When God says, "Do it" - Just do it!

Wow, what a week it's been!  Many of you have read the testimony about the detail business in VA and how God's faithfulness continues in the life of our ministry.  What Steve forgot to mention is... that a women donated $15,000 for me to purchase this business.  She didn't just donate the equipment, but she literally sent me a check in the mail for $15, 000.  This blew my mind and took my faith to another level!

However, the crazy part is that not long after this lady donated the money to our ministry, God began calling our family to Upstate NY.  I questioned God in that moment, wondering if what I was hearing was accurate.  I'm like..."God, but the ministry is going well here, you just gave us this business, are you really calling me to upstate, NY?"  I understood in that moment what Abraham must have felt like when God gave him a son and then he instructed him to take him to the top of the mountain that day.  How bizarre!

Well, after months of letting this detail business sit in a man's garage, out of no where yesterday, I received the call notifying me of the large contract we signed with a local hospital that would soon employ some of our homeless friends in the inner city.  Again, here I was being taken from faith to faith and glory to glory.  

I must confess, it's been hard in Dolgeville, NY for me and my family.  Not because we don't like it here, but we desire to be a part of what is going on in Norfolk, VA as we see the fruit of this intense labor being born.  I see blossoms from heaven all over the ministry in Norfolk, and I feel like were back to tilling the ground up here in NY.  I find myself asking God, "Why God, why would you call us to move in the early stages of this very fruitful ministry?"

But, thanks be to God!  He hasn't abandoned us!  Today was full of his glorious power!  It started this morning, when I contacted my friend at Bethany Bible College.  They had offered to allow us to use their movie projector for our "Movie in the Park" that's coming up in just a few days.  Well, when I sent a text to my friend this morning asking what time I could pick it up, he notified me that it must have been packed and sent with them to VA.  It wasn't supposed to have been, but he couldn't find it.

My heart sunk, as I know these things cost well over $300-$400.  (That doesn't include the screen)  He apologized and was so sad that this had happened, so I closed my eyes and sent him a text saying, "It will all work out," even though I was having trouble with my faith in that moment.  I really didn't know what to do, so I started looking online to see if I could rent the complete set up.  I mean...here we are...a couple of days from the event, I couldn't stop now.  I didn't have much luck with the rental idea, as the closest places were in Saratoga Springs or Albany, which are both a little ways away.  I stopped and prayed..."God, I know you told me to have this event.  You remember that Saturday a couple weeks ago, as I sat on my mower and you spoke to me.  You have to do this!"

I drove up to the school - thinking - I could speak to my old football coach and maybe he would help me.  Well, when I got there he wasn't in his office, so I went up to the football field and he wasn't there either.  I said, "God, what am I going to do?"  At this point, I was about to drive to Utica, NY to Best Buy and make the purchase, but I knew God told me to do this event and I also knew that anytime he asks me to do something, he ALWAYS has provided.  But, here I was again, consumed with doubt, considering the cost of buying a projector, a screen and whatever else was needed.

I was supposed to meet with Ken Jaquay today to test the sound for the event, but there was one problem....I didn't have a projector.  I called Ken and said, "Ken, I'm sorry, but I have a problem and we won't be able to test the sound today."  I told him how my plan fell through and I was going to make a couple more calls and if something didn't work out, I would go buy one so we didn't disappoint those who planned to come.  We hung up the phone....

I went out for a while racking my brain as to who else I could contact.  I called my uncle Chris, I went by the Skywave in town and no luck.  I came home a little discouraged and Laura said, "Hey honey, Ken called and wants you to call him back."  I said, "okay, I'll call him in a minute."  I called Ken and said, "Hey Ken, Laura said you called, what's up?"  He said, "This shouldn't be this hard," to which I agreed.  I thought about the churches who had these things to project their worship lyrics every week, I was so frustrated.  Ken said, "I have a projector."  I was stunned!  I was thinking to myself, "Has he been holding out on me after all this stress?"  :)  Then I found out that God told Ken to go to the Ebay store in town and check for a projector, so he obeyed and went.  He purchased the projector that would serve our community on Saturday night.  I was in shock, I was like, "Ken, I want to pay you, thank you, thank you, thank you, this is so great!"  Not only did we get the projector, he found a screen for $15 and we purchased that too.

Now, here I am...all proud saying, "I knew you would do it God, you always do!"  Like I really believed that 2 hours ago. :)  The best part about the whole story is this...  

Tonight, I met Ken to do a trial set up to make sure everything was good for Saturday night.  I said, I'm going to pay you for the projector, to which he responded, "I can't let you do that."  I plead my case saying, "Ken, no, please let me."  He looked me dead in the face and said, "Jimmy, I don't hear God speak that much, but today I know he told me to go to the Ebay store and I'm just glad to hear him speak."  I was like wow....God didn't break his promise to me.  He was always going to provide for this event, but he cared more about Ken hearing his voice than he cared if I was a little stressed out.  It was a holy moment for me, it was awesome!

He really is our provider!  He really is the great and awesome one!  Hope to see you Saturday!  We'll have the free movie, free popcorn, free candy for the kids, free drinks, games and live music as well.

God Bless You!

Jimmy

This just doesn't make sense! Why? How?

The things that boggle my mind:

How O' God could you take this ash heap and restore its beauty?  How O' God could you take this broken vessel and fill it with your love?  How could you take a wretch like me and call me a son, a Royal Priesthood, a family member of the King?  Haven't you seen me in my darkest hour?  Don't you know how I've mocked your name?  Don't you know how I've pierced your hands and feet?  How O' God? Why?

I've heard that you love those who hate you.  I've heard you died for those who mocked you.  I've even heard that as those soldiers stuck you to that rugged cross you were lavishing your love on them.  Why are you so different?  Why is your love so amazing?  Why O' God do you love us so much?  Who is like you O' God!?  Who can compare to you and your endless love?

These were real questions I asked God this morning as I pondered his goodness and mercy.  Sixteen years ago, broken and beaten, cursing God, heading rapidly down the path that leads to destruction and in a moment He screams, "NO MORE!"  He literally plucks me off the wide road that leads to destruction and places me on the narrow path that leads to life!

Did I deserve it?  Absolutely not!  Aren't I the one who ignored him?  Aren't I the one who mocked him and those who followed him?  O' how can it be, that this Righteous King would rescue me?  I can't explain it, it's an astounding mystery.  

In an instance I thought about how I treated those who mocked me.  I thought how I treated those who hated me.  It thought about how I treated those who were hopeless, desperate, in need.  How I ignored them and cursed them.  What a wretch, yet he chooses to use me, he chooses to anoint me, he chooses to love me.

I'm in awe as I think back to how I left this place I call "home".   I'm in awe, when I think that God is showing his love through my mess.  I'm in awe when I think of the families who sat in my living room last night, worshiping the King, praying for one another, talking about the hope of Glory.  I'm in awe as I saw kids from a year old to 15 years old running around my yard playing the games I remember playing when I was young.  Manhunt, capture the flag, O' the memories that filled my mind.  O' the joy that met me last night!

I'm in awe when I ponder the fact that I did nothing to deserve this.  I realized that he really does use the weak.  I realized that he really can restore what has been broken.  I realized that he really is a life giver!  He really does give us ABUNDANT LIFE!  Not because we deserve it, but because he loves to restore, he loves to heal, he loves to take the heap of rubble and make it a glorious statue!  He loves to use the unlovable, the broken, the hurting, those that all have given up on.  You see, his love remains when everyone else's love quits.  He's amazing!  Bless his name!  Praise him in the sanctuary!  Praise him with dancing!  Praise him with the way you walk this earth!  Praise him!  Let everything that has breath Praise His holy name!

God bless you!

Jimmy

"A Church Without Walls" popping up all over

Psalm 127:3  Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! 

The above scripture is so true!  Children are a reward, a gift from the hand of God.  The other night we were at the house of a young single mom and we had the privilege of praying with her.  She stated over and over, "I just want to be a good mom to him."  Have you ever felt like you weren't a good parent?  Either you got angry with your child, maybe you didn't give them the attention they needed, etc?  I know, I have....

Before we began to pray for her one of the men who was ministering with us said something that struck me...He said, "Your son is God's gift to you."  He said, "Every time you look at your son, God is telling you that he loves you.  He gave you a precious gift, created and formed not only in the image of God, but also in your image.  He looks like you, has the same eye color, hair color, body postures, etc."  It's God's way of saying, "I love you so much that I want to produce more and more of you."  Wow!

Well, maybe this was the reason I was thinking how much I wanted to bless not only my own children, but the children that God has put in our path.  They are his gift to us, so shouldn't we cherish them?  Shouldn't we take care of them?  Shouldn't we protect them?  Shouldn't we love them and be thankful for them?

I started to think about how nice it would be if we could bless the kids before school with a free backpack, school supplies, and possibly a haircut.  I had a strong desire to bless the kids in our community and their families.  I started talking to my wife and a couple of others about planning an event that would serve them.

Then, the Lord allowed me to find out about what April Comstock Jenison is already doing to bless our children.  April is in fact "A Church Without Walls."  She's bearing fruit in keeping with her faith.  She's being a blessing and not a curse.  She's caring for the family of God.  I found out that on her own initiative and by God's prompting, she was gathering school supplies to hand out to the kids on August 17th in an effort to bless each child and family.

Immediately, I talked to my wife and we confirmed that we would come along side of April and the Jenison family and others to help accomplish the plan of God.  You see God never intended for us to operate on our own, he intended for each of us to bear fruit and be ministers of the gospel, not just a "church pastor" or the "leaders" of the church.  We all have a ministry!  The ministry of reconciliation!  

He desires for us all to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  April and her family are doing that, they are accomplishing the good work that has been prepared in advance for them to do.  They are abiding in Christ, being the salt of the earth and a light in darkness.

Although, she won't be preaching on August 17th, she'll be sharing the love of God in demonstration, not only in word.  What a blessing!  What an awesome God that chooses to use us all, not just one!  

Although, we did not choose him, he chose us and appointed us to bear fruit, - fruit that will last.

Will you pray about helping April fulfill the call of God in this small way?  

We are collecting backpacks, school supplies, etc to bless these precious gifts from the Lord. 

God bless you!

"A Church Without Walls"