I have to say, I have been through some spiritual warfare in my time but this is getting crazy. Anyone who says they want to plant a church has to be crazy because you have to give up everything to do it, even your sanity. I'm barely getting started in this and Lisa and I have discovered that we are being tested spiritually to the max.
I want to share some things we are learning on the way. You can never have enough people praying for you. Even before we resigned our church in CT I asked a bunch of family and friends to pray for us regularly because we are pursuing a predominately spiritual calling. I have been trying to put together a prayer team which I have done loosely up till now. I will be making that a top priority now.
Another thing we are learning is Satan steps up his attacks big time on church planters. I believe there is no one he hates more than Christians who are planning on taking ground away from him. Church planters are targeted hard. Lisa and I have been put through our paces big time spiritually. Just when you think you've attained some kind of spiritual maturity you can find that you have some more ways to go. I think that is why Paul said, "Don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to."
God spoke to my heart today in church about being content in our situation. Man it has been easy to complain about our living arrangements. Sleeping in an old bed, in a tiny house, with the In-laws, who run a daycare everyday. All our stuff in storage and not a home in sight to buy. But God really drove home to me that we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and cloths on our backs. What else do we need? Yes Lord.
Also God has been teaching us again to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. This is a hard one for me. When I perceive an injustice I want the people to pay for it. But the Bible says, "Vengence is mine says God." So I have to rely on God to take care of those who treat us with contempt. We have had to deal with different aspects of this: people who are friends basically turn on us, people I have ministered to for years basically ignore us, and people who know better try to take advantage of us. God is teaching us to die to ourselves. Be "living sacrifices" for His glory.
Church planting is not easy. But I wouldn't want to be doing anything else with my life. Man I can't wait to get this going. Please pray for us because we have an informational meeting in two weeks. Pray that the right people will show up and want to be part of what we are going to do.
I want to share some things we are learning on the way. You can never have enough people praying for you. Even before we resigned our church in CT I asked a bunch of family and friends to pray for us regularly because we are pursuing a predominately spiritual calling. I have been trying to put together a prayer team which I have done loosely up till now. I will be making that a top priority now.
Another thing we are learning is Satan steps up his attacks big time on church planters. I believe there is no one he hates more than Christians who are planning on taking ground away from him. Church planters are targeted hard. Lisa and I have been put through our paces big time spiritually. Just when you think you've attained some kind of spiritual maturity you can find that you have some more ways to go. I think that is why Paul said, "Don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to."
God spoke to my heart today in church about being content in our situation. Man it has been easy to complain about our living arrangements. Sleeping in an old bed, in a tiny house, with the In-laws, who run a daycare everyday. All our stuff in storage and not a home in sight to buy. But God really drove home to me that we have a roof over our heads, food in our bellies and cloths on our backs. What else do we need? Yes Lord.
Also God has been teaching us again to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. This is a hard one for me. When I perceive an injustice I want the people to pay for it. But the Bible says, "Vengence is mine says God." So I have to rely on God to take care of those who treat us with contempt. We have had to deal with different aspects of this: people who are friends basically turn on us, people I have ministered to for years basically ignore us, and people who know better try to take advantage of us. God is teaching us to die to ourselves. Be "living sacrifices" for His glory.
Church planting is not easy. But I wouldn't want to be doing anything else with my life. Man I can't wait to get this going. Please pray for us because we have an informational meeting in two weeks. Pray that the right people will show up and want to be part of what we are going to do.
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Renzo would like to meet you and get the three of us together "next year."