God’s Blessings Continue in 2012

As I reminiscence over the year 2011, I can’t help but be overwhelmed by what God has done through His people, Kingdom Builders, and the JOM project.  The Scripture in Psalm 100:5, written so long ago, stands true today.

“For the Lord is good, His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” (NLT)

Yesterday was confirmation of His living Word, as I received the final news that the property to the west of the JOM house has been purchased for the purpose of becoming part of the JOM project.  On January 1, 2012, God started the new year by giving me that news.

I leave you with these questions as you start the new year: where is your heart?  Is it at the same place as the One who gave this gift?

The Apostle Paul brings it to light in 2 Corinthians 9:10-15:

 ¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

¹¹ Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. ¹² So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

¹³ As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. ¹⁴ And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. ¹⁵ Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

Your Turn: Write the Word

Just. One. More.

It’s more than an echo from the heart of the Campbell’s and the ministry of Kingdom Builders.  It’s from the heart of God.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.  When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”  Luke 15:4-7

Do we forget that? God goes after the one.  His mission is “to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10).  I’m so grateful he took the time to pursue me, even though there were 99 others who were righteous.  This is certainly a point for rejoicing!  But, we can’t stop there.  There’s always just one more.  And my life should be an effort to carry out the mission of making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). How am I sharing the Good News of the Gospel with others?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve realized that sometimes my faith is self-centered.  My prayers revolve around me.  My ministry revolves around my schedule.  My faith depends on my feelings.  It’s all about me!  And I don’t say that with a smile on my face, because when my faith becomes self-centered, it means I am becoming my own God.  The Lord warns us in Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.  Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

My love for God should affect every area of my life…the way I talk, my schedule, my appearance, my home.  Do you see how God commanded Israel to be passionate about His Word?  By repeating it, discussing it at home, talking about it while traveling, remembering it in the early rise and the late night rest.  He told them to tie scripture to their hands and heads.  To write it in their homes and outside of their homes.  When people looked at Israel, they would look at a nation that was set-apart, a nation that was displaying the testimony of their God boldly and consistently.  Aren’t we called to do the same?

“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.” Psalm 40:10

Here’s your chance.  We have lumber crayons on site at the Just One More house for the sole purpose of proclaiming His Word.  Stop by 109 Jackson Street and write away!  One verse, ten verses, twenty, or a hundred- doesn’t make a difference to us, only that His Word is displayed.  We cannot keep this treasure to ourselves.  As you write each verse, pray for the workers who will be affected.  Pray that the community will be enlightened.  Pray for opportunities to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9b).  Bring a few friends or write by yourself.  Whatever it is God calls you to, do it!

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:8

We would love to hear your stories and feedback after your visit!  Comment here or email: cseignious@hotmail.com so we can rejoice together in what God is doing : ) P.S. Pictures gladly accepted!

The Beauty of Preparation

As I look at these pictures, I can’t help but hear John’s cry in Isaiah 40:3-5:

“Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

These months of permitting and digging and grading and underground work and compaction (and those other technical construction terms that I’m forgetting) are all in preparation for what is to come.  From the get-go, we’ve set out to build a home for the Campbell family.  But more than for their family, for the glory of God- that His name would be made great.  And they agree.

“What shall I cry?

All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field…the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:6, 8

Just as the grass and wildflowers were short-lived in the JOM lot, so are we in our lots of life.  But there is a slab that will stand firm forever.  Our God and His Word.  We prepare the way for this because it is everlasting.  And we await the glory of the Lord to be revealed.  Day by day.  Moment by moment.  We will see if only we prepare the way.

 

A special thank you to Bevis Concrete (Mike Bevis, Sr.) and Bevis Construction (Mike Bevis, Jr.) for donating their material, time, and efforts to pour the slab.  We appreciate your heart to serve the Lord and are blessed by your commitment to Just One More.

Just Thinking…

1-26-10 (Tuesday)

Wow…it has been a long time since I have done any blogging. 🙂 I want to take this time to thank everyone for their prayers and support throughout 2009. As we move into 2010, God’s Spirit is definitely moving, please continue to support and pray for this ministry. What is more important than God’s Kingdom?

In my quiet time this morning, I was in Philippians (4: 8) where Paul was saying, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” If I wake up every morning focusing my thoughts on these characteristics, I can’t help but be sensitive to the Spirit of God leading throughout the day.

Have a blessed day!

Vision for Ministry

8-15-09 (Saturday)

On Thursday night, Kingdom Builders Board of Director members Lou Canevari, Terry Weaver, Scott Seignious, Steve Davis, and Maurice Wilson opened the meeting with a time of worship through prayer by all.

Our prayers for the last two weeks were for God to reveal to each of us our passions, burdens, and direction for this ministry. Through our discussion God has revealed the following:

• A vision for Kingdom Builders to partner with other churches, not just in our community but abroad; in hopes to share with them what God has done through us in our community.
• Do not procrastinate or overanalyze projects. If God provides the resources and means…go to work. If a project his helping someone in need, its is pleasing to God.
• We all need to be obedient and seeking God wholeheartedly in our private worship, so that we can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s calling.
• We must continue to act on FAITH. As you look at the story of Peter stepping out of the boat; it wasn’t until he took his eyes of Jesus that he began to sink in the water.
• During a project we must make a better effort to incorporate those individuals within the community we are serving. This hopefully will open the door for us to share the love of Jesus, the Gospel message and make them aware that this project was accomplished through us by GOD.
• Don’t just stand there- do something! We may not have the funding in place to tackle a specific project, but ministry can still take place. LOVE OUT LOUD, getting a group of God’s people together (once a month ?) to clean-up communities or local parks, stage free car washes, visit those in nursing homes, cook meals for those in need, help churches with specific needs, provide services to help the elderly; cutting grass, yard clean-up, etc… the list goes on, and on…. Sharing the love of Jesus through action (1 John 3: 18)!

I ask that you continue to support this ministry in prayer and financially as we draw closer to making a decision on moving forward with a project for Mrs. Pudding (Wesley). Her house is in need of termite treatment, a modified handicap ramp, utility room addition and handicap bathroom addition, so she can better tend to her eighty two year old husband who is blind.

Our next scheduled Kingdom Builders meeting is Tuesday (8-25-09) 7:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Lake Placid.

God In Us- Philippians 2:13

7-9-09 (Thursday)

During my quiet time this morning I ran across this scripture passage in Philippians 2: 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey and the power to do what pleases him (NLT). With God working in us, why is it so hard for us to submit and understand His will for our lives? Maybe we don’t understand the magnitude of our salvation through Jesus Christ and God working (living through the Holy Spirit) in us.

Just Do SOMETHING!

5-6-09 (Wednesday)

Progress on Grandma Bet’s home continues; Tom Wrenn (with a little help from Bo Seignious) has completed the interior trim work (doors, base boards, etc…) and Gourley Plastering has completed the exterior stucco. If everything goes as planned Foster Painting (Gregg Foster) will start painting this week.

Plans…recently I have been praying “God what plans do you have for me”. This morning I read Ephesians 2:10, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (NLV). I came to realize that maybe we try to hard to figure out what God has planned for each of us. Are we waiting for God to reveal His calling on our life in the hopes of avoiding action?

As Francis Chain states in his book Crazy Love (page 169), Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or to go on your last vacation? Or exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it. He goes on to say that the point isn’t that vacations or exercise are wrong, but that we are quick to rationalize our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Jesus did not say, “If you love me you will obey me when you feel called or good about doing so…” If we love, than we obey. Period. This sort of matter-of-fact obedience is part of what it means to live a life of faith.

My daughter (Chelsea) attends a church (Calvary Chapel) in Ft. Lauderdale that has a outreach ministry slogan stating, Don’t just stand there…do something! What are we doing to build the Kingdom of God each and everyday? Are we serving God out of obedience and faith?

Pausing to Praise

4-29-09 (Wednesday)

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to listen to a sermon by Pastor Brett Morey about the presence of God, and how important it was for us as Christians to never loose site in seeking God’s presence. Today as I drove up to Grandma Bet’s project I felt the overwhelming presence of God…making it hard for me to leave.

As I sat in my truck I thought about this project from its beginning to where we find ourselves today. God has done so many things through this project as He broke racial barriers, built our faith, grew our relationships, and has left us all forever changed. The greatest change is our overwhelming love for God and others, His two greatest commands. PRAISE!!! GOD for what he has done and continues to do through His people. God you and you alone are worthy to receive all honor, glory and power.

“In-kind” donations continue to pour in through God’s hands. Thanks to Mike Corby (Corby Tile) the tile flooring throughout the house is complete. Tom Wirth (Marlin Marble) has supplied and installed all the marble window sills. Seacoast Supply is on site delivering the stucco materials, while Gourley Plastering is preparing the house for stucco. Just before I left the project a Bagwell Lumber truck pulled up to deliver the interior trim package (doors, base,etc…provided in full)–WOW!

Crazy Love Conquers

4-25-09 (Saturday)

I woke up early this morning (not being able to sleep…on a Saturday?) to make a pot of coffee and spend some quiet time with my Savior. As I have told you before I am reading a book by Francis Chan called “Crazy Love”. This book has really challenged me to think what it means to be a true Christ follower (Christian). As Christians are we obsessed with loving God and others?

Check this scripture out: When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. (Luke 14: 12-14)

Wow, do we give to those who are less fortunate than us expecting nothing in return? This is exactly what our savior did for us and he has asked us to do the same for others…Crazy Love.

Frederick Buechner writes in The Magnificent Defeat:
The love for equals is a human thing-of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles. The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing-the love for those who suffer, for those who are poor, the sick, the failures, the unlovely. This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world. The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing-to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich, of the black man for the white man. The world is always bewildered by its saints. And then there is the love for the enemy-love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured’s love for the torturer. This is God’s love. It conquers the world.

Provision

4-6-09 (Monday)
I took these pictures this morning showing a Central Contractors crew installing underground electrical, cable, and telephone feeder conduits. After leaving the job site I called Maurice who said he had a praise report, stating that Seacoast Supply (Auberndale Facility) would be donating ALL the drywall for Grandma Bet’s home. Also today, Bo Seignious requested an interior (pre-lathe) inspection, so we could start installing drywall. THANK YOU GOD… for all the needs you have met and continue to meet each day.

Matthew 6: 31-34 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today (NLT).

Do we make the Kingdom of God are primary concern above all else each day?