Often, we who have been called to follow Christ see God’s Word as a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” which we try to comply with. This is in fact the antithesis to what it means to walk in liberty that we have in Christ. We ask; “What would Jesus Do?” good question, bad intention; being a true Disciple of Christ is NOT trying to live like Jesus, but instead allowing Christ who lives in us to direct us. The first is religion and it at best produces some obedience to the letter of the Law, at worse it produces legalism, which is bondage, which kills the Spirit. It is an outward attempt to reproduce outward behavior. Living by the inhabiting Spirit of Christ is allowing Jesus to change us from the inside-out, which in turns produces the Godly life of true liberty to live such a life that glorifies God.The apostle Paul wrote; if you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live.
Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:28-32
We can either see these as commands which we strive to produce in our lives or we can see this behavior as a description of Christ and the fruit of what Christ is producing from within us. Such production is of course not wholly independent of our will, but it is neither the independent fruit of our labor for we can never achieve holiness through our good efforts, neither can we be saved through our good works.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We can either say, “I am going to live like this” (even though we have never been able to accomplish this before) or we will say “Jesus, create in me a clean heart Oh God and renew a righteous Spirit within me”; for whom such behavior is natural.
Many people love God because of their religion; God loves us in spite of it.
I suspect God hates religion as much as men love it.
Our effort should not be so much to live like Jesus, but to allow Jesus to live in us. Amen!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
From the desk of Pastor James.
I don’t normally take the opportunity to address everyone that receives ourPastor’s Devotion, but I have had a few thoughts that I have been weighingfor some time, and so I thought I would share the word in my heart that itmight challenge you as it has challenged me.
Have you noticed that the military does an excellent job at promoting fornew recruits? If you go to the movies at all then you have no doubt seenthe pre show commercials of the exciting, courageous adventures that awaitnew recruits. If I hear the song “Citizen Soldier” one more time I think Iam just going in and sign up for the reserves. Not seriously, but it is veryinspiring song and plays upon the desires for us all to be courageous andfor our lives to have meaning and purpose. The reason I say this is, Iactually knew someone who joined the military because the commercials madeit look so exciting, and after ending their service they were pretty disappointed and felt there experience was a little less adventurous thanthe actors on the commercials made it appear to be.
Wonderful story Pastor James, but what is the point?
Well to make a short story longer, the story actually began about six yearsago at Bob Evans on Maxtown Road, Westerville, Ohio.I would have still considered myself a newlywed. I finished bible college (Elim Bible Institute/ Elim.edu), and my ministry internships, and I waslooking for a job to take on the world. I was like a fresh recruit justout boot camp ready to take on my mission. I had several interviews acrossthe country for positions, but no offers on the table. I was pretty discouraged that I did not have a direction to go. Then I came across an opportunity in my own back yard that I found posted on the internet for a children’s pastor. It was not long after I forwarded my resume that Ireceived a message to give Pastor Holman a call. From our firstconversation I was convinced that the man I spoke with was excited aboutlaying down his life for the ministry.
Within about a week my wife and I met Pastor Holman and his wife Tammy at Bob Evans for an interview to see if New Hope was the place where we were to serve. That night I realized I had found someone to serve who shared so closely the same vision andheartbeat for the ministry. Well that is a good beginning to a wonderful life story so how does it end?
I thought I had found the right place for me to serve. I was convinced of it then, but now I have come to see my error. I am not saying that therewas an error in me serving, no but I came to SERVE, but I AM ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT GOT SERVED. I came with a mission and goals and dreams and passion! Oh God let me serve you was the cry of my heart!
Since I came here almost six years ago in March I am the one that has been served. You don’t understand I came with the mindset that I had to have it all together since I would be serving and I could not let Pastor Holman see anyof my inefficiencies; feeling that I would be disqualified from servingunder him.
Well I have found myself time after time sitting in his counseling office located where ever there is a Starbucks confessing my weaknesses and to my surprise he never, let me repeat, never rejected me.
He often apologized and asked if he was being too hard on me and I never understood that because I always saw him as gentle and not that his words were easy but they were coated in genuine love. I have never felt so safe spiritually than I have in the warm counsel of Pastor Holman.
I have cometo know the reality of the psalm the lord is my shepherd and that he leadsby still waters. God has revealed his shepherds heart through PastorHolman and has helped guide the ragged ends of my soul to still waters.
To be honest this brings me to one of my great fears. How would I live and who would guide me spiritually if my Pastor was to pass on. It honestly scares me. I run to my pastor for everything and he is always there. Nomatter how big or how small he is always so sensitive to the need. I don’t know who I would go to if he were gone. This has literally been a panic for me.
But Pastor Jim, God will guide you. I know he will, but I also have cometo know He desires to do his guiding through his people. I have now come to really understand the scripture that says “you have many instructors in Christ but only one Father”. Paul spoke this of those he had fathered in the faith.
My question for you is what would you do if your spiritual father was nolonger in your life? Maybe your spiritual father is not in your life right now and you just have instructors, but not a father who can personally teach the way to live and to love you into living right.
My reason for this challenge is not to appreciate a man but to appreciate what God wants to do in your life through someone else and then maybe to someone else through you. I came to serve and really don’t know to what extent I have, but I do know I have been served far more than I will ever deserve.
Have you been served?If not I know the table is ready.
Blessings, Pastor James Smith
New Hope Community Fellowship
www.newhopecommunityfellowship.com
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
"LOOK HERE YOU PEOPLE WHO SAY, "TODAY OR TOMORROW WE ARE GOING TO A CERTAIN TOWN AND WILL STAY THERE A YEAR. WE WILL DO BUSINESS THERE AND MAKE A PROFIT." HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW? FOR YOUR LIFE IS LIKE THE MORNING FOG - IT'S HERE A LITTLE WHILE, THEN IT IS GONE. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO SAY IS, "IF THE LORD WANTS US TO, WE WILL LIVE AND DO THIS AND THAT." OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE BOASTING ABOUT YOUR OWN PLANS, AND ALL SUCH BOASTING IS EVIL. REMEBER, IT IS SIN TO KNOW WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO AND THEN NOT TO DO IT." JAMES 4:13-17
How seriously does God regard the vows we make? James says that we are not even to make our own plans without regard to the Lord’s will because such planning is considered by God to be boasting. When we leave God out of the equation we are saying, “MY plans are to do this or that and I am strong enough to control my own destiny!” Of course not a one of us can say what God will have us do tomorrow or today or even within the next hour. The Word tells us “WE CAN MAKE OUR PLANS, BUT THE LORD DETERMINES OUR STEPS” PROVERB 16:9
The truth is we ought to say, "IF THE LORD WANTS US TO"; We do not have the assurance of life beyond this present breath; a time has been appointed for the next breath to be our last and only God can determine when that will be. We must not assume that we can make any promise without considering that God may have another plan for us.
If God looks so critically at what we intend to do and do not accomplish because His will overrides our own, how critical is God of us when we make a vow and then willingly choose to break it? We make a covenant of Church membership or of marriage or just the promise to cut the neighbor’s lawn or to visit the sick or the poor and for whatever reason less than God’s own intervention we break those covenants and promises; what must God think of those transgressions? It is sin to know what you will do and not do it, let alone to promise it. How carelessly we break God’s heart when our own lives do not reflect His faithfulness.
Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. AMEN!
How seriously does God regard the vows we make? James says that we are not even to make our own plans without regard to the Lord’s will because such planning is considered by God to be boasting. When we leave God out of the equation we are saying, “MY plans are to do this or that and I am strong enough to control my own destiny!” Of course not a one of us can say what God will have us do tomorrow or today or even within the next hour. The Word tells us “WE CAN MAKE OUR PLANS, BUT THE LORD DETERMINES OUR STEPS” PROVERB 16:9
The truth is we ought to say, "IF THE LORD WANTS US TO"; We do not have the assurance of life beyond this present breath; a time has been appointed for the next breath to be our last and only God can determine when that will be. We must not assume that we can make any promise without considering that God may have another plan for us.
If God looks so critically at what we intend to do and do not accomplish because His will overrides our own, how critical is God of us when we make a vow and then willingly choose to break it? We make a covenant of Church membership or of marriage or just the promise to cut the neighbor’s lawn or to visit the sick or the poor and for whatever reason less than God’s own intervention we break those covenants and promises; what must God think of those transgressions? It is sin to know what you will do and not do it, let alone to promise it. How carelessly we break God’s heart when our own lives do not reflect His faithfulness.
Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. AMEN!
Monday, February 23, 2009
STOP GOING TO CHURCH!
Change is in the air; God has renewed our vision to “BE THE CHURCH”. Our battle cry is “STOP going to Church – Come BE the Church!” I am asking God for only 10 families who will commit to being His Church. Ten families before Easter; not 10 new families, but 10 families total and that is all we need to totally change our world.
Doesn’t sound like too much to ask. I am asking for 10 families willing to become a covenant family of God to touch the lives of people who are hurting. 10 families who are willing to commit beyond hurt feelings, beyond disappointments, beyond their own selfish expectations in order to become a Christian Community equipped to touch the lives of people around them.
My prayer is God either give me 10 families committed to be the Church or allow our church to die. Our commitment is a call to Christian Community; where people matter more than programs and knowing God matters more than church traditions and community matters more than personal agenda, hurt emotions or disappointment. We desire to be a safe community where the hurting are allowed to hurt until they are healed, where the hopeless find hope and the people who are tired of the institutional practices of going to church; are free to come BE the church.
There is a fire in my belly to be who God has called us to be, a church for the unchurched and the hurting; where you can come as you are and meet God as He is. I have realized in order to see such a community established requires a whole new (old) paradigm of being the church. We are going back to the model of the first Church; the church that change the world.
We are not looking to build buildings; we want to build lives. We are not looking to establish meetings; we want to meet people where they are hurting. We do not want to establish our name or our movement; we want to bring Glory to The Name that is above all names and move where His Holy Spirit directs us.
I was almost dead spiritually. I had lost the vision. I had allowed men to squeeze me back into the unproductive mold of “holding services”. I have been awakened and I don’t want to hold meetings; I want to hold the lives of all who are lonely and broken and tired and in need of a healing Savior.
Will you agree with me in prayer? Will you agree that God will send 10 families who are willing to be so committed that the world will say, “WE KNOW THEY ARE CHRISTIAN BY THE WAY THEY LOVE!” Will you pray about joining us in a new commitment to Be the Church?
Doesn’t sound like too much to ask. I am asking for 10 families willing to become a covenant family of God to touch the lives of people who are hurting. 10 families who are willing to commit beyond hurt feelings, beyond disappointments, beyond their own selfish expectations in order to become a Christian Community equipped to touch the lives of people around them.
My prayer is God either give me 10 families committed to be the Church or allow our church to die. Our commitment is a call to Christian Community; where people matter more than programs and knowing God matters more than church traditions and community matters more than personal agenda, hurt emotions or disappointment. We desire to be a safe community where the hurting are allowed to hurt until they are healed, where the hopeless find hope and the people who are tired of the institutional practices of going to church; are free to come BE the church.
There is a fire in my belly to be who God has called us to be, a church for the unchurched and the hurting; where you can come as you are and meet God as He is. I have realized in order to see such a community established requires a whole new (old) paradigm of being the church. We are going back to the model of the first Church; the church that change the world.
We are not looking to build buildings; we want to build lives. We are not looking to establish meetings; we want to meet people where they are hurting. We do not want to establish our name or our movement; we want to bring Glory to The Name that is above all names and move where His Holy Spirit directs us.
I was almost dead spiritually. I had lost the vision. I had allowed men to squeeze me back into the unproductive mold of “holding services”. I have been awakened and I don’t want to hold meetings; I want to hold the lives of all who are lonely and broken and tired and in need of a healing Savior.
Will you agree with me in prayer? Will you agree that God will send 10 families who are willing to be so committed that the world will say, “WE KNOW THEY ARE CHRISTIAN BY THE WAY THEY LOVE!” Will you pray about joining us in a new commitment to Be the Church?
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