The Gathering

The Lord has blessed me to be the leader of a ministry at my church called The Gathering. It's bittersweet really, on one hand I'm seeing the promises of God manifest. On the other hand I'm facing much persecution due to people thinking they know "what will work" what shouldn't be done or did you do this that and the third right? And currently the volume of youth that are showing up so far or people in general. As people believe the numbers signify rather or not God's message is going fourth. That if the same event was greeted with a packed house, it would show that the "Lord's hand was on it". Yet I'm convicted that God isn't merely calling the Church to swell. That when the disciples went out and taught the word of God, that "the numbers increased daily (Acts 16:5)".

It was the strengthening and the decree that went fourth that added to the numbers not an event and that's what I'm praying for as far as The Gathering is concerned. Anyone can get hype off of an event and come out to support it oppose to having a fervent love for the Lord and drive to keep His commandments that they want to soak Him up at every given opportunity. So rather there is one or one hundred in attendance may it be due to the fact that either their drawn because the truth is evident, they come as enemies because the truth is evident, or they no longer return, because the truth is evident. But not because it's a nice place to be lukewarm and entertained within that fact.

I know that's one of several reasons I enjoy First Friday Fundamentals at Epiphany Fellowship. I cannot recall the 1st time I went but every month I sit in anticipation as to rather I'll be able to attend. I'm not driving currently (something I'm hoping to change come Spring:)) so I have to depend on the ride of others. Not so much getting there but going home not trying to hit up Philly streets that time of night on foot and praise God for the wisdom because young girl me would have cared less. But point being I love to go not because Shai Linne the rapper is hosting or because some other rapper will well rap LOL, but because God is glorified in the teaching. Everything is well thought out and planned and even that which may at first glimpse appear to be secular promotion, it all directs us to Christ. Equipping the believer to be in this world and not of it.

And that's my hope for The Gathering, the format isn't FFF praise God because I have to pray not to duplicate it quite honestly especially due to the platform and my love for what's being done in it. But that the teens (as well as adults that attend with them) walk away having grown more in the Lord or having revealed that they don't know Him. That it will be a "event" where the same faces are coming back monthly because they need to hear what thus saith the Lord, rather than sporadically only when someone they want to hear is "performing". And if one Friday the plan is to do nothing but pray for that evening, that I'm not greeted with an empty space. And that these young people have a place to speak on the things they'd dare not in other arenas/ministries.

It's again bittersweet, God is faithful and He's even further teaching me in this ministry, for one if He's not the standard I don't have a leg to stand on. If He's not the focus I'd be disappointed by the current turn out and if my love isn't directed towards Him, I'd missed all that He's saying not just to these youth but myself as well.

Pray with me saints of God as He uses me as He pleases within this ministry that I'd keep right focus, that He'd get His glory and that people walk away changed or walk away never to return because there is no place for such change in them.