Mercy Continues...

"Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word..." Amen and Amen! His Word was, "Jamie, do this ministry. Make your home available to these children and teach my Word." As the world pressed in and opposition came, as people accused me of being a liar and questioning whether I was real or not I stopped and asked my Lord, "Is this of You and if it is, do I continue and how? Who will you send to help me?"

In His time He answered, caused people to call and volunteer their time and we prayed and planned and agreed together in the spirit preparing for what God would bring.
We determined to do things with a different approach. Each of us went through our own trying time. The enemy was hot in pursuit of the sweet couple God purposed to help me. Even this very morning they were discouraged in their spirit and had thoughts of not coming tonight! But God in His sovereignty reminded them of the spiritual battle going on and they came. We had passed out fliers and permission slips last week and prayed God would bring just the ones He wanted to come. We prayed together as the food cooked and final preparations were made.

Five precious children came. We ate, said an opening prayer and read Joshua 6. Then God opened the mouths and minds of these 11, 12 and 13 yr olds and the questions began. These precious children began to fire off a myriad of questions, some simple, some theological and profound. It was every Christian leaders' dream! They listened and soaked in the answers given and then asked more. "Who wrote the Bible and how do we know?" "How do you know you're saved?" "Does God put different spirits in different people?" "Is Satan still roaming the earth?" "Can an evil spirit possess you?" "Is it okay to watch Vampire movies if I know they're not real because I like them?" They asked questions about other religions and so on. One after another they rolled out, each leader taking a turn at answering and the Holy Spirit putting together a concert of Truth! Each leader confirming the teaching of the other and it was incredible! God used the talents of each leader in one setting. The kids were open and unafraid to ask questions. It was so exciting to share with these kids! I saw the faces of the other leaders were just shining with encouragement as if to say, "Ask me more!"

Two hours had passed, because we had promised parents we would stop at 8pm, we prayed once more for these precious little ones and after hugs and parting words, they went to their own homes and we celebrated the goodness of God! It was impossible to relive all the Truth spoken and scriptures shared, we couldn't possibly remember everything but we knew that God had confirmed that we were to serve these children. There was no way any person could inspire that excitement or enthusiasm. There was no prompting from leaders. We just broke bread and opened the Word of God. We had printed study guides but we never even made it to the intended materials or video, God through His Holy Spirit had another idea. We just enjoyed the opportunity to pour into these little ones. What a mighty God we serve.

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32. Jesus was speaking of His crucifixion and how once His physical body had died, His Glory would be revealed in the Spirit. That Spirit which had defeated death could now dwell in us and He truly does draw men to Himself. When we lift Him up in praise, adoration, and in teaching and when we live out His truths, He reveals Himself to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. We scatter the seed of Truth to everyone we can, praying it falls on prepared ground for the day is coming when every knee shall bow!

Dear Jesus, help us to be immediately obedient. Thank You that You care so much about these little ones, some who cannot get to church on their own and whose families do not follow You that You send laborers unto them! Oh You are a merciful, loving and kind God. Thank You for allowing us to help You and encouraging us by witnessing the drawing of these little ones. God, I pray that You protect them with Your Holy Spirit. Send angels to guard them and keep them. Lord, show Yourself to them in everything, cause them to think of You constantly. Jesus I pray for their salvation, for the redemption of their souls. They don't deserve it and neither did I but You saved me. Save them I pray, In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Please pray for this ministry. Pray that God allows us to continue to reach out to these kids and that His Word would not return void, just as He said, but that it would sink deep into the hearts of these kids and deliver them from a life of sin. What a mighty God we serve!

To God be the glory!
Jamie

Abiding in Mercy

It seems like forever since I've written. Sometimes in ministry and in life we have to pause and let the Creator take the reigns. I've been going through a time of pruning and reaffirmation. Whenever sin enters in via some vehicle you have to know that God allows these times of testing. My goal is to investigate all the avenues of ministry and allow God to show me again my goals and what doors need to be open and what doors need to be shut. To be in ministry you want to glorify God in all you do. When you go into the mission field, you risk being hurt by the very enemy you fight, but we must go.

God has absolutely heard my cry and as instructed to do by my Pastor I am allowing God to open the ministries as He sees fit. We stopped some ministries for a while in order to try to better serve those we do serve. The King's Kids on Saturdays and UP Bible Study on Fridays are on hold until we get some things in place. Should be back on track this week, God willing.
The Next Door Bible Study will not meet next week as we are in prayer as to what God wants to do with that particular ministry. We talked last week about Abraham and Isaac and giving God our Isaacs. We will be praying for each persons' role in the Bible study and where we go from here. It's been four years now. WOW!

I welcome God's provision and His guiding. After all, everything we do is for Him. I thank Him for the way He's answered some things, causing people to call me unsolicited to offer help. That's my God!

Please be in prayer as we try to put things in place. Pray for the kids. Pray for the ones God has burdened for these kids. It's His plan, we are just the vessels. Be looking for updates!
To God be the glory!
Jamie