Who is Willing to Stand in the Gap?

Ezekiel 22:30 I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

Isaiah 6:8: Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,"Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

A couple of weeks ago I shared a burden I had to minister to the young people who live in my neighborhood and how I have joined with some other people from my local church to start a kids club, which has for the most part been successful, and we have reached out to several new families. Praise the Lord for the progress we are making.

The burden for lost young people is continuing to grow in me. A couple of days ago, I saw some young teens who I know and they were smoking cigarettes and they were acting a little on the high side, like they may have been drunk. It caused my heart to sink a little, but I still greeted them with the regular short conversation you have when you see friends on the street.

When our family was growing up there were 7 siblings and we came from a poor family who were unchurched while we were young. It was the church I am now going to that had several older folks who went out and reached out to unchurched families and they extended unconditional love to us despite our status. They wanted to show us how much Jesus loved us. Through this love my sister Wanda and I accepted Christ as our Savior and my sister became a missionary to Papau, New Guinea and now she is serving as a missionary in Sanford, Florida. Because of the churches love, later my mother who has gone to be with the Lord accepted Christ, and also two aunts, Grace and Dorothy. Recently, my brother Wayne accepted Christ a couple years ago. He is struggling a little in his faith walk, but right now he is returning to church, so I praise the Lord for that. My point is that because others were led by Christ to start reaching outside the church six relatives which includes me have followed Christ. It only happened because someone stood in the gap for us. They new that if it wasn't them that was willing to share the gospel, who would.

Recently, I was listening to a message on the Christian radio station of a missionary in India and he had a dream about an island full of thousands of people and there was no bridge to reach them so he dreamed how he could reach them and as he got closer to the island he saw a dark spot getting clearer and the closer he got the clearer it was becoming. He got real close and in his dream he saw that the bridge was children holding hands and it stretched to the island. He began ministering to the children in the city he was sent to. He had no luck previously reaching adults. But because of the love he showed to the children and the things he taught them, the parents and relatives started coming to the church. A couple of weeks ago during team kids children's club, we watched a missionary presentation of a man and woman who were not married, but they worked together as missionaries in maybe Baton Rouge, Louisiana? They ministered to youth. Some of the things they did with the youth was sporting events, tutoring, and the man had a large house and allowed eight of them to live with him. They also supported these young ones with material needs such as food and clothing. It was such a cool thing to watch, after I have been thinking about what can I do. I am still not sure what I should do about reaching out outside the walls of the church, but I know if I do nothing, then these teens will continue to be drawn into relationships that repeat painful family cycles of hurt. All I know right now is that I am willing to stand in the gap for Jesus, and also that I am ready to proclaim to Jesus, here I am Lord, send me. I also know that if the Lord continues to lead me into this direction that He will supply my needs according to His glorious riches.

In June an artist in our church is going to demonstrate to the Team Kids how to create a peice of pottery. His name is Tom. While he is working on that, I have been invited to share a teaching on the potter and the clay out of the Word of God. I will continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit step by step and put my faith and trust in Him. I am trusting that the community of Cambridge Springs will be radically changed spiritually as the body of Christ unites itself in the cause of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus.