On Sunday, we opened up the floor for people to share testimonies about where they saw God working and moving in their lives. Building off the theme from the week before, "Rejoice in the Lord, Always," we did just that. We rejoiced and gave thanks for what God was doing in our everyday lives. A man came up and shared about how God had been working through him at his work place to lead a man to Christ and witness to another man. Another man shared how he had seen God move in his family through the illness of his father and through the doctors and nurses in the hospital. A teenaged boy shared about how he had seen God work in his life at Scout camp this summer. Another man shared about how he had seen God work in his marriage of 62 years and another praised God for his marriage of 16 years. A lady came forward to share about how God was working in her life through some very difficult trials. I then preached on the end of Philippians 4 saying that we could be content in any situation because our focus was on Christ and that as we were in the place that God wanted us to be, we could do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Then, we are to be generous givers and as we give, God will supply all of our needs. He is trustworthy!
After the service, a couple that I had counseled with during the week displayed their desire to commit their lives fully to Christ and obey Him in everything. It was beautiful. The Kingdom of God was breaking through and people were talking about God's work everywhere. After the service, people stayed and stayed just to talk and hang out with one another. A couple invited several folks over for dinner after church and one young man confessed that he did not know Jesus. We are praying for him. We are seeing more and more African-Americans visit our church and they are expressing a desire to join with us. Praise God! This has been a major prayer of mine that our church would reflect our city racially and culturally, displaying to the world that there are no barriers in Christ. It is happening! And, believe it or not, that is an amazing thing in Montgomery, AL. Heaven and earth are colliding.
People keep mentioning the basketball ministry that we have been doing with the teenagers in our community. They are curious about it and keep asking how we did it. One man told me recently that Gateway is known throughout the city for our outreach. I told him that honestly it really wasn't that big of a deal. We have probably had 10-15 people tops take part in the ministry, and not all of them at the same time. Basically, we put some basketball goals out in the parking lot, prayed, and have tried to love the guys that come to play. God keeps working through it, though, and His work is what is making the difference.
I really am amazed at what I see God doing. We are not the biggest church in our city. Far from it. We have about 250 people or so. But, we have really big dreams and we serve a really big God and we are bold enough to think that nothing is impossible with God - so we just keep pushing on obstacles until they come down. And, you know what? They do. This is the attitude that we have toward our work in India. The gods and goddesses of Northern India are going to bow the knee to Jesus one day, just like the gods of racism and consumerism in America will bow the knee as well. So, in the name of Jesus, we push on these strongholds with full confidence that we are doing God's will. And, little by little, people held in bondage are set free and people walking in darkness begin to see the light.
Jesus is central. With Him as our point of reference, everything else comes into focus. We are far from perfect, but that is the point, isn't it? We are not the Savior. Jesus is. We need Him today just like we did years ago when we first met Him. We never stop needing Him and He never stops changing us or bringing glory to Himself through us.
What a privilege.
I can attest to the fact that God is using you. Gateway moved my nephew in a manner that the megachurch he attends never has, within my knowledge, in the last 20 years.
Posted by: Bob Cleveland | September 08, 2009 at 02:12 PM