The Watering Hole

 

[22] But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. [23] For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. [24] You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. [25] But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1:22-25 NLT

After church and a delicious Pastor Appreciation brunch yesterday Cecelia and I drove to Harriman to be part of a unique ministry. A friend of mine, Kasey Stout has a ministry called The Watering Hole. On Sunday afternoons he sets up on the side of Roan State Hwy and the Clinch River and has church. He started it almost a year ago when he said the Lord told him to go to the river and baptize people who came to him. He obeyed. He put it on Facebook that he would be there between 1-3 Sunday afternoons. First couple of weeks not many came, but soon God began to draw people there for salvation, prayer, encouragement and obedience. 

Yesterday was the 43rd Sunday of the Watering Hole and Kasey had invited me to preach. By the time I got there, there were about 30 people who came for the service. Some brought food to feed the people who came. Several people were under a canopy kneeling at a prayer altar that had been set up. Two people were scheduled to be baptized at the end of the service, but Kasey gave the invitation after I preached and two other people came for salvation and another woman came for baptism (she had been saved at home, but drove two hours to be baptized at the Watering Hole). In all two people professed faith in Christ and a total of five were baptized in the river.  It was evident the Spirit of the Lord was there. 

Kasey is a Corrections Officer at the prison where I teach for Carson Newman. We met about a year ago and a friendship started. Kasey is a genuine person and a passionate follower of the Lord. I have seen him witness to and pray with inmates, other CO's, and staff at the prison. I've followed him on Facebook and he is always involved in sharing the gospel and serving others in any way he can. During the recent storms and flooding in our area, on his own time, Kasey gathered people, donations and supplies and delivered them to some of the most hard hit areas. 

When I read the passage in James 1 about not just hearing the word but doing the word, I think of Kasey and The Watering Hole. By faith, he obeyed what God was telling him to do, and God has done some amazing things. Lives have been changed because he and others are there. He has been an inspiration to me of what it looks like when someone hears what God is telling him to do, and does it without knowing what the outcome will be. In reality, Kasey is living the normal Christian life. What would our world look like if the rest of us followers of Jesus listened for what God is telling us to do, and then just did it? I have a feeling it would be a lot better world, and God would be glorified!