Thursday, May 15, 2014

Berlin or Bust

I realize it has been a while since I have written a blog…a long while…shame on me!!  We are in Berlin, Tuesday makes a week.  We are very happy to be in Germany.  It has seemed very easy for us to fall back into the rhythm of things here.  The bungalow that we found is so awesome!!  It is double the size and almost half the price of all the ones we looked at on-line.  The week before we were to come to Berlin we took one last look to see if anything had opened up that would be more comfortable for our family.  This one popped up!  We found out later from the land lord that she had a ton of people want to rent it because it was such an amazing deal!! God orchestrated the timing perfectly for us to have it!!  The location is great.  It's a short walk to the tram so we can hop on and get anywhere we need to go.  There is a nice grocery store that we walk to.  Across the street is a very large pond that we enjoy a daily walk or 2 around.  In the mornings Mike and I walk around it to pray for everything and everyone.  Yes, we pray for YOU!!  

We have met up with many of our contacts and are making new ones almost daily.  Tuesday we spent the afternoon and evening at the Sending House working to repair it. The house is a 300 year old Gardener’s home.  In front of it is a large grocery store called Kaufland.  Where Kaufland is now use to be a castle!  The Gardener lived out back of the castle hence the name…  The castle was bombed out in the war and never rebuilt.  The Gardener’s home somehow escaped damage.  It is a large home with many rooms and bathrooms.  Old and in need of some major TLC but oh the possibilities!

Our land lord wants to have a cook out with us next week!  We have been praying for an opportunity to reach out to her and her family.  The boys have played with her little boy and we have talked to her a few times.  Today she asked if we could get together for a cook out…ummmmm no…just kidding :) God rocks!  

Be encouraged that your prayers and support are hard at work!  We could never be here if it were not for you.  We are humbled to have you stand beside us.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers and if you are not yet supporting us please ask God how you can help!

Stephen   

I have been reading the book of Acts.  I wanted to read it because I think that is what the church of today needs to look like once again.  We have strayed from our roots…in some cases far far from our roots!!  I read with excitement and at times my head hung low as I realize how far I have strayed.  I am also reading When Heaven Invades Earth -Bill Johnson.  Talk about a double whammy!! He is so blunt and factual about who we are in Christ and what we should be doing about it!  In a nutshell our daily walk should just be another chapter added to the book of Acts!  If you have never read any of his books I would encourage you to.

Getting back to Acts.  Among many of the cool things I have found one comes to mind as I write this.  Reading the story of Stephen I saw something I’ve not really noticed before.  We all know the story- Acts 6 found the apostles being asked to busy themselves in everyday church affairs.  They knew those things would easily burdened them down and hinder them from preaching the word of God.  They said to chose 7 men well respected and full of the Spirit to do the work.  Stephen was one of those “workers” chosen.  He would do the ‘servant things’ needed to keep order in the church.  Chapter 8 says “ Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, PERFORMED AMAZING MIRACLES AND SIGNS among the people.”  

So you say…what does this have to do with me???  So glad you asked!  Stephen was picked to work the feeding program for the church.  He was NOT an apostle nor held the office of one.  BUT he didn’t let that stop him from performing AMAZING miracles and signs.  EVERY PERSON in the church is called to PERFORM amazing miracles and signs.  He understood his reason for existence here on earth.  He knew it was his ultimate calling.  We are NOT off the hook.  We can’t say ‘well since I am not the pastor nor a leader I am off the hook for those kinds of things’.  Sorry it’s right there in black and white and I just pointed it out to you (LOL).  Why have we strayed so far away?  Why do we walk around so powerless?  What have we become?


I talked about waking the slumbering giant -the church- in my last blog.  This blog I am talking about waking US!!  Waking us to the possibilities that are already ours to operate in.  We are given dominion over everything the day we are born.  Jesus came to make that possible.  READ about it BELIEVE it WALK in it!!  No more excuses!!