There was great anticipation. People prepared for days and weeks for
Easter Sunday. Many were Watching and Waiting, as Laurie said in her
post last Thursday. But Easter has now come and gone again. What’s
comes next?
This could have been a question for the early disciples. The tomb
was empty. There was news of his resurrection. There were amazing and
even mysterious appearances. What was to come next? Their actions
give us some indication about their thinking. What were the disciples
doing in the days after the resurrection? Lots of things! We find them
going back to their homes, eating, continuing in their jobs (fishing),
traveling and on more than one occasion we find them behind locked doors
in fear of the Jews. Ordinary stuff! Uncertainty! Fear!
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That’s the goal, 10%! Not for giving to the church, though that would be good because according to research average giving is much lower than 10%. The percentage I am referring to is the 2019 goal for the percentage of our church going out into the world on mission!
We have six Go Trips planned to six countries: Mexico, Haiti, Greece, Turkey, Tanzania and Kenya. On these trips (covered with prayer) we will be seeking the lost, serving the poor and sharing the gospel. We are going for and with Jesus! He is our example. We are following him and his command to Go (Matthew 28:18-20).
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Christmas is a season of giving, but at Singing Oaks in many ways the whole year is about giving. In the benevolence ministry over 5300 people were helped with one or more of the following: food, clothing, rent, utilities, fuel, prescriptions, bus passes, bicycles or some other form of assistance. We also pray and share the gospel with as many who are willing to listen. And there are stories, some of which have great impact on those of us involved. So there is a lot of giving but also a lot of receiving. Here are some stories from the last few months.
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Last Sunday afternoon was a wonderful day of fun and fellowship at South Lakes Park. God gave us blue skies and great weather. There was face painting, games, music, candy, costumes, hot dogs, real dogs, and of course WATER. And we walked! Some carried heavy containers of water to experience what it is like in Africa. It was all good. Lots of fun and good fellowship!
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When I hear that word my mind goes back to TV shows, action movies or books where someone says with great anxiety, “we’re surrounded.” It’s a bad situation! You better say your prayers! Very little hope of making it out alive! It’s also sometimes used that way in the Bible. One of the famous ones is in 2 Kings 6 when the servant of Elisha the prophet got up for an early morning stroll and saw his city was surrounded by a strong enemy force, an army of horses and chariots. I can hear the fear in his voice when he said to his master Elisha, “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” It seemed hopeless!
Is it also possible to be surrounded by the enemy in the spiritual realm? Jesus encountered powerful demonic forces frequently, and we are to put on the armor of God to fight against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6). They are unseen, but they are there and may be many!
But there’s Good News! Something else surrounds God’s people!
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