A View!

There was a very sweet moment during the 10:30 encounter this weekend. Our "M" friend and partner in Central Asia shared the coolest thing. During one of our gatherings (a glorified EBC party!), we gathered a few thousand dollars during the party. Those dollars were to supply some basics around our friends apartment (potholes, doorways, etc, AND a playground for kids). Our "M" (missionary) friend told us that we actually gave more than enough... so, she provided running water for a neighbor (yeah, you read that right - running water for the first time!) AND she was able to pay off a debt for a church who had stepped out in faith and implemented a ministry that was not resourced. You and I were an answer to a faith step on the other side of the world! I had a serious Moses 'moment' at the front. Moses actually looked at his group and said, you guys keep giving more than enough and you are blowing my mind. It was like our "M" shared that we were just giving more than enough and it was a huge moment. It's hard to grab the significance of this moment in writing, but it was a massive moment for our body.

Our "M" friend outlined a few critical prayer needs:
-- perseverance for believers in her country
-- not overwhelmed by circumstances (political upheaval, removal from country for "M"'s}...... instead, to be overwhelmed by our God
-- to carry the person of Christ to unreached people groups in their nations.
-- in the midst of persecution (fines, imprisonment, familial rejection), pray for the believers/ church to stand firm
-- pray for VIBRANT churches, not a fearful gathering, but bold believers
-- our partnership to be stronger than ever. Short term teams to go and prayer to heighten
-- for those who are sensing God lead them to 'go' long term. How beautiful to leverage your life in a 10/40 window country!

It was a great day. It was a great day to actually believe that the God of the universe wants to be in relationship with you..... even further, to believe that prayer unleashes the ridiculous. What an amazing prospect to consider that we (the finite) can merge our lives with He (the infinite) and watch as our relationship brings into fruition the ridiculous! I want to learn to trust Him…. I want to wake up and know He is with me…. And I want to enter into conversation with Him…. I want to be in relationship with a God who moves stones…. Who releases the dead…. Who allows blind to see and who lends the deaf, ears to hear! I want to know and be in relationship with a God like that! Prayer is not my magical shopping list, it is my opportunity to actually be in conversation with the God of the universe. I think he wants to converse with us about what we love and what we hate. I think he wants us to thank him for things. I think, when what we want doesn’t happen, he wants to hear about it. He wants us to experience His love and His joy.

God wants to reach into our cell structure and impulses that He put into our mind and he wants us to walk away at times knowing exactly what it is He said and at other times not having a clue…. But, we will then be tapping into this infinite resource.

So, enjoy the day. Enjoy the collision of the finite and infinite. Expect the ridiculous!

Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comments.

For the Glory,
Mark