I was think reflecting back to my great days of youth ministry. I was a youth pastor for life!…and then GOD interrupted me. I wrestled….I lost! God had a calling on my life. Church Planting? I knew nothing about it. I came with one passion, to see people who were far from God come to know God. I began to read and learn and came across this incredible quote by James Gribble, a missionary to the Central African Republic. “I shall be content with the lowest seat in heaven, if only there I may sit and see the redeemed of the Lord come in from those fields where I have been a pioneer missionary.” That changed my life!
The book of Hebrews tells us that “by faith Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going”. He had no map, no AAA brochure, no motel reservations. His caravan simply headed west toward the Mediterranean, and that was that. God had said he would show him where to stop sometime in the future when he got to wherever he was going.
Faith is always happy to step out not knowing where it’s going; so long as it knows, Who is going. (GOD) As long as God’s strong hand was holding Abraham’s, everything was going to work out just fine.
(Is. 41:13) I am the Lord your God, holding your right hand, Fear Not, I will help you!
Eph 5:2 “Walk in the way of love….2 Cor. 5:7 “walk by faith, not by sight”[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WXUlERHKc]
I just finished reading the introduction to the book, Religion in Ohio, which I downloaded. The book is edited by two persons on staff at the Ohio State University. Near the end of his Introduction, Donald Huber writes:
“What about the future? Clearly, if present trends continue, Ohio will become more religiously diverse in the coming decades. Protestant dominance has decreased significantly over two centuries. …
By most estimates … only half of all Ohioans had any kind of formal religious affiliation as the bicentennial approached. …
There is plenty of opportunity for religious groups in Ohio to grow if that is their desire.” [emphasis mine]
Dan – interesting comments from you. I, too, was impressed several years ago by the same quote from James Gribble.
Keep up the good work.
RB