YOUR STEPS ARE ORDERED BY GOD

Friday night Phil and I were going on a date to see a movie. This was a time we were both looking forward to. It was "our time", and we both needed it. Let's set the stage. Phil came home from work hung with the kids for a while. While playing with the kids he asked me which movie theatre were we going to? I wasn't very sure, so he asked me to look it up. While he was in the shower I told him I remember which theater, because I saw it earlier that day. So we travelled to movie theater that I remembered seeing the sign at. Okay it was the wrong one. There are only two theaters in Conway so it wasn't a big deal to go to the next one.

Remember how I said your steps are ordered. Well, as we were on our way to the other theater we saw a man walking. This man looked just like a man who lived in the trailer park about a year ago. His name is Rusty and he was married to a woman named Julie. They had a child while living in the trailer park, we had a showering of gifts for the baby. This couple was one of the first we actually invested in at Oakwood. To give a little more history, I would often go to their home and help with the baby and Phil would spend lots of time with Rusty. Then one day they just moved out of the state. They had talked about it but did not give notice or anything. We were surprised and of course sad because we did not feel the work was complete. Now you are up to speed.

We see this guy who looks just like Rusty. Phil looks at me and says do you want me to call him and see? I said yes. Then Phil cautions me, if I call him we need to commit to whatever happens after that. Reminding me of the fact that we are on a date and I can't complain if we move in a totally different direction. I thought for a second and I was really happy to see if this was him and meet his need. Phil yells out from the car. He responds. It was Rusty! So we turn around and pick him up. He looks us over and calls Phil's name. He then gets in the car. He was on his way to his mother's house. He had just arrived in Conway about 10 minutes ago. He had been travelling for two weeks from Louisiana (by bus, foot, and car etc..). So I began to ask him about his life and where is Julie. He then proceeds to tell us they are divorced. She tried to microwave the baby!?!?! He tried to kill her?!?!?! They lost custody of the baby girl and she is with a good family in Arizona. He goes on to tell us how the Lord has been good to him even though he did not deserve it at all. He told us the God finally delivered him from drugs and alcohol. Now I want you to clearly understand these were the words coming from his mouth...not us! There was a look of sheer horror on my face mixed with an odd delight. God was working in his life amidst ALL KINDS OF CRAZY!

We then arrive at his mother's trailer. Yes I said trailer! We found a whole new trailer park that we had not even known existed. Rusty explained that this park is full of displaced Katrina victims. This park is different in some ways from Oakwood in that there are tons more people. It seemed like every trailer had two or three cars in front and families living in groups. Rusty's mother had three young boys in her trailer. After we dropped Rusty off and exchanged phone numbers, we took a trip around the park. Many of the people were living in campers, trailers, or whatever. It was certainly the Lord who lead us in this direction. Rusty was excited to reconnect and we are too.

So we were able to take care of Rusty, locate more "souls" to hear the gospel of Christ, and get to the movies on time. All in all we had a wonderful time!

Again our steps are ordered by GOD! This is the second person the Lord has brought back that we may continue to serve. I am very excited about what the Lord is doing and going to complete.

Sinner or Saint (part2)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10

Well blogger family I'll share what started this whole question of sinner or saint shortly. First I want to thank all who participated in this discussion. It is great when believers can come together and examine our practice in light of scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit may we be transformed even more into the image of Jesus Christ.

When God calls a sinner to receive salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ that individual becomes a saint. There is the greatest miracle! A walking, talking DEAD man or woman made ALIVE through the power and work of Jesus Christ on Calvary's Cross. That individual is now a saint and should no longer identify themselves with what was sin. It is like the Jews relying on the law. Christ fulfilled the whole law and for one to go back to it (the law) is to deny the power of the Christ. By identifying oneself with what God has called you out of is to say that Christ isn't enough!

Many struggle with this and so we should take a closer look at it. I'm a practical person and so my examples will be also. I love how Steve mentioned marriage and the changing of the names. Along those lines if I am married am I also single? No I am married. Likewise if I cheat on my spouse am I no longer married to him? Nope, still married. I used that example to say, as saints we will struggle with sin, yet are not bound to or by sin.

There are lots of scripture that tell us not to look back to the former. See Luke 9:62, Phil 3:14, Eph 4:17-24, 1 Peter 1:13-16. Yes we need to remember how sinful we were but the memory should only cause us to worship, honor, and adore Christ all the more. Again it is not by your wonderful works (or should I say bloody menstrual pad) that you are a saint, but by the work of Jesus Christ and Him alone.

The payment for sin is death. Christ paid for your sin from 20 years ago, the sin from today, the sin of tomorrow, and the sin 20 years from today. It is PAID for by the pure, clean, spotless blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ! To continue the claim of sinner is to deny the saving power of Christ.

Oh yeah, how this started. I have been around many saints and I noticed there to be a strong connection with the sins of old and a very weak understanding of our present place in Christ. Tommy hit the nail on the head about defeated saints. We need to see ourselves as God sees us. We tell that to sinners all the time but not so much with saints. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation....see above. God loves His children. No matter how you have messed up in times past, present or future, Christ blood is enough. When God looks at you saint, He sees Jesus (whom He was pleased to crush for you!). The righteousness of Christ is placed upon you and your sin was placed upon Him over two thousand years ago. Don't look back saint or you will make His crushing in vain (if it were possible).

Braving Bullets

The following is the story of Eric Reese who is doing mission work in the urban areas of Rio. His story has been a real source of encouragement as the Lord has called us to do similar work here in Conway. I pray that you are encouraged as well.