The words of Jesus....
"Follow Me!"
Simple words...yet words, when heard by people, can contain some fear and doubt.
"Follow You where?"
"How long are we going to be gone?"
"Why?"
Yet the words keep coming.....
"Follow Me! Follow Me! Follow Me!"
Over the past 21 years, I have tried to heed such words when the came.
I've tried to be a person who spent his energy and time listening for what God wanted to do.
I have this crazy idea that this whole "Following Jesus" thing involves seasons and times. In other words,nothing lasts forever. This has been pretty evident in my own life if you look back at the places I've been and the meetings God has called me to.
Names such as New Compassions.....House of Blue....Doing the Stuff:101...Journey Place....Vineyard After Dark....The Church@Rapah have all been stops along the way in my journey. Each one different, but all have been used by God to equip me for what was next.
I've said all of this to simply lay out for you the next leg of this journey.
Last Monday, February 23rd, I submitted my resignation to the staff at Rapha Treatment Center. I never thought such a thing would ever take place but, like I said, nothing is forever. This was not a hasty decision, but one that had been brewing for sometime. I won't go into the particulars other than to say never have I heard God more clearer than on this decision. I will still retain my office there on the compound, and I will still minister to those who are coming through the program, but I will not be considered an employee of Rapha.
As many of you know, I spoke last Sunday night at Catalyst Recovery's meeting. Since the meeting is held at the Vineyard, I went a little early and was in my office praying and looking over the scripture I felt God wanted me to share. As I did this, I was suddenly totally overwhelmed with a deep sense of satisfaction. A knowing that I was where I was suppose to be, doing what I had been called to do. All in this feeling of satisfaction, I heard, in my spirit, God say, "This is who you really are...this is what I have really called you to be." In other words, God was releasing me from Rapha to take the next step. What is the next step? Well, it involves Vineyard ReCovery Church. To focus my attention and effort to hear God as to where He wants to take us. To be a voice to those who are seeking a way out of addiction. More than that, I want to show them that Jesus is the answer to more than just being clean and sober. He is the source of life...real life.
Rapha has been a part of my life for 17 years now. It has been the place where I was trained to hear God "on the fly" as I like o refer to it. A place where God showed me the extent of what the human heart was capable of doing and, at the same time, what the heart of God was capable of doing. I will forever be indebted to Steve and Marilyn Yarbrough, Bill Hayes, Barry Hooks for their support and for giving me a place at Rapha.
So as Vicki and I enter this next part of our journey, I would ask that you pray for us. If you feel a tug and a pull from God to "Follow Him"...then by all means....do it.
You never know where He might be taking you....
God on you....
mb
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