Hearing God for the New Year

There are three Greek words used to refer to God’s Word in the New Testament.  One is logos, as used in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Logos is a very general term that means the idea, thought, reasoning, motive, or meaning of something. It can refer to a specific saying or, as it is used in this verse, something as grand as Christ Himself.  

Graphe is the second Greek word, as used in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This term is the most specific, as it refers to the written word.  The written word of God, the Bible, is our only authoritative source of revelation. All other forms of hearing from God and being led by the Holy Spirit must be submitted to the objective standard of the Bible, rightly understood and properly applied.  

Rhema is the third Greek word, as used in Matthew 4:4: “But he answered, ‘It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.''’ It refers to something spoken, an utterance. So someone would read a graphe, but hear a rhema, in order to understand the logos. Keep in mind that these words are sometimes used interchangeably, and this illustration helps us understand the general use of these terms and to grasp various ways God actively communicates with us. 

As Christ followers we deeply value all the ways God communicates to us, and we strive to hear, understand, and obey God’s word in every sense that it is conveyed.  We are encouraging all New Day participants to read the Bible together daily in 2022. We are using a reading plan that is very flexible. Printed copies are available online or at church, and a variety of other ways such as a smartphone app, website, etc. can be found at https://newdaycommunity.org/bible

Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” As followers of Jesus, we need to be equipped to hear the voice of God when He speaks to us as well as to understand the written Word of God, so that we can grow in our relationship with Jesus as the Word of God. Let’s all make 2022 a year to grow in God’s Word. 

I Can't Wait

“Christmas is coming! I can’t wait!” 

Little (and not so little) kids all around the world are feeling that way this time of year. They are full of hope and anticipation. They know something really great is coming, and it is hard to wait for it to get here.

As Christians, we are a people of waiting. Israel waited for liberation from Egypt. They wandered the desert and waited for their promised land. They waited for the end of exile (more than once!). And they waited for the promised Messiah. There were about 400 years between the writing of the last book of our Old Testament and the birth of Jesus! That’s a long time to wait for a promise. This is our family history. We are the descendants of those who waited. 

In our day, we no longer wait for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. In this season called Advent, we remember that our God came. He became human—born to a virgin mother. He lived, died, and rose again. Jesus unleashed a whole new paradigm for His people—the age of the Holy Spirit. Where our very bodies are His temple—where He dwells by His Spirit. That’s amazing! A promise is fulfilled. 

Now we wait for another promise—the promise of his return. This world around us is saturated by the effects of sin. We see it and we feel it. We ache in waiting for something to be done about it. The Bible says that the created world itself groans in this waiting. We wait for the return of Jesus—when he comes back and sets right all that has gone so wrong. The word for that is redemption. He will redeem it all.

We know something really great is coming, and it is hard to wait for it to get here.

When the waiting is hard, we can lean on the example of our predecessors who waited. Lean on Simeon, who waited with the Holy Spirit upon him. Lean on Daniel, who waited in faithfulness and prayer. Lean on David, who waited patiently to take his promised throne. David wrote this in the 27th Psalm:

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!  (Psalms 27:14)

In Hebrew, the word for “waiting” implies anticipation and hope. Just like these men, we hope into the promise and live into the time until the promise is fulfilled. We wait, full of the Holy Spirit, faithful, prayerful, and patient. Something really great is coming—Jesus will return!

Five Steps to Freedom

John 8:31-32: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Although these Jews had a measure of belief, the following verses reveal they were not willing to follow Jesus. Mere intellectual assent is never enough to produce freedom in our lives. This passage gives a progression of five steps to freedom. 

Many think that belief is the goal, but it is more the beginning. It absolutely is necessary—it’s just not the end. Genuine belief will inevitably lead the rest. But if someone, like the Jews in this verse, has merely intellectual assent, then they don’t have the faith that ensures eternal life. Nevertheless, belief is the first step. If someone, even at the moment of death, attains this first step, like the man on the cross next to Jesus, they can be assured of being in paradise with Christ. 

Abiding in the Word of God is the next step. Abide means to continue, to remain, to not leave, to settle down and live there. This and all five are not steps that we ever progress beyond, but aspects of our walk that we mature in. We continue to believe and choose to abide in God’s Word. This means we take time to really know and understand God’s Word. If I visit a new place, I need a map to get around. But I don’t need a map to get anywhere in Kalamazoo, because I’ve lived here for decades. How well do we know our way around God’s Word?  

Being a disciple is the third step. A disciple is a student, someone devoted to learning from another person. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must live in His Word. It means more than just learning about a subject like we do in school. Disciple is a form of the word discipline. We discipline ourselves to become like Jesus, and we accept God’s discipline in our lives to make us more like Him. 

Step four is knowing the truth. You can learn facts quickly, but it takes time to know the truth. It’s like the difference between knowledge and wisdom. We live in a world overwhelmed with facts and information, but sadly lacking in truth. God’s Word, when lived out in relationship with Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit, enables us to experience truth. 

Freedom is the goal. Some freedom comes quickly, but in most people’s lives there are areas in which we struggle for years or even decades. In the same way that the Israelites were free as soon as they left Egypt in the Exodus, they didn’t enter the freedom of the promised land until after they’d spent 40 years in the wilderness. This is an illustration of what each disciple must experience: the process of walking out of bondage into the freedom that Jesus died to obtain for us. Seek freedom in every area of your life—by learning the truth, through being discipled by Jesus, as you abide in His Word, because you believe Him.

Divine Time

One of the greatest challenges in life is having to wait. Waiting for an exceptionally long red light or in the doctor's office can be bothersome enough. But what about waiting for things like a spouse, or to become parents, or for a better job, or for a health issue to be resolved? The challenge is to keep our faith engaged instead of agreeing with the lies that we are abandoned, forgotten, and alone. 

There is often a blatant difference between God’s Time versus My Time. We can make the mistake of thinking that My Time is the right timing. My Time is when I think things should happen, while Divine Time is the right time for things to happen. 

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (1 Peter 3:9)

Do you ever feel like God is late? In Exodus 32, the Israelites thought Moses was “late” in coming down the mountain. Moses had gone up the mountain to meet with the Lord and receive the tablets of stone engraved with the law and commands for their instruction. He was taking a long time, so the Israelites took matters into their own hands, and disaster followed. They asked for a golden calf to be made so they could worship that god instead. Ouch!

God knows sometimes we will need to hang on longer than we naturally would like to, so He provided for us through the Holy Spirit. As believers, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us and can flow out His wonderful attributes—one of which is longsuffering. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)

What would have happened if the Israelites had hung on a few more hours, and had a bit more faith in waiting for Moses? The whole catastrophe could have been avoided. How we handle waiting according to God’s Time is a good measure of our spiritual maturity. Will we allow delays to make us drift off into sin or give up? Or will we allow these times to deepen our perseverance in God?

To live according to My Time leads to pain, frustration, and missed blessing. Let’s set our clocks to Divine Time and relax. God knows exactly when the right time is and He won’t be late.

7 Promises God Gives People Who Tithe

I came across this article by Leadership Author Brian Dodd that I thought fit nicely with our series on Living Generously.  The original article can be found at: https://bit.ly/3x9Ttbn

These promises come from ... Malachi 3:8-12, during which God makes this request: “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of  hosts.  This is what God says He will do if you test Him:

1. "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven.” – This indicates a sudden deluge of activity.  It is important to note God used this same verbiage in Genesis 7:11-12 when referring to Noah’s flood.

2. “And pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” – Rather than being a destructive form of judgement as in Noah’s day, this sudden deluge of activity will be blessings which cannot be contained.  

3. “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you” – Many feel that there was also a physical drought during Malachi’s day in addition to the spiritual drought.  The caterpillars and locusts which devoured crops were under God’s mighty hand.  So are the devourers in your life.

4. “So that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground” – It has been my experience that things just last longer for those who put God first with their finances.  The cars last longer.  The appliances last longer.  The HVAC seems to keep working.

5. “Nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. – Back to farming, you will no longer be a barren land.  You will live a fruitful and joyful life.  While God may directly bless your finances, He may choose to bless other areas of your life such as your family, health, career, or spiritual condition of those you love.

6. “All the nations will call you blessed” – Wikipedia states there are 195 countries in the world today.  Google Analytics says the leadership content from this site has been read in 198 countries since the beginning of the year.  Literally, every nation in the world has benefited from this site’s content.  

7. “For you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts. – A revival of generosity and the love of people will be an attractive quality for all who know you.

I tested God in the area of tithing and He delivered on all seven of these promises.  He honored my faithfulness but more importantly, He honored His everlasting Word.

God’s Faithfulness Frees Us to Truly Love

Over the years, Adam and I have experienced God’s unique, miraculous, and abundant provision. We have received checks in the mail when we needed to pay a bill, unanticipated provision to replace appliances, surprise scholarships that helped pay for our education, and we have experienced the generosity of our community at just the right time to meet our needs. Story after story, we have lived God’s abundant provision. And with each story, our faith and trust in God has grown. He has always been faithful. His generosity has always been mind-blowing.

The other day, I was reading a devotional where the author was discussing abundance versus scarcity, using the difference between Pharaoh and the Hebrews in Exodus.  He observed that Pharaoh felt fearful, even threatened, because of the blessings the Lord poured out on the Hebrews. This led to violence and persecution as he tried to crush this threat. The Hebrews, on the other hand, always had everything they needed. They saw the Lord’s provision time and time again.  From the devotional: “Assured of God’s provision, they were called to put aside vengeance and greed and instead seek justice, love, kindness, and walk humbly with their God.” (See Micah 6:8)

I have never heard the connection between loving others and God’s provision. Recently, the Lord has been speaking to us about truly loving his children. Through this process, I have been acutely aware of how selfish I can be. I want to love others, but I often do not want to sacrifice my time or emotions or comfort.  What this little devotional spoke to me was that I can be assured of the Lord’s abundant provision as I love others, just as I am assured of his physical provision. I can trust that as I reach out, as I seek to love others, as I put myself out on the line, that he will be there with me. I will always have what I need. 

“If we live in constant fear of not having enough—like Pharaoh did—it will lead us to greed and injustice in the name of self-preservation. If, however, we believe Jesus and trust that with God there is always abundance, then we can be set free from a self-centered posture and be empowered to truly love others.”

All quotes are from What If Jesus Was Serious? by Skye Jethani, pages 116-117.

Grief

Grief encompasses so many feelings, and yet is something that seemingly everyone shies away from. It’s painful. It leaves you feeling raw and exposed. So why wouldn’t you avoid it? The biggest reason is that it can wreak havoc in your life when you don’t work through it. 

You see, grief is not something you can just forget or get over. It is something you must work through, or it will pop back up in your life in crazy and confusing ways. 

The Bible is full of descriptions of grief. In Genesis 6:6, when God saw the evil that mankind had resorted to, “it broke his heart.” Matthew describes Jesus grieving over the city in Matt. 23:37-39. And Isaiah 63:10 says, “When the people rebelled against God, it grieved the Holy Spirit.”  We are in good company when we are grieving. God wants to comfort us in our grief. Psalm 34:18 assures us, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Grieving is not just for loss due to death. We grieve the loss of lots of things in our lives; divorce, dreams, jobs, etc. Lamenting is a way to express our grief, and God wants us to bring our laments to Him. 

Grief also helps us have compassion for others. According to Peter Scazzero, “Embracing grief is the ONLY pathway to become as compassionate as Christ.” 

On November 20, New Day will be hosting a Grieving Through the Holidays workshop. This is a great opportunity to learn how to process grief, learn about the grief journey, and learn ways to help others who are grieving. 

Revival is Ongoing

We are heading into our planned Revival Weekend, and I have been praying about it, and praying for it. I have been praying it will be an impactful time for everyone who attends. I have been asking God to prepare my heart to receive what he has for me. I have been praying that Holy Spirit will show up in a powerful way to revive people’s hearts, minds, and spirits, so that we can have greater revelation of who we are in Him; and that we will draw closer to God and experience more of His fullness. I am excited!

Last Sunday at church I was worshiping, with my hands raised and my eyes closed. We were singing about Jesus, and I saw in the eyes of my heart that Jesus approached me and grasped my outstretched hands and leaned in and kissed my cheek. It was such a holy moment. I was completely undone and shed some joyful tears! In that moment of experiencing his touch, his holiness and his goodness were revived in me all over again. I gushed out thanksgiving to him over his love and mercy toward me. I want experiences like that routinely to keep me intimately aware of his nearness. 

A simple definition of the word revival is: “an improvement in the condition or strength of something.” Another is: “an instance of something becoming active or important again.” Do I want my relationship with Jesus to improve? Yes. Do I want my relationship with Him to always be important? Of course! How well do I maintain that consistency? There is continual room for improvement. I am human and I fall short. I get distracted with the matters of life, so my intentionality in my relationship can ebb and flow. However, the benefit of being planted in a great church that I attend faithfully is that every week I get the opportunity to direct my feet back onto the path of pursuit. I get to experience the revival of my spirit week after week, and to choose to strengthen my relationship and to show Him he’s the most important. 

This weekend is the perfect opportunity to prioritize our relationship with Jesus and to really pursue Him. Let’s all pray with expectation that He will show us life-changing truths that catapult us into greater freedom! Let’s take advantage of this opportunity for him to activate something fresh in our lives. Just one word from him can change everything. Just one picture of him can open the floodgates (like the experience I had Sunday). I’m praying this prayer from Ephesians chapter one over all of you:I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When this was written, Paul was referring to what we call the Old Testament, which was considered sacred by the Jews and had been recognized as inspired by God, or “God-breathed.” The New Testament was also recognized as inspired and officially canonized—added to the collection of sacred texts—early in church history.

The inspiration of Scripture does not mean the Bible was dictated by an angel while a person transcribed it, as other religions believe concerning their sacred texts. It also doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit completely took control of the human author while the text was written. Rather, it is another example of incarnation in Christianity. As Christ was fully human and fully divine, the Bible is also fully human in that it was written by actual people for the purpose of recording historical events, teaching, prophecy, instruction, worship, and letters to churches and individuals. But it is also fully divine, as God was active in sovereignly orchestrating the words of the writings to communicate truth.

Everything needed to be complete, thoroughly equipped for everything God has called us to do is readily available in Scripture. How incredible is this? If any of us ever feel unprepared, ill-equipped, or not ready or able to do what is good, we simply need to turn to God’s word. Do we live our lives with the awareness of the treasure we have available in God’s word? Do we demonstrate our reliance upon this gift by daily reading and regularly studying Scripture? Are we willing to dig deeper to uncover more from God’s word, and in doing so become more equipped?

With the tools which the internet and smartphones provide, we have more information about the Bible and greater and easier access to God’s word than any previous generation. When I became a pastor, I had to use large books, Strong’s concordance, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, etc., to dig into the Bible. But now I can do all that in a fraction of the time anywhere with my phone. This generation with such unlimited access to God’s word and Bible helps should be the most equipped and most Christlike of any. But is it? Is the church of the 21st century—with all our technology and tools—more holy, more fruitful, more spiritually productive than previous generations?

Let’s each choose now to use the tools and the technology God has given us in our day to excel—to be shining lights in a dark generation, to be the best translation of God’s word—when His truths are translated into our lives, so that the world can see Jesus in us.

Press On!

We pull into the sprawling parking lot and our eyes are drawn to the crowds playing by the lake. What a nice spot to play on the beach. We will do that later, but there is something else on our mind as we get out of the car. Which way to the trail head? We check our map and follow people with water bottles and that look on their face like they are going somewhere. 

The trail is only a trail for a short distance: then it becomes a rocky staircase. The four Mensers are on our way to a couple amazing rock formations at Devil’s Lake State Park. Up we go. Climbing, climbing, climbing. It does not take long to grow weary. Is it worth the climb? Maybe we should turn around? No. We’ve come too far and we want to see the beauty at the top.

Partway up, we come to Balanced Rock. The rock formation and view are amazing. At this stop we realize how far we have already come. We are high above the lake below. Can we even see where we started from? This is awesome!

But there is a higher goal: The Devil’s Doorway. So after some pictures and a quick drink, we climb again. Is it worth the climb? Maybe we should turn around? Balanced Rock is really cool. Is this good enough? No! We’ve come too far and we want to see the beauty at the top. We are all in. We keep going. And we are rewarded for our climbing! The view from the top is spectacular!

Last week, Pastor Cameron taught from the third chapter of Philippians, where Paul writes:

“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way” [Phil 4:13-15].

This week, stop and think—just like we stopped at Balanced Rock. When you look back over your life as a Christian, how far have you already come? Enjoy the reward of great progress. It has not been easy. But the view is pretty spectacular. Stay there long enough to see God’s hand at work in your story. Celebrate His goodness in your life.

Once your heart is full of thankfulness for what He has done, turn around and look up. There are more of those same steps ahead of you. Set your will to the task. Forget what lies behind. Press on! You’re all in! The reward at the top is Christ Jesus himself. You’re on your way to see Him! Let those of us who are mature think this way. See you on the trail!

Rejoice!

Philippians is known as the epistle of joy. The word “joy” or “rejoice” is used sixteen times in just four chapters. I find it striking that in such dire circumstances, Paul writes such a joyful letter. As we have learned through this sermon series, Paul is writing from a Roman prison while facing the death penalty. At any moment, a guard could come and take him out of his cell and behead him. He has nothing: sitting in a dark, dank, cold dungeon with all his freedoms and comforts taken from him—yet he is filled with joy. This, more than anything else, should challenge us to face our circumstances with joy. 

Five different Greek words are translated into “joy” and “rejoice” in this letter.  Three of them are based on the root word charis, meaning “grace”. So the famous verse in Eph. 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved…” could actually have been translated “By joy you have been saved.” In Philemon 1:7, charis is translated as “joy.” The idea is that God didn’t save us out of obligation; rather, it gave Him joy, and we access joy through His unmerited favor.  We are His delight, and He is delighted to love us. What amazing grace we have been given! 

Other ways this word is used include: cheerfulness, calm delight, happy, well-off, be glad, full of cheer. In every way God has poured out His grace to bring us to a place of contented happiness. Charis is also the basis for the charismatic gifts such as prophecy, tongues, healing, etc. All of these gifts are to be expressions of the joy God has given and manifestations of His character of grace and joy.  As charismatic Christians, we ought to be even more overflowing with joy as we have a continual unending resource of charis in us and in our midst. 

The other two Greek words translated as “joy” or “rejoice” in Philippians are both forms of a root word that means “to boast in or about.” Paul boasted of the Philippians—he was proud of them and found joy in his relationship with them. This is a good form of boasting, like the pride a parent has in their children. God likewise rejoices over us when we are in right relationship with Him and living in His grace. For me, this is one of the most amazing aspects of the Gospel. You and I, simple lowly people in the midst of billions of other human beings, can affect the heart of God. We have the power to break God’s heart or to bless God—He has made Himself vulnerable in the sense that He is emotionally vested in us. As the Bible famously says, “God SO loved the world…” 

The application of these truths are simple: be joyful! Rejoice without ceasing, and in everything give thanks! 

Ephesians 4

This chapter is packed full of wisdom about unity and maturity and the purpose of the grace gifts which are given to believers; it’s about building others up, walking in forgiveness, and treating others well. It’s a challenging and excellent passage definitely worth reading or rereading! While the whole chapter is profound, I’d like us to zoom in on verses 11-16 of Ephesians 4 like a 4-year-old might and dissect it with incessant questions:

“To each one grace has been given—some to be apostles, some prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers.”
WHY? 
“To prepare God’s people for works of service.” 
WHY? 
“So that the body of Christ may be built up.” 
FOR HOW LONG? 
“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 
WHAT THEN? 
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” 
WHAT WILL HAPPEN INSTEAD? 
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” 
WHY? 
“In him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” 

What a magnificent purpose and process God planned for our maturity and servant-life as a believer. It’s important that we make sure to align our thinking and actions with the above paragraph and not this one:

“I ignore, devalue, or misuse the outworking of grace as it is expressed through gifts. I’m not concerned with building the body of Christ up, attaining unity or the full measure of maturity in Christ. Instead, I continue to be blown around by different doctrines and wonder why I feel like I’m drowning. I don’t particularly value or practice speaking the truth in love and I don’t live my Christian life as a supporting ligament doing my part to support the whole body.”

As disgusting as that was for me to write and for you to read, I’m afraid some of us can relate to those ways of thinking. If that’s you in any way, please repent and live according to the ways of the Lord. It’s what we must do if we are to be genuine Christ-followers. No more excuses, let’s make definitive changes where needed. And if you are on track living according to this passage in Ephesians 4, well done! Let this be a helpful reminder to keep with it.

Harvest Alliance – Churches and Ministries Pursuing Revival

According to Proverbs 18:1, a person who isolates themselves “rages against wisdom.” As individuals and churches, we need to be in healthy relationships with others in order to work together, stay accountable, and share resources. Harvest Alliance is a family of churches and ministries birthed in revival and committed to pursuing revival. We are a “Word & Spirit” relational and apostolic family of local churches and ministries. This means that we put the highest value on being based on God’s Word equally with being led by God’s Spirit.  

Our vision as a global network is to:

• Proclaim Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles

• Demonstrate the Father’s love in word and deed

• Strengthen leaders to grow healthy churches and ministries

• Facilitate church multiplying strategies and efforts with our member churches and ministries

Our core values are summed up in our F.I.R.E. acronym:

• Father’s love revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ

• Intimacy, presence, and hearing God’s voice as taught in Scripture

• Restoration of the body, heart, and soul through physical, emotional, and spiritual healing

• Extending the kingdom of God through the equipping, anointing, and empowering of the Holy Spirit

Harvest Alliance was born to carry forward this vision and these values to the next generation and further worldwide. We are deeply grateful for the shared history of revival many of us have, but are now called to sharpen our focus and press forward for what God has in store. Harvest Alliance launched in early 2020, just prior to the onset of the pandemic. Of course the pandemic delayed many of the events we had hoped to begin with, but despite the incredible obstacles, we have steadily grown. 

We currently have 65 churches and ministries in nine nations. We are a “distributed network,” meaning we intentionally do not have a central hub or single location as the base. Rather we are a true alliance of churches and ministries that form cores by region or nation. Currently we have established core teams in England, Canada, and the USA. We also have an international core team to provide leadership globally, made up of Rick Oldland (UK), Rick D’Orazio (Canada), and Cameron Wright (USA). The core team for the USA includes Scott & Stephanie Jones (S.C.), Jim & Tondi Curtis (Alabama), and Cameron & Kathie Wright (right here in Kalamazoo). 

I’m writing this just prior to traveling to our first in-person gathering of leaders in the UK, Oct. 27-29. Our upcoming Revival Weekend with the Joneses at New Day will be a regional H.A. event as we invite those from other H.A. churches in our region to join us. Additionally, we are planning a leaders’ retreat early next year and a conference later next year. Please keep Harvest Alliance in your prayers, as this is an important aspect for what God is doing in and through New Day. 

Who Do You Turn To?

2 Kings 4:8-36 tells the story of a woman from Shunem and Elisha the prophet. Elisha passed through her town often, and the woman and her husband made a room for him to stay in. Elisha wants to do something for her in return for her kindness, but she replies that she is not in need of anything. However, she doesn’t have any children. So Elisha tells her she will have a son the following year, and she does. 

Years later, the child is with his father in the field when he becomes ill. The father has a servant carry the child to his mother. The mother takes the child and holds him, but he dies. She takes the child to Elisha’s room and leaves him on the bed. She sends a message to her husband about needing to go and see Elisha, but doesn’t mention that the child has died. 

Then she heads out to find Elisha. When she gets to the place where Elisha is, he sees her in the distance. He sends his servant, Gehazi, to go to her and see what is wrong. She tells Gehazi that everything is fine and continues to go to Elisha. But when she gets to Elisha, she falls on the ground in great distress. Elisha immediately sends Gehazi to go to where the child is and pray for him. 

Verse 30: “But the boy’s mother said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I won’t go home unless you go with me.’” The Shunammite woman took her problem to the one person she knew that could handle it. Elisha returned with her and raised the boy from the dead. 

This story prompts a question to us: who do we turn to when we are in trouble? What is the first thing that runs through your mind? Is it to phone a friend or family member? Or do we go to the One who can actually do something? There is nothing wrong with sharing our troubles with our family, friends, the prayer team, or a pastor. However, we have been granted access to the Father and He is the one who can give us peace, strength, and hope to endure every situation.  

Ephesians 2:18: “Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

He is our source and He’s waiting for us to come to Him in every situation. I would encourage you to practice going to Him first when we encounter minor obstacles, so when we find ourselves in the middle of a major storm, we can access Him and the peace and hope He, and only He, can grant us.

The Early Church

This is an edited excerpt from a Tim Keller article about five characteristics that made the early church exceptional: (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/5-features-early-church-unique)

1. The early church was multi-racial and experienced a unity across ethnic boundaries that was startling. Throughout the book of Acts, we see a remarkable unity between people of different races. Ephesians 2 is testimony to the importance of racial reconciliation as a fruit of the gospel among Christians.

2. The early church was a community of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Christians were often excluded and criticized, actively persecuted, imprisoned, attacked, and killed. Nevertheless, Christians taught forgiveness and withheld retaliation against opponents. In a shame-and-honor culture in which vengeance was expected, this was unheard of. Christians didn’t ridicule or taunt their opponents, let alone repay them with violence.

3. The early church was famous for its hospitality to the poor and the suffering.
While it was expected to care for the poor of one’s family or tribe, Christians gave to all poor—even of other races and religions, as taught in Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan. During the urban plagues, Christians characteristically didn’t flee the cities but stayed and cared for the sick and dying of all groups, often at the cost of their own lives.

4. It was a community committed to the sanctity of life. It wasn’t simply that Christians opposed abortion. Abortion was dangerous and relatively rare. A more common practice was called “infant exposure.” Unwanted infants were literally thrown onto garbage heaps, to either die or be taken by traders into slavery and prostitution. Christians saved the infants and took them in.

5. It was a sexual counterculture. Roman culture insisted that married women of social status abstain from sex outside of marriage, but expected that men (even married men) would have sex with people lower on the status ladder—slaves, prostitutes, and children. This wasn’t only allowed; it was regarded as unavoidable. Sex was seen as a mere physical appetite that was irresistible.

The church forbade any sex outside of heterosexual marriage. But the older, seemingly more “liberated” pagan sexual practices eventually gave way to stricter Christian norms, since the “deeper logic” of Christian sexuality was so different. It saw sex not just as an appetite but as a way to give oneself wholly to another and, in so doing, imitate and connect to the God who gave himself in Christ. It also was more egalitarian, treating all people as equal and rejecting the double standards of gender and social status. Finally, Christianity saw sexual self-control as an exercise of human freedom, a testimony that we aren’t mere pawns of our desires or fate (see From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity by Kyle Harper, 2013).

It was because the early church didn’t fit in with its surrounding culture, but rather challenged it in love, that Christianity eventually had such an effect on the culture. Could essentially the same social project have a similar effect if it were carried out today?

Make me an instrument of peace (Part II)

In July, I wrote about a prayer from Francis of Assisi. When I came across this prayer, it convicted me right away, and I feel like it is a prayer I could pray every day and still continue to learn and grow as I ask God to help me walk it out. Last time I focused on the second half of the prayer. This time I want to take a close look at the first half. The entire prayer is listed below:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

When I talk to my friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and even my students, I see that there is no shortage of hatred, offense (injury), doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. I love how Francis of Assisi asked God to help him sow love, forgiveness (pardon), faith, hope, light, and joy. These are not as easy to come across in my life. When I watch the news, watch YouTube, or look at social media, I find much more of the former and far less of the latter. 

I have found that I am really good at replicating the negative I see around me. I am also quite talented at bringing that negativity with me and dumping it off on anyone who will listen. In fact, I do not think I need anyone’s help teaching me how to hate, offend, doubt, fear, or despair. Turns out I am a natural. While this may be the easy path, and the one I will turn to if I am not paying attention, it is NOT who I am. More importantly, that is not who God is. He is the opposite of all that negativity. I think the reason this prayer has impacted me so much is because I recognize God’s heart in it. Christ within me is longing for me to embrace the opposite of what I see in the world all around me. 

The opportunity to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light, and joy is plentiful. When we come into any situation or conversation, we have a chance to change things for the better by sowing love. I am challenged to purposefully look for where I can identify the negativity that is happening and then respond with the opposite. To speak in love at work when I see hatred and complaining; to forgive when offended on social media; to speak hope, truth and comfort to those I encounter who are doubting and are in despair; to bring light and joy where there is darkness and sadness. The opportunities for this are endless: at work, at school, at church, family conversations over dinner or in the car, in the grocery store, on the street corner. We live in a world that is defined by hatred, offense, doubt, despair, darkness, and sadness. God, please help me to sow love, forgiveness, faith, hope, light and joy. Open my eyes to those around me who are hurting and help me be a part of your plan of healing in this broken world. Make me an instrument of your peace.

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. - Galatians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

3 to 1 - Blastoff!

I committed to launch the Vandalia church 10 years ago. We’d planted several churches before, and I’d done extensive church planting through our network. But this would be a satellite—I would be head pastor over multiple campuses. In 2013 we began meetings, and we launched the congregation on January 5, 2014.

In fall of 2014 we launched New Day Vine. When Sarah & Seth Gerber moved to California, Anthony and Nicole Davis took over the Vine young adult ministry, changing it to a satellite congregation with me as senior pastor. I loved leading three congregations: Nichols established and suburban, Vandalia new and rural, Vine new and urban. I rotated between the three and loved meeting new people. In 2017, we launched 3:20 & Beyond, a three-year campaign to overcome growth limitations. All three campuses needed mortgages paid off and facility improvements, and Nichols needed an addition. It progressed well, paying off the mortgages and some improvements. Nichols, by this time, began to decline numerically. And then the pandemic hit.

The decline was the result of many factors. I’ve watched this cycle for years—we grow to a certain point, then decline. This is partly due to our building—not the main sanctuary, but the capacity of the foyer, bathrooms, and classrooms. Building an addition would have increased our capacity. Thankfully we didn’t borrow money to do so, as the building mostly sat empty during 2020. Another factor was that I was gone too much. I had taken additional responsibilities in our network, travelling extensively in addition to rotating between our local campuses. People would come for weeks and not even meet the senior pastor. We realized things needed to change.

Mid-2020—in the height of the pandemic—due to numerous factors, the Vine congregation was combined with Nichols. Our staff was stretched too thin to continue as we had. Vine is now a ministry center and we use it throughout the week for many purposes, primarily as an outreach center. So we went from three congregations to two.

Miraculously, we found a new pastor for Vandalia after Mark Morris was hired by another church. Pastor Michael Graff has taken on the Vandalia congregation as of this week. It will be an autonomous sister church, no longer a satellite. We will continue relating with them, but more like our relationship with New Day South Carolina. We’ve now gone from three campuses to one. This is a good thing, as the Nichols congregation can focus on growth and step into what God has for us next!

Only 5% of churches in North America ever multiply. This is a massive strength and part of our spiritual DNA. Like having children, launching churches comes with a cost, but the benefit is a lifetime of rewards. I am honored to pastor a church willing to pay the price of multiplication. It’s the fulfillment of Jesus’ commandment to “Go make disciples of all nations.” And as a church we are champions!

It's Rough Out There

There is a lot going on in the world that is difficult and hard to swallow. The injustice isn’t lost on me. The pain and suffering grieves me to my core. I’m keenly aware of the challenges facing this generation and the next. It’s too much to grapple with. It’s difficult to hope for change.

Jesus said that in this life on earth we will face trials and tribulation, and there will be suffering. Why am I surprised, then, when I witness it on the news? As the problems are hitting closer to home, why am I asking God, “Where are you?” Am I trusting that He is present and at work? The only thing I know how to do is to turn to Jesus, the author of hope.

I’m finding comfort in Isaiah 55. Please pull out your Bible and read it in full. Here’s an excerpt:

“For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
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.”
(Isaiah 55:10-11)

The Message version says, “[His words] do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” His words are THAT deliberate and calculated. Isn’t that inspiring?

God’s promises do not go unfulfilled. His words are always true, and He’s always working. There is no expiration on “Let there be light!” The light is still shining because the whole world is held together by his word, and he will fulfill his purposes in the earth. There is also no expiration on this:

““For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
(Isaiah 55:12-13)

God knows the endgame. Jesus will be glorified, and we will enjoy eternity with him. In the meantime, we pray, we believe, and we let God continue to renew our hope day by day. When I seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all other things are indeed added to me. And it’s not just the tangible provisions he provides, but the intangible provisions as well: hope and peace. I hope this passage from Isaiah brings you some of that today!

Your Body?

“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 Cor. 6:19-20)

Today the world is casting off the influence of centuries of transformation that came as Scripture elevated the sanctity of sexuality and marriage. The Bible teaches the dignity of our bodies as vessels of God, created in the image of the divine. The church—individual Christians and ministers—have often been wrong, hurtful, and destructive in teaching and practice when dealing with sexual issues. But too often we are uninformed that nearly all of the progress in society that has resulted in respecting the rights of individuals, resisting sexual intimidation and abuse, equality in gender and race, and the fight against the sex trade and abuse has been rooted in applying Biblical truths to our laws and culture.  

“Corinth was gross, unashamed immorality… known far and wide for sexual looseness. The most prominent site was the ... temple of Aphrodite, a symbol of the lust which pervaded the mind of the city … The attitude of the city toward immorality involved no condemnation whatsoever; on the contrary, it was considered to be a normal part of life. The same loose attitude was often reflected in the church. The case of incest and the question about the Christian view of marriage had their roots in the immoral mind of the city. Most of the members of the church were Gentiles, and the strict morality characteristic of the Jews was foreign to them. They found it difficult to understand that what they once considered virtue was now sin.” – G. Munn, Southwestern Journal of Theology (Vol. 3, Fall 1960)

Today we’re encountering a mindset similar to the mindset the early church confronted. But how did the church respond? Did they change the Bible’s definition of morality to reflect the culture of the day? Or did they offer an alternative way of thinking and understanding one's body and sexuality? The church in the New Testament didn’t look to the government to restrain or reform society. Transformation came through the message of the Gospel. In fact, Paul mentions this: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11)

Wherever you are concerning sexuality and the debates that are raging in our world, remember that the Gospel offers an alternative. Our bodies are holy, not our own, and to be used to honor God. It may be hard to translate this truth into practice—but God also empowers us with His indwelling Spirit and grace. Freedom begins when we see our bodies as God does.

Scraping By

Sometimes with our limited sight, we ask for what we think we need or what will allow us to scrape by. The crippled beggar in Acts 3 asked Peter and John for a bit of money just to get by for a day, but God had something radically bigger in store. In God’s divine kindness and wisdom, He knew that what that man needed was not just one more meal, but complete healing that would affect the rest of his life and, consequently, his next meal, and the one after that and the one after that. In fact, it would not only affect his meals, but the lives of his family that he could then provide for. He would even be able to join society and worship in the Temple.

Acts 3:7: “Taking him by the hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”

Peter’s response is excellent:

Acts 3:12-13,16,19: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.

It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as can all see.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

This beggar had been scraping by his whole life. That was the life he was used to, and so that was all he dared ask for. But God offered him something beyond his wildest imagination—complete healing. That’s the kind of God we serve.

How many times do we cry out for the thing that will allow us to scrape by when maybe God has something bigger, broader, more life-altering than we could imagine available instead? However God responds to our cry, be it with a meal or a total healing, the truth stands: He is good, He knows our struggles, and He is healer.