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few years ago I was headed to a country that I won't name
um just because I don't want to get anybody in trouble or us in trouble
one of those countries that is sometimes challenging to get into and I was headed
to
another part of the United States to meet someone that was going to be going with
me who would be acting as my translator
he and I had not ever met but he was coming from another
local church pg which I knew the pastor well as kind of a partner and some other
things that we're doing globally
and so you know he said hey I've got a guy he wasn't from this country but he
spoke the language of this country and so
I was going to meet a guy that I had never met before the goal was we were going to
meet at the hotel in this particular place here in the United States and the
next morning we would fly out and we would go
do what we're going to do well I got there real late because my flights
were delayed and stuff and so I got there
you know reasonably late we didn't have our tickets yet for our international
leg and somebody was supposed to drop them off so I
came to the front desk and I said hey and I
asked the name is he already checked in and they said
yes I was like great what room so they told me the room so I go to the room
and I I knock on the door nothing and you know how your in a hotel
and you're you hate knocking on doors I don't you probably don't do that I'm
probably the only one but cause I I like to just go to hotel to knock on doors even
when I'm not staying there
just a thing I do so I'm knocking on the door
you know and nobody's answering and then I beat on the door like dum dum dum
dum dum dum you know this was no little room service knock "room service"
I mean I was like beating on the door like
fire alarm and nothing so I did have a key
and I hit the little thing and opened it up and I just
I reached in and called his name hey nothing
completely dark in the room hey
you know and I called his name again nothing so I kinda go on in and you feel awkward
don't you because you don't know number one if you're in the right place number
two you don't know if this the right person and number three you're not sure
somebody's actually in there and you don't want to walk in on some
you know family who's asleep and I was just like oh man
so I kinda walk in you know and I vaguely see this form
in a bed and I'm like okay so I kinda
come walking over I close door kinda quietly and I'm thinking
I might be about to get killed right here you know this is not good and I
walk over and I kinda go
and I call his name. nothing. Call his name louder this time
nothing then I'm finally given RAHH calling the name real loud
nothing! all the sudden
his cell phone starts going off on the
on the nightstand I mean naw! naw!
naw! naw! he's not moving. nothing!
I'm just going I think he's dead
its possible that he's dead.
so I go up and actually do a shoulder kinda
yeah like this and call the name nothing! shoulder again call the name
nothing put my hand in front of his nose
to see if any air is coming out there is some air coming out
I still don't know if I'm even in the right room! I leave the room
I go back downstairs and I say could you call up to room such-and-such
cause I'm pretty sure the guy's alive but I'm not 100 percent sure
because I've beat on the door his cell phone's gone off I've been yelling at
him
so they call up there apparently nothing happens I'm sitting in the lobby
I get on the phone with my wife and I'm like hey Edy I arrived in
you know this particular state that I was in to meet him I said but I'm not
sure if this guy's alive or dead
and I've gone in the room I don't even know if I was in the right room
I'm telling her the whole thing suddenly this guy comes walking in and he's kinda
walking around the lobby and he's got a package
and he looks like he's looking for somebody I'm thinking I wonder thats the guy who's
dropping off our international tickets and then shortly thereafter
opening the elevator some dude comes out like this
with bed head all crazy looking just like this you know
and he comes out you know he's looking around like this and I'm kinda thinking
are they gonna find one another or the is this gonna happen is this
because I don't even know who I'm meeting yet and they do they kinda start talking
and I kinda come up and I go
and call his name out and kinda he looks over and says yeah
and I was like okay so it is you you know I said where you just upstairs
sleeping cause you look like you've been sleeping for like a year
did you not hear that part like when I kicked the door down did you hear the
part about your cell phone going off did you hear the part about me shaking you and
yelling in your ear did you get any of that and he's like no man I was tired
and I was like.. tired??
you were dead, you were dead
I've never known anyone to sleep that hard ever in the history of sleeping
outside of maybe Rip Van Winkle
you remember that story that was a great story Rip Van Winkle really liked guy
right Washington Irving wrote this incredible story one of the great
storytellers of American history
who wrote The Legend of Sleepy Hollow something about sleep Washington Irving liked
right
and so Rip Van Winkle he's this guy who's laziness as can be he's liked among
the villagers they all enjoy him
but he doesn't really work and he's got a nagging wife
and he's got a dog whose loyal to him the dog's name is Wolf why by the way
would you name an animal after another animal
his dog's named Wolf I mean if I come to your house to say what is a nice
parakeet that you have what's it's name
"Cat" I don't understand that why name an animal another animal his dog is named
Wolf
and so there he is with Wolf and he just likes to go out into the woods and fish and hangout
and do a bunch of nothing that's what he does with his life
then but he's real helpful and he likes to help people out there was a guy
coming into the woods or driving up the mountain or whatever he had a lot of beer
alcohol or whatever he had
Rip said can I help you with that sure he lets him help him. they he gives him something
to drink
and he falls asleep in the woods for twenty years
2 0 two decades he's asleep
when he wakes up he's got this tremendously long beard he doesn't know
what's going on he thinks he's just checked out for a little nap
he comes walking back into the village and everything looks different
everything looks like it's it's not what it should be he even goes to his house
no one's there it's vacant it's empty
he goes into the pub or whatever the place that he goes into the little
restaurant
and there's a different face that's on the wall now
it's a different George you see the George that was up there
was King George because when Rip Van Winkle went to sleep
America was a colony of the English
but now there's a different George up there that he doesn't recognize George
Washington
who's the president of a new nation you see Rip Van Wrinkle
slept through a revolution
he went to sleep as and America was an English colony
and he woke up in a new nation and he didn't really know what to do with it and
didn't know how to communicate in it
and really didn't have any idea what was going on. That my friends
is a reasonably apt metaphor for the church parts of the church
in the United States of America. The church has slept
through a revolution. The church has gone to sleep and
is waking up to a new nation that they don't know how to communicate in
that they don't understand what's going on, that they have no idea how to connect
with the people that are there
and feel like they're speaking a foreign language
this is the world that we live in but America is not the first one
to fall asleep at the wheel in terms of the job that we've been called to
Israel had done the same thing in fact there are multiple places
when we read the Hebrew Scripture that we could call out Israel having done
that
I'm gonna point out just one in it was during the time
of Joel. Joel was known as one of the writing prophets
and here's what we know about Joel. Joel was the son of Pethuel
here's what else we know about Joel. nothing
I have no other idea of who Joel is except for he was one of the writing
prophets
and he was the son of Pethuel do you know why I know he was the son of Pethuel
well because verse 1 says
he was the son of Pethuel
that is the extent of my knowledge of Joel
but what we do know is that God was doing something specific
in speaking through Joel to his people
because they had fallen asleep on what their job was
listen to the beginning of Joel in chapter one beginning in verse 1 it says
the word of the Lord came to Joel son of Pethuel
hear this you elders listen all who live in the land. Has anything like
this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors
tell it to your children and let your children tell it to their children and
their children to the next generation
what the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten
what the great locusts had left the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left other locusts
have eaten. Could it be more consuming than that
there is a locust plague that is among them and by the way when you read the
book of Joel what you have to understand
is you have to have an understanding that your eye is on present reality
but is also portending prophetic
future events you see the book of Joel continues to talk about the day of the
Lord
and this idea of the locust plague is something that really happened in that
time if you talk to people in the Middle East
who have actually seen plagues of locusts
then you will know that these things have and do happen
and he was talking about this locust swarm but it was also portending a
prophetic future in which armies would gather against Israel
and it was kind of a foreshadowing of the day of the Lord
Joel speaks up so often in this prophetic book
can you imagine the consumption that went on with this plague of locusts
in fact Joel says it and he just repeats himself what the locust swarm has left
the great locusts have eaten and if the great locusts left anything the young locusts have
eaten
and if the young locusts have left anything the other locusts have eaten I don't know how many locusts
can be left at this point because they have consumed virtually everything
this is what was going on in their time now
Israel had kind of in this portion of Scripture and in this time frame
Israel had kind of stopped being Israel
you see what Israel was designed to be was a called out people of God
that were countercultural in the way that they went about doing what they did
so that through them there would be a demonstration of the glory of God in the
world through a very distinct people
a people that were of God's own choosing that were different
that were distinct that were unique that were set apart
for God and for the world
but Israel lost sight of that and Israel started failing to be
Israel and this land that was so plentiful and so abundant
and the people that were living in great abundance during this time
because he goes on to talk about the fig trees and the pomegranates and the
apple trees and all the stuff that they have available to them and the wine and
the olive oil and he's talking about how it all got dried up
in the midst of all this abundance
they failed to be who they were supposed to be
they started falling down on the job in the midst of this abundance and the
reason now that the land was in decay
was not because the pagans were acting like pagans
it's because Israel wasn't being Israel
the reason our land is in decay
is not because the pagans are acting like pagans
it's not because lost people were acting like lost people
that's what lost people do it's because the church
isn't acting like the church
instead we just curse the darkness and yell at lost people for
acting lost we yell at people stumbling around in the darkness for stumbling
around in the darkness instead of the church
being the church so the nation and the land is in the state that it's
in because
Israel is not being Israel
so then pay attention to what is said in verse number five
and following: "Wake up
you drunkards and weap wail all you drinkers have wine wail because of
the new wine for it has been snatched from your lips
a nation has invaded my land a mighty army without number it has the teeth of
a lion the fangs of a lioness it has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees
it has stripped off their bark and thrown it away leaving their branches
white. In other words what he's saying is this is that you fallen asleep on the
job and as a result
there's a plague that is coming in of locusts it is also
kinda foreshadowing the future when the people of God may have
fallen down on the job and the nation's begin to come in an
army's begin to come in against the people of God amd against even Israel
specifically as we look at the
the Scripture prophetically
and he's telling them to wake up you know the idea that we're supposed to
wake up is not something that is just an Old Testament concept
that the people of God need to wake up is something that we see in the New
Testament as well
do you remember Paul's words in Romans chapter 13 when he said this
do this understanding the present time the hour has come for you to wake up
from your slumber
because our salvation is nearer now then we first when we first believed
and then you remember when Jesus was writing letters to the churches
Laotocea and Thyatyra and Philadelphia and Pergamum and all those
churches in Revelation 2&3
he wrote to the church in Sardis these words
to the angel the church in Sardis write: these are the words of him who holds the
seven spirits of God and the seven stars
I know your deeds you have a reputation of being alive
but you are dead. Wake up!
strengthen what remains and is about to die for I have not found your deeds
complete
in the sight of my God remember therefore what you have received and heard
obey it and repent but if you do not wake up
I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you
so we have in the New Testament some ideas that we are supposed to be a
people who
awaken who wake up what is it that we're supposed to awaken to
well there's a I just got a few thoughts very quickly that maybe I would
pass along to you
as to how we need to wake up and here's the first one
we need to wake up from misplaced
trust. Let me explain to you what I mean
Remember back when he says in Joel chapter 1 verse number five he says
wake up you drunkards and weap
wail all you drinkers of wine wail because of the new wine for it has been
snatched from your lips the idea here is this
and as he goes on to fill it out in chapter one he's basically saying this
you need to wake up because although you are a people of abundance you have
forgotten where your trust is supposed to be
now that you've got all this abundance you've got grain and oil
and you've got wine and you've got all the trees that you need you've got
everything that you need
and you don't need me anymore this is what God is saying
your abundance has caused you to be lazy and to put your trust in places that it
ought not to be
in fact this was the very thing that they were warned about when they became
a nation
when Israel came into being a nation
this is the very thing that they were warned about remember back in
Deuteronomy chapter number eight
it says these words beginning in verse 10 when you have eaten and are satisfied
praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you
be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God
failing to observe his commands his laws and his decrees that I'm giving you this
day otherwise
when you eat and are satisfied when you build fine houses and settle down and
when your herds and flocks grown large and your silver and gold increase
and all you have is multiplied then your heart will become proud and you'll
forget the Lord your God
who brought you out of Egypt out of the land of slavery
He lead you through the vast in dreadful desert that thirsty and waterless land
with its venomous snakes and scorpions
He brought you water out of a hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert
something your fathers had never known
to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you
you may say to yourself my power and the strength of my hands have produced this
well for me
but remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce
wealth
and so confirms his covenant which he swore to your forefathers
as it is today can you imagine
this is what they were warned about from the very outset and now
now Joel is having to re-remind them through the voice of God that you need
to wake up that just because you live in an opportunity of abundance
does not mean that you forget the Lord your God it is not to be consumed all
upon yourself this is not just
for you We're reminded as well Paul's instruction to Timothy with the stuff
that we have right
Paul says it this way in 1st Timothy chapter 6
Command those who are rich in this present world by the way that's us
you're going "I'm not that.." Yeah you are. You stand as an American
around the rest of the world this is talking to you
command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth
which is so uncertain but to put their hope in God
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment
command them to do good to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing
to share this is what we are commanded to be about because
if not what happens is that we misplace our trust
that now we are lulled to sleep by having what we need
and we misplace our trust in God who is the provider of everything that we have
so we need to wake up from a misplaced trust but secondly
we need to wake up from our isolation
you see what happened with Israel in the time of Joel was this
what happened to them was that they started realizing
that all these blessings that they had were really great
and that they had everything and all the promises that God had made I'm gonna bless you
and they are blessed and they've got everything that they need and they're living in
abundance
and they forgot the very covenant God made with Abraham and the purpose of it
what they forgot is this
God said to Abraham I'm gonna bless you
and I will make you a.. a blessing
I'm gonna bless you so that
you will be a blessing I'm not gonna bless you so that you
consume everything on yourself
I am going to bless you so that you can be
a blessing you see Israel started living in some sense of isolation
that we're incredibly blessed and to hell with the rest of the world
and the Church of Jesus has taken that stance in some ways not in every way
there are a few incredible pockets of hope all over our country
but in some ways we have taken the position
that we are just about ourselves and to hell with the rest of the world
to hell with the rest of our community we've got what we need
we can do what we do listen churches local churches
no really well what isolation looks like
local churches know what territorialism looks like
local churches know what trying to carve your little market niche
in the community looks like. Local churches know what it looks like to
compete with other local churches
for your market share
you see the signs and you see that the marketing and the programs all over the
place right
come to our church we love people
as if every other church
ought to just be computerized because they would rather
hate people don't come to our church we hate people
what are you saying when you say things like that right
we know full well what isolation looks like but this ought not be
this is the very reason ladies and gentlemen that we've got to fight
against going to sleep
by making sure that we are partnered with that which is outside of ourself
the work of God that is going on in our region in our world
and that's why we have all these partners that are connected with our
ministry that we are partnering together
to be able to reach every man woman and child we cannot do that
in isolation the only way that you reach every man woman and child
is if every man woman and child in the body of Christ
is engaged. That's the only way that you do that
it's not about thank you for the 10 people who believe that
it's not about it's not about
a handful of rock stars who either talk good
or sing good or teach good or do whatever
it's not about a handful of rock stars doing the work and somehow the masses
are gonna be drawn to them that is not what it's about
the genius of God is that his spirit lives inside of you and as a result of
that what He will do
is He will transform the world that wherever you go
God goes because you are a walking temple
and wherever you go the Spirit of God goes and you can have an influence in
the places that you are scattered all throughout our region that does not have
to be programmed
it does not have to be event-driven it does not have to be contained within
four walls
wherever you are at work or at play or in the community
that's where God will be certainly we know that God
is everywhere right God is omniscient he knows everything
the God is omnipresent that He is everywhere we know that but wherever you
go
you are you are with God God is there because he lives inside of those of us
who are His own this is what we've got to get a hold of because we can't live
in isolation
had a friend of mine who's here actually asked me the other day in a
meeting he and his wife
and he said he said hey he said you're you're a gatekeeper in this region he
said let me ask you a question
what do you see for our region and I told them I said I've been thinking
about that question
but let me tell you where I've landed I don't think God is gonna tell me
until He tells us
plain and simple is this... I'm not Moses on the mountain
I'm Jerry in Getzville
sounds a lot less impressive frankly
what I think that God is going to do when He wants to give us some specific
instruction we certainly have the revelation of what He wants the church
to be about every man woman and child hearing and seeing the Gospel we know
that
but how that's going to play out specifically I don't think He's just
gonna tell me
I think is gonna tell us in the body of Christ and other leaders in the body of
Christ He's gonna tell us together because that's His intent
that's this point that we don't dwell in isolation we gotta wake up
from our isolation. Third thing:
we need to wake up to our purpose
you see God in the book of Jel is doing something unique because what he does is
he talks about the prophetic
future he talks about the present reality of what's going on in Israel but
also talks about the prophetic future
and when you read through the book of Joel what you find is this
is that though God is doing some things in terms of his judgment
He is doing that to clear the way for righteousness and healing
and hope and justice and grace
and love to reign. When you get to the end of Joel what you see
is you see God blessing and dwelling with
His people that that is where history is moving toward
that end that God is going to dwell with His people and we're gonna be
His own people and He is going to be our God and justice
and peace and truth and righteousness
it's gonna reign. All coming from the God who loves us like he does
you see we've gotta wake up to our purpose ladies and gentlemen that we are
a part
of the purpose of God in the now that we're not just spectators saying
well I can't wait for this place to burn up and God you know sorts it all out
God's gonna sort it out on his time but God's also invited his ambassadors which
are you and I
to be a part of the process of revealing the kingdom that is among us
this is a part of what he's invited us into
you see whatever God is going to do in the world
he is going to do through all of Christ's people
all of them you see with our fractured existence and living in isolation we
have convinced the world that Jesus is a polygamist
that He has many brides which in fact he does not
Jesus is monogamous in his relationship to the church. He has
one bride and we have to start acting
in that way and fulfilling our purpose and part of why we do what we do in
Kingdom Come
is for that very reason
that we are fulfilling the purpose of God in the world
that every man woman and child within our sphere of influence has a repeated
opportunity to hear
to see to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
this is what we were made for as the church not just listen
not the institution of the church though the institution can give some
organization
to that heartbeat but you, me, the church
this is what we were designed for and we need to wake up to our purpose because
some of us
are absolutely asleep
I've often wondered what what it would have been like if Israel would have been
Israel
in this time and I often wonder what it would be like in
our context if the church
were the church
There's a metaphor I think that helps me with this in on October
30th 2010 in Philadelphia
the day before Halloween in Philadelphia at the Macy's downtown
an Opera company in Philly did something astounding
in Philadelphia's Macy's mall downtown
they have one of the world's largest pipe organs the Wanamaker organ
they had scheduled to where at noon that day
with all the people in the place shopping
that they would start belting out on the organ
the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah
and soon some of the opera singers as soon as I started playing
started singing it what nobody knew was that this was staged kinda right at the
beginning you kinda figured it out pretty quickly but
they had actually invited this opera company had actually invited about 28
other opera
and coral companies to join them
and they were spread out all throughout this Macy's
it was incredible and all the sudden they start singing
at the top of their lungs
the words that are literally lifted
from Revelation I mean some of those words are found in Revelation chapter
chapter 11 verse number five it says this
the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ
and he will or he shall reign
for ever and ever
now so of you know the other part right Hallelujah right you know that part
but you didn't know the rest to this part right or that I could sing
but you know what was happening in this Macy's what was happening in this Macy's were
people were absolutely
stunned by what was going on and people are singing
and there are people just being caught up now shoppers who aren't even part of the
Opera Company
are stopping in their tracks and they're singing with them
now all the sudden the store turns into a cathedral
where people are lifting their voices before God
if you can imagine with me one of the things that makes Jesus the most angry
is when his house becomes a marketplace
if that is the truth then maybe one of the things that makes him
most happy is when the marketplace becomes his house
when the people in those places begin sensing and seeing the presence of God
whether they knew it or not they had no idea that it's Jesus
that's what they need but they are all singing there are people weeping when
you look at some of there's a lot of footage of this
there's people that are actually weeping and they're listening in their singing
i mean it's just this
Hallelujah people are singing the words of the Scripture
the kingdom of God and of his Christ will reign forever and ever
and when some of them were interviewed after the fact they were asked why why
did you participate in this why did you join in with this and they said
it was so compelling
they were singing one message with one voice
it was so compelling it was almost as if we couldn't help
but be involved in this
that something inside of us awakened as they were saying all these things
ladies and gentlemen that
is a great picture of what the church should be
that as we go out into the world that we live in singing one song of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ
with one voice that is not living in isolation but it is that is not
fractured but it is unified
when we begin doing that the world around us in the midst of darkness
will hear our song and they will want to sing
along they will want to join in this chorus because
something inside of them will come to life
you see ladies and gentlemen just like it was in the day
of Joel it is the same in our day
it is time for the church
to awaken
this is our home
this is western New York
we come from all backgrounds
we are the big and the small
the old and the young we are
every color under the Sun. together
we are the strong
the committed
together we are the church
this is not a game to us
this is not some empty religious ritual
this is who we are
we follow the one who died to save us
He taught us that we are the light of the world
one light
and that are actions show people that light
today is the day to wipe the sleep from our eyes
to show the world that we are ready to live and
love and give
ladies and gentlemen
please rise
it's time to awaken the church
just stay standing for just a moment here's what Joel says in conclusion to what he
was talking about
even in the midst of all that went on and listen to help Joel 2
verse 12 says he says even now declares the Lord return to me with all your
heart with fasting and weeping and mourning
Rend your heart and not your garments
return to the Lord your God for he is gracious
and compassionate he's slow to anger
and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity
who knows? he may turn and relent
and leave behind a blessing - grain offerings and drink offerings for the
Lord your God
You see the country that we live in in the world that we live in we
we get inoculated sometimes and we get isolated sometimes
and because the church isn't being the church
the land becomes what the land is but I'm reminded of the character of God in
the midst of this
that he's gracious and compassionate and he's
slow to anger and abounding in love
who knows he may just desire
to turn the calamity upside down
and bring blessing but he's going to do that
through the vehicle he has set up to do that through
the people of Jesus
so here's the question: are you
being the church
do you maybe need to seek the forgiveness of God for being asleep
in the midst
of a revolution that maybe you look around and realize man I don't I don't hardly
know what's going on anymore
because you're not engaged
because maybe you're consuming everything on you
instead of thinking with an eternal mindset that says
I want invest in things that are going to last forever
I want invest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through
this church and through the church in the world
I want to make sure that I'm not so over consuming
my own time and my own abilities
on my own stuff that I don't have any margin
to release strong portions have me
into the work of God in the world I don't know what the Spirit of God is
calling
you to do but I'm asking you to obey Him
obey what he says do
it may require you to leave this place and to get alone with God
and seek His face and the Bible uses an interesting word this word repent that
doesn't always mean of sin
but it does mean that we are doing an about-face
that we are turning from a thought and a direction
and we are turning in a different one that leads us to a change of mind and a
change of direction
do not stay asleep because the work of the kingdom
the work of God in the world is very much alive
because God is very much alive
and who knows even in our own country maybe the calamity that we face
might be flipped if the people of God would just start simply living
like the people of God
it doesn't require perfection
it requires submission and
obedience I'm going to dismiss you
in a moment and when I do dismissing you a few minutes earlier than we normally
get out because
I wanna give you some time
to walk around and experience some of the work at the kingdom of God those of view
that are Kingdom Come partnesr I'm gonna dismiss you now
you can get to some of those tables those of you who are here
regular attenders of The Chapel I'd encourage you and challenge you
to walk to some of these places speak to some of these folks
give them an encouraging word maybe take a moment to pray for them
maybe find out more about what they're doing maybe even find out how you can
engage
I know crazy maybe how you could serve
maybe how you could lend some of your ability to
what God is doing in and through that ministry I want to challenge you to do
that because we cannot afford
to stay sleepy. our region needs the
body of Christ acts like the body of Christ
our world needs the body of Christ to act like the body of Christ
if you're here and you've never understood what it means to embrace Jesus and come
in a relationship with and then you
maybe make a beeline toward the Fireside Room
there's pastors in their who'd love to talk to you about that and all of our
Kingdom Come partners that are out here they would prefer that you go in there and
learn about what it means to know Jesus
so Father I pray
the you would awaken us. That you would remind us today
that we are not a people who can fall asleep at the wheel we cannot fall
asleep on the job
that every man woman and child being reached will require
every man woman and child who can reach to do so
help us be your hands and feet help us live out the reality of who you are in
the world that we live in
and help us breathe encouragement into the lives of these partners
and maybe even find out ways we can serve I pray you'd help us to do that in
Jesus name amen
love you folks stay awake