Midweek Connection
***In one of my daily devotional readings last week, the writer (Oswald Chambers) talked about what it really means to follow God. He rehearsed the story of Paul’s friends warning him to not go to Rome because he was going to face suffering and imprisonment there. But Paul said, “None of these things move me.”
Chambers went on to talk about how many Believers simply will not follow God into seasons and places of suffering. Once they truly realize the price they are being called to pay, most of them will retreat from the call of God and settle for a simple, comfortable, American-dream working life. They refuse to believe that God will actually SEND them out to go through life-altering trials, live through seasons of poverty or in places that are like war zones, and suffer through pain, loss and disappointment. But it’s really true. YES HE WILL!
After Jesus was baptized by John, the Bible says the Holy Spirit SENT HIM into the WILDERNESS to be TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. Many Christians today feel that, "GOD CANNOT POSSIBLY EXPECT ME TO GO HERE, GO THERE, LIVE HERE OR LIVE THERE!" But we can tell you from experience: YES HE DOES!
We recall some of the things we have suffered in our quest to follow Jesus. We have lived in horrible places, in dangerous neighborhoods, and even had to work through some life threatening situations in overseas missionary travel. Sometimes, when we tell bits and pieces of our story, we are smiling, so it can give the impression that things were not really that bad. Listen closely: They were bad. Sometimes, things were far worse than we can put into words.
However, we had to learn to not turn against one another and to not turn against God. At the same time, we could not back away from the call of God and the people He had called us to serve.
You see, the goal of ministry is not to someday become famous and rich. The goal is not to someday live in a big mansion and drive fancy cars. The CALL of God is not a career and it's not like a job. It does not have a guaranteed salary with health benefits. It does not have performance-based promotions with automatic pay increases. You can’t just pick up and move anytime you want; although we have certainly felt like doing that on countless occasions. The goal has always been, and still is, to follow GOD and lead others into a solid relationship with HIM through Jesus Christ.
For now, we have a nice comfortable lifestyle, but our daily living is very different from what appears on the surface. Sleep is almost nonexistent for us. We are always in warfare and intercession. Most nights we get about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. Our weekends are filled with ministry preparation and ministry work. That’s why we don’t meet on fifth Sundays. It’s because fifth Sundays give us some personal time to rest and recover.
Please know that we are not complaining. It’s just our reality…. NO, it is our joy! We would not have it any other way if this is what it takes for Christ to come forth in our church family. Comfort and security are not our goals. Our only desire is to be obedient to God, no matter the cost. Now we understand why Paul wrote, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you..." Galatians 4:19
The day may come when we can meet more than once a week. We desire this expansion only because we want to provide MORE OPPORTUNITIES for families to gather and get to know one another, to worship together, and to experience the Word of God together.
In the meantime, God is beginning to bring people from the north, south, east and west to Urban Life. He is forming a unique family of Believers who will fulfill the mission that has been assigned for us: to rebuild, restore and renew hearts and homes.
