Snow Plow for Jesus

I love winter, and I especially love the snow. I have always said that if you are going to live in this area, you have two choices – enjoy the snow or move. I have chosen to enjoy it. I know I’m a little odd, but one of my favorite things about the snow is plowing. I like shoveling, I like using the big snowblower and I especially like driving the plow truck. I sometimes get to plow the church parking lot. Not because no one else will do it. I do it because I enjoy it.

One snowy Sunday, very early in the morning, I was over at the church driving the truck and a few of us were working pretty hard to clear the parking lot and sidewalks so people could get in the building. As I was plowing the Lord taught me a wonderful lesson.

I was clearing the snow away for one simple reason – so people could safely and easily get into the building. The hope is that once they get in there, they will grow closer to Jesus through a variety of means. My job as the plow guy is to make the path easier.

That’s exactly how it is with our lives. Our lives should be a pathway to the Lord Jesus. Everything about us, our walk and our talk should be pointing to Christ. You see, there is a blizzard that has dumped a pile of snow between most people and a loving God. Our call is to shovel the snow.

John the Baptist said that he was a “voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”” May we also be that voice.

Most people have no idea the name of the guy who plows their road, but they are sure thankful that someone does. May we each be that person who clears the way. May we be a snowplow for Jesus who makes the path to Him easier for someone else to follow.

A Job Description for Jesus?

In all our jobs we all have some kind of Job description. Is it possible that Jesus also had one when he was on earth? This Sunday, Pastor Ed from Gateway Church taught at PF out of Is. 61:1,2 . He said this is Jesus' job description.

Here it is: He was sent to:

1. Bring salvation

2. Heal the broken hearted

3. Bring physical healing

4. Bring freedom for the captives

5. Set at liberty those who are bruised

6. Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Hope)

That's a pretty awesome job description. This isn't a list of what He might do if He gets around to it. This is what He came to do. And if the Church is His Body, it is also the call on us. Wow! May the Lord continue to walk out this ministry through us, His Body.

Memories from Elim

Today I went up to Elim Bible Institute to join them in their annual week of prayer. This is a week they set aside every January to seek the heart of the Father. In the three years that Sandie and I attended there from 96-99, those were some very special weeks. It is always good to go back and spend time in the place where I met God so many times. We had chapels in the Tab four days a week and He was so faithful to let His glory be evident to all. I walked around campus today and as I looked at buildings, the lawn, classrooms and even our little apartment, I was drawn back to those precious times with Jesus.

As I drove away I was reminded by the Lord that as excited as I am about today and about the future I should never lose sight of the past. We should always be remembering those times that God showed Himself faithful over and over again. I hope you have memories of precious times with Jesus. And I hope that the things happening in your life now are producing memories that in ten years you will back upon as being very precious.

And, by the way, if you are looking for a good Bible School, Elim is one of the best. :-)

Worth listening to

Worth listening to

More Dan Mohler teaching

A response to Jim's blog

Pastor Jim, who works with the youth at PF asked a bunch of youth leaders in the area to get to the core of their strategy and purpose in working with teens. You should go to Jim’s Blog and check out the comments that the other youth workers gave. They are really thought provoking. Below you will find my response as I think about my own ministry to teenagers.

______

Wow, these are great answers to a hard question. Like my brother, I have been working with teenagers a long time. I jokingly say that I have either been a teenager or ministered to them since 1983. :-)

I can sincerely say that at the core of everything I have done in youth ministry has been to help them to understand that they are loved, they are wanted (acceptance) and they are needed (valuable).

I feel those are the overriding needs that every young person is trying to have met and only Jesus provides genuine answers. So, my job in loving teenagers is to do everything I can, with every tool at my disposal, in all the power of the Holy Spirit to have them understand how Jesus sees them.

Sometimes it's teaching the Bible, praying and other typical "ministry stuff." But much of the time it's smiles, hugs, watching their soccer games or a host of other seemingly insignificant things

Jim’s Blog

Dan Mohler Coming

This weekend Praise Fellowship of Russell, PA welcomes guest minister, Dan Mohler. He will be ministering on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 pm. Child care will be provided at both evening services. He will also have a session Saturday morning teaching on practical ways to pray for healing of the sick. And on Sunday morning he will be speaking at both services, 9:00 and 11:00. The public is welcome.

The mission of Neck Ministries, which he leads, is to connect the Body of Christ with the head, Jesus Christ. Pastor Dan ministers to thousands each year, preaching the gospel of salvation, healing, deliverance and blessing. His aim is to help believers experience the transformational love of God and use their God-given gifts to spread the good news of the kingdom to the world. Visit Praise’s website www.worshipplace.org to learn more about Pastor Dan and to watch the services live.

Jesus' learning style

In the account in Luke 2 about Jesus at the Temple at age 12, we see how Jesus learned. It's hard to imagine that the omniscient God came to earth and learned, but he did. And look at the pattern that he used. Mary and Joseph found the boy Jesus "in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. " Luke 2:46

John Piper points out the four parts of Jesus' learning style.

1. He sought out good teachers.

2. He listened

3. He asked questions

I encourage each one of us to do those very things. No matter what it is we want to learn, that is the path to use. And if we want to grow in our walk with Jesus we must use that same model. Find people that you respect, listen to them and ask questions. Don't be a passive disciple. Aggressively learn the ways of God. You will be amazed at how far it takes you.

Then in Lk. 2:47 it says that "everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers." When you seek out good teachers, listen and ask questions then the fourth thing you can do is speak.

4. Speak

A great kick-off

Yesterday we began a new season at PF. We began two Sunday services. This is more than just having two services. This is a time when God is challenging us to be more than we have been and all that He wants us to be.

Yesterday was awesome. There was such a buzz and excitement in the air. Both services were very well attended. I'm pretty sure that the sanctuary could not have contained us all if there was only one services. That was so encouraging. I believe this year God is calling us in two areas: Increase and Impact!! May He send His increase in every way He wants to and may we see Him impact our lives, our culture and the nations.

On a humorous note: The kitchen crew served breakfast between the two services. They do breakfast once a month and there are usually 50 or so people who come and eat. Well, yesterday there were nearly 200 people at breakfast. Needless to say, they were not really prepared. However, they are amazing. Somehow, they fed them all. They said that they cooked everything in the kitchen and even had to make a run to the store for more eggs.

Praise God for His faithfulness and I can't wait until this coming weekend. We are having a special guest, Dan Muhler with us Friday - Sunday. I will write more on that later.

72 Hour Prayer & Fasting

Once again, this weekend at PF there is a call to prayer and fasting. For three days there are people in the sanctuary and in their homes seeking the face of God. It is quite an awesome sight to see and just to know it's happening is pretty amazing. We believe that when Jesus taught us to pray in the "Lord's Prayer" He meant it when He said, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Let's believe that He wants His kingdom to come now, to come here and to use us.

If you have things that you would like prayer for e-mail them to prayer@worshipplace.org

And come and join those praying anytime through Sunday afternoon.

A decade ago

Ten years ago this week was full of incredible excitement in Russell. It was the week of the opening of the new worship facility that Praise Fellowship currently meets in. Wow, what an incredible time. We were just days away from our first service in this ,at the time, Huge building. We had been a mobile church for the previous 2 years as we met on the State Hospital grounds and we were finally ready to have a place to call home.

This place really seemed big at the time. We were renting a storefront in downtown Russell. I think the entire building was 22x60. The stage at the new facility was almost that big. Who could have imagined that the 400 seat sanctuary would soon be filled with worshippers hungry for the presence of the Lord?

That brings us to another major shift this week, an exact decade later. We will begin our second decade this Sunday and we will celebrate by beginning holding two Sunday Morning worship services at 9 & 11 am. That means that we essentially double the size of the sanctuary. That really makes my head spin. Are we ready for an increase? Are we prepared for the Harvest? Can we keep the unity in the Spirit as we grow? So many questions. But for all the questions, I only have one certain answer. God has directed us in this path and I am confident that He is in control and that He will have His way. I look with incredible anticipation to this coming month, this coming year and this coming decade.

I believe that 2010 is the year of Increase and Impact! May He use Praise Fellowship to fulfill the purpose that she was created for. And may He do the same for every church body who preaches His Word and may every individual believer fulfill his/her purpose.

Let's have an amazing 2010