Praying for Peace

A lot of things are happening not only in our nation but in our city that has brought up a lot of emotion. Let's pray this week that the Lord will fill us all with grace, humbleness and care. Be careful not to get into arguments over things and cause hate and anger. It clearly says in the Bible to not "stir up anger". Let's show the world/our city that we Christians can be caring and respectful in the way we talk about issues.It is not up the world to do it. It is up to us as followers of Christ. And if we as brothers and sisters can't get along, what is the world going to think about Christ? We are His representatives in all we do. 

Everything we do and say must reflect Christ. Everything. Impossible? Nothing is impossible with God. We must call on the Holy Spirit every day to help us reflect Christ and bring peace.
Here is a good reminder to us all on the power of words.

Proverbs 10:11-12 "The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.Hatred starts fights but love pulls a quilt over the bickering". The Message

Praying for Good Over Evil......

Yesterday was a day of many emotions for me. The terrible deaths of 9 believers in Christ in Charleston hit home around Montgomery and I heard on the news last night that many churches, including mine, took time to talk about and pray for the families AND the shooter.

Many news people have been stunned and overwhelmed with emotion over the way in which this group of family members and church members AND the town itself has handled what has happened.

Those of us who are believers should not be surprised about how our fellow sisters and brothers handled it and this should spur us on to think about our reactions to tragedy in our own city, our churches and our families.

As followers of Christ, we have instructions on how to deal with things that come our way in life. These Christians in Charleston chose to follow those instructions. Here is a reminder for all of us today as we face whatever comes our way as we live out the gospel in the GREATER Montgomery area. Let's step up and be examples to the world as well.  Let's blow the socks off the world and SHOW them the Jesus Way in EVERY aspect of our lives.

So we start with this each day:
Psalm 139:23-24 says this:  "Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting".

Then we remember these words as we go about our days.
Romans 12:9-21
 Love must be sincere.
 Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
 Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord.
 On the contrary:
If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Pray over this each day this week and ask the Lord to reveal to you and to all followers of Christ in the Greater Montgomery area the ways in which we need to show TRUE LOVE to others that we work with, live with and share a neighborhood with.

From Smal Things Comes Great Things......

I just returned from a 40th anniversary celebration of the ministry I worked at in NYC for 16 years. I was privileged to be able to serve at a place where they LOVE the city and KNOW God has not forsaken the city. I thought about Montgomery and realized that we need to have that same passion and love for THIS city every day! God loves the people of the Greater Montgomery area and He WANTS everyone to have the opportunity to respond to the Gospel. EVERYONE. We had this verse ...as the theme verse for our weekend of "looking back and looking forward". The overall theme was "From Small Things Comes Great Things". Small beginnings can bring great futures.

The verses were Zechariah 4:6-10. Here it is:

"Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’[a]” 8 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 9 “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. 10 DO NOT DEPSISE THESE SMALL BEGINNINGS, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

Are you wondering if the Lord needs GRAND opening style "beginnings" in order to make a difference? NO......"do not despise the small beginnings...the Lord REJOICES to see the work begin"....

Many of us think that those small contributions that we make don't mean anything...THEY DO TO THE LORD. Plugging away for 40 years, many people came to work and poured into the ministry there and many people have had significant life changes because of the "plugging away" even with limited resources.

Be encouraged today of you are out there "plugging away" in a ministry or as a follower of Christ. From small things, great things can come".

PLUG AWAY in praying for our city. God loves this city full of His creations. Don't be discouraged. The Lord is working through every thing that is done for Him.

Summer Is Here...You Know What That Means?

Summer has begun!

School is out and it is time in the church world for VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!!! WOOHOO!
In the Christian church, this is a great event for everyone in the church! It is also an intentional time to reach out to our communities through our Vacation Bible Schools.
...

Last year, a small church on the west side of Montgomery decided to be very intentional in reaching kids in their neighborhood. About 187 kids "from the neighborhood" came and heard the gospel in a variety of ways. ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY SEVEN.....for a smaller church. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

This church has followed up and will be doing the same this year. Ten kids came to know Christ that year, eight became members of the church and were baptized. The Kingdom grew because a tiny church was available to receive kids, who were not "like them" in many ways, into their church family and begin to nurture them in their faith.

Vacation Bible School has a REAL PURPOSE...to share Christ to children and their families in a tangible way.

Prayer points this week:
1. Pray for your church's VBS. Be a prayer warrior for it. Pray for children and their families to have a genuine experience with Christ.
2. Pray for your church and the other Christian churches in Montgomery who are having VBS, that church members will see the value in praying and supporting this missions effort.
3. Pray that Christian churches in Montgomery will be willing to go out of their way to invite their neighbors and encourage them to come.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew 18:10 ESV)