Hope?

Retrieved from the Detroit News. Can you imagine? 25,000+

 I hope you are having an amazing Resurrection Sunday Celebration. Jesus is our hope; He is for me and for all of those who haven't had the opportunity to get to know Him yet.

As promised, I am bringing you the first of 40 Two-Word Stories. Today's is

Hope? Hope.

Why hope?

Because, this hope that lies within us was birthed by Jesus. Paul said that we need to be ready to give reason for the HOPE that lies within us. Our story. If Jesus hadn't risen from the dead, our faith would be in vain and we would be without HOPE.  (1 Corinthians 15: 12 - 19)

The EACH campaign is aimed at the Detroit Metro area. As mentioned in my last post, the world is watching. Can Detroit rise from the ash heap? Yes, with Jesus it can. Below is an excerpt from the Detroit News. As you read, I pray hope rises in your heart for not only Detroit, but our nation.

More than 500 city and suburban churches and faith-based organizations collaborated to plan the walk as part of EACH, which stands for Everyone a Chance to Hear, an organization established in the fall. The event kicked off with remarks from local pastors and songs of praise and worship led by the Selected of God Choir, featured in recent Chrysler television commercials.

"There needed to be a demonstrative effort from the community of faith in this region to bring people and like believers together and to also impact this region with good news and good deeds," said Bishop Edgar Vann, of Second Ebenezer Church. "We're bringing the faith community together to help bring solutions to the issues and the problems that we have in this community. We believe anything dead can rise."

Organizers estimate about 20,000 people participated in the 1.6-mile walk from the baseball field to the Spirit of Detroit statue and back again. And 5,000 to 7,000 volunteers are expected to sign up to help provide 10,000 meals a day for 40 days starting Easter Sunday, along with other community service projects.

Council President Charles Pugh said he was impressed by the huge and diverse crowd.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110416/METRO/104160367/Detroit-Prayer-Walk-draws-at-least-20-000-people#ixzz1KQ0CXEcs

It's been a pleasure to visit with you.

EACH

The countdown has begun and I am excited! God in His great wisdom has allowed me to see Him in ways I don't believe would have happened had life been easy. This isn't to say I want it always to be difficult; I'm ready for a vacation. But His grace is always sufficient and I have been witness, firsthand, to his faithfulness. I can't wait to share all He's done.

I would appreciate--covet actually--your prayers for Detroit and its surrounding areas over these next few months.

Following is a quote from the EACH website regarding our vision:

The Vision

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“And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region” (Acts 13:49).

They saturated their world with the gospel. No tools; just “good news.” When they came to Greece, the people said, “These men who have turned the world upside down have now come here!” (Acts 17:6). What an amazing achievement.

J. B. Phillips said, “Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we might achieve what they achieved.” He was right. We believe the same good news; we just don’t move with the same confidence and passion.

E.A.C.H. calls us to turn our region upside down with the gospel. It’s about the body of Christ coming together to give everyone a chance to hear the life-changing, eternity-rescuing message of amazing grace . . . in 40 days.

TIME magazine wrote: “Detroit has become an icon of the failed American city.” Ouch! But really, they’re right. Their closing line reads like a challenge to the body of Christ: “The world is watching Detroit to see if it can find a way to rise from the ashes.” (emphasis mine)


We know the way. Will we make the Way known, conspicuously, loudly, thoroughly?

May it someday be written of the body of Christ in metro-Detroit: “And the word of the Lord was being spread through THEIR whole region.”

Now is our time to give Everyone A Chance to Hear.

Beginning Sunday, I will be sharing 2-Word stories. They will be posted EACH day for the duration of this campaign. Wouldn't it be awesome if someone reading encountered the loving, merciful, compassionate Christ through these words? Wouldn't it be glorious to see the atmosphere in Detroit changed for the glory of God and NO man can say, "Look how I bailed them out?"

For as long as I can remember, I've heard, "As Detroit goes, so goes the nation." I can't wait to see what God is going to do with this city. 

Stay tuned!
It's been a pleasure to visit with you.