One Person at a Time...

Tough Questions: What Does the Bible Say About _____?

This Sunday at New Life we're launching into a series of messages for the summer titled "Tough Questions:  What Does The Bible Say About _______?  The questions come from New Life worshipers, and this week's question is "What Can I Do About My Friends and Relatives Who Don't Know Jesus?"  Join us as we consider God's passionate desire for EACH of us to be used by God to tell our friends and relatives about Jesus.  This series will offer the "whys" and "hows" of each question.  When you leave worship on Sunday, you'll have a better idea of what YOU can do about your friends and relatives who don't know Jesus!

Back on the Road Again...Again!

On April 24th I offered a post titled "Back on the Road Again..."  The post chronicled my re-entry to the habit of running and praying each morning, a habit which had been put on hold during the process of building our house from October through March.  Of course I had prayed during that time, and on a daily basis, but the prayer wasn't as focused or as effective because of the lack of a concentrated time out on the road without distractions each day.  Back on May 13th I hurt my back and was sidelined from running until this morning.  Actually, I could have started back on Monday, but didn't do it until today.  The nearly two weeks off set me back both physically and spiritually. I was up to averaging four miles each morning and more than a half an hour of praying in my spirit and in my mind to start each day. My energy level was increasing, and my sense of God's presence throughout the day was as well.  Then the minor injury to the back.  Frustrating?  Yes.  But here's the key:  I'm going to be 50 next week, (if the Lord wills!), and minor injuries are becoming more a part of life than they were ten years ago.  During the time off from running, I could still walk and pray--and did most of the days.  If we're committed to training--whether physical or spiritual--we learn that injuries can sideline us for a time, but they're part of the process. Healing takes time, and how we use the time is part of the training process.  When I was younger I'd often attempt to train through the injury, which isn't very bright, and becomes less so the more "mature" we become.  Our bodies need time for healing and rejuvenation when injuries occur.  Thankfully, God has many ways of getting our attention and when injury and illness comes, He can always use that to turn our attention to Him.  I like it better when I can run and pray. That works best for me, but when I can't it's vital to keep praying and know that eventually I'll get back on the road again...again. 

Thank You...

Memorial Day.  As I ponder the holiday we celebrate today, I'm truly thankful for the men and women who have given their lives and are giving their lives as members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other lesser known branches of our nation's military.  As a follower of Jesus Christ my primary allegiance is to Him, but the Apostle Paul reminded us that God is the one who has established governing authorities and placed them in authority for our good.  While our government isn't perfect and there are many things I would change about it, even having the ability to write those words without fear of imprisonment makes our government better than so many.  I appreciate the freedoms that being a U.S. citizen grants and know that freedom isn't free, as a military leader reminded us on the news the other night in commenting on a new memorial that has just been constructed in memory of those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, most of us will enjoy picnics, or work around the house, or visit friends, or do something other than our usual daily work.  There will be those, though, who will be serving, doing their duty at home and abroad so that we may enjoy those activities.  To each of them, I say, "THANK YOU!"  I thank God for your willingness to serve, and pray to Him for your safety and continued faithfulness to Him and your nation.  I encourage everyone who reads this post to take some time to thank God for all that memorial day represents and for the men and women who have served and are serving to make it possible.

Pentecost!

Today is Pentecost!  The name is simply that of a Jewish holiday, but the significance could not be overestimated.  On the Pentecost that took place 50 days after Jesus' resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit to 120 men and women who were in a house praying and the world has literally never been the same.  Those 120 people became 3,120 by the end of the day and in a matter of weeks the numbers were in the tens of thousands.  I don't point that out because I'm enamored with numbers---but because God has given me a love for people and a passion to see them know Him!  Imagine seeing tens of thousands of folks move from the ranks of "lost" to "found" in a matter of weeks.  Remember this: the same Holy Spirit who came on that first Pentecost is still with us!  He is still empowering Jesus' followers to go locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to spread the Good News that Jesus came to rescue us from sin and death, and to give us life forever.  Today--PENTECOST--would be a great day to give the Holy Spirit full reign in our lives that God may be glorified in all we think, say and do!

The Holy Spirit's First Work!

Fridays are the days when I send out an e-mail update of "next steps" to those at New Life who have let me know that they have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and want to continue to grow in walk with Jesus.  Today, let's focus on "The Holy Spirit's First Work!"  When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure and return to heaven, he told them it was good for them that He go, because only then could the Holy Spirit come.  This is what He said:

     But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate (that is the Holy Spirit)   won't come.  If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.  And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousnes, and of the coming judgment.  (John 16:7-8 NLT)

So, we see that the Holy Spirit's first work is CONVICTING THE WORLD OF ITS SIN.  In order for any of us to become followers of Jesus, we must recognize that we need Him.  Until we understand that we are sinners we fall into the world's error that says we are "basically good people."  The Bible teaches us that there are none righteous, not even one.  It teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  While, we don't want to think of ourselves as "sinners," we are!  The Holy Spirit's first work in each of us is to CONVICT us of sin, to make us aware that something is wrong in our lives, and that we need God.  As those who have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, and are now seeking to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit's first work is still active within us.  When we are tempted to sin, and when we succumb to sin, the Hoy Spirit works within us.  In the first instance--during temptation, the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome, to know the victory of going through the temptation without sinning.  If, however, we do fall to the temptation and sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us, and causes us to repent--to turn away from it.  The more sensitive we are to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more quickly we will recognize temptation and draw on His strength to defeat it.  The more sensitive we are to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the more quickly we will repent in those times when we fall. 

Some teach that once we trust Jesus we never sin again---and that IS the goal, but the reality is only Jesus lived a sinless life. That's why He alone, could die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  As we live in the power of the Holy Spirit we find ourselves more and more in tune with God's will.  That means we sin less.  Our goal is NOT to sin less. Our goal is let the Holy Spirit lead us to holiness.  The more we yield to the Holy Spirit's control in our lives, the more like Jesus we become, and that means sin becomes less a part of our lives, and when we do sin, the conviction of it comes immediately.

As we go about each day, the goal is to let the Holy Spirit continue to fill and control us (See Ephesians 5:18), and when we fail to REJOICE that the conviction of sin is the assurance that He is still guiding us and leading us to be more and more like Jesus!

   

Mexico Summer Missions Update!

Last night we held a missions training for the upcoming Community and Family Trip to Mexico with Tapestries of Life Ministries June 23-30, where we will continue the construction of what will be the largest orphanage in Mexico, and the only Christian orphanage in the country with governmental permission to place children in homes outside of Mexico.  The team this summer consists of thirteen folks ranging in age from 10 to 50.  We've been doing a family trip to TLM since 2002, and the dynamics are powerful.  Every year at least some of the members of the group are "first timers," and this year we have six.  For them, particularly for those who are children, being part of their first cross-cultural missions experience is great. 

Emmy, our thirteen year old and I are the "veterans" on the trip this year as this will be Emmy's seventh trip to Guadalupe and my eighth.  Abby, our older daughter will be making her fifth trip to the orphanage.  Since the trip is primarily a work, or construction trip it can be challenging to find meaningful work for the younger ones, but part of the joy of the annual trips is that you get to see children maturing into young adults who can accomplish a great deal.  Besides, the younger a person is when he or she makes the cross-cultural missions "plunge," the more easily the person sees the need and the relative ease of making the trips.  As we get older we tend to have many reasons (excuses?) for not participating in missions beyond our borders, but children tend to see the adventure, as well as the opportunity to make a difference in Jesus' name.  Please pray for the team as we continue to prepare for the trip, which is now only 30 days away!  Pray specifically that God will open doors of opportunity for us to share the new life of Jesus with individuals both on the way to and from Mexico, and during our week there.  Pray also that God will give us the strength for the work in the hot and humid climate (typical daytime temperatures in late june are 95-105!).  Remember, as you pray for us, you become a vital part of the team.  Dios te bendiga!

This Sunday At New Life!

Pentecost!  The word is the name of a Jewish festival, but for followers of Jesus it has been redefined as the "birthday" of the church.  This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost. For us at New Life this Pentecost has special significance as the "wind" of the Holy Spirit has been blowing through our midst over the past several weeks in new ways!  More than a 100 have come forward to receive instruction and prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the past two Sundays. This Sunday we will re-visit Acts 2 as we do every Pentecost and celebrate the reality that The Promise of the Holy Spirit is available to EVERYONE!  Join us this Sunday as we claim God's promise and continue to experience the Spirit's presence and power!

Brian Campbell's post about New Life

In reading Brian Campbell's post from the other day, I found this excerpt about what the Holy Spirit is doing at New Life.  He doesn't mention us by name, but it's us!

"I'm also amazed at what God is doing here at home. I left Italy last time with an awakened awareness of the reality of the Holy Spirit; I'm returning with a renewed awareness of this. At church this Sunday, I saw the largest outcry for the reality of Christ I think I've ever seen in the United States, as I saw 40 people in a church of less than 200 come forward to recieve the Holy Spirit; the week before, 80 people had come forward and the results were huge; a quiet hungering, longing for more of Jesus Christ is evident in this church. There wasn't any "glory cloud;" there wasn't fire above people's heads; but there is a body of believers who are collectively seeking and longing for the fullness of Christ, and the power of Jesus Christ in this will move mountains.

To think this is happening in an area of the country where so many are held down by brokenness, oppression, and bitterness gets me excited. God is raising up a people who no longer look to themselves for their strength, but instead look to Him for all of who He is, and there they will find healing. Man, I'm stoked."

Please be in prayer for Brian as he ought to be in Italy sometime today, and will be investing the summer in Italy and Spain taking the Good News of Jesus there!  Check out his blog to read more.

Faithfulness in Little Things

With so many of you taking the step of being baptized in the Holy Spirit over the past two weeks, one of the most important reminders I can offer is this--remember that faithfulness to God is developed in the "little things."  Often when we have enjoyed a mountain top experience, we want to stay in that.  We feel so close to God in those moments that we want to do something BIG for God.  That's fantastic, it really is, but we do most of our living someplace other than the mountain top!  From the parable of the talents we learn that Jesus expects faithfulness only in what He has entrusted to us.  The master in the parable gave each of the servants a different amount of money to manage while he was away.  Faithfulness was not measured in absolute terms---the one had gained the most total dollars--but rather in terms of faithfulness with what one had received.  Each of the first two servants doubled the master's assets.  The third one maintained what was given, but nothing more.  The master actually punished the one who only maintained his assets, because our life in the Lord is a life of GROWTH!

We have been entrusted with the Holy Spirit.  He has baptized and filled us with Himself.  He has given us gifts to manage in building up the Kingdom of God.  We will be "rewarded" based on our faithfulness in using these blessings each day.  Remember that each day we build on the baptism in the Holy Spirit by reading God's word, by praying--with our minds and with our spirits, and by obeying what we find in God's word and what the Spirit tells us.  Have you ever noticed how God seems to speak so clearly to some people, but that it's often hard to hear God ourselves?  God speaks clearly to each of us. He has spoken quite clearly in His word, and most of what we experience each day is made clear by learning and living what the Bible teaches.  In addition, as we live in tune with the Spirit, He gives us specific instructions and most of them concern "little" things.  He will prompt us to start a conversation with a friend or stranger.  He will prompt us to carry out an act of kindness.  He will prompt us to pray for someone or for a certain situation.  When the promptings come--ACT.  Jesus told us that if we know His teachings we are BLESSED if we do them. 

As we go about this day, let's focus on the "little" things.  Faithfulness there will equip us when the "big" things come!

If It Isn't One Thing...

Yesterday started off with an unexpected opportunity---breakfast with Brian Campbell.  He's heading to Italy and Spain for a summer of missions work, (you can keep up to date with that experience at Brian Campbell).  In the middle of breakfast Nancy called and said that Tom Kelley had shown up to dig the ditches for our downspout drains.  I asked Brian if he wanted to see the house, because I needed to check in with Tom.  He said sure, so we headed home.  As I was showing Brian around, we were in the basement when I heard a really strange sound, a sound I couldn't really place.  Then I heard Nancy say, "Oh, Oh!"  Then she yelled, "Chris, Tom hit the water line."  THAT was the sound!  He was already having a bad day--a sinus infection and cough.  When I went outside he was shaking his head.  He looked at me and said, "Well, it IS Monday."  Isn't that the way it sometimes works.  Everything's going fine.  Unexpected blessings come, and then a "strange sound," and it's a couple steps backward.   The key in those moments is to remember that God's just as in charge then as He was a minute before.   

The water line was a relatively easy fix, a small inconvenience, a "blip" on the "radar screen" of life.  How we handle those, determines how we handle the big ones when they come--and they DO come.  I had the opportunity to drive Tom to his shop to pick up the supplies to fix the water line.  Along the way we talked about how things happen that you don't expect and don't want, and how at the end of some days, you just about make it back to where you were before the day started.  It wasn't a conversation about Jesus, but it was a conversation that was motivated by Jesus.  I could have complained the whole way there.  I could have asked, "Why didn't you pay more attention?"  (But I knew that sometimes things like that just happen, even when you are a professional at what you're doing.)  I could have told him what an inconvenience and interruption it was in my day.  (The reality is it was an OPPORTUNITY that God put in front of me, and thankfully the Spirit guided me to see that.) 

When it was all said and done the water line was fixed, Brian and I got to review the itinerary for Europe and pray together, and Tom got a little encouragement on a tough day.  Thanks, God, for letting me see the experience from YOUR perspective instead of mine.  That's one more step in the process of letting YOU in charge.  Take charge again today, because who knows what may come up, and what opportunities You may provide through it.