Your Spiritual Gift(s)

Do you know what spiritual gift or gifts you have? Paul mentions the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, as well as in his letter to the church in Ephesus. Have you discovered how the Holy Spirit has gifted you? Gifts are defined by the benefit they give. That's why there's a difference between a talent and a spiritual gift.
For example, singing isn't a spiritual gift. Lots of people can sing. However, the people in our church that lead us in worship, sacrifices nights for practice and weekends for our services. Their spiritual gift is service, and their vocal ability gives them the opportunity to practice their spiritual gift. If these gifted folks were suddenly unable to sing, they would find another way to serve.
You don't need talent to be gifted. The Spirit has given you a gift that you can use to build up others. Maybe it is giving. Maybe it is teaching. Maybe it leadership. What do you think it could be?
Using your spiritual gift puts purpose into everything you do. It becomes an act of obedience to God. It goes from being a hobby to being a ministry. You're not just playing the piano, or working in the nursery, or leading a committee, or dropping a few bucks in the plate--you're ministering to others. You are doing the work of God. The result is that the seemingly mundane details take on new meaning--suddenly they are filled with eternal significance. Discover your spiritual gift and put it to use.

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The work of the Holy Spirit

"It is the work of the Holy Spirit that has made the difference in the life of the church. It is he who empowers us; it is he who convicts us and strengthens us." Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said that if there was one message he could preach to the church, it would be a message about how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That's how much of a difference the filling of the Holy Spirit can make in a person's life.

I've known many people who have given up trying to live the Christian life--it's too hard. The fact is, it's not just hard, it's impossible. It's impossible to live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit's power. The Holy Spirit is the oil that makes the machinery of your life run smoothly. Have you ever driven a car without oil? You know what happens, don't you? The engine locks up and breaks down. It's the same way for a Christian who lives without the oil of the Holy Spirit in his or her life.

Some of you have been walking in the Spirit for many years; for others the idea of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit is a new concept. But the fact is that all of us--from the greatest to the least of us--need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This Sunday we'll look at what the Power of the Holy Spirit can do for you. I hope you will join us!!!

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The Fullness of the Spirit

D.L. Moody once said, "I firmly believe that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and self-seeking and every thing that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Ghost will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and self-seeking and pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else."

The fullness of the Spirit is God's promise to all believers. But if we think He can be just an "add-on" to the rest of our lives, we're wrong. We must first come before God in brokenness and surrender, asking Him to forgive our sins of selfishness, pride and every thing that is contrary to His Word.

That doesn't mean we must be perfect. Nor does it mean that we will never have sin crowd our hearts again. But we must be obedient to God, repent of our sin and pursue holiness. And with that firm resolve, continually surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to flood your life. The Spirit of God will breathe life into you. Do your part and then let God do His part.

In the book of Ephesians Paul commands us, Be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) The fact that he expresses it this way, as an imperative command, tells us that being filled with the Holy Spirit is an act of obedience on our part. And it's something we initiate by asking for it and claiming it as God's promise.

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About Sunday

A few thoughts about Sunday…

1. It was great to have the men from Georgia and Florida with us. We had a wonderful time together this weekend at the men’s conference. If you missed, we will be having another one next year!!! Plan to be there. You won't regret it.

2. Okay, confession time - I goofed up in the second service yesterday. Don’t know if you noticed, but I talked about Peter addressing the Sanhedrin and being killed. It was STEPHEN!!! I felt like such a dork!!! Thanks Dad for keeping me straight.

3. I’m excited about this new series. We laid the foundation yesterday and this coming week we’re going to build.

4. I’m pretty sure we had 2 people walk out of the service during the sermon. Man, if what I said Sunday upset them, they might want to consider taking a vacation away for a few weeks!!! But like one of my pastor buddies said, “If you aren’t offending at least someone each week, you’re probably not preaching the Bible”!

5. Isn’t it great that Fall has arrived? Hopefully some of this hot weather will dissipate into cool days and changing colors.

6. Hey folks, I don’t tell you enough, but I am tremendously blessed to serve you as your pastor. Thanks for your prayers, support, love and encouragement. This weekend, I realized that Lynn and I will have been here 10 years this November – AMAZING!!! God is good!!!

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Being Spirit-filled

Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, once said "If there were only one truth I could share with the Christian world, it would be 'how to be filled with the Holy Spirit,' for there is no single truth that is more important to the believer."

So what does it mean to “be filled with the Holy Spirit”? When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, that doesn't mean you get more of the Spirit. It means that the Spirit gets more of you. "Being filled" with the Holy Spirit means "being led by" or "controlled by" the Holy Spirit. This is the key to victorious living.

Paul said...So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16)

The obvious question, then, is "How do I get filled with the Holy Spirit?" Let me warn you up front; it’s not easy. You’ve got to do all the right things, say exactly the right word, and follow a difficult specific procedure to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here’s what you have to do…

ASK in faith BELIEVING....

That's it. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. That's what it takes.

You receive the Holy Spirit the same way you receive salvation--through asking. Paul said, Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)

Being filled with the Spirit is a matter of asking to be filled and making yourself available to him. Be filled and live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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Living Without Power

As we begin a new series this Sunday called Paranormal, I thought I might post a few blogs about the Holy Spirit. I came across an article recently that I think is a great illustration of living the Spirit-filled life.

When Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992, the home of a woman named Norena was severely damaged. She received an insurance settlement, but it wasn't enough to finish the work necessary to bring her house back to standard. Her contractor stopped working the money ran out, and the house was left without electricity.

Norena is elderly and of limited means, she had no choice but to accept the situation. For the next 15 years she lived without power. No hot showers, no air-conditioning, no light to read by at night. Finally someone found out about her situation, and informed the city of Miami about her situation. The mayor arranged for a electrician to come to the house; it took only a few hours of work for power to be restored. Norena said, "It's hard to describe how it feels to have electricity. It's overwhelming."

Many believers live a Christian life that is like a half-constructed home. Power is almost within their grasp, but they continue to live in the dark, day after day, year after year. It doesn't have to be that way. Jesus made us a promise...

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

If you're a believer and feel like you're living in the dark, in a half-finished house, I want you to know that power is within your reach. That's why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and it's why Paul challenges us to be filled continually with the Spirit. He is our source of power and you don't have to live without Him.

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About Sunday

What a wonderful day of worship!!! It's amazing how God inhabits the praises of His people. A few thoughts about today.
1. About a dozen professions of faith this morning!!! That always pumps me up!!!
2. The worship today was incredible!!!
3. I knew there was a great moving of God's Spirit this morning because the attacks starting coming as soon as we left!!! That's great!!! As my dad says, "If the devil isn't attacking, then you're probably not doing anything."
4. I am looking forward to the upcoming series on the Holy Spirit. I'm not going to be timid in tackling some tough issues.
5. Hope you all will join in and help with the collection for Nicaragua. The pile is growing but I would like to see alot more!!! Thanks for what you're doing.
6. Men, if you don't have any plans for the weekend, remember the men's retreat. We will play golf Friday morning at Bald Mountain - 9:38 am. And at Black Mountain Saturday morning at 11:00 am. Both evenings we will have a meeting at the Laurel Ridge Lodge at 6:30 pm. Hope to see you there!!!
7. It was good to see many of our friends return from summer vacation.
8. I am so looking forward to what God plans to do this year in and thru the faith family!!! Can you sense the excitment? I can!!!
Blessings to all of you!!! Have a great week!!!

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"In the mean time"

This past week, the whole staff attended a leadership conference in Anderson S.C. at Newspring Church. The last speaker of the day session was Stephen Furtick. His presentation was truly profound! He spoke of how the disciples were on the sea of Galilee, rowing with all their might against a terrible storm. Their valiant efforts had at best taken them less than half the way across the sea. They were stuck in the middle of a huge battle against the winds and the waves. And they were saying, "Jesus, we've done all we can do to make it thru this storm! Why aren't we there yet?" His comment was, "They weren't where they were before, but they also weren't where they were supposed to be." They were in the middle of what you might call "the meantime". What do you do when you're in the meantime? When you know from wince you've come and you also see where you're supposed to go, what do you do? What we see from the disciples was a determination to keep rowing. They kept pushing against the winds and the waves. Then suddenly, Jesus came walking on the water. He came to them and calmed the winds and the waves, and the disciples made it across the waters. The unknown variable in this journey was timing. The Scriptures refer to uncertain times like "when". When the disciples pushed off from shore. The next uncertain is when they arrived to the other side. Neither of these were defined in the Scriptures. They are only listed as "then" and "when". So when is then and when is when? It's simply when it's then and when it's when. We can't put a time table on where God wants to take MVC. We can come up with our 1, 3, 5 year, or beyond plans, but God only knows when it's then and when it's when. So what do we do in the meantime? First of all, we stay in the boat. We don't jump ship and try to go back to where we were before. We also don't jump ship and try to swim to the place where we think we're supposed to be. We just stay in the boat. And if we stay in the boat, we will see Jesus. He will be there for us and calm the winds and the storms. Isn't that a comforting thought? Doesn't that give us a surge of boldness? I believe this passage defines where we are as a church. We certainly aren't where we used to be, but we haven't yet arrived at where we're supposed to be. So what do we do in the meantime? We stay in the boat and wait on Jesus. He will calm the winds and the waves and make a way for us to get to the other side. We've got to have faith in His faithfulness and trust in Him to make the way!!! Let's keep embracing the Savior in this endeavor He has given us... I'm all in! Are you!

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God's Game Plan

Man, I am excited that football season is here! Last night was a football fan’s paradise! Who ever heard of two Monday Night Football games back to back? It was wonderful.

Of course all the hype and marketing leading up to last night started weeks ago. And while the media were preparing their strategy, the teams have been preparing their strategies. They've been watching film, looking for weaknesses, and developing defense and offensive plays as they put together a game plan.

Football in the NFL is a lot different than the football we played in the schoolyard when we were kids. We’d show up, put two teams together and say, “OK, let's try this play—maybe it will fool them...OK, that didn't work, so let's try this play—maybe it will fool them."

That's not how it's done in the National Football League. Each coach approaches the game with a specific plan: this is how we'll shut down their running game, this is how we'll exploit weaknesses in their secondary, this is how we'll position ourselves for the big play, and on and on. And since about 95% of the players in the league play at the same level—there are only a few true superstars—it is the team with the best game plan that usually wins. That's why when a team consistently loses, the coach that gets fired. He makes the game plan.Some people approach life like we played schoolyard football. Every play is a whole new game—just one desperate attempt after another to find something that works. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can follow a game plan that will turn your life into a championship season. How? By following God’s game plan for your life.

And when you discover His plan for your life, that day is the day you start moving in that direction. You may not win any trophies or accolades halfway through the first quarter of the first game of your rookie year. You still have to play out the season—every game, every down. And with every single play, keep moving and following God toward the plan and the call that He has placed on your life.

God called Billy Graham to be one of the most influential Christian leaders of our era. He appointed him to preach the gospel to millions, to lead thousands to Christ. When Billy Graham accepted Christ as a teenager, God's call on his life was activated. But it was decades before God's game plan for him fully unfolded. God has a plan for you and has made a call on your life. It may be a while before it fully unfolds, but it can be activated today. Simply tell God, "Whatever it is you have for me to do, I will do it. And with your help, I will live every day like it is the most important day of my life.” Then consistently surrender thru active obedience to His leadership. And don’t forget, He calls the plays!

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About Sunday

A few thoughts about our time of worship yesterday.
1. I believe I get more excited about gathering together with all of you each Sunday. It just gets "gooder and gooder"!
2. Isn't it great to know that even in the midst of uncertainty, doubt, confusion, trouble, and questioning, God is still in control and He is working in your life thru it all?
3. Just remember that God's delays aren't denials.
4. I am sure that some of you feel as though you're stuck in the "canyon". God has given you a dream and you're about to give up because nothing seems to be happening. Don't despair. God is still in His Holy temple.
5. This week during your prayer time, don't forget to take time to close your mouth and open you ears. Ask God to speak to you. He wants to communicate with His children.
6. God speaks to us sometimes audibly, sometimes thru His Word, sometimes thru our circumstances and sometimes thru other people.
7. I never get tired of people experiencing life-change. We had several folks that became followers of Jesus!!! That's why we exist!!!
8. It's also great to see folks become a part of the MVC family of faith!!! God is doing some amazing things here!!! I can't wait to see what He has in store for us!!!
I'm sure that if He told us, it would blow our minds!!!
Blessings to all of you! Have a wonderful week!

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The Canyon

In our study thru the book of Habakkuk, we’ve been talking about how we all will go thru times of being in the canyon. Times when we don’t understand where God is or what He is doing. We may even feel abandoned and left alone to fend for ourselves. Times like this should be expected in our journey of faith. A lot of Christians, however, don’t want to accept that. We have a misperception that the Spirit will always lead us down an easy path, where the road is well-paved and the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful — but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, in order for you to become the person God wants to be, you have to spend a little time in the canyon.

The Bible makes it clear that God doesn't tempt us with evil, but sometimes He does lead us into situations where we have to learn to trust Him. Following Jesus is not an easy path. We're guaranteed victory, but we are not exempt from the battles of daily life. In the book of Romans, we're guaranteed to be more than conquerors. That means that there will be situations in life that we have to conquer.

There will be times when the Spirit of God leads you into the canyon — when the miracles seem to cease, when the blessings seem to stop flowing, when loneliness abounds and there appears to be no one around to hear your cries. If you find yourself there, it doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. It means that he is preparing you for something big. When you're in the canyon, you'll face many temptations - the temptation to despair, the temptation to rebel, the temptation to throw in the towel. You'll also find yourself faced with the opportunity and desire to get out of the canyon. But in order for you to reach your full potential in God, you have to wait and endure the canyon. You also need to remember this: Just as the Spirit of God will sometimes lead you into the canyon, He will also ultimately lead you out of it. Canyon experiences in life are temporary. So never forget, if you're in the canyon, God hasn't abandoned you, He's preparing you.

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The Waiting

Near the end of Paul's life he wrote...

...the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is store in for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

James said... Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)

God’s desire is that we would endure. That means we are willing to wait. It also means that we stick with it and not give up. We’ve all seen people who gave up on their faith. Some completely turned their backs on God. Others may not have turned against Him, but they gave up the dream they once had for doing great things for God.

Why? One reason is because things got too hard. They expected it to be easy but things didn’t turn out that way. But in my experience, that's not how the Christian life is. God has promised us a great life, but not an easy life. As James begins to bring his letter to a close, he addresses the topic of endurance.

In verse 11 he writes: "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered."

Have you noticed how much respect Billy Graham gets from the media and people around the world? Why do you think that is? It's because he has endured. He's made mistakes through the years, but he didn’t allow that to deter him. In his autobiography Dr. Graham says that there are things he wishes he had done differently. But he never quit. He never gave up. And now, we consider him blessed because he has persevered.

Joe Paterno, head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, is also a good example. He’s been there for 50 years. Some years were good and some years were bad. He's won National Championships and he's had losing seasons. He's been carried off the field in victory and he's had alumni calling for his resignation. And yet, he has persevered. God wants this for you. He wants you to wait on Him and not quit. His desire is that you endure until the very end, because those who endure are blessed.

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About Sunday

What a great day of worship yesterday!!! Some observations about our time together.
1. It was really great to see so many of you at worship given this is Labor Day weekend.
2. I also met several first time guests that are new to the area and are looking for a faith family.
3. We had 10 people make the decision to follow Jesus!!! I always get pumped about that.
4. It was wonderful to have baptisms at both services today! I get excited when believers decide to go public with their testimony!!!
5. The Owen Warhorse Football team looked GREAT this morning all dressed in their jerseys and sitting on the front row!!! You young men looked like the champions you are!!!
6. I enjoyed the first study in Habakkuk. Hopefully there will be a huge response to LifeGroups this week!!! This is going to be one of those challenging topics!!!
7. Things are gearing up for a wonderful fall season! I hope you have plans to be a huge part of what is "fix'in" to happen around here!
Thanks for allowing me the freedom to be your pastor without feeling like I have to fight every step of the way. It is truly a blessing for me to serve you all. Great things are happening here!!! But greater things are yet to come!!!

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Perseverance

From 1991–2005 the Braves were one of the most successful franchises in baseball, winning division titles an unprecedented 14 consecutive times in that period (omitting the strike-shortened season in 1994, in which there were no official division champions). The Braves won the NL West 1991–93 and the NL East 1995–2005. The Braves advanced to the World Series five times in the 1990s, winning the title in 1995. If you've followed the Atlanta Braves you know that their seasons have been up and down since 2005 - mostly down since they won the World Series. For the past couple of years they haven't done very much at all. But this year, they are winning their division and are one of the top teams in the league. That didn't happen by accident, but that's not the point I want to make. The fact is, it happened. They're winning again and in contention for the pennant.

We will all go thru seasons of ups and downs, winning and losing. A losing season may tell us that it's time to start over, but it doesn't tell us it's time to quit. If you've suffered some setbacks, that doesn't mean that your best days are forever behind you. There's a big season right around the corner.

Peter reminded his readers of the great rewards to come, and said, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." He reminded his readers that trials and troubles are cyclical, but the promises of God are permanent.

Remember Peter's words: "for a little while..." If you're where the Braves were in 2007, look at where they are now. This can be you. You may be struggling in certain areas now, but those struggles are temporary. You'll experience a turn around, because God's promises are forever.

Obedience pays off. It works. It pleases God, it benefits you, it blesses others. These are the rewards for obedience.

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