There is a restaurant owner in the eastern US who has been in business a long time. He's been running his restaurant like everyone else runs their restaurants and it's been 'fine.' He's had good months, not so good months and bad months. Overall it was just average, and he was okay with that. But, as time went by he began yearning for more. He called out to God and asked Him how he could be reckless for Jesus! He didn't want to play it safe anymore.
He sensed that God told him to take the menu prices off the menu! Needless to say he was a little shocked at first. But he got what he prayed for...a radical call for obedience to burst out of the lukewarm and into the fire! He loves Jesus and he prayed for the Holy Spirit to come boldly into his life and his world...
so he took the menu prices off the menu.
Since then his profit margin has grown exponentially. More importantly, he has fed people who would never have been fed before because of the cost. He also lives day to day trusting Jesus, wholly and completely.
"When someone is on fire with the love of God - they love the Word and love to pray - the next thing you know, people around them are inspired to do the same." Jim Cymbala
God has put a burden on the heart of a single Mom and her four children to add another child to their family. A five year old from Kenya. The Mom's 16 year old daughter recently went on a mission trip to Kenya and fell in love with a little girl. While the 16 year old was still in Kenya, the Holy Spirit began to stir the heart of the Mom about growing their family. Everything about this adoption is impossible. Africa is closed to US adoptions. The village the little girl lives in is extremely difficult to get to. The man who helps the village where the little girl lives, is pivotal to supporting this adoption, but he doesn't believe in outside adoptions. But, the Holy Spirit is whispering "possible" to this family. We are praying in agreement for God to push a mountain into the sea so this family can grow by one.
Testimony of a Christ follower...in her words
"Recently I had decided to leave town for awhile. And spent about three weeks in another city about 19 hours from Tulsa. When it was time to come home I had went down to the Greyhound bus terminal to purchase my ticket. The woman at the counter told me it would cost $142.50 for my ticket plus a $2.50 service charge bringing the total to $145.00 even. No sooner had I walked away with my ticket in hand when the female security guard asked me where I was going and when I would board the bus. I told her my bus would leave the next morning and it was around 6pm at the time. She told me I couldn't stay at the bus terminal even though I had a ticket and made me leave the property. Others were being asked to leave also. I had told her because of circumstances I wasn't able to return where I had been staying. But I was told to leave anyway and didn't know where I would go for the night. I was a little upset and decided to walk down to this church I had passed earlier on my way to the bus terminal.
"I felt safe in the area as people were going in and out of the church buildings around me. As the evening wore on and church let out, two young women were crossing the street when one of them stopped and turned to look right at me. Her and her friend came over to me and began to witness to me about Jesus. Little did they know at the time that I had started praying for God to help me earlier on. I told them I was a Christian and explained why I had a suitcase and other bags with me and what had happened at the Greyhound terminal. The lady with the one I was talking to bent down and said something to her and she shook her head yes. Then off she went to do something I didn't know about.
"Me and this lovely young Christian girl sat there talking about God. When suddenly her husband walked up and said, "We want to bless you.' And handed me some money. You can imagine how I'm feeling at this point. Knowing that my sweet, wonderful Savior had sent this awesome Christian couple to make provision for me. Not only did they show me the love of God by taking the time and making the effort to help me. But, they also took me to their home and let me stay the night. Amen!
"Before I turned in for the night, I remembered the money I had put in my jacket pocket. And so as not to lose it I took it out and went to put it in my purse. What do you know, it was $145.00 exactly, the price of my ticket. I felt overwhelmed and in awe of this wonderful man called Jesus. I laid there for awhile that night praising God and thanking Him for His loving kindness and provision in my time of need. Still feeling a little unsure of what may lie ahead, but not speaking of it to my gracious host. We were at the breakfast table the next morning and she pulls out her Bible and turns to a random page. And her eyes fell on Psalm 91 which she began to read to me. Once again I was overwhelmed with God's presence and the words of comfort being spoken to me from His holy word.
So I prayed that night.
"My God is an awesome God indeed. I left this couple's house that morning knowing that God was on the scene and feeling so uplifted by the turn of events. What the devil had meant for bad and to crush me. God had turned around for good. Not only was I affected deeply by the events that unfolded, but so were these three young people seeing the hand of God at work in all of this. They would go on to church to testify of God's awesome love and provision that lonely night in a city far from home.
"Psalm 91 will forever be with me now. As I have experienced it first hand, I had told my friend, how much I appreciated all she and her husband and friend had done for me when she was taking me to the bus station.
"I had told her I would probably stay in a motel for a couple of days when I got back to Tulsa. Until I knew what steps to take next. When I got to the motel here in Tulsa and went to check in I was told the cost had went up. And the new amount would be $145.00. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
"I'm back home now and will never forget that night and the people God sent to rescue me. A couple days after returning home I saw a message on a woman's shirt. It simply said, `Jesus has your back,' and He really does you know. He has our back, you can trust Him at all times. He will never leave or forsake you, of this I'm sure. Praise God."
From the book, Spirit Rising by Jim Cymbala
""The minister from Pakistan just called. There's a problem now in his city." "What's wrong?" I asked.
"At the five o'clock Muslim call to prayer, something set them off. Now they're shouting, `Death to the Christians! Burn their houses down. Death to the Christians!' He's really concerned.'
`Okay, I am going to pray tonight. You pray too, Steve. What else can we do? Let's just pray.'
Before each of our three services, (Brooklyn Tabernacle Church) I always meet with the Prayer Band. They are a group of committed believers who pray with me and then gather together in a room to intercede for the attendees in each service. Our first Sunday service started at nine o'clock, and by the time I finished praying with the Prayer Band, the meeting had already started. I pushed the button for the elevator to go down to the sanctuary, and when it opened, Steve was in the elevator. he held his cell phone, and I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong.
`He just called again. The situation's worse. He's up on the rooftop with his wife and children and some of the local Christians. There are thousands of people in the square chanting. `Death to the Christians!' I can hear the fear in his voice and the chanting mob in the background, so I know what he's saying is true.'
I felt as if I'd taken a punch and the air had been knocked out of me. I didn't know what to do. I got into the elevator, and we headed down. As we walked into the sanctuary, the congregation was singing and praising God. When the song ended, I interrupted and told the congregation, `We're going to get back to worshipping God in a moment, but right now there is an emergency situation we have to pray about.'
I told the church what I knew. As I relayed the critical situation, my heart burst as I thought about parents and children hiding out on the roof from the crowd below. Then I broke down as I thought of what it would be like to be up there with my children and grandchildren. Overcome by emotion, I asked our worship leader Onaje to lead the church in prayer. Suddenly a chorus of cries went up to God on behalf of the Pakistani believers. It was just like what occurred in the book of Acts: `They raised their voices together in prayer to God' (4:24).
Later, at the end of a long day, I spoke to Steve and asked what happened.
`You won't believe this,' he said. `The pastor called me back.'
'He's okay?' I was thrilled. The situation had been so dire.
'As they were on the rooftop, some clouds came out of nowhere. It got dark and started to rain, but not just rain, a torrential downpour. It rained so hard it dispersed the crowd! Everyone was safe, and they were able to get off the roof and return to their homes.'
'Oh, thank you, Jesus! Praise God!' I couldn't wait to tell the church. God rescued the man, his family, and the other local Christians through the prayers of His people half a world away. Didn't God promise that praying to Him in faith would bring answers from Heaven?
The Holy Spirit was working in Pakistan, protecting those believers from the mob. But at the same time, the Holy Spirit was also moving among the people of our church, helping them to pray fervently and with a bold faith that only God could give."
"Through the Holy Spirit, God has promised to give us courage, and even boldness, to swim against the current." Jim Cymbala
Isn't it time we take the menu prices off our lives
and our churches!
In His service, d
No comments:
Post a Comment