Obviously, this blog is not going to be updated daily, but I am going to do the very best I can to remember to keep folks up to date fairly often. With that as a precursor, I shall begin the story of my last two days.
Monday, I finally received my permit to survey, and I got out and worked my way through the beginnings of the neighborhood. It felt absolutely wonderful to be allowed to stretch my legs and to begin the intentional ministry that I was sent here to do. I do not function well when I'm sitting still, and I had definitely been sitting still for far too long waiting for things to pan out. That said, I was thrilled to be allowed to go back into the community on Tuesday and meet some more folks. Then it rained. All day. Not hard, just enough to make what I needed to do impossible.
It finally let up enough around 5PM for me to get back to work (it actually didn't let up much at all, I just talked myself into believing that so I could get to work). During my time of meeting people on Tuesday, I was allowed a chance to pray for a lot of people. I am daily becoming more and more enamored and impressed with the fantastic power of prayer (hence the beginning of my theme). God presented me with opportunities to speak truth into the lives of the people that I was bugging on my door-to-door escapade for information, and I was glad to grasp those opportunities and take advantage of them. It was absolutely fantastic to go before the throne of our God in prayer and intercession for those folks. Their own stories were and encouragement to me, and it was heartening to see the grateful looks on their faces when it became apparent that someone loved them and cared enough about what was going on in their lives to take it before the Lord in prayer.
This became even more significant to me when I placed it into the context of what God has been showing me in my times of prayer and Bible study these last few days. The gospel is far more significant that I have given it credit for, perhaps. I mean, I've always known it was centrally important and absolutely essential, but I forget that it is supposed to bring about an outward expression of gospel love and truth. It is an expression of the immensely transcendent God of the universe's intimate personal love for me. It is an outward expression of his very nature. And God is huge. Absolutely huge! He is completely sovereign over my situation, and he is the one working through me to minister to the community of Beach Park, IL as a result of the work of the truth of his gospel in my life. Even with all of his breadth and power, he listens to me as I pray for myself and those around me. This is a direct result of his gospel spoken into my life (that I take for granted all to often).
My reaction to this gospel ought to consist of heartfelt and sincere spiritual praise that goes on and on in a steady and straight progression. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. This will produce works of faith which he prepared for them in advance. If I flip those around, as I sometimes tend to do, and begin with the works, attempting to pray and witness my way into favor with God will naturally produce a rigid and legalistic faith.
The reason that I say all of these things is to ask for your prayer. Pray for me to work with a top-down approach, so that I might begin everything I do by considering God's purpose for me and my actions. Pray for me to avoid a bottom-up approach that would result in me acting first, and considering God's purpose later. If I can grasp this truth and put it into practice, he will enable me to begin with the right perspective, and he will use me to spread the gospel in Beach Park.
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Monday, I finally received my permit to survey, and I got out and worked my way through the beginnings of the neighborhood. It felt absolutely wonderful to be allowed to stretch my legs and to begin the intentional ministry that I was sent here to do. I do not function well when I'm sitting still, and I had definitely been sitting still for far too long waiting for things to pan out. That said, I was thrilled to be allowed to go back into the community on Tuesday and meet some more folks. Then it rained. All day. Not hard, just enough to make what I needed to do impossible.
It finally let up enough around 5PM for me to get back to work (it actually didn't let up much at all, I just talked myself into believing that so I could get to work). During my time of meeting people on Tuesday, I was allowed a chance to pray for a lot of people. I am daily becoming more and more enamored and impressed with the fantastic power of prayer (hence the beginning of my theme). God presented me with opportunities to speak truth into the lives of the people that I was bugging on my door-to-door escapade for information, and I was glad to grasp those opportunities and take advantage of them. It was absolutely fantastic to go before the throne of our God in prayer and intercession for those folks. Their own stories were and encouragement to me, and it was heartening to see the grateful looks on their faces when it became apparent that someone loved them and cared enough about what was going on in their lives to take it before the Lord in prayer.
This became even more significant to me when I placed it into the context of what God has been showing me in my times of prayer and Bible study these last few days. The gospel is far more significant that I have given it credit for, perhaps. I mean, I've always known it was centrally important and absolutely essential, but I forget that it is supposed to bring about an outward expression of gospel love and truth. It is an expression of the immensely transcendent God of the universe's intimate personal love for me. It is an outward expression of his very nature. And God is huge. Absolutely huge! He is completely sovereign over my situation, and he is the one working through me to minister to the community of Beach Park, IL as a result of the work of the truth of his gospel in my life. Even with all of his breadth and power, he listens to me as I pray for myself and those around me. This is a direct result of his gospel spoken into my life (that I take for granted all to often).
My reaction to this gospel ought to consist of heartfelt and sincere spiritual praise that goes on and on in a steady and straight progression. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. This will produce works of faith which he prepared for them in advance. If I flip those around, as I sometimes tend to do, and begin with the works, attempting to pray and witness my way into favor with God will naturally produce a rigid and legalistic faith.
The reason that I say all of these things is to ask for your prayer. Pray for me to work with a top-down approach, so that I might begin everything I do by considering God's purpose for me and my actions. Pray for me to avoid a bottom-up approach that would result in me acting first, and considering God's purpose later. If I can grasp this truth and put it into practice, he will enable me to begin with the right perspective, and he will use me to spread the gospel in Beach Park.
