Greetings Friends,

 

Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine, blue skies and more summer-like days! I pray that Memorial Day weekend was a day of R&R for you and that you are all enjoying a short work week!

 

If you missed church this past Sunday, I encourage you to listen to the sermon titled "Faith in the Furnace" from THIS LINK on our website.

 

The message this coming Sunday is entitled "Faith in Action."  I will be sharing some exciting information regarding upcoming opportunities that God is giving to our church!  I can't wait to share it with you this Sunday!

 

What many people don't realize is how much is continually happening behind the scenes in a church like ours.  It takes enormous amounts of prayer, energy, time, resources, administration and communication to keep our church family strong and moving forward in healthy ways.

 

That's one reason God designed the Church to work together as a TEAM!  Just like the Trinity is the ultimate A-team, working together in complete harmony and unity, so too is the Church called to work together for one ultimate purpose, to glorify and magnify God!

 

Every single Christian has been given at least ONE supernatural spiritual gift.  This gift is given by God for a purpose and that purpose is to build up the church!

 

 

Spiritual gifts are not for personal benefit or selfish gain. Rather, they are for the benefit of the body of Christ (the Church!).
 
When properly exercised, spiritual gifts will contribute to the overall health and growth of the church.

 

We have a responsibility to USE those gifts in God's church.  Someday we will all be held accountable by Christ Himself and the question He will ask us is: "What did you do with the gift that I gave you?  Did you use it for selfish gain? Or did you use it to build up My Church?"

 

My continual prayer for all of you is that God will open your eyes to HIS truth to help you see that the Church belongs to each one of us.  I pray that you feel that ownership in it. Christ gave His life so that the Church could exist.  Through the eyes of Christ, see how much the Church means to God!

 

The church is an incredible gift from Him to us and with this gift comes responsibility. As Christ followers, we are all charged by Christ to be good stewards of God's church.  We are all called to be caretakers of His Church, it's just pastors and leaders responsibility, but ALL OF US share in this calling and responsibility.

 

My concern is that too many people do not take this calling seriously enough.  Too many Christians think that caring for the Church is someone else's job and definitely not theirs.  Not true!  We all have different roles and responsibilities in the Church but every single one of us is called to this One purpose.  Every team member is called into action and can not remain a bench-warmer.

 

Remember the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).  There will be a day of reckoning and I would not be fulfilling my calling if I didn't periodically remind all of you of this important truth.

 

All Christians need to see our identity as caretakers of God's Church.  We regularly support it with our tithes and offerings and we use our spiritual gifts to build up the Church. 

 

God taught me all these things long ago when I was a part time custodian in a church.  This was the teaching ground that He showed me what it means to be a caretaker of His House of prayer. Sometimes it meant cleaning toilets and sometimes it meant welcoming people into the House of God!

 

God has a HUGE plan and purpose for our church.  Blessed Hope CC is on a mission from God and He has called each one of you here to help fulfill that mission.  We are stewards and caretakers of His mission and that is an incredibly exciting adventure for all of us to be on!

 

BHCC is still far from being all that God desires us to be!  We are a healthy, growing Church on the move, but we need everyone doing their part with God in order to become all that He desires us to become.

 

I pray God will continue to open up all of our eyes to see the HUGE thing that He is doing here and will continue to do! And I'm praying for you personally to see the part that He is calling YOU to do.

 

I will be speaking this Sunday on more hands-on opportunities on how you can put your faith in action.

 

Our Leadership Team meets every month to pray for you, to dream and hear from God.  We also have another team of people that have been meeting every 6 weeks or so to grow spiritually, gather information and seek God's strategy for our future.  It's exciting to see God working in this context of community.  The love & unity on these teams is AMAZING!  God is speaking, God is moving and every one of you are invited to be an intricate part of this incredible MOVE of God!

 

The question is, will you accept God's invitation?  What is He calling you to do?  What is your spiritual gift and what is God's purpose for giving it to you? Will you step out in faith?

 

Here is a partial list and the scripture reference of some of the spiritual gifts:

 

 Administration: the gift that enables a believer to formulate, direct, and carry out plans necessary to fulfill a purpose. Biblical References: I Corinthians 12:28, Acts 14:23

Discernment: the Holy Spirit given ability to distinguish whether someone or something is of God or not of God. Biblical References: John 16:6-15, Romans 9:1, I Corinthians 2:9-16, 12:10

Exhortation: The Holy Spirit produced ability to challenge, strengthen, encourage, and comfort believers. Biblical References: John 14:1, II Timothy 1:16-18, III John 5-8

Faith: the Holy Spirit given ability to trust God where others will not, and to see something that God wants done and sustain unwavering confidence that God will do it regardless of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Biblical References: Genesis 12:1-4a, Mark 5:25-34, I Thessalonians 1:8-10

Giving: the gift that enables a believer to recognize God's blessings and to respond to those blessings by generously and sacrificially giving of one's resources (time, talent, and treasure). Biblical References: Luke 21:1-4, Romans 12:8, II Corinthians 9:6-15

Knowledge: the gift that drives a person to learn, analyze and uncover new insights with regard to the Bible and faith. Biblical References: I Corinthians 12:8; I Corinthians 14:6, Romans 12:2

Leadership: the gift that gives a believer the confidence to step forward, give direction and provide motivation to fulfill a dream or complete a task. Biblical References: Romans 12:8, John 21:15-17, II Timothy 4:1-5

Mercy: the Holy Spirit given ability to see those who are in misery, have pity on them, and promptly & cheerfully seek to relieve them of their need. Biblical References: Matthew 25:34-36, Luke 7:12-15, 10:30-37; Romans 12:8

Prophecy: an ability given by God's Holy Spirit to proclaim God's truth publicly and to apply it practically, with a view to correction and edification. Biblical References: Romans 12:6, I Corinthians 12:10, 14:1,3

Service/ Helps: the gift that enables a believer to work gladly behind the scenes in order that God's work is fulfilled. Biblical References: Luke 23:50-54, Romans 12:7, 16:1-16, Philippians 2:19-23

Teaching: the Holy Spirit produced ability to effectively explain God's word and apply it. Biblical References: Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 18:24-48, Romans 12:7, I Corinthians 12:28

Wisdom: skilled in the application of Biblical truth; is able to take God's Word and apply it to everyday situations. Biblical References: I Corinthians 2:6-13, James 3:13-18, II Chronicles 1:7-11

 

 

God intends to grow and build up this Church in AMAZING ways friends.  This community desperately NEEDS our church to be a LIGHT here! There's so much more we're called to do! I'm praying for God to light a fire under each one of us.  I'm praying for apathy to disappear!

 

Please continue to pray in faith for your church, your pastors, leaders, and one another.  Please remember to give regulary.  Offerings tend to drop way off in the summer and it really hinders our ability to do God's work in loving others!

 

Keep God and Church a priority in your life and watch how God pours out His blessings in your life in return!  Watch how quickly He answers YOUR prayers when He sees you putting your faith in Him in ACTION!

 

Listen to the message in this song (link below) and think and PRAY:

 

 

 

Lyrics to I Refuse By Josh Wilson

Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone's alright

When I know they're not

This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch

I could pray a prayer and just move on

Like nothing's wrong

But I Refuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God

So if You say move, it's time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

And show them who You are

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

What were you made to do? 

 

Love in Christ our Lord,

Pastor Lin