Dear Worshipers,
Over the last few weeks I have been challenging us to seek renewal and revival in our relationship with Jesus. As I continue on that theme this week and develop it I have a question for you, “Are you listening?” I am not referring to listening to me, but to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
If you were in church on Sunday, you know that Pastor David began a short series titled “GOD HAS SOMETHING TO SAY”. The focus of this series is listening to God. You will recall the powerful illustration he shared demonstrating how God is working to orchestrate things in our lives in an exhilarating way, if we will but listen to Him. I am looking forward to what He will say through our pastor in the coming weeks, but I want to get you thinking along these lines, living there, if you will. After all, many of you probable stood at the end of the service indicating your desire to listen to God. But I wonder what you have done about it since then. Here are some things to do, with a challenge at the end.
Stop. Wait. Listen. Open your Bible. Do it early. Do it late. Do it at lunch. Do it whenever you can. Stop whatever you are doing on the hour and just listen to the prompting of the Spirit. Ask Him to fill your mind with Christ. When you get an impulse to do something, before you dismiss it, talk with God about it and then LISTEN. He will explain to you what you should do or not do. Open your ears and listen with your heart. God’s still, small voice will become clear with some diligent training.
You know that listening to a person can be difficult. We begin formulating our response sometimes long before they finish, which means we really are not listening anymore. The same is true in our listening to God, so you need to discipline your listening. After all, how important are the things that God says to you.
An illustration I heard recently had to do with a $20 bill. If you found one floating across the ground sometime when you are out, what would you do? Pick it up, right? Suppose there was no one around that it obviously belonged to. Then what? You would probably put it somewhere secure so that you would not lose it like its previous owner.
Suppose you quiet yourself long enough to hear what God is saying to you. Are not His words more precious than a $20 bill. Certainly, but what would you do with it? Where would you secure those words so that you would no lose them? Do you have such a place?
Here is my challenge.
Journal. I have said this before and will say it again. The discipline of journaling is a joy. Though I am only averaging a journal or two a week this year. Those moments and memories are precious to me. They remind me of what God is saying. They help me to begin the process of responding to those words. Journaling will do the same for you.
If God speaks to you, and He will, I encourage you to secure those words. Somehow, somewhere. Secure them.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
♪ Choir resumed last week, but you can join anytime. The sooner the better.
♪ Orchestra continues as scheduled. THIS WEEK.!!!
♪ Helpers are needed for Children’s Music in October. Let me know if you can assist Sarah and me. I have one blessed taker for Sarah and the preschoolers, and I really need at least one more for me and the older kids.
♪ I have ordered our devotional for the year, One Year with Jesus. They will cost $10, but will be worth every penny. They should be available by next week. Description: Ideal for anyone looking for a daily devotional to learn more about Jesus and grow closer to him. These 365 daily readings present the life of Christ in chronological order with selections from the four Gospels. Also included for each day are a Life Application note to provide insight and encouragement, and an information note to provide interesting background and helpful explanations. Another great book in the convenient and popular One Year format!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
God's Manifest Presence
Dear Worshipers,
Last week I challenged you to seek a renewal in your relationship with Christ by asking Him for just that. This week I want to intensify that call by turning up the heat a bit. Get ready, things could get very hot if we all give ourselves over to the Lord in this.
This past weekend at Wind and Fire, a C&MA Men’s Ministry event in Cleveland, I was challenged by this thought; there is a difference between God’s omnipresence and His manifest presence. Of course, we are all aware that God is everywhere present or omnipresent. But how does that differ from His manifest presence?
I have often commented on two of Jesus’ instructions to us to demonstrate this difference. In Matthew 28:20, within the Great Commission, we read, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He is with every individual believer. And yet, He had already made a promise of a different presence when He said, “where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.” [Matthew 18:20, NLT] There is something distinct in this presence.
The picture from scripture that He used to illustrate this was that of Elijah and the prophets of Baal from I Kings 18. You know of which I speak. The whole “call down fire from heaven episode.” And a powerful one it was. The difference between the two altars; the fire of God’s presence. That was God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer. “O Lord, let it be known today that You are God…Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You , O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again,” I Kings 18 36-37
Do you sense the desperation in Elijah’s voice? I have prayed prayers like this, but not with that same desperation. I have longed for God’s presence, but not with that same earnestness. I have cried out for God to turn His people’s hearts back to Himself, but not with this kind of passion. That is going to change.
The speaker on Saturday challenged us not to be content with altars with no fire. The distinction of God’s manifest presence is in the fire. Again and again in scripture we see God’s presence symbolized in fire. Hear the challenge today. Do you have an “altar” where you regularly meet with God, your special place for quiet time, i.e. your closet of prayer? If not, find one or make one today. If you do, is there fire on it, or have you settled for an altar with no fire?
Let us seek the fire of God, His manifest presence, in our lives individually, and our ministry corporately. I am tired of worshipping at altars without fire, and I feel confident that you are too. We are not seeking an experience, but instead the very presence of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Last week I challenged you to seek a renewal in your relationship with Christ by asking Him for just that. This week I want to intensify that call by turning up the heat a bit. Get ready, things could get very hot if we all give ourselves over to the Lord in this.
This past weekend at Wind and Fire, a C&MA Men’s Ministry event in Cleveland, I was challenged by this thought; there is a difference between God’s omnipresence and His manifest presence. Of course, we are all aware that God is everywhere present or omnipresent. But how does that differ from His manifest presence?
I have often commented on two of Jesus’ instructions to us to demonstrate this difference. In Matthew 28:20, within the Great Commission, we read, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He is with every individual believer. And yet, He had already made a promise of a different presence when He said, “where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.” [Matthew 18:20, NLT] There is something distinct in this presence.
The picture from scripture that He used to illustrate this was that of Elijah and the prophets of Baal from I Kings 18. You know of which I speak. The whole “call down fire from heaven episode.” And a powerful one it was. The difference between the two altars; the fire of God’s presence. That was God’s answer to Elijah’s prayer. “O Lord, let it be known today that You are God…Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You , O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again,” I Kings 18 36-37
Do you sense the desperation in Elijah’s voice? I have prayed prayers like this, but not with that same desperation. I have longed for God’s presence, but not with that same earnestness. I have cried out for God to turn His people’s hearts back to Himself, but not with this kind of passion. That is going to change.
The speaker on Saturday challenged us not to be content with altars with no fire. The distinction of God’s manifest presence is in the fire. Again and again in scripture we see God’s presence symbolized in fire. Hear the challenge today. Do you have an “altar” where you regularly meet with God, your special place for quiet time, i.e. your closet of prayer? If not, find one or make one today. If you do, is there fire on it, or have you settled for an altar with no fire?
Let us seek the fire of God, His manifest presence, in our lives individually, and our ministry corporately. I am tired of worshipping at altars without fire, and I feel confident that you are too. We are not seeking an experience, but instead the very presence of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Personal Prayer for Renewal
Dear Worshipers,
I was already planning to share a call to personal renewal with you in this edition as we head into the fall, then the Lord confirmed that for me on Friday. I was reading in the book of Jonah and the Spirit showed me that leaders must model what they request. Before he could call Nineveh to repentance, Jonah first had to repent of his own sin. You remember the whole running from God thing. Silly Jonah. Silly me.
No, God has not called me or you to preach repentance in Nineveh, but He has called us to live together in such a way that the world will know we are His disciples. I am guilty of not always doing that, and I have a strong suspicion you are as well. We need to be renewed in our passion for the glory of God. We need to set our hearts on Him as we sang on Sunday. We need to have the kind of profound worship experience that Jonah had in the whale so that we can get a fresh perspective on Who God is, and what it is He wants us to do.
For the last few years I have prayed the following prayer. I read part of it somewhere and crafted part of it. It expresses my desire to continually be renewed in the presence of my Lord
I cry out to You, Lord, to restore a sense of awe toward You and Your Word. Fashion a childlike heart in me that I might be continually preoccupied with You, Father. Cultivate in me a sense of wonder at Who You are and what You do. I need a fresh revelation of You, Jesus. I need to see You more with the eyes of my heart. I ask You to reveal more of Yourself to me on a daily, even moment by moment basis. Soften my heart and deliver me from any religious and cultural cynicism that may have crept in. Free me to express my worship to You in a way that You are worthy of. Let my life be a sacrifice of praise to You, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
I have prayed it more regularly in some seasons than in others. I have cried out to the Lord with more earnestness at some times than at others. But I have been praying this prayer for myself. I want to ask you to do the same.
Craft your own prayer, or use mine. Find the words that express your heart to the Lord. Call out to Him to renew you. I know you want to experience more of God in your life. What are you going to do about that? I encourage you to pray. Not in a forced, demanding way: I pray and God answers. But pray expecting God to change you.
Over these last three years the Lord has been answering this prayer for me, and I know that he wants to do the same for you. Begin or continue to pray for renewal in your life. God is waiting to reveal Himself to you. What are you waiting for?
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
I was already planning to share a call to personal renewal with you in this edition as we head into the fall, then the Lord confirmed that for me on Friday. I was reading in the book of Jonah and the Spirit showed me that leaders must model what they request. Before he could call Nineveh to repentance, Jonah first had to repent of his own sin. You remember the whole running from God thing. Silly Jonah. Silly me.
No, God has not called me or you to preach repentance in Nineveh, but He has called us to live together in such a way that the world will know we are His disciples. I am guilty of not always doing that, and I have a strong suspicion you are as well. We need to be renewed in our passion for the glory of God. We need to set our hearts on Him as we sang on Sunday. We need to have the kind of profound worship experience that Jonah had in the whale so that we can get a fresh perspective on Who God is, and what it is He wants us to do.
For the last few years I have prayed the following prayer. I read part of it somewhere and crafted part of it. It expresses my desire to continually be renewed in the presence of my Lord
I cry out to You, Lord, to restore a sense of awe toward You and Your Word. Fashion a childlike heart in me that I might be continually preoccupied with You, Father. Cultivate in me a sense of wonder at Who You are and what You do. I need a fresh revelation of You, Jesus. I need to see You more with the eyes of my heart. I ask You to reveal more of Yourself to me on a daily, even moment by moment basis. Soften my heart and deliver me from any religious and cultural cynicism that may have crept in. Free me to express my worship to You in a way that You are worthy of. Let my life be a sacrifice of praise to You, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
I have prayed it more regularly in some seasons than in others. I have cried out to the Lord with more earnestness at some times than at others. But I have been praying this prayer for myself. I want to ask you to do the same.
Craft your own prayer, or use mine. Find the words that express your heart to the Lord. Call out to Him to renew you. I know you want to experience more of God in your life. What are you going to do about that? I encourage you to pray. Not in a forced, demanding way: I pray and God answers. But pray expecting God to change you.
Over these last three years the Lord has been answering this prayer for me, and I know that he wants to do the same for you. Begin or continue to pray for renewal in your life. God is waiting to reveal Himself to you. What are you waiting for?
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Heat Wave - Part 2
Dear Worshipers,
Last week I spoke about the “HEAT” we were experiencing and tried to encourage us to find a corollary in our spiritual lives. What I did not address was the “WAVE”. Being hot is one thing, but sustained, prolonged heat that affects everything around you is another.
I had heard a local meteorologist define what qualifies as a “heat wave”: at least three days with afternoon temperatures over 90 degrees. We had that, no problem. I guess something less would be a heat ripple…like what happens to most when they come home from a retreat. There is a measurable difference, but it is not sustained as long as a wave.
A wave changes things. A wave changes the appearance of the sand on the shore. A wave makes noise. A wave demonstrates visibly there is a much greater, unseen force at work. A wave is generally not an isolated event, but one is a series, thus the three day qualification I suppose.
How about a heat tsunami?!? Could that be like one day that is terribly hot? The results of such an event would be catastrophic, which we saw exampled in Indonesia. The face of that part of the world was changed. I am sure people there still look out at the ocean periodically to check the horizon for another wave. But even still, they will eventually go back to living without an eye to the waters, other than an occasional reminder of that life-changing event.
How long can you stay hot? Can you sustain the heat of a close personal encounter with God? I think of Moses who wore the veil to cover the glow of his face following his meeting with God. Some commentators say he did that because the people could not stand to look at him, others because he did not want them to know the glory was fading. Without going back to the Lord, we have no hope of sustaining the obvious effects of our having been with Him.
Though our faces do not glow, there is a marked difference in our countenance when have been with God, and when we have not. Kind of how that summer tan fades as we progress into the fall. Keep going back to God so that you can continue to have your countenance adjusted, like tanning sessions for your heart. The difference is a glow that emanates from the inside out, as opposed to just a surface appearance.
Let us glow white-hot for the glory of our God, today, tomorrow and forever.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Last week I spoke about the “HEAT” we were experiencing and tried to encourage us to find a corollary in our spiritual lives. What I did not address was the “WAVE”. Being hot is one thing, but sustained, prolonged heat that affects everything around you is another.
I had heard a local meteorologist define what qualifies as a “heat wave”: at least three days with afternoon temperatures over 90 degrees. We had that, no problem. I guess something less would be a heat ripple…like what happens to most when they come home from a retreat. There is a measurable difference, but it is not sustained as long as a wave.
A wave changes things. A wave changes the appearance of the sand on the shore. A wave makes noise. A wave demonstrates visibly there is a much greater, unseen force at work. A wave is generally not an isolated event, but one is a series, thus the three day qualification I suppose.
How about a heat tsunami?!? Could that be like one day that is terribly hot? The results of such an event would be catastrophic, which we saw exampled in Indonesia. The face of that part of the world was changed. I am sure people there still look out at the ocean periodically to check the horizon for another wave. But even still, they will eventually go back to living without an eye to the waters, other than an occasional reminder of that life-changing event.
How long can you stay hot? Can you sustain the heat of a close personal encounter with God? I think of Moses who wore the veil to cover the glow of his face following his meeting with God. Some commentators say he did that because the people could not stand to look at him, others because he did not want them to know the glory was fading. Without going back to the Lord, we have no hope of sustaining the obvious effects of our having been with Him.
Though our faces do not glow, there is a marked difference in our countenance when have been with God, and when we have not. Kind of how that summer tan fades as we progress into the fall. Keep going back to God so that you can continue to have your countenance adjusted, like tanning sessions for your heart. The difference is a glow that emanates from the inside out, as opposed to just a surface appearance.
Let us glow white-hot for the glory of our God, today, tomorrow and forever.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Heat Wave
Dear Worshipers,
Pastor Drew made me laugh as we returned from staff lunch today at the close of something we were commiserating over together when he chided, “ At least it’s not hot.” To which I added, “Or muggy.” What a joke. We are experiencing the dog days of summer when it really seems as though the sun has gotten hotter. But I wonder about the condition of your soul?
Are you white-hot for God and His glory? Are you ablaze for God, consumed by a passion to know Him and make Him known? When others look at you, is it primarily Jesus they see shining through you, or have you marred his image through your living? What better day than today to ask God to forgive you, and restore the flame of your first love in Him?
I was reading in Hosea earlier today and was reminded how the Jews had grown cold in their love relationship with God. These people who regularly heard and recited Deuteronomy 6:5 [“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”] had failed to practice it. Instead they had begun to practice the detestable worship of the people around them. It is hard for me to understand how they could have drifted so far, until I look at my own heart.
Hosea slams the people and calls them to repentance. When I read his words, “Come and let us return to the Lord” I ask the Spirit to show me where I have gone astray, where I have replaced Him as my object of singular affection with something else. Ask yourself the same questions. Let us return to the Lord, that we may burn with a zeal for Him and His glory.
It is hot out there, but let us burn ever hotter for the glory of the King whose very presence burns infinitely hotter than the inferno of the sun.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Pastor Drew made me laugh as we returned from staff lunch today at the close of something we were commiserating over together when he chided, “ At least it’s not hot.” To which I added, “Or muggy.” What a joke. We are experiencing the dog days of summer when it really seems as though the sun has gotten hotter. But I wonder about the condition of your soul?
Are you white-hot for God and His glory? Are you ablaze for God, consumed by a passion to know Him and make Him known? When others look at you, is it primarily Jesus they see shining through you, or have you marred his image through your living? What better day than today to ask God to forgive you, and restore the flame of your first love in Him?
I was reading in Hosea earlier today and was reminded how the Jews had grown cold in their love relationship with God. These people who regularly heard and recited Deuteronomy 6:5 [“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”] had failed to practice it. Instead they had begun to practice the detestable worship of the people around them. It is hard for me to understand how they could have drifted so far, until I look at my own heart.
Hosea slams the people and calls them to repentance. When I read his words, “Come and let us return to the Lord” I ask the Spirit to show me where I have gone astray, where I have replaced Him as my object of singular affection with something else. Ask yourself the same questions. Let us return to the Lord, that we may burn with a zeal for Him and His glory.
It is hot out there, but let us burn ever hotter for the glory of the King whose very presence burns infinitely hotter than the inferno of the sun.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
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