House Church

I'm so grateful and thankful that the Lord our GOD is ever mindful of all of us. His grace and mercy are ever flowing upon all of our lives.

Carol and I continue to meet, weekly, with those whom the Lord has entrusted to our care. I find it very interesting that ALL who meet with us on Friday evenings are people who are working through the pain of divorce and desertion. In some way, shape or form, every single person is living with the pain of some form of devastation from covenants that have been broken.

Pastor Raleigh Wingfield, one of my dear brothers and friends here in Harrisburg, told me that this is a very serious and common issue in Harrisburg. He has encouraged us that it was a very good move to take our meetings into our home. He shared with me that there are so many churches in Harrisburg that a gathering in our home will prove to be a very effective strategy for this community.

So, at least for this season, Fruitful Life Church is a "house church" and a newly, budding congregation. Yet, as Pastor Raleigh has reminded us, Chris and Carol Green should not see themselves as newly budding. Pastor Raleigh recalled the prophetic word that he heard from the video of our commissioning service, that we were being sent to Pennsylvania fully mature and in full bloom. He said he was receiving us in that light and understanding. It really amazes us, still.

The Lord has put on our hearts to return to those things that we lay aside many years ago in submitting to the vision of our senior pastor. He also told me to return to writing the songs that were in my spirit. Since we've been here, I haven't written very much. I used to write songs in the midst of trials and pain, but since we've been here, I've only written 5 or 6 songs. Those who know me would be in shock to hear of such a thing. That means I've only written about 2 or 3 songs per year. Usually I'm writing two or three songs per month.

Well, the Lord is directing us to spend the next year in preparation. In preparation for what? I don't know? We just know that HE has told us to prepare for a new move.

The first thing HE directed me to do was to dig up an old story I began writing back in 1987. I even had it copy written in 1989. Once we submitted and began working with the church in St. Louis, I stopped writing the story and it's been buried ever since. It's an allegory called "Kingdom Warriors" and very few people, outside of my immediate family, have ever known about it. I posted the original text on the e-group site so our intercessors can view it.


Through our spiritual daughter, Carlette, the Lord confirmed the prompting about writing songs again. I returned to our little music studio this week and the Lord just began to download a new song that is a declaration of His faithfulness to us over the past two years. I just wept and worshiped as I played and sang in the solitude of the studio. It was a familiar place in the spirit. I just sighed and cried; "Now, this is what I remember."

I couldn't believe how far I've gotten away from doing this. This was my normal pattern in ministry. I'd still away with the Lord and just worship and pray. He would give me songs in the midst of my quiet time. A lot of my quiet time was at the computer keyboard, in the studio. I wasn't trying to write songs. I was just worshipping. Thank God, HE got my attention to return to focusing on my time with HIM and not just "preparing for ministry."

So our prayer request involves this season for preparation. Like Esther, we want to be ready for our appointed time with the king. So it comes down to this:
1.) Carol and I will continue to minister to the core group of Fruitful Life Church.
2.) We will continue to take the "full bloom and mature" ministry of the Fruitful Life Network, to those who can or will receive it.
3.) We will prepare for our moment of destiny by finishing the "Kingdom Warriors" books that have been hidden and buried for 17 years and
4.) We will write and release the new worship and praise music that has been locked up inside of us the past two years.

We continue to look to the Lord to help us through the upcoming winter. The church continues to recover from the debts left over from the building that we were once in. Once that is cleared up, we will be able to direct funds to current ministry endeavors. Our personal finances are still very tight, but the Lord keeps coming through for us through those who send offerings to help us, from outside of Harrisburg.

Through it all, the Lord has really used my wife to encourage and speak into my life. This week she told me that the Lord says, "Harrisburg has been our wilderness test."

We had to learn that man does live by bread alone. We had to learn to never tempt God. We had to learn to never compromise and bow to the enemy in any area of our lives. We had to learn it with no family or long time friends around us. We had to learn it, alone in the wilderness.

After the testing, the Bible says that the angels came and ministered to Jesus. We feel like we're in that place now. God has sent some special people (angels), like the pastor and members of Zion Assembly and Christ Community, to minister to us in our wilderness. Now HE's impressing upon us to get ready to come out of the wilderness season.

So we are making the necessary preparations in our family, life and ministry.