A Glimpse of Heaven

by Michael Leslie

It’s not every day that we get a glimpse of heaven, but on occasion God is willing to show us the place He has prepared for us. Through fellowship and times of serving His will, He will bless us with a vision and a feeling of what eternity with Him will be like. We were fortunate to have this experience and this glimpse during our time in the Czech Republic.

Communion takes place with regularity and I feel like at times we lose sight of the true purpose and impact this time can have on our faith and relationships with other believers. Tuesday evening, 25 November, 2014, we took the time to have a communion dinner including the Fusion Czech Team and members of Kostel Jinak. Wine, juice, and bread were served in a casual fashion. Large loaves of fresh bread were passed around on a plate and each person tore off a piece of bread. Some grabbed small pieces, others grabbed larger pieces. Then the wine and juice were passed around and everyone served each other, dependent on what they wanted. Once everyone was served, the evening began with prayer and worship. It was a time of fellowship, to build relationships deeper than just names and small talk. As the evening began, the idea was to share stories of how God had been working in our lives or testimonies to our faith. Like most group discussions on very personal topics, it started slow. There were people that wanted to share, but I sensed a bit of hesitancy due to the freshness of our bonds. Then people started sharing, with translations from Czech to English and English to Czech. There were stories of how God changed the way He exists in our lives. There were stories of God changing hearts from hard to soft. There were stories of God making His will and plan for us so clear that deniability was not an option. There were also stories of God challenging faith and walking through the fire of trials with us. Most importantly, there were stories of redemption and God’s endless mercy and forgiveness for us as sinners and believers.  Hearing these stories was and still is, inspiring, motivating, and encouraging.

As people shared, I began to feel God’s presence and it became overwhelming for me. We were all letting our guards down and sharing the personal things close to our hearts. This sort of vulnerability made it feel like family, it helped make us family. Hebrews 10:24 – 25 sums up how I felt that evening. We shared the positive in our lives and the negative, but ultimately it came back to how God changed us for His glory. They were stories of encouragement and God’s holiness. I saw a glimpse of heaven that night, and how it will feel to live eternally in His glory. It was a time and evening I didn’t want to end, and I shared that with everyone that evening. I still wish I was there, that we were together with God, basking in His glory. Every time I think about that evening, I still get choked up and overwhelmed. He is amazing and His love for us is endless. I left that night knowing that Kostel Jinak and Fusion had become family, even though we are thousands of miles apart. I look forward to seeing them again and can’t wait to grow in Christ with them more.

Reflections of Growth

by Jess Lindgren
 
Words don’t easily express my thankfulness and joy in returning to Czech last week. For the last 8 years, ministry in Czech has been a huge part of my life. Whether it was leading English camps in the summer, living in Czech for 6.5 months or Skyping Czech students often, the Lord has continued to stir in my heart for this country and these people. He has also used my experiences in Czech to really shape me into who I am today as well – and I am so thankful for that.

I’ve had the unique perspective of “growing up” with many of the Kostel Jinak core members. We met as high school students – me, as a nervous American coming to “teach” English; them, teaching me much more. Many of them were not believers when we first met. Yet, through the years, I have seen the Lord change and transform hearts and lives. It brings tears to my eyes to think back on what He has done. Not just in the hearts of my dear Czech friends, but in my own heart as well.

Spending this last week in Sumperk provided opportunities for our team to connect with Kostel Jinak on a deeper level – to hear their hearts, their stories of what God is doing, to see a glimpse of their lives. We were able to spend a morning in the local high school – connecting with students, inviting them to  an afternoon English conversation time, a concert and English camp this summer. We also spent a morning individually walking around Sumperk and praying – for both the believers and unbelievers in this city. I had the joy of meeting several different girls for coffee and also reconnecting with several students from English camp this summer- so many good conversations. Our week in Sumperk with Kostel Jinak was purposeful in many ways, but I think the mutual encouragement felt by experiencing the family of Christ (that surpasses culture, language, and an ocean) was the most powerful.

I’m filled with thankfulness as I think about our brothers and sisters in Sumperk – and what the Lord is doing in this city. We have much to learn from Kostel Jinak, and I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for opportunities to return each summer to lead English camps, and to be on mission together. I’m thankful for continued relationships, year after year. I’m thankful for renewed perspective in returning to Minnesota. The partnership that NHC has with Kostel Jinak is continuing to bear fruit – and we give glory to God for what only He can do! He is at work in the Czech Republic and He is at work in New Hope – changing and transforming hearts to know Him, follow Him, and trust Him more. Thank you, Lord!

throughout the years...

 

God of This City

Photo by Michael Leslie
Statuary of the Holy Crucifix and Calvary
Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

"God Of This City"

by Chris Tomlin

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our god
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here