THE NEED

I love the Advent Season! It's this amazing time of anticipation and waiting and expectancy - longing for the coming of the King. We have the opportunity like Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:21-40) to see the fulfillment of a promise from long ago that God would redeem His creation by injecting Himself into it - by becoming one of us. He came. He lived. He loved. He selflessly bore the burden of the sin of all mankind...and He died. The King was killed. Dead. But that wasn't the end. He faced death, grabbed the sword out of it's hand, and like David with Goliath, He cut it's head off! He conquered sin and death! And He rose from the grave! Hallelujah! But again...that is NOT the end. Because for those who are trusting Him, pursuing Him, placing their hope in Him, and living for the sake of His glory and His Kingdom, He is coming AGAIN! And like Simeon and Anna, we have the opportunity to see the fulfillment of a promise from long ago. The question is, what do we do during the waiting? There is great news this Christmas! The King has given express orders (Matthew 25:31-46) to His people - to US - to open our hearts, our eyes, and our lives...to meet THE NEED. In our lives, God has met THE NEED. So in the lives of others, we will do the same.

This Christmas at The Brook, we are giving radically and generously to meet THE NEED in the lives of those who are waiting and hoping for the Lord to come and rescue and supply. While we faithfully pray that He would be the "Great Provider" in others lives, we are well aware that often the King chooses to use His people to meet THE NEED. He is calling us to give back! This coming Sunday, December 12th, we are giving to change the lives of others, to transform our hearts, and to change the world. Here are just a few of the things our gifts will go toward:

• Putting new shoes & clothes on every child AND on every nurse at Amor del Nino Children's Home in Guatemala.
• Meeting basic needs (shoes, clothes, food, rent) of children and their families right here in our very own city.
• Helping the Alabama Baptist Children's Home make improvements as they selflessly love and care for the sweet children in their care.
• Contributing to Inside-Out Ministries, an organization in Madison that exists solely to meet the basic needs of people in our city as they share the love of Christ with them. IOM does NOT just give handouts! They give counsel, get involved in the dirty and difficult parts of peoples' lives, knowing that often the greatest way to meet someone's needs is to teach them to be stewards of what the Lord has given them. IOM depends on the Lord to take care of their funding and expenses through local churches like The Brook.

Again, these are just some of the people and organizations that we will have the opportunity to bless. We hear the calling of our King to "feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit those who are alone, and tangibly love those we have never even met"...and we refuse to sit by believing that ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is unacceptable! God is faithful, so we must be also.  In our lives God has met THE NEED. So in the lives of others, we will do the same. We are praying that the Lord is powerfully stirring your heart this week as your ask Him what and how He desires you to give. We encourage you to give radically - to give generously - to give like Christ has given to us! Will you join us?