Another need...

Greetings friends,

I trust this post finds you experiencing the tangible grace of God today.  Today is a new day, full of new mercies!  A fresh start, a new perspective, a new mind, a new heart.  Will you rejoice with me, for this is the day that the Lord God has made?

Many of you know, that "A Church Without Walls" was a ministry that we started back in 2011.  A friend of mine - Steve Zollos and I were having a bible study on Saturday morning and God began to move our hearts to bring forth this ministry.  

One of the things we felt strongly about was that God wanted to express his love by meeting the "practical" needs of his people.  Therefore, we started feeding the hungry in the inner city of Norfolk, VA.  Our goal is simple - "find a need, meet a need," while trusting God to pour forth the resources we need to help the hurting and the broken.  

You'll also remember that we attempt to do everything from the place of prayer, meaning, we don't just come up with good ideas to overload ourselves with "good deeds".  We actively pursue God in prayer and as we do he begins to twist and prod our hearts to what he wants us to do.  We're open to the Holy Spirit and we knew early on what Jesus meant when he said, "I only do what I see the father doing."  Doing ministry from the place of prayer is very fruitful.  

Many people have asked me, "What's your secret?  How did you get so many people to come to the Christmas Parade?"  Well, it's simple....One night I was praying and the Lord told me to do a Christmas Parade.  He gave me a lot of details and then the work began.  What you don't know about the Christmas Parade, is that it seemed like everyone I asked to help said they couldn't for some reason.  However, God was sending random people, many of whom, I didn't know.  He orchestrated the whole thing.  The good news about this is that they were hand picked by God.  What I witnessed through this event was totally amazing.  

Well, last night, Laura and I met with some dear friends.  God was speaking to me throughout our whole conversation with them.  After they left, I laid in bed praying and seeking the Lord.  It wasn't long after, God began to show me a need.  I couldn't sleep, the hound of heaven was communing with me.  Here's what he was showing me:

"I'm turning the hearts of the fathers to their children, I'm reuniting the family."  He began to show me how the enemy of our souls, sought to disrupt the relationship between Adam and Eve, causing the first broken relationship.  Then, he moved me to the story of Cain and Able and how directly after the disruption of the relationship between husband and wife, sin destroyed the relationship between children.  It was very clear that the enemy knew if he could break the family, he could hurt people.  That's what he's doing today all over the world.

From this place, I began to pray.  As I look around the world, I'm seeing more and more broken homes, more and more single moms, more and more fathers disappearing.  It grieves me to think about the men who've abandoned their children, their wives, their homes.  This has nothing to do with anything other than, "The enemy, seeking to steal, kill and destroy."  It's important that we remember that each man was created in the image of God, but the enemy lies and harasses us.  He desires to kill God's people, he desires to wreck our homes, he desires to break up our families.  We must recognize this, we must turn to the Lord. 

This my friend is a huge need in the region in which we labor.  Last night, the Lord made it clear that it's time to gather the men.  Therefore, this Wednesday we will begin to meet as men at The Village House of Prayer at 6 pm.  "MEN OF VALOR" that's who he calling us to be.  Men of honor, courage and bravery.  I believe that as men stand up, as they begin to stand at the door post of their homes, honoring their wives, protecting their children, providing and caring for them, we will experience refreshment in our land. 

Men, will you join me?  Will you stand up with me and fight this giant?

God bless you all,

Jimmy