Thursday, November 15, 2012

the Race

Here's what I'm seeing:

I'm seeing God throw me into many different schools, with many different children.  I'm being stretched alot.  Learning how to think quick on my feet to teach a lesson and keep their attention.  Oh how I pray for these students and teachers.  I pray for the Lord to allow me to continue to build relationships with them, that will lead to conversations about Him.

I see Trey, who by the Grace of God, is able to share Christ through relationships at work.  One of his co-workers came up to him on Monday and was so excited to tell him that he went to church the day before.  Today he was blessed to get into a very deep conversation with a co-worker, and laid out the entire Gospel with him.  Please be praying for this situation.

I hear about how God is doing amazing things through Darin Pace and the leaders of the Student ministry at Relate, and how it is growing each week.  I hear how the volunteers and students are so excited each week about what God is doing in their lives!!!

I hear how God is using Lori Brown through a Woman's Bible Study that is continuing to change heart's, lives and mindsets.

I see how God is working in the lives of the Hospitality team and how they are learning to live their lives in the form of servants. How they recognize needs, and jump in to serve even before they're asked.

I see how when Relate does an outreach event, we have more volunteers show up than they created positions for.  Too many volunteers? What???  That's AWESOME!!!

We had a Fall Festival a few weeks ago and people from our church have been told by strangers how,
"you must go to Relate, God is doing some amazing things there."

I hear and see how the Lord is using Lee as he leads the worship ministry and how it is touching so many hearts as the church continues to prepare themselves for worship.

Radiance, our City Wide Woman's ministry is growing every month.

Relate will soon begin averaging 200 on Sunday Mornings.

I see how members of the church are all actively serving the Lord through the many diverse ways He leads them and it Blesses My Socks Off!!! There is this precious lady named Melanie.  The Lord pursued her out of a devastating past. Her story has truly challenged me.  Despite how out of her comfort zone it is, she began working in a prison ministry. Yesterday she was blessed to lead an 18yr old girl to Christ!!!!  Woo, that makes me excited!!!

We have a lady at our church Lori Talmage and God has brought friends from her past back into her life and they're always asking her, "Why are you smiling all the time?"

There's a lady who had prayed to mentor young women and the Lord is using her in a mighty way to teach young women how to be Godly wives, mothers and leaders. 

We have Pastor's who will go to a place in town to do their bible study and they will ask on public Facebook and Twitter if anyone would like to join them...Anyone!  I LOVE their hearts!!!

Relate is preparing (and working hard to partner with many other churches in the Region) for a City Wide Christmas worship service called, O.C.D.  It stands for Occupy Christmas Downtown.  It will be held at the Courthouse in Hendersonville, NC, also in Downtown Asheville.  Our volunteers are working tirelessly to prepare for this.

This is just a snippet of what the Lord is doing...Right Now!
GOD is moving radically!

Here's the flip side, the bible refers to the Christian life as "Running a Race."  Sometimes  as you're running and you're making ground, you forget to watch where your stepping. You can get so focused that you don't see the car coming out of left field.

This discourages some runners,which makes sense, but they choose to quit the race entirely.  Some take the hit and lay on the ground wrestling that car or bandaging their wounds for days or even months. Others take the hit - are angry they didn't see it coming but get back up to continue the race.  Yet some, recognize the car and dodge it, only to get hit by a train; but they still get up and run the race with a smile - because, through experience, they now realize they're ticking off Satan.

When you're running the race for Christ, Satan is going to attack you.  Whether it's through Him creating fears, doubts about someones intentions or insecurities. He can attack by placing divisions in leadership.  He will attack through relationships. He will attack through hardships in life.  He will do whatever it takes to take your mind off focus and to take your heart of course. 

Ephesians 6:8-10 warns us to equip ourselves with the full armor of God: 
  • We must learn to expect it.
  • Clothe ourselves in the fruit of the Spirit. 
  • Bear one another's burden's. 
  • Cast all our care's, our worries, our FEAR's on Him.  
We must also learn to watch for these attacks in the lives of our friends.  We're running this race together.  Hold each other accountable.  A church can only be as strong as the determination of the leadership, and members, to "seek CHRIST Only and Earnestly".  Filled with determination that we will not be sidelined or watch others become discouraged.  We must build one another up in the Lord!

Pray as the Lord moves this church that every member will be very mindful and watchful for attacks. I pray that we will focus on the truth of what God is doing and not become discouraged with what we're not yet seeing.




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