Thinking is One Thing
Thinking is one thing -- knowing is another.
Laila and I were talking about some of the wonderful people who have recently moved away from Charlottesville, and Covenant Church, who are looking for a church in their new community.
Wonderful it is to witness the Holy Spirit grow leaders. Blessings come to the families, and blessings come to the individuals. Often I have observed faithful tithing and giving families stay in Bible study, commit to a servant heart of ministry, and loyally commit to walk in unity with a congregation. God favors them, and oh the favor of the Lord is so beautiful.
Just at the peak time of performance, there is the rending news of a job transfer, or military, or marriage, or some other good reason that seems to have the Lord’s approval, but yet requires moving away.
It is hard to lose good families and individuals from a church family, even when it is for the right reasons.
Well, as Laila and I were talking about this, she expressed anxiety. Loving people does indeed make ministry more difficult in some ways.
“Laila,” I said, “Let us think about what all this means. If God designs for precious people to move to another city, state, or country, is He not entitled to move his troops around as He desires? And, Laila, if God needs some of our Covenant Family to serve in other places, He will surely not take blessings away from us!”
As I write this letter to you, it seems certain to me that there is much more to the way God works than what we give credit. For example, let us say that God looks into a congregation and sees a well-trained worker who is just exactly what is needed in another time and place. It seems to me that the Great Nobleman (Jesus in Luke 19) would pronounce special blessing upon the congregation that has produced excellent workers.
It is time for a bonus. God, who is God, has looked in upon us. We have found favor with him. We have blessed the Kingdom of God by sending out able workers to far and distant places. Missionaries have been rejuvenated, refreshed, and reconciled at Covenant. Pastors of multiple denominations have sought refuge and healing at Covenant. Covenant has sent missionaries and mission teams around the world. We have reached into the inner city to the less fortunate. We have not held back from doing good when we could. We have been generous to help many people out of seemingly impossible situations.
We have sought to do right. We want to do right. We have in our hearts to be noble in faith and deed. We dream big things…so big we need God. We will do anything we think will bring honor to Jesus.
There you have it -- bonus time. I have read the promises of God. He has said that if we will be faithful, He will be faithful to us. He has promised that if we seek him, we will find him. He has said that if we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we shall be filled. He has said that it is his pleasure to bless us.
Faith is hoping based upon evidence. Knowing is to have the evidence. It is knowing that God has seen our hearts, our hands, our feet, and heard our prayers that allows us to speak boldly: The Lord Is With Us! He is wanting to open doors of ministry. He wants to pour out a fresh anointing upon us. We know!
And knowing, we are candidates for Our Lord to do with us according to his pleasure!
Join with me and let us march together into the harvest! There is great reward for faithfulness!
Pastor Bare
Psalm 27:14