Commonalities

God is doing so much in my heart right now. It is hard to put it all out there though. I am going to examine my heart more frequently. I have become dry and comfortable in my walk recently. It is nothing major, just a small shift. But that is really all that it takes. I am learning much about the mundane and the unnoticed, daily disciplines of life. We are no more than our habits, whether good or bad. There is no glamour or praise for the one who stays the course day after day. But the one that remains faithful, no matter the circumstance, is the one that is becoming something. Faithful. Disciplined. Steadfast. These are words that I think we all want said of us, but few of us are willing to stick to the course long enough to see the fruit.

I want to share a few truths that are stuck in my head after church tonight. Our pastor is killing it. The series is about The Church. The purpose is that we might see the fullness of the gospel, not just partialities and trite, Christian phrases.

We are all broken sinners who are separated from God. This is truth, whether we accept it or not. God is Holy. We are not. This separates us from the intended community and life that was meant to be from the outset of creation. Life was the design, but our sin brought death into the world.

We all seek that which we believe will give us life to the fullest. The objects that we seek are different, but we all seek that object until it leaves us empty. We then find another object to seek after or even worse, continue to seek after that which has left us empty for so many years. The range of possibilities for life-giving objects is endless. Success. Money. Power. Attention. Fame. Comfort. Approval. Ease. Death. All of these objects are not life-giving, but are instead ways that we are deceived. All of these end in death without Jesus Christ.

The gospel is about life. The gospel is about so much more than praying a prayer to get to heaven and promising to do better and trying to not sin anymore. The gospel is not a prayer and a destination. The gospel is about reconciliation. The gospel is about being brought back into life, both here on earth and forever with Jesus. The gospel is about changed lives. The gospel is about moving from death to life. The gospel is life-giving. Jesus has made a way for us to be reconciled. The gospel is about seeking Jesus, because in Him we will find life, unlike the other objects that we sought after.

*Prayer – Dad and a team from HFBC are in Guinea, West Africa even as I type. Two new brothers among the UPG they are working with have come to follow the “Jesus-way”. They want to be baptized. This is a monumental decision in their lives. They are openly professing to their Muslim communities that life is found only in Jesus Christ, not in any other religion or lifestyle. Pray that whole villages would receive the truth of the Kingdom of God. Pray that God, the Lord of the Harvest, would raise up workers for the harvest that is to come among these people. Pray that Mousa would be strengthened daily in the Word of God. Pray for these two new brothers that they would be rich soil and not rocky, dry or weed-infested soil. Praise God for salvation among those at the ends of the earth!

Go, Give and Pray

I had a chance this evening to get together with some people with kindred spirits. Because one of my good friend's crazy ideas, this group of people are going to put together a banquet/fundraiser for Living Water International here in the Permian Basin. Most of us have been on a trip with LWI and have seen God move in many ways through water. We want the people around us to be moved to go, give and pray as well. So, we're going to be putting together an event on May 25th at Rock the Desert's facilities to raise up volunteers to go and to give as well. There is going to be plenty of food, music, video, pictures and stories of reaching the thirsty with water and the Living Water. Please pray that God begin to move and stir up hearts to go, give and pray.

I'm thankful for people that see no difference between our outward actions and what God has done on the inside. These two should be so intertwined and mingled that there is no discernible difference between who we truly are and who we portray ourselves to be by our actions. God has rescued us and is satisfying our thirst, so we should be rescuing and satisfying the thirst of others too with physical water and the Living Water, Jesus Christ.

I really can see God doing some big things through this event. We really don't know how big or small this thing could be. Our goal is to stir up hearts to go, give and pray. This literally could raise millions of dollars of impact, or just a few hundred dollars. This could begin to change hundreds of lives, or just one. Either way, we seek to honor God and be used by Him.

Father, use our talents, influence, monies and skills to bring you glory and honor. We pray that You would begin the work of reconciliation in many people's hearts through this. We pray that You would use the wealth of the Permian Basin to bless countless people. We pray that You would usher in Your Kingdom through the drilling of these wells. We pray expectantly, knowing that You can do far above all that we can hope for.