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FHL Week 2011 Update 6/17

June 18, 2011 Merlin Gonzales FHL Week

The Coming of the Kingdom of God – Luke 17:20-21, 20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within[a] you.” – NIV

What a privilege we have in Christ. He has chose us to be distributors of the Kingdom treasures and blessings. It’s unfathomable that the Kingdom of God is within us.

Here are the Updates for the FHL Week:

Possible 24/7 Prayer Room in the Midtown area starting 7/24 (Midtown Area)
Several youth and adults from New Castle, Anderson & Pendleton, IN are planning to stay at a church parsonage during FHL Week for a Neighborhood Makeover near the d’town Indy (Pendleton/Anderson area)
The Official Kick off of FHL week is 7/24 at University Park and part of the celebration is Dance Your Shoes Off where hundreds of participants will dance to make God famous and will leave their shoes to be distributed for those in need (FHL Indiana)
FHL is partnering with several homeless ministries for the 7/30 Foot Washing and to give them the shoes that were collected on 7/24 (FHL Indiana)
On 7/28-30 will be feeding both of body and soul in the West side of Indy with unabashed worship, sharing of the Gospel to general public and possible clothing give away (West side Area)
FHL is now recruiting for “Citizen Reporters” who will be simultaneously reporting during FHL Week from different locations. Please sign up on FHL website Volunteer page to find out more about this new initiative (FHL Indiana)
“Hands for Haiti” in which we will construct 3 church buildings and pack 25,000 meals for the people of Haiti (Noblesville area)
Town Hall Meeting in Lamong, In to discuss the plans for the Neighborhood Makeover 6/23 7p at Lamong Christ Community Church (NW Area)

We have many larger projects that could keep many volunteers busy throughout the week. Please contact me if you have local missionaries who would like to join other areas such as d’town Indy, Westfield and ramp building around Mero Indy.

Psalm 115:1, “Not to us O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name be the Glory…”

Focus directs your life

May 25, 2011 Merlin Gonzales FHL Indiana

Last weekend, I attended a Christian Conference in Youngstown OH. On our way there, we talked about the importance of focus and attention to certain things. When we got to the conference, most of what they talked about was about focus and attention.

Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” – NKJV One speaker said, you become what you think about.

This morning, I was reminded that if we meditate on the goodness of God, we will experience His goodness. The more we focus on Him, the more others see Him in us. We are being transformed to His likeness.
In the Book of Exodus, Moses ask to see the face of God. He waited on Him without any distractions. When Moses went down from the mountain, his face was transformed because God met Him at the mountain.

God, I pray that you give me grace to always be attentive to your Presence. Transform me, re-wire my brain to focus on You instead of the world.

Deuteronomy 16:15

May 19, 2011 Merlin Gonzales FHL Indiana

As we are getting closer to the Annual FHL Week (July 24-30), anticipation is building up. It is not so much about what we will accomplish and do but it is more of the alignment of our thoughts, faith and spirit. This is the Year of Faith for the FHL and do we go through God’s refining fire. Many of the city’s leaders are now preparing for FHL Week. Phone calls, emails, FB and other forms of communications are being used, visiting places, meeting new people, finding resources and volunteers, rehearsals for the dance and hundreds of other things that needed attention.

Have you find yourself praising God passionately when things are going your way? During challenging times, have you find yourself lethargic and even doubting the possibilities? Can you still have the joy from God?

The Bible says that no one nothing can take that joy away from you unless you allow that to happen. It’s about you and the choices that you make.

I would like to encourage you that God’s promises are real. When God called you to a task or mission, He will make sure that He will take care of you; it’s His Name that’s at stake. Notice I said, “take care of You”, not necessarily the “task” He had given you. He can do things Himself or through others; He wants your heart and He wants to train you to find joy in obeying Him.

For 7 days or more in July, we will celebrate the privilege of working alongside God and others in Central Indiana. “For seven days celebrate the festival to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” We will find that our greatest reward is in God and not in our accomplishment; it’s about our relationship with Him and with others…then our joy will be complete.

Thank you in advance for coming along side us in Proclaiming and Demonstrating the Unconditional Love of Christ.

Listen to my Daily Podcast about the expansion of the Kingdom of God in Indiana and how you can plug and play. Visit our FaceBook for more updated info. God bless you, Merlin

CommUNITY INDIANA

May 16, 2011 Merlin Gonzales FHL Indiana

God had provided us everything we need to possess the land that He promised us. Numbers 33:53, “Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.” We just need to obey Him actively to take back our communities from the stronghold of this world for God. God did not say to just invade our communities with the proclamation of His Word but with demonstration of power through the Holy Spirit within us. We must not just conquer our communities but settle in it. We have seen cities and even countries where the Spirit of God took over it such as the Reformation led by Martin Luther on October 31, 1517. He transformed the country and the world through his words and action.

However, the cradle of reformation, Germany, became the center of Anti-Christ when Hitler ruled the nation from 1933 to 1945. I believe part of the problem was the fired-up Christians did not settle in the land and failed to continue the Christian influence they had in the past. Darkness started to creep in, and the land where the Christian Reformation started became a land where approximately six million European Jews were extinguished, known as The Holocaust.

I would like to encourage all of us to Grow our Indiana Communities that love God and our neighbors through the tangible expression of God’s unconditional love. Let us invade our neighborhoods with the active obedience to the Word of God. Let us not just share the Gospel of Salvation (The Great Commandment) but live out the Gospel of the Kingdom (The Great Commission).

Listen to my Daily Podcast about the expansion of the Kingdom of God in Indiana and how you can plug and play

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Amazing God Stories From FHL Week Leaders

September 27, 2010 Merlin Gonzales Testimony

Here are some amazing God stories I gathered from the FHL Week Leaders’ de-briefing on Tuesday, Sept 21st.

Our Noblesville area reported the continued collaboration of churches, ministries and organizations
The North side area is working continuously with several ministries and churches in ministry training and evangelism
Our East side & Urban area shared about the ever growing awareness of the churches in the urban area and the continued pursuit to work together through the FHL CAN (Community Action Network)
Our West side area shared the excitement of some projects during FHL Week. Through the ‘Movie Night’ project, FHL is planning to have ‘Joshua’ movie at the Georgetown Cinema during the Halloween Week to bring Christian movie in a secular theater.
The BroadRipple/Midtown are have coordinated a multi-church Night of Worship at My Father’s House in BroadRipple on Tuesday, Sept 28th 6:30p-8:30p.
The FHL Kindness Day on Saturday, Sept 25th was joined by 150+ volunteers from the churches, businesses and educational institutions who worked on several projects across the city.

Once again, FHL Week is not just ‘a week’ of service but it encourages the continued partnerships that create a snow ball effect mobilizing the collaborative effort the communities.