INVITE GOD - Bob Scott

"Today God is reaching down. It is no longer about Him coming down but about our reaching up and responding." – Pastor Steve Gray, World Revival Church

I believe that the perception of most church-goers is that we should be working harder to increase the number of people who attend our services every week. Many of us come from a time when the pews were filled, or almost so, every Sunday. But I doubt that a large turn-out, on its own, will bring any lasting results.

Faith in God has declined. The church has become less important to more and more individuals. Christianity is perceived as something for past generations but “not for us.” For many it is promising a place to go “if you die today.” But that is of no use if you plan to continue living in this world of ours.

The difficulty of establishing a vital faith increases when we stop calling God into our lives. It is disastrous if we stop reaching out to Him and inviting Him to impact our world. We can see the results of not asking Him to be central in our society.

We went through an era when it was proclaimed that God was dead. The real problem, then and now, is that God is unemployed. If we fail to look to Him to be part of everything we do, we are missing the great blessings He offers here and now. A helping hand is held out to a needy world. Grasp it firmly and we will see changes, not just in our experience of worship. The wisdom of reaching out to God for today will be confirmed in the changed lives that we will experience.

"Rip the heavens apart! Come down, LORD; make the mountains tremble." - Isaiah 64:1 CEV

Robert Scott is a pastor and the author of ADVERTISING MURDER, LOST YOUTH and MURDER EXPRESS, titles in the Jack Elton Mystery series, Published by AVALON Books, New York

My Writing Testimony - Payne

It was in the year 2000 that God called my husband and me to Orillia. We bought a home in a town where we had no family and no friends and started a new life.

It was the first time that I ever stayed home with my children full-time. I was used to working when they were young and then started my own business when my oldest started school. In Orillia, I was home all day, everyday.

Being a social person, I sought out other women and ended up attending a Women’s CARE Group at the Christian Reform Church. It was there that I gave my heart to Jesus and began my personal relationship with the Lord.

At home, I took to reading and studying Christian books. I enjoyed such classics as Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Josh McDowell’s More than a Carpenter, Catherine Marshall’s Something More and The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge.

By following the advice of Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way, I began to journal a minimum of three pages each morning. They were called, quite appropriately, “Morning Pages”. Through this process, I wrote about my fears, anxieties, observations and lessons learned as a new Christian. At first, my writing was between God and me. He revealed things to me that I never would have been open to receiving any other way. I remember the day when I was having a “discussion” with God about what my call in life was and He responded, “to write”. He told me to write to bring people closer to Him.

Since that day I try very hard not to miss a morning without writing my morning pages. I share my walk of faith with others through my weekly column, "Today’s Faith," in the Millbrook Times and Cornwall Seaway News. God has done so much for me in my life, writing a book – Fit for Faith, writing regular Christian articles, and writing this column are just some ways I can be obedient to His call in my life and bring others closer to Him.

Kimberley Payne
http://www.kimberleypayne.com/