We have no equipment, very little money, very few people, and are in an area where up to 80% claim a different religious background. We have had friends abandon us over our choice to move to Utah. We lost all our funding.
Many people SAY they love what we are doing, and they will pray for us [a nice way to say that they won't be giving, but that they like our mission, and I do hope they PRAY!!!]
I could go on and on…but I won’t cry. I just won’t. I will state some facts, but we won’t cry. Sorry. No excuses.
Our team WILL host preview services in 8 weeks. Not sure how it will all happen. But one thing I know is that it WILL HAPPEN, because we are here for a reason. We are answering the call of obedience. We will WAIT and PUSH and SIT and allow HIM to do the rest.
One thing we do have is Jesus, and that is all we need. We are not crying. We are not waiting on a bunch of people to drop some cash on us. We aren’t waiting on the perfect set-up or perfect team, or for someone to make it happen for us. We have learned that won’t happen. Most people don’t care about what you or I are doing.
I am so glad that Jesus does. Rest in that. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will meet all of your needs. Stop waiting for people to make it happen, and ask HIM to make it happen! Rest in that. Truly rest in that.
By the way, we did not move across America to launch services…we moved out here to help transform this community and heaven, 1 person at a time. Preview services will help us extract the few that are running around that are curious and seeking after Jesus who are not yet connected to our small network.
We have nothing except Jesus, each other and some marching orders just like the early church. Jesus called us to follow HIM and it wasn’t a pretty path. Why do we expect more? “In this world you WILL have trouble…” [John 16.33a]
If 11 scared dudes can change the world with nothing except Jesus…then how ’bout it? Who cares about the 10% of churches who seem to have it all [I was once one of those pastors]? It was not the “church” of Jesus day that did jack…it was the humble, willing 11 who lived out the marching orders come hell or high water, come no finances, no staff, no moving lights or smoke machines.
No books on “incarnational” ministry to be “missional” in their contexts. No conferences, no coaching, no buildings, or strategy. They just did what the Spirit said to do and they made NO EXCUSES for getting it done.
So…what’s your excuse? Let’s get it done in Jesus name. [And yes, it is much easier to write this than to live it, so know we are on the same journey.]
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