DO YOU BELIEVE GOD SEES AND HEARS YOU ? MORE IMPORTANTLY, DO WE AS BELIEVERS SEE THOSE IN NEED ?

How easy is it for you to find the comfort and safety of being in an environment with all your basic needs met ? A place with shelter, safety, food and drink. A place where your family resides and friends are present. A place where today is planned out and tomorrow has a path and purpose. A place where you are financially secure at least to a point. You have a job, and you have transportation. I put in the work and effort, and so I am GOOD. As a believer in Christ, you may be looking forward to a Sunday sermon, or a study with a small group. You have a faith, and you feel solid because your prayers are usually answered and you sense God’s presence, because you are pretty sure He Sees You And Hears You…Right ? The real challenge for Believers is to KNOW GOD IS THERE ALL THE TIME….Right ? When I look at all the challenges I face, I realize that they ARE BEARABLE FOR ME, BECAUSE JESUS IS INSIDE ME ! HE HAS ME ! Challenges can be hard, but I will get through them. THE POINT I am slowly bringing into view is THIS : “What If I Am Not Comfortable and Safe ?” “What If I don’t have food and drink, or a shelter to rest in ?” DOES GOD SEE ME AND HEAR ME ? Would it be easy to become skeptical, especially if The World rejects you and ostracizes you ? What if I lost my way, and couldn’t find my way to the Path To An Abundant Life that Christians talk about all the time ? I’M LOST ! I don’t think God is there, and I’m searching for Escape and Relief from Pain, Loneliness, Anger, Failure. Are You Real God ? I need you, but I am so confused and unsure. I Had A Life, but things have become BAD….are you really there ? I don’t know what trust is anymore, so I don’t trust anyone because NO ONE CARES…maybe not even you GOD…if You Exist.

SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. Genesis 1:27

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOD’S TEMPLE AND THAT GOD’S SPIRIT DWELLS IN YOU ? 1 Corinthians 3:16

FOR YOU FORMED MY INWARD PARTS; YOU KNITTED ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB. I PRAISE YOU, FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. WONDERFUL ARE YOUR WORKS; MY SOUL KNOWS IT VERY WELL. Psalm 139: 13-14

I truly believe that GOD SEES AND HEARS THE CRIES OF HIS PEOPLE ! We are all made in His Image; we are all “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.” We are His Temple and His Spirit dwells in us. Here is the Real Challenge. ARE YOU SEEING AND HEARING GOD AND HIS PLAN FOR YOU EVEN WHEN IT IS DIFFICULT OR CHALLENGING ? ARE YOU LISTENING AND OBEYING, EVEN WHEN IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE OR EVEN UNSETTLING AT TIMES ? Leave it to God to always know when to put us in places that make us grow; make us think; make us Walk Our Talk ! Something to ponder : JESUS DIDN’T COME TO START A RELIGION. JESUS CAME TO START A RELATIONSHIP ! WITH YOU AND ME ! When I ponder My Life In Christ, I KNOW it is about ME, HIM, AND HIS WAY, TRUTH, AND LIFE. It is about moving into a relationship with Him that is So Deep that I can’t help but BE LIKE HIM ! His character, His thoughts, His truths, His commands, His focus, His Love. THE TRUTH IS THAT WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE HAVE TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES. LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS. Jesus spoke to us in great detail HOW we love God by honoring His Commandments and from them become whole and complete. NUMERO UNO is for God to become your Primary Focus in Life. Jesus also gave great detail in how we are supposed to serve and take care of our Brothers and Sisters. NUMERO DOS is more challenging in some ways. It means thinking less about ourselves and our needs and focusing on others. HERE is a real Challenge. How or where can I best accomplish meeting needs, but also Most Importantly, PUTTING GOD AND HIS LOVE FRONT AND CENTER ? God showed me HOW today:) My wife Julie and I spent the morning with another couple , Carolyn and Larry, traveling today in a rough area of Phoenix meeting a wide variety of Homeless and struggling people, giving them food, drink, and PRAYER. Most importantly, we SAW THEM, MET THEM WHERE THEY WERE, AND WANTED MORE THAN ANYTHING TO GIVE THEM LOVE, RECOGNITION, AND HOPE !

REJOICE IN HOPE, BE PATIENT IN TRIBULATION, BE CONSTANT IN PRAYER. Romans 12:12

AND HOPE DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME, BECAUSE GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US. Romans 5:5

BUT IF WE HOPE FOR WHAT WE DO NOT SEE, WE WAIT FOR IT WITH PATIENCE. Romans 8:25

We met a lot of Brothers and sisters in deep need today. Homelessness, Addiction, Health Issues….all leading to a place of hopelessness and uncertainty. Davonte and his dog; Sheridan and his stillness; Brandon and his addiction; Kelly and her fearfulness; Patricia and her search for safety; B and his mask; Kevin…so out of place. WHEW ! So many more stories…and we don’t even know their true stories and journeys…BUT GOD DOES ! I KNOW HE SEES THEM AND HEARS THEM. Now, so do we. THIS is what and who we are supposed to be and be DOING ! I am guilty of not serving enough with my hands and feet ! I got to shake hands with people and hear their names. I got to pray for them and bring CHRIST into their midst. I can flat tell you that THEY are all in a very tough place. I can only HOPE that for a brief moment, they felt like GOD knew their plight and we were His Love And Hope in some small way. Living a blessed and comfortable life can make us unaware of just how BADLY our fellow man needs us. My wait to serve is over. I’m headed back out next week to see what God might have in store for me to reach out and BRING HIM TO ALL THOSE IN NEED ! Jesus asks us to Be Humble Servants. ARE YOU READY ? IS IT TIME FOR YOU TO SEE OTHERS AND BRING GOD TO THEM ? Trust me, if your Heart Is Open, God Will Find You A Path And Purpose:). SERVE AND BRING HOPE/JAA

HAVING THE EYES OF YOUR HEARTS ENLIGHTENED, THAT YOU MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED YOU, WHAT ARE THE RICHES OF HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS. Ephesians 1:18

THANK YOU ILLUMINATE CHURCH FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND GROW ! J&J