Be

Word,God
Ear,Hears
Heart,Pierced
Life,Changed
Dark,Was
Light,Is
Lies,Bind
Truth,Frees
Pain,Blinds
Eyes,See
Chains,Hold
Hands,Pray
Hate,Love
Fear,Faith
Despair,Hope
Anger,Joy
Mourning,Dancing
Weeping,Laughing
Death,Life
Believe,
Receive,
Be!

PT
8/2010

Make Room

Make Room
… to whom He presented Himself alive … seen by them during forty days. … while they watched He was taken up. Then they returned … a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying… These continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.

Some of the lines we read in Acts 1. Take note the upper room was the place of the last supper. Jesus had disciples secure the room with a request that the Master had need of it. The disciples had been commanded to return to Galilee where Jesus would appear to them. Following multiple appearances by Jesus they returned to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Pentecost. Pentecost would occur seven Sabbaths plus one day beyond Passover. Jesus at the ascension on Mt. Olivet, the fortieth day of His appearing, told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father. On the Day of Pentecost, in the upper room, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit filled the disciples.

While in Jerusalem, at least those last 10 days the disciples stayed together in the upper room in one accord. I do not mention this for us to rally the troops to a retreat or camp though this certainly depicts benefits of such gathering. It is not to promote unity of focus though that is a biblical principle emphasized here as well as in other Scriptures. I point out the dedication of one to offer his property to continued use by the Master. I do not believe we are made aware of the owner of the upper room or his position. What we do see is a continued openness to the use of his room to be used for God encounters.

Emmanuel

“And the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” The announcement in John gives even more significance to the Word of God. We enter the Christmas season acknowledging the arrival of God’s Son. Emmanuel God with us! Immediately following Christmas is the welcoming of the new year. We choose to enter the new year with the same acknowledgment of God with us.

This year HPFC will again feast on the presence and the Word of God as we begin the new year. Friday January 1st we will gather at 7pm and begin our Word Feast acknowledging the presence of God in our lives through an extended time of praise and worship. Be prepared to also speak out the Word the Lord has been revealing to you.

Saturday morning we will congregate again around the Word of God. During lunch we will fellowship during the prep and enjoyment of the meal. Filling the afternoon with continued testimony around God’s Word. Saturday evening we will have Jon and Helen Jenkins join us as Jon opens the Word and we enter into a new phase of Word Feast. This year we want to recognize the anointing that is within us and the releasing of this anointing to the task God has called us. Jon and Helen will join us Sunday night and Monday night as well. Sunday morning I will also focus our attention on the presence of God in our daily lives and His desire to manifest His presence through us. What an exciting time ahead, celebrating the arrival of Emmanuel and His continued presence among us!

Thanksgiving

November! Here we are entering the holiday season, which starts with Thanksgiving. What a great place to start, giving thanks for the incredible season of harvest the Lord has allowed us to share. We have seen God do incredible things and yet we understand and know He is not finished. And we also have the assurance that He who has begun this good work is faithful to complete it.

Take occasion this month to inventory the answers to prayer you have experienced this year and give thanks. Practice every day giving thanks with a grateful heart, rejoicing always, unleashing the attitude of gratitude that simply brightens everyone’s day while simply irritating the devil to no end! I will give thanks to the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth. I love God, I thank God and when I say Jesus it is a good thing! Happy Thanksgiving HPFC

Change

Steptember! There are many changes taking place here at HPFC. Steptember references that September will see the landing of many of those steps or at least some of the clarifying of our steps. Proverbs 3 exhorts, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” We admire this in Abram when he steps out in obedience to God’s invitation to go to a land I will show you. It can create a different challenge when we receive our own invitation.

I would encourage us to trust in the Lord. This is not a one-time invitation it is daily acknowledging that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, or if you will, those who lean not own their own understanding. As a leader we receive opportunities to walk people through these exercises. If asked why and the only answer is God, are we lying? Are we holding out? We can look at strengths and weaknesses and constantly make changes as “better” qualified people are made available. Family circumstances can bring about changes. But the only time changes are beneficial and healthy are when God.

If this is true we better walk in a relationship with God that gives us a confidence that He can direct our steps as we direct others. In the world they say that is why you get paid the big bucks. Well I don’t know about that but I will say it is a responsibility that comes with the privilege of being a pastor as opposed to simply a preacher.

Change Stars

For whatever reason, the line from Knight’s Tale has popped in my thoughts, “Can a man change his stars.” This asked by a boy some seven years old, to his dad a thatcher. The dad says yes as he hands his son off to a Knight. Without continuing the story line let me simply bring out an observation. The dad was willing to give up custody of his son for his son’s future to be changed. What are we willing to give up for our future to look different than our past or the past of those that have shaped and molded us. True there are parts of our heritage and training that require no change, but I dare say we each have components of our lives that if changed our future would be as different as a thatcher and a knight.

Do not get caught up in the “class” mentality nor the “us and them” syndrome. Simply allow yourself to ask how far, what depths would I go to “change my stars.” From a fisherman to a fisher of men or from Pharisee to apostle to the Gentiles! What might be the result of putting my life in the custody of God and fully learning His ways?

Camp Courtney

Camp Courtney

The summer camping season is almost upon us. Many have been raising monies, setting schedules and “pulling teeth” to tend to all the details.  I write to say thanks to not only those that have seen to the above but leant their support financially and physically.  The closing of fundraisers, collection of registrations and the writing of checks does not complete the task required for an exceptional camp experience.  Continued effectual fervent prayer is required for the experiencing of Spirit-filled, Word empowered, life changing, gift manifested camps.

 

Let us not grow weary in petitioning God for the time ahead at Camp Courtney.  HPFC is sending students and leaders as will many other Foursquare churches.  The following weeks the camp will be filled with participants from various church families.  Through prayer individuals, families, cities and nations can be forever changed to the glory of God. Pray with expectation believing that God is and that He is truly a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!  Jesus display the power that has set Your name above every name!