Pressing on

Let me tell you about some of my irreverant sarcasm lately. I told some friends this last week that 'I think that I'm starting to believe in God.' Please don't think any less of me or pass judgment without letting me explain.

I see God working. But it's easy to miss it in the city. There are seasons where watching people falling away from their faith commitments is like watching the rain fall. Countless youth are fully equipped to be dysfunctional in nearly every aspect of their life. Spiritual warfare in the world's cultural capital is thick like smoke. Christians forgetting who they are & slipping into apathy or a purely defensive posture is too common. People are hurting, broken. Sometimes I'm one of those people.

HOWEVER, I see God moving through His people in power that I could not produce, manipulate, program, or organize if I tried. Yea, I've always believed in God, and I even believe in His power unleashed into the world today. But sometimes my rationale mind pumped full of skepticism gets the best of me. Still, I see Him moving, and I "can't believe" that I'm a part of it. Participating in God's redemptive work, I am filled with awe. God is calling is 'at such a time as this.'

I know a nominal hindu man that some of you have been praying about for months who has said recently that he believes there is one God and he believes in Jesus. He said this because Jesus answered prayers (in the context of a new Christian faith community that he frequents) that idols had never answered. He doesn't know the implications of all he is saying yet, but I recently gave him a Punjabi Bible and hope to continue and dialogue with him as a friend. Pray for him. There is a recovering addict that is asking if he can attend house church when he gets his weekend pass one day a week. Pray for him.

There is a woman that has experienced a week of inner peace following a Bible study; according to her, it is a peace unlike anything she has ever experienced. Pray that she thirsts for more, recieves, glorifies God for it, and turns her life over to Christ. I could go on. God seems to really move in power when people get desperate! As I keep participating in stories of God at work in the midst of a world in conflict, my faith grows ever stronger. It might even be almost as big as a mustard seed now. Despite the dynamic spiritual conflict, God is indeed on the move. At times I feel fear because I am willing to take risks and step out in faith in bolder and bolder ways for the sake of God's Reign in the city and the advance of His church. Someone reminded me some time ago that courage is actually courage because it accompanies fear. Without fear, why would we need courage. And I hope that you too will be courageous as we advance against the gates of hell. I'd like to think that you're in good company; I'm nervous too. I also recognize that the fighting is the fiercest where the church is advancing and taking ground. I often covet prayers. As we seek to initiate new strategic initiatives in the city, the enemy searches out whom he may devour, and it is well known in missions circles that he attacks key leaders who would prefer to remain on the offensive against evil. Pray for protection for me, my family, and those who are working with us. God, the King of kings, is victorious, and He seems to prefer to make His moves when His people pray. Prayer is the battle.