'You work for the church and they give you time off to come and visit us-no way'
This was the amazed response of a lady working at one of Palmerston Norths brothels .After several visits,home baking,flowers and a regular visit from a couple of the church ladies it blew them away that these ladies from the church were even allowed to visit such places.
The girls now wait for their visit and chat. Even the manager expressed how grateful she is for such acts of kindness. Kindness is such a powerful thing-it opens hearts , conversations and lives to hope, restoration and belief.
Congrats to the Palmy girls.
Please send me any other current stories in your life that are missional and that you are willing to have printed in this blog
Check out the next entry soon to come-healing a foot through through prayer in city street leads to conversion experience!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Disproportionate favour
Always bothered me as a young boy if my brothers received more lollies than me .The favour shown to them left me feeling robbed as I had done equal work for the reward.
That's whats so annoying about favour unless we are the ones who are at the receiving end.
Gods favour is always unfair and unequal-He gives to whom He will : heals some,forgives others, gives grace when don't deserve it. That's our God.
Lately my friend Glenn France explained how that we should expect disproportionate favour from God as his children. He related this to the company he sells for and is now their biggest seller because he expects Gods disproportionate favour on His business because it is Gods nature to do so. He explained that in the years he has worked for his company only two large machines of a specific variety have ever been sold .He drove up a driveway un announced and in one day sold 7 of these and later had potential orders for another 2-3. That's disproportionate favour. Glenn believes we are meant to live under this favour in every sphere of our lives yet we struggle so often to believe we deserve it.
Glenn challenged us to believe for this sort of favour as we plant the church in Hamilton at end of 18 - that disproportionate favour be given to us to see see hundreds added, sinners saved, miracles occurring, breakthrough etc present far above anything we have worked for or had in the past . If we only get what we work for we simply reap what we sowed but disproportionate favour reaps well above what it should -100 fold plus.
Thanks Glenn you have inspired us here.
That's whats so annoying about favour unless we are the ones who are at the receiving end.
Gods favour is always unfair and unequal-He gives to whom He will : heals some,forgives others, gives grace when don't deserve it. That's our God.
Lately my friend Glenn France explained how that we should expect disproportionate favour from God as his children. He related this to the company he sells for and is now their biggest seller because he expects Gods disproportionate favour on His business because it is Gods nature to do so. He explained that in the years he has worked for his company only two large machines of a specific variety have ever been sold .He drove up a driveway un announced and in one day sold 7 of these and later had potential orders for another 2-3. That's disproportionate favour. Glenn believes we are meant to live under this favour in every sphere of our lives yet we struggle so often to believe we deserve it.
Glenn challenged us to believe for this sort of favour as we plant the church in Hamilton at end of 18 - that disproportionate favour be given to us to see see hundreds added, sinners saved, miracles occurring, breakthrough etc present far above anything we have worked for or had in the past . If we only get what we work for we simply reap what we sowed but disproportionate favour reaps well above what it should -100 fold plus.
Thanks Glenn you have inspired us here.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Prayer must work
Our church planting team came back convinced after a week end in Hamilton that we must pray and believe for Maori and Island people to join our church plant.We are just too white as a group!
Got to prayer last week over this as a team and guess what !
Today I receive an email from a young island man, someone I had briefly met some years ago. He knew nothing about our desire to plant a church in Hamilton end 08 but wrote explaining he had been stirred by God for a long time to get involved in church planting and maybe one day lead a church.He explained his job is ending in 2008 and wondered if I knew of anything happening !!!!
Hello ! whatever happens from here I cant help but marvel at the power of prayer to move circumstance's .
Keep praying!
Church planting is more exciting than first anticipated
Got to prayer last week over this as a team and guess what !
Today I receive an email from a young island man, someone I had briefly met some years ago. He knew nothing about our desire to plant a church in Hamilton end 08 but wrote explaining he had been stirred by God for a long time to get involved in church planting and maybe one day lead a church.He explained his job is ending in 2008 and wondered if I knew of anything happening !!!!
Hello ! whatever happens from here I cant help but marvel at the power of prayer to move circumstance's .
Keep praying!
Church planting is more exciting than first anticipated
Church planting-signs and wonders.
God allows us to experience 'signs' that leave us in 'wonder' simply to let us know He is around the place and very interested in our lives.
Two weeks ago I went a day ahead of our church planting team to pray with some of the northern leaders around Hamilton and to see if God was saying anything to us. Great time and lots of revelation.
However what struck me was what happened the day before with a land agent who took me around looking for homes. I will call her 'Mary'.
When Mary found out I was in the region to plant a church she went silent and so we happily talked about buying homes and general life talk.On our way back to being dropped off Mary explained that she had a spiritual past,still had a faith but due to hurt,marriage issues and church disappointments she had not engaged with church or Christians for many years.
As I hopped out of the car I asked Mary if I could say a short prayer for her in the car.She bowed her head and I asked God to help her in selling homes and for Him to reveal Himself further to her. I did not expect to see Mary again outside of housing enquiries.
The next day this remarkable letter turns up from Mary-I quote from it......
'Just wanted to thank you for praying with me today.I don't think that it was by coincidence that out of all the agents in my branch it was me who got given your email enquiry.When I was baptised [she had not mentioned this] God told me that He had a great plan for me and that I was going to be used in positive and awesome ways by God to spread His word and I was going to be a person who was going to lead many people into His kingdom.I am pretty sure that you were sent by God to me to help me and I would love to be one of the first of your new congregation when you arrive.'
'You had such a comfortable feel and made me speak of a faith that I hadn't spoken about in a long time.The fears I had were not fears at all; more likely excuses though I don't know why'
'So anyway, that God dude works in mysterious ways but He is good,that's why He has the top job.Thank you for being in the kingdom and doing what you do.Your church has already started growing even though you have even yet to plant it'
This 'sign' has not only convinced me and the team of Gods call to Hamilton but left us wondering at what next He will surprise us with next.
Thanks Mary- you made our trip !
Amazing what a little prayer can do.
Two weeks ago I went a day ahead of our church planting team to pray with some of the northern leaders around Hamilton and to see if God was saying anything to us. Great time and lots of revelation.
However what struck me was what happened the day before with a land agent who took me around looking for homes. I will call her 'Mary'.
When Mary found out I was in the region to plant a church she went silent and so we happily talked about buying homes and general life talk.On our way back to being dropped off Mary explained that she had a spiritual past,still had a faith but due to hurt,marriage issues and church disappointments she had not engaged with church or Christians for many years.
As I hopped out of the car I asked Mary if I could say a short prayer for her in the car.She bowed her head and I asked God to help her in selling homes and for Him to reveal Himself further to her. I did not expect to see Mary again outside of housing enquiries.
The next day this remarkable letter turns up from Mary-I quote from it......
'Just wanted to thank you for praying with me today.I don't think that it was by coincidence that out of all the agents in my branch it was me who got given your email enquiry.When I was baptised [she had not mentioned this] God told me that He had a great plan for me and that I was going to be used in positive and awesome ways by God to spread His word and I was going to be a person who was going to lead many people into His kingdom.I am pretty sure that you were sent by God to me to help me and I would love to be one of the first of your new congregation when you arrive.'
'You had such a comfortable feel and made me speak of a faith that I hadn't spoken about in a long time.The fears I had were not fears at all; more likely excuses though I don't know why'
'So anyway, that God dude works in mysterious ways but He is good,that's why He has the top job.Thank you for being in the kingdom and doing what you do.Your church has already started growing even though you have even yet to plant it'
This 'sign' has not only convinced me and the team of Gods call to Hamilton but left us wondering at what next He will surprise us with next.
Thanks Mary- you made our trip !
Amazing what a little prayer can do.
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