I love the background image in our
Coming Together for the Future prayer card.
The highway is the place where our tires meet the payment. First Baptist Church of Charleston is
entering an intersection of sorts that can direct us to the interstate of faith. However, our bus is currently idling at a
stop sign, and we do not know whether to turn left, right, or continue forward. We need direction or a GPS unit to lead us to
our destination. The theme verse for
this road trip is Psalm 127:1. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the
builders labor in vain.” Allow me to
“Artie this up” for you. Unless God is
in this, we are wasting our time and resources.
I am confident that our
congregation must gaze ahead and determine future facility needs and map out a
plan to meet those needs. If we are not
focusing our thoughts towards the future, we are in reality moving backwards. Focusing on the future is clearly our only
option. The key is to gain an understanding of what God desires for our future. During this journey of faith, we must allow
God to chart our course. So, how do we
make sure God is guiding us? James, the
half-brother of Jesus wrote, “If any of
you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5. What is the difference
between knowledge and wisdom? Knowledge is a human reserve of information
where wisdom is an understanding obtained from the mind of God. Church family, we are blessed with a
tremendous reservoir of man’s knowledge, but now more than ever, we need Godly
wisdom. God’s mind is greater than all
of our pooled knowledge. We cannot and
will not ever understand all the ways of God.
When we need answers or Godly wisdom, we ask God for an understanding
from Him of what we need to do or not do.
Through His Spirit, He unlocks in our minds an understanding of what we
need to know.
A journey of faith requires that
we ask God for exactly what He wants; we listen carefully and receive His
direction; then we obediently go where He leads us. My simplified version of this statement is
that we must pray, listen, and do.
This journey of faith has absolutely
nothing to do with building a worship center; it is all about His church
hearing His voice and walking with Him in faith. God is giving FBC Charleston a vision to “Come
Together” and walk in faith. Now is the
time to seek His face in prayer.
