Still Learning

John 14:1 (NIV84)  

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."

Good morning Zebras,

God continues to grow my understanding of how He wants this ministry done.

First, He showed me it needed to be free.  Matthew 10:8b says: Freely you have received, freely give.  And although that does not apply to everyone, I know it applies to me. So I am thrilled that this Saturday’s event in Colusa is being offered free of charge.

Second, He taught me not to worry about the numbers.  God does not care about numbers.  They are not an indication of our obedience.  He is the one who causes people to come and He is the one who prompts them to stay home.  All my efforts in that direction are a waste of time.

Third, He showed me that this ministry is not about me, but it is also not about you.  It is about Him.  Like Paul I must resolve to nothing but Christ crucified and the power of His resurrection so that your faith does not rest upon the wisdom of men but on the power of God.  Learning that was one of my more painful lessons.  

Next, He showed me that this is HIS ministry and it is to be done HIS way.  Even small details matter.  If He prompts me to build a Power Point, I better build a Power Point.  At least I’d better if I want His blessings on the presentation.

And the most recent lesson is that requesting an RSVP is my subtle attempt to control the Spirit of God.  It is my way of trying to dictate when God speaks to His people. If God hasn’t spoken to you by Tuesday at 5:00-I guess He doesn’t want you to come. 

How arrogant is that?

Did Noah ask for reservations?   Nope.  The offer was open until the doors closed and it started to rain. Does Jesus need an RSVP?   Nope.  Salvation and grace are offered every day, 24-7.  You are welcome to come at any time.    

So this Saturday no RSVP is required.   We will prepare for the number of Zebras God has told us to prepare for and then we will see what happens.  If you want to RSVP just to help Natalie know how much food to prepare great-but if you don’t know that you are coming until God wakes you up Friday night and tells you to go that’s great too.

Trusting God is way more exciting than trying to control Him.

Love,
Jill and Natalie
nbell76@hotmail.com

Just Some Info

Good morning Zebras,

Just wanted to let the Northern California Zebras know about a gathering of the herd Saturday,  November 5th from 9-4 at Colusa Presbyterian Church, 326 Jay Street, Colusa.

 

Everyone is welcome!

Topic:
Matthew 11:28-30
... Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus promised us rest.

Are you feeling it?

If not come spend the day with us.

Cost: FREE

For more information contact
Natalie McAlpin at
nbell76@hotmail.com

530-401-8262

RSVP's are appreciated but not necessary.

A light lunch will be served.

 

Love,
Jill

·

Praying for Revival

James 5:16 (NIV84)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Good morning Zebras,

As I prepare for the one day Zebra event in Colusa, God has stepped up the learning curve.  He has shown me a few new things and reminded me of truths I often forget.

For example, no matter what we think, the real work in ministry and life is prayer.

We like to think it’s what we do, the events we plan, the ministries we run, but it isn’t.  The real work, the changing of hearts and lives, is only something God can do. And the only part we can play in that is to pray.

Last week I watched Facing the Giants again.  My kids tease me that I watch that movie once a month, which isn’t true, but I do watch it a lot.  I love the main message which is we need to live lives that are honoring to God but there are so many other truths in the movie that when God prompts me to watch it He always shows me something else.

This time He reminded me about the importance of prayer.

In the movie the school undergoes a revival.  Emotional images of students praying and hugging each other on the school lawn are intended to pull at our hearts strings.  But it was the interruption of those images by a short segment of an older man walking through the halls of the school praying over each locker that made me cry.

According to the storyline, the man had been coming every week for years praying over those lockers. Praying God would raise up, for Himself, a generation that loved Him.

The school’s revival, it’s implied, is a direct result of his prayers.

The Bible tells us the prayers of a righteous man, a man who desires only to do the will of God are powerful and effective.  Especially if like Elijah, they pray fervently, not half-heartedly, not when they have time, but fervently like lives depended upon the answer.

Love,
Jill

Wearing Jesus

Colossians 3:12 (NIV)


Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Good evening Zebras,

My husband told me this morning that today is Dress Like Steve Jobs Day. Obviously this is not something I am going to participate in. But laughingly I told him if there was ever a Dress Like Jesus Day he could count me in.


Of course, that is when God reminded me that every day is a dress like Jesus day.


Those of us who claim Christ as Savior are supposed to clothe ourselves with the nature and character of Jesus so that we can represent Him accurately to the world.


But do we?


So today, just for fun, I decided I would watch for people dressed like Steve Jobs, wearing a black mock turtle neck and jeans. And I would watch for people dressed like Jesus wearing kindness, compassion humility and patience.


After working at home all day I went to Office Max this afternoon to run some copies.

I was the only one there at first, which was good, but because I had so many copies to make. But soon a line began to form behind me. I knew I was taking too long and that like a slow truck going up a mountain, I should “pull over” and let people pass. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I NEEDED to finish.


So I did what any guilt-ridden Christian would do…I acted like I didn’t see them.

When I was finally finished, three hundred copies later, I apologized for taking so long and a gentleman in the back of the line said. “No problem, are you sure you are done? Because if you aren’t you can cut in front of me.”


What??! I had just made him wait fifteen minutes and he was going to let me cut in front of him again? Who was this guy?


Turns out he was a Christian. A Christian named David who was wearing Jesus.


So David, if you are reading this. Thank you. Thank you for dressing like Jesus today and showing kindness to a stranger who was hogging the copy machine.

Love,
Jill

There is a Difference

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

Good morning Zebras,

Yesterday my pastor started a sermon series on the Twenty-Third Psalm.

To be honest I have never really understood why everyone loved this psalm so much.  Nor could I understand why we always read it at funerals.

David writes about The Valley of the Shadow of Death, but to me a person who has died has already passed through that valley to the other side.  And although I have often heard it read at funerals I have never heard it explained.  Or maybe they explained it and I didn’t understand.

Yesterday I realized the reason I have never understood it was because I didn’t have a heart like David’s.

David knew his God.

He knew his God was good and powerful.  He knew he could trust Him to take care of him.  He knew that God would protect him and guide him.  He knew that no matter what happened God was in charge and watching over Him. And it gave him great comfort.

But that never comforted me.

Knowing God is in charge and taking care of me was not comforting because it was only head knowledge.  David had lived it, I had only heard about it.

And there is a huge difference.

When you know about God you worry, when you know God you can relax.  Because when you really know who God is and what He is capable of doing, worrying is unnecessary because God, the creator of the universe who holds everything in His hand, has promised to take care of you.

And that is incredibly comforting.

Love,
Jill

Thoughts

John 17:17b

Thy Word is truth...

Good afternoon Zebras,

I was at the gym working out and watching the clock. I didn't have very long because I needed to pick up Nick, my son, from school.

I was cutting it close and as I glanced at clock one more time I thought "I wonder if that thing is even right."

And I was immediately grateful that I never have to wonder that about God's Word.

Rejoice!

Psalm 118:24 (NIV84)

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Good morning Zebras,

I woke up this morning with a slight case of the blues, nothing big just a nagging feeling of blah.

As I was doing my quiet time I realized part of the problem was that I wasn’t “living in the moment.”  I was thinking about things that are going to happen in the future.  I wasn’t focusing on today.

So I went to reread Matthew 6:25-34. But the problem really isn’t worry.  It is excitement, plus worry.  I am excited about what God has me doing the next few weeks and worried that He is going to bench me again.

Then I thought of today’s verse. That was the answer I needed.  I needed to make myself rejoice in this day because the Lord has made it. Period.

But when I looked the verse up in the new NIV translation and read it in context of the surrounding verses I found that an old favorite had a new meaning.

 Psalm 118:22–24

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

I am still commanded to rejoice but not because of this day, but because of the day that God sent Jesus to lay the foundation of our faith.

That made a lot more sense to me.

I can always rejoice in the cross and what God has done for us by sending His son, I can’t always rejoice in the day of ahead of me.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this new meaning fit in much better with the whole theme of Scripture. 

Jesus said in this world we would have trouble; the joy comes from knowing He has overcome it.  And He told the disciples not to rejoice in their successful service but in the fact that their names are written in the Book of Life.

Rejoicing is based upon the cross, not our circumstances, because that never changes.

Love,

Jill