"’Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered.”
Mark 11:22

George Mueller hadn’t faced a situation quite like it.  Before him were 120 orphans, expectantly seated at long dinner tables.  But something at this mealtime tested the mettle of Mueller’s heart.  On the dinner plates at that table was...nothing but water.  Eager faces looked toward him, as if to say, “What’s for dinner?”  But he didn’t know; the cupboard was bare and the icebox was empty.  There was no milk, and no money to buy food or drink.

What was George to do?  It didn’t take long for him to decide.  He would do what he had done every other mealtime.  He would instruct the children to bow their heads and join him in thanking God for the meal they were about to eat.  He would praise God for the faithfulness of His provision.  And so he did.  Mueller prayed simply, directly, and with a heart filled with faith.

When the “amen” was pronounced, the plates were still empty.  But as the eyes of those 120 youngsters turned again to the head table, a knock sounded at the door.  One of the boys was sent to answer.  A moment later, he called out, “Mr. Mueller, it’s the vegetable man!  He’s got a lot of stuff for us!”  “Coincidentally,” there were many vegetables that would spoil if he didn’t do something with them.  While the vegetables were being unloaded, another person came to the door — the butcher!  He had run out of ice at the end of a hot day and faced the prospect of awful, rotting meat.  Could the orphanage use it?  No sooner had he spoken the words than another amazing “coincidence” occurred.  The milkman’s wagon pulled up, overloaded with milk and dairy products and needing desperately to do something with them!

Needless to say, it was quite a banquet that night.  And it was the finest lesson in faith those orphans ever received.  Would the same thing have happened had Mueller not prayed, believing God for His provision and thanking him ahead of time for it?  We don’t know, but we do know Jesus said we have not because we ask not.  And we know His will for us is to walk by faith, not by sight.

Prayer Focus: God is calling each attender of Impact to answer a vital question:  “Do you have the faith to trust God for His provision?”  No matter what the circumstances are?  No mater how gloom your reality may seem?  Do you trust God to provide?  Talk to Him about that right now.  Spend at least 10 minutes (minimum) and share your heart about your faith in His provision.  Oh yeah… and be honest!

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
1 Timothy 1:12

After Watergate, there was an abundance of books that were published by the various personalities involved.  One of the most famous was Chuck Colson who wrote the very famous “Born Again.”  This book detailed his conversion to Christ.  All of these years later, we think of Chuck Colson as a great man who has had such an impact on the world through his prison ministries.  We forget that before his conversion he was known as “the hatchet man.”  It was a common saying in Washington that Colson would walk over his own mother for Nixon!  Another player in the Watergate scandal was the very boisterous G. Gordon Liddy.  One of the great quotes from his book tells of a time when a certain court date came around.  Everyone had been discussing Colson’s conversion to Christianity.  As Colson walked into the courtroom, Liddy was overheard to say, “Oh, no, if Colson would walk over his own mother for Nixon, just think what he will do for Jesus!”

Time has proven Colson’s conversion genuine.  He certainly is one more example of how God can change a life.  In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul is encouraging Timothy in the faith to cherish, protect, and preach the Gospel.  The reason is the Gospel’s message changes lives.  Indeed at Impact, the Gospel is taught so the goal of seeing more lives changed can be met.

Prayer Focus: Pray our church will always be a place that impacts the world for Jesus.  Pray each one of us will join together to help expand God’s kingdom. 

Be more like Christ as we do our part to accomplish the “X” in the X Factor.  What is God doing in your heart with regard to the future?  Listen to Him.  Is He challenging you some place?