2015 Begins

The year of 2015 has started with some excitement and a God given privilege and provision. Since May of 2014, I have been praying for the welfare of Shelby County and Center, Texas the county seat and God is beginning to produce fruit. There are now nine people committed to pray each morning between 8:00-9:00 Monday through Friday. These people are praying over a specific list each day of names that are leaders in our community. This group of nine made a commitment to The Lord and to each other to pray for one month and gather again to share what God speaks. The excitement in the room was refreshing and now we wait upon The Lord to speak. Since that meeting I have had the privilege to meet with a few key leaders in the community and have a few more scheduled in the coming weeks. Out of these meetings, opportunities for the community of faith to join hands to reclaim our city and county are emerging. During the days of January 12th-13th, I will be in Austin at a conference discussing communities of faith reclaiming their city. I wait in excited anticipation for what God will reveal through this training intensive. On January 6th, I along with several Stepstones Board Members met with a missionary couple from Zambia. It was a joy to hear their stories and see what God is doing through them. At the conclusion of our time they made a comment concerning a need that had to be met that day so it could be placed on a container that would be picked up the next day for delivery to Zambia. The need was for a medical autoclave. As the words left their mouths, we knew that God had answered their prayers because we had one in storage waiting for the opportunity to be given away. As I headed for the warehouse they were wondering what was going on. As I arrived back in the room with the autoclave they were overwhelmed and amazed at God’s provision. As we continued to talk I shared with them that we also had two certified defibrillators with EKG capabilities if they could use them. We were able to send them away with these greatly needed items to be used in the new medical clinic being built in a village in Zambia. We look forward to walking step by step with our Heavenly Father to see what all He will reveal and the opportunities He offers during this New Year. The only way we can know God, His purposes and His ways is to be consistently in His Word and take time to talk with and listen to Him. I encourage each of us to make time in the Word of God a priority this year. In Romans 10:17 we read, “So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” I pray each of us will hear clearly the voice of God this year as we spend time with Him in His Word.