Helping People Follow Christ

Today I’m heading to St Louis to speak on church based training at the annual meeting of the EFCA, Evangelical Free Church of America. Please pray.

Also I will be having important meetings with the Internationl and Hispanic directors of CCBT, Center for Church Based Training, especially wednesday night. Pray for wisdom.

Thursday night will be back in McKinney. Looking forward to Sunday, last message in the Conquering Tough Times series.

Sunday night was awesome. God moved in the lives of his people. Over 200 people wrote stories of how God is moving in their lives. Others will be emailing in stories. I read about 8 stories to the staff in our meeting yesterday, and could hardly choke back my tears; reading about life after life touched by God. If you have not sent in a story of how God is moving in your life — do so at mystory@mcfbc.org

Tomorrow night is the all church celebration. My wife Tamara and I just spent time praying out on our back porch.  Then I read Lisa’s comment on yesterday’s blog. Wow! God is on the move!

Pray hard today and tommorrow for what God wants to do in all those who come.

Been reading opening chapters of Acts. Love to see that kind of move of God’s Spirit in Collin County!

I am full of anticipation for Sunday night mixed with some anxiety. Will many people come? Will people really sense the move of God in our hearts? Will people engage with God seriously?

This morning I reviewed a memory verse, Psalm 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Whatever anxiety is being faced, however great it might be, God promises to being consolation that will give joy to your soul. This does not mean the event, the trouble is gone, but that the anxiety is transformed by God into consolation resulting in joy, soul-deep joy.

God gives consolaton that he is in charge; that all is well in his hands; that we can rest in him and trust in him, put our confidence in him so all is well.

Three days until the night of 622. I continue to pray and fast for God to move among his people so that we engage fully in what he is doing by faith.

Hearing the story yesterday of faith in the lives of a family moving here to serve the Lord, stirred my soul. When a person sacrifices by faith to serve Jesus Christ, it honors the Lord and models for all the rest of us what it means to live by faith and not by sight.

In Acts 4 the disciples boldly told everyone about Jesus. The authorities arrested them and threatened them, but they serve a higher power — is it right they asked to obey you rather than God.

May we have that spirit of courage, boldness and faith.

May God have his way Sunday night for his glory.

Ezra 8-9 are great chapters full of encouragement. Ezra read the law to the people which could sound boring, but they were reconnecting with God. They wept out of conviction, then Ezra called them to celebrate with great food and sweet drinks.

I love 8:9 “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

We need to grasp the joy of the Lord for all its strength giving power. Sunday I will be preaching about joy in John 16. The coming of Jesus brings great joy and His return will accelerate joy. Today we  can experience the joy of the Lord no matter what our circumstance.

622 — this coming Sunday night is the McKinney Fellowship All Church Celebration. Please pray for God to move in the hearts of our people. Pray for 1000 to come. Pray each person feels the call of God to engage in what he is doing.

If you are a leader at McKinney Fellowship, we are meeting for prayer at 5:45 in the worship center

Nehemiah prayed with utter humility seeking God for success before the king. God granted it. But the way was not easy. The road to Jerusalem was dangerous. God protected him. But the place was not easy. The walls were broken down. But God enabled him to work hard leading the people to build. But the building was not easy. The nonJews oppsed them strongly. There was political pressure and physical threat. But God was with them and they kept building. But the team was not easy. Some Jews took advantage of others financially. But God gave Nehemiah courage to confront. The people repented. But the finishing was not easy. Opposition grew and became personal with attacks on Nehemiah’s character. But God gave wisdom to see through them. Nehemiah stayed focused. The walls were built in 52 days. Because God gave success.

I want to keep my focus on God, relying totally on him for what He has before me. This coming Sunday is the All Church Celebration — I trust Giod to move as only he can for his glory.

King after king succeeds or falls based on pride.  Account after account shows pride leading to down fall. Converseely when a leader humbling himself and the people do so, blessing, success and victory come. The Lord clealry raises up the humble and takes down the proud. In whatever we are doing for the Lord let’s humble ourselves to serve for His glory not ours; his gain, not ours. Whose Name are we promoting?

Friends, on June 22, we are having a very important all church gathering, the first of its kind at our church. We are getting together to engage with how God is moving in our church. We will learn about how He is moving and about what is about to happen. We will worship God and enjoy each other.

If you are part of McKinney Fellowship, DO NOT MISS 622!

Please join me in praying for 1000 people to come and become part of the movement of God here.