May, 2007
On this past sunday, Daniel Yang, a pastor from Sao Paulo was here preaching. (He & his family have been with us a week, and left for Minnesota and Ned’s church) Daniel brings a similiar emphasis as Tom Padley does when he comes. Simple, clear truth. Daniel spoke of Phillip’s encounter with an Ethopian eunuch (He had a unique way of pronouncing eunuch, more like e-nac, which I did tease him about). Anyway, there was something in his message, something very basic and something easy to let pass over your head. He kept emphasizing it, coming back to it again and again. In other forms I have heard it from Tom Padley many, many times. Listen, hear and do what the Spirit says. It was the message that Daniel preached on Sunday. Phillip was available, he listened and he obeyed. (more…)
Posted by Scott on May 30th, 2007 in Revival | No Comments »
Several days ago a sister from Mansfield, Ohio (A secretary in the Office of Grace Fellowship, an ARC church in Ohio) sent me a really marvelous teaching by a pastor by the name of Bill Johnson. It was really a blessing to me, coming at a time where I really felt a need for a fresh word from the Lord.
I haven’t worked through every thought that Pastor Bill lays out in this teaching, and don’t know if I agree fully with everything he says in the teaching. However, there was so much about it that just resonated with my heart and seemed beneficial I want to make it available to anyone who would like to listen to it. It’s called “Living Supernaturally” and I recommend you download it and give it a listen. Do that right here.
I’m not going to say more about it, but encourage you to consider what he has to say for yourself. Peace.
Posted by Scott on May 23rd, 2007 in Revival | 1 Comment »
There is a unrelenting challenge to building community in the church. The challenge is this - some of the people who are the most needy for the healing and blessing which Christian community provides are the least skilled at building it. Just try that thought on for a moment. Wait, don’t turn away from it so quickly. These are things that on the face of it would seem to make it impossible to ever win in this quest.
And yet listen to the simplicity of the scriptures - I Peter 4: (9) Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. Here is the Apostle Peter talking about one of the most elemental aspects of building Christian community - hospitality. But notice the implication: this is something which we have a tendency to grumble about (or else why admonish the church to do it without grumbling?) Now think about this with me for a moment. What is it that causes us to grumble about hospitality? Is it the inconvenience of it? Is it having people in our homes and “violating” our personal space? Or is just the reality that hospitality as a general principal is messy? (more…)
Posted by Scott on May 17th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Recently God has been working to connect me to the preciousness of forgiveness. I don’t mean the preciousness of forgiving others (which is important) or even the blessing that we receive when others forgive us. I mean the preciousness of the forgiveness which God has given to me (and of course to those who read this and know that forgiveness).
After having been a Christian for many years I find that the drama of the extraordinariness of my own forgiveness can fade. I know that God has cancelled the debt of sin, a debt that I actually owe. I know that the eternal ramifications of my sins has been turned aside and poured on Christ. However, the dearness and the great relief and joy of this must be renewed from time to time. Recently, I have experienced that renewal. God took me back to my own desperate need for a Savior and he showed me with great kindness the magnitude of the forgiveness which He has given me in his dear Son Jesus. I bless God for that! I was reminded vividly of just what an amazing gift it is to be a forgiven sinner. How many times have I read (16) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4) and just had it roll by me that this is a mind boggling concept. When you sin against someone, and when that sin is serious and when that sin hurts and breaks people’s hearts the last thing in the world we want to do is draw near the offended person. The more characteristic tendency is to what to run away as far as one possibly can. But read this verse and think as you read about the many times you have neglected God, ignored him, even chosen to do other than what He requires. Read that verse this way - Let me who has thought, said and done 100’s of things that offend a holy God, with confidence draw near the throne of grace. Let me, who has no reason in myself for being in the slightest confident before the throne of the most awesome, holy and powerful being in the universe draw near Him with confidence. I don’t know about you, but that really blows my mind apart. (more…)
Posted by Scott on May 17th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Greetings from Hyde Park, London England. Here is a shot Gail took after we had done a little sightseeing in London and we were just sort of catching our breath. We went to London for a day and a night and had a great time together. One big difference we noticed - British folks are not into service in quite the same way Americans are. For example when you go into a restaurant you don’t necessarily have a waitress or waiter come to the table. You are just as likely to go up and order your food and then they bring it to you and you are sort of left to your own. Cab drivers were pretty cranky as well. I’m used to the service I get over at the State Street Diner - now that’s sweet service. I guess I’m spoiled. I love that place.
I guess I should show you a couple of cool things we saw. Remember Gail is a huge Beatles fan, and I’m not far behind. So we had to see some Beatles stuff. To the left is that crosswalk where the Abbey Road Album cover was shot. Pretty cool, eh? That’s me walking in those same footsteps that John, Paul, George and Ringo did about 40 years ago. I don’t think its going to lead to anything. (more…)
Posted by Scott on May 9th, 2007 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Greetings from Ireland and from England. On the left the photo (which was taken with IPhoto on the Mac) are new brothers and sisters from the Rock Church in Belfast. The handsome lad is Ivan, then to the right Leslie (a school teacher), Kathy (Ivan’s wife and school teacher), and Belinda (a staff worker and transplanted Scot). Gail and I have been staying with Ivan and Kathy. They are dear Christians, very hospitable and a lot of fun. They live in a great little house, up on a hill over looking Belfast. Both Ivan and Kathy have known Belfast both as a place of sectarian violence and now as a place where peace appears to have been achieved. (more…)
Posted by Scott on May 7th, 2007 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
