Last week,I was in a meeting with members of another organization who serves kids. We met up at a local coffee shop for a "no agenda" chat about how we could best partner. A few short minutes into the chit chat, the Holy Spirit filled the room. The conversation was obviously anointed... when I asked "what is the hardest part of your ministry?" I was planning to make a list of responses and pray, until it became apparent that the hard part was the same for almost all of us. Fighting discouragement. This is hard for me to say, but the shared struggle was "getting Christ followers to engage". We have opportunities to serve in schools, relationships with social workers, favor with the government and local businesses and literal open doors to the homes of families in need... thehard part is getting volunteers, church goers, to show up and get involved. We prayed in that moment against that brand of discouragement. We asked God to do what ONLY he can do, draw his people to his heart! Before we concluded our time together, another customer at the coffee shop confided that she too was struggling with the same discouragement in her ministry. We prayed for her. And on my way out, the shop owner stopped me and said "This was exciting! Could you pray that this energy sticks around?" What a morning! May the Lord fill that room with his presence and use that space for his glory!
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." ~1 Peter 4:10-11
The meeting itself was pretty exciting. It was clear that God used an ordinary occurrence to encourage his people and ignite some excitement in an extraordinary way. But then... he really started showing off. Over the next few days, Christ followers I have no connection with were calling ME asking me to help them enroll in CarePortal so they could serve kids. Turns out, God has been drawing his people to serve. Christians have been calling local caseworkers asking "How can we help?" and the caseworkers are ready with a simple answer. "Enroll in CarePortal."
As we watch revival break out all over the country, and we experience a new move of the Holy Spirit, my prayer is that none of us will miss God's clear voice. He's given each of us gifts to steward and use to serve one another. I feel strongly that this is a moment when those of is with the gift of Faith, are being called to serve the body! Those of us who don't discourage easily should steward that gift ... should lead out in service, should charge forward with generosity and testify loudly to His great works!
If that's you... If you are ready to use what God has given you... please consider joining our response team HERE... so you can see your own local needs and respond with the love of Christ!
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 NIV
Concerning Spiritual Gifts "1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."
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