Greetings!
Dear (Contact First Name),
Life
in America has brought freedom and blessings to millions of people. But
it's easy to forget how blessed we are as a people. With lives that are
filled with commitments of every kind, it is tempting to place God's
vision to build on the lower end of our priority list. God wants each of us to be committed to His promises.
In the days of the prophet Nehemiah, the people of God were committed to building. Nehemiah 4:6 says "so
we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half
its height, for the people had a mind (or heart) to work." They
had a heart to build together. No matter what plans the enemy tried to
bring against them, they held onto their faith until they succeeded.
Verses 17-18 contain one of God's keys to successful building - the combination of prayer and giving:
"Those
who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves
so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other
held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his
side as he built..."
Billy Graham once Said:"Heaven is full of answers to prayer for which no one bothered to ask." When you give, rest assured that the enemy has plans to stop you. But the prayers of a righteous man or women avails much:
"Now
it happened, when [their enemies] heard that the walls of Jerusalem
were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they
became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and
attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night."
Nehemiah 4:7-9
That's
why Faith Temple is asking you to join us in praying for this vision to
build and for souls to be saved during this time. Sign up sheets are
located in the sanctuary on the edge of the stage. If
you haven't already, sign up for a half-an-hour or more during the week
when you can personally commit to praying for the church. In
addition, I'll be handing out a free gift to you over the next few
weeks - it's a mini-book that will help you reach those around you with
the gospel.
We
are partners in God's vision to build, and His word promises that we
will enjoy His harvest if we release our faith and maintain it all the
way to the end.
Hebrews 3:14 says "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end."
The word "partakers" from this verse, in Greek, is a combination of two
words: echo (meaning "to have") and meta (meaning "with"). It means
"participant, sharer, partner." That means that you will share in the
blessings this building season brings. You'll enjoy the new atmosphere
of a new place to worship God. You'll enjoy the company of those that
God uses you to save. You'll enjoy every provision that God has
promised you.
As we look over these Commitment cards, we are excited to know that you have a heart to build. We're thankful that you are working with us to build your new church.
We
know that God has something good in store for you, and we'll continue
to agree with you in faith for what you're believing for. If you
haven't turned yours in yet, remember to bring it with you this Sunday,
as we join together for a special seed offering.
We love you,
Senior Pastors Stephen and Darla Edlin |
