First Church of the Nazarene

As we embark upon the month of February, we will bring the stewardship emphasis of our missional strategy to a close and start Lent off with Spiritual Deepening Week. 

 

Some have been fasting and praying.   Some who are unable to use food as a fasting mechanism have devoted themselves to prayer in other ways.    It feels like we are on the edge of another great move of God in the life of this church.   

 

The anticipation of the changes for going to the second service is scary and exciting all at the same time.  We will deal with adjustments, the need for more ushers, more Children's Church workers, more nursery workers, more toddler church workers, more greeters, etc.     

 

This gets complicated by the fact we have so many people who are sick or dealing with definite medical issues, and even inner personal pastoral care issues.  While these are not abnormal in the everyday life of the church they seem to come in a wave of overwhelming measure when we are about to step out in faith to try something new around here. 

 

As I have done many times before, I will do it again and call the devil out on this.    He lies, he tries to create fear, conflict, real and imagined, and does his best to discourage us from stepping out in faith.  Why would he do that?  He knows every time we have stepped out in faith, we have encroached into his territory, taking it back one soul at a time.   He knows with two services on Sunday AM, our opportunity to win more people to the Lord is doubled.  He knows that extends the reach of the Kingdom of God and he fears Jesus living in us and through us! 

 

Don't believe his lies.  It is true we will not have every "t" crossed and every "i" dotted, we will have people dealing with sickness, and illness, we will have hurdles along the way, but NEVER in the history of God's church has she moved forward, taking the enemy territory without a fight!  We will not be the exception. 

 

Let's buckle down in obedience with our stewardship of time and money, let's commit with our ALL for spiritual deepening week, as we move through the Lenten season to the Easter Celebration of the Resurrection and the Victory of Christ over the devil, sin, hell, and the grave.

-Pastor David