The Lord stirred my heart to switch around a topic in our series at Heights Church on the Holy Spirit. This next Sunday I am to speak on the topic: “Living in the Miraculous.”
This stirred in me from this weekend, and then the Lord challenging me for what is NEXT for our church. This morning I am reflecting on the life of Elijah as he lived in the miraculous. In 1 Kings 17 he goes to a widow in Zarephath and asks her to give him her last meal. If she would stretch herself to serve in that radical way, God would make sure he didn’t lack for the rest of the famine.
While our church celebrated a huge win in giving to missions this past year, I was reminded by the Spirit this morning of yet another significant miracle this represented. This miracle in giving to missions came in the very same year we had made the major move in our church, selling one property and getting into another (smaller) property and preparing to build a coffee shop. In the month we closed on the sale of our church property, that sale came at the exact time when we faced the biggest need for a miracle.
God had looked ahead a year in our church life. The previous year, almost to the day, he had challenged me in prayer with the dream of selling the church property and making this major move and major restructure of a small church. By faith, we took the leap. The very next year, when the property sale closed (which was easily ahead of the average length of sale on a property like ours), we faced the biggest financial miracle need we had ever needed… and God came through in that month.
A huge financial miracle in the very month we needed it… and then we come through in a huge win in giving to missions. The widow gave to the prophet out of obedience. In our church, we give to missions out of obedience. It’s been a long-standing practice for us and this past year God showed his faithfulness again as we obeyed… and he provided the “oil” we needed to keep “eating.”
There is a call to radically depend on God. He isn’t waiting for our church to be “huge.” He isn’t really waiting for my bank account to be “healthy.” He is inviting me to the miracle. What’s in my “house” right now? Will I give it?
I came out of this past weekend with joy, and also a challenge. The Spirit spoke to my heart on Sunday morning about the next things to ask him for our church… But this morning as I look at this list and I think back to the miracles he took us through this past year I know God is able.
What’s in your house? Will you surrender it?
Apprentice 2 Jesus 