Dear Worshippers,
So as you keep listening for that “new thing” that God is revealing to you…do so from a posture prepared for transformation. I have been thinking a lot about change lately, particularly the change that God wants to produce in me as I continue to offer my life in service to Him. I want to be prepared for what the Lord wants to do in me.
You may have heard me say something like this before, “The Christian life is a life of transformation.” Obviously, we are ever being formed into the likeness of the Savior. This requires constant change from us. It is constant in that it is a process and not a single event. We see this contrast of single event and process in Hebrews 10 which speaks of Christ’s sacrifice once for all. In verse 14 the writer says, “by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” How cool is that? By His sacrifice we are made perfect forever [past, present and future position] and begin the process of being made holy [present experience].
This concept of sacrifice is clearly applied to our response to God’s mercy in Romans 12:1-2. Here we are urged “to offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is [our] spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s].” This is a process, breaking from the world’s pattern of evil and corruption and entering into God’s pattern of holiness and perfection. Seem like too lofty a goal for you? Do you think this kind of process is reserved for the spiritual giants?
Allow me to offer one more “shining” example of this transformative process as described by Paul to the church at Corinth. You should remember that in his first letter he described this church as immature and unspiritual [3:1-4]. He what he had to say in his second letter [3:18], “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Yes, Jesus wants to shine through you. The songwriter of “Shine, Jesus Shine” voiced the beautiful prayer this way. “As we gaze on Your kingly brightness/so our faces display Your likeness./Ever changing from glory to glory/ mirrored here may our lives tell Your story/Shine on me/Shine on me.”
There is hope for you. It is found in the process of transformation as you yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. He will change you to be more and more and more like Jesus, to the glory of the Father. What an exciting propect!
But we can become comfortable, can’t we? Unwilling to enter into this process on a daily basis, we convince ourselves that we are satisfied with the glory we have received and reflected. But Jesus is calling us deeper.
I have been reflecting on what that means for me lately and over the next few weeks I plan to share that with you. I have been thinking much about talents and investments and strengths. Come with me on a journey that I pray will help you become excellent in your gifting and deeply satisfied in your calling. Sound good? It will cost you. But it’s worth it.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
To Reveal
Dear Worshippers,
Last week I challenged you to be listening because God is speaking. I hope that the Lord has spoken some things into your life over the last week that have greatly encouraged you. I trust that if you were listening He probably also spoke some things that in their application will require some changes in you life. In any event, what God spoke had purpose for God is not careless with His words, and does not waste them. In other words, when God speaks there is a reason, and the first part of that reason is to reveal Himself.
When God speaks, He is always showing us something about Himself, His purpose and His ways. When we hear these things, something happens inside of us. We are given the opportunity to respond. When God speaks He expects that something will happen.
This is in part because when God speaks He is revealing what He is about to do. Amos 3:7 says, “Indeed, the Lord does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets.” Did you see that? NOTHING. Before God does anything He tells someone about it. This is in part to draw that person closer to Himself, but also often because He wants to use them to do it.
Are you beginning to see where this is going? As God speaks to you, He is revealing what He is about to do. His revealing it to you is an invitation to join Him in it. When you obey and do, you come to know God better. God does speak just to hear His voice, He speaks to accomplish something, and we know His word never returns void. Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
In Isaiah 43:19 we find this word form the Lord.
“See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.”
Here is my question for the week. What “new” thing is God speaking into your life? Your family? Our church? Will you listen and obey? Quiet yourself before Him in the next day and ask Him to speak that new thing to you. But be careful. Listening to God can be a very danger thing because His words will not return void. They will accomplish what He pleases, that which He has purposed. Make yourself available, then come and ask God to speak to you, to reveal Himself to you, and purpose to listen and obey. You will be changed.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Last week I challenged you to be listening because God is speaking. I hope that the Lord has spoken some things into your life over the last week that have greatly encouraged you. I trust that if you were listening He probably also spoke some things that in their application will require some changes in you life. In any event, what God spoke had purpose for God is not careless with His words, and does not waste them. In other words, when God speaks there is a reason, and the first part of that reason is to reveal Himself.
When God speaks, He is always showing us something about Himself, His purpose and His ways. When we hear these things, something happens inside of us. We are given the opportunity to respond. When God speaks He expects that something will happen.
This is in part because when God speaks He is revealing what He is about to do. Amos 3:7 says, “Indeed, the Lord does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets.” Did you see that? NOTHING. Before God does anything He tells someone about it. This is in part to draw that person closer to Himself, but also often because He wants to use them to do it.
Are you beginning to see where this is going? As God speaks to you, He is revealing what He is about to do. His revealing it to you is an invitation to join Him in it. When you obey and do, you come to know God better. God does speak just to hear His voice, He speaks to accomplish something, and we know His word never returns void. Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
In Isaiah 43:19 we find this word form the Lord.
“See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.”
Here is my question for the week. What “new” thing is God speaking into your life? Your family? Our church? Will you listen and obey? Quiet yourself before Him in the next day and ask Him to speak that new thing to you. But be careful. Listening to God can be a very danger thing because His words will not return void. They will accomplish what He pleases, that which He has purposed. Make yourself available, then come and ask God to speak to you, to reveal Himself to you, and purpose to listen and obey. You will be changed.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
God Speaks
Dear Worshippers,
While I was in seminary, I worked through the Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God” by Henry Blackaby. It was a very formative period in my life as I continued to prepare to pursue God’s call on my life so I was really desirous of knowing His will and doing it.
Blackaby speaks of “Seven Realities” as foundational to experiencing God. The central one that profoundly impacted my life was this: “God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.” Pretty simple stuff, until your start living it.
You see, expecting God to speak Himself, His purposes and His ways into your life will transform the way you live. Suddenly everything takes on a whole new meaning. God was to show Himself to me. When He does, He expects me to respond. You have heard this kind of thing from me before, but here is my context for today.
I was having a conversation last night with my two oldest boys about God speaking. We were reading the passage where Samuel comes to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. The Scripture in I Samuel reads like a conversation is going on between God and Samuel. I asked my boys if Samuel actually heard God speaking or did he just imagine it? I asked if anyone else could hear, or just Samuel? I asked them if God still speaks today?
They did pretty well answering my questions, and I am certain you would as well. The real rub comes when we consider applying that truth. Will we cultivate such a relationship with God, like Samuel, that He can speak conversationally with us? When we hear, will we trust it is truly Him? When He does speak, will we obey?
God spoke to me recently. This doesn’t happen all the time, but especially when I really need His guidance. I poured my heart out and I believed He answered me. I am still working to understand what He revealed, but I am excited that He is showing me His purposes and His ways.
God is speaking to us. This is a critical time for our church. We must be listening to what the Spirit is revealing to us. We must be willing to respond with wisdom and courage.
God is speaking to you. Are you listening?
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
While I was in seminary, I worked through the Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God” by Henry Blackaby. It was a very formative period in my life as I continued to prepare to pursue God’s call on my life so I was really desirous of knowing His will and doing it.
Blackaby speaks of “Seven Realities” as foundational to experiencing God. The central one that profoundly impacted my life was this: “God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.” Pretty simple stuff, until your start living it.
You see, expecting God to speak Himself, His purposes and His ways into your life will transform the way you live. Suddenly everything takes on a whole new meaning. God was to show Himself to me. When He does, He expects me to respond. You have heard this kind of thing from me before, but here is my context for today.
I was having a conversation last night with my two oldest boys about God speaking. We were reading the passage where Samuel comes to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. The Scripture in I Samuel reads like a conversation is going on between God and Samuel. I asked my boys if Samuel actually heard God speaking or did he just imagine it? I asked if anyone else could hear, or just Samuel? I asked them if God still speaks today?
They did pretty well answering my questions, and I am certain you would as well. The real rub comes when we consider applying that truth. Will we cultivate such a relationship with God, like Samuel, that He can speak conversationally with us? When we hear, will we trust it is truly Him? When He does speak, will we obey?
God spoke to me recently. This doesn’t happen all the time, but especially when I really need His guidance. I poured my heart out and I believed He answered me. I am still working to understand what He revealed, but I am excited that He is showing me His purposes and His ways.
God is speaking to us. This is a critical time for our church. We must be listening to what the Spirit is revealing to us. We must be willing to respond with wisdom and courage.
God is speaking to you. Are you listening?
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
A Time of Transition
Dear Worshippers,
I want to encourage you to be praying as we seek the Lord and His will together in the coming weeks. I especially want to encourage you to pray for the Elders. They have a daunting task ahead of them and they need our prayerful support. But there is something else they will need as well, and I want to encourage you to prayerfully give this to them as well.
There will be a survey of the congregation that will seek to discern some things as we move forward: perceived strengths and weaknesses of our church, issues or concerns that should be addressed during this time of transition, characteristics of the pastor we should be looking for, and general perceptions of our congregation. They really need the perspective of everyone in the church. Every age group needs to respond. We need to pray and answer those questions when the opportunity arises. This will aid the process of discerning God’s will for our church. Please be ready to give it.
I am taking some time away next week. I will certainly be praying for the Elders, Pastor Miller, and our entire church. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let us seek the Lord during this time of transition with the expectation that He will reveal Himself to us through it, and give us the wisdom and courage to respond.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
I want to encourage you to be praying as we seek the Lord and His will together in the coming weeks. I especially want to encourage you to pray for the Elders. They have a daunting task ahead of them and they need our prayerful support. But there is something else they will need as well, and I want to encourage you to prayerfully give this to them as well.
There will be a survey of the congregation that will seek to discern some things as we move forward: perceived strengths and weaknesses of our church, issues or concerns that should be addressed during this time of transition, characteristics of the pastor we should be looking for, and general perceptions of our congregation. They really need the perspective of everyone in the church. Every age group needs to respond. We need to pray and answer those questions when the opportunity arises. This will aid the process of discerning God’s will for our church. Please be ready to give it.
I am taking some time away next week. I will certainly be praying for the Elders, Pastor Miller, and our entire church. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let us seek the Lord during this time of transition with the expectation that He will reveal Himself to us through it, and give us the wisdom and courage to respond.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
In Christ,
Pastor Scott
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