Serving together...

This post is more about a concept that I've learned and dealt with here than what is actually going on. For whatever reason, I've felt led to share!

I've been concerned with our culture's constant need for "individuality" and "being my own person", not because these are in and of themselves bad, but because they extend from this idea that "I don't need anyone's help" and "I can do this all by myself". This has led to our culture's belief that they don't need God because they can do it all themselves (which is a very conceited and fallacious thought). To be honest, though, I've never done any study of the Bible to see what God thinks about all of this individuality in our society.

In our staff meetings of late we have been discussing and praying that God would show us what is going on to make our finances be such a problem right now, whether it is sin or we're just not doing something right. This past week, our director brought up the passage in Mark 6 where Jesus has just fed the 5000 (plus women and children) and he sends his disciples immediately off and they get stuck in really bad weather at sea. After Jesus has had time to send the crowds away and pray for a while, He sees His disciples in the storm and steps out on the water. The Bible, in Mark 6:48, says, "Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them. At about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; AND HE INTENDED TO PASS THEM BY". But the cool thing is what follows... the Bible says "But when they saw Him walking on the sea, the supposed it was a ghost and cried out" It took all of the disciples crying out to God to really be shown the power of God. Not that I can say that Jesus wouldn't have revealed Himself to them if they hadn't called out, but the Bible does say that Jesus intended to pass them by until they cried out.

I hope I'm not reading what's not in the Bible, but there are other passages that point to the fact of the necessity of serving and praying together. The Bible talks about God's people being a body and functioning together. God also says, through Paul, to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but encouraging one another. Then, in marriage, God created woman specifically because man needed a helpmate and it was not good for man to be alone. So much of this points to the design of God creating us as people who need other people. The whole notion of doing things by myself was never God's design for His people. It's been something that God keeps showing me through everything that outside people do to help The Vine. We get so many donations of food and maintenance and time and so many other things that help the Vine function on a normal basis. Just the fact that God's people are working together to make such a ministry happen goes God's purpose and design for His people.

It has been so exciting to see God working and using His people as different members of the body and still functioning well!

Please be in prayer for the girls. They so desperately need for God to tear down their walls and really soften their heart. He's beginning to do so, but the devil has such a great stronghold over them, it's like nothing I've ever seen!!!!

Thanks so much for your prayers and support
Melody
1 Peter 1:7