I asked God specifically for this…
No deep thoughts here…i just want to let you know that sometimes God just blows your mind. We’ve been praying hard for the right venue for Celebration Church in Philadelphia. As always, I had lofty goals accompanied by huge vision and the reality that we had no clue how it was going to all play out. Well, as you know…starting a new church in a city like Philadelphia has some serious challenges. Outside of the normal hurdles, trying to find a venue that’s close to public transportation or has parking is extremely rare. Well, I asked God specifically for this: A place we could serve the community from…with great space for growth, public transportation and parking. He put this in our hands: Benjamin Franklin High School…
The school sits a few blocks north of Center City…in the exact spot we’ve been praying about for over 2 years. It’s easily accessible to people from multiple communities…has a subway stop at the corner and 2 parking lots that are available. Needless to say…I’m blown away at the opportunity that sits before us to partner with this school and community to see lives encouraged and changed forever. Please help us pray that God will continue to lead every step we take. We would love for this to be the beginning of a long term relationship with this school. Only God knows all of the things He has in store for Philadelphia…we’re just glad that He’s allowing us to be a part by serving this great city. Thank you all for being part of this story…and don’t stop believing God for “specific miracles”…it can happen and be better than you ever dreamed! What are you dreaming about?
You Can Do It…
I just wanted to encourage you today. I’m not going to manipulate a story or stretch the meaning of a scripture verse to make a point. I just simply want to say…You Can Do It…
Life is by no means easy. We will face some difficult obstacles! At the same time…we must not forget that the “Creator God” gave us life. And that life has purpose. If we open our mind, heart and eyes to His Word and the world around us…we can definitely see His hand. We might not understand it, but God will show up…over and over again in our lives. Ironically, every time we allow Him to speak into our lives…He’s there.
The past month has been extremely difficult for me personally. I’ve been fighting myself…reminding myself of the day God called me into full time ministry (Ephesians 3:7-9) My faith has been tested every day…around each corner, yet, I’ve been accompanied by a simple “peace”. My family’s journey to start a new church in Philly has proved to be crazy exciting. We’ve learned so much about ourselves. But more importantly we’ve experienced how amazing God is. We’ve personally witnessed the joy of being in relationship with Jesus Christ. You know, when everything seems “jacked up”…but there’s something that keeps making you smile. If you’re looking for that joy or encouragement…you can have it. Just stop trying to rationalize the supernatural…we can’t handle it. What we MUST DO though…is be faithful in the natural.
You’ve probably heard this said before, so I’ll repeat it in my words… ”God will not overcome an obstacle with a miracle in an area that we can overcome with obedience…” I know it’s easy for us to ask for God’s “bail-out plan” when times get tuff. But if I’ve learned anything lately…it’s that I have to break through some things myself. God’s still there…and He’s equipped us with everything we need for our journey. But the whole “bail-out” routine…yea, not so much…ask Jesus about the whole… “asking His father to let the cup pass thing”…
Anyway, you get the idea. I hope I can do a better job getting up everyday and possessing the land that God has called me to. It’s my prayer this morning that you do the same. What is it that you need to overcome today…this week…this month…this year? You Can Do It…
