On Wednesday evenings my wife and I host a simple house church at our home for One Direction Community (ODC) members and guests. As people gather we share a meal and catch up on life from the week before. We then move into the family room for a time of worship and prayer. After that we spend time reading and reflecting together on whatever passage of Scripture we are on. Last night we did our Palm Sunday gathering and read through a compilation of the passion narratives from all four Gospels I put together in chronological order.
We had just moved from the dining room into the family room when a 15 year old girl who is a member of ODC received a text from a friend. She read the text and told us the friend had texted he was in a dark place of depression and was thinking of committing suicide. The girl said I need to go see him and pray with him now. One of her friends, who is also 15 and a member of ODC said yes we do. They asked if it would be ok if they went right now, and we said absolutely! So the two girls, plus another girlfriend of theirs who they invited to come and has been only coming for two weeks, the girls dad who would drive them, and my wife all got up to go. We put them all in a circle in the middle of us, laid hands on them and prayed over them, and they left to go to the boys house who texted that lived close by. While they were gone the rest of us prayed of them, the boy who texted, and the boys parents.
The group that left returned in about an hour and shared how they found him in a dark place. They talked with him and prayed with him. The boy was not completely receptive, however seeds of light were planted in his darkness and he was grateful they had come.
Here is the thing that I was praising God about. The two girls who are members of ODC are new to their faith. I just baptized them both in my friends swimming pool 6 or 7 months ago. They do not yet have The Lord’s Prayer memorized but read it from a sheet I printed out when we say it together at House Church. They have just began studying the Bible and could not name the 4 Gospels if asked them. However, at our house church they both have celebrated The Lord’s Supper, said the prayers, broke the bread and served us communion. On Ash Wednesday they placed the oil and ashes on my head, and laid hands on me and prayed. On Saturdays mornings they go with us to the House of the Harvest and hand out food to the poor and those in need and pray over them. They have gone with us prayer walking our neighborhood praying with our neighbors and our community.
So though they do not have the book and head knowledge of Jesus yet, and that will come. They have the heart knowledge and obedience knowledge of Jesus. They know Jesus. They know who they are in Jesus. They know He hears their prayers. They know they are filled with the Holy Spirit. And they know from their baptism just a few months ago that they received the power and calling of Jesus to go run into darkness with light.
I was praising God that just a short 6 months ago if they received a text like this from a friend they would not have gone. For they did not know then Jesus or who their identity was as daughters of the King of Kings. And here they were wanting to go and pray for someone. And not only that, they brough along their friend who has just started coming to House church now for a couple weeks with them to take part and witness them praying over this boy. It was those two 15 year old girls, not a pastor, not a youth leader, who were modeling, teaching and introducing their friend what it looks like to follow Jesus. In my time pastoring churches I know of people who have been in a congregation for years who would not jump up an do what these two young ladies did. To which again, almost in tears I said Praise God!
And finally, after they returned to our group last night and shared with us what had happened, we went ahead and read through the long Palm Sunday narrative of the Passion of Christ from all 4 Gospels. And one of the girls who was a member asked if she could be the narrator and the new girl who just started coming asked if she could be Jesus and read all his lines! So these two young ladies, who could not tell you from where in the Bible the verses are found they were reading, led our hour time together in the Word. God is so Good!
My family, I pray today you’re a reminded and realize that you also have what these 15 year old girls have. That you have the heart knowledge and obedience knowledge of Jesus. That you know Jesus. That you know who you are in Jesus. That you know He hears your prayers. That you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit. And that you know from your baptism whether it was a few months or many years ago, that you received the power and calling of Jesus to go run into darkness with light, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please post and share your thoughts and reflections with us in the comment box below.
Partner with us!
As we begin the year, if you have the ability to be generous, I invite you to partner with me, my wife, and One Direction Community to support our ministries of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over our ministries and outreaches into our community. We would be so grateful for your one time gift or monthly support. Thank you!
You can mail your donation to One Direction Community P.O. Box 1293 Madison, Al 35758
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