I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

I can certainly tell you ministry is not for the faint hearted, nor the lazy of Spirit!  I promise you that each time I open my door to the kids at this ministry, that I open my door to the unsaved, the unexpected and sometimes the unloveliest of this world, in the mindset of those who are not yet His.

These middle-schoolers give us a run for our money!  I am convinced that God brought all of us together as leaders to minister to these chosen children.  Chosen by God to be given His Word and Truth 2 hours a week in the form of song and fellowship and the dividing of His divinely inspired, inerrant Word of the Living God.  I am encouraged and challenged and prayerfully covering this group and I am asking for your prayer covering as well.

So many times when we meet the lesson is not what we plan out.  These children begin to pepper us with questions of a profound spiritual weight.  We never know what they will ask, but God never fails us and we have developed enough of a relationship with these children that, if we cannot answer, they understand what we mean when we say some things must be believed by faith.  However, this week was a challenge and a very hotly contested meeting by some.  For the first time since we began as a group, as we explained God's truth and read His word to answer questions asked by these children did we see resistance to His word being read.  I saw at least two children, maybe three, with their fingers in their ears!  They literally were trying to block the hearing of God's word as the truth was applied to their questions of hell, homosexuality and free will.  I was shocked and immediately the scripture, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." 2 Ti 4:3-5 I witnessed this very scripture last night. 

These children were having a hard time, a struggle, with God's word and our teaching.  It was hard for them to truly consider that someone might actually go to hell.  Why would God allow this?  What's wrong with homosexuality; God knew people would be that way so why can't they go to Heaven?  Why won't God just let us do whatever we want? Will Catholics or people of other religions go to Heaven?  These are the questions that weighed on their minds, not the lesson I began to teach.  I cannot tell you how many times this happens.  It is such a blessing to be able to minister to these kids and make no mistake, we answer with the Word of God, each child has a Bible and reads with the leaders.  But Friends, it is so hard for them to hear the Truth and apply it.

I would ask you to please pray for these children in their struggle! They want to believe us and they are trying to believe God's word, but everything they hear tells them differently.  We are studying "Worldview" and the importance of it, material from the North American Mission Board. They are coming face to face with the Truth and it's hard!  We know their struggles having been there.  Please, pray for these children!  
And as you read this blog, would you please comment and let me know that you are praying for them as a source of encouragement to the leaders here.

This is a critical time to be teaching God's word.  The Bible says, " And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man," Luke 17:26.  They had no regard for God's word and did as they pleased and when they were warned of destruction they laughed and did not repent.  They (Noah's friends) refused to believe that there was a God who would judge and as we taught last night, we saw the same thing in the faces of these kids who have trusted us and listened to us.  It is not God's desire to see one perish and it is certainly not our desire either.  As we prayed last night, each persons' unsaved family members and these kids were heavy on our hearts.  God help us!  We cannot make anyone believe, nor will we try to "brainwash" by manipulation or playing on sympathies.  BUT we will teach the whole counsel of God and answer the questions these children ask with the Word of God.  We encourage them to read the Word themselves, to think about it and make their own decision.  Again, please pray for these children, for us, for the lost in your families and lives, for your church leaders and for yourselves.  And may God hear the fervent prayers of His saints!

To God be the glory!
Jamie