Rob Barnes

THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

2012-01-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, the New Year is a time for reviewing the past 12 months and thinking forward to the time ahead. The New Year unfolds day by day and each new morning brings us into unchartered territory. For me that is both refreshing and challenging. 2011 has been a wonderful year for Silver Creek Fellowship; we have seen growth at both campuses – both numerically and spiritually. Mission of Hope has had a dramatic effect on our church and in the community. It is now the fourth largest emergency food distribution agency in Marion County.

As good as a year as 2011 has been, I believe the best is yet to be! Let me share a few things that I think God is leading us into over the next few years. Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it” and so this is the (much shorter!) written down version.

Why do we exist?

þ We exist for mission. We exist to make Jesus known to our local communities and to the nations of the world. There is a big distinction between a pastoral church and a church on mission. Rick Warren says, “…at the heart of the distinction between a pastoral and missional church is the difference between a church organized around sustaining, developing and promoting its own life and a church organized around participating in God’s mission to the world to establish his redemptive purposes in the whole of human life. A missional church is a church which takes its identity, priorities and agenda from participating in God’s mission in the world”. We are a church on mission.

What sort of church are we?

þ We have both individual and corporate values. Individually we love God, love people and enjoy God’s grace. Corporately we are committed to being a church of Word and Spirit, a community church and a resource church.

What are we called to do? Or what is the vision?

We believe God is calling us to impact our communities, to care for and develop our people, and to connect, equip, train and send them into our neighborhoods and the nations – filled with the power and presence of God.

þ Impacting our communities by reaching more people with the gospel:

We want to reach more people in the Silverton – Salem – Keizer area impacted with the gospel, see more people saved and baptized and see our regular Sunday attendance grow.
We want to demonstrate the gospel with acts of kindness that meet the needs of people from every walk of life.
We want to be a church that blesses the local communities in very real ways; practically, emotionally and spiritually.

þ Care for and development of our people.

We want to see all of our people encouraged, supported and cared for through Home Fellowship Groups and pastoral support structures.
We want to see every age group and life stage in our church provided for, from the very youngest to the very oldest.
We want our people to be set free in Christ and grow in maturity as believers.
We want to see marriages and families strengthened and built on strong biblical foundations.

þ Connect, equip, train and send our people.

We want to see people fully empowered to be effective ambassadors for Christ and fully trained to be missionaries in their local context.
We want to train and send people to be involved in planting churches in this nation and the nations of the world.

þ Power and presence of God

In everything that we do we want the genuine power and presence of God to be manifest.
We want to be a prophetic people, filled with the Holy Spirit, exercising spiritual gifts and allowing God to move freely in our lives.
We want to be a people of praise and prayer where signs, wonders and miracles are commonplace.

How are we going to do it?

If we are going to fulfill all that God has called us to do over the next 5-10 years then we need to do two things: 1.) Guild on what we have already accomplished over recent years, and 2.) Step out into new areas by investing our time, energy and finance into some new things. This means change.

I love this Jack Deere quote: “Leaders need to teach people that change is an inevitable part of life. Dead things don’t change. Living things change because they grow. And growth means pain. Dead things don’t have growing pains. Neither do dead churches. Part of the price of growing is pain and insecurity. Remember when you were still physically changing during your adolescent and teenage years? Not only your body, but your emotions were changing. You were going down a road you hadn’t been on before. Remember how insecure you felt? But you accepted the pain and the insecurity because you wanted to grow. You didn’t want to stay a child. It’s the same way with a growing church. It is going down a road it hasn’t been on before. Being a leader just means learning how to manage the conflict that comes from the pain and insecurity of growing. Of course, we could avoid the pain by simply refusing to change, but most of us would rather go to church than a cemetery.”

2012 will be a year of change at SCF. We will be making a number of changes across the life of the church: new guest Sunday strategies, new services, new ministries, new leadership opportunities and a number of other positive (we hope!) changes.

How can we all be involved?

A vision only becomes real when those who receive it begin to put it into practice. So how can we all be involved? You can be involved by giving your…

§        Time – we’re not the kind of church that people visit like a club. Our commitment to Jesus is reflected in our commitment to his purposes and to the local church

§        Abilities – no one can ever say “I have nothing to give in this church”, we all have a part to play so get involved!

§        Money – if you are committed to this church and this vision then surely you will give! It is a reality that we need finances to make everything in this church happens. The giving of your money really does make a huge difference as we seek to make Jesus known to our local communities and to the nations.

I love being a part of Silver Creek Fellowship. It’s not comfortable, it’s not passive, and it continues to embrace change, but there’s a reason. Our story is not finished. It’s hardly begun in many ways. We have a future. We are a church family, together on a mission, transforming our local community by proclaiming a gospel that has the power to change people completely.

Come and join us, become part of the story.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

2011-12-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing is one of the more than 6,500 hymns from the pen of Charles Wesley that has enriched Christian hymnody. It is thought to have been written one year after his dramatic, Aldersgate conversion experience of 1738 and is generally considered to be one of Wesley's very finest.

Hark! The Herald Angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise.
Join the triumph of the skies.
With th' Angelic Hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King."

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that men no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail! The Sun of Righteousness!
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn king.

Christ by highest heaven adored

Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel Hark!
The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the New-born king!"

Adam's likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the New-born king!"

Christmas is a glorious celebration of new birth. The famous carol Hark! the Herald Angels Sing celebrates not only the birth of Christ but also the second birth that takes place when we have true faith in Him. Christ was born to give us a second spiritual birth and without the second birth we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. I was once asked if I was one of those 'Born Again' Christians and I replied that there is no other kind of Christian than the born again kind!

What is Christmas all about? The Christmas story is not about religious organizations, church services, or human efforts to please God. The Christmas story is not about presents, retail targets, family gatherings and holidays. The Christmas story is all about the supernatural grace that comes to us through the virgin birth of the only Son of God. The second verse of this carol, written by Charles Wesley, explains the incredible truth of the Christmas story which is all about incarnation - that in Christ, God became man.

Why was Jesus born?

Jesus was born for a mission; he came as a baby but he didn't stay in the cradle. He was born to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Little baby Jesus would grow to become the berated, battered, and bruised Messiah, taking the punishment that we deserve.

In this carol Wesley gives us three reasons why Jesus was born.

1.) Born that man no more may die

Just as Jesus taught about two births - one physical and one spiritual - so there are two deaths that are taught in the New Testament, one is physical and one spiritual. God never intended man to die and it was, in fact, Adam who brought death into the world and not God. When Adam rebelled against God he fell from grace and took the whole world down with him. His sin brought both physical and spiritual death to all mankind. No matter how long a person lives they will eventually die physically, but the Bible also declares that physical death is not the end, there is also a second death, a spiritual death with eternal punishment that waits for all who die in their sins.

Christ was born to conquer the greatest enemy to Mankind - death! Christ was born of a virgin and he was born free from Adam's sin. Jesus lived the perfect life, and he did it all for us. He was born for us, he lived for us, he died for us and he was raised from the dead for us. On the cross Christ died physically and spiritually carrying all the punishment due to the world. Now whoever believes in him shall never taste spiritual death.

2.) Born to raise the sons of earth

Without Jesus we are spiritually dead and in our sins, "And you who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). But the moment we believe the gospel we are spiritually raised from the dead; we are born again. "But God who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up together ... with Christ." (Ephesians 2:4-6).

At the center of the Christian faith is the truth of the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus was raised from the dead we know that when the believer dies and goes to heaven he will also be reunited with his body on the day of resurrection when Christ returns. We have been raised spiritually and one day we shall also be raised physically. Jesus Christ was born to give us resurrection.

3.) Born to give them second birth

Jesus said to Nicodemus "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John3:3). Jesus was born to give us a second birth that is spiritual in nature and necessary for salvation, indeed He said that we must be born again.

When you become born again you are a new creation and the old person that you were has passed away. You are born again into a totally new realm of grace and have been delivered from the realm of Sin, Satan and condemnation. As you celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas make sure you are born again, and if you are -- then celebrate the fact that his birth was to give you new birth.

Now is it any wonder why the herald Angels sang? Hark then to their message.

OUR HEART FOR THE POOR

2011-10-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

We don’t have to look very far to realize that there is great need and injustice in the world. Nearly half the world’s population live on less than $2 a day; nearly a billion people are unable to sign their name or read; 850 million people go without even 1 meal everyday and a child dies of malnutrition every 5 seconds; an estimated 15 million children have lost one, or both their parents to AIDS.

The sheer size and complexity of the problem can leave you so overwhelming that it sometimes prevents us from responding at all. But as Christians, God’s Word tells over and over again about our responsibility to the poor.

Psalm 41:1 reads, “Blessed is he who considers the poor…” My question is, “Do we?” I wonder how much time do we actually spend considering the difficulties of the poor? And who are the poor? Is it just the homeless person who lives under a bridge or on a city street? Is it just those living in poverty in parts of Africa?

We do not always see the needs of the poor on a daily basis. But considering the poor is the responsibility of every Christian, and it’s a responsibility that comes with promise. If we read on in Psalm 41 it says: “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.”

Our compassion and generosity towards the orphan, the widow, the alien and the poor moves God’s heart. There’s no doubt about it, the Bible has a lot more to say about our attitude to the poor than it does about many of the other things we are very concerned about. Here are attitudes to guard against if we are to effectively respond to the needs of the poor:

Excuses
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37) Jesus shared the story of the man who was robbed, attacked and left for dead on the street. He parallels the response of two religious men who crossed the street when confronted by the dying man and the actions of the Samaritan who stopped to help. I’m sure the two men who kept walking would have been able to justify their inaction. Perhaps they had to get to an important meeting or the supermarket before closing time. Maybe they thought they were not in a position to help.

We can have countless excuses that prevent us from helping the poor. We can hide behind our busyness, our lack of resource or our perceived distance from the problem. This is the equivalent of ‘crossing the road’ when faced with the reality of people’s needs, circumstances and situations. It actually says a whole lot about our priorities and who we are.

A Judgmental Attitude
Ignorance can cause us to make wrong judgments about the underprivileged and the poor. We can make presumptions about why people are poor; we can make judgments about their happiness, how smart they are, and their willingness to be helped. Let’s never allow a judgmental spirit affect our willingness to extend a hand to the hurting.

A Moralizing Attitude
Generosity is fantastic, but when our giving is done in a flashy way it can be elitist. That kind of giving can be hollow and unattractive, and the very people we want to help are likely to see right through it! We need to be sure that we keep a spirit of cooperation and an attitude that says ‘together we can make a greater difference’.

HOW CAN WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Now that we have identified attitudes that hinder our response to the poor, let’s consider how as individuals we can start making a difference today:

Keep building your own life
We’re all alive for God’s Kingdom purpose and as part of the Church, we’re all part of God’s plan for humanity. Our Christianity should never be just about us having enough for ourselves; it’s about building the kind of life that helps others. The best thing we can all do is take what God has placed in our hand and become successful at it. We should all be committed to continually building our lives in a way that sets us up to be a blessing to others.

Be part of something bigger than yourself
On our own we can do a little, but together we can do a lot. Being a part of a church that has vision and getting behind that vision will cause us to be more effective than each of us trying to do it on our own. There is truly strength in numbers.

Practice generosity everywhere
I don’t believe generosity comes naturally; in fact our human tendency is to hold back or think of ourselves first. I believe we need to challenge this thinking by building a culture that practices generosity everywhere. It may be a smile or a kind word to the cashier at the grocery store, or a gift to someone going through a tough time. We need to work against anything in us that tries to draw back from being generous with our finances, our words and our actions.

Befriend someone less fortunate than you
I’ve already mentioned it, but it’s worth repeating; there are people in need all around us. Sometimes we can become so consumed with our own things that we become removed or distant from this reality. Why don’t we decide that we’re going to come alongside somebody who may be less fortunate than us? I’m not talking about a patronizing friendship; rather become enough of a friend to really understand their need and what the real situation is in their life. Friendship costs you something. Let’s decide together, as we build a vision for the future, that we’re going to consider the poor and find every opportunity we can to make a lasting difference. Let’s be committed to tackling the issue of injustice and poverty from every direction.

Bring an offering for the poor
Silver Creek Fellowship is taking a special offering for the poor on Sunday, Nov 20. The money from this offering will not go into the Silver Creek Fellowship general fund, but will go to help us minister to the poor. Part of the offering will go towards ministering to people who are hungry; in Kenya, where there is severe famine; in Cambodia, where extreme poverty is found on every street. These places have massive problems and we can’t help everyone, but we can help some! Part of what we receive will go to help our own Poor Fund to help people who are in emergency financial situations – both in the church and in the community.

Get your children involved in giving to the poor. Talk about it together as a family. What can you do? Is there something you could do without? Gather up spare change. Purchase an item from our Mission Passport. Do something!

7 Ways to Tell it May Be a God Thing

2011-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

And without faith it is impossible to please God… Hebrews 11:6

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. 2 Chronicles 20:12

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27

God calls people to seemingly impossible tasks. It gives Him glory when I can’t do something, but He can. I can do “all things through Christ who strengthen me”, but often what He calls me to do can seem foolish to attempt (at least to others…and sometimes me) at the time. Imagine what the friends of Abraham, Moses, and Noah must have thought when God called them to what appeared to be impossible assignments. God calls people to walk by faith into the unknown.

If you know God has called you to something, don’t be dismayed if others can’t quickly identify with your calling. In my experience, God is often raising up others with the same heartbeat, but you can’t always see them at the time, so there may be periods when you have to stand alone on God’s calling. That may be for a season, but at times it could be for years. (Consider the case of Noah.)

With that in mind…

Here are 7 ways to tell it may be a God thing:

Everyone says it can’t be done…
You feel you aren’t qualified…
There aren’t enough resources available…
It makes no rational sense…
People call it (or you) stupid…
It would give God all the glory…
It honors God and is true to His Word…

I’m not saying this post confirms that what you are attempting to do is from God. What I am saying is that you should not dismiss the call you believe God has placed on your life because it doesn’t make sense to others around you…or to yourself at times.

Are you in the midst of a God-calling?

17 WAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US

2011-03-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

1. He dwells within us at all times (John 14:17, 1 Cor. 6:19, Rom. 8:16, 2 Tim. 1:14).

"Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19)

2. He guards our salvation and assures us we belong to God (Rom. 8:16, 2 Cor 1:22, 5:5)

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." (Rom. 8:16)

3. He gives us hope and peace during difficult times (Rom. 14:17, 15:13, 1 Thess. 1:6).

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)

4. He gives us strength and endurance during trials (Eph. 3:16).

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being..." (Eph 3:16)

5. He brings conviction (John 16:8, 1 Thes. 1:5).

"When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..." (John 16:8)

6. He provides power over temptation (Galatians 5:16).

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

7. He grows us into holiness (1 Pet. 1:2)

"...[you] have been chosen... through the sanctifying work of the Spirit." (1 Pet. 1:2)

8. He helps us pray (Rom. 8:26-27, Eph. 6:18, Jude 20)

"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Rom. 8:26-27)

9. He gives wisdom for decision making (Eph. 1:17)

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom..." (Eph. 1:17)

10. He provides understanding of God's Word (1 Cor. 2:9-16).

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13)

11. He guides and directs into specific events (Acts 13:4, 16:6, Rev. 17:17)

"The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 13:4)

12. He calls us unto salvation (Ephesians 4:4).

"There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called...: (Eph. 4:4)

13. He invests us with confidence over fear (2 Timothy 1:7).

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Tim. 1:7)

14. He gives us the right words to speak about God (Acts 1:8).

"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)

15. He gives every believer a spiritual gift(s) (1 Corinthians 12:7, Heb. 2:4).

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." (1 Cor. 12:7)

16. He frees us from the letter of the law and gives us the spirit of the law (2 Cor. 3:16-18).

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3:16-18)

17. He grows within us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)

THE SHADOW OVER CHRISTMAS

2010-12-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is a joyful season for us; nothing in all history approaches the great blessings of Jesus’ entrance into the world. It is no wonder that the angels sang, “Joy to the World!” Words collapse under content of His great goodness and mercy. Yet in the midst of our joyous celebration there are shadows over the season: terrorism, war, disease, and economic hardship.

However, these are not the shadows of which I write. There was one shadow which covered the manger, and even on that glorious night, it spoke of a day 33 years later, when the noonday sun would hide itself from the darkness of human sin. The shadow of which I write was the Heavenly Father’s purpose in sending Jesus into the world—the shadow of the Cross where Jesus would die for our sin.

BIRTH
We cannot comprehend the magnitude of Jesus’ entrance into human history, and we can only imagine a world without Him. But when we look at regions where the Gospel has not been proclaimed, we get a glimpse of what it would have been like without Him.

John tells us that Jesus was the pre-existent Eternal Word; He was God and with God before the beginning began (see John 1). His coming into the world was foretold by prophets centuries before He came. His lineage was chosen beforehand: Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. “In the fullness of time,” the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear this child conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was told to name Him Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins.

Caesar Augustus decreed that a census should be taken, and that caused the return of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where the prophecies concerning His birth were fulfilled. And when the night finally came that would end history’s waiting, angels sang in the glory-lit sky, and shepherds scurried to the place of His birth. As many prophecies fell into place, a new story began to be told of God’s salvation.

ADVERSITY
Jesus was born in adversity; Jesus was born for adversity; and He triumphed over it. The angels’ voices had barely quieted, the shepherds and wise men had scarcely gone, when Herod (a descendant of Esau), began killing babies in Bethlehem, hoping to kill this new-born King. But he failed. Joseph, being warned in a dream, took his family to Egypt, and soon after, Herod died.

Joseph then took Mary and the young child back to the “unpopular” village of Nazareth to grow up and learn the ways of His heavenly Father and the needs of suffering humanity.

THE SHADOW
The next glimpse of Jesus is recorded in Luke 2:41-52. Jesus’ family had taken Him up to Jerusalem and to the temple. They returned with a large company of pilgrims, believing that Jesus was with other relatives. But He was not. After a search, they returned to the temple to find Jesus discussing theology with the experts. His parents issued a mild rebuke to Jesus, but He replied, “I must be about my Father’s business.”

The purpose of the Father casts a long shadow over the Old Covenant and its prophecies. It also casts a long shadow over the manger and entire life of Jesus. He was born to die for our sins. We cannot truly celebrate His life without understanding why He was born.

Sadly, many people will only see the hollow symbols of that birth and miss the content of it all. The Christmas trees, the gifts, and the Christmas pageants will play out under the sparkling lights of a festive season. But the shadow of the Cross will be missed by most.

The Gospel of Luke was written by Luke after investigating and interviewing eye witnesses. Many scholars believe that among those interviewed was Mary herself. It is completely logical to believe that at an early age, Jesus also became aware of the special events surrounding His birth. The One who read Isaiah 61 in His home synagogue must have also become acquainted with Isaiah 50 and 53. Somewhere in early life, He must have seen the shadow.

THE CROSS AND CHRISTMAS
Some would ask, “Is it really appropriate to talk about the Cross during this joyful Christmas season?” I would ask, “Can we honestly celebrate His birth and ignore the primary reason for it?” To fail to make the connection is to fail to understand the celebration. The Gospel is not just a part of the story; it is all of it.

There are three events in Jesus’ life, which are often celebrated separately, but they never stand alone. They are like three peaks in one mountain range: His birth, His death, and His resurrection. Without all three, no single one would be celebrated. He was born Savior, died to save, and rose again to prove that He could save us from our sins.

The Cross was not some coincidental tragedy that happened unfortunately to a nice person. It was not left to fickle human hands. It was the purpose of God from before the beginning. In John 12, it is recorded that He prayed, “What shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I came into this hour.” He came by the Father’s will to die in our place for our sins.

Most religions have heroes—dead ones. But no other religion offers the virgin-born Son of God who Himself died for sinners, arose from the dead, and then ascended to Heaven to intercede for their deliverance. No mere religion or religious hero can stand alongside Jesus. We need to look at His entire life, death, and resurrection as we celebrate His birth. Then and only then can we give His birth its rightful place and rightful praise.

THE REAL GIFT
Our secular society has sought to capture Christmas. They might as well attempt to capture the sun. They give us an empty package nicely wrapped, but no virgin birth, no cross, and no resurrection. Such a gift is worth less than the wrapping paper and tinsel that covers it. To accept such a gift would leave one hopeless in the end. It has no warranty, only empty claims.

The real gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes—a plain, inexpensive wrapping. But what a gift—God’s love for sinners, the Hope of Eternal Life through forgiveness of sin. The real gift was more than good teaching or answers to life’s great questions. The real gift was that God gave Himself for whoever would believe and receive Him.

SEE THE SHADOW
Perception is reality to our generation. So we see surface symbols and miss significance. The manger scene is a symbol, but the shadow of the cross is the significance of His birth. He was born to save us from our sin through His death on the cross. The angels said it, “For unto you is born this day a Savior Who is Christ the Lord.”

Savior…Christ…Lord. Those three words form the essence of Christmas. He is the Anointed One to deliver us from sin and to reign in our lives.

Do you see the shadow over the manger? The shadow is not the difficulties of ancient Israel or modern America, it is the Father’s will: the cross where He bore our sins, paid the price of our iniquities, and gave us the right of justification. It is the place where we exchanged our ashes for His beauty.

Does the shadow extend into your life? Do you live beneath the shadow of the Father’s purpose? When I see the manger, and all that history has attached to it, I am reminded that the same Jesus has called me to take up my cross and follow Him. As He was sent by the Father, so He has sent me (see John 20:21). No, we are not virgin born. We are not saviors, and no, we are not called to pay for the sins of the world. But we are called to declare the One who was, and the One who did all of that.

We must not accept a lowest common denominator view of Christmas. We need to see and declare the “whole package,” and share with the world the whole counsel of God. We must handle Jesus’ story with integrity worthy of the original reality: birth, death, and resurrection. That will pack real praise and worship into this season for the great gift that we have received!

God bless you this season.

Grace & Peace

2010-12-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This greeting of Paul to the ancient church at Thessalonica is like medicine to our modern world. With increasing terrorist attacks – the most recent attempt to bomb the Christmas Tree lighting in Portland – and the continuing government policy of appeasement towards radical Islam, leaves many who are threatened to lose their inner peace.

Terrorism has its targets and these are nearly always innocent people. But behind this campaign of terror lies another sinister goal - to cause intimidation, fear and loss of peace.

Of course, believers in Christ have many promises of God to hold onto:

Psalms 91:1-2 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Great verses, great advice! Take it like medicine for your soul. God will never fail his people and will always care, protect and uphold us during times of stress and trouble.

But behind these promises lie the even greater revelation - the miracle of God's grace. It's his grace that saves us, keeps us, provides for our every need and, in the end, it's God's grace that will lead us home.

Let the nations roar, let the unrighteous gloat over their reign of terror, but the Lord is in his heavens and his kingdom will be seen. Let that knowledge settle in your spirit and bring the only kind of peace that will last in these days - the peace of God.

Facing an Uncertain Future

2010-08-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

From the world’s point of view, the future seems unclear, uncertain, and unstable. When it comes to your future, God has a different point of view. God sees your future with perfect clarity; He knows your future with absolute certainty and He is directing your future towards a glorious destiny.

How can you be assured of the future that God has for you? You can be assured because God is already there, because He is preparing the way ahead of you, and because He will take you by the hand and lead you into His plans for your future. You can trust Him with your future because He is wise and will not make a mistake; He is all-knowing and will not lose His way; He is good and will not bring you harm.

It might be surprising for you to know, but God does not ask you to plan your future. What God asks is for you to trust Him and follow His plan. Trusting His plan will keep you from being worried, fearful, or anxious about the future. You need to be confident in the fact that your future is as bright as the promises of God.

As you think about your future, let your faith embrace these bright promises of God from the Bible:

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. (2 Samuel 22:31 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8 NLT)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:12 NLT)

If you are currently facing a future where you just don’t know what to do, then consider King Jehoshaphat’s prayer when a vast army was coming towards him:

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

So many times in life when things aren’t going our way or something is coming against us, we try to figure out how to make things better. We try to manipulate our circumstances or other people to improve our situation. It’s really hard for us to simply say: “I don’t know what to do.”

I love the honesty of Jehoshaphat. He knew the odds were against him. He knew that he was in a hopeless situation. He was outnumbered. He and his people were destined to die. What did he do? He cried out to God before all the people. He recounted God’s goodness in their lives. He concluded his prayer for help by acknowledging to God and all the people that he didn’t know what to do…but his eyes were upon the Lord.

What are you facing today? What obstacle in your life can you not overcome on your own? Is it a disease? A relationship? A workload that is unbearable? A discouraging financial situation? An uncertain future? Then read Jehoshaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles 20. See what happened after he said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” I believe God still has the power to see us through when we set our eyes upon Him!

WHY WE BELIEVE IN CHURCH GROWTH

2010-06-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Silver Creek Fellowship is a growing church and we are asking God for more people. Our current prayer request is for 300 people in attendance at our Sunday meeting and we are rapidly moving towards that number. This past week I was confronted with a question by a member who is concerned about the effects of growth on the church: “Can a church grow too much? Should growth ever stop? Is there a limit to numerical growth?”

It’s a legitimate question that I’d like to look at some Bible verses to find answers for. The Bible in Matthew 13:31 says,” The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Though it is the smallest of all seeds yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants.”

This obviously implies growth. Jesus expected the church to grow.

Let me clarify what I mean by the term, “church growth”. When I use this phrase, I’m not talking about a church growing by Christians transferring their church membership from one church to another. That is often the real reason behind the rapid growth of churches. When one church puts on a better show than the other churches in town all the church shoppers flock to that new church.

In my opinion, that is not legitimate growth. This is not the type of growth Jesus meant when He gave the Great Commission. There are three different kinds of church growth.

1. Biological growth. This is when you have children of parents who are Christians become believers in the church. In other words, parents have children who grow up and grow to the age of accountability and make their own personal commitment to Christ.

2. Transfer growth. This is when members of one church transfer and become members of another church.

3. Conversion growth. Non Christians, non-believers, make their public confession of faith in Christ. They’re baptized and join into the life of the church.

The kind of church growth that we are primarily interested in is caused by the conversion of unbelievers to Christ, and that is the most important purpose for Silver Creek Fellowship to exist. Let me give you two biblical reasons why we believe the church must never stop growing.

1.) GOD’S WORD COMMANDS IT

God’s word commands numerical church growth. It’s obvious as you read the New Testament. In the Bible we have clear instruction from Christ about the spread of the Gospel. Jesus has given us a mission, a mandate to go and make disciples. This is called the Great Commission. Actually there are five great commissions given in the New Testament. The first one is the most famous:

Matthew 28:19-20 - “Jesus said, `Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I’ve commanded you and surely I will be with you always even to the very end of the age.”

In this passage we can see three things. Jesus said make disciples, mark disciples and mature disciples.

• We’re to make them – that’s win them to Christ help them become converted.
• Then baptize them – that’s mark them, help them identify as believers.
• And the mature them, “…teach them to obey everything I’ve commanded you.”

That’s the Great Commission, but I think that in a lot of churches it’s the Great Omission. We do everything except make, mark and mature disciples.

Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8 are the other instances of Great Commissions of Christ. In each of the Gospels, and in the book of Acts, Jesus gives a commission to His followers that we are to go out and reach others for Christ.

Acts 1:8 - “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria and the other ends of the earth.”

Here you can see that the Gospel is to be expanded in ever increasing concentric circles. He says, first you start in Jerusalem. That’s exactly where they were. Then He says go to Judea, that’s the county and then to Samaria, the county next door and then finally to the ends of the earth. We see how Jesus intended for the message of the Gospel to grow and the disciples were to begin at their home base and they were eventually to expand to other areas covering the entire globe.

Growth is not optional for a church because it’s commanded. In fact, I believe that the church that refuses to reach out to unbelievers is a disobedient church. It is sinning. To ignore these commandments is sin because Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” An obedient church will always have a desire to grow. It will want to grow because God has commanded that we reach out, that we grow.

2.) THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE

The needs of the people around us demand church growth. The Bible clearly states that people who die without Christ will go to hell. It is a reality that we cannot ignore. It has been estimated that 176,000 people die every 24-hours. Most of those people are dying without Christ. We need to continually remind ourselves of that eternal fact – that eternal punishment awaits those who die without Christ and eternal reward awaits those who die in Christ.

Matthew 25:41-46 “Then God will say, `Depart from Me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And they shall go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into everlasting life.”

This is serious; there are eternal consequences. This fact continually motivates us at Silver Creek Fellowship to never stop reaching out. One of the foundations of our ministry is this: “As long as one person in our ministry area is lost and headed for hell, then we must continue to reach out with the Good News”. We will never stop growing as long as there is just one person who needs Christ, we will continue to reach out. No matter how many people we have we will never stop reaching out. We do not grow for our benefit; we grow for the benefit of other people. We grow because people need the Lord. We grow because people without Christ go to hell.

The fact is that it is selfish for a church to not want to grow. A church that says, “We’ve got enough people, we’ve got a nice fellowship. Our church is just the right size. We just need to focus on the members we already have.” That church is in reality, actually saying, “The rest of the world can go to hell. We don’t care.” The church that only focuses on itself, rather than on the needs of those out in the world, has lost its purpose and has simply become a social club.

I believe it’s selfish when a church does not want to grow. On the other hand, it is unselfish for a church to want to grow. Increased growth means more problems and bigger problems for sure. It means more people – which means more inconveniences, more conflicts, more expenses, more frustration with issues like building space, parking, and multiple services. The church that commits itself to growth is acting in an unselfish way. Our attitude about growth is this: We are willing to put up with the hassles of growth and welcome new people into our fellowship because people need the Lord.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14 - “For the love of Christ compels us because we are convinced that one died for all.”

God loves all people. He never created a person He didn’t love. Because God cares, we must care. Love is the proper motivation for church growth. Nothing else but love – love for the Lord and love for people.

1 Peter 3:9 -“The Lord is patient not wanting any one to perish but wanting everyone to come to repentance.”

Here is a clear statement that shows that numerical growth is God’s will. He says the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. That’s an issue that God says is clearly His will. We never have to pray, “Lord, help us reach more people, if it’s Your will.” Because it’s always God’s will for people to be saved.

I believe that church growth is a choice. A church must choose to grow or not to grow. Many churches have deliberately chosen not to grow. They make that choice in a variety of ways. They make it by the programs they offer. They make it by the amount of time and energy they invest in evangelism. They make the decision by the size of the building they choose to build. A church chooses whether to grow or not to grow in many instances. But if we really love God and we really love people, then the desire for church growth cannot be optional.

God’s Sufficiency

2010-04-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

"What is impossible with men is possible with God. " – Luke 18:27

We tend to be self-sufficient people who feel very capable of providing for our own needs. We have developed an extreme confidence in our own ability and worth and in our Western culture, we idolize self-sufficiency and independence. When we are left to our own plans and desires, the chief aim of our lives tends to gravitate toward economic, social, and relational independence. Yet our quest for self-sufficiency moves us in the direct opposite direction of God’s plan for us.

People in all their self-sufficiency cannot save themselves. The rich young man who came to Jesus (Luke 18:18-29) was self-sufficient in his understanding of religion, but when he was faced with losing his possessions to gain following Christ, he went away sad. He couldn’t give up his wealth. Suddenly it became apparent to him that to follow Christ required the recognition of his own personal need – and that he was not as self-sufficient as he had first thought.

This rich young man had given his best effort to satisfy God, but found his own life lacking. The realization of his own need caused him ask, "Who then can be saved"? (v.26) He felt he had done everything that was humanly possible to win God’s favor – I am sure that he felt that if he couldn’t find a way to God, then nobody could! Jesus reply to the question, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

That’s the answer … if we place our dependency on God, then we’ll gain eternal life and fulfillment. For many Christians, walking in moral righteousness – trying to live a good life – defines their walk with the Lord. But this self-determined effort can lead us to the dead end road of returning to our own self-sufficiency. God didn’t set us free to labor for success, gain position, education, wealth and status. It’s how we live our life and the works we carry out under the Lord that now are the issue. Jesus came to set us free – free to become a people who glorify Him through our very lives. Yet, our lives often fail to demonstrate the power of God, His glory, and a testimony of walking in complete trust of Him for all things.

God desires to be our sufficiency in everything. How radical our lives would be if we would permit every thought, word and deed to flow from and through Him! "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty" Zechariah 4:6

SCF Day of Prayer & Fasting

2010-04-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Elders of Silver Creek Fellowship are calling for a day of prayer and fasting, beginning at 5:00 pm on April 16 and concluding with a congregational Soup Supper at 5:00 pm on April 17. This time of intensive prayer will be focused on several specific issues that are part of our mission to see the Kingdom of God extended in the Silverton area.

So what is Christian Fasting? Is fasting necessary for today’s Christian church?
Fasting is a spiritual discipline which was encouraged by Jesus, Himself, while He was on earth. When questioned as to why the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist fasted while Jesus disciples did not, Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15).

So what is fasting? Biblically speaking, fasting is abstaining from food, drink, sleep or sex to focus on a period of spiritual growth. Specifically, we humbly deny something of the flesh to glorify God, enhance our spirit, and go deeper in our prayer life.

Christian Fasting - Focus Deeper on God
Christian fasting isn't some kind of a "work" that's commanded by Christ or required by the Scripture. However, that doesn't mean that fasting isn't recommended as a part of our spiritual growth. The Book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:4; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. However, the purpose of fasting is to take our eyes off the things of this world and instead focus on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God and to ourselves that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything you can temporarily give up in order to better focus on God can be considered a fast (1 Cor. 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when the fasting is from food. Extended periods of time without eating are harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish our flesh, but to focus on God.

Fasting should not be considered a "dieting method" either. We shouldn't fast to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Yes, anyone can fast. Some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example), but everyone can temporarily give up something in order to focus on God. Even unplugging the television for a period of time can be an effective fast. Yes, it's a good idea for believers to fast from time to time.

Fasting is not required in Scripture, but it's highly recommended. The only Biblical reason to fast is to develop a closer walk with God. By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can focus better on Christ. "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18).

PRAYING THE BLESSING OF AARON

2010-02-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

PRAYING THE BLESSING OF AARON
NUMBERS 6:22-27

Sneeze, and someone is likely to say, "Bless you!" In the days of Moses and his brother Aaron, to speak words of blessing to someone was no empty formality. In Numbers 6:22-27, God provided specific instructions for how the Old Testament priests were to pronounce the Lord's blessing on His people. This was all God's idea and it shows us how He loves to bless His people:

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'

So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them"

(Numbers 6:22-27).

God's blessing came through a mediator (Moses) and a priest (Aaron). The wonderful terms of this blessing still come to God's people, but today they are given through Jesus Christ, God's greatest Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). All the benefits described here—being blessed and kept by God, etc.—are given to all who seek them through Jesus.

When a man has Christ as his Mediator with God, the New Testament says that man becomes part of God's "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). As such a priest, the man has the authority to use the words of Numbers 6:22-27 to ask for the Lord's blessing upon others. These are not magic words. The blessing of God does not result from the mere repetition of this or any other prayer (see Matthew 6:7). Still, it was God Himself who gave us this prayer. And we can expect God's blessing to accompany sincere devotion to God's will.

Have you prayed for God to bless you in these ways through Jesus?

The greatest blessing from God is not His gifts but Himself. He sent Jesus to give us this blessing (see John 14:6). To all who come to this Mediator and Priest, God promises "I will bless them" (verse 27).

Will you pray this blessing for your church?

These words weren't originally addressed to individuals, but to God's people as a whole. Likewise, today we should pray for God's blessings upon His people worldwide, and especially for our own local church.

Will you pray this blessing for your family?

Pray it for them in their hearing, not just in your private prayers. And place Jesus in the center of it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Dear friends in Christ,

This time of year provides a lot of opportunities to stop and reflect on the months that have flown by and to think about what lies ahead for us in 2010.

I guess it’s impossible to live without some regrets. The presence of sin in the world and in our hearts means that we have not yet finished a day in which everything we did was exactly right. But we can’t live our lives as a Christian without a sense of thanksgiving that overshadows the sorrows. One thing I’ve found to be true: When you take a look back at your life, you can see many more reasons to praise and thank God which were not as obvious as when you were going through it. We see how He has been faithful in keeping His promises and gracious in His dealings with us.

Past mercies give confidence to our present hope for the future. As we consider God's dealings with us over the last year, we are encouraged to trust Him for whatever He brings into our lives in the year ahead. As we consider how the Lord has helped us so far, we are strengthened in our faith to depend on Him as we move into the future. I believe that past grace is the surest guarantee of future grace.

The foundation of this hope is found in this great promise from the Bible -- Romans 8:32. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" The Apostle Paul is saying to us, "Look back at all that God has done in giving us Jesus Christ." He did not spare Him, which is a way of reminding us that God "delivered Him up" to that painful and shameful death on the cross so that we, His people, could have our sins forgiven and our lives transformed.

If God did not spare even His Son in order to provide for us, how can we think for even a moment that He would fail to give us anything we need in the future? The cross of Jesus Christ guarantees that God will graciously provide for us all that we need both in this life and the life to come. That is why Jesus Christ came to earth. That is why He was born.

So as you celebrate Christmas, with whatever traditions and activities that you enjoy, take advantage of the opportunity to praise God again for what the Apostle Paul calls the "unspeakable," gift of His Son. If you have Christ you can be sure that from your heavenly Father's kind hand you have and will have everything you need.

Have a blessed and happy Christmas!

In Christ,

Rob & Kathy Barnes

How Big Is Your Neighborhood?

2009-10-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

How Big Is Your Neighborhood?

We are living in a day when divisions among individuals, groups, and nations seem to be growing. The world’s financial situation continues to decline and wars and violence are an everyday reality. Confusion, anger, and fear have seized the hearts of many and the response of many people is to retreat into their own little caves. Where is the Church in all of this? Where are you? Where am I? How are we to respond? Much wisdom can be found in the Scripture on these issues as we look at the life of Jesus, and how He responded to His culture, we gain His insights into how we can respond and relate to ours.

The Problem

Jesus entered into a culture where religion had lost its purpose. Judaism was no longer the dynamic force that represented Abraham, Moses, or David. The leaders of Judaism had become either political servants of Rome or were simply a legalistic society for professional clergy.

Jesus had harsh words for Jewish religious rulers. He congratulated them for some things, but He severely criticized them for others. They had misrepresented God and made religion a burden, not a blessing. One group, the Pharisees, was conservative and Bible-believing to the point of legalism. Jesus commended them for their adherence to the Law, (tithing, believing in the resurrection, and other virtues) but chastised them for missing the Spirit of God in the application of it all. Another group, the Sadducees, was liberal and heavily influenced by intellectualism. They had cast aside all faith in the supernatural and favored a more “reasonable” approach. Israel’s problem was that religion was either legalistic or faithless, or both. In that condition the people walked in darkness.

Pure Religion

The book of James defines pure religion as caring for widows and orphans (see James 1:27). Another verse says, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only” (James 1:22). The issue here is that true personal faith cannot be separated from practical personal actions. This is where Israel got it wrong and where we often do as well. We cannot be true believers without personal compassion toward those in need. Nor can we merely be social activists, ignoring the foundations of faith. Once faith and action are separated into “camps,” both camps are in deception.

Jesus’ Neighborhood

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus gave an answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” The question was asked by a religious scholar in an effort to trick Jesus. Jesus replied to him with this story: A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The man was robbed and beaten, left “half-dead.” This half-dead man was approached by a priest and later a Levite (a type of religious official), both of whom crossed the road to avoid him. Then along came a Samaritan. Many Jews despised the Samaritans because they were of mixed ancestry, and were considered to be impure for racial and religious reasons. (An irony in Jesus’ story is that many of the people who went to Jericho used the Jordan route to avoid going through Samaria.)

In the story, the Samaritan responds to the wounded man differently than what the religious officials did. The Samaritan ministered oil and wine to the injured man, put him on his own horse or donkey, took him to an inn to recover, and guaranteed whatever further expenses incurred.

Then Jesus asked the religious scholar this key question: “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor...Priest, Levite, or Samaritan?” The lawyer answered, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” The story gives us tremendous insight into the heart and mind of Jesus, and it has great implications for us today. We see that Jesus’ neighborhood was much bigger than that of His contemporaries; it included all people. We also learn that neighborliness was a matter of mercy, not geographical proximity, or racial and religious sameness.

Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters

Protestants and Catholics disagree on whether or not Jesus had physical siblings (see Mark 3:31-35). That controversy is based on the Catholic belief that Mary never had sexual relations with Joseph. What we can’t overlook, however, is that Jesus defined “brother and sister” as those who did His Father’s will.

This truth becomes clear in Matthew 25:31-46, where Jesus discusses the Great Judgment Day for all nations...He will separate them one from the other, as a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The “Sheep” are placed on His right hand and the “Goats” on His left. The separation was based upon whether or not they had shown compassion to the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Both groups asked Jesus for an explanation of their behavior. Jesus responded by saying, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these—My brothers—you did it unto Me.”

Jesus identifies with the needy and calls them His brothers and sisters. The defining issue is compassion and according to the Bible, those showing compassion, or those who failed to do so, were unaware of the significance—they just responded to the opportunity in a personal way...some negatively, some positively.

One-to-One

The Samaritan was one person ministering to another. The government can’t do this for us; even the Church can’t do this for us. It is a one-to-one issue. One of Jesus’ charges against the Pharisees was that they taught others to do what they themselves would not do on a personal level. The Bible says that Jesus is the revelation of the Father in every way. He is the revelation of God’s nature, righteousness, holiness, power, and mercy. When religion is void of God’s Spirit, it becomes a tool of deception and wars against the very God it professes. James reminds us, as Jesus reminded us, that one way to test true faith is by the way we treat those who are weak, vulnerable, and in need. Most of us have been the “Priest” or “Levite” on occasion. But Jesus is calling us to be the Samaritan; to pour on the oil of mercy and the wind of the Spirit and to humble ourselves and walk beside the wounded...and we can do it personally.

PEOPLE ON A MISSION

2009-09-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

PEOPLE ON A MISSION

Matthew 28:18-20 - Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Even though I have more than150 channels on my TV, nothing good ever seems to be on! It seems to me on most nights that no matter how many stations I click to it’s always a bad choice. A few weeks ago I was doing what most men do—I was in my nothing box, mindlessly flipping through the TV channels—and there it was, a classic movie with significance: THE BLUES BROTHERS, starring Dan Ackroyd and the late John Belushi.

Through a strange mixture of religion and zaniness (things that are too complex to go into here!) two brothers, Jake and Elwood, set out to raise funds for a group of nuns. They decide to accomplish this task by getting their old band together again after a long period of inactivity. As they contact each of the former members of the band, they have a message: "We're on a mission from God."

There is no limit to what people can accomplish when they are on a mission from God! Jesus called his twelve disciples together: Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Jesus gave these men authority to drive out evil spirits, to heal every disease and sickness, and to preach the kingdom of God. They were truly on a mission from God.

I think that it is pretty remarkable that the twelve disciples worked so well together considering the significant differences between them. Philip was a scholar. Matthew was a tax collector, (considered as a traitor by most people). Simon (the Canaanite) was a member of a nationalist group, the Zealots. Judas Iscariot was not even from Galilee, but was an out-of-towner who most likely brought his own customs into the group. Have you ever stopped to think about what bound them together? Only this: They were on a mission from God!

As we read the Bible, the characters often seem larger than life. Sometimes I think we need to stop and take a look at the kind of people God chooses.

GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE.

The first thing we need to recognize is that God doesn't use the most talented people, God doesn't use the most beautiful people, and God doesn't use the most articulate people. The kind of people that God generally seems to use is ordinary people, people like you and me.

I can think of many reasons why God would not want you and me to serve Him--reasons having to do with our many and various inadequacies. However, we're in good company: Abraham was too old. David was too young. Moses stuttered. Hosea's wife was a prostitute. Elijah was depressed. Jonah ran from God. Noah got drunk. Jacob was deceitful. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon was too rich. Naomi was a poor widow. John the Baptist was too stern. In many people's eyes, Jesus was too lenient. Martha was a worrywart. Mary seemed lazy. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on their adversaries. Peter was afraid of death. Lazarus WAS dead. Thomas doubted. But God used them every one of them.

I guess what I’m trying to communicate is that in the end, it’s not our résumé that impresses God—in fact, He doesn’t even look at it. God isn't checking out your pedigree and He doesn’t send for a copy of your SAT’s. What God is look for is our devotion and our willingness to go the extra mile with Him. We’re on a mission from God! He’s got things for us to do—work to do; promises to apprehend; battles to fight.

And here is the best part: He promises to be with us, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.

2009-08-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Faith Under Pressure

Just when things couldn’t possibly get worse, they do. Just when we set our expectations in life, the unexpected happens. Whether the storms in life come out of nowhere, or we saw them coming all along, we struggle to hold on to our faith. When we have no strength to carry on, when disappointment and discouragement take hold of us, we find that the only way through it all depends upon our faith. We find our faith being tested as we endure suffering that may be physical, mental, social, financial, or all of them combined.

Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all.”

So what do we do when our faith is tested? Will our faith pass the test? According to the Bible, the testing of our faith is an opportunity, not an obstacle. God’s purpose for allowing the trials in our life is to strengthen us, not destroy us. He has promised that His plans are for good; He has promised to complete the work He has begun in us; He has promised to never leave us or forsake us; He has promised to be a ready help in times of trouble … so we do believe what He has promised because God is not a liar.

“Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.” James 1:3 (AMP)

So, how do we pass the test? How can be we stand strong in our faith when our world is falling out from under us? When there’s nothing we can do, when it all lies in God’s hands, we can remain steadfast in our faith by:

*Focusing Forward. When we become discouraged by the struggles we face, we tend to slip into despair by focusing upon the past. We walk down memory lane and revisit all the times that we have failed in the past or the times when we feel God let us down. We find ourselves facing greater distress when we begin doubting that God cares; it seems questionable when we’re in the midst of great suffering. God has given you forgiveness for the past, grace for the present moment, and His Promises for your future. There is no past in your future! But, don’t get overwhelmed by the future either; God has only put this day in front of you.

*Focusing on God’s Promises. If there’s one thing we must grasp it is that the Word of God is filled with supernatural power. It is a power to do immeasurably more than we can hope for! (Ephesians 3:20) Whatever you’re going through in life, God has something to say about it. AND He has made promises to us in order to give us the hope and strength we need to see us through. Along the way, He’s drawing us nearer, He’s increasing our faith, and He’s creating a steadfast spirit within us, so that we will be complete, lacking in nothing! (James 1:2-4)

*Focusing on God’s Presence. Not only is God sovereign, but He is with us at all times. With each step we take, He is there beside us. At times, He’s leading, at others He’s walking with us, and often He’s carrying us. We must have a confident assurance that God is in control and is overseeing every area of our life. We must trust that if He has allowed a trial in our life, He has found purpose in it and it is for our good. Although we might not be able to understand it all by human reasoning we need to remember that everything looks different from God’s perspective ... so we trust that He knows what He’s doing! When we don’t know what to do, we keep your eyes upon Him; confidently trusting Him to take care of us. We draw our strength from Him and remain in His presence through it all; when we do, we find ourselves walking forward in life with a faith that will never fail.

MORE!

2009-01-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

MORE AT SILVER CREEK FELLOWSHIP

I am excited about all of the good things that God is doing at Silver Creek Fellowship and also the things that are yet to be done! We have a clear calling from God to see His Kingdom advanced in Silverton, the surrounding area and to the ends of the earth. God has given us a vision for a glorious church in Silverton - a church that is spectacular in appearance; full of grace and hope; a community of believers who are overflowing in righteousness, peace and joy.

Our vision is a church where every man and woman, every boy and girl, is loving God and serving God, and loving each other and serving each other. Our vision is to see a local church in Silverton that is fully functioning with the patterns of church life that are described in the New Testament - a local church that is built on the prophetic and apostolic foundations of the Bible.

This call of God is massive! It will require faith, effort and sacrifice. Winston Churchill once said, "Big things attract big men. Little things attract little men. Little men usually cause trouble." Certainly the things that God is calling us to do would be in the category of "big things". You can see that at the very beginning Jesus called His disciples to be fishers of men - not boring, ineffective "pew-sitters".

We believe that God is moving us into a season of abundance and we have been led to pray for more people, more money, more influence, more children, more ministry, more faith ... more of everything! I thought I'd share with you the list of the things that I am praying for more of during this next year:

More People
The Elders are praying for 300 people. We currently average 150+ on a given Sunday and we want to see more - and not just for the sake of numbers. Our vision requires more people to facilitate. Jesus told us to pray for more workers (Luke 10:2) so we are.

More Weddings & Babies
In a healthy church there are lots of people in their 20s & 30s falling in love, getting married and having babies. We want to see more of this at Silver Creek Fellowship!

More Salvation & Baptisms
As well as physical births a healthy church should be seeing many people spiritually born again. We love to baptize people and hear their stories about how they have been changed by Jesus.

More Prayer
Prayer is vital to our success. We will continue with our prayer meeting every Thursday morning and we will call for concentrated times of prayer on a congregational basis several times this year.

More Healings
The New Testament records that everywhere that the Gospel was preached, signs & wonders followed-especially healing. We believe that God wants to demonstrate His power and authority through healings and miracles.

More Spiritual Gifts
The church is functioning as God intends when the Holy Spirit is manifested through every member functioning with the gifts that God has given them.

More Worship
Worship is the gateway into the presence of God. The scripture says that we enter his courts with thanksgiving and his gates with praise. We want more of God's manifest presence in all that we do and we want our lives and our meetings to be filled with the worship and praise.

More Youth
This is a year of transition for our youth group and a new leadership team is being developed. We are excited about the continuing growth of our youth ministry and we want to see many young people caught up in the mission of Jesus.

More Money Released for the Mission
Everything we do costs money, so the more money we have the more we can do! We believe that God has been lavishly generous towards us and we want to reflect this generosity in the way we give our money. We are praying that our regular giving would reach $20,000/month.

More Leaders Developing
Nothing happens without leadership. A key goal for us this year is to see more leaders being identified and released to serve the church. We will immediately add 6 administrative teams which will help carry more of the ministry load and will allow more people to use their gifts in service. These teams will include Sunday Morning, Youth, Children, Events & Hospitality, Building Maintenance, and Campus Maintenance.

More Training
We want church members to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God so we are encouraging many people to attend training courses.More Small GroupsWe believe that small Home Fellowship Groups are the key to church life at Silver Creek Fellowship. We will plant several new groups in 2009 and we will make a significant effort to encourage people to join in.

More Membership
We will introduce a new church membership system built around the values of Grace, Growth, Group, Generosity & Gifts. We are convinced that there are many benefits to church membership, here are just a few:
a. It identifies you as a genuine believer (Ephesians 2:19, Romans 12:5).
b. It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage you in your walk with Christ (Galatians 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25).
c. It gives you a place to discover and use your gifts in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-27).
d. It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Hebrews 13:17, Acts 20:28-29).
e. It gives you the accountability you need to grow (Ephesians 5:21).

The Reason for God

2009-01-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reading Tim Keller’s book, "The Reason for God". The book is an examination of the seven most common objections to the Christian faith in our culture, and then presents evidence for Christianity as a reasonable way of understanding the world. This outstanding book is written with great deal of insight, honesty, and sensitivity; I think it is a book that can be appreciated by both believers and non-believers.

Rick Warren says that this is the book he buys for his "not yet Christian" friends who have questions – which is high praise indeed. Up until now I've always thought that Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ” and Nicky Gumbel's "Searching Issues" were the best books of this type, but I think Tim Keller has gone one better.

Word & Spirit

2008-11-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

Joel Gill's blog attributes this 1947 prophecy to Smith Wigglesworth:

"During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterised by a restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches.

In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, 'This is a great revival.' But the Lord says, 'No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.'

When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth."