Shopping for Souls

At the end of Hebrews chapter 11, which is known as the "faith chapter" of the Bible, we can read these words:
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

When we surrender our lives to the Lord, we can have an expectation that He will lead us in His ways - He has given us His Word, teaching us His principles, and His Spirit will empower us to be able to be obedient to Him.  We also can depend on Him for inspiration, to give us ideas, heavenly vision, in order to carry out what He desires for us to do. And, our creative God will also provide instruction and strength so that we can glorify Him and fulfill His calling.

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The apostle Paul wrote these words, found in Romans chapter 15 about possessing confidence in the Lord:
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.

For years in Ponce de Leon Mall in St. Augustine, Florida and similar centers across the country, people have ventured there to shop, to visit multiple stores under one roof.  In many areas, this concept has declined, including that particular center in Florida.

However, a different type of "shopping" experience is about to commence in that coastal city. A local church, Anchor Faith Church, has announced it will be buying the mall, according to CBN News, which reports:

One Florida church raised over one million dollars to purchase an empty shopping mall in hopes of creating opportunities that will give back to the community.

Anchor Faith Church in St. Augustine announced on its website that it plans to fill the once-bustling storefronts at Ponce de Leon Mall with local businesses as a way to create job opportunities for the unemployed.

The article said that the church first became involved with the mall back in 2009 when it needed more space. Pastor Earl Glisson sensed that God was directing the church to buy the rest of the shopping complex. And, throughout the five-year process of raising the initial 1.1 million dollars, as the pastor said, he "...never wavered that we would be able to obtain it. I just kept the faith. I would drown out any other voices," adding, "In those moments, I kept standing on the Word. Every day I would say, 'Thank you Lord for 2121 US Hwy 1 South.' I made choices not to lean on my own understanding and to trust that He was able to perform what He was able to do for me." 

The church's website states, "We will be able to create space for local businesses and entrepreneurs to open up shops, boutiques, and stores. Proceeds from these rented spaces would help to directly fund outreach opportunities here in Saint Augustine, but to our ministry partners in the rest of United States, Central America, Africa, and Asia," adding, "We'll be able to open a distribution center to get necessities in the hands of those in need, such as clothing, food, and furniture." 

The pastor says, "The role for believers is to be a light wherever they're at...We have an opportunity for the church to impact the marketplace directly. As tenants come, we are going to bless them."

Yesterday, the church was scheduled to hold a dedication center for this new extension, to, as Pastor Glisson says, "advance the kingdom of God."

Two things are apparent to me here.

First of all, since we serve a Creator God who is the author of creativity, we can depend on Him to give us creative vision.  He can produce in our hearts ideas that will bring Him glory, with the potential to touch and change lives. And, not only that, He provides the power and wisdom to carry that out.  We can depend on Him for inspiration to do His work.

We can also remember to have confidence and walk by faith.  The vision was given, the price tag was set, and the pastor and congregation continued to trust in the Lord to provide the financial resources in order to take the next step.  This was reportedly a down payment, and now it's up to the church to follow through, with God's help.  I think it can be helpful to remember the faith milestones along our journey - and just because we reach a goal, we know there will be more opportunities.  We cannot rest on our laurels, but continue to press on to what God has in store.