Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Bring It To Them

In the past years, God has allowed me to cross paths with a group of people whom I have developed a burden for. I've got to know each one individually, at different times, and somehow their hearts were open to me. I've been fortunate enough to hear their story & at least attempt to speak life into their circumstances. These people know Jesus & have once upon a time been a part of a local church, but not anymore - a loved one's disapproval, a change of address, a broken heart, misunderstanding towards God & the church... You might have heard of one of those stories before.

I've shared this burden with my lovely cell group time & time again. I told them that if God wills it, I want to start a cell group with this group of people. But I'm constantly reminding myself that the main motivation must not be that they return to the church, but that I, a living stone of the local church, represent God & His body to reach out to them - to love them, to invest into their lives, to restore their relationship with God, to bring them the hope of the knowledge of an ever-loving, ever-forgiving Father.

Truthfully, I have no clue how to do this. It feels as if I'm starting a NEW CHURCH. I don't know if I have the courage of the earlier generation (in Malaysia) - they put everything on the line, & started with a weekly attendance of 1, 2, 3, under a mango tree.

Pray for me. Pray also for the people God has placed in my heart. Thank you.

1 comment:

S said...

"let us stop saing we love people; let us really love the and show it by our actions" 1john3:18 (LB)
i love how Living Bible presents this passage..

Joash, you have an amazing gift tt allows you to get along with almost everyone..and to have a heart for people, to want to show them the love that He has blessed us with shows great selflessness..
[Gal. 6:8]
"the person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others-and ignoring God- harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds..but the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, and eternal life"
(: All the best!