HC Family Conversation - Day 5

Do you believe in Providence? That God’s unseen hand can guide human events?

According to the New Testament, the early church did to an astonishing degree. Consider this description of the process they used to choose an apostle to replace Judas,

"Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry…Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles. ” (Acts 1:23–26, NIV)

They followed an ancient Jewish practice similar to throwing dice or drawing straws. The Lord had directed Joshua to divide the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel in this manner. (Josh. 13:6; Ezek. 45:1; Mic. 2:5; etc.)

The book of Proverbs promises God hand can overshadow such an approach,

“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. ” (Prov. 16:33)

It also gives a very practical reason why this is sometimes healing and helpful,

“Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. ” (Prov. 18:18)

Why do Spirit-filled people need to reflect on such passages?

Because even on our best and most spiritual days we only, “…know in part and prophesy in part.” (1 Cor. 13:9, 12) None of us is able to perfectly discern the mind or will of God. Neither will we always agree concerning His will.

As you contemplate the decision that is before us, perhaps you feel a bit like the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “Who has known the mind of the Lord?” (Rom. 11:34)

I have some good news for you…

God has promised to keep His providential hand upon our faulty, frail, utterly imperfect human processes if we call upon Him.

As one country preacher put it, “I believe God is so great that He can draw a straight line with a crooked stick!”

Are you willing to join your faith with the rest of our church family for God to guide us this way? Will you accept the outcome of our congregational vote as ordained by Him?

Are you willing to pray these words?

“Heavenly Father, Thank you for promising to help our weakness. Thank you for promising to overshadow our process. Please settle my heart and calm my fears. Help me think your thoughts today. I trust you to lead us by your Providence into your perfect will. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!”

HC Family Conversation - Day 4

Here is a verse that is on my heart tonight,

“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” (Ephesians 4:2–3, NLT)

Unity is never an accident. It requires purpose and very hard work. The more important an issue is, the harder we have to work to keep legitimate disagreement from resulting in disunity.

Disagreements are like sparks; our words are either like water or gasoline. Right words extinguish the fires of controversy; wrong words can cause explosions.

One measure of our spirituality is the way we disagree with others. Division is a sign of carnality (I Cor. 3:3) and God hates every person who sows it. (Proverbs 6:19)

You recognize a divisive person by the impact of their words and actions. Run away from them like they have the plague! (Romans 16:17) This can be hard if they are people you love, admire, or appreciate, but that verse is in the Bible for a reason.

Division is like an infection. It spreads through personal contact. We can pick up a spirit of division without even knowing it, just like we would some other germ.

When you receive this email, please pause for a moment and pray these words,

“Heavenly Father, Help me to walk in unity with my brothers and sisters at Hillcrest Church. Give me grace to listen as well as speak. Help me see things from other people’s point of view. Give me the courage to walk away from conversations that are divisive. Help me speak words that bring unity in the Spirit. Show us your will. Guide our decision. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

HC Family Conversation - Day 3

Emotions are squishy things, hard to wrap your thoughts around sometimes, yet very real and very powerful.

Confusion… Anger… Fear… Sadness… Joy… Faith… Love…

Feelings like these have shaped the flow of human history. Armies have marched, kingdoms have fallen, and continents have been explored all because of ideas...and because of feelings.

Important decisions sometimes provoke intense emotions. Those feelings are real and they are not wrong. As I have contemplated the prospect of selling our church campus over the past several weeks, I have often felt like I was riding an emotional roller coaster!

Through it all, here is what I have come to realize in a new way,

As people of the Spirit, God does not want us to deny our feelings. Neither does He want our lives to be governed by them. He calls us to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled so we can make decisions that are Spirit-led.

The Apostle Paul put it this way,

“…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ” (Romans 8:14, NIV)

When you receive this email, please pause for a moment and join me in praying these words,

“Heavenly Father, I thank you for the precious gift of your Holy Spirit. May He come and settle my heart by filling me today with His thoughts, His wisdom, His power, and His strength. Lead us your people as we make this decision. Help us to know your will. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever! Amen!”

HC Family Conversation - Day 2

Here is a verse that is on my heart today,

“If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm… ” (Psalm 37:23, NIV)

Here is the way it is rendered in a another translation,

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23, NLT)

I recently noticed again how many verses in Scripture promise God will guide our steps. That gives me great comfort because when I think of steps I also think of decisions. God has promised to guide our steps so that means He has also promised to guide our decisions! If that is true for us individually, then it is also for us true corporately.

Let’s believe God together that He will guide our church through the decision we face. When you receive this email, please pause for a moment and join me in praying the following prayer:

“Lord, I thank you for promising to guide us through every moment of our lives. Please keep your hand upon us, your people, as we confront this vital decision regarding our church property. May your will be done so that your Kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.”

God has opened up a possibility for us to be debt-free...!

What Does Water Baptism Mean? (Family Day Sermon, September 5, 2010)