In other words, this unspeakably good news for helpless sinners—that God delights not when we offer him our strength but when we wait for his—this good news that I need to hear so badly again and again, is based firmly on a vision of God as sovereign, self-sufficient, and free. If we do not have this foundational vision of God in place when we ask how we can please him, it is almost certain that our efforts to please him will become subtle means of self-exaltation, and end in the oppressive bondage of legalistic strivings. A lifelong hope in the overflowing grace of God to meet all our needs (‘according to the riches of his glory’!) simply will not stand without a deep foundation in the doctrine of God.”

 

 

 

Two characteristics of the upright heart show clearly why its prayers are a delight to God.

 

The first mark of the upright heart is that it trembles at the Word of the Lord. I get this from Isaiah 66, which deals with this very same problem of some who worship in a way that pleases God and some who worship in a way that doesn’t. Isaiah 66:3 describes the wicked who bring their sacrifices: ‘He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man; and he who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog’s neck.’ Their sacrifices are an abomination to God—on par with murder. Why? In verse 4 God explains: ‘When I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen.’ Their sacrifices were abominations to God because the people were deaf to his voice. 

But what about those whose prayers God heard? God says in verse 2,” ‘This is the man to whom I will look, he that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.’ So I conclude from this that the first mark of the upright, whose prayers are a delight to God, is that they tremble at God’s word. These are the people to whom the Lord will look. So the prayer of the upright that delights God comes from a heart that at first feels precarious in the presence of God. It trembles at the hearing of God’s Word, because it feels so far from God’s ideal and so vulnerable to his judgment and so helpless and so sorry for its failings.

 

This is just what David said in Psalm 51:17, ‘The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.’ This is also what the Lord said to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The first thing that makes a prayer acceptable to God is the brokenness and humility of the one who prays: ‘If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray…I will hear from heaven.’ So the first mark of the upright heart whose prayers please the Lord is brokenness, contrition, humility, trembling. In other words, what makes a heart upright and what makes prayers pleasing to God is a felt awareness of our tremendous need for mercy.

 

The other thing that marks the upright heart is trust in the willingness and power of God to give the mercy we need. Psalm 4:5 says, ‘Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.’  I take that to mean that an essential part of the upright heart whose sacrifices are not an abomination is trust.’

 

 

God has made the spread of his fame hang on the preaching of his Word; and he has made the preaching of his Word hang on the prayers of the saints. This is the awesome place of prayer in the purposes of God for the world. The triumph of the Word will not come without prayer. How do we know this?

 

We know it by the way the apostle Paul pleads for prayer in the ministry of the Word. Three times he appeals for prayer from the churches so that the Word he preaches will succeed in its intended mission. ‘Pray also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel’ (Ephesians 6:19).  ‘Pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ’ (Colossians 4:3).  ‘Finally, my brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified’ (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

 

Prayer is the walkie-talkie on the battlefield of the world. It calls on God for courage (Ephesians 6:19). It calls in for troop deployment and target location (Acts 13:1-3). It calls in for protection and air cover (Matthew 6:13; Luke 21:36). It calls in for firepower to blast open a way for the Word (Colossians 4:3). It calls in for the miracle of healing for the wounded soldiers (James 5:16). It calls in for supplies for the forces (Matthew 6:11; Philippians 4:6). And it calls in for needed reinforcements (Matthew 9:38). This is the place of prayer—on the battlefield of the world. It is a wartime walkie-talkie for spiritual warfare, not a domestic intercom to increase the comforts of the saints. And one of the reasons it malfunctions in the hands of so many Christian soldiers is that they have gone AWOL.”

 

 

Jesus’ disciples asked Him “Why do you speak in parables?”  Jesus explained his reasoning by explaining that certain “secrets” had been revealed to them that others were not privy to.   Notice that Jesus said “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”  Our prayer life will be very limited until we get access to these secrets.  Jesus was teaching them about the type of people to whom wisdom would be revealed.   It is revealed to those who understand that God is the supreme ruler of the universe and that there is a King on the throne who rules in this Kingdom.  

This Kingdom is a spiritual “realm” where He rules and reigns supreme.   When someone humbles themselves before this King choosing His “glory and honor” above their own, then the Kingdom Jesus was talking about is “revealed” and it “comes.”   As Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven,” heaven is a spiritual realm that reveals itself only to those who in humility subject themselves to the King’s rule in their lives.   When they do submit themselves then God’s kingdom shows up on Earth.  To the one that has surrendered his/her life to the King “more will be given and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”   Wisdom is hidden from those who refuse to surrender to His supremacy.   While it may appear to others that one may “see,” Jesus made it clear that “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”  He spoke in parables because He knew that those who were going to understand His Kingdom would be willing to “fear” the King and submit themselves to His authority in their lives.   But to others He said “In their case, the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:  “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.   For this people’s heart has grown dull,  and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”  

Many people don’t want to “see” because they don’t want to give up their agenda for the sake of anyone.   This includes giving up control and submitting to the one they instinctively know is their creator.  They have a false sense of security in thinking that if they hold on to their life they will somehow find it, but they fail to realize that surrender to God as King and a dedication to His glory is the only way one can ever really “find their life.”   It is a divine paradox that through humility one becomes great.   Life just works better when there is a perfect King on the throne who has everyone’s best interest in mind.   Bringing glory to Him is actually the reason the universe was created.   “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11, ESV).  “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Isaiah 43:6-7, ESV).  

Prayer is talking to the one who made us for His glory, not our own.   Do you pray with God’s glory as your chief focus, or are you praying for that which increases your own benefit?  When we seek His glory we benefit in the long run and He answers our prayers.   If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15:7 ESV).   When we abide in Him we are seeking His glory above our own and then we can be trusted.   God answers the prayers of those He trusts to do His will and further His purposes.

 

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21, ESV).

 

The word “Lord” here indicates: (1)  supreme in authority; (2)  controller (as a noun); and (3) (by implication) Master (as a respectful title).

 

What Jesus was saying here is that simply mouthing the words “Lord, Lord” does not mean we are actually surrendered to his rule and reign in us.  The word “Lord” means supreme in authority,  the controller and master.  We are born thinking that we belong to ourselves, but in reality we do not.   Our own agendas no matter how spiritual they may seem will not bring the Kingdom of God to Earth.   It must be God’s will first.  “But the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 

 

The word “will” means: (1) a determination (properly, the thing); (2) (actively) choice; (3) (specially) purpose, decree; (4) (abstractly) volition; or (5) (passively) inclination.

 

God’s will is a very distinct thing.  Just declaring Jesus is “Lord” does not mean we are allowing God’s “determination” to bring about His “choices” and his “purpose” in our life.   But yielding to His “volition” and “inclination” is what reveals that He is really Lord.  Jesus asked “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46, ESV).   When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He told them to pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”   When God’s will is done His Kingdom can be experienced through our prayer life.   This is not legalistic obedience to a set of external rules,  but inward humility to the Spirit of God within us.   If we are not drawn to prayer it is probably because we are not surrendered to His will in our life.   If prayer seems like a burden then something is competing for our affection at a heart level.  When His will becomes our will we know we are progressing in our prayer lives because then we will be praying for the right things.

 

Pray continually.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23)

 

That doesn’t really seem like a reasonable command, does it? How can anybody actually “pray continually?”  The thoughts and writings of a French monk named Brother Lawrence (1611-1691) have been put together in a short book (112 small pages) called The Practice of the Presence of God, showing how he applied Paul’s command to his life.  I offer a few excerpts of it to you, and commend the book to you.

 

Having found in many books different methods of going to God, and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God’s.  This made me resolve to give the all for the all; so after having given myself wholly to God, that He might take away my sin, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He, and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world.  Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge; at other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God.  I worshiped Him the oftenest that I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence, and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him.  I found no small pain in this exercise, and yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred, without troubling or disquieting myself when my mind had wandered involuntarily.  I made this my business as much all the day long as at the appointed times of prayer; for at all times, every hour, every minute, even in the height of my business, I drove away from my mind everything that was capable of interrupting my thought of God (pp. 31-32).

 

Pray remember what I have recommended to you, which is, to think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions.  He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone.  You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you; why, then, must God be neglected?  Do not, then, forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian.  In a word, this is our profession; if we do not know it, we must learn it (pp. 52-53).

 

Have you ever thought that washing the dishes is a time to talk with God?  How about when you are doing your homework?  Raking leaves?  When you don’t have to concentrate on something, instead of letting your brain idle on mindless things, let it dwell in an awareness that God is right there with you at that very moment.

 

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God with Spiritual Maxims, Grand Rapids:  Spire Books, 1958.  

HCC  Goal:

We want everyone in our church to be growing in Christ, evangelizing unbelievers, and making disciples.  This will allow our congregation to implement the vision to develop people into followers of Jesus Christ with a passion to worship God well and communicate His love to others. 

 

Pray that this week Harvesters will seek opportunities and be sensitive to God’s leading.

 

HCC Staff Member:

Jeff Kisiah, Associate Pastor

As a Family Man - to become more of a devoted husband, understanding father, and influential grandfather.

 

HCC Missionary:

Leslie Godshall – Senegal

For God to remove all barriers to raising my remaining financial support needed - about $3500 in monthly giving - so that I can be fully ready to join the Senegal team as soon as possible to do the work He has called me to.

 

My continued growth and an ever-increasing faith as a disciple and servant fully dependent on the Lord.

 

Unreached People Group:

Arab, Omani of Djibouti

 

HCC Ministry:

Men’s Ministry

“Man In The Mirror” for God to bless the outreach study on Tuesday nights at Dilworth Coffeehouse

MVP Leaders – for God to use Lee Weber, Ian Tait, Kendall Grewell, Pete Villari, Phil Bechtold, Rick Lowden & Erik Haviland in their roles

Men’s Summit – for God to bless this outreach scheduled for Friday, March 5th 

 

HCC Congregation: 

Lamont & Rachel Curtis

Tim & Linda Daniel

Daniel & Christina Darnell

Joe & Brigitte Dearborn

 

 

Leviticus 20:26 (NKJV)

“And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated

you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”

 

It is still hard for me to sense how I’ve grown spiritually, but I am in the Word and enjoying fellowship with my Father in Heaven on a deeper level.  Looking back, I finally see God’s wisdom in separating me apart in my childhood, even making me as a stranger in my own family.  Now, he gives me curious dreams; not the seemingly pointless dreams of my youth, but dreams that are different and that seem to contain information or even messages.  Upon awakening, I excitedly record them to meditate on and to gain insight and discernment.  It is as if God, who certainly knows about my own mental anguish (sigh), is assuring me that despite my failures, I am not lost to Him.  This is the grace of God.

 

Oh, our Lord inspires you to reach, not shrink.  He is your one source for all that feeds your thirsty soul.  He is the only one who will be persistently loyal, ever-present, patient, loving, the model of holiness.  Since He is a model, we know we are to do as He does.  Staying in Him through the word, prayer and meditation, and trusting Him, you have that sweet peace of the Lord around you at all times to insulate and keep you.  He is the reward-er of your belief and faith.  You will never be able to understand the depth of His love and concern for you.  Just know that He does so with a passion.  Then just love Him back with everything you’ve got.

  

As the Lord says in Leviticus, just as He is holy, you also are holy, and as such, He has separated you from the peoples to be His.  Wrap yourself in that thought!

 

“The degree to which we live holy lives depends upon the extent to which we keep in step with the Holy Spirit and His plan for our lives … When we choose to yield to God, we choose to ‘walk by the Spirit’ and to draw upon His strength and power in order to live holy and righteous lives.”

 

Prayer is talking to God, but it is also hearing from Him.  This hearing from God is referred to as wisdom in the book of Proverbs.   This wisdom is not worthy to be compared to any earthly desire or goal.   While at first glance our earthly goals appear more significant, but the wise in heart learn to listen to what God says about wisdom: “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit is better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her” (Proverbs 3:13-15, ESV).   But how does one find this wisdom?  To what type of individual does God reveal her?  Does God actually hide wisdom from some?   Prayer is about seeing God as the greatest thing in the universe and spending time in a dialog with Him as the reason why we exist.   But our problem is often that we think we know better than God how to live our lives.   We don’t respect His judgment above our own.   So where does wisdom begin?

 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV).  The Bible teaches that everyone knows at the core of their being that God exists.  “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.   Claiming to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:21-22, ESV).   God has placed knowledge inside of everyone He created, and that knowledge is designed to draw us back Himself, like clues in a great mystery.   But because many do not choose to honor him as God nor give thanks to their creator, He allows them to be rendered foolish and their hearts become darkened such that they are unable to discover wisdom.   Pride is really at the heart of the issue.   When a person acknowledges that God is to be “feared” in the true sense of the word (reverence and awe), then humility is at work in them.   Humility is the core character quality required in the hearts of those that receive wisdom from God.   Jesus said it like this: “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will’”  (Luke 10:21, ESV).  Those that are proud of their own wisdom and understanding will never experience true wisdom, which is revelation of God to the humble in heart.  No one likes being around arrogant and proud people.   In a universe filled with God’s creation, arrogance and pride is a threat.  Healthy relationship is always destroyed by selfishness.  All selfishness is rooted in pride.   This pride causes our prayer lives to suffer and become shallow.

 

While “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” the story does not end in fear.   According to Scripture, “perfect love casts out fear.  For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18, ESV).   Once fear has done its work, we no longer need to live in a state of fear, in the sense of fear of punishment.   It must begin in fear or we will lack honor and respect for God.   Human fathers want their children to respect and honor them in the context of a loving healthy relationship.  The chief goal of the father is to protect their children from harm.   There are many things that can harm or destroy little ones and most often the child does not understand this.   They have to have a healthy sense of respect to protect them from their own foolishness and so do we.   How does pride impact your ability to pray?   Do you see your need before God or feel self-sufficient?

 

1 Corinthians 12: 4-7; 11 (NKJV)

4 “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are

differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities,

but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit

is given to each one for the profit of all. . . .  11 But one and the same Spirit works

all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

 

The church is not the brick and mortar structure; it is us, the Body.   We are brought together with the same shared passion for Christ, but God provided an underlying reason.  The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual gifts to be put to use for the Body.  He wants us to generously serve one another in love and fellowship, and in doing so, we are serving Him and the Body remains strong and vibrant.

 

Just think:  If all of us in Christ were doing whatever we were gifted (anointed) to do, with hearts on fire, how do you think that would translate into the overall ministry of the church?  Like the first century church, we might see a different kind of power unleashed and God’s radiant glory hovering over us.  But even that shouldn’t be the end of the story.  I choose to believe that the Lord will bring in hordes of people who are looking for answers that the world cannot provide.  They are going to need us, the Body, to help usher them into the Peace of Jesus with discipleship and mentoring to follow.  Can you picture the simple beauty of God’s righteous people working together in such unity, harmony and unconditional love?

 

Do you know what your individual spiritual gift is? Are you putting it to use? Are you helping other members of the body discover their gift?  Are you praying for others in the body to be empowered by God to use their spiritual gifts, or only focusing on your own?

 

“If an attitude of servanthood is conspicuously absent from your life…begin serving with your body, and your heart will eventually catch up.  Keep at it until your heart changes.”

 

(from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John Maxwell, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1999, 139)

 

Matthew 5:42 (NKJV)

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow

from you do not turn away.

 

1 Timothy 6:18 (NKJV)

Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.

 

Luke 18:12 (NKJV)

I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.

 

Here are three different Scriptures with three different ways of giving back to the Lord:  To those who are in need; through your good works; and in tithing to the church.

  

God sacrificed for us, He gave us the Word, He gave us life, He shepherds us, He protects us, He elevates and keeps us.  And so much more.

 

With a grateful heart, we give God thanks and glory, we love Him back, we turn over our very lives to Him.

 

When you serve your fellow man, and when you assist the body, you serve God.  And who knows if you have entertained an angel unawares?

 

Are you demonstrating to God how important He is in your life by how much you are giving in return?

 

Finally, let us remember the blessings that return back to us for however we are giving to the Lord out of a pure heart.  Yet, I would rather not be counting the blessings as important, for I want my giving and servanthood to be from a simple heart of sheer gratitude and love.

 

Perhaps this is a good day to thank God in prayer for someone who has given back to you or others.

 

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for

this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 

I’m always grateful for verses like these – Scripture that doesn’t require an elaborate explanation and a map of Macedonia for historical perspective (in all honesty, I’m not a map person, so the minute Jerry throws one up on the screen; I start mentally writing out my “to do” list for the week.  Now you’re in on my little secret).

   

So often I find myself overcomplicating my faith as it pertains to everyday life.  Constantly asking, “Is this God’s will?”  “Should I do X or Y?”  “How do I know if this is what He wants me to do?”  Combine that with being an impatient, action-biased individual and it can literally propel me in a million directions!

   

I don’t think it’s wrong to constantly be looking for God’s guidance; in fact, based on how many times we’re told to “seek” Him in the Bible, it’s probably very wise.  However, I wonder if sometimes it wouldn’t be better to just follow the simple guidelines of this verse (be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks) and let Him handle the rest.

    

God gave us the Bible so we don’t have to figure everything out on our own.  If He has a purpose for us, it will be fulfilled, whether we’ve fully grasped it or not (Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails--Proverbs 19:21).

 

So, today, be joyful; pray continually; give thanks, and relax in the simplicity that is His will for you. 

 

Esther 4:16 (NKJV)

“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me;

neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day.  My maids and I will fast likewise.

And so I will go the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

 

In the Book of Esther, Queen Esther (a Jew) was faced with a desperate situation caused by the evil Haman, who was the closest adviser to King Ahasuerus.  She, her maids, her cousin Mordecai, and the Jews were fasting and praying for days because Haman had plotted and received the King’s blessing (by deceiving him) to murder all of the Jews on a date that was about to happen.  Following the period of fasting, Queen Esther approached the King on his royal throne in court without having been summoned (an illegal act likely punishable by death) but instead, she found favor with Him as evidenced by his extending his scepter to her.  And the Jews were saved, thanks be to God.

 

Whether your fasting is event-driven or regular habit, God is desirous to see you deny yourself in such a way, for you are showing Him how important, how vital it is to you that you hear from Him.  You are showing him that praying is more important than the activity you are turning down.  Don’t you think He is delighted to witness this?  When I have thus fasted, I have a peace that I have done about all that I can do.  I hope you, too, find opportunities to replace either a meal or activity with prayer, so that God knows how intentional you are in seeking His divine assistance or answers by purposely denying yourself something you desire.  I also hope that, as in the case of Queen Esther and Mordecai, you will have found favor with God with His answers and blessings by pursuing Him wholeheartedly through fasting.

 

In fierce storms’ said an old seaman, ‘we must do one thing; there is only one way:  we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.’  This, Christian, is what you must do.  Sometimes like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you, and then you can do but one thing; there is only one way.  Reason cannot help you; past experiences give you no light…Only a single course is left.  You must put your soul in one position and keep it there.  You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may – winds, waves, cross-seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers – no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm, and hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness, His covenant engagement, His everlasting love in Christ Jesus.”

  

One of the hardest things about going through trials and waiting on the Lord to bring you through them is managing the tension between what the Scriptures tell us about God and what our eyes and emotions are telling us about our circumstances. There comes a time in which we must choose what to do with our emotions while we wait. It is dangerous to ignore them; it is more dangerous to live with them as though what they are telling us is fact.

  

Isaiah 26:3-4 has greatly encouraged me in this area. “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock” (NASB).   Here is a direct link between where we by faith choose to place our minds, and the resultant peace that God grants us when we trust Him.  Our minds, centered on only God’s sufficiency, have tremendous power to calm our emotions.  In Matt 14:29-31, Peter began to sink the minute he looked at his circumstances instead of at the face of Christ.  What is your focus as you wait on God?  Where do you place your gaze as you pass through your waiting period?

 

God understands our emotions and encourages us thus: “Do not fear for I am with you.  Do not anxiously look about you for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you; surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10, NASB).

 

Even if you cannot muster the strength to cling to Him, He will not cease to cling to you, whether you sense it or not.   When you seek God during this 40 days of prayer, remember that you (with the full range of your emotions) are strapped to nothing less than the very character of God.  He cannot fail. He will not let go of you.   He is never late.  He is all wise.  He is good.  He loves you.  He will bring you through your storms for He never loses one of His own.

 

(Streams in the Desert, compiled by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1965)

During my junior year of high school, my family and I got worried about a lump in my neck that had basically tripled in size within a few weeks.  After taking a sample of the growth, an overwhelming majority of doctors diagnosed me with lymphoma and scheduled me for chemo that same night.  However, one doctor wanted more tests done before starting the chemo, so they sliced the swollen lymph gland out of my neck and sent it over to a lymphoma specialist in Raleigh.  Over the next few weeks of healing, I got a constant barrage of e-mails and letters from family and friends who told me that they were praying for me.  “Oh that’s nice” I would think, equating their words to “We’re thinking about you – hope you get better soon!”  The most flattering was the letter from my Aunt Pat, the most devout and Godly woman in my family, telling me that she and her entire church were praying for me.  Still taking it in stride I thought “Well, 9 out of 10 doctors aren’t wrong… but that is nice that so many people are thinking of me.” But my reaction became a lot less casual when we got the results: the cells that the specialist saw were very bizarre, but were not malignant and I could go home.  No need for chemo!  I’m typically a pretty skeptical person until I see it for myself or do my research and really think the matter through. But in this case, the doctor’s words didn’t make any sense and they just kept ringing in my ears. I cannot remember if me or my parents said a word on the way home.  It was at that point in time that I can say I actually believed that God exists and that He answers our prayers.  Now I’m praying for my Aunt Pat, who has been fighting stage 4 lung cancer which has since spread to her brain and other body parts.  She has been through different brain radiation and four different chemo treatments, with no real progress.  I have asked myself why God would heal me, but let cancer take my Aunt Pat.

  

I hadn’t thought that for long when she came to visit Adrienne and me here in Charlotte. During her trip, the two of us had a great conversation where she told me that some of her friends were getting unjustly discouraged with the fact that she hasn’t been healed yet.  “What if healing isn’t in God’s will?  That’s kind of you to pray for healing, but I want people praying for God’s will through this.” She then went through story after story of miracles that she has seen in her life – me with my lymphoma, miraculous circumstances around my niece and nephew’s adoption, her daughter having a child after doctors said it would be impossible, etc.  She knows what God can and will do, yet she submits to His will – which is exactly what Christ modeled for us (Matthew 6:10; 26:39, 42). 

 

As you pray, I would encourage you to pray being fully aware of God’s grace/mercy/willingness to answer our prayers (Matthew 7:9-11) and His abilities (Psalm 46:6), but always be willing to say “Thy will be done.”  I would also encourage you to pray for those that the church is praying for – you never know when it may be some lost person that God wants to wake up with your help.

**Please see note below re: the passing of Wade's aunt Pat, who is now in heaven with Christ.

The first humans on earth walked in relationship with God in a garden He had created for them.   What soon would happen reveals to us a key component in learning to talk with God.  Adam and Eve were instructed by God never to eat fruit from a certain tree in the garden and as we know they chose to ignore his counsel.  The story describes a “serpent” or snake which was “more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.” He said to the woman (Eve), “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” This serpent we later discover from Jesus’ teaching is “…the devil…” and that “He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44, ESV).  Scripture teaches that one day this “serpent” will be defeated by God through His plan to bring a King to the Earth: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world-he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” (Rev. 12:9).  

 

When Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree that God had warned them not to eat, they believed Satan over God.  Satan told them that God did not want them to discover the real truth that if they ate of the fruit they would become “like God, knowing good from evil.”  He was telling them a half-truth because while eating the fruit would not make them like God, it would cause them no longer be naïve about evil.  By doubting God they no longer trusted Him and His character, which is the essence of faith.   Faith was broken and would need to be restored in order to bring glory back to the One who was no longer being trusted.  When I stop trusting someone I am declaring by my actions that they are no longer worthy of my trust. When humans stopped trusting God, a fallen state came over creation.   This fallen state would be used by God to tell the story of His love and reveal the amazing nature of His Character and purpose in Christ.   God could be trusted, but man had to learn this by experience.   Human history is that experience and we are still a part of it today.  When we pray we are learning to trust God.

 

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself’ ” (Genesis 3:8-10, ESV).   How often do we try to “hide from God” after failing to trust Him?  Most of the time when I don’t want to pray it is because I am really trusting in something else above God.   Choosing to disobey God brings shame, blame, and guilt.  We feel naked and try to avoid God.  This is why Jesus had to die.  “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 4:16, ESV).   Our greatest “time of need” is when we have been disobedient, failing to trust God and His Word.  Satan tries to get us to run away from God, to break our dialog with Him, by bringing up our sin.   Thank God that “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1, ESV).  He allows us to approach God in full confidence because He is our “righteousness.”   Is something hindering you from talking to God today?  Confess and acknowledge it before God and lay it down at His feet.  God can be fully trusted.  Having faith means we believe that God is trustworthy.  Believing God is a form of worship because it declares him worth of our trust, which is what was lost in the Garden.  This is why faith is such an important theme in the Bible,  so much so that our very salvation depends on it.  “And Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” (Mark 9:23-24, ESV).

HCC  Goal:

We want to achieve a new level of financial stability and generosity, so that missions giving increases to 20% of our regular budget and mortgage costs do not exceed 10%.  Our desire is to free up more resources for missions, local staffing and campus improvements.

 

HCC Staff Member:

Jen Steward, Administrative Assistant

That God would continue to shape me into the best helpmate for Tim

 

HCC Missionary:

Chris & Debbie Johnson – ABWE, Hungary

Our Hungarian Pastor and his wife are in need of significant monthly support. They are gifted key leaders in church planting and in training a younger generation of Christian leaders in Hungary and it would be a great loss if they were unable to continue.

We are so thankful for those who continue to sacrifice on many levels in order for us to  minister in Hungary. Thank you!

 

Unreached People Group:

Qazi of Nepal

 

HCC Ministry:

Men’s Ministry

“No Man Left Behind” – to eventually see God “draw men to the fire” at HCC

“Measure of a Man” – for God to anoint our study of this topic in the Monday night and    Saturday morning gatherings

 

HCC Congregation: 

Joe & Jan Mott

Will Mott

Kok-Mun Ng & Mayron Yip

Larry & Nancy Niner

Matt & Rosemary Njoku

 

For some reason, I forget the amazing stories from the book of Acts way too often.  For me, it is easy to forget about the apostles praying until they saw the Spirit move, praying for (and watching) the Church increase in the midst of persecution… and beyond Acts, it is easy to forget about Jesus healing the lame/blind/sick, exorcising demons, and raising the dead to life – mostly because those things are not part of my daily experience.  I guess you could say that I can occasionally have a lack of confidence in prayer (which can easily be read as a lack of faith), so I don’t even ask/request anything from the Lord.

 

A few years ago, I read The Autobiography of George Mueller, a small but powerful book of journal entries from George Mueller, a giant of the faith who lived during the 1800s.  One thing that stood out to me in his journaling was how deeply haunted Mueller was by James 1:5-8.  He probably quoted it ten times throughout the entries – always to remind himself that if he didn’t actually expect for the prayer to come true, then why was he praying for it in the first place?  This man was well aware of God’s love AND His power, and he relied on it regularly with a broken and pure heart (James 5:16) and an unflinching faith that God would answer Him (Matthew 21:21-22!) – And as a result, he saw the Lord move as the Church in Acts did.  He saw God provide money for him and his wife when they were down to their last shilling; he saw God provide buildings, workers, and help when he earnestly asked God if He should open an orphanage (a thing the Lord had put on his heart); he saw bread trucks unexpectedly supply supper for the orphanage when their own pantry had been emptied the night before.  And in each case, God always answered George in the “11th hour,” when it looked like no answer was coming, yet George’s journal entries always reflected how sure he was that God would answer – and a later entry would confirm God’s answer.  George saw the Lord’s kingdom spread, all because of his submission to God’s plan and reliance on God’s ability.

 

As Pastor Jerry said when he was preaching through Philippians 4:2-7, we certainly cannot demand anything of God in prayer.  We are told to present our requests to God by prayer and petition – we can’t presume to command God to do anything. But at the same time, we can’t say “Your will be done” so frequently that we forget to actually request anything.  Our Father wants our wills to conform to His, and He wants to do amazing things with us, in us, and through us in this life (John 14:11-14, John 15:16, Ephesians 2:10).  So whatever your prayer may be, pray for it as if it has already come true (Mark 11:24), with a view toward His will.  And don’t forget what you pray for (something else I do entirely too often) – watch for it, and see how God answers!

 

At some time in your life you probably have owned a car that you thought was really beautiful, especially if you are a guy. I can remember as a young man my first car that I thought looked beautiful. It was black and it shined so brilliantly that I could see my reflection in it. Black is a color that particularly demands thorough cleanliness to bring out the full effect of its beauty. I used to wash and wax that car at least once a week. I made sure to clean every single square inch; any missed spots would diminish the beauty of its shine.

 

In Psalm 96:6 the psalmist describes God as possessing splendor, majesty, strength and beauty. The next two verses call for the people of the earth to ascribe to God these qualities.  Verse 8 affirms that this response is “due his name.” To “sing to the Lord” (v. 1), to “bless his name” and “tell of his salvation” (v. 2), to “declare his glory” and “his marvelous works” (v. 3) are the responses God desires and deserves from his created beings. And they are responses that are to come from “all the earth” (v. 1), “all the peoples” (v. 3), and “all the earth” (v. 9). Our God is worthy indeed of all glory because He will cause the whole creation to “be glad… rejoice… roar… exult… sing for joy before the Lord” when He comes to judge the earth (vv. 11-13). Then all that will remain is that which reflects God’s glory in radiant fullness.

 

The earth today is a bit like my black car when it was dirty. Just as the dirt would diminish the shine of my car, the places in the world where God is not worshipped diminish the reflection of God’s glory in it. God created the universe to manifest his glory in fullness. God wants it all to reflect His glory, no missed spots. God wants all nations to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” (v. 8). This is why Jesus told His disciples take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

 

 

Reflection and Prayer:

 

Reflect on the attributes of God. How does this affect your desire for God’s desires?

 

Reflect on God’s desire as revealed in this psalm. How does this affect your prayer for world mission?

 

These are hard times in America where the unemployment rate is unusually high. There are more workers available than there are opportunities to work, so many people are suffering financially as they struggle to live as they have been accustomed to living.

 

Jesus presents a dilemma that is just the opposite of our present economic situation in America. He says in verse 2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  He is telling us that the opportunity for workers is greater than the supply of workers. This work, “the harvest,” pertains to gathering people into the kingdom of God. Jesus identifies God as the Lord of the harvest and accredits it as God’s own at the end of verse 2.  The solution Jesus gives for the problem is to ask His disciples to appeal to God to send more workers. The word Jesus uses that is translated as “pray earnestly” in the English Standard Version of the Bible has a meaning “to ask for something pleadingly” (Walter Bauer edited by Frederick William Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature,  3rd Edition, Chicago: University Press, 2000).

 

Many economic experts of our day have pointed to various business practices that reflect irresponsible behavior as the basis for the economic crisis we are experiencing in America. In general, a self-centered and short-term view to acquire material wealth with no regard for the adverse impact it will have on others in the future has led to these practices. While the conditions of the two problems, economic woes versus the Lord’s harvest, result in opposite conditions, the basis for them is much the same. By nature we are self-centered and prone to stress immediate gratification versus future benefits. Concern for the kingdom of God requires concern for others and their future in eternity. There is certainly no shortage of work for all those who care about God’s harvest.

 

Reflection and Prayer

 

Reflect on Jesus’ command in verse 2. What should you do as a disciple of Christ?

 

Reflect on the fact that God owns the harvest. How does that encourage you to pray?

 

Reflect on our human nature. Why does that make it essential for you to pray?

HCC  Goal:

We want to train, support or send 1,000 disciple-making churches or people into the world.  In this way, we will participate in fulfilling Jesus’ “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:18-20.

 

Pray for fruit to come from recent financial investments we made with several indigenous church-planting movements ($30,000).

 

HCC Staff Member:

Jennifer Jolly, Student Ministries

For my aunt and her family to submit to Christ’s leadership

For my cousin (Chris) and my neighbors (Erica & Jason) to come to know Christ

That I would be effective in my ministry

 

 

HCC Missionary:

Ondrej & Milina Franka – YES, Serbia

Church planting ministry: Sending a new couple south in June!

Ondrej’s government officials visits for the legal status of Baptist Church in Serbia

Building projects and work teams: Bible school and two churches

 

Unreached People Group:

Loa Ti of Thailand

 

HCC Ministry:

College-age & Singles

Pray that God will lead concerning what type of ministry we can have with this age group and raise up the needed people to lead it.

 

HCC Congregation: 

Kyle & Bel Spinner

Bob & Debi Stagmer

Phil & Stephanie Stanford

Tim & Jen Steward

Kay Stidham

 

Missionaries can face some pretty challenging predicaments when it comes to cross-cultural customs. I recently heard a story from a missionary who shared the love of Christ for weeks with a small tribe in a foreign land. The leaders of the tribe wanted to thank her with a feast and she politely agreed to attend. When she arrived she was seated in a place of honor. The main course of the meal was one large fish. The challenge came when the meal portions were distributed. Each participant received various pieces of the fish, scales and all. She was served last and was awarded the fish head complete with eyeballs intact (a delicacy). Everyone sat silently watching her intently to allow her to take the first bite. She told me that by the grace of God she ate that head without vomiting.

 

There is surely a shortage of missionaries who are willing to give up the customs and comforts of their homeland and go to a foreign culture for the sake of the gospel. This is partially why there still remain about 6,600 ethnic groups who have yet to be reached out of the world’s 16,344 documented people groups. Given the great need for missionaries, it is tragic when some leave the field earlier than they had committed to leave. The number one reason missionaries cut short their time of service and leave the field is because of failed interpersonal relationships with other missionaries.

 

Luke chapter 10 begins with instructions given by Jesus to His first missionaries just prior to sending them out ahead of Him. In verse 8, Jesus tells his disciples to be flexible. They were told to do as my missionary friend had done, eat what is set before you. Jesus knew that flexibility is a key to success for a missionary. First, pertaining to a shortage of missionaries in general, a lack of flexibility can keep a disciple from ever responding to God’s command to “go.” His/her inflexible attitude causes him/her to place unwarranted conditions on God’s command to “go” resulting in a response of “no.” Second, pertaining to the loss of missionaries on the field, inflexibility is often at the root of interpersonal conflicts. If disciples kept a truly flexible disposition as Jesus commands, more missionaries would go and fewer would leave the field early.

 

Reflection and prayer:

 

Reflect on your own degree of flexibility and your service to God. How might you pray for yourself?

 

Reflect on the demands placed on cross-cultural workers. Reflect on the given reason for missionaries leaving the field. How might you pray for them? 

 

 

 

W hen I used to own my business I would call my management team together at the beginning of each year to present plans for the year. Our company serviced its customers by dividing them up into sales territories. A manager in charge of each particular territory would present his team’s plan for the coming year. They never failed to understand headquarters’ objective – grow company profits. Each would present profit goals that they “planned” to achieve. The profit goals looked pleasing (showed growth). The problem always came in answering the question, “How are you going to do that?”

 

As a follower of Christ I understand “headquarters’” objective – grow the kingdom and be sure it includes membership from every tribe and tongue. But as I proceed in my daily life I can easily find myself doing things that are good, but often not best for the kingdom objective. This happens when I catch the first part of the objective (grow the kingdom) yet miss the second part (include every tribe and tongue). The great missionary to India, William Carey, once said, “To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.” I forget to look at the map.  It is obvious from the spending patterns of the church in general that I am not alone. If the objective is to build the kingdom with representation from every tongue and tribe, why does the church allocate only 0.2% of its resources to add members from new tribes (Source: Mission Frontiers, 2001)? That means over 99% of the church’s resources are used in places the gospel has already been preached. This is grossly imbalanced.

 

I have learned that I should think more strategically about how I give my time, financial resources, and prayer to reaching the 6,600 tribes yet to be reached. The apostle Paul was a strategic thinker devoted to reaching the tribes (ethnic groups) that had never yet heard the gospel (Ro 15:20). In Romans 10:14-15 he lays out the required steps in the process for salvation (in reverse order for emphasis). They are: salvation, believing, hearing, preaching, and sending. The first three are God’s responsibility. The last two however fall squarely on man’s shoulders. All Christians need to be involved in the work of sending and preaching. At the center of the sequence is a question that echoes in my head now daily. It is a great question to consider as you pray, give, and minister for the name of Christ. That question is “How are they to hear?” The “they” Paul refers to are those to whom the gospel has never been preached. Consider this often, “How are they to hear?”

 

Reflection and Prayer:

 

Reflect on the unbalanced effort by the church to finish the remaining task. How might you pray for the church while asking, “How are they to hear?”

 

Reflect on your prayer ministry and the question, “How are they to hear?” How might it need adjusting?

 

Reflect on your spending habits and the question, “How are they to hear?” What should you ask God to help you with?