Dream And Seek God's Vision For Our Congregations

I am taking a break from my series on what God intended purpose for sex and I am sharing some thoughts on my heart about big things God could make happen through our local congregations if we were to choose to totally say YES TO JESUS!

Dear Fellow Workers in Christ,

Before I get into what is on my heart here--I want to again request that any shepherds who could come help us pray over children Sunday afternoon at 12:45 (sometimes we don't start til 1pm)--we would be so grateful! We want our several new Christians to see who shepherds are and the importance of shepherds praying over members of the flock.

Here is what I wanted to share tonight. I have been in Bonham, Texas the past couple of days to get away to have some alone time with God. Today I was walking around in Bonham State Park--a beautiful place to enjoy God's creation--and I was standing there reading in the Psalms--and while I had none of my members there to hear me preach/read scripture--I did have a flock of 4 ducks who just sat there at my feet looking up at me while I read!! I'm not kidding!! :)

Then I began to walk and just talk with God. I remembered seeing a few small trailer parks earlier in the day where people live very simple lives. And I then remembered watching that old movie recently that I so love--"Lillies of the Field." I was reminded today of the part of the movie where the Catholic Priest is going from little impoverished community to community and having worship services. And I had a continued vision I began having months before we started the Nehemiah Ministry over 5 years ago at Allenhurst Apartments--which is simply that we keep spreading the Gospel all over our communities--where there would otherwise be little Christianity! In Mesquite alone, there are several other rough apartment complexes where children are growing up with no Godliness among any of the people they grow up around. And I was dreaming of how wonderful it would be if more and more congregations started ministries in all those apartments--and made those communities an extension or a second campus of their congregation. There are old neighborhoods that have been forgotten where vacant houses could be easily bought or rented and mission churches started--and soon my dreams were envisioning Sunday afternoon picnics in the front yards of those houses where preaching and singing is taking place and much agape love is abounding and there is hope in children's eyes!

And then as I was walking in the sunshine and among the grass and the tall trees--and my vision began to encompass the faces of children who are currently suffering around our communities. Children who are currently witnessing all kinds of sin in their homes. Children who are already sexually active and who many would test positive for marijuana if they were tested because it is so heavily smoked in their homes/apartments. Then my vision went from seeing the despair of those children--to seeing many Christians coming out of the woodworks to minister to those children--and then my vision went to 20 years later--and seeing those children sitting in a worship service in one of our congregations or hopefully one of several new congregations that was planted from those early efforts--and these Christian adults who were once children under fire--are now living faithful lives and they are now going out to reach out to children who need Jesus!! AND GENERATIONS OF LIVES ARE CHANGED FOREVER AND WILL ALL BE IN HEAVEN TOGETHER BECAUSE OUR CONGREGATIONS TODAY SAID YES TO JESUS AND LEFT THE BUILDING TO GO SHARE THE HOPE AND LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!

If God has been putting a dream and a vision on your heart--write it down and start making plans to go out and live out the Great Commission. I leave you with these words from Habakkuk:

Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay (Habakkuk 2:2-4).

We need to be asking God to reveal HIS vision to us--of how HE wants us to take the church out of the buildings and into the community! If we ask--HE will answer!