August 12, 2010
Booth-Tucker preached in Chicago one day, and out from the throng a burdened toiler came and said to him, before all the audience, "You can talk like that about how Christ is dear to you, and helps you; but if your wife was dead, as my wife is, and you had some babies crying for their mother who would never come back, you could not say what you are saying."
A little later Booth-Tucker lost his noble wife in a railway wreck, and the body was brought to Chicago and carried to the Salvation Army barracks for the funeral service. After others had conducted the funeral service he stood there by the casket, looked down into the face of the silent wife and mother, and said, "The other day when I was here, a man said, I could not say Christ was sufficient, if my wife were dead, and my children were crying for their mother. If that man is here, tell him that Christ is sufficient. My heart is all broken, my heart is all crushed, my heart is all bleeding, but there is a song in my heart and Christ put it there; and if that man is here, I tell him that, though my wife is gone and my children are motherless, Christ comforts me today."
That man was there, and down the aisle he came, and fell down beside the casket, and said, "Verily, if Christ can help us like that, I will surrender to Him,"
Following Christ has never been a bed of roses! It has never been an insurance policy that prevents bad things happening to us. It has never been an easy life.
But the difference has always been that we have a God who will carry us through the difficult times and help us through the difficulties and enable us to move forward.
He gives us the grace that will be sufficient for that very moment and occasion. And when it happens again, he gives us the grace for that occasion.
Grace is not some passive thing but it is very active. It is the very presence and power of God to carry us and help us through the difficulties and challenges that we face.
So often we try and work out our problems ourselves. So often we think that we have to do it by ourselves. Maybe we feel that we need to make an effort or try harder or strive better!
It is only when we get to our tether that we cry out that we can’t do it anymore.
It is only when we come to the realisation that we don’t have to do it (putting enormous pressure, expectations and guilt upon us) but he will do it in us and for us. It is only when we invite Jesus to take over that it gets better.
Our default position is that we feel that we must do it ourselves. We feel that it is our responsibility/obligation/duty to do it. Yes we have a small part to play. We say Jesus I need you to help me and to get me through this..........
Come Lord Jesus and take control and sort this out for me. Help me through this moment/hour/day/situation.
I came across this poem that sums up our grace journey with God:
"He gives us more grace when burdens grow greater,
He sends us more strength when the labours increase;
To added affliction, He adds His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance;
When our strength has failed when the day is half done;
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources;
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace knows no measure, His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus; He gives and gives and gives again."
Walking Free is facing a few challenges at the moment; fewer people to pray; fewer people asking for prayer and a critical time in our ministry as we seek God for the next steps to implement.
Some of the challenges are exciting as we look to the next step with Jesus. I have been challenged to write a book, maybe a couple of books to get our name “out there” in the Christian market. I am being challenged to take another step up to implement the next stage for Walking Free.
The hardest thing is getting a clear picture of where we want to be; where I want to be. Much of the problem lies with me; my vision; where I want to be and where God wants me to be. Often God has a bigger plan but the challenge is embracing it and walking into it. For often God’s plans stretches us out of our comfort zone and challenges us to go deeper and higher.
Once you are there, it can become another comfort zone that is sometimes not discernible until later or somebody points it out!
I am now prepared to explore a number of options about the future of Walking Free, Twin Towns Church and me. Once I am certain of the where I and God want to be, I then can walk into it thought the steps may not be so obvious.
Part of leaving my comfort zone is the notion of writing a book(s) to get our ministry and name “out there”. The first step is to write it. The next step is to get it published in Australia then USA and Britain etc. I am praying about what I need to write about and so who will be my readers. I will need to complete the workbook re the training videos that I have done. I have a busy time of writing ahead.
Do you have any suggestions about the type of book(s) or content that might be helpful to people. Some of you have attended my sessions or been prayed for by the ministry. I would appreciate you emailing me any suggestions that you might have.
Yesterday I met a man who has started “You have a friend” two years ago. He now has 60 volunteers working with him. His work is to feed and care for the homeless in our area. The stats are that on any given night at Coolangatta/Tweed are 120 people needing food, clothing and shelter. He has exercises a strong pastoral role over the 6 years that he has been doing this (four with a Gold Coast charity) He is funded by people and businesses. He wants a drop in centre and crisis organisation and is seeking help from the government. Not getting much help us government money is spent by a few in the major cities!
I was inspired by his passion and Christian commitment. I will have a talk about what I do and how we may help each other. This may be a door that we can walk through!
Our trip to Mapleton went well. We caught up with friends and was able to pray to help one of them. We shared about our ministry and thankful for their prayers and support.
We do need new clients. Our client base is diminishing.
God continues to sustain us in every way through the prayers and finances of many.
Church is going well. Numbers are good. Finances are good. There is a godly, good atmosphere and the people are happy and willing to explore new things. We have a weekly prayer sheet, a prayer chain coming on board and small groups using “Experiencing God” as a resource.
We have had some good Holy Spirit times in church where people are becoming slowly open to the idea that God can touch them; speak to them and heal them in church.
Liz is doing well. The busyness and tiredness continues to challenge her thinking processes. She has had a daughter visiting, challenging clients and meeting new church people. All this causes her brain to be tired (long term consequence of tumour and radiation treatment) and so does not function in the way that she would like. Very frustrating!
Prayer Points
- Thank God that His grace is sufficient for everything that you face.
- Thank God that He is with you and has the power to sort it out.
- Thank God for His divine ministry through you
- Thank God that He provides for all our needs.
- Pray for the new clients. We need a few for our teams.
- Pray for new people to become prayer team members. Pray for a team to be established at Coolangatta. Pray for a healing centre to be established.
- Pray for Coolangatta church to continue to be open to the healing work of Jesus. Thank God for growing openness to His presence.
- Pray for wisdom and inspiration to know what to write in a book.
- Pray for our prayer teams: Hal and Debbie, Barbara, Robyn, Jenny, Liz and myself.
- Pray for our management team: John, Liz, Jamie, Robyn, Rod, Jen and Craig. Pray that we receive God’s leading for our ministry.
- Pray for the Toowoomba site of Walking Free. Pray for the foundations to be continued to be built. Pray for new team members and a leadership team.
- Thank God for the financial provision of this ministry. We are grateful to the many that are obedient and give to our ministry weekly, monthly and one off. We have been blessed with gifts of merchandise and money, computers and printing. We have been blessed with many talented and gifted people who give of their time, talent and treasure each week to help this ministry have a Kingdom impact.