(316) 858-9100 | 1831 E. 21st St, Andover KS

God and us

I’m writing this on Wednesday, September 7th before our Ride 4 Refugees, so unfortunately, I am unable to give you an update on how things went. But, I can tell you, our prayers were Jesus
would be lifted up and many refugees and marginalized families would be shown His love,
grace, kindness and be drawn to Him.

But, you can find all about what happened, firsthand, by attending either of our Missions Sunday Services on the 25 th . They are going to be awesome! There will be: Special music, you will hear a few stories, maybe a brief video recap, and I’m going to share about how we are all aliens and strangers on this planet. Plus, in the Hub, there will be themed artwork focused on refugees and the poor, ministry booths, and some free food. Don’t miss it!

What’s the big deal? Well, maybe explaining our key verse we focused on for Ride 4 Refugees
will help. It was Proverbs 21:31, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory
rests with the Lord.” This has been a favorite of mine for years and here are two reasons why.

1) “The horse is made ready for the day of battle...” We’ve got stuff to do! This Jesus thing,
our walk with Him, is not just us sitting around trying to look and sound spiritual, waiting for
God to do stuff. Rather, we have personal responsibilities, to do what we can to get the horse
ready for battle. Whatever that horse might be. Maybe, it’s your own spiritual development?
Maybe, it’s training up your child in the way of the Lord? Maybe, it is a special cause or project
to honor Jesus and love the poor?

We got stuff to do! Stuff like reading and studying the Word of God. Stuff like praying, seeking,
and listening to God. Stuff like loving God with everything we have. Stuff like loving our
neighbor as ourselves. Stuff like being kind, patient, steadfast, and faithful. How’s your horse
doing? Ready for battle? We live on a battlefield. Be ready. Missions Sunday can help us get
ready. It can help to inform us of our call by providing information and opportunities to serve.

2) “...but victory rests with the Lord.” We gotta do what we gotta do to get the horse ready,
but ultimately, the outcome, the victory is not in our hands. God alone is the ultimate Victor!
Jesus alone is the ultimate Savior! We prepare and fight hard, but the final outcome is not in our
hands and the honor and glory does not belong to us.

We must love our neighbor by telling them and living out for them Jesus, but the Holy Spirit
brings the conviction and Jesus alone brings salvation as they trust in Him. We faithfully give
our money, time, resources, and ourselves, but the end result is not on our shoulders. The battle and victory belong to the Lord. This indeed is Good News. I would not want to fight for anyone else. To God be the glory, honor, and victory. I hope to see you Sunday.

Peace,
steve