Walk with God

Wow, as usual, God is doing a great work in us.  He has taught us many things this past year.  I had an incredible time talking with this one lady who came into my studio on Fri.   She has come in a couple times.   She’s born again and told me a story of a ‘death’ experience where she was with Jesus and she had this vision.  The conversation got around to her knowing Lee and she goes to that church (I can’t remember it’s name) that we have been wanting to go to now for the past 3 weeks (the one that teamed up with TORT in the park).   She described Jesus to him and he’s going to paint it for her.  Anyway, she also things Lee would be a great person to take this ministry over and she’s going to ask him as well.   William took the afternoon off and was in at the same time as this lady, and she wants to hire him to lay linoleum in her kitchen.  Another lady came in at the same time and said she had a house for him to paint.  Anyway, William’s having a hard time with his new job/boss because he only earned $422 with 40 hrs of work this week and traveled over 200 miles to do so – no reimbursement for gas.  This will not work.  William says he will do one more week, but between the two jobs above, the job David has for William to do and this new phone calling job we’re starting this next week, William should be able to quit.  At this point between my pay and his, we were only able to pay for the apartment’s rent and get just a little bit of food from the store, and gas.  We haven’t even paid for the store’s rent or electricity for either place.

I really want this extra $$ off our backs, it’s just too much.  We did a year’s worth of ministry and effected a lot of lives.  I think it is now time to move on – hand the place over and me just set up a painting area in the front room and maybe have a few people (adults!) hang with me.  I just don’t have the mental energy to do more at this time.  I need a break.  Maybe that is wrong, but I think it is time.  William wants to shut the place down or hand it over by Oct.  I’m ready for that.

last week's painting 

We had a wonderful conversation this morning about the Kingdom of God.  We decided to stay home this morning and rest – we needed it.  Going back to that phrase, “My people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)” – Jesus did three things everyday in his ministry:  spoke His Word, cast out demons, and healed the sick.  The kingdom of Heaven is here; however, the church acts as if we don’t believe His word – we are supposed to do the same as He!  The devil has so systematically gotten rid of so much ‘truth’ in the church that so-called Christians think that this business-minded, religious spirit mentality is how the body is supposed to operate.  People won’t read the word to find truth!

Like, for instance, the way we got ‘bound up’ doing the ministry because we are doing it the way the world does it – all with money.  If you have it, you do the work, if you don’t, you can’t do the work – this was our lesson for the year.  God provided so much this past year, showing us that He runs the show, not us – nothing we could do could make the money come in (store, yard sale, etc) unless He sent it in!  He showed us that over and over and now spending this summer really pouring my life into the ministry and having a great deal of struggle because of lack of $$ (Heb. 13;5) showed me how very hard it is to have all this overhead to operate with.  We need to get back to simplicity – going to where the people are.  We are in transition again.  We were totally led by God to do what we did, but he has now shown us two main ways to do ministry – that of going to where the people are, no overhead, our own money and time and energy being spent (potluck) vs bring the people in (like the organized church), $$ overhead (building), again, our own money, time and energy – how very hard it is to get Christians/churches to pitch in and help!!  They more than the non-believer, are the hardest to get help from!

This week's painting - yes, Saturn is a bit wonky ...

Another thing, we spent the morning resting  - very much needed – instead of going to church.  The word does say, “do not forsake the assembling together …(Heb. 10:25)”, but it also says more to spent that quality one-on-one time with God.  So, the organized church says, go to church every Sunday, tap into the well of knowledge (man’s knowledge), then you can be a Christian.  God says to come to Him (Matt. 11:28, 1John 2:3)  everyday, tap into the well of knowledge (Holy Spirit), then you can be born-again.  Assembly together vs by self with God – God says that when two or more are gathered, …” Husband/Wife together can ‘have church’ and get more out of it than going to an established ‘church’ building and getting fluff.  We are to become one with God, and that only happens when you develop the relationship by spending one-on-one time with Him.  Unity must happen, but it only happens with Relationship!  That is the same with man vs God and man vs man.  Intimacy, like the Bride with Christ, we can ‘have church’ every day.  Yes, we must assemble together, but not make a ‘religion’ out of it – iron must sharpen iron (prov. 27:17), we get that with others, but go to God to get 'filled up'.

One person’s personal walk is more important that the assembling together:  personal time with God daily, husband/wife unity with God next, then assemble with others.  The established church always go to number 3 and skip the first two.  We are at war, but they don’t believe that – they look at the physical world/themselves too much and neglect that time with God personally.  We must operate in the proper order to have true peace. 

When we stand before God at the judgment – we stand by ourselves, not with the ‘assembly’; everyone is a work in progress from birth to death and we aren’t a ‘finished work’ until heaven – faith to faith, glory to glory.   The Spirit came to bring freedom – there is an order to things and we must follow the proper order to initiate the kingdom of heaven.