Yesterday I did something I’ve never done in my
life. I resigned Calvary Assembly
WITHOUT knowing the next step in my personal life’s journey and ministry. How do I feel? GREAT!
God exposed me to Mark Batterson’s book The Circle Maker for such a time as
this. No other book (other than the
Bible) could have been right for me to read and walk my way to Easter with than
his. Honi and I have become good friends
over the last days and I plan to keep him a lifelong one.
There is one very real lesson I’ve learned in my journey
to this point in being willing to leave what I know to be a secure and loving
place.
There
will come a day when God requires the same amount of
faith
as Abraham demonstrated when he left his home and family in obedience to God’s
direction.
The author of Hebrews writes of Abraham; “By faith
Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going”
(Heb. 11:8). Today my name has been
changed to George Abraham Dillard
Cope! And there will be a day when your
name will be changed too. You will
either be Abraham or Sarah!
Let me quote Mark’s words for you:
“You’ll never be ready to get married. You’ll never be ready to have kids. You’ll never be ready to start a business or
go back to school or move to the mission field.
You’ll never be ready financially, emotionally, or spiritually. You’ll never have enough faith, enough cash,
or enough courage. And if you are
looking for an excuse, you will always find one.
Abraham didn’t know the final destination, but it didn’t
keep him from taking the first step in the journey. What’s the first step or next step you need
to take in your journey? If you take the
first step, God will reveal the second step.
The problem is that most of us want the twenty-five year plan before
we’re willing to step out in faith.
Without knowing where he was going, Abraham took the
first step. And God honored it. There are moments in life when you need to
quit a job, make a move, or end a dating relationship. And you need to take that step without
knowing what the next step will be.
Don’t wait for more revelation; be obedient to the amount of revelation
God has given you.”
I’ll close with Jesus’ words; “Go and do likewise.”
I’ll meet you at the throne,
Pastor George
I have a great life and it is not because of my own doing. I have just followed the Lord as he commanded us to do. I first, followed him to a place of repentance, redemption then of restoration then discovered regeneration. It's all his work in our lives if we seek him regularly and honestly. I understand change. Although, no one likes it. It is necessary for growth and discovery. One thing that is constant is change and without change there is no growth. People make idols out of people and things in our society and it is also apparent that many church goers will learn to accept that God changes our paths for our benefit to mature us into a deeper trust and dependence on Him. In my personal story I have been there and done it. I have gained and lost but I have learned through it all. I have been in ministry for many years and was always serving and giving without just focusing on just being myself and delighting in God's plan and purpose for me as an individual. In more ways than I can share He has blessed my life with a conscience realization of his grace and presence. I believe that he leads the faithful into greater substance of truth and grace. I completely understand your journey and will pray that you will be divinely guided and empowered to serve our Father and offer your life as a gift to be a light in a dark and tasteless world. Thank you for serving us with honesty and truthfulness. We will miss you but look forward to His Kingdom come and will be done.
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