Humbling Beginnings

It has been a while since I've blogged!  Let me share some exciting news with you!  Our ministry is ever changing and morphing under the hands of an Almighty God.  Our Friday study will be seeing a few alterations.  Please pray for us as we look for more men to add to this ministry.  It is growing under the capable teaching of Jeremy Vinson who is instructing the young men and we have a steady handful of young women.  The groups requested to remain split after one night when they found they could really share their hearts without the pressure of maintaining their "cool".  Please pray for us as this is an at risk group for the most part.  They are being drawn to God and some are either babes in the faith or about to make a decision. This is a crucial age to come to know Christ.

Our biggest surprise is the newest complex we have added.  God has blessed us to be able to minister to a group of people from different areas of the world.  In one complex we have families from Nepal, Burma, Ethiopia, Guatemala and other countries.  The local vocational school has set up an English class in the office of the apartment complex some time ago because the need is so great.  Our sending church, Green Acres Baptist and another church who has been ministering in the complex prior to our coming-Second Baptist Church, have joined forces to help these people. 

Another problem was finding a curriculum that met our unique needs and that could be used at all of our other complexes. I mentioned our problem to Beth Greene, AWANA missionary for our area.  She spoke with some of her team and discovered that AWANA International had a curriculum that might serve our purpose.  It was a program that had been used in other countries that they thought might be just what we needed.  It was perfect!  My spirit agreed with the text as I read it. In fact as I looked at the title of one page I jotted a note to myself as a teaching point and when I finished the text, the last paragraph was almost identical to what I'd written to myself.  I was sold! The first four books were bought and donated to us.  The program is affordable and we will use it at each complex we teach in now and in the future. This is a brand new opportunity.  This text has never been used in the states. It's a first for us all and an answered prayer for sure.  Humble beginnings, precious ones!

Also, God has provided, through the Rehoboth Association an opportunity for us to provide The Jesus Film to each family in their own language for an amazing price.  I am not sure that I can publish the price but suffice it to say He continues to show me that He can provide no matter if I have little or much.  He intends for the flock to be fed and He is providing. 

Not only are we continuing relationships with our other complexes but God has provided the wonderful opportunity for Mercy Abounds to offer one on one discipleship with several individuals.  Mostly women who are experiencing trouble.  However, He continues to supply opportunities to strengthen struggling new Christians across the board.  We are blessed and busy!

In the meantime, we are preparing already for Easter.  Yep!  You heard right! It requires planning.  We are hoping to meet soon with a gentleman from another local church who has spearheaded a 14 year ministry at his home church. Their church is similar in size to our own and the ministry dealt with many of the same issues we have identified in the past.  Hopefully he will have some helpful tips for us.  This meeting has been cancelled twice so far.  Please pray that Clay can meet with us soon.

With all that being said, I would like to tell you that not only is God causing the ministry to morph but causing me to morph as well.  Just in the past two days He has taught me volumes and is continuing to teach me.  I'd like to share a bit of this with you.

I found through Spiritual Gifts Tests that my gifts are Evangelist, Pastor(Teacher)/Shepard and Mercy- all three very closely scored.  God taught me over two days about the difference between evangelism and pastor/teaching/shepherding. I thought it was so interesting that I'd like to share it with you.

When someone is lost, unredeemed, a sinner or without a personal relationship with Christ, your role as an evangelist is to try to show them their need for a Savior by pointing out their sinful state, their lost condition, their ultimate destination as an unrepentant sinner on the day of judgement.  You teach boldly and with authority.  Some evangelists like Billy Graham speak softly.  Some cry like Paul Washer.  Many are passionate or speak loudly.  However God inspires you to teach, you teach in a way as to snatch a soul from hell.  You don't purposely hurt feelings but you don't spare them if that means you must disguise the truth.  It is Life and death. Heaven or hell. There is a single purpose behind it. Lead them to salvation in Christ for they stand opposed to Him as His enemy and dead in their sins and trespasses.

However, once a person is saved they are not the same.  Saved people are no longer sinners but Saints to a Holy God.  Saints do sin but they are not sinners by nature because they have a new nature placed in them by God.  Saints are new creations who tend to repeat old habits until they get used to their new status as a Saint who is heir to the riches of Christ.  Saints can't possibly understand the implications of their new state all at once.  It would overwhelm people.  To quote my favorite Pastor, Dr. Johnny Ellison, "We are finite beings trying to wrap our minds around and infinite God." 

Because of a Saints' new state we must approach them in a different manner.  Do we keep from the Truth?  Absolutely not!  However, Romans 8:1 says, "[There is] therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." We need to follow the example of Jesus here.  Jesus would verbally rebuke the Pharisees in their falsehood calling them "whitewashed tombs" and vipers when they didn't understand what He said because they were in error.  Yet, He would explain to the Disciples the very same parable or example so that they (Disciples) would understand.  They were His children. 

Once we become Saints we are no longer the enemy of God but the apple of His eye.  The Holy Spirit takes up residence inside us and Jesus responds to us differently.  Instead of our Judge, He becomes our Intercessor.  So when we teach/pastor/shepard Saints we must teach them this way also. We need to recognize that sin coming from a Saint is no longer a sign of them being "not right with God" or "out of the will of God".  If God has made someone a Saint, how can they no longer be a Saint?  As Pastor Tony Evans says, "You don't hear of anyone calling a butterfly a converted caterpillar."  He's right.  There is no caterpillar left.  And if God says He makes us new then we are new.  We have a new nature.  We may not know how to use it, but we have it. 

A baby is born, most often, with fingers and toes but they don't know it.  As they grow, you can watch them discovering how to use the body they were born into.  They learn to smile, hold their head up, roll over, work their fingers and toes and then they learn to walk.  Once they begin to walk, they fall for a while, and they are so precious.  And we run to them to make sure they are alright at first.  (God even designed us with padding in the spot they will most often land!)  Then we wait a while longer and see if they can recover themselves. Then, before you know it, they are running!  But it takes time for them to learn.  It takes months and years before their legs will hold them steadily.  We can expect no more of new Christians. 

We need to instruct, explain, nurture, exhort and sometimes rebuke those who are in Christ.  We do it with love- meaning not accusing and condemning someone of "not being right" or "being out of the will of God." This means you recognize that for some reason this person does not understand completely the truth of God and how it applies to that area of their life.  And that doesn't mean that they haven't prayed about it or asked the right questions of God.  It may mean that for reasons sometimes known only to God they are in a place where God can finally heal this wound or straighten this path.  Time does not exist for God but for us.  "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2 Peter 3:8.  We cannot limit an individual to fit our time frame for their life.  And if we are deliberately and defiantly disobedient, God knows how to apply truth to us in a different manner, and there's nothing like a spiritual spanking from the Lord. His Word contains clear instructions for those who truly are out of the will of God and stand in opposition to Him as a Saint. Paul's letters to Timothy are inspired doctrine and deal with pastoring.

Everyone is in a different place in their walk, inspired in different ways and learning in different ways.  God calls His Saints sheep.  They need constant care. A pastor's job is to patiently tend the flock.  Sheep never get smarter.  We do.  We may repeat the same mistakes at times but our ability to overcome our "sheepish" state doesn't rest in our ability. Our ability to overcome rests in our ultimate Shepard. God is faithful. Phillipians 1:6, "...He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ." 

Jesus asked Peter to feed His sheep.  And so you feed the sheep.  The result of that food is between the individual and God Almighty and Merciful.

Grace and peace to you!  Please pray for us and our ministry and be sure to let us know how we can pray for you.

To God be the glory!
Jamie