Let it Flow

The Spirit has equipped us and enabled us to do the work of God, an outward manifestation of the inward presence of Christ in us.  We are called to be givers of hope and provided powerful tools to accomplish that purpose. 1st Corinthians 12 says:
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

Our God is orchestrating His work to be done in the earth, and He uses human beings as conduits, or vessels of the Holy Spirit, whom He will work through for His glory.  We can consider how we can use the talents and the desires that He gives us to serve in order that we might make an impact for the gospel.  God's strategy in the world is transformation, as people might hear about and see the love of Christ, so that people will allow Him to fill their lives.

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Christians can be carriers of hope in the places to where God has called them.  Through our charitable work, we reflect the love of Christ. Romans 15 says:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

The need for fresh water for drinking and other purposes is huge in many parts of the world.  Recently, I featured a conversation with Orlando Buck, who has pastored in the Faith Radio broadcast area and serves with Filter of Hope, which has as its intent to provide clean water and Biblical truth to people in multiple nations.  The organization, which has a unique water filtration system, was also featured in a recent edition of River Region's Journey magazine.

And, through the provision of clean drinking water and the interaction of those who work with the ministry, people can discover the living water about which Jesus spoke, the water that can cleanse the soul.

The need for clean water is also present in an area of the United States that has received national attention: Flint, Michigan.  According to a Christian Post article:

Over the past few years, residents of Flint reported increasingly contaminated water, with residents reporting issues as early as 2014. By early 2016, then President Barack Obama declared an emergency for the area and ordered federal aid.

A church in that area has decided to get involved, and has partnered with a celebrity, who brings resources, influence, and a passion for the project.  That is Jaden Smith, an actor who is the son of Will Smith.  The story continues:

501CThree, a philanthropic group Smith is part of, joined First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church of Flint to announce a partnership to help residents gain access to cleaner water.

Catrina Tillman, wife of the lead pastor at First Trinity who's been spearheading the project, told The Christian Post that they had “heard about the work we were already doing in the city.”

The church has been helping to provide clean water for three years now in the community, with the help of donations from all across the country, including churches and other people, even companies.  The article continues:

Tillman said the partnership will specifically focus on distributing a device known as the Water Box, which is a portable system designed to filter out several types of bacteria, heavy metals, and sediments.

“The plan is to, hopefully, one day have water boxes all across the city of Flint and in other cities as well,” continued Tillman. “Flint has been on the front lines of lead issues, but there are other cities as well that could utilize this filtration system.”

The church, on its Facebook page, according to the article, stated, “Serving is the greatest gift we can give to each other to express Gods love for one another. For the past three years First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church has done just that...”

Now, I can't say that I would endorse the overall philosophy of Jaden Smith's organization or its overall work; but I do think that this model has some benefits.  The first thing that we can see here is that the Church is being the Church in Flint.  Many are aware of the water problems that city has encountered for the past few years; and this local church has decided to get involved; to follow Christ in the midst of a crisis, if you will.

Provision can come through promotion.  Let that sink in.  If people don't know your need, they will not take steps to address it.  So, a high-profile carrier of information can be helpful in building awareness so that people can become involved.

Here, the church has taken advantage of its strategic placement.  Wherever we are, we can consider how God would use us to take His light into our communities.  We can work to identify areas of need in our communities and see how spiritual strategies can be implemented.  Perhaps you can identify areas in which the Church or individual Christians have become involved as a force for God, to the glory of God.  This is how we carry on the work of Christ in our culture.