This Mysterious House

Starting last Monday... We (Grace Harbor) have been praying for a house in the Willmore City area, which was the first name given to Long Beach in the late 1800s. We have been praying that our house would be a house of prayer, hospitality, rest, generosity, celebration, community, forgiveness, healing, service, laughter, tears, teaching, mercy, compassion, justice, blessing, and love. This has been my calling for some time now, and I now pray with a great boldness and anticipation to see that this house would become real. Passages like Isaiah 58, Matthew 25, Daniel 1, Luke 14, Isaiah 61, Luke 6, Isaiah 1, Jeremiah 29, and James 2 stand out as a strong voice to love and serve the weak, oppressed, struggling, needy, forgotten, invisible and voiceless neighbors all around the city. Isaiah's call is send me... That is Jon's, Jeff's and my call as well... Lord send us... to be your hands, and feet...to be your ears and mouths... to be your love, compassion, grace, joy, peace, and mercy. All else is empty and vain at this point for me. So I wait... so we wait...pray... and look for the door of this house to open... so that we can ask, seek, and knock for those who seek the salvation of the gospel of the Messiah. To be friends of the lonely, clothes for the naked, food for the hungry, the drink for the thirsty, the freedom for the prisoner, the joy for the joyless, and the peace for the despairing. To be Jesus, his image bearers, who bring words and deeds of life that are gifts of grace from the Creator and Redeemer. To walk side by side with our new friends as Jesus does on the Resurrection Road in Luke 24. That through the breaking of bread, our eyes could see the beauty and glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Lord may we know this week... this house... this sanctuary, for your witnesses to dwell and serve your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Amen!