ConneXus Blog

By Julia Fowler, Worshp Arts Pastor

Ezekiel 36 (The message)

I'm not doing this for you … I'm going it for me, to save my character, my holy name … I'm going to put my great and holy name on display, my name that has been ruined in so many countries … then the nations will realize who I really am, that I am GOD when I show MY holiness through you, so that they can see it with their own eyes.  For here's what I am going to do: I'll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean.  I'll give you a new heart, put a NEW spirit in you.  I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's GOD-willed, not self-willed.  I'll put my Spirit in you and make it possible to do what I tell you and live by my commands.

This week I received in the mail a special copy (both printed and CD) of a message that was presented by Nazarene Missionary, Linda Seaman to our Nazarene Church's General and District Superintendents' at their retreat earlier this year.  I picked up the piece of mail several times before finally opening it.  I guess I assumed it was just another bulk form letter of some sort.  As I read some of her words I felt confirmed by the Spirit that this was a message for us today as well.  She writes,  "God needs to re-create us … not just our structure.  We don't need yesterday's outpouring of the Holy Spirit… we need what our Creator God has for us TODAY!  May He not pass us by!  Be assured that if we fail to clearly and boldly preach, teach and proclaim this truth, He will raise up someone else to do it, because this is HIS TRUTH, not ours!  May He have mercy on us and protect us from every being tempted to water down this amazing, life-transforming message (the message of Holiness) or to compromise our mandate to proclaim this BEST of all news."

Now go back to Ezekiel again and re-read the Lord's promise of outpouring.  I believe this is as much a message of us today as it was then…can't you hear the Lord saying, "…I will show my holiness through you, so that they CAN SEE IT with their own eyes."  We so often surmise that the manifestation of the Spirit cannot be tangible and yet here He declares that it (His Spirit) WILL BE SEEN because it will be seen in us.  We will no longer look like Julia but more and more like Christ.  Our hearts will be new and will be motivated to action and response because it is the Spirit of God working in us and through us. 

"I have felt for some time that perhaps the church outside the U.S. and Canada would be used by God to revive us, but I keep coming back to our Creator God--we don't need what He's doing in Brazil, or the Horn of Africa, or India--(OR CHINA)--we need Him to do His work in us right here where we are in this culture!   I keep saying, "Lord, when does intercession become vain repetition?  Reveal Yourself to us in Your holiness, so that we will find You irresistible, so that our hearts will be desperate for You, so that our hunger and thirst will be deepened."  I don't know how long it will be before God answers, but I am determined to hold on and intercede.  I will not settle for empty altars, I will not settle for worship wars…I just pray God will give me the courage and the strength to continue to pray that the precious people of the "mature" church will no longer be cheated out of what God wants to do for us and through us, because He has fallen on us in the newness and freshness of His Holy Spirit." (Seaman)

What would happen if all of us would be called to such a dedicated posture of prayer, repentance and worship?  Can't you see the revival that would ensue as a result of this type of commitment to devotion to the Lord our God?  I challenge you to pursue and perceive the new thing God is trying to do through His people.  I also challenge you to read and re-read the words of Ezekiel 36.  It is God's desire to re-new His creation and He will do it, if we will allow it to happen.

A Prayer of Daniel (Chapter 9)

So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant.

Have mercy on New Hope Church of the Nazarene.  Ace out of Who You are, not out of what we are.  Turn Your ears our way, God, and listen.  Open Your eyes and take a long look at our church, our church named after You.  We know that we don't deserve a hearing from You.  Our appeal is to your compassion.  This prayer is our last and only hope:

Lord, listen to us!

Lord, forgive us!

Lord, look at us and do something!

Lord, don't put us off!

Your Church and Your people are named after You:

You have a stake in us!!

… Oh, God, we say again, for Your sake, do not delay, because Your Church and Your people bear Your Name.

Amen.

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

Though we were not able to focus on Pentecost during the month of May (May 11 was actually Pentecost Sunday) it is never too late or an inappropriate time to be reminded of the glorious work and gift that the Holy Spirit wants to bring into our lives. 

Pentecost actually marks the day we celebrate the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our world. It is a time of celebration and expectation for God to create something new in our lives, showing us new depths of maturity in our relationship with Him.  

Acts 2 is one of the most popular passages of the New Testament.  It is foundational to many different denominations, including the Church of the Nazarene because of its continuing work in our lives still today.  What is important as we look at Acts 2 is that we approach it without preconceived ideas or interpretations and that instead we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us to fresh understanding and new perspective about what happened then, and also what the Spirit still wants to do today.

As I read a commentary by Mark Denrickson on this subject a few weeks back he stated the importance of considering the "community aspect of the presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit.  It is no mistake that Christ's follwers 'were all together in one place'. (v.2)".  He drew my attention to the fact that the coming of the spirit was not presented as an individualistic phenomenon, but instead that Luke used plural words in this passage like "they," "them," and "all" when he wrote about the outpouring of the Spirit.  "The gift of the Spirit that imediately follows is also community-centered.  The coming of the Sirit results in the ability to speak in other languages, so that members of "every nation under heaven" (v.5) could hear the story of "God's deeds" (v.11) in their own language." What an amazing event to think that infact the first gift of the Spirit is one that results in the inclusion of … everyone!  The purpose for the outpouring of the gift was so that men would come to know Christ in their own language.  This then emphasizes again the great commission as it was presented to us by Christ Himself that we would 'go into ALL the world making disciples'; that the grace of God was for all humanity (to the ends of the earth, v. 1:8).

So then, what comes as a result of this gift of the Holy Spirit? 

First, I believe, is transformation in our own lives.  When we invite the Spirit of God to take control of our personhood, we surrender our will to be right and the Spirit who will guide us into all truth and knowledge works in our lives transforming us more and more into his likeness.  The working out of our salvation many times includes fear and trembling [moments of uncertanty, frustration, temptation, process, unbelief, wrestling with understanding, wrestling with our own desires or what-ifs].  The Holy Spirit becomes our guide but we still have the remembrance of prior behaviorly patterns, comforts, habits and perspectives that require time and adjustment to overcome.  Thank God with His help however it is possible to no longer be controled by these past patterns.  

Second is that, as we are transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ the world sees less and less of our humanity and instead more and more of Christ's glory working in our attitudes, behaviors and actions.  We see the world more through the perspective of God's lenses then we once saw through our own.  We see needs, desperation, hunger and sin where as before we didn't.  Likewise, we develop a passion not only to recognize these needs in ourselves and others, but the great love of God working in us enables us and empowers us to respond to the area's of need we see.  In other words, when we are saturated with the love of Christ (it fills us), we will overflow with HIS kind of loving actions, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, words, deeds, etc. 

Now then, if this gift of the Spirit works in us individually how much more should it work through us corporately?  Christ's primary method of delivering His message of salvation to the world was and still is through the Church.  The mission of the Spirit is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Being this, what if again we moved beyond an individualistic interpretation of Acts 2 and called our congregations to be filled with the Spirit?  Not a blessed me to feel good church, but a bless me with an intent to bless others church. With the Spirit brings new and refreshed vision, and scripture tells us that "where there is no vision[no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish;" Proverbs 29:18 AMP. 

Let's be a church with vision.  Let's be a church that passionately desires the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our corporate body.  Let's fullfill the mission of the Spirit and go into the world with the fresh fire of God on our lips, our hearts, our minds and actions.  Let's join together and commit this summer to seek the Lord in a new and fresh way with a passionate desire to be blessed with intent to be a blessing!

By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him." —Proverbs 20:7

My father once admitted to me, "When you were growing up, I wasn't there as much as I should have been."

I don't really remember it that way. Besides working his full-time job, he was gone some evenings to direct choir practice at church, some times to visit in parishioners' homes or make hospital calls.  Occasionally I would see him across the street in his office working late at night to prepare for Sunday services.  But for all the significant (and many small) moments of my life—he was there.

For instance, he was always cheering on the sidelines at basketball & volleyball games, piano recitals, singing competitions, encouraging my creativity and challenging me to go hard and give everything my best effort.  In so many little ways, he has always let my brother and me know that we are important to him and that he loves us very much.

Watching my father love, care and provide for my mother in such a tender way still teaches me today what unselfish love really looks like.  My dad isn't perfect, but he's always been a dad who gives me a good glimpse of my heavenly Father. And ideally, that's what a Christian dad should do.

At times earthly fathers disappoint or hurt their children. But our Father in heaven is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy" (Ps. 103:8). When a dad who loves the Lord corrects, comforts, instructs, and provides for the needs of his children, he models for them our perfect Father in heaven.

How blessed are the children
Who in their fathers see
The tender Father-love of God,
And find their way to Thee. —Johnson

A life lived for Christ is the best inheritance you can leave your children.

Happy Father's Day!