"The Ministry of the age."

[Nell]

When I left the Local Church, I stopped reading the Bible. I was afraid that if I read the Bible I would have to go back. I never did read all those messages, but I stopped all things Local Church.

My prayer was (I still prayed often) "Lord please don't let go of me." I also prayed, "Lord, please don't make me go back there." He didn't. He answered my prayers.

One day, 8 years later, I picked up my Bible again and started to read. I was advised to "read it like it's a book". I did. I had no expectations, but just a little fear of what might happen, and that I might have to go back.

As I read the Bible, it was the most amazing thing. I LOVED it! It was like a new book...like I had never read it before. I soon realized that God would never make me do something I didn't want to do. He gave me a free will to choose and he would never violate what he had given me. He wanted me to choose Him freely and not feel threatened or intimidated by Him. He wouldn't make me go back to the Local Church if I didn't want to. It was OK for me to pray to Him. It was OK for me to read His book. It was OK for me to just talk to him. I could tell Him anything and it was OK. If I was angry or upset about something that I thought was HIS FAULT, I told Him. I did that a lot. I discovered that God is a big boy and he could take my rantings. I think He was just happy to hear from me. That is my life still to this day. I've also added another important prayer (I've told you about this one a couple of times). "Lord, please don't let me be deceived."

I asked Him for bread and He didn't give me a stone instead.

You've heard that song "Getting to know you. Getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, getting to know you like me." It kinda' tells the story. Today, Jesus is my best friend. Really. I tell Him from time to time, pretty often, "Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do." That one is a little scary, but after all these years, I trust Him. A really good hymn..."Jesus Doeth All Things Well."

Last summer I went to the little Baptist Church I grew up in. It was celebrating its 100th Anniversary. God's people were there. Not many, it never did have much more than 100 members, but those who came back "home" were truly God's people and came home because they still love one another. It was so sweet. The week before I had listened on the radio to the 150th anniversary service of the First Baptist Church in Dallas. God's people were there too. Thousands of them. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't about numbers. If it was, First Dallas would win. Instead, God just sees His people. He loves us the same. He loves to hear our voices and we love to hear him. Sometimes I just stand with tears in my eyes, amazed at how kind He is, or how He ... what...I don't know.

Another hymn: How Big is God written by Ray Price
Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space
To crawl beyond the distant shining stars
This world's a room so small within my Master's house
The open sky's but a portion of his yard

[Chorus]
How big is God? How big and wide is His vast domain?
To try to tell these lips can only start
He's big enough to rule His mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart

Here's a great recording of it featuring the big voice of John Hall. :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yohdJoWtEKw

I think this might be the real ministry of the age.

Nell