Lets Start At Home

How can a liquor store stay in business in this neighborhood?  

Within a three block circle of the liquor store that I mentioned in my last post are six churches.  Our church, Central Baptist Church, is located on the same block as the liquor store.

 Just up the street is the First Baptist Church.  Right across the street from the First Baptist is the First Christian Church.   

Not only are these two churches beautiful, but they do have a regular attending congregation.  In Center, Texas almost every individual will tell you they attend church regularly.  

Just one block over is the First Methodist Church.  It is another beautiful and popular church in our community.  

Our old church building was purchased by a Spanish work in our area.  They have a growing congregation.  It is located just two blocks away from the liquor store.  


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The newest ministry just two blocks from the liquor store is The Open Door Worship Center.  

Our little country town has a population of just over 5,000 people.  We have over 65 churches inside town or just outside the city limits.  

Can you imagine what would happen if the church going people in our community stopped buying liquor?  Why, I think our grocery stores would even give up selling it.  

We might see revival!

We might not be able to fix everything in our country, but we can look in our own backyards and start asking our Lord to heal our land.

If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways:  then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.  11 Chronicles 7:14

 

Good vs evil on the same block

  I have been thinking about starting a new store in our area.  It all started when The Lord laid a thought on my heart about seven weeks ago.  

On the way to church each time we pass a liquor store on the corner of the block our church is located.  I started praying that this store would close.  It just doesn't seem reasonable to have the power of God on one end of the block and the power of satan on the other end.  I am not praying for the building to burn down or that the owners would suffer.  I am praying that they will be saved.  

Each time we would pass I would contine to pray for God's will.  I have asked others in our church to pray too.  Some have told me to just look the other direction instead of at that store.  Others have said they would pray, but with that same non committal attitude.  Years ago church's power in prayer was evident.  I am convinced the power is still there.  God's word still promises that if we pray, He answers.  

My husband teaches a short class on Sunday evening with the boys of church.  He challenged them to tell him of prayers that they have seen answered.  They couldn't think of any.  They were even were open enough to say they really didn't need to pray because their parents gave them everything they wanted.  Now, that should give us all a pause for thought.  Are our children actually seeing God working in their lives?

We have a beautiful church property on 14 acres.  God has been so good to us.

On the very tip of the pie shaped block is the liquor store.  To tell people where our church is we tell them to turn at the liquor store.  

What would you do with this property if it belonged to you?  Now that is where my dreaming has gone wild!