Following Jesus’ plan for me
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?” (Matthew 21: 12-15, NKJV)
I was writing in my journal a year ago and I was reviewing my first year after Pat went to heaven. In particular I was looking at what it meant to really serve God and I had an epiphany on what His church should be like and how I fit into His plan:
“My pet peeve as a follower of Christ – commercialism. I hate to say this but many churches have become nothing but commercial enterprises singled on a personality (not Jesus) and launched into big business for profit in a non-profit organization. I look at Jesus in the temple and wonder when He is going to do the same to a lot of the modern churches.
I have wrestled with this for years in my own life as I successfully climbed the secular corporate ladder, while working in churches unpaid to do executive administration, lead worship, teach, preach, attend to religious polity, working with teenagers and children, working with the homeless.
The loss of my wife last year from the debilitating genetic disease, Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, set me back and I made some severe life-changing decisions. I have done this under God’s guidance and the help of some wonderful counselors and mentors. What I discovered was the truth of Jesus statement that you cannot serve money and God – they are incompatible.
However, if you will surrender everything you have and give it to God, He will use it in ways you never imagined and He will direct your life to its ultimate purpose. I have experienced first hand the wonder of someone who has nothing but is grateful for what they have.
This last year I have committed to 2 mission opportunities to work directly with orphans and widows through my local church and Orphan’s Heart Ministries. I have seen first hand what my money in the past went to support. But I also discovered another truth from Jesus – the harvest is great, but the workers are few.
I fully believe that if the church would forget about empire building and instead focus on Kingdom building – the change on this planet would be dramatic.
I am going back to Uganda next summer – I see so much hope and I see what Christ wants to do with each of us – to form a relationship, not a business partnership!” (10/3/2016)
LESSON LEARNED: Do not focus on myself but rather what is God’s purpose and plan for me. He has given me clues all my life and now I must surrender to Him and know that He has a future for me that will expand His Kingdom and give Him pleasure! To God be the glory!
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV)
Widower's Walk 