II Timothy 2:2
You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
Life is ever changing...
Or should I say the culture and society around us is ever changing.
We are growing older, and as we do so we will hang onto what defined us when we were young.
Classic Rock....
Oldies Stations...
We hang on to our music because that which we hear today sounds foreign and nothing more than noise.
We find ourselves not being able to adapt or embrace the current culture.
This attitude isn't a recent phenomena. Every generation has had to face this problem.
How do we fit into the current culture? Should we even try?
My life has changed drastically over the past 2 years. It all began when I left Rapha, a local drug and alcohol treatment center, to begin Vineyard ReCovery Church. I knew there would be changes, but I wasn't prepared for how life would look when they hit. I had been the staff pastor at Rapha for 15 years, when God led me out to this new work. My whole existence had been directed to serving and ministering to those men who came through the program. In my mind, such would be my duties at VRC, and to some degree I am still called to minister and serve those who are struggling in addiction. But God has added a new twist to the mix.
For some time, I have been watching other meetings and seeing the way they approach ministry. The number one thing that has impressed me is the zeal and heart those who have answered a call to be a part of the ministry teams at these recovery meetings. But as I watched them function, I kept having the thought, "What if they could minister at a higher level? What if they were shown that God wants them to learn how to hear Him, and then engage in what He is instructing them to do as they minister." In other words...what if they were shown a better way to "Do the Stuff"?
This began the return to something I taught back in 2000. I had an eager group who were excited at the possibility of learning how to hear God and act on His instruction. They wanted to reach out and minister to those around them in their daily walk. It was the idea of making themselves available to God's kingdom work every day of every week, and not just on Sunday's from 11:00 till noon. The initial class lasted over 40 weeks, and I watched as this group grew and matured in Christ. Sunday, as I spoke at Gadsden Vineyard Church, I was ministering to a woman who'd come up for prayer. I noticed one of the people who'd attended this first class standing nearby, I motioned for her to come over and help me. She did. As she began to pray, I heard everything she'd learned back in 2000. She listened for God to speak, she waited, and when she received something, she spoke it. This was kind of confirmation about coming back to the teachings.
So I think that a page has turned in my own personal book, and I am now going to enter into a time of teaching others what I have learned on my journey. Am I through with recovery? NO! I still have a passion to work with those who are trying to break free. But my heart is now to pass on so others can move forward in what God is calling them to.
Tonight will be our first meeting of "Doing The Stuff: 101". It will be an orientation of what we will be looking at over the next few weeks. The meeting will be interactive and participatory. It won't be me doing all the talking while everyone else sits and watches. We will be demonstrating (the show and tell method) how to hear God, how to pray, how to minister to others, and I'm excited about tonight.
Should you not be able to attend, yet you want to be a part, we will be recording the meetings on CD. Just send me your mailing address and I will do my best to see that you get copies of every meeting. Don't forget...tonight / 6:30 p.m.- the first meeting of "Doing The Stuff:101". Hope to see you there.
God on you....
Michael b.
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