Loosening The Grip

The afternoon started as Larry approached me about his need for reconciliation with Jesus and in a relationship as well.  As he shared, the tears welled up in his eyes.  He needed to receive deep, inner healing and he experienced it.  Earlier in his life he had found Jesus and today, he reaffirmed His faith as we took communion together.  It was a great moment for me to be there with him.  Normally, I would have been behind the sound board tweaking the music for the band but because Juan Carlos stepped up to be our sound guy, I was available at that very moment.  I love how God provides because it was only a few weeks ago that our core team was praying for someone to step into this position.

Ed Witvoet, on behalf of Love In Motion, blessed ‘Church at the Manor’ with  a cheque for over $4K supporting the ministry at the Manor.  Love In Motion is connected with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and unites cyclists and motorcyclists as well in raising funds for ministry projects across Canada.

http://www.loveinmotion.ca/

http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/ra-dickey/

Today we brought in R.A. Dickey to share his story of surrender… by video.  It felt very fitting seeing that he will be pitching on Tuesday night and because it’s a powerful reminder of the power of the cross and the transforming power of a life changed by Jesus.  We took time to celebrate communion and remember that Jesus is our bread of life and our forgiveness. 

Hebrews 7:26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

Today we clenched our fists as a spiritual exercise to express to the LORD the things that we are hold on to, whether it was something that was done to us, abuse, neglect  or something that we have done, whether that was a sin that we have not forgiven ourselves for or something  or someone that we can’t let go.  In an act of surrender after time had passed for us to ponder where we were at, the challenge was to release it to God in an act of surrender. 

The challenge in an act like this is if we can say, ‘thank you Jesus that you are my permanent High Priest, You are pure, blameless, set apart and that you always live to intercede for me!  You have made a sacrifice once and for all and paid the ultimate price, Your life for me.

There is no limitations with Jesus, no sin He cannot bear, no burden He cannot bear when we come in our own human weakness to the cross, when we come in humility and bring the pain, the need for forgiveness, the need whatever it is, He can take it and He is there to take it.  Can you loosen your grip and open your hands to trust Him with your life?

Listening When It Really Matters!

This is why I use parables.  For they look, but they don’t really see.  They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.   Mathew 13:13

I am convinced that God is always speaking to us, but the question is are we really hearing His voice.  It has been said that the average person interrupts a conversation about 17 seconds into one with another person.  Most of us are really good at letting God know what we think matters, but how good are we at listening to His voice for what really counts?  Now when we talk about hearing God’s voice, we aren’t talking about new age philosophies or inner monologue, mediums or philosophies or self-talk for that matter.  It is real intimate conversation with Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit.  It is the voice of the Shepherd that we want to recognize because ‘my sheep hear my voice’ in John 10.

The exercise of hearing God’s voice is for those who have put their faith in Jesus, believe that the Bible is God’s Word, desire to submit to God and allow Holy Spirit to direct you.

This is not a mind thing, this is a Spirit thing where our spirit connects with the Spirit of God.  God wants to direct us through Holy Spirit.

I also want to note that these following keys are comprised from the teaching of Mark Virkler on this subject.

Key#1  Be Still

1 Corinthians 2:9-10New Living Translation (NLT)

9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared  for those who love him.” 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.

The challenge here is to turn off all the competing voices in our life so we can actually focus on His voice.  This means turning off the phone, computer and remove myself from all distractions.  Recently I watched the movie,  War Room, and it was the walk-in closet that became the room where the battle was fought, where prayers and verses covered the walls.  It was inspiring for sure!  Go to your sweet spot, that place where you can be in His presence.   If you have distracting thoughts, take a piece of paper to write the “to do list’ down.   It is also a good time to confess your sins and just be humble in His presence.  Think about your day, the attitudes, reactions, wrong words etc… Confront them, accept them as sin and get it right with Him.

Key#2 Fix Your Eyes On Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Take time to bring yourself into His powerful presence.  Worship music is a great way to draw near to Him and reading Scripture is also excellent.  I also find that even a simple act like taking my shoes and socks off to remind me I'm in the presence of God is a powerful act of faith.

Become aware the presence of God - this is where great accomplishments start. Acknowledge God-  The name of God is embedded in the name  of Jesus.  Yahweh is in Yeshua  Agree to His assignment- if God is in it, it's going to be easy.  He's the One who does it.  All you have to do is say yes.  It's God in you the hope of glory. Our job is to yield, surrender to the HS.  The biggest battles are inside of me.  Less striving, more receiving.  Heroes aren't born, they are cornered.  I love this statement because it reminds me that there is always going to be a battle between where I am and where God wants to take me and it is the same for all of us!

Key # 3 Tune Into Spontaneous Thoughts

John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

The mind is analytical and the Spirit is spontaneous, it bubbles up and flows like a river inside of us.  The ways that God speaks to us are many but they include the Bible, pictures, dreams, a word and there are those who have heard the audible voice of God.  If it’s a picture, journal it and take time to look up the meaning or biblical significance of it.

Key #4 Write it Down!

Revelation 1:1 This is a revelation from[a] Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Take time to write down what you sense God is speaking to you.  Get a blank journal and fill it with your God thoughts and insights.  Let it inspire, motivate and challenge you.

So, what would get in the way of hearing His voice? 

·         Unforgiveness in our heart – bitterness towards another person can keep us disconnected.

·         An idol in our heart –it becomes are sole focus when we are connecting with God, it could be a relationship, our job, whatever is consuming us.

·         Our own agenda – we already know how we are going to handle the situation.

How can I know if it’s God ?

Some tests are:

1.        Is it encouraging and building you up?  God will convict you, but He will not shame you.

2.       Does it contradict the Word of God?  God will not contradict Himself with messages that He gives you.

Questions to ask God

How do you feel about me?

What do you want to say to me today?  Speak LORD for your child is listening!

God is not a crystal ball, He is not a magic genie.  He is not going to tell you when you are going to get married or when you’ll die…

Finally, leave your agenda.  He knows what you need to hear.  He knows your desires, your thoughts.  Give Him freedom to speak into your life.  Remember He is a good God, trust HIM and know that His plans are good. 

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Breakthrough FAITH!

The gospel of Mark is one of the biographies of Jesus’ life.  Mark gets straight to the ministry of Jesus and here in chapter 2, we see that Jesus is preaching the words of life to a packed house as the place was filled to overflowing. Jesus was gaining a lot of attention as people were being healed everywhere he went.

They knew that Jesus was the only hope, He had a ministry of healing and they needed a miracle

 (The following is comprised with thoughts from Josh Monen)

What happens when you or someone very close to you has a need. A need that only Jesus can meet? A need that can only be met by a miracle? 

Without oversimplifying, I've discovered that there are two basically different mindsets on this as it relates to people who call themselves Christians.

The first teaches that you can, and should, press in for breakthroughs. And even if circumstances seem really dire and bleak, you still contend for it and believe in God’s power to overcome and see the breakthrough.

The second is more of a passive approach. This belief system teaches that God will move in His own time and there is nothing we can do to influence Him to move. And really, the breakthrough is not what’s important anyway, what’s more important is “accepting” that God has ordained these circumstances and that they are all part of a bigger plan...

Now, I have a real problem with the second mindset. I believe it’s this kind of thinking that has hurt a lot in Christian circles.  Why is this?  Well, when we are not allowed to press in for breakthrough we are sentenced to a life where circumstances become our lord instead of the Lord.

OK, let's look at this amazing story in Mark 2

2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

 Four friends bring their paralyzed friend to the meeting where Jesus was. They could not get in through the front door so they dug a hole in the roof and then let down their friend through the hole.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. Mark 2:3-4 

And what did Jesus say when He saw this?

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”  Mark 2:5

First of all, he admires the boldness of the friends and He rewards their faith.  It is amazing to see that our collective faith makes a huge difference.

So, here is what He didn't do... Jesus didn't rebuke them for their “works”. 

Did He remind them it is God alone who has the power to heal and in “His time” He would do it, “if He was willing”? Did He stop the meeting and point to the men and teach everyone that man can do nothing and these presumptuous  men should learn to “wait on God” instead of taking matters into their own hands?

No. He did none of that.

Instead the Bible says, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

Why are we afraid of being bold?

 Wow! What these four friends did was considered an act of faith and Jesus honored them and healed the man. Where is this kind of teaching in the church today? Why are we so fearful of being accused of “taking matters into our own hands” and approaching God?

The Bible teaches us to approach His throne with confidence and boldness in Hebrews 4:19 This does not mean we are arrogant or full of pride. We desperately need to understand the difference between arrogance and boldness. 

We need to understand faith and works.

Of course we cannot perform miracles on our own. Nor can human will power take the place of God’s power. But we can exercise our will and our faith so that we can achieve breakthroughs with God.

Does that make sense?

Those men believed something and that belief led them to overcome any obstacles in their way. They did not look at the problem of a full meeting and say, “God must have other plans for our friend.” No, they said, “We will get our friend to Jesus and we’ll do whatever it takes.”

Whatever it takes

Jesus Christ is perfect theology. He is a perfect representation of Father God. If He commended these men for their faith this should encourage us not to back down when we are seeking breakthroughs of our own and for those we love.

Josh Monen

TAKEAWAY

Let’s  BE BOLD and really trust God for the miracles, believe that He still heals, He still speaks and wants to be involved in our lives, in the big things and little things.

It's Never Too Late To Get It Right!

Luke 23:33-43

Two thieves on the cross

32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull,[e] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

What is the difference in the attitude between these two thieves.

CRIMINAL 1 – The Scoffer	CRIMINAL 2 – The One Who Feared God
Self assured	Self aware
Smug	Repentant – knew he deserved what he received,
Proud	Humble
Indifferent to who Jesus was	Recognized who Jesus was
Indignant	Showed dignity

What do we learn about the criminal who mocked Jesus?

He took his sins with him to his grave

What do we learn from the criminal who feared God on the cross?

Jesus paid the price for his forgiveness right there on the cross

It’s never too late to put your faith and trust in Jesus.  He was right there dying beside Jesus as these events took place.

What do we learn about ourselves?

We simply can choose to accept or reject His free gift. 

What do we learn about Jesus?

Merciful, kind, not willing that anyone should not discover His saving grace

Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone.

Salvation = faith + nothing!

 We are all sinners in need of a Savior, and no matter the number of our sins and no matter if we, or the world, think our sins are minor or extreme, it is never too late to repent and accept the free gift of salvation

Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Are you ready to nail your sin to the cross today?  Are you ready as an act of faith to stop trying to pay for your own mistakes and accept His gift?

Communion is all about a heart of thankfulness, it is truly a celebration that my sins are forgiven and that I have freedom and it’s all because of Jesus. 

He took my shame and my sin and they are to be remembered no more

Psalm 103:12

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:19

He will again have compassion on us;  he will trample our iniquities. And you will hurl all their sins in the depths of the sea.

Ready, Get Set, GO!!

Sharon spoke at the Guelph Vineyard and I wanted to share her thoughts so this blog is all about the S in  jsninaber.blogspot.ca J 

Sharon refers to herself as a ‘recovering Baptist’ as she struggles with works, performance and striving as it relates to the Christian life and because anything has the potential to become legalistic in our lives.

She shared three simple but profound points.  Fill Us, Use Us, Show Us.  We get ready as we are filled, we get set to be used, and we go and He show us!!

1.   

FILL US!

Before we can reach out to our neighbours, let’s consider how vitally important it is for the Holy Spirit to be at the center. 

We had a neighbor back in the day named Selma* who Sharon tried to reach out to and share her faith with.  She didn’t know the Holy Spirit in an intimate way at that time and she relied on her own abilities and knowledge to witness to her.  When Selma eventually became a believer, she asked Sharon, “Why didn’t you tell me?”???

The lesson to be learned is this.

1.       The Holy Spirit convicts of sin John 16:8

2.       The Holy Spirit DRAWS people. John 15:26 The Greek word here for ‘draws’ means to ‘DRAG’. It is the same word that is used in John 21:6 when referring to a heavy net full of fish being dragged to shore!  So just ponder that for a moment. It is the Holy Spirit’s work and Holy Spirit literally drags us to Christ…awesome truth!  He does the work.

3.       Holy Spirit gives us authority and power and even the words we need when we need them.  Matthew 10:19

God’s timing is perfect.  It is amazing to know that He sets up the divine appointments and leads and directs when we listen for His voice and seek to obey Him!  Our motto at Church at the Manor is simple.  LOVE and SERVE.  We don’t debate and we trust in the Holy Spirit to work and He never fails us.

Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This past Sunday I (Jack) had the opportunity to just sit with one man who was completely distraught over the loss of a relationship for 5 years. He normally just comes down for lunch and then leaves.  A simple question just to ask how he was doing led into the complete undoing of his heart.  As I listened, Holy Spirit led the conversation to the place where I was able to place my hand on his shoulder and pray that the Father would heal his pain and wrap His loving arms around him.  There was incredible receptivity and I really sensed the Spirit leading during this time.

      USE US!

In the book the Art of Neighboring, the story is told of a group of 20 pastors in the Denver area who met with the mayor to ask the question, “How can we as churches best work together to serve our city?”  The mayor shared that the majority of the issues that our community  is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbours!

One pastor in the meeting was rather embarrassed because what the mayor in reality was saying was that it would be great if their congregations could just live out the second part of the great commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves – it is actually a command from Jesus.  Matthew 22:37-40

“Solutions for our society are NOT found in government, police or schools or in getting more people to go to church.  The solution is within us”

After one year at the Manor we have seen this first hand.  We have seen doctors hand out prescription after prescription, judges whose hands are tied, people who KNOW the system and the loopholes, frustrated parole officers.

We have seen breakthrough because of caring relationships, people who are just willing to SHOW up and be there for those who attend our services.  We are so excited to see some of them getting real rehabilitation through the intensive ministry of Teen Challenge, we have seen a mother reunited with her children and a new home, a new family (believers in Jesus) who care to meet with her and encourage her in her new journey.

Don’t get hung up on getting people into your church.  Jesus didn’t say to build nice church buildings and have great programs and Bible studies and then they will come.  Jesus said GO!

Most people that we’ve met are open to talking about God and open to a relationship with Him.  They may not be ready to step foot into a traditional church.  An interesting point to note though is that when they do accept Jesus into their life they eventually want to experience deeper teaching, fellowship with believers and are hungry for more.  The Holy Spirit will take care of this process.

We are in way over our heads at the Manor.  It’s great to be in a situation where we desperately need God’s Spirit!!  We need to step out in His power and ask Him to use you.  It is SO GOOD!

3.        SHOW US!  

God, show us how valuable people are!  WE need to ignore what we see in the physical as we meet oru neighbours.  Don’t draw conclusions or make assumptions.  Reach out and ask God to see them through His eyes.

Why would Levi, the tax collector, leave everything behind when Jesus said, ‘follow me’?   Matthew 9:9-13 A few thoughts.

Jesus accepts him and loves him just as he is.

Levi feels wanted and needed.  Jesus has a plan for him despite his past.

Jesus engaged him in conversation even though he was  despised and hated.

“Let’s be honest.  The fact that the Pharisees question Jesus’s attendance indicates that this party was likely not a “Mountain Dew and pizza” kind of party.  This, for sure wasn’t a Sunday afternoon church potluck.  This was a party where people were having a lot of fun.”…When was the last time you were accused of doing something like this?  Has your character ever been questioned you ate or drank with sketchy people?”  from The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon

Here’s the amazing teacher, prophet, miracle worker inviting Levi into a relationship.  To ‘follow me’ means to ‘walk the same road’ It is to enter the teacher/ student relationship, master/pupil.

How bizarre for Levi, how exciting!

Jesus doesn’t care about how others look at or value a person.  He loves the outcasts and unloved.

One older man who comes every Sunday for lunch at the very least is very bitter towards God, He is angry and has been abused by a trusted religious leader.  He refers to God like Santa or the tooth fairy. He shares “I admire your faith, but I still don’t believe in God” and the response Sharon gave is that’s ok, but I know that God loves you and has a plan for your life.   As that was shared, his tears began to flow.

Another man with a tough exterior who now is a follower of Jesus shared how he used to hate Christians because all they did was quote Scripture at him.  He shared how we were different and just showed him love.  The first time Sharon saw him she told him that she saw a spirit of compassion in him and that he had the gift of mercy.  At that time, he said, “lady you don’t know me, I could throw you in a ditch” to which she replied that is not who you are though.  Over the course of the year we have known him he is living out who God called him to be, a man with a heart of compassion for others.  He also has been prophesied over as a “loose cannon in God’s gun”!

Here’s Jesus.  He didn’t come to polish the righteous, he came to rescue sinners.  See your neighbours through God’s eyes. They are loved, valuable and uniquely made.  They have purpose and destiny.

*names have been changed for privacy 

Jack of all trades...a typical week in the life of a church planter!

Sunday

8am   A crazy morning as I countdown the minutes to getting everyone in the van  "5 MINUTES" to getting to the first service for 9am.  We get energized in the Holy Spirit through powerful worship and then every service a team of people surround us as we are prayed over for our service at Church at the Manor.  We hit the church kitchen to pick up all the donations of salads, sandwiches, desserts and head home.  Time to load up the drum kit and keyboard and head to the Manor

11:30am Paul opens the doors for us and we go into the storage room and grab our speakers and sound equipment and begin the stage setup.  Bob, Laura and Jen oversee the set up of the food on the pool table.  Sharon leads the band in prayer and they begin worship practice.

1pm  The band starts to play and worship changes the atmosphere!  At roughly 1:30pm the speaker shares and a time of prayer follows.  We pack up and leave shortly after 3pm

Today we head out as a family to the local food event taking place at Ignatius Farm and see friends, listen to local music, sample food.  The evening finishes with a campfire in the backyard.


Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are roofing days as I wake up at 7am and get roofing with my brother Ralph and the My Three Sons crew.  LOTS of sweat, sunscreen and laughs as we knock off the roofs together.

Monday night

7pm  Sharon and I head out to prayer ministry training at Freedom House Center here in Guelph.  It is a great time of insight and understanding with Dr. Wendy Thome.

Tuesday night

7pm  I meet Butch at the Royal to take him to prayer ministry but he has too much anxiety to go so I end up being blessed myself as the prayer ministry team at the Freedom House pray over me.

Wednesday night

Date night with Sharon!  We either go out for dinner, catch a movie, do some thrift shopping at Salvation Army or have some wine and cheese and watch a favorite TV episode

Thursday

7:50am get on my bike and head down to University of Guelph to participate in the pudding study. I get paid to eat pudding for a research study,  what I forget to see in the fine print is that they do finger pricks for blood at 0m, 15m, 30m 60m,90m 120m!  Eat a pizza lunch and head home at 11am

11:30am travel to Memory Gardens and meet with a family who lost their father, learn about him and the family, discover stories, prepare my notes and complete a memorial service at 1pm

2:30pm meet with Kellen, pastor of Crossings Community, downtown Guelph at Salsateria for nachos and talk life, ministry and family.

Relax

Friday

Ninabrook day!  Well that's the plan anyways.  I take time to help pull and pack orders and ship them to Canada Post on Woodlawn.  Sometimes I pull off a blog and there are always expenses and invoices to record in Simply Accounting.

Saturday

7am Wake up and hit the garage sales with Sharon and find amazing deals on things we really need!  Excellent bonding time.  In the afternoon, possibly do a community wedding with Geoff and Michelle recently or take part in a game of ball hockey in the neighbourhood or the annual street party with George doing a sweet job

**every morning I try to take time to get on my knees, pray, read the Word and spend time listening and journalling.  It doesn't happen everyday, but its my goal to start with Jesus.  Drive time can also turn in to listening to Steven Furtick on my Elevation app or praying on the way to the job site!

A lone ranger is a dead ranger!

I know for myself that I can easily become an island to myself and internalize a lot of the battles that I fight with on a day to day basis.  It is so easy to isolate and withdraw in our self- consuming world to our own detriment.  As I listened today for the Lord to speak to me I sensed Him telling me to stay far from the evil one’s traps, don’t listen to his voice, his lies, his justification.  Let truth be the belt that secures you.  So with that in mind I want to focus on developing a theology of community for our own health and the strength of those who call themselves Jesus followers.  We were never meant to do the Christian life ALONE!  This is absolutely key for us to continue in a life of transformation and breakthough.

Tim Keller in ‘Gospel In Life’ identifies three areas for what a Christian community is created to be and have shaped my understanding of community.

1.        The people of God – those who are created by faith through the Father

In Exodus 6:6,7  “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God.

Check out the process for the children of Israel, it first begins with God rescuing them from slavery.  Even here in the OT, it is all about God and not their own merit.  He then redeems them, He purchased them outright for His very own self and places His mark on them.  He claims them and calls them His people!  What made them ‘a people’ was a complete act of God’s power and His grace.  This reality is the same for us today as 1 Peter 2:9,10 tells us that we “are a people belonging to God”.  This truth that Peter is sharing is the same concept, same metaphor of the children of the exodus.  Our faith was meant to be so much more than just a personal gospel, a personal salvation.  We were saved and brought into community and our common ground is through our repentance from sin, our slavery and believed the truth that Jesus has freed us and redeemed us to be His people!

We were always meant to identify ourselves as a “people belonging to God”.  We have been brought into a new relationship with other Jesus followers, brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Having just celebrated Father’s Day recently was a reminder of the role that we as Dad’s play in creating the environment for faith to grow in our children.  Jim Gordon, the pastor at Elora Road did an excellent job along with his son Jeremy on unpacking the 

power of permission -that a Father plays in admitting when he is wrong with his children

     power of presence- and the focus that a Father plays in being there for his children and being the CEO – chief encouragement officer!

·       power of pointing – the importance of pointing our children to Jesus.  I know I have often started but not followed through with my kids and confessed that to them.  We need to be consistent and that means strength from God as well as being intentional!  One of the best ways that we point our children to Jesus is by loving our wife well!

·       power of promise- this really helps me with the last point and that is that His strength is made perfect in my weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9,10

In the same way the church needs spiritual fathers and mothers as Titus 2 lies out.

2.       The body of Christ – those who deliberately share and do life together.

As it relates to the body of Christ, we see in God’s Word the use of ‘family’ and ‘household’ to describe the importance of eating, living and working together.  We are not just a sum total or people who gather as is often the question when people ask about church….”how many people attend on a given Sunday?”.  Rather, we play the part that God has designed us for and are deeply connected to the rest.  A huge part that the body plays is calling out of people that which God has created them to be.  We can only do that up close as we affirm one another’s strengths and gifts as we see in the redemptive gifts of Romans 12:3-8 that tells us to confirm the gifts of one another and the ultimate goal is to ‘honor one another’.  Romans 12:10

My home church, Elora Road Christian Fellowship, for 48 years, has created such a strong sense of community by using their grounds for a week of camp meetings.  I am so looking forward to being on site this year and can truly say that it is such a bonding and strengthening time for those attending.   There is such a profound understanding and opportunity to experience being the ‘people of God’ .  The close proximity that we have also creates the intimacy for honest and real conversations and late night campfires to speak life and encourage one another!  It is awesome!!

We need to be about hospitality and inviting each other into our homes, our families, having others over for a meal.  A family shares all of life together, eating, living and working together.

3.       The fellowship of the Spirit – those who are a model of his preferred future.

We’ve talked about the role of the Father and Son in community and we definitely wouldn’t be complete about the role the Holy Spirit plays.  A Spirit-filled community is an alternative society that models distinct ways to do everything in life.  Only though the influence of the Spirit, do we have any hope to a city on a hill whose visible behavior shines and displays the glory of God.  Matthew 5:14

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

A Spirit-filled community understands the power of breakthrough through praying in the Spirit.  Romans 8:26.  We often don’t know how to pray and the Spirit intercedes for us.

I have discovered that praying in the Spirit as Paul speaks of 1 Corinthians 14 is a powerful exercise that leads to breakthrough!

A picture of a recent time of pray at Church at the Manor demonstrates the beauty and power of community  as our speaker, a ministry team member and one of our attendees all laid hands together in prayer on a man who desperately was seeking freedom from addiction. We are a royal priesthood of people who advocate and stand in the gap on behalf of others.

Also, just recently we went to a wedding in London and we were so close to Teen Challenge to visit Dan.  However, it was late on the way back, my kids had exams and work.  One of them had to wake up at 5:30am the next morning.  We just knew we needed to stop and we did.  As it turned out Dan was ready to quit the program that day and the worker there told us we were a godsend.  It meant so much to Dan that we came and said hi and it really boosted his spirits.  He felt that our visit was God telling him how much He loved him.  A simple visit on our part but when Holy Spirit leads us, we can model His love!!

It has been said that “we will not know God, change deeply, nor win the world apart from community!”  I agree!