as many and we are twice as grateful and thankful. We are in the will of GOD; the purpose of GOD.
It is the Will of GOD for us to pour into these 14 people. We're not focused on, or wishing for something bigger. With so much apathy in the church in America, it is a blessing to minister to people who have a hunger for the things of GOD. We've expereinced some of the other side of negative repsonses in the church and this is a whole lot better. This has nothing to do with numbers. It's not about quantity. It's about the QUALITY of the quantity.
GOD said we would minister to people in various stages of personal and spiritual growth and the past few weeks, HE has allowed us and honored us with the priviledge of leading these little SPROUTS into HIS Kingdom and HIS will for their lives.
To GOD be the GLORY!!!
