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Our Church, The Word of God, & Power by Jan Bell
| Terry and I have prayed to be a church that ministered through the Word and through prayer. As early as 1989 we began encountering churches whose full focus was relaying the rhema Word of God and praying for their people. In the early 90’s we were ministered to by a church that would daily share what God had given them for our situation in ministry. As we encounter the healing power of the Word in people’s lives we can expect the same. He sent forth His WORD and he healed – Psalm 107. For some time I have been praying for our people to be hungry for the Word and this summer I prayed for people of passion to teach our children. God did two things – he sent me three teachers who want to spend more time teaching the children and gave me a word – I believe a Rhema word—“It’s all about the Bible stories – Life lessons are all there in the basic stories we tell the children.” The Bible story impressed on me these past weeks is that of the Loaves and Fishes. The boy had only a small lunch – but Jesus did so much with it. As I look around, I see we’re smaller right now – and I’ve been given the sense that our Lord is not saying “What will you do when you get to a certain size?” but “What is in your hand right now?” That was brought home to me this month as I needed to share our house – I like to dream about all the ministries I think I can do when I retire – that’s not what Jesus needs at the moment – all He wants is what I now possess. He wants to use what I hold on to right now. Marty has a guitar in his hands and a clear strong voice. I’m feeling led to pray over him the Sundays I get to be in worship that God will bless his life as he leads out in praise and lifts us closer to our God. At the same time I’m remembering the position of the praise singers as Israel moved out in procession. Praise lifts the spirit of despair. Terry and I long for Life Park to move forward in the Word of God. We long to grow in His likeness and listen to His voice as a church. Terry is being impacted with the power of the voice of God – in the Word and the rhema God chooses to speak in all our lives. He does this to us through our encouraging each other, through hymns and in our quiet times. I believe we’re being called to a greater awe and appreciation for the WORD of God. I believe that the WORD is powerful enough to sustain us in the crazy times we live in. I believe the WORD is sharp enough to divide between truth and the phoney and the baloney in our lives. I never want us to experience a famine of hearing the Word of God. 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. Deut. 30 Jan Bell |
