Walking to the Next Step

We had an evangelist come fill the pulpit this Sunday while our pastor is out of town and my husband is at camp with the teens.
Expecting a message from an evangelist I was ready to be preached at. I love how passionate and how excited these preachers can be. I absolutely LOVE the way they bring hard truths and throw it in people's faces, and yet, do it in a way where people actually change, or at least desire the change.
This speaker was no different and impressed me tremendously with his great passion for the people in the room. He spoke and addressed some very tough issues in this church and I don't know that he even knew he was doing it.
God has a way of not wanting his people content with where they are at. He doesn't like people being okay with standing still. He is only okay with having them wait for the next step to be revealed but even them he does not like them only sitting idle. There is way too much to be done yet for the kingdom and WAY too little time to be doing it!
Even in my case, where I have made this great progress forward after a long waiting period, I need to be ever pushing towards the next thing God may be asking me to do. I need to be preparing and serving and working to reach the next level.
Now, the thing about this is that we live in a world of darkness. We are surrounded by this pitch black and the path in front of us is so narrow as the Perfect plan of God has no variation. The wisdom and Word of God act as a light to our feet.
Think of head lights on a vehicle on a dark and unlit road. You can see out several feet in front of you but you can't see any farther until you move farther down the road. We live in a pitch dark world with the light of God shinning in our lives and through our lives. We can see the parts he reveals to us and we need to step forward when he makes that step clear and only when we take that step can we expect him to reveal the next one. It is very rare for Him to reveal his whole plan to someone exactly how he plans for it to happen.
That is why we live through faith and seek His wisdom. It takes faith to keep stepping out not being sure of the outcome we cannot see. We have to trust and believe that what we have read and heard about God is true. We have to believe he has a perfect plan in place for our good and that he offers a more abandant life than even we could imagine for ourselves. It takes faith. God is a good father who gives good gifts. Next is the wisdom we need to ask for. We have to be ready and willing to ask for wisdom when we start allowing our own intellect to get in the way and we begin over thinking and under-achieving. Sometimes we get to the point where we think too much about what others might think of us acting before having the whole plan. God doesn't worry about what others think; He is waiting for us to obey and act and trust and move. God is wanting us to say "Here you go God. I am completely and utterly yours so do with me what you will and whatever you allow is good! May you alone be praised through it all."
Can you honestly say that is your prayer?
The evangelist did an alter call calling men and women to boldly say "I will step out to the next step in my life even though I can't see past it." women walked forward. I saw not one man move. The preacher stood on the pew and called men out. He asked them if they were honestly already doing all God asked them to do. Many shook their heads to say no. But none walked forward. The evangelist pleaded for change. I have never seen one so firm in the idea of the old time revivals where evangelist would literally go up to complete strangers and call them out. This man did and I believe the revival at this church in September got a very good jump start.
I am strongly praying that men will step up in this church and stop following the pressures of this town and start putting the priority on having their family in church and placing God above all else. I am praying teens will make decisions at camp to place God above their sports teams. As fun as sports are in high school it is but a fleeting season. God's truth and his teachings are life long!
I am desperately praying that Shane and I can be a part of seeing great change happen in this small town. I am praying that we can help move young people to become EXCITED about church and being involved in ministry more than about making the all-star team or starting in the football game. I am praying that perhaps they would be more excited about serving at junior camp or VBS or getting to go to Church camp than about going to football or volleyball camp in the summer time. Right now in our area sports are king. My desire is to see a shift towards the real King!
It won't happen overnight. But why not? Why not in little small town USA?Why not? Change can happen in America. Change can happen in our schools and on our streets and in our government but not if God's people aren't sold out for holiness, righteousness and not sold out for God himself.
Man did this turn preachy or what? I am passionate about this stuff. Blessing won't fall on America forever if we keep turning our back on God. One day God might say he is fed up and will there even be one "Moses" or "Abraham" there to plead on our behalf or will God's anger burn and rage against this country that shoved him aside for our own loves and lusts.
Fun times ahead for this ministry. I am so excited! Big things in store!