Grace House

Engage Assignment Week of Oct. 18, 2009

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:33:41 +0000

ENGAGE BY:

(Week of Oct. 25-31)
Download Assignment Here to print out or just read it below.
Here is the give link for Voice of the Martyrs.

PRAYING – Many of our Brothers and Sisters globally are facing hostility and persecution due to their faith in Christ. Following is a story of one our Brothers who gave his life in service to the Gospel just a few weeks ago in Columbia. Your prayer assignment this week is to pray daily:

1. For his family in their grief.
2. For his congregation.
3. For his persecutors to come to Christ.

Colombia: Pastor Martyred - On Sept. 21, Pastor Manuel was shot and killed by The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in San Jose del Guaviare, Colombia, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts.

FARC guerrillas made an appointment with Pastor Manuel and his family. “He thought they were going to authorize him to have a church officially, which he had discuss[ed] and asked [for] before,” said VOM contacts. “One of them came in [the house] with the pastor’s wife, Gloria, and his daughter while the pastor was outside. He was shot five times.”

A FARC guerrilla who was in the house with the rest of the family yelled “Make sure that dog stays dead,” referring to the pastor. The guerrillas then shot the pastor again, this time in the neck. Following the shooting, Pastor Manuel’s wife ran outside and cleaned his face. With the help of her children, she dragged his body under a tree. “She ran and got her Bible and, shaking with tears, preached to all those who got near,” VOM contacts said. “[Her] 10-year-old son said ‘mum, don’t worry, dad died for Christ and now he is with Christ.’”

Pastor Manuel and his wife had been pastoring a church in Chopal village, south of San Jose del Guaviare for about eight years. They faced numerous challenges, and many churches in the area had been closed by FARC guerrillas. Pastor Manuel decided to open the church regardless of the threats and risks. In April, the pastor was part of an evangelistic event at which three FARC guerrillas and seven members of the paramilitary militia accepted Christ. Praise God for this family’s faith.

The Voice of the Martyrs supports persecuted believers in Colombia by providing Action Packs, support for the widows of martyrs and transportation for pastors so they can share the gospel with FARC and paramilitary guerrillas. VOM encourages you to pray for Pastor Manuel’s family. Ask God to comfort Pastor Manuel’s wife and children. Also pray that Pastor Manuel’s courageous testimony will draw nonbelievers into fellowship with Christ.

GIVING – Consider giving a contribution to the Voice of the Martyrs. Any amount would be appreciated. You can even designate it to be used to help the families of martyrs. Visit our website for the link on the ENGAGE page.

GOING – You are asked this week to travel through the mail. Write a note (or email) of encouragement to someone you know who is on the front lines of kingdom ministry engaging hurting people. Encourage them in what they are doing. Don’t just think “ministers” in the formal sense. Many educators, businesspeople, and people in the workforce are faithfully letting their love and light pour forth to those who are suffering.

(Week of Oct. 18-24)

1. Sometime this week, pull into the parking lot of a health caregiving facility. Sit in your car and pray at least three minutes for those who work there and come there for help. Our goal is to see God’s healing power flow into the lives of hurting people. Pray for the care givers that God would give them wisdom and stir their faith toward Him. Pray blessing over the place. (Medical Clinics, Hospitals, Rehabs, Cancer Center, Dentists, Chiropractors, etc.)

2. Try to place at least $1 in one of the containers on a store counter that is placed there to help someone needing a surgery, American Heart Association, etc. As you leave the place, pray for that particular need or organization. Also pray for God to give you a compassionate heart.

The Burning of the Bitter

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:50:00 +0000

We had an incredible outpouring yesterday (August 2, 2009) in our Sunday morning gathering. It was the day, Pastor Eddie picked up the Sword again. The Elders and people filled the Altar area lifting up the Sword symbolizing the Sword of the Spirit and the call to expand the Kingdom of God by overthrowing the enemy’s strategies of accusation, adversity, and deception. Tears flowed and the Spirit moved among the people. A trash can was brought to the front. People wrote down the things they needed to lay at the foot of the cross and have the blood of Jesus applied to. In another symbolic act, they brought their sheets of confession and placed them in the garbage can. A charge was given to three of the younger men, Todd, Rick and Duane to take the bag filled with the “trash” in our lives and burn it. After the service, these men went to the river bank. They started a fire and burned away the contents of the bag. It was a powerful experience and we believe God has honored the faith in carrying out this parabolic action. Duane Carter wrote a beautiful poetic expression of their experience at the river bank. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Burning of the Bitter

Hurts, bitter roots, disappointments, and shame

Loneliness, anxiety, not living our name

All of these things I saw today

Go up in a smoke, and go up in a flame

As dozens and dozens of horrible things

That had choked us and bound us and clipped back our wings

Simply vanished in a puff of smoke.

A puff of smoke created by the Consuming Fire

The Consuming Fire that burns off all that is mired

In self and non-sacred, in flesh and in dirt

In ugly self-hatred, abuse and in hurt

And in a moment watch it float up to the sky

Lifting itself up to the tree, to the cross

I see now why this cannot be a loss

But a gain, and a good, and a wonderful thing

That releases the sound of the God that does sing

Over us and our nation and our people and land

And as that smoke rose on up, rose on up to His hand

I noticed that the river moved on

And the sun still did shine

And the peace of the moment was more than sublime

It was just plain good, just like He is

And the One that is, and was, and forever shall be

Took that puff of smoke and set you and me free

So no malice, no fear, no anxiety here

No bitterness, no shame, no not-living-our-name

Shall be seen anymore, for He has shut that door

And no one, no, NO ONE shall open it again

And in its place He has opened new gates

And we are called to walk, to run, to push, and to move

To worship, to obey, to walk in His love

And simply watch Him do what He does best:

Create new life out of chaos and mess

I love to watch the bitterness burning

But most of all I like to see the light

Go right past the smoke

And the river moves on kdc 8-2-09

Roscoe and Beaudreaux Doctor Story

admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:19:59 +0000

Roscoe and Boudreaux: Doctor, Doctor! from Eddie Lawrence on Vimeo.

Grace House Postcard

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:15:29 +0000

Sermons Available on CD

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:52:35 +0000

Just a note to let you know that all the messages that are preached at Grace House at our Grace Gatherings are available on CD as well as this website. Just contact Mike Sledge at sledgems@comcast.net and he will be happy to give you the details. We appreciate the work that Mike does withour Media.

Devotional by Duane Carter

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:03:13 +0000

I hope you enjoy the following post by Duane Carter. Duane is a gifted writer and faithful part of our Grace House family. Thanks Duane for sharing this with us.

Blessings.

Eddie

I recently attended a marriage conference that totally rocked my world. I mean, it didn’t just rock my marriage world, it rocked my entire sun-up to sun-down and all-the-darkness-in-between world. And if I had to pick out one thing that stuck deeply in my heart, it would be the fact that I learned that God has set up this world to thrive in relationships, and in those relationships He has set up this world so that we can find Him in the face-to-face conversations we have with others. We are all created in His image, so we all bear His image. I can find God if I am looking for Him in others during a face-to-face conversation, and I can hear Him and see Him there. What is fascinating here is that in the stories people tell, we can find God in the midst. Just like the Bible has stories that we hear multiple times, but they contain infinite truth so we can learn something new every time, so it is with the stories we all carry. Some of the most beautiful and necessary truths for my life are wonderfully hidden in the stories of my wife and my children. Some of God’s most incredible truths are buried within the stories of my friends. Some of God’s most incredible surprises are found in the words of a stranger. I simply have to take the time to behold the face. I simply have to take the time to behold the face and listen. The conversation might not be pleasant and there may even be a problem that isn’t resolved, but if we will look and listen we will find God in the midst of it. Why does He do this? So we can learn to treasure each other and to treasure His truth. It is the glory of God to hide a matter, and it is the glory of kings to find it. When we find Him in our conversations with others He is glorified and we find more glorious treasure that makes our lives and others lives more wondrous and beautiful. Everyone we meet has treasure from Him.

Let’s discover Him.

Duane Carter

Devotional by Todd Bullard

admin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:34:15 +0000

Enjoy this devotional shared recently with us by Todd Bullard. Thanks Todd for a great job.

“That I may know Him…”

Know - Strong’s G1097: ginōskō Pronunciation: gē-nō’-skō

1. to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

a. to become known

2. to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of

a. to understand

b. to know

3. Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman

4. to become acquainted with, to know

John 14:8,9

Philip said to Him. Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us [and we’ll be satisfied.”

And Jesus said to him, “Philip, how long have I been with you and yet you have not known me.”

Knowing God presumes much from our mere humanity, doesn’t it? How could Philip and the other disciples not have known Him? Can past experience alone qualify us as ones who “know Him”? Evidently, even the confession of who He is isn’t enough. They had heard Peter’s confession and believed (Matt 16), but was there more?

I’ve been a Christian for 26yrs. In that time, I have enjoyed the blessings of God, walked in the favor of God and experienced the presence and gifts of God, but have I truly known Him? Can I presume to know Him anymore than Philip and the other disciples?

Matt 7:23

"Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me’. You who practice lawlessness.”

It’s interesting to me that many of the things we long to see and experience today are the very things that Jesus mentions. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that signs and wonders should and will follow believers, but evidently there is more to knowing Him than experiencing those things.

Part of it could be our good ol’ religious upbringing. Always approaching God with what we need from Him, like He’s some kind of spiritual vending machine. For many of us, it started with salvation. Did we accept Christ as Lord to lead a life of discipleship, or did we sign up just to escape the big fire? I guess my point is that much of our Christian experience has been a pretty one-sided transaction; God always doing, we always asking. And since salvation, much of our doctrine, official or otherwise, has been a gospel that has more managed our disappointments in ourselves and in God than it has cultivated relationship with Him.

So how do we truly begin to know Him?

Philippians 3:10

That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Knowing Jesus, requires that we die to the areas of our life where self is still enthroned, so that through the power of his resurrection, we may find life with Him. In the dying, there’s a place in the fellowship of His sufferings where we truly come to know him. Even in the midst of our current struggles, dreams, disappointments and failure, there’s a call to die and an invitation to know Him and His resurrection power.

How deeper could our relationship with Him be if we can learn to die to systems of thought (I Cor 2:16), the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13) and perhaps even our own dreams and desires?

Consider Abraham (Gen 22): Abraham was willing to kill the very dream God had given him. The very promise that was spoken to him was placed on the altar of submission and obedience.

Are we constantly laying down our dreams and our very lives for His? Martin Luther called it, “the great exchange”.

I think Jesus would call it, “knowing Me”.