This blog is intended for those connected with CHR.
But all are welcome to read it.
It is December 2nd, 2014 and the time is 9:40 am, Sarah and I are in North Carolina seeking God on what He has in store for 2015. We are asking questions of Him like: "What do you want us to do this year?" "What do you want us to say this year?" "Who do you want us to invest in this year?" It is a time to seek God and see what He is up to. By the way, you can do this too! It is a great way to live, by asking God to lead. Anyway, back to the blog...
Now, at times in my life I have had those moments where you know God drops a bomb on you, in a good way. Telling you something about the future. So, I am writing this in order that this specific blog can be a testimony of God's faithfulness when we see the story HE IS WRITING WITH HIS CHURCH unfold over the next year.
So many promises have been spoken over what God has started at Grassfield High School, meaning Church at Hampton Roads. The most predominant is a verse God gave us November 28th of 2011, BEFORE we even moved to Hampton Roads. It says,
"Thanksgiving will come out of them, a sound of celebration. I will multiply them and they will not decrease. I will honor them and they will not be insignificant." Jeremiah 30:19
We know this is a specific verse pertaining to what God has started here. Since this Summer, the Summer of 2014, God has been reminding me of the story of Peter in Luke 5. Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing and Jesus looks at him and says, "put out into open water and let down your nets for a catch." And here is what happens next
Luke 5:5-7 "Master, Simon replied, we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I'll let down the nets. And when they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them…"
What God has been confirming to my spirit earlier this year is that as we refuse to get tired of doing what is good, meaning the Great Commission, staying connected to Him and loving His people, He WILL BRING such an increase that it will challenge and frustrate our systems, capacity and ability just as the catch that Peter had. His nets (current capacity) was overwhelmed in a good way. I even spoke this portion of scripture to our Serve Team this Summer after God had spoken to me through it.
That brings us to this morning at 9:36 am. I had just finished my daily reading in the Psalms and the phrase "Bumper Crop" hit me like a ton of bricks. I could not even remember the last time I heard this term or referenced it myself. But that is what I heard, "This will be a bumper crop year." Meaning specifically 2015 will be a bumper crop year for the Kingdom of God as it pertains specifically to Church at Hampton Roads. What is a "Bumper Crop"? Good question…that is what I thought as I struggled to remember the definition. I remembered hearing the term I just had never fully researched it, or looked it up. So I did.
Bumper Crop
An agricultural term that refers to a particularly productive harvest yielded for a particular crop during a specific season.
This is interesting to note about a bumper crop
A bumper crop can also be a source of problems, such as when there is insufficient storage space for an overly large crop. Also, the word "bumper" has a secondary meaning, "something unusually large".
This goes right along with the story of Peter's nets! They were ripping because they were overfilled. They didn't even have the manpower to deal with the situation. Wow. God has bigger plans up His sleeve for us church!
What is even more crazy is that the single word I know God gave me as a theme for 2015 is "unstoppable". This goes along with the other verse God had given me…
Matthew 16:18 "... I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
Satan CAN NOT stop the advancement of the Kingdom of God. You see, the weight to change people, free people, give peace, joy and life to people IS ON GOD. We do not have any ability to do this work. We have the ability to be obedient. To make sure we love God with all that we have and to love each other as we would ourselves. And He DOES THE REST! In 2015, we are going to let God be God and watch the show!
Now, I am unsure as to how God will do all of this, but I know one thing, God is about to do AMAZING things because He NEVER goes back on His word.
What does this have to do with you? EVERYTHING!
You have been called and placed at CHR for a reason and purpose. Not to serve Sarah and I, as we are here not to be served, but to serve. Our job is to equip YOU (Ephesians 4). You are called to BE the Church. To reach out and help reconcile others to God through Jesus. WE are ALL called to do the work of the Great Commission. To go and tell others about the God of all things and how He loves them extravagantly and wants to bring life to them, save them, as they learn to let Him lead the way. To tell them that the dead areas in their lives can and will be brought to life by the Giver of Life! That they are not worthless but called. Not insignificant but valued!
WE ARE CALLED TO ACTION!
AND WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO YOU IS THAT WHEN YOU AND I, THIS YEAR, LISTEN, MOVE, ACT, SERVE, AND LOVE TOGETHER WITH ONE MIND AND HEART THAT HE WILL BE PRESENT & FAITHFUL TO DO HIS PART…..TO BRING LIFE WHERE DEATH ONCE WAS…TO SEE THOUSANDS COME TO HIM…AND YOU WILL BE A PART OF HIS STORY.
Jesus, to You ALONE be the glory for what you are about to do. ONLY YOU have the power to save. You did not have to choose us (meaning all of us reading this), but You did.
Here we are send us! Amen….so shall it be.
Joel Brown
11:02 am | 12.2.14
