I have been asked by several North Carolina Congressman and the leaders
of the Washington National Prayer Breakfast Movement to participate in a
special event this month for five days. One hundred-fifty teams of three people
each will visit all the cities in North Carolina with populations of 1000 or
more. Each team will meet with leaders of these cities to discuss the relevance
of Jesus Christ and consider the benefit of coming together in bonds of
friendship in Bible study/prayer groups
Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two to towns and villages all over
Israel to tell people of the Kingdom of God and God’s peace. We read about some
of these two-by-two divine appointments in Luke 9 and 10, Matthew 10 and Mark 6.
What an adventure! Similarly, our teams
will launch from Raleigh and fan out from the coast to the mountains in the Name
and Spirit of Jesus. This could be a life changing and state altering opportunity.
I will keep you posted as to what part of the state I am assigned. Lord
willing, perhaps the next Adventure will be held in the state of Louisiana!!!
Please unite with us in prayer around these requests for the North Carolina Adventure October 15-20:
1. We ask that the Lord would be lifted up and
glorified in all that we do … that HE will draw all men to himself (John12:32).
2. We ask that the Holy Spirit would blow like a
mighty wind across the state and light a fire in the hearts of the people to
seek Him, turn from self-interest to God's calling, to love Him with all our
heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves.
3. We ask that God would give us wisdom from
above, and His direction in all we do. We ask that the Lord would be our
guide in all of the logistics (program, drivers, hosts, cities) and would pour
out His favor on our efforts.
"If my
people, who are called by my name,
shall humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from
their wicked ways,
THEN will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and
will HEAL THEIR LAND."
-2 Chron. 7:14
Neglect not the Gospel of Grace
These days, it is so easy to get distracted with concentration on social
change that we lose our zeal in helping people meet God personally through Jesus
Christ. The following story zapped me as to what I must guard against. Maybe it
speaks to you as well.
“A little boy was part of a destitute family during the Depression. Day
after day, the father and mother struggled to feed their children. One day, the
young boy announced he would provide the food for dinner. ‘What are you going to do?’ his mother asked.
“‘My
friend and I will go down to the pond and catch some fish. There’s a bunch of
fish there, and we’ll be able to catch plenty!’ the
boy explained. Proud of the important responsibility he was taking on, the
youngster met his friend and they proceeded to the pond a few miles away. When
they arrived they were getting their fishing gear ready when the friend said, ‘Hey, there’s a snake.’ Excitedly, the boys
quickly chased the snake and killed it. ‘They
say when you see a snake, there are usually others around,’ the boy told
his friend. So they set aside their fishing poles and began stalking their
slithering prey. For hours, they romped around the pond, waging a youthful
crusade against serpents. Finally, it began to grow dark, so the boys picked up
their fishing poles and headed home.
“When the boy arrived home, his mother beheld his broad grin and empty
hands. ‘Wow!’ he exclaimed. ‘Did we ever have a great time. You should
have seen how many snakes we killed!’ ‘Where are the fish you said you were
going to catch for us?’ his mother asked. ‘Oh, uh, we just got so busy chasing and killing snakes that we forgot
all about catching fish,’ the youngster replied apologetically.”
I know there is a time to kill a few snakes, but our main focus must be
fishing for men. In our Nation, there is a strategic right and role for
activism, even Christian activism. But to change a nation God calls His people
to change a country one heart at a time through outreach and discipleship. The
Apostle Paul made an emphasis upon reaching public servants throughout the Book
of Acts. Working in this arena, from my vantage point, mature growing Christ
centered leaders don’t need to be pressured much to vote right. The Word of God
and the Holy Spirit is the best and most powerful Lobbyist. I believe God’s
plan of His Great Commission and Capitol Commission will best serve America.
Imagine in time there will be many public servants and business people serving
in local, state and federal levels - who determine votes, purposes and plans
from a biblical perspective because someone introduced them to the Word of God.
 |
| Chairman of Leadership St. Tammany Revisited Event |
As GRACE ADVENTURES is soon to finish up our third year of ministry, we are praising God for His goodness and greatness. Ministry opportunities have blossomed and this year new works have been birthed in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and the Northshore and seeds have been planted in Washington D.C. Our dream continues to be catalyzing a movement for Jesus among Political, Business and Spiritual Leaders. This is a daunting task but with Jesus, all things are possible. Don’t you yearn for revitalization in America? Couldn’t a city be turned upside down once again? Isn’t God’s hand still strong? This is what we live for. Agree? Please stand with us!
Betting the Farm on God,
Michael
