Under Construction

We are all "Christians Under Construction" or as some prefer to say it: "In Formation". I am so thankful God is not done with me yet. He is still working on me even in areas that I thought were "finished". For example I know the Gospel. The Good News has changed my life. Yet I am still surprised from time to time with new insights around this foundational concept. Praise the Lord that He is new every morning and we can never run out of places to grow.

This Advent at New Wine Mission we are looking at ways the Lord continues to work on us. Yesterday I spoke about the foundation of our faith: The Gospel. We are looking at this topic through Paul's letter to the Philippians. Paul reminded the church of Philippi that he was convinced that God would complete the good work He had begun in them. (vs. 1:6)

I see God working in the people of New Wine. He has given us a hunger for His Word and we are committed to studying the Bible regularly. I also see in us a desire to be used of God to both proclaim and contend for the truth of the Gospel. As we do, our knowledge and insight grows and we become stronger followers of Christ. As pastor, I am so excited to see God at work in the lives of our church. In the midst of trials and celebrations we have been able to see God moving through answered prayer. For example Deb and I recently saw Him provide the finances needed for Katie to complete her mission outreach with YWAM and provide roommates for our daughter in Nashville. In both cases He did this just in the nick-of-time.

Last Friday I was visiting family in Ohio and took time to swing by Trinity School for Ministry and visit our seminarians Micah and Stephanie Chisholm. They are doing well as he finishes up his last year of seminary. Their lives are full. Stephanie is a nanny for a local family in Pittsburgh and Micah works part-time at Starbucks and attends full-time classes at the seminary. They are expecting their first child in March and they will be looking to re-enter full-time ministry this Spring just after the baby is born. We had a brief but good visit as we caught up on what God was doing in all of us. We pray for them regularly and are looking at the possibility of them joining us for a season back in Flint after they complete their studies. It was good to hear how God is working in their lives. Lets pray that the Chisholms and all the people of New Wine grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord in the Advent season.

Kingly Worship

Sunday November 20th was "Christ the King Sunday" which is the last Sunday of the Church Calendar year.  All the text and hymns and songs lead us in high praise of the King of King.  This year we reflected on what it meant to "bow" before our King.   If you would like to hear a recording of the sermon, you can listen online if you go the our church website (www.NewWineMission.com).

The Spirit has blessed us of late with good worship as we sing and speak forth our praise to King Jesus.  Have you ever attended a service and just thought:  "Wow, the Lord is here!"  This is how I felt Sunday.   Jesus taught us that He is with us when "two or three are gathered together".   I thank the Lord for the faithful who gather our small meeting room built behind a old house near downtown Flint.  It may not be where many people would expect to feel the Lord's presence.  There are no stained glass windows.   There are no golden chalices or high vaulted ceilings  (not that in and of themselves these things are bad or do not point people towards worshiping the Lord).  But what I sense is what we lack in "surroundings" the Lord has blessed our small gathering with people who truely worship Him because He has touched our lives.  The phrase "Authentic Kingly Worship" comes to my mind.  Thus together and individually we bow our heart before the Lord in humility, submission and awe and it is good.

We are praying that more people will find their way to our fellowship and join us as we worship the King!  Next week we begin our preparation for celebrating the anniversary of Lord's birth and think on our preparations for His return.  Come join us for the First Sunday of Advent  at 10:30 a.m.  at 727 East Street, Flint.

Advent Preaching Series

Sermon Series: "Warning Christians Under Construction" (Hard Hat Zone)

Study of Paul's Letter to the Philippians

November 27, 2011  Advent 1

Title “Construction On Your Faith – The Foundation”

Reading: Phillipians 1

Dec 4, 2011 Advent 2      Guest Preacher: Bishop Doc

Title   “Construction On Your Character – The House”

Reading: Phillipians 2

Dec 11, 2011 Advent 3B
Title: "Construction On Your Relationships – The Yard"

Reading: Phillipians 3

Dec 18, 2011 Advent 4B

Title: "Construction Complete – Our Hope"

Reading: Philippians 4

Word of God Speak

At our church Listening Day at St. Francis Prayer Center on November 12th we began our day with Morning Prayer using the Daily Office. The readings for the day were: Rev. 20:1-6, Psalm 87 and Matt. 16:21-28. They reminded us that there is spiritual battle all around us even when we set aside time to pray. The Revelation passage reveals that Satan's end is sure, yet he is not going down without a fight. Like the City of Zion in Psalm 87 we are precious to the Lord. Yet like Peter, we are never very far from falling under the enemy's sway as Peter who one minute proclaimed Jesus the Christ and the next was used of Satan to try to dissuade the Lord from the work ahead of Him. I reminded the 16 of us gathered who were asking the Lord to speak to us that this may engage the enemy as he tries to distract us from this most laudable endeavor.

After retreating to different areas of St. Francis Center for an hour and a half of quiet, we gathered in the warm and homey greatroom to share our reflections of our time in quiet. From God's Word (Psalm 81:10) we were encouraged to draw near to the Lord. "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it". Similarly in Psalm 131:2 someone else felt the the Lord saying to be still and quiet "like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me". We recognized the Spirit's working as these texts were given by two separate people. We sensed the Spirit asking us "Do you love me?". We were challenged to focus on Him, to envision looking into His eyes, and speaking to Him our words of love that come from our heart.

It is a privilege to be silent before the Lord someone reflected. It takes work being silent before the Lord, but it is on our knees, seeking his face, when intercessors "pull down walls in the spiritual". Someone else in our midst found herself contemplating Daniel 9 & 10 when even the prophet sought the Lord in prayer and fasting. We learn that the messenger of God was delayed in the spiritual realm when he first began to pray. Again the theme of doing spiritual battle in times of prayer was sounded.

Then an exhortation in Ecclesiastes 5:1 was shared. People of prayer are to "guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart..."

Someone else shared from Proverbs 4: 5 "Get wisdom, get understanding, do not forget my words or swerve from them." I noticed in 4:20 it says "pay attention to what I say, listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight keep them with your heart". Then in verse 23 it says: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life". In times of prayer and battle we are to cry out "Word of God Speak" to our heart.

Two of our members were unable to join on site but joined us in prayer at their home. The Spirit had them focus on the word "wellspring" as they meditated on the assigned readings for the day. The Lord gave them this poem that came from writing a summary of the text they were led to read. They did not realize it was a poem until they had finished writing a summary of each verse!

All my springs of joy are in you, (Ps. 87:7)

For with Thee is the foundation of life; (Ps. 36:92)
    the foundation of living waters, (Jere. 2:13)

    the foundation of living water, even the Lord. (Jere. 17:13)

    a well of water springing up to eternal life. (John 4:14)

It appears the Lord is inviting New Wine to a deeper level of intimacy with Him. To dig deep into His Word allowing it to speak to our souls. He is inviting us to listen and be quiet. He is calling us to do battle in the spiritual alongside Him. Then to allow the Word to bear the fruit of good works which flows forth like living water into the world.

As it said in Canticle 10 (Isaiah 55:6-11) which we read in Morning Prayer: "Seek the Lord while he wills to be found, call upon him when he draws near." We want to be caught up in Him. We do not want to just be on "stand-by" until His return. But as one of our number confessed on Saturday "We want to be on Stand-With"!

Saints I Met This Week

After a great "All Saints Celebration" last Sunday I started off on a busy week.  But along the way I met a number of goodly saints.  Monday night our cell group met at our house but we had a few folks missing.  My wife Deb, for example, had headed down to Nashville earlier in the day to be with our daughter Jenny for the week.  We prayed her in safely as she sent me a text in the middle of our fellowship letting us know she had completed the 11 hour trek safely. 

We are working our way through the Gospel of Mark.   We discussed the first half of Chapter 5 about Jesus freeing the man who filled with demons.  It is good to mine the golden nuggets of the Word with others who seek to understand what it means to follow one who commands earth and the spiritual powers of dark and light.

But was even more a blessing is that the next day a pan of pasta was left on my front door, and a day later some bean soup (which I never get because my dear wife does not like beans!) was dropped off.  I would have survived on cereal, eggs and left-overs, but the gifts of the saints have blessed Anjelo and I all week long.

Then Wednesday I spent the day in Livonia with fellow church planters.  We shared about our common work and life in the mission,  rejoiced in the work  being done and even talked of our newest mission in Brighton which is called "Crossroads Anglican Church"!   I was reminded of how blessed I am to be numbered among such Godly pastors whose heart is to follow the Spirit's leading and serve the people Jesus calls us to love.

Yesterday I was asked to do a mid-week service for a group of ladies at Elmcrest Sr. Apartments in Flushing.  This small but faithful group celebrated with me a belated "All Saints".  We once again recounted the lives of Christians who have touch our lives through their words and deeds.  I am so glad to know that we too continue to  be his light in this generation. 


Then today, Veteran's Day is my mothers "Re-birthday" when back in 1976 she gave her life to the Lord.  She has been a wonderful example of  a Jesus follower,  a really saint of the Lord,  Thus, I have many reasons to thank the Lord for all the saints I met this week!

For All The Saints!

Sunday November 6th we celebrated "All Saints" day at New Wine Mission.  We had a great day of worship and perhaps most notable no sermon.   That may sound funny coming from the preacher, but we had others speaking to us with the testimony of their lives.  During the course of the Liturgy of the Word and the Prayers we paused to give thanks for over a dozen saints that had touch many of our lives.  Members of our community stood prayed remembrance prayers as we celebrated the lives of the saints who has touch our own lives.  Some were Bible heroes like  Father Abraham.  Here is the prayer we prayed:

"We begin our All Saints Day remembrance today by giving thanks for the life of our Spiritual forefather, Abraham. By faith he stepped out and left the comfort of what was familiar and known, to sojourn in an unknown land, simply because he heard the Lord's call. By faith he turned from his own plans to produce an heir and trusted in God. By faith he acted in obedience to God and offered his one true son Isaac as an altar sacrifice believing God would still provide. Not perfect, but faithful, Abraham was used of God and from his family line the Savior was born."

Here is our prayer for an Anglican Hero, Thomas Cranmer:

" We give thanks for the life of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who in the midst of great political drama helped established The Church of England. Protestant in theology, he was partly responsible for the dissemination of the Bible into the vernacular of the people. He developed the first Book of Common Prayer which allowed the people of England to worship the Lord in their own language. Under Mary Tudor's pressure (better known as Bloody Mary) he was charged to return the church back to Rome. He refused and was tried for heresy. Under the threat of death he recanted his protestant teaching, but would later publicly renounce this lapse. Bishop Cranmer died among the protestant martyrs during Mary's reign in 1556. He was burned at the sake courageously placing his hand that he signed his recantation in the flames first. For his leadership, legacy and courage we give thanks."  

In place of the sermon we prayed this prayer of thanks:

"We give thanks for faithful priests, pastors and preachers who have faithfully "handled the word of God". We thank you for those who have labored in study and prayer as they prepared to share the Good News of Jesus in pulpits, classrooms and even stadiums. We think of Anglican priests and bishops like Phil Zampino, Niles Blatz, Michael Schulenberg and our own bishop, Doc Loomis. But, we also give thanks for powerful communicators like Ravi Zacharia and Billy Graham and other faithful teachers of Your Word. The truths they proclaimed have moved and transformed our hearts and minds. We know we are a different and better people because of their faithful service to your word. We pray for the next generation of preachers. We pray for men like Micah Chisholm and Mike Cupp who you are allowing us to help raise up. Give people everywhere ears to hear and hearts to receive the truth of the Gospel especially in this community where we live."

But perhaps one of the most inspiring was our prayer for George Muller who died in 1898:

" We are grateful for the life of George Muller who was a Christian evangelist, director of the Asley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, and who cared for over 10,000 orphans in his life. He was well-known for providing an education to the children under his care, to the point where he was accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them orphans. George and his wife remind us that work in your Kingdom is never done. At the age of 70 George left the work of the orphanage in his daughter's hands and went off on a preaching mission to Europe, America, India, Australia and China extending over a period of 17 years! Let us never think our work for you is done and be open to your leading even in the twilight years of our earthly pilgrimage."

With these, and several others we entered into a rich time of worship with good liturgy and inspirational songs and hymns.  We give thanks today for such a special time in the Lord and "For ALL The Saints"!