So I was praying last week and asking God for a miracle or two to confirm that he was really in this church planting effort of ours, and then on Sunday I asked the people there to pray specifically about two things.
First, we needed the school board to approve our usage and specifically, we needed some clear guidance on how far into the future they would let us meet there.
Secondly, we needed something to happen with regard to the truck so that we could drive it around legally. The other church that donated it to us lost the title, and the plates had expired, so we couldn’t actually take the truck on the streets.
God moved in some big ways to answer these prayers.
Closed door, open window
I was so concerned about the title for the truck, that I had been calling Larry, the representative of the other church, to find out about the title, and he offered to look into what it would take to get a duplicate title. I was worried that it might end up being a couple of weeks, and I had internally just committed myself to thinking we would drive the truck to the school this Sunday anyway and run the risk of a cop seeing us.
However, Larry and his wife figured out a different solution. When she went to get the replacement title, she found out that she could just pay the registration fee to get new plates for the truck and thereby make it street-legal again! She did that, express mailed the plates to us, and we got them today! The truck will be drivable in an hour or so when I get around to putting the plates on it! Also, the duplicate title should be arriving in about 3 weeks. And if that weren’t enough, they also found the missing amplifier for the sound system. We should be able to go down there some time this week to go get it. Praise God!
God Uses Secretaries
The other answer to prayer completely shocked me. I got a phone call on Monday from Cheryl, the secretary of Gary Jenkins who is in charge of maintenance for the Tippecanoe School Corporation. I called her back on Tuesday and she wanted to know if we needed to use the school at any point in March or April.
Apparently, the principal hadn’t gotten our paperwork into them by the deadline and this lady thought she would call me to double-check that we didn’t need the school! Praise God! If she hadn’t called me, our request would not have made it to the school board on time. The school board was to meet the very next day (yesterday), and if our request didn’t get on the agenda, we would have been WAAAAAYYYYY up a creek with no place to meet, $4,000 out of our pockets for the postcards advertising our launch and no way to reprint them in time! As it was, our request made it onto the agenda and was approved! We are good to go all the way through April! I just can’t stop using exclamation points!!!!
God was looking out for us this week and has caused all these things to come together. I’m so thrilled and encouraged to see how He has confirmed just this week that he is watching over this whole process. Keep praying for the turn out at our launch service on March 25!
Praise the Lord who answers all prayers!
NOTHING LIKE A MIRACULOUS INTERVENTION OR TWO TO ESTABLISH THE VALIDITY OF “YOUR STORY” … REMEMBER “NEVER FORGET THE STORY” … IT’S WHAT DISTINQUISHES AND DEFINES YOU.
Your “one step closer” website theme hit home with me. When I first accepted Christ I had a tendency to relate to the pop rock song, Slip Sliding Away. Then, I came to realize that I was taking “one step forward and three steps backward” before I discovered “grace.” However, in my not wanting to abuse (daily crucifing Jesus), I went on a spiritual journey regarding “religion” and “which religion” contained the truth and nothin but the truth.
Following in Jesus’ footsteps is a lifelong journey (that is emphasized with the newly marketed “journey necklace.)” I’m not a preacher, pastor, etc. but I could make a beautiful sermon regarding this newly marketed diamond nechlace. Try it. However, emphasize that your sermon is NOT a marketing ploy to make money or sell nechlaces, but to emphasis that spiritual growth is a process through which life itself takes us (if we stay in The Word).
First, reference the scripture that “mines” treasures from the scriptures just as coal is mined from the “earth.” Mention how “pressure and time” turns coal into diamonds and how each of us are just a “spiritual diamonds in the rough.” The WORD turns “our swords into plowshears within our hearts” (whereas we no longer want to fight with others regarding their spirituality, but encourage their growth in the message of Christ — which is full of fruit that is refreshing and different from the world).
There are many references in which seven can be spiritually seen as “perfect/complete” and how the Holy Spirit will teach,comfort, guide, direct, lead, confirm and rebuke (locate scriptures) us until we are no longer “in the rough.”
We are growing striving Christians that know “the way” and see the light of truth in others — who shine brighter and bigger in the Word than us (reminding everyone that they are like the smallest diamond in comparison to Jesus).
Then, let the Spirit inside you explain the secrets of the kingdom of heaven that’s given to us in through the parables.
Would our human nature really sell all that we own when we find a “pearl” of great value? ** We’ve been given the keys and the secrets, thus, we must be hitting on just “the surface” rather than going deeper and mining more treasures. No offense is meant personaly to the writer of this website or the reader. I’m working of a different theory of “the more deposits of faith given in the world, the more faith will be given.” It’s a different spiritual theory than many using God’s Word. We NEED more faith in the world!
To Barbara:
I’m interested to hear about your “different spiritual theory” and what authority you’ve found in addition to God’s Word.