Believing God…

I have to tell you that I have been OVERWHELMED TO TEARS  by the outpouring of emails, blog comments, and facebook postings. Moving to the Mole is a huge step for our family. We will be heading out there this weekend with the children so they can see our new hometown. I sat the girls down tonight and talked to them about our move. They seemed to understand that we’ll have a new home but they didn’t understand why we had to give up this one too! They thought we should just have two homes. (Selfishly – I wish the same thing too.) But you cannot live with one foot here and one foot there.

I am working right now on what our needs will be there and specifically how you can help. We need churches/people to partner with us and this new community. The need for evangelism has already been laid out before us. I saw it the first time I visited. The majority of the community is catholic. In most Haitian churches (not all) – there is little difference between Catholicism and Voodoo. You will find voodoo priests in the catholic churches. When I try to compare what I’ve personally seen –  I think of catholics as Diet Voodoo.

So there is much work to be done in the way of revivals, small groups, teen conventions, VBS, sports camps, and simply mentoring to the community overall. Much of what you do in St. Louis can be repeated in the Mole – but realize in the Mole this is a whole new audience that hasn’t heard much about our God. The ties to the catholic church run deep. I spent the afternoon fellowshipping with the pastor and he told me the troubles he faces. Starting a christian mission there will be a challenge.

We will definitely be taking groups. This campus will be built fairly fast – as long as the funds come through. The land itself is about 3 times the size of the St. Louis campus. We will have a large agricultural area – there are already tons of plants, corn, and banana trees growing on that land.  This weekend we hope to purchase it. Please be in prayer about this.

I had some friends ask me how could I just leave everything and uproot the family? How do I know everything will be okay? Let me ask you something? Do you believe God? I’m not asking if you believe IN God. I’m asking you do you believe God? There’s a difference.

I’ve been studying the book of Ephesians over the last several weeks. A few verses stand out to me:

Ephesians 1:11 – In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

vs 13 – And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. HAVING BELIEVED you were marked with a seal, the promise of the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

vs 18 – I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us WHO BELIEVE. That power is like the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

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Our faith walk began when we accepted Christ and came into a relationship with Him but that’s not where it ends. Having believed in Him – we’re called to continue believing all He came to do and say. Oddly enough – many of us who have believed in Christ – have believed little of Him since.

We believe in God but then we doubt what He can really do. God exerts incomparable power in the lives of those who continue believing in Him. “Continue” is an active verb here. God gives us power when we CONTINUE to believe Him. The power is the same power that raised Jesus from the grave. That same power is available to us. Do you know any situation that God can’t handle?

Going to the mole involves faith for sure – but it really boils down to whether or not I believe God and what the Bible says about Him. When you look at it that way – – it’s not this huge giant leap – it’s simply walking hand and hand with Him.

This isn’t my statement of faith (I got it from Beth Moore) – but I believe it and say it every day:

1) God is who He says He is.

2) God can do what He says He can do.

3) I am who God says I am.

4) I can do all things through Christ.

5) God’s word is alive and active in me.

THIS IS BELIEVING GOD. See the difference?