Solomon’s Prayer of Faith - June 28, 2015

By Pastor Greg

Bruce Nolan had a twisted view of God.  He felt God was the Almighty Smiter – meaning that God was sitting in Heaven waiting for someone to mess up so He could make that person’s life miserable.  So Bruce’s prayer life was influenced by his concept of God.  He didn’t realize that a healthy prayer life begins with a healthy understanding of God.  I wonder if many of the Jews who lived during Old Testament times had the same problem.

When I think about Old Testament Jews and their experiences with God, I can’t help but wonder what sort of an opinion they formed about God.  Standing at the base of Mount Horeb, the people trembled with fear.  When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear (Exodus 20:18).  They witnessed God’s wrath against those who rebelled when, “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned (Numbers 16:32).  The Law that God gave Israel was filled with consequences for disobedience.  Even the Tabernacle – the Sacred Tent designed by God – had a special room where only the High Priest could enter, and he could only enter once a year after spending a week being purified.  In that room was the Ark of the Covenant – the sacred chest that housed the Ten Commandments of God.

Not only was the Tabernacle a sacred and holy place, but the items inside were as well.  People were not permitted to see or touch this sacred Ark.  The men who were to carry the Ark were told to “never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die (Numbers 4:20).  A man named Uzzah once touched this Ark and was instantly killed (see 2 Samuel 6:6).  On the day the Tabernacle was first erected, the Glory of the Lord filled the entire tent, and even Moses was forced outside (Exodus 40:35).

When Solomon built his glorious Temple, the design was still the same.  There were restriction as to who could be where, the High Priest was the only person permitted inside the Holy of Holies, and even then, he only entered this place once a year during the Day of Atonement.  On the day Solomon dedicated this Temple, the Glory of the Lord filled the place and the people had to halt their worship service (1 Kings 8:11). 

The people of Israel had heard God’s Laws, had seen God’s glory, and had witnessed His wrath.  In the Tabernacle and in the Temple they were reminded of the barrier that stood between themselves and God.  So, I wonder what sort of opinion the people formed about God.  Knowing of the barrier, the wrath, the Word, and the Glory, how would a Jew, living during the time of Solomon, view God?  Would they see Him as intimidating, angry, and unapproachable?  I don’t know about you, but I would be somewhat afraid of this God.  I would try to keep my life secret and hidden, lest God see my sin and smite me.  If the ordinary Jew did feel this way, then Solomon’s prayer at the Temple dedication is one of the boldest prayers of all time.

May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.  If [Your people] sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near. ⁴⁷ But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ ⁴⁸ If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—⁴⁹ then hear their prayers and their petition from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. ⁵⁰ Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them, ⁵¹ for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt (1 Kings 8:30, 46-51).

Solomon uses a significant word in this prayer.  He uses it often.  It’s the last word of verse 30.  It is the word “Forgive”.  To stand before the great I Am – the creator of this universe – and ask Him to forgive our debts (or our trespasses) seems like one of the boldest requests any person can make.  I believe Solomon made this request because he truly understood the heart of God.  Solomon knew that God is compassionate, slow to anger, merciful, and filled with unfailing love (see Exodus 34:6).  His relationship with God affected his prayer life.  It should do the same for you and me.

I believe many of us continue to endure the storms of life simply because we are too afraid of God.  We’re too afraid to approach Him.  We’re too afraid to ask Him for forgiveness.  Our prayer life suffers because we do not truly understand God’s heart.  Many of us fail to realize that God’s greatest desire is to have a close relationship with us.  We don’t understand that God allowed Jesus to die on the cross not because He was angry with us but because it was the only way to rebuild the broken relationship we have with Him.  God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. 

John the Apostle writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  What that means is that no sin we might commit is beyond the Father’s ability to forgive, or beyond His desire to forgive.  Once convicted of a sin, a person needs only come to the Father and ask for forgiveness believing that because of Jesus that sin will be forgiven.  The Lord Jesus has taught us this.  “Forgive our trespasses,” He taught us to pray.

Rather than continue to live with your sin raging within you like a storm, be as bold as Solomon is.  Believe that God is willing and waiting to forgive you – that He even desires to forgive you.  All you need to do is ask.  He does not want to smite.  He wants to forgive because this is His nature.

David’s Prayer of Confession - June 21, 2015

By Pastor Greg

The other day I had a debate with someone who accused me of being a good man.  She insisted that I behaved better than many of the other people she meets.  She said I was kind and polite.  That made me a good man.  She said I was a good man because I genuinely care about the problems she and her colleagues were facing.  I pray for them, and that makes me a good man.  I was a minister; therefore, I was a good man.  Of course, I argued that she only saw the way I behaved.  She didn’t see the real me.

I get real uncomfortable when someone puts me on a pedestal.  One wrong move or if I allow my life to get off balance for just a moment, I come crashing down off that pedestal, disappointing those who have placed me there.  This is why I argued with Tina.  I didn’t want her to view me as some superhero of morality.  However, the more I thought and prayed about this conversation, I wondered if what she was saying just might be true.  Maybe I’m not such a bad fellow after all.

I have a tendency to think back and remember the mistakes I have made in my life.  I can remember the times I disappointed my parents.  I remember being disciplined by my father.  He lectured me.  He scolded me.  He challenged me to see people in a different way.  He made me think about the consequences of my words and my actions.  He insisted I go to church.  The point is, dad expected certain things from me.  He wanted to see me become a good man.  If Tina is right, then apparently that is what happened.  Because of my father’s instruction and discipline, I am a better person than I was.  I was corrected when I made a mistake.  I was punished for disobedience.  I was taught to be honest, loving, and caring.  It may have taken a while, but it might just be possible that I am finally learning what my father had been teaching all along.

God does the same.

Consider the life of King David.  As God looked at this young man, He said, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22).  Yet even David needed to be disciplined.  For example, in a moment of passion, David has an affair with the wife of one of his soldiers.  He arranges for the soldier to be killed in battle.  Therefore, his Father in Heaven scolds David.  God disciplines David.  Speaking through Nathan the Prophet, God confronts David’s sin.  David’s response to this discipline is found in Psalm 51.

          ¹ “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. ² Wash me clean from my guilt.

Purify me from my sin. ³ For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. ⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. ⁵ For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. ⁶ But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. ⁷ Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸ Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. ⁹ Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. ¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. ¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. ¹⁶ You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. ¹⁸ Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”

          I am struck by David’s attitude.  He realized that his sin caused a break in his relationship with God.  God wanted David to become a better man.  This is why God did not hesitate to show David what he had done wrong.  God lectured David.  He disciplined David.  He made David think about the consequences of his actions.  God taught David to be honest, loving, and caring.  Although it took a while, David realized that his behavior was destroying his relationship with God.  So David admits his mistake.  He comes to God and says, “You are right.  I have sinned.  I have done something evil”.  Then David prays that God would forgive him.

          David gives us a tremendous example of biblical prayer.  You see, sometimes the storm of guilt we feel raging in our heart is God trying to help us become a better person.  God corrects us because He loves us.  He understands that our sin interferes with the relationship we have with Him.  This is why He corrects.  He corrects us so that we might become a better person – a person who is honest, loving, and caring. 

          What we learn from David’s prayer is that if we confess our sin and admit our guilt – if we admit that God is right – God will show us mercy.  He will forgive us.  God will wash us and make us whiter than snow.  We also learn that the reason behind this guilt – the reason God has shown us what behavior is sinful – is that He desires to give us a clean heart.  God desires to be with us and near us, but in our sinfulness, the relationship is broken.  We also learn that by allowing God to wash us and cleanse us (to teach us and instruct us to become a better person than we were), others will begin to see the results of our open relationship with God.  People like Tina will see the results of our relationship with God.

          [Just as a side note, this relationship is what Satan is attempting to destroy.  He did this in the garden with Eve and Adam.  He destroyed the relationship by changing God’s rules.  He told Eve, “That’s not what God said” (Genesis 3:4-5).  And by changing God’s words, Eve and Adam sinned.  That sin, of course, broke their relationship with God.  Some people are doing the same thing today.  They attempt to change what God has said.  They remove certain sins from God Word. What they are attempting to do is no different from what Satan did – seduce us into sinning so our relationship with God is broken.]

          Today, God has given us the Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin (John 16:8).  However, the purpose behind this conviction is to bring us back to the Father.  This conviction often times feels like a storm.  David said it felt like his joy had been stripped away (Psalm 51:12).  It’s like that gnawing feeling you get in your gut when you’ve done something wrong and you worry how dad is going to react.  You didn’t want to, but you made a bad choice.  Dad will be upset, so you avoid him.  You won’t talk to him. However, until you resolve the issue, your relationship with your dad will not be the same.  It’s the same with God.  Your relationship with God will not be same until you confess what you have done wrong.

          This is why it is essential that we pray when we’ve done something wrong.  Prayer is the way we build our relationship with God.  And it is through prayer that our relationship is healed.  In addition (and this is the surprising part) people will begin to notice you’ve changed.  They will begin to see the results of a close relationship with your Heavenly Father.  They might even pull you aside and call you a good person.  I know, you will be tempted to argue with them, but maybe they are right.  Maybe by allowing God to teach us and correct us, we do become a better person in the end.

If my earthly father could teach me a thing or two about being a good person, I imagine my Heavenly Father could do this as well.

Teach Us to Pray - June 7, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A pastor had a kitten that climbed too high up a tree and became paralyzed with fear. He coaxed and offered warm milk, but the kitty would not come down. Unfortunately, the tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that he might be able to reach the cat if he could bend the small tree low enough to the ground. So he attached a rope to the tree and tied the other end to his car. Inching forward, the tree began to bend. Just as he was about to stop, he heard a loud *SNAP*. The rope broke and the tree went *Boing*. Instantly the kitten sailed through the air and out of sight. Heartbroken, the pastor walked all over the neighborhood asking if anyone had seen a little kitten. Eventually, he returned to his house and prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to Your keeping".

A few days later, he was at the grocery store and met one of his church members. He happened to notice cat food in her shopping cart. Knowing she hated cats, he asked, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She told him how her little girl had been constantly begging for a cat and, in frustration, she had blurted, "Well if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.” The woman said, "I watched her go out in the yard, get on her knees and ask God for a cat. And Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws spread out and landed right in front of her."

I wonder if he told her what actually happened.

I wonder what would happen if I prayed for a new truck.

Children seem to have an interesting concept of prayer. Sometimes they are so honest and get right to the point. Children are not afraid to share their feelings with God. It’s when they grow older that a child’s prayer life begins to fall apart. For instance, as I got older, I became self-conscience about praying. And most of the prayers I heard didn’t make sense. “Now with all eyes closed and every head bowed, lift your hand if you need the Lord to work in your life today . . . yes, yes, I see those hands, thank you”. And I’m thinking, “Wait a minute preacher, I thought everyone was to have their eyes closed”! As I listened to people pray, it sounded an awful lot like whining and complaining. “Lord, please heal Aunt Lois. She has a bunion on her right foot”, or “Lord, I’m affected by a bald patch.” It was as if our happiness was God’s responsibility. He existed to solve all our problems; to calm our storm. What really confused me about prayer was all the rules I was taught. Head bowed, eyes closed. Men, hat off. Women, head covered. Oh, and you must end your prayer with the name of Jesus. *sigh* I wish someone would have just taught me how to pray.

Do you suppose this is why the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1)? While teaching on the hillside, Jesus gives the crowd a model prayer that contrasts the way people were praying at the time. He tells them to pray this way. “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’[1] (Matthew 6:9-13).

The reason the apostles asked Jesus this question may surround a new prayer that was being practiced by the leading Jews at this time. A Jewish Pharisee named Gamaliel (who died around 50 AD), wrote a prayer called the Amidah. It consisted of 18 or 19 specific requests a Jew should lift up to God 3 times a day. Each of the requests ended with the line “Blessed are You, O Lord”. There was a long list of instructions associated with reciting this prayer: take three steps forward at the beginning, bend the knee when saying “Blessed”, bow at the words “are You”, and straighten back up at “O, Lord”. Three steps back at the end. This prayer was filled with symbolism.[2]

Of course, some prayed quite sincerely, but others merely mouthed the words of the Amidah and went through the motions mechanically – devoid of any personal contact with God. People were praying the same words over and over again, trying to impress others rather than opening their heart to God in private (Matthew 6:5-8). Jesus, on the other hand, says a disciple should not pray to impress others, vainly repeat words over and over, or place undue emphasis on posture and procedure. Jesus gives the crowd “The Disciples Prayer”; a prayer that is relational, personal, submissive, and honest. This is why we must be careful not to just repeat something we have memorized, but to open ourselves to God the Father.

God desires to be in a relationship with us, He desires to be close to us, God wants to be known by the people He has created, and prayer is how that happens. He has said, “I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people”[3] (Ezekiel 37:27). God’s desire to be near us is so great that He sent Christ to die so that He might walk with us in the garden once again. God is not looking for some formal relationship with us. He desires we come to Him just as a child comes to their father.

Do you want to know how to pray? Pray as a child talking to its father. When we were children, we just asked our parents for a drink. Do the same with God. Tell the Lord that you are thirsty. Tell God the storm you are facing scares you. Tell Him that it’s pretty hard living in this world right now. You don’t have to say, “Lord, I humbly bow before You this day in awe of You. You are holy and righteous. And now Father, if it is within Your will, grant that I may have water to drink for I thirst. I pray this in the name of our Savior, Amen”. If God desires a relationship with us, why do we picture Him standing in Heaven saying, “I’m not listening. You’re not properly dressed.” Or, “I can’t hear you. You are wearing a hat (or not wearing a covering)”.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians worry about prayer. Perhaps they worry because they have made it something that it is not. Prayer is simply talking to God the Father. Granted, we need to be respectful and humble. We need to remember whom we are talking with. Nevertheless, we need to stop hiding behind rules and rituals. We need to be open and honest with the Father. We need to remember that prayer is a privilege purchased by Jesus. His death on the cross granted us the honor of walking with God once again. Because of our relationship with Jesus, we have the tremendous opportunity to walk with the Father. He listens as we talk with Him. However, don’t forget that we must listen as He speaks with us.




[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 6:9–13). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[2] http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/867674/jewish/Translation.htm

[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Eze 37:27). Carol Stream, IL.

Lord, I Need You - May 31, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

While attending a marriage seminar on communication, Jim and his wife listened to the instructor declare: "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."  He addressed the men: "For instance, gentlemen, can you name your wife's favorite flower?"  Jim leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All – Purpose, isn't it?"  Later that day Jim could be heard muttering, “Lord, could You help me get out of this mess”.

There are times in our lives when we most certainly need the Lord, and there are times when we should rely on the Lord.  The mature Christian has learned to tell the difference.  In the same way, a church certainly needs the Lord, but it is the mature Church that has learned to rely upon the Lord.

One of the marks of a mature Christian is the ability to see the needs around them.  A mature church recognizes its responsibility to care for the people of this world.  However, this ability to see the physical and spiritual needs of others can be problematic.  We see the need and, at times, the need is far greater than we imagined.  The need looms before us as a mountain not easily moved.  Seeing the need, concerned Christians come to the Lord exclaiming, “Lord, do something about this problem”.  However, just like the Apostles, I wonder if we are prepared for the Lord’s reply.

One day, while Jesus was teaching a large crowd of people, everyone was getting hungry and tired.  Aware of the problem, the apostles came to Jesus with their solution.  However, Jesus had something else in mind.

Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.” But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” They did so, and had them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full [1] (Luke 9:12-17).

Rather than focus on the miracle, I want to focus on how the apostles responded to Jesus’ command.  Did you notice what they did?  According to Mark’s account, there were 5,000 men and their families (Mark 6:44).  Philip the Apostle said it would take more than 7 months of wages to have enough money to feed the crowd (see John 6:7).  The Apostle Andrew found a young boy who was willing share his sack lunch, but that was hardly enough to feed the crowd (John 6:8).  I can almost picture their frustration.  They show Jesus the mountain, yet Jesus tells them to move it - asking them to do something impossible.  There was no way they were able to fulfill the Lord’s command to feed the crowd.  And yet they did.

Do you think Jesus was surprised to learn that they were broke?  Did the apparent lack of money catch Him off guard?  Of course not.  He knew the group had limited finances, but that didn’t stop Him from giving the command.  Although they objected and pointed out their obvious lack of resources, the apostles obeyed Jesus’ command knowing full well just how much food was back in the kitchen.  This is significant because the apostles began following the Lord’s command long before the food was supplied.  Actually, Jesus only supplied a small amount at a time.  The apostles had to keep coming back to Jesus for more food (see Luke 9:16 – Kept giving).

When I think about mountain moving faith, the feeding of the 5,000 is at the top of my list.  I just can’t imagine the amount of faith it took to walk out into the crowd and begin a ministry with only five loaves of bread and two small fish back in the lunch wagon.  Picture the faith of these apostles as Jesus continued to supply the food.  Their faith in Christ would grow stronger and stronger each time they would come back for more.  And each time, their faith and joy would be multiplied.  Their cry of “Lord, I need You” changed from one of desperation to one of praise.  I wonder . . . had they not obeyed Jesus’ command, would the miracle have even taken place?  I guess we will never know.

This is not some cute story designed to make us feel good about Jesus.  This is a lesson on what kind of relationship we can expect with Jesus.  Just as he commanded the apostles, so too will He command us.  “You feed them,” He will say – giving us an impossible task.  So in response to this teaching, allow me to make several observations and ask a few questions.

1.   What would a church look like if it possessed this kind of mountain moving faith?  How would that church react to the needs it sees all around it?  How would that church respond to the Lord’s command to minister to those needs?  I suppose that church would respond much like the apostles did.  They would begin ministering to those in the community trusting the Lord to supply what was necessary.  They would begin even though they lacked the resources ahead of time.  They would continually place their faith and trust in Jesus to supply the need.

2.   What happens when a church places its faith in what can be reasonably accomplished?  When I say “reasonably accomplished” I am thinking about churches that look at the five loaves of bread and the two fish, then design a ministry to fit that size.  Unfortunately, that is not mountain moving faith.  That’s merely trusting in ourselves and in our abilities.  When ministries are designed based upon what we already have, we minister to ourselves, at best.  The bread and the fish may have simply fed the Apostles and no one else.  In order to feed the crowd, the apostles had to stop listening to their excuses and instead listen to what the Lord said would happen.  The crowd would be fed, He said.  The mountain would be moved.  A church that only trusts in its bank account will never experience mountain moving faith.

3.   What happens when a church neglects to consult Jesus?  In way too many churches, a need is recognized, plans are made, funds are given, and the ministry is launched.  However, nowhere along the way is Jesus consulted.  This is what many churches miss – the clear direction given by Jesus.  The Apostles clearly brought the concern to the Lord, and then He gave the instruction.  Remember, it is the Lord who moves the mountain through us.  A church must come to Jesus with a concern and respond as He leads and directs.

4.   Is it foolish to begin a ministry without first having what is necessary to begin?  I know this sounds like foolishness, but it is only foolish from a worldly point of view.  Jesus demonstrated here that He would supply what is necessary for His followers to accomplish a ministry.  Remember, they came to Jesus with the need.  Jesus is the one who said, “Let’s get started” before the food was supplied.  When the Lord directs a church into a ministry, that church must believe the Lord will provide what is needed to accomplish that ministry.  And when that Church begins ministering in faith, mountains are moved.  The community around the church is changed and the lives of the Christians in that church are transformed.  Nothing builds faith faster and stronger than having the Lord supply what is necessary for a church to change a community.

5.   If I may ask one last question, what does this say about us or other churches with similar circumstances?  What is keeping a church from feeding the 5,000 when they have already been given an abundant supply?  When a church has a large savings account, why are they not moving mountains?  If the Lord has already supplied the seed, why are they not out sowing?

As we have looked at the many examples of people who possessed Mountain Moving faith, their lessons become examples for us.  Their situations may have been different, but the faith required is the same.  Like the great cloud of witnesses who have lived before us, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus as well.  The Lord may not walk among us as He did with the apostles, but the needs in this world remain the same.  The hopeless need hope.  The fearful need strength.  The helpless need help.  The lost need saved.  The hungry need fed.  The homeless need shelter.  The needs of this world loom before us – a Mountain too great to be moved on our own.  Yet the Lord, in His wisdom, has asked His Church to Move this Mountain by allowing Him to work through humble saints.

The Lord, in His wisdom, planted us in this community for a reason.  He has opened our eyes to a need.  We’ve come to Him in prayer mentioning this need.  We feel that He has directed us to minister to the children in this community that do not know the Lord or have drifted away from the Lord.  Yet, this task seems like an immovable mountain.  Have we come to Jesus trusting that He will supply what we need to minister to these children?  Have we placed our faith in Jesus to move that mountain through us?  Since it appears the Lord already supplied us with what we need to accomplish this, let’s get started moving a mountain.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Lk 9:12–17). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.