Message shared by Janet - God sees you. God loves you. God is at work—He changes not.

Good morning. My name is Janet, I’m John’s wife. I am here today as a witness and recipient of God’s love, God’s watchful attention and God’s sustaining power. I am here to tell you not to give up--that God see’s you- you are not alone, not to feel unloved - God loves you, and that He is here among us today as a Father...wanting to have compassion on each of us …if we are willing to come to Him. How do I know this?

My story before I came to trust Jesus is a simple one. I don’t have any dramatic stories to tell of a past life of addiction and hardship. When I became a Christian, I was 21, and married with an infant son. I was just an average person living an average life. I thought I was a good person, everything seemed fine. That is until the Holy Spirit showed me just how much I needed a Savior. I turned to Jesus. I trusted Him as my Savior and began allowing Him to be the Leader of my life. Little did I know that believing Him as Savior was only the beginning. The bible describes our faith journey like running a race. Now my faith race had begun.
My husband at that time did not approve of my new way of life as a Christian. For the next 25 years I experienced many hardships because I loved Jesus and wanted to live a life that pleased Him. I was disliked, excluded, punished financially, and was treated often unkindly. Until finally, I was abandoned by the person I was married to. He did not want a Christian wife. My marriage was lost. The life I thought I would have was lost. But …..I wasn’t lost. The life God had for me was not lost. By God’s love and power, I was still on the race path God had prepared for me.

In Hebrews 12:1 it tells us “… let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith….” This means that Jesus opens our eyes to our need for Him and He works in us to grow our faith—we, are to keep our eyes on Him , as we go through the difficult times and the good times in our Christian walk. We keep our eyes on Him by reading the bible, praying, and trusting Him that He will love us and guide us as He as promised.
I can tell you there were many a time when my eyes were red with tears, I would have feelings of discouragement….there were times when I was I felt as if I was merely crawling along in my Christian race ….those were the times when I wasn’t keeping my eyes on Jesus… I would cry out to Him again and again. I would get back to praying, reading the bible and trusting. He always heard me….He would fill me with His peace and turn my tears to praise of His goodness. He brought me Christian friends to encourage me and pray for me. By His grace and power alone was I able to find the strength to get up again…. He kept me going and brought healing into my life. He restored my life. He brought me a christian husband and gave us opportunity to serve Him. He has allowed me to be here today to speak about His love, His sustaining power, and His grace.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.”
Friends do need encouragement? Are your eyes red with tears? Are you crawling?....I am here today to say--keep going don’t stop. Keep looking at Jesus because God See’s you!!!!!! God see’s you!

Let me tell you about a woman in the bible who didn’t think God saw her, but she was trusting Him. Her story is in the bible to show us that God saw her in her troubles, had compassion on her, loves her, and healed her as she trusted Him. Jesus was in a huge crowd of people, who were pressing up against Him. I think we have all been in that type of crowd, right. You can barely move. Now a local man who was important in the synagogue asked Jesus to come quickly and heal his dying daughter. So Jesus was trying to make His way through the crowd to get to the man’s house. …Luke 8:42 ”A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of His robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. “Who touched me”, Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, Master this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” But Jesus said “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of Him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched Him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter” he said to her “your faith has made you well. Go in peace”
Despite the pressing crowd, Jesus noticed this woman…..He knew the cry of her heart…..He wasn’t too busy to stop …..In fact, he searched her out of the crowd….She was important to Him….but she had to step out in faith to Him……When she did He didn’t scold or criticize her for coming to Him….He had compassion on her and called her Daughter and healed her…..and gave her peace.

When two or more people gather together in His name He is there among them….Today Jesus is here, now, in this crowd--- do you need to touch the fringe of his robe? To reach out to Him? Do you need encouragement in your faith race? Do you need to take that initial faith step that this woman took? Cry out to Him he hears you…He is not too busy…..He is searching you out…….You are important to Him….He longs to call you Son or Daughter….to heal you….to give you peace. …..to be by your side as you finish the race with victory.

- Janet

Message shared by Rachel - changed by God's love

1 Peter 3: 8-12a - "Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here's what you do:

Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
Run after peace for all you're worth.

God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; "

I share this word with you today because each week we come here in the hopes to meet your physical needs, yes, but more than anything, to show you God’s love.

Its not pretty but I know that I would be living much more selfishly and judgmentally if it weren’t for someone in my life who took the time to show me Gods love, which is what we’re here to show you. I don’t have all the answers, but I have faith and I believe in God’s love for me- and in God’s love for you. I believe this because when I was 15 my parents brought me to a church where God used a 21 year-old hemophiliac who had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion to show me what God’s Love looked like.

His name was Steve and he had a heart for God like none-other I’ve met to this day. While he was battling a disease that was taking his life away a bit more each day, somehow he found the strength to reach out to the high school kids at his church, and become a friend to us- to become a friend to me. He cheered at our sporting games, he checked in to see how things were going at home. He would meet up with us for meals. He did things to show that he cared. He reached out beyond his problems.

Steve showed me that God uses EVERYONE. God has a purpose and a plan for each one of us here. Steve was up against more struggles than anyone else I knew- yet he found time to love as Jesus did.

Whether you’re employed, or not, homeless, or in a home- God can use you. God WANTS to use you. He knew where you would be today. He knew from the day you were born what path your life would take. He hasn’t always said it would be easy- but he has promised to be WITH US.

Our trusting him shows us we believe in him. Our stepping out in faith and helping a stranger, forgiving and praying for someone who has hurt you- these are things that we ALL can do to begin to show His Love. God sent Jesus because he knew we would mess up. He loves us and wants to use us despite our history.

Wherever you are at in life, I KNOW God has a plan for you. If you claim God’s love and step out in prayer for a neighbor- THAT makes a difference. If you sit down at a table over at the kitchen and extend an ear as a support to someone who needs it- THAT makes a difference. When you begin to tell people it is because of God’s Love for you that brings you to Love them- THAT makes a difference that lasts an eternity.

Yes, I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home, but it wasn’t until I saw God’s love displayed through Steve that I realized I hadn’t truly been getting it. I needed to ACT OUT what I put my faith in. If Steve, a 21 year-old hemophiliac with AIDS could make the time to think beyond his own problems to the cares and concerns of others- Then I knew I needed to surrender my selfishness every day.

I still battle judgment and selfishness, and I know there are things in your life that you are confronted with every day too. My prayer is that you would look to what you CAN do.

We all can pray, we all can listen. Let’s extend each other Grace. We’re in the middle of a long, cold winter. If Jesus were here, I believe he would be happy to be at this van, meeting needs. But lets take this love beyond the material gifts of this morning. Let’s show each other this grace and understanding during the week. When you’re cold, hungry, tired- annoyed with trying to find work. TRUST that God is going to use you, if you have a heart open to his direction.

Many of you have touched my life already. Whether here, or talking at the First Church shelter. I see a family amongst many of you. I see that you look out for each other. Keep it up and do it with the strength of God.

My life was forever changed because someone looked beyond himself. I pray we can do that for each other as well.

- Rachel

Words of hope shared on the street by Jason

Let's start off with reading Pslams 19:1-11

First, the bible says we have no excuse not to believe in God because we can see Him in His creation, He made it all. If there is a building, there was a builder, if there is a painting, there was a painter.....if there is a creation, there was a creator.

We tend to wake up , go about our busy days without thinking about life....let's stop and think about life right now. Picture this basketball as the sun, and this tiny marble as the earth. We are standing on a ball that is spining at 1,000 mph and flying around a ball of fire one million times the size of earth at 67,000 mph....if we were just a little bit closer we would burn up and a little further we would all freeze! This is not just a normal day....think about our bodies, how many things have to work perfectly right every second just for us to live another day.... our heart has to beat, blood needs to be filtered, lungs have to intake air, our stomach has to digest, etc....this is just not another day, there is nothing "normal" about it..it is amazing!

The message of the bible is not this aweful being up in heaven that gave us harsh commands to follow.. People talk about the commandments like they are a bad thing but...they are for our own good, a gift to us. Thou shall not murder...all God is saying is if we just did not kill each other...did not steal and rip each other off , and love each other like you love yourself...the world would be a better place. The world would be more like He intended it to be.

Where it gets tough is when we start to look at ourselves..we say ya I am a pretty good person. But the bible says, "not one is good" ....The problem is we are not going to get to judge ourselves, and He is not going to judge on a curve...some day when we stand before this awesome, holy, God who stands in unaproachable light, even the angles cover themselves up with their wings screaming out how HOLY he is..... and have him question us, and lines us up to his laws , it wont take long before we see we are guilty. For example, ask yourself. " How many lies have you told in your life?" More than we can count of course..and what do you call a person who tells lies? A liar! "Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of value?" Of course we have..what do you call someone who steals?..a thief! " Have you ever commited adultery?" But Jesus said if you look at a women with lust, you have already commited adultery with her in your heart. We have broken all of these commands and these are only 3 of the 10 commandments.....so on judgement day will you be innocent or guilty?...Guilty of course..and where should God send us, heaven or hell?...hell So, God creates us, he gives us these laws to follow, we break them...so at the end of our life He has every right to punish as severe as He sees fit, cause He is the creator..... BUT He doesnt want to punish us as we deserve..HE LOVES US...thats the message of the bible.

Picture the person you love the most on this earth............now picture them hanging on a cross, beaten left to die. That is what Jesus did for us...IT is CRAZY....we messed up and He takes the punishment for us...it is amazing! He loves us that much. That is the most amazing truth in the world ..... God, the creator of the universe loves us that intensely....that is what makes life worth living! No matter what we have done in this life, He loves us, and wants to forguive us..but we have to choose to accept him. The bible gives a picture of a bride....it is like the God of the universe is on his knees holding out a ring, saying "please take me".

He wants to forgive us, from as far as the east is from the west, and he wants a relationship with us....it is intimacy with our creator. All you need to do is get on your knees, say. God I love you, I know I have messed up, but now I understand your Son paid for that, it blows my mind, and I want to spend eternity with you, I want to begin this relationship with you, I want to follow you. But dont just say it, mean it....cause Jesus said, " if you really love me, you will obey my commands" ....and it will show by your lifestyle...

- Jason L

Miraculous provision...

I have to start off by saying "Praise God". Due to the snow storm on Saturday, we were unable to bring the Reach van. We thought "How are we going to do this without the van this week?" We will just have to trust God. Janet and I showed up with what we had...

There were about 20 people visiting this week, even with the snow and wind drifts. Anne Lyndsay dropped off some packs of underwear. Sue showed up with some blankets. Someone else brought coats. Rachael and I handed out some kits from the back of my Explorer. We opened some leftover gift bags to provide some needed gloves. Janet and Sue handed out underwear and some blankets and coats from the side door.

I shared a message from 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1 on God's rescue mission for all - a plan to have a relationship with all of us. Sin had cut us off from that, but Jesus took our wrongs so we can be made right with God! A new life, a fresh start. He wants to rescue all who call upon Him - now is the time, today the day to be helped - so call on Him and believe.

Amazingly, all the needs were met even though we didn't have the van this week. God definitely showed us how this is His ministry and He is in control. He continues to provide even when we don't know how it is going to happen. We are truly blessed to be a part of God's work.

- John