This month we had 3 couples and 3 single ladies become the shining light of an Advent Candle. It was exciting to watch how God worked on each to start to be honest with themselves, in their testimony and then to turn around and be honest with the church. I believe God touched individual lives, families, and unbelievers with these testimonies.
We experienced the truth of the attraction of a new church without the personal commitment to Christ. We had a man, who claimed “all in with Jesus,” and yet remained in cohabitation with his girlfriend. As people observed they claimed that the PIER didn’t condemn cohabitation. As that man was challenged in his faith walk , he backed away from the church. He is still meeting with myself and he is still in Bible study, but we pray that he will totally all out commit to Jesus and step away from his sin before God. I believe this could become a great “Grace” picture for the church.
We had Christmas morning service this year and I was not happy about it. My tradition was that Christmas Morning was a great family time. As the leadership pressed into the service I was feeling quite negative to the whole thing. So finally I surrendered it to God . I said to God, “If you are in this change than I want to see a Christmas Miracle! Don’t let this be just another service, but show yourself in this service in a way that I walk away saying, “Wow!”
Well two things happened that were his amazing presence. First, my family who were going to just do Christmas without me was led by my 12 year old grandson who said, “We are not going to let grandpa go to church alone! We can open presents anytime, lets go to church with grandpa!” So my whole family was in church together.
Secondly, a neighborhood family who has never been in church together came Christmas Morning together. They marriage is falling apart and their family is broken. Praise the Lord he answered my prayer.
Our financial venture has been completed and we are going to be able to handle our own finances, beginning in January. Praise the Lord.
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT AND PRAY FOR YOU?
1. We have two couples that come to our church and are living together. Because of their claiming faith, people are questioning whether living together is okay in God’s eyes. Pray that we as leadership have discernment on making a Biblical stance on this subject.
2. The PIER has experienced Satan’s attack in people’s lives driving them out of God’s call on their lives. Pray for John 17 protection on the leaders of our church.
3. Pray for guidance on the leadership of the PIER to be more concerned about the heart of a person than their external performance.
4. The call of commitment, total commitment to God is ringing loud in the ears of his people. Pray that their hearts will respond with yielding and not fighting.
Photo credit: the_42nd_dragon via Foter.com / CC BY
