The last several weeks I have been especially burdened about how we might better reach lost and broken people around us, right here in Howard, Green Bay, and the surrounding communities. I believe God is beginning to give us a vision of how he wants us to partner with him in his Great Commission. This week I was reading the forward in the current issue of Holiness Today, which was written by General Superintendent Fili Chambo. In the article, he is talking about the revivals that he witnessed in Mozambique. He spoke of one gathering, of which his father was the preacher, where he witnessed the transformation of a man for whom family and community believed there was no hope. His story included many different things such as substance abuse, domestic violence, witchcraft, and worship of idols among many other things. This man’s family had recently began attending the church and he, while drunk, entered the church to embarrass them. However, something incredible transpired. God got a hold of this man’s heart and by the end of that message, God’s grace prevailed and that man’s life was transformed. He chose a new life in Christ.
I find myself longing to see God work in such miraculous ways in our midst here in Northeast Wisconsin. We are surrounded by lost and broken people each and every day, however, I wonder how much we really take the time to get to know them and minister to them about God’s amazing grace and the hope that comes through the gospel. God’s mission is to work in and through us who believe in him to reach lost and broken people as his kingdom is continually established in the here and now. We need to take this call seriously as followers of Christ, by first allowing God to continually transform us to be more and more like him. Second, we need to share that good news with others as often as we can by building relationships and engaging with people who do not know Jesus in a personal way. Join me in building relationships with people and join me in constant prayer for lost and broken people around us, praying specifically that God would use us, both individually and corporately, to share the message with others at every opportunity.
In Christ,
~ Pastor Todd