No matter how things seem, God is always there to provide for those who follow Him. The Apostle Paul had this confidence when he penned Philippians 4:19.
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Not only does He provide for our needs, He also directs our paths. King Solomon learned this from his father, King David. Solomon wrote this Proverbs 16:9
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
When the Lord led Cheryl and I to begin pastoring 32 years ago, He told us never to worry about building a building. He always would put us where He wanted us to be. For 22 years, we had made “Fredericktowne Mall” our home. God gave us a wonderful relationship with the owners and manager Tom Bradley. Well almost two years ago, we were forced to leave our home by the new mall ownership who wanted to make more money. Well, God directed us after a short time at “Harvest Christian Fellowship” we joined “Divergent” church in FSK Mall.
Last week we were informed by the leadership of Divergent that they are in the process of dissolving and desiring to become part of Cornerstone.
They had been asking the Lord for direction as to their future and that our connecting with them was exactly on time. Sounds like God to me. Yes, there is some sort of connection between shopping malls and Cornerstone. I don’t believe that the Lord wanted to church to be separate from the marketplace. Jesus said this Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
From what I understand, Divergent has done a wonderful job gaining the favor from all the businesses as well as the Mall’s administration. Our endeavor is to continue to bless the businesses as we did at the other Mall. It was also prophesied over us that we would indeed become the “light on a hill that could not be hidden”. Our dear and long-time friend Bishop Ekejuba from Nigeria prophesied that Cornerstone would be reestablished and rebuilt.
In Ephesus, the Apostle Paul taught in the library which was in the center of the marketplace of the city. He taught there for over 2 years. The businesses that had occultic influences were destroyed and the church of Ephesus became the model church of the New Testament.
Our taking over will increase our monthly expenses somewhat, but I believe God will provide for us as He always has. We have many incredible friends who have always given generously.
We don’t believe this is our final resting place, so to speak as we desire to eventually have a place of worship and healing. However, this is another step in Cornerstone’s journey.
We invite all of you to come and visit and share with us as we celebrate God’s goodness.