Your Hearts Desires!

[Altonwoods]

Psalm 37:4 (King James Version)

4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Twenty eight months ago I wrote a blog on Yahoo 360 entitled,

"When I live my dream"

It was about what I wanted to do with my life, here's a small sample from it,

"So dream a little dream with me, I'm sort of going out on a limb here I know but like they say "if you're not living on the edge,you're taking up too much room" here goes, I want to open up my own counseling
business, I'd like to hang out a shingle here in the 2 horse town in
which I live".

Here's a link to the entire post if you care to read it...here

Since then I've really done nothing to move towards the realization of that goal. Oh I checked into some online courses but never pursued it any further than that. Instead I continued to write blogs and witness
to people online and to those I came into contact with personally. My
feeling has always been that my calling is to people who are hard to
reach and that my place of ministry was to be "in the trench's" so to
speak. But when I was recently presented with the opportunity to take
my game to a whole 'nuther level I didn't hesitate, it was much more
than merely an answer to MY simple prayers, it was a vision of a much
greater plan for me than I ever dreamed!

If the ultimate freedom is to be who we are,

then the ultimate power is to know who we are "In Christ"

John 8:32 (King James Version)

³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

For me, that's what it's all about and that's what I can't stop trying to get people to understand. That's what I'm trying to understand more myself. Perhaps attempting to understand it is a dead end in that
it's approaching something that's entirely spiritual and attempting to
make it "square up" from our worldly physical perspective. It's
something that despite our best attempts to control or intellectualize
ultimately can only be experienced in the moment. To realize our true
orientation, like the difference between being a physical entity on a
spiritual journey and a spiritual one on a physical journey! In many
ways it does "occur" in our everyday lives, in common experiences each
of us have. Our instinct is to reach out and grab it but it's like sand,
it slips through your hands...

When an athlete plays at the pinnacle of his ability they're said to be "in the zone", Ministers proclaim Gods word under the "anointing" artists paint great works of art and musicians write beautiful songs
because of inspiration! Our creations flow from our passions, but what
are they compared to the passion our heavenly Father feels for His
creation?

I say, "find that thing you can do in this life that allows the one true God to manifest His perfection through you to the rest of the world and you will find purpose and peace and love and joy and you will
find God! Then you will know why you are here and be ever so thankful
that you are. Then you will turn to the one who has created you and
praise His name out of an overflowing heart!"

What I would like is to establish a place where people can feel comfortable. A facility where we offer a variety of opportunities for them to come to know Christ. We'll set a table, and then invite hungry
people to come in and sup with the King of Kings, and the Lord Of Lords!

For far too long many churches have been a stumbling block to helping people come into a relationship with Christ. Instead these churches present a rigid religious "institution like" atmosphere where there is
no freedom, where the doctrine and the rituals are held sacred above
Gods commission to GO and seek the lost. At The Vineyard Ministry
Fellowship and Outreach Center, we want to change that!

This is the front of the building as it is now, our goal is to open to the public by the first of the year! We're very excited at the speed in which our progress is being made so far, things can happen quickly
when they are directed by "God Speed"! We know that our Father is not
merely willing to provide for us all that we need, but that He's eager
to really show Himself to as many as have eyes to see!

We want to partition the inside of the building for various activities. In one area there will be bible studies that are ongoing, a gospel message being given in another. We'd like to have a comfortable
common area or lobby for people to relax with refreshments and enjoy
fellowship. We plan to offer group and individual Christian counseling
designed to break the bondage's of the many forms of abuse perpetrated
by the enemy against those who God loves!

Our mission is to be a resource, not a church,to equip people to be effective ambassadors of the gospel, not to become "members". We want to be used by God to free the captives and lead the lost into saving
relationships with the risen Savior. As ambassadors, we seek to convey
the great desire of our principal to His intended through whatever
opportunities or means we are availed, to present His terms and make His
case, that some might receive Him and be saved! I believe that there's
always room for something different, and that if what you're doing isn't
working you should try something else instead. It's our hearts desire
to fulfill what we know to be the commission of our Lord Savior and
King, to fulfill the desires of His heart...

John 3:16 (King James Version)

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.