Month January 2019

The Church

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Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. – John 4:34

With Jesus as our example, the heart desire of every believer should be to seek God’s will and to then make diligent effort to bring it to pass.

Just like every Christian throughout history, each of us has a local church experience. Our lives as believers are lived out in fellowship with those of like faith. God has called us and declared that we be sent as light in a dark world, salt for a creation in dire need of preservation.

Darrell L. Guider, in his book Missional Church, describes this work in his discussion of missional community, a group of believers committed to fulfilling God’s purpose for His church. I will quote him as a launching point for my presentation as follows:

The purpose of missional communities is to be a source of radical hope, to witness to the new identity and vision, the new way of life that has become a social reality in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. […] As sign, foretaste, agent and instrument of God’s reconciling love and forgiveness, the church makes Jesus Christ visible in the world.

– Darrell L. Guider, Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America

And so the journey begins. It is my hope that what is presented here will move myself and those who God brings here to seek His will and then, through His strength, work toward the end that He directs us to.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Prayer Request

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Was at our small neighborhood park last week when a new resident arrived with her small dog. He’s a puppy of about 10 months and she runs him out in the open space. He spotted us (my dog and me) and came charging over.  In an attempt to gain control the owner ran after her dog and tried stepping on his leash. Eventually she stomped on it and was able to stop him. Our dogs get along great but she is trying to train him so that’s why she was trying to stop him.

Well I was back out there today and she told me that she hurt her knee trying to step on the leash. From the way that she was walking I could tell that it was probably very painful. And so she is worried about a sprained or torn ligament. She did say that since yesterday it showed at least a small improvement which is a good sign.

I don’t believe that she is a Christian but when I told her that I would pray that God would bring healing to her knee she was very appreciative.

She was planning on driving up to a different town today and is probably already on her way.  My prayer is that the Lord would touch her knee with his Physician’s hand during her 4 hour drive and that she would arrive with no pain. I added that she would see through this healing the ability of God to heal something much greater and more important – that being our need for reconcilliation with Him (healing the relationship).

And so I invite you, the reader, to join with me in praying for her. Her name is Elizabeth.

thank you!

Larry

A New Direction

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Please note the following addition to my About page:

To my brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am grateful that the Lord has used my somewhat feeble efforts to offer you encouragement as you walk down the path that the Lord has set before you. I hope that He has guided my hand in such a way as to bring a needed word or thought to your mind when needed.

We are, without doubt, instructed by God to encourage our fellow travelers. And this is aptly so, as life without the encouragement of others would seem to be unbearable.

It is with this reality in mind that I intend to continue to strive to bring encouragement to the readers of these pages.  However, this update to my About page is necessary as I am embarking on a journey that will involve enlarging the scope of this blog.

Following a nearly year long season of searching for answers in response to God’s prompting, I believe that I am now able to present some of what I’ve learned over this time.

It is my hope and intent to bring to light areas within the North American Christian experience which I believe God is calling out for reform.

I ask for your prayers as I begin this voyage. Please pray that I would exercise faithfulness to God and to God’s Word. Please pray that I would be able to express my understanding of scripture with clarity. And please pray that God would use my ongoing efforts to bring about greater enlightenment of His plan and purpose in this world.

I thank each one of you for the blessing that you have been to me over these past several years. May God richly bless you, your loved ones, and those with whom you gather in His name. And as a way of previewing where this is all leading, I pray that God would use you to bless your unsaved neighbors and fellow citizens in whatever country you may reside in.

In and through the love of our Saviour,

Larry