THIS past Sunday my pastor spoke about dreams; our dreams and God's dreams and how they compare to each other.
ABOUT 6 months ago I felt like God was challenging me on my dreams. I really started thinking much more about my dreams / my goals in this life and increased my prayers on this. Then I read a daily devotional that was titled "God allows your dream to be sold so His dream can be made known." I felt like God was speaking straight to me, which if you have never experienced this- It's scary! You see, my husband and I run a music venue for all ages in our area, it is our ministry. We desire to have a place that young people can come and be accepted as they are, to enjoy themselves in a clean and safe atomsphere, listen to music with decent lyrics and often to music that glorifies God. We strive to give God glory in it all. We desire to expand our ministry to more nights per week and start a mid week worship for these young people who do not have or feel comfortable in a traditional church.
BUT God said He was allowing the sell of our dreams. Around that same time we found out that the owner of the building we rent was going to sell it and someone else had made a legal proposal to buy it.
LOST with out direction was how we felt. But still God had clearly said He would allow the sell of our Dream so HIS CAN BE MADE KNOWN. I believe this with all my heart, still do not know what God has planned or is dreaming of for us but I know He is in control.
CURRENTLY we are still in the same building, still having shows and still asking God what His plans are for us and our ministry.
HOWEVER.. BACK TO MY DREAM
Through Much prayer and listening to God and opening my heart to His, my dream has changed from the above one. These things I have grown more passionate about and desire more and more.
MY DREAM
UNITY in the Body of Christ in my community- ALL denominations who profess Jesus Christ as the son of God, Lord and Savior, Loving and Supporting each other. Joining Together to reach out to the lost and the hurting in our community, Standing Together as a United front against our true enemy-Satan.
A Place where TRUTH AND VALUE are experienced by all who enter and is supported by every Christ centered Church in our community. A place that all are accepted for who they are, all are given opportunities to explore their God given talents, and all share in the responsibility of looking out for each other. A place that is free from violence, immorality and judgements. A place where all can experience God's love, acceptance and forgiveness.
I desire or dream of this for my community first, then across our state, our nation and our world. God tells me there is NOTHING too difficult for Him and I believe Him.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Lesson from a Death
My brother in law died last week. He was 53 years old and had been diagnosed with cancer for only 10 weeks, he knew the chemotherapy wasn't working for only 4 days before he died. He was a quiet man, always willing to help anyone and knew a little about everything it seemed. He was not perfect, he wasn't forceful in trying to change anyone's ideas to his own. He was one of those guys people just took for granted that he was there, no big deal. He knew how to have fun and was considerate of others. He was just Mike.
I had asked God for Christ to be glorified in Mike's healing or in his death, whatever God's will was. I knew God had the power to heal Mike but I didn't know if that was God's will.
Obviously it wasn't. However, Christ WAS glorified in Mike's death.
The day he died I spent the whole day at my sister's home and was blessed to see God's hand at work in theeir lives and So many others that God's love had touched through Mike. I was blessed to share Jesus's grace, love and mercy with my sister and nephew and neices. For the first time, we spoke openly about our faith in Christ and our hope of eternity with Him and the peace in our hearts that Mike had beat us to Heaven. We shared One God, One Lord and One Faith, even though three different denominations are in that one family of five!
Sharing Christ and His love draws believers closer than anything else, even family ties.
God revealed to me that I am such a fake! I go to church, I support ministries, I do all the things that "church goers" are supposed to do. But, my brother in law LIVED as believers should! Everyone of his neighbors came and told how Mike had welcomed them in the neighborhood, or helped them fix something, or do something for them, or just came to visit and cared for them. His work buddies likewise had similar stories of Mike's geniune care and concern for them. There were so Many people that came to tell how Mike had touched their lives. And I do not even know some of my neighbors names, How ashamed I am!
In my prayer group last night one of the women asked what does living for Christ mean to us? God has said to me- Be a neighbor/ a friend to EVERYONE, care about their well being, put their needs before my own, and not just the ones in a ministry, or church, but the next door neighbor, the patients I see at work, my coworkers, the people that God places in my path. And to Not worry about what someone else says or thinks about what I do or my motives, but concern myself with what God thinks about me and my motives.
I had asked God for Christ to be glorified in Mike's healing or in his death, whatever God's will was. I knew God had the power to heal Mike but I didn't know if that was God's will.
Obviously it wasn't. However, Christ WAS glorified in Mike's death.
The day he died I spent the whole day at my sister's home and was blessed to see God's hand at work in theeir lives and So many others that God's love had touched through Mike. I was blessed to share Jesus's grace, love and mercy with my sister and nephew and neices. For the first time, we spoke openly about our faith in Christ and our hope of eternity with Him and the peace in our hearts that Mike had beat us to Heaven. We shared One God, One Lord and One Faith, even though three different denominations are in that one family of five!
Sharing Christ and His love draws believers closer than anything else, even family ties.
God revealed to me that I am such a fake! I go to church, I support ministries, I do all the things that "church goers" are supposed to do. But, my brother in law LIVED as believers should! Everyone of his neighbors came and told how Mike had welcomed them in the neighborhood, or helped them fix something, or do something for them, or just came to visit and cared for them. His work buddies likewise had similar stories of Mike's geniune care and concern for them. There were so Many people that came to tell how Mike had touched their lives. And I do not even know some of my neighbors names, How ashamed I am!
In my prayer group last night one of the women asked what does living for Christ mean to us? God has said to me- Be a neighbor/ a friend to EVERYONE, care about their well being, put their needs before my own, and not just the ones in a ministry, or church, but the next door neighbor, the patients I see at work, my coworkers, the people that God places in my path. And to Not worry about what someone else says or thinks about what I do or my motives, but concern myself with what God thinks about me and my motives.
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