We continue attending to the words given to us by the Lord:
Seek: As we seek first the King, his kingdom and his righteousness—the Person of God, the Purpose of God, the Ways of God—the Lord will guide us into decisions that will bring shalom to us and to our neighbors in Prince William County.
Repent: Daily repentance is good, essential and formational, because it is a returning to where we belong—life with God for the sake of others. Such repentance clears the way for the kingdom to come to and through Immanuel. This past Sunday we repented from three specific areas as a community, and received forgiveness and grace:
· Let go of control. Receive grace to trust, to be patient, to wait on the Lord.
· Release our past. Receive the Lord’s future.
· Turn from complaining, criticizing, grudge-holding. Receive grace to listen, to forgive, to reconcile.
Remember: In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus declares that his Spirit-anointed presence fulfills the promise of Isaiah 61:1-4 of good news for the poor, liberty for the captive and oppressed, sight for the blind, and the favor of the Lord for all who respond to the message of Jesus. This upcoming Sunday, therefore, we will recall that we share in this mission of Jesus, and so remember…
· … our calling: “God with us…for the sake of others.”
· … that people need Jesus, and we are to go out and tell them.
· … that we need the Holy Spirit.
The day we officially broke ground for the construction of our Mission Outpost, Bishop John Guernsey prayed a blessing and we sang loudly “Build Your Kingdom Here.” The third verse of that song weaves together the three words the Lord has spoken to us:
We seek Your kingdom first/We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives/For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released/The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church/And we pray revive this earth
Join us this Sunday as we continue participating in this kingdom movement.
Your Pastor in Christ,
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