The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:5
Isn’t it interesting that no matter how thick darkness is, it can never ‘put out’ the light? It can be dark for miles and miles, but one little flame can pierce the darkness. What if we put that into the context of our neighborhoods? What if people made their homes a beacon of light to a dying neighborhood? I don’t mean dying in the sense of run down. Your neighbor can have the most beautiful flowers and landscaping and still be dying inside. I’ll never forget the first time I knocked on my neighbor’s door before we moved into an RV. The look on his face as he walked up was “What’s wrong? What happened? Do I know you?” all wrapped up in one expression. It’s not normal anymore to even talk to your neighbor. If we are in the world, but not of it, why don’t we do something totally counter-cultural that really speaks of the Kingdom. It’s never been easier to do this. Go over to your neighbor’s house and invite them over for coffee, or a meal, or a yard game… something! People are longing everywhere to not be lonely; to have someone that truly knows them; to be invited into family. What we do should flow out of who we are. God has made us all royal priests! We are to have authority given to us by Jesus over things of the unseen realm. We battle against things not of this world. Although Jesus beat sin and death once for all, we still have a ministry to serve in here on earth before He comes back. That ministry is to be an ambassador of the King; to be a light wherever we’re at. Now I’m not going to give you a step by step process of how best to serve your neighbors or co-workers, because I believe the Holy Spirit can give you the best insight of how to do that. Every person and relationship is different, which is precisely why we need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. When we bought a 4-plex and lived in one of the apartments, the address was 513. God showed me Matthew 5:13-14 (you are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world) and Galatians 5:13-14 (you were called to freedom so that through love you can serve one another; love your neighbor as yourself) as a roadmap for why God had us purchase it Through prayer and seeking the Father about the purpose of the house, God revealed to us His plan. We began to have Thursday night worship where the evening was modeled after Acts 2:42-47 and 1 Corinthians 14:26. Prayer, worship, fellowship and eating together happened. People grew closer to God, and others were brought into the Kingdom. Everyone had a part to play, and were encouraged to do so. It was a safe place for all people to grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus. God gave us a lighthouse, but we were to be the light! We were filled up and encouraged by meeting together… everyone having a place... everyone having a voice. What if a church (a group of people following Christ) was full of lighthouses? What would our neighborhoods look like? What would our cities look like? What would America look like? I believe the church needs a grassroots movement. A movement not led by pastors, but the body of Christ. A movement where people that love Jesus simply start loving their neighbors. I believe it would transform lives and transform our nation.
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Hello!We're a family of six living full-time in a skoolie (aka a school bus converted into an RV). We are inviting you to join us as we live life to its fullest and empower others to do the same. Welcome to the family! Archives
January 2021
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