Beyond All Limits DAY!

Monday. The start of the work week...the beginning of another HOPE Outreach Center ministry day...the resuming of our rebuilding phase after a busy weekend!

Today was one of those days. There were so many fingerprints of the Almighty on this special beauty. As I look back over these 14 hours all I can do is just smile. "Go God!" God simply moved powerfully today...beyond all limits of my understanding. I love watching God perform amazing deeds and spectacular wonders. Wow Lord, I love what I see you doing in the middle of this atmosphere of faith demonstrated right here @ CFA in Columbus, Indiana.

Dropped my son off for band camp and then headed to the command center. Before I could get settled into my office cubicle, I discovered the painters were ready to go to work. At the same time I met the workers from the glass company who were already starting to demo the old, old single pane windows in the basement in favor of double-pane stylish ones. I can't describe the excitement to you I felt to see those ugly windows being tossed into the dumpster! They were always such an eyesore. Thanks Lord for the nice upgrades you are allowing us to make on your house of worship!

The painters got to work and made tremendous progress on many fronts in the new sanctuary wing. First, behind the baptistery area on both sides. Then out in the foyer with a primer coat on the new drywall. It's starting to come together...

I had an appointment with our sound guy and worked out a nice arrangement for our sound system design and installation. The Lord is working in every detail of this rebuilding project. We already upgraded our platform plugs and channels run from the sound board. We are installing a brand new state-of-the art digital sound system. Then we are outfitting the current system to be used back in our fellowship hall/youth chapel. Again, the time to step up to the next level was presented to us...and we stepped forward in faith...expectantly trusting God to supply for this post-flood need.

Mail time came and we discovered a check for our flood fund from a church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Awesome! Each gift and each sacrifice is adding up to a DEBT FREE God-sized miracle. Just wait and see what God will do...it's going to be beyond our wildest imagination!!

Later, I found an email from a church in Indiana that just conducted their kid's bible school. Our Children's Church was the adopted missions project for their fundraising that week. Guess what? These 45 kids collected 165 pounds of change for our church (I bet Ted was glad that he didn't have to count that offering!!). After counting it all up it came to $540.42! At the program Sunday night another $200 was given to make it a grand total of $740.42!!! Now tell me that God isn't interested in a flooded-out church on the corner of 10th and Iowa Streets in Columbus, Indiana. This is what I experienced all day today...the activity of a loving God in the midst of our stepping out in faith.

It gets better. Are you ready? We are a strong missions-giving church who has more than tripled its' world missions program in less than 5 years. WE BELIEVE IN MISSIONS! And our people have caught the joy of sowing seeds for a good harvest in every area of the globe. One of our Indiana missionaries emailed me today and reported that he had heard our church was flooded out and that he was praying for us. Not only would he pray for us but he is also preparing to send us a check (can you wrap your heart around this statement?). That blew my mind! To see a young missionary whom we have adopted monthly, and also where we have sent other missions gifts to help in their Bible School...now make it's way back through the circle of faith and fellowship. That's what I call SUPER-SPECTACULAR!! Yes, the Lord does reward obedience and faithfulness in your giving.

But it doesn't end there...it gets better! The Czech brethren learned that Columbus First had been a faithful supporter of the work there in the Czech Republic and they have announced our need nationally and asked everyone to pray.

This is what one of the presbyters wrote us:

"Hello, We received a request to pray and have answered the call to prayer for your church First Assembly of God in Columbus. Please pass along greetings from the church in Lysa nad Labem, and pass along the encouragement, which we have received: our Lord Jesus is with you even in this difficult moment, and He is glorified in this entire situation." --Pastor Jirka Sedlacek

I felt like one of the New Testament churches receiving a word of encouragement from the likes of the Apostle Paul when I read this greeting. That's how Paul always wrote to the churches he birthed or visited! Thanks Lord for this exhortation from our brothers in the land of the Czech Republic. You are totally amazing me today!

Then I saw Monty & Susan return from their weekend trip unloading the truck filled with "blessings" from people they met this weekend. There must have been about 20-25 boxes of clothing, food and other supplies for our HOPE Outreach Center. God you just amaze me!
Then I assembled a group of our leaders and ministry volunteers tonight to meet with the general contractor and architect of our rebuilding project. We saw the first set of prints for our complete regional ministry campus and ideas for implementing a new egress stairwell, plus many other updated changes too (bathrooms, showers, new rooms, toddler wing redesign, etc.). You could say we presented a good list of positive changes to his plans that would work best in our ministry environment. Everyone was excited about what we are beginning to envision for the future of our NEW Regional Ministry Center...pretty cool master plan! God you're in charge of this master plan!

I came home to find my wife sitting on our front patio. We talked about our day and shared many things with each other. Lord, thank you for my beautiful wife who is such a partner in this ministry that you have called me too! I love her so much!!

After reading this blog I'm sure you can see God's fingerprints all over my day and all over this ministry center. If you want to get in on the ground floor of something totally BEYOND ALL LIMITS, let me invite you to partner with us in this rebuilding project. We don't have the funds to do what we're doing...but we believe that GOD HAS IT, and is releasing the funds from people and churches all over America, and even in countries around the world. Plus, the people from our church are stepping up to make pledges for our flood fund as well. God has commissioned this to be a DEBT FREE journey of faith and we are following Him courageously and confidently!

You can access our church website for an online gift (www.columbusfirstassembly.org) or send it to us here at the church: CFA, 2100 Tenth St., Columbus, IN 47201.

Rejoicing in the wonder of my creator. I know that my Redeemer lives. What about you?

Much love to you and yours.