The blessing of obeying what God asks

welcome to treasures in the storm. I’m Cindy schmidle er and today we’re gonna talk about what it’s like to walk with, jesus in those good works that he has prepared in advance for us to do. I’m gonna pray for us. We’re gonna search some scriptures and I’m going to share a story of what that looks like in life. And so just be thinking about the things that God may have called you to and be so that we’re listening to the holy Spirit as I share this story and this story is called kids church. It’s a ministry that my husband and I started. So I think about the scriptures that I want to talk about is Ephesians 2 10 and I’m gonna pray and then I’m gonna recite that and we’re gonna write it down. So get your bibles and your notebooks ready because we don’t know what God has for us today. But I promise you he wants to talk to us. And so Lord, we come before you today with locked arms, my audience and I we know father because your word tells us that you have things in advance for us to do and we want to be doing that. We don’t want to be doing everything Lord. We want to do those things that you have prepared in advance for us to do. We don’t want our plates spilling all over because we’ve taken on things you’ve not called us too. We want to take on the things that you want for us to do because that will lighten our load and and you threw us versus us striving to do all the things that we think we should do or somebody else may think we need to do. And so we’re gonna trust you for that today. We’re gonna believe you wholeheartedly for that today as we get into what you have for us and we pray that in jesus name. So get your bibles to Ephesians 2 10, right for we are God’s handiwork, you and I are God’s handiwork created in christ jesus to do good works which God had prepared in advance for us to do. Do you know that the things that God wants you to do are already written in his book, It’s already done just those things, not all things just the things that he wants you to do. I think of jesus when he left people at the shore and got into the boat there was healing that needed physical, mental, spiritual healing that didn’t happen in some people’s lives because jesus said no and he got in the boat why? He said, I can only do what the father wants me to do and that’s what we want to be right. Yeah, Jesus says in John 1515, I am the vine, you are the branch apart from me, you can do nothing. And so if you picture yourself, Jesus is the vine and you’re the branch, what does the branch do? How does the branch participate actually, it doesn’t do anything, right. The vine. The life giving vine gives the branch, the food that it needs? And then it produces fruit, the fruit just come off of it because the vine has given it to the branch, that’s the kind of people we want to be. So back years ago my husband and I, we had moved to a new city and we were in a new church and we loved this church was a big huge church on the north side of this town that we lived in and it was getting to be christmas time and we always like to help families that have less than us at christmas. And so this was no different, we had did this in our other state and so it’s just part of who we are and so we went into the church and we talked to the pastor over benevolence and we said we would like to um give gifts to families who may need them this christmas and he said oh yes, I have some families for you and he gave us the families and we did our normal thing and had fun doing it with our son and we’re able to deliver those gifts which is the best part just so much fun and as the bible says, jesus says, you to take care of the poor, you’re supposed to help people and so it feels good when we do that doesn’t it feels good and after we got done our hearts were still wanting more and we’re like Lord, what do you have for us? Is there more here that you want us to be doing? And we also noticed that where we lived, people had plenty, there’s plenty of everything and and over in this area they didn’t and we said we’d like to get these people to be participating in helping these people because that’s what jesus would have us do. So he was already beginning to put on our hearts this. And so we went back to that pastor at our church and we said you know we we have a burden for this and he goes well I know somebody else who has that burden to his name was frank. And so we met frank and we spent time with him were like oh my gosh, we all had the same burden and we started brainstorming what is it that God may be calling us to do? And we also met another guy who is a big philanthropist in the area and he, we all brainstormed and pray together, asking God what is it that you want for this city. And as we did that the Lord was putting different things on our heart and the one man, the philanthropist said look you should go to New york city, the poor area of New york city, they have what’s called like an umbrella ministry there and you can find out the different things that they’re doing and that may open the door for you of what God may be calling you too. And we thought that’s a brilliant idea. And so that was the plan. We’re going to go to New york city and this man was going to hold our hand because we had never been to the inner city of new york city. And so it was getting closer, john said, Cindy, we need to get our tickets to go. I’m like, okay, all right. And they were running about $4 or $500 for a ticket. And uh, John got a call one day from Paul who is the overseer of the philanthropist. And he said, you know, I’m not going to be my work, will not let me get away as much as I want to do this, I can’t get away. And so john Comey said, you know what, He can’t come. And I said, oh, I guess it’s often because I’m sure not going to the inner city of new york with, with never having been there is what was going on in my mind. And but God right. And john said no, no, I think we need to go. I think we really need to go and do this. And I’m like, oh and so I got off the phone with him and I fleeced the Lord, have you ever done that, fleecing the Lord Lord, I just need you to show up in this thing, I need to know that you are in this thing. And so before I made those plane tickets, I fleeced the Lord, I said, oh Lord, please God help me to know you want us to go on this trip. And I called in my neck due diligence, I called Laguardia to get my tickets and she said, Oh my Gosh, a flight just came up this morning. It’s like $136 round trip. And I knew, I knew then that God wanted us to go to new york city. And so I was, I was so excited because God had spoken. But my fearfulness was off the charts too because we don’t, we never been there. We don’t know what, what do we know? And isn’t that so often how it is when God calls us to something, we were so afraid to get out of the boat, right? We’re afraid that we don’t know what we’re doing could be scary. We just don’t know. Right? And so john was thrilled and frank was coming with us. And so we got on the plane, we went there, we met the umbrella ministry. They actually did hold our hands without paul being there. I was so grateful. And what’s funny is one of the men got his car out of storage because in new york, you don’t have cars. They don’t use cars. And he went and got his car out of storage to drive us to the inner city of new york. So we could experience this particular ministry called um, saturday sunday school by Bill Wilson and magnificent ministry. And So he comes up in his car and it’s a gold cadillac that’s like from the 1950s. I’m not kidding you, it had shag carpeting in it. So just to tell you what kind of car this was. And so we all pile, he, he brought a guy with him and then the three of us piled in the back seat and off we were too, the inner city of new york. And as we’re driving, we’re getting very close and you could see this, this is a sunday morning, I believe. And on every corner. So there’s no people because it’s sunday morning and it’s the inner city and a lot of warehouse, old warehouse looking buildings and on each corner there were a group of men and I don’t want the stereotype of shady looking men is all I can say. I don’t know what you would call them. That is so began feeling more uncomfortable about where we were going, like where are we going to be safe here? And as we’re driving, all of a sudden the car dies, it just stops running stops in the middle of the road and it’s all the guys get out, I don’t think not one of them had any idea about how to fix the car. Nobody even had a car, you know, nobody knew, we don’t fix our own cars these days. And so they’re all, they’re all running and they all get out and they’re running around the car like, I don’t know what they were doing. And then one of the guys put his hands on the hood because honestly, I don’t think they had any other idea. Let’s call upon the name of the Lord. That’s a great idea. So he put his hands on the hood and he prayed that God would start that car and that car started right. Uh, and so God again was going before us on this trip. He had plans and purposes that we just didn’t know those works in advance. He was beginning to lay that out for us though, we didn’t know. And so we arrive at the saturday sunday school and it’s huge warehouse. They take in 1000 kids on the morning and it’s a high energy like church service, but nothing like you and I would go to its uh, they, they have rock music and it’s so, it’s so magnificent. They had um, the walls are all painted black and there’s black lights and stuff. Just, these kids were probably in love with all of this. And, and there are lots of commotion going on because they’re getting ready to bring all the kids in and we had to be the flies on the wall. We were told to stand on the wall because we’re not there, it’s not about us. It’s all about these kids in the inner city who have nothing. And then um the uh starter of the ministry, Bill Wilson happened to be there. He is never there because he travels the United States getting money to support these kids in this program and but he happened to be there and they ushered us into his office a little, you know, really small tiny office with an old wooden desk and he’s sitting behind the desk and I remember it was cold out too and he sat there and just sweetest guy you’d ever want to meet and he shared his story with us and listen to this. I hope I get it accurate because he’s so worth honoring. So when he was young maybe seven years old his mom took him to the grocery and left him there and he sat in the parking lot at the grocery store for three days and there was a family who saw him from their apartment complex, family of christians who saw him and they watched him and they went out and they got him and they ended up raising him as their own and so he came to know the Lord and he had a beautiful life because of his family. Well his commitment was to go back to um his place where he was raised and help other kids just like him and isn’t that often what happens I think of moses his life you know he was raised in the palace yet he left the palace went to the Hebrews because of God because of God’s call in his life and this that’s what this man was doing. He had been shot like three times he’d been knifed. I mean everything that can happen to somebody happened to him and yet he persevered and endured because of the kids. And I think about the call on our lives and the commitment to the call that God gives us. Are we willing to stay in that call that he has given us. So that was very fascinating. What a privilege to have that time with him. And then The program was getting ready to start. So they brought us into the room and we watched those kids, they did a memory verse. The memory verse they did was romans 58 but God demonstrates his love for us that while we were still sinners christ died for us. While we’re in our sin christ died for us. And we all memorized that verse because that was everybody was memorizing at the time. And I think what a great thing for those kids to know when they don’t have a parent that maybe loves them right now. Thinking of Bill Wilson and all he had been through. And so We get back on the plane. Not really 100% sure but getting more confident that maybe God wants us to do this Saturday Sunday school in the inner city of our hometown. And we, we started getting vision for that what God might want. So we get home and, and we worked at putting it together and finding a spot and God was so faithful to us. I mean in a second he gave us a beautiful park building, gorgeous old, beautiful building with on on a park grounds that have big, beautiful shaded trees in the highest murder rate area of the city. And so they gave us favor. We were able to use the building. We started, we decided we would go door to door to get kids to come and we were gonna do what Bill Wilson, we’re gonna put on a church service that was fun and full of life because that’s the way jesus is, he’s not a boring god, he’s a god that you can’t wait to go and and worship him and spend time with him. And so a little side note, if you’re in a church that you feel is boring or not good enough, you got to go find a church where the people are alive because that’s what jesus wants for you. And so we started getting vision about all of this and started putting it together and through that we birthed what we called kids church and we would go to our church and try to get the leadership. We really wanted the sanction of the leadership. Leadership in our church to be our umbrella of protection for this ministry, but that was not that easy to do. And so we would we would make appointments with pastors and people have influenced in our church. So we could tell them meanwhile doing it by ourselves and just inviting friends to come help us on Saturdays. And because we did it on a saturday mornings and every time we’d have these appointments for to get together with the leadership of the church, nobody nobody would show up except all the receptionist and the secretaries. All of them came and so we would share with them, but we leave a little frustrated like, oh my gosh, the leadership is not there. We just have all these other people, all the worker bees that actually do all the work, right? Well, it turns out all of those worker bees were the people who could really help us and we’re so grateful. Then we’re doing the ministry. We’re inviting the kids. We had busses, we hired busses to go pick up the kids in the highest murder rate of all, and um, always felt God’s protection. I mean, I remember going in houses that men had big guns hanging out of their pants, There were drugs everywhere and they would let me in and I would get their kids and get them on the bus and God just Miraculously gave us such favor and many things happen. We did that actually for 10 years every week and God enabled us to be there every single week and that in itself is miraculous to think about. Well, early in the ministry, I’m gonna say less than a year into the ministry. The church leadership came to us. We weren’t having to go to them. They came to us and they said our Christmas offering is coming up and we’d like to give it to you. Well, we were new in the church like, well maybe we’ll get $5,000 and that would be really helpful because we were also feeding the kids and we had over 250 kids come a week. So it got expensive. And so here we are thinking, oh, we’re so excited. Well that Christmas offering ended up being $100,000 because that’s what God does. That’s how much he loves us. He goes above and beyond our wildest imagination to give us what is needed for the thing. He’s called us to, he’s doing it, We’re not doing it, He’s doing all of it. I think of it as were containers and he’s in where the container that he’s in accomplishing the work and it’s such a privilege to do that. And I remember one time, you know, I was getting a little weary. I did a lot of logistics, john did all the overseeing, He actually did the messages, which he absolutely loved and he’s very gifted at it. We had a worship team, fun, energetic worship team, we gave the kids candy every week, uh was such a blessing. And I remember one week I got on the bus and because I just wanted that hands on with the kids, there’s just nothing greater than that. And I was sitting with a bunch of young girls, I’m gonna say 87 and eight year olds and um most of the people, there were afro afro american and I’m obviously white and so I was um, I was, my hair and my features were appealing to them because it was something different. And so I was sitting in my seat and the girls would start playing with my hair, they’d have so much fun playing with my hair, It was just such an enjoyable time. And I remember the girls, they would take, they take their hands like this, this was all new to me because I’m white and I don’t know how to do this and they would go and they lick their hand and then they press it on my hair so they wanted to get my hair nice and straight and I just belly laughed at that. I said, oh God, you are so hilarious, we’re not even gonna think about germs or anything, we’re just gonna have fun here. And that’s what it was like at kids church. It wasn’t always easy, no, but when God calls you, he will equip you and he needs us to persevere because he tells us I am divine and you are the branch be the branch, a branch has to bear fruit. It can’t not bear fruit. If you’re an apple tree, you have to bear apples. You can’t not bear apples. We are God’s fruit trees and we have to bear fruit or we’re really not in him. Right? It’s part of who we are. So I want you to remember that as we go. Um I just wanna make sure I covered everything in here to just remind yourself when God has called you to something, he is gonna equip you, he’s gonna, he will finalize to you exactly what he wants you to do. God think of how he supplied miraculously, everything. And then on top of miraculous $100,000. Oh my gosh! And before we pray, I want to pray for us because I don’t know what God might be calling you to today, but I promise you there’s something, there’s some good work that he has prepared in advance for you today. And sometimes it may be like my good friend who’s taking care of her 100 year old mom in her home right now. Uh It might be something like that. I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be formal ministry, formal ministry is everything you know, God cares about. Um The person who is a businessman at IBM as much as he cares about the franklin graham’s of the world. And so we need to know that and remind ourselves because he says um that he wants us to continue doing his work, the kingdom of God and then everything else will be added unto us, seek his kingdom his work and then everything else. And that’s where joy and happiness will come. So I want you to take a moment and write down all that you learned through this testimony and the scriptures and see what God might be wanting you to know. And I’m gonna pray for us. So we thank you Lord again um for the privilege of getting into the lazy river with you Lord. We were just floating down. You’re the one who does all the work. God, we don’t do it. You do. It were your vessels, Lord. And what a joy it is to be a vessel of yours. I want my brothers and sisters who are hearing this message, Lord to grab hold of what it, whatever it is that you have called them to. That they don’t hold too tightly to something they think and they keep their hands open, Lord, to what you want. And then Lord don’t let them put things you don’t want on their plate because then it just spills off and makes me miserable. It makes them miserable. And I don’t want that for them, Lord. And so please father just help them to take off what shouldn’t be on this plate now because the only thing that matters is what you’ve asked us to do. Not everything doesn’t matter what what mary wants us to do or Bill wants us to do and matters what you want us to do. And so we want to be about that business, not all the business, just that business. So give us eyes to see, ears to hear hearts to receive what you have for us and let your holy spirit just speak loudly and clearly Lord and let it be such a joy as as hard as it was for john and I to start kids church. There was such an inner joy going on in the midst of our struggle and I want that for for all my audience to Lord. And so we just thank you in advance of what you’re going to do in jesus name, Thank you so much for listening to my show today. Have a great day. Hello, my name is Cindy Schmirler and I have something very special that I want to share with you today. 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