New Beginnings in God's Kingdom Part Three

Joshua 1.1-9 Devotional for Advent, Advent Retreat on the plane going down to Haiti. "This is the full unveiling (epiphany) of a mystery: The LORD has come among us to take an intimate hand in the future of the human race. We have God's Word in Scripture: 'I am about to do a new thing.' I try to allow this to sink in." Whenever I return from a trip to Haiti (and this was the fifth trip I have made now) I am filled with wonder and awe at the power of God. They are in such a situation that their daily lives depend on God. They do not have a fall back plan... As Pastor Art said to me, "Their goal is to make it though the day." We need to get out there where if God doesn't come through we won't make it. The pastor from Haiti, "I want to go back because there we need God and we pray for everything there. Here in America you don't need Him like we do." We have been talking since Christmas about new things God can do, things He is preparing to do among us. We have been trying to let that sink in. Let it sink into your prayers, privately and in the Bible Studies or whenever you pray with others. Let it sink into your minds and hearts so you can see it. Push out doubt anyway you can. Journaling my doubts have helped. "New beginnings can arise from seemingly unbeatable odds." -Judith Glaser, CEO Benchmark Communications, Inc. John 3.34 He gives the Spirit without measure. Think again with me... 1. We entered into an agreement 14 months ago with the Spanish Speaking Church we began 21 years ago. PENIEL = The Face of God, been there at that spot where Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the LORD. We have seen improvements made to our facility and have the cost of operating the church building cared for now. Bob Pawson's prayer, "I want to see the church building used every day." When we closed Good Shepherd that seemed to fall aside. But shortly after the Spanish church came and we are there again! 2. The Nazarene Cafe... Really Pat Shea's idea, then Sue Fliss and I began to dream and here we are! Each time new people have come. This Friday, February 10th we will do another one, Valentine's Day weekend. Pray and invite. This can become something beyond our imaginations. It can be a net to catch fish, a lighthouse on a stormy sea, another door into the kingdom. 3. The Immigration Assistance Program with our Spanish Brothers and Sisters. Soon, there will be a meeting with an immigration attorney. Pray. Pray. Pray. We are going to expand it to all in need of documentation. *Moving in to possess the land Where God wants to take us this year! There are often things sitting right underneath our noses! Ephesians 2:8-10New American Standard Bible (NASB) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT 1. We need to reach out to children and their families! We have more than 75 here in our building each week! We have a leaders meeting on the first Monday of the month with all 17 GS Troop Leaders attending representing all the GS in Bay Shore. They refer to the building as "The Church". How can we reach them? I don't know but if we pray God will use us as He did back in the fall when one of the girls was missing. Pray. Pray. Pray. We need to add Jesus' heart to our prayers: Don't say 4 months and then comes the harvest. I tell you look to the fields they are white for harvest. Pray the LORD of the harvest that He may send forth workers into His Harvest Field. God help us dream! God help us change our prayers today and this year. Look to the fields they are ripe for harvest! 2. Between the backyard of the parsonage and the grounds at the church we have a Botanical Gardens. We also have experts gardeners around. How about a community gardening club or group which we own and operate? Creation and its Creator fit right in. Motto of the Daylily Society, "Consider the Lilies". We can bring the rest of the things that Jesus taught. People comment from time to time about the beauty of the flowers on the church property. With all the bulbs that have been planted and mini shrubs, etc. this place is going to be bursting with color and beauty this year. We have been given gifts from God to use. People love sharing their cooking recipes or finished dishes. They also love sharing their plants with each other. My whole backyard are gifts from people. Steve, Helen's nephew, who oversaw the Girl Scouts Planting and did all the planting you will see on the east and north sides of the church grounds, said when it comes in you should set up a few picnic tables and have a church BBQ... we may do that, beginning our gardening club! Bringing the cafe idea outside for the warmer weather. We can take the earth, this property, which shows His Handiwork and point it out to others. Let the Beauty of the Earth be a witness! Hymn For The Beauty of the Earth Hymn text Edit Original text of 1864: For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the Love which from our birth Over and around us lies: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and brain's delight, For the mystic harmony Linking sense to sound and sight: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth, and friends above; For all gentle thoughts and mild: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For each perfect Gift of Thine To our race so freely given, Graces human and Divine, Flowers of earth, and buds of Heaven: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For Thy Bride that evermore Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore This Pure Sacrifice of Love: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For Thy Martyrs' crown of light, For Thy Prophets' eagle eye, For Thy bold Confessors' might, For the lips of Infancy: Christ, our God, to Thee we raise This our Sacrifice of Praise. For Thy Virgins' robes of snow, For Thy Maiden Mother mild, For Thyself, with hearts aglow, Jesu, Victim undefiled, Offer we at Thine own Shrine Thyself, sweet Sacrament Divine. I see people coming to a Christian Based Gardening Club and finding Christ. I see a photo being taken with Steve and the Girl Scouts this spring. I see the community being touched with the Gospel, souls saved, new believers baptized, prodigals returning! 3. Some kind of ministry to special needs children. "Jesus Loves Me Too" 100's in our community. I don't know where to begin but I do know what Jesus said. Luke 14…12Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid. 13But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”… The lady who runs the Interdenominational Orphanage for special needs children in the hurricane area in Haiti... met her in a supply store the US government built, like a Home Depot. Let's invite the LORD to show us His heart for the special needs children in this community. In Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago I found myself surrounded with special needs adults. Give these parents a little more "free" time to do necessary things. Some special needs children can be a lot of work. We can love the least of these! Let me speak to you for a moment about our church's prayer life. We pray very well for those who are sick. We need to do that. We need to continue to do that. Yet we need to learn again from the early church in Acts. Prayed for the lost Prayed for God to work. Acts 4.23-31 Look at what they prayed for: 29 And now, LORD, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. We need to pray like this. Notice what they prayed for and that God answered: Speaking the Word of God with boldness! boldness= freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech openly, frankly, i.e without concealment without ambiguity or circumlocution without the use of figures and comparisons free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity That church down In Bellevue, Haiti, prayed against all odds. Their building was destroyed. They are very poor. "LORD, help us rebuild our church." God, in the past 2 1/2 years is doing more than that, immeasurably more! The church has standing room only. We bought 5 new benches for them when we were there. A year and a half ago we were praying about finances here. It was very tough. God answered our prayers and much more! We need to get ourselves "out there" in prayer. God loves Bay Shore and all of its people. LORD help us to be a light for this community. Bring people to You! Use this church whom You love we pray! One thing we are going to do: I have invited the young man Jhon, who was our translator in Haiti to come and stay with me for a few months. He will help us reach out to the Haitian community around us. Please pray. Where does God want me to engaged in the Kingdom these days? Let's seek His Kingdom first in prayer, in our lives Let's pray to speak His Word boldly God’s Kingdom did enter our world concealed. In fact, at Christmastime each year we celebrate how God’s Kingdom came in such an unlikely and concealed way, through the birth of a baby in ancient Israel. But we shouldn’t conclude from the way God’s kingdom entered our world that God wants to keep it hidden. That’s the difference between Christmas and Easter. At Christmas God’s kingdom was hidden, but at Easter it’s proclaimed through the resurrection. The LORD promises to be with us through the Bible. To Joshua To His Disciples Matthew 28.20 To His People Isaiah 41.10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Paul to Timothy II Timothy 4.16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. He will stand with us! He will help us! He is going before us! Let's go into this New Year filled with Hope and Faith!