The Spirit Continues to Move...

I’ve had another great day at Aldersgate 2011! Yesterday I heard a powerful sermon in the morning worship service on the cycle of sin by Rev. Dr. Jeff Greenway, lead pastor of Reynoldsburg UMC in Reynoldsburg OH. Then in the afternoon I attended workshops on “Hearing the Voice of God” and “Operating in Holy Boldness,” the latter was led by my friend, evangelist Richard Rhodes of Fire in the Mountain Ministries…Powerful day! Then this morning the worship preacher was the Rev. Dr. Mark Virkler. His message was on listening to God. As I type this I am preparing my soul for today’s workshops. I hope to attend one on corporate prayer and another on the baptism of the Holy Spirit…however; I realize God may guide me to different workshops. In addition to the uplifting messages and teachings I have heard, I also have Anna and Bella with me. Now, most of the day they attend a conference daycare (where they are getting a full dose of the Holy Spirit!) but we have meal time and free time together. I will confess I have not yet acquired a taste for frozen cardboard pizza…which they love, but the fellowship has been great! Please continue to pray for us and for all here at Aldersgate…and for traveling mercies as we return to Illinois on Sunday after the morning worship service. Hope to back in the groove on Monday.

Wednesday from Aldersgate 2011

I am writing tonight (this was written Wednesday night…just found internet access!) from Aldersgate 2011 in Dayton, OH and I must tell you the Spirit showed up tonight in force! The first pre-conference worship service featured Bishop James Swanson, Sr., bishop of the Holston Conference. The theme for the service was “Fervent in Spirit, Faithful in Prayer” from Romans 12:11-12 and after a dynamic sermon, we prayed for the church…for each church represented. We prayed for renewal…for healing…for unity…and for power. Beulah, you need to know that after a group of us prayed for you, a lady from Massachusetts came to me with a word from the Lord…a word saying that God desired to use you in a powerful way to bring glory to Jesus. Now I will confess that I do not (yet) know exactly what that is…to be used in a powerful way to bring glory to Jesus…but I believe it. God has moved in ways like that at Aldersgate in the past and I have every reason to believe He still moves in like ways. What I am asking is that you join me in prayer…praying for God to reveal to some of us just what God’s desire is, to the end we might accomplish His will. Also, pray for the remainder of the conference, that the Spirit might continue to bring me a word.

Shattuc UMC Youth

We should praise God for how he moves in the lives of people...how He uses each of us in ways we might never imagine. Below is a video made by the youth group at the Shattuc United Methodist Church. I praise God for their talent, faith, and witness! Many of these young adults were about 7-9 years old when I was the pastor there and while I claim no influence in their journey, it is obvious that they have been nurtured in their journey by many who love the Lord. My question is simply this...what type of legacy are you leaving behind? I am one who thinks spiritual maturity comes much more from the observation of the saints than from reading Bible stories an hour or two a week. So who are you mentoring in the faith, equipping them to claim Christ as their own? Do you truly realize the impact you can have on the children and young adults in your church?

Is Summer Over Yet?

I’ve almost survived the summer…almost. Since June 1 I’ve been to Annual Conference at Peoria, the Lakota Sioux reservation at Pine Ridge SD, helped with VBS, and Jr-High Alive church camp at Beulah Holiness Camp. Now I’ve spent one week of my vacation working on a church camp cabin (since camp is over it’s now ready to go!) and taking a deep breath before I head to Dayton OH for a time of spiritual renewal at Aldersgate 2011. …no wonder I’m worn out! However, I must confess that I work better when I’m worn out…like so many, it’s when I am out of strength that God’s strength takes over. Paul was exactly right when he stated, “⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Now, I must confess that I am not at the same place Paul was when he said these things…I do not yet “delight” in weaknesses, insults, hardships, etc…but realizing they are for Christ’s sake…for the furthering of the Kingdom…I will accept them even if I do not readily “delight” in them. And my prayer is that someday, as Christ continues to work in and thru me, I will delight in every aspect of His will…until then, I am looking forward to a mighty move of the Spirit at Aldersgate and I’ll certainly be glad when school starts again!

Focus...Focus!

June at Beulah has been an amazing month for me. Highlights include the trip to the res in South Dakota and VBS…I hope to have pictures of both on the website soon. It has been one of those months where I needed to read/hear, “Be still and know that I am God,” because there truly wasn’t very much quiet time during the month. Realizing next week I will be gone to Junior High church camp at Beulah Holiness camp, I can safely say that July is starting out the same way. So how does one daily set aside the distractions and business of life and focus on God? I suppose there are many ways that work for different people, but for me the quiet time comes in reading. Reading the Word, reading devotions, reading biographies of the saints, reading Church history…reading anything spiritual and uplifting stimulates my face time with God…yes, Scripture is primary, but any godly literature helps. And true to form, anything secular tends to distance me from God…even that “good” stuff. If it is not godly, it is not beneficial.  Paul got it right for several reasons when he wrote to the Colossians, “Set your mind on things above and not on earthly things” (3:2).