Caroline Berardi - God is Calling Us... how will we respond?

Amos 7:10-17

“I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son…”

Amos wasn’t a prophet- at least not an ‘official’ one, and yet he spoke on God’s behalf.   In today’s world, he wouldn’t have been an ordained pastor.  At best, Amos could be described as an itinerant shepherd and a guy who hawked fruit from the roadside.  He had no credentials or degrees, certainly no impressive pedigree, nor anything else that our world uses to suggest that we should pay attention to someone.  He had nothing but a charge from God to step up and speak up.

In spite of the fact that Amos wasn’t asked to present an easy or popular word, he served God as he was called- giving up the life he had imagined for the life God needed him to lead.  He moved up to Samaria in the Northern Kingdom and told Israel of their coming destruction and exile.  He told them of their faults, their distance from God, and of the judgment and punishment that awaited them.  

Can you imagine a harder message to give your own people?

Can you imagine what it must have felt like to know that youhad to be the one to deliver it?

Can you imagine the faithfulness it took not to keep silent, or hide, or shrink back from the call?

That’s my word for the group: CALL

When God calls us, we are to answer.  When God’s call doesn’t look as we’d imagine, we are still to answer.  As Christians we love and serve God first and ourselves, our lives and our convenience last of all.

            To what are you called these days?

            Is it something that frightens you?

                        Have heart.  You are not alone, and God is beside you. 

PRAYER: Living God, acknowledging how hard it is for us to ask this, we pray that you’ll silence within each of us any thoughts but your own.  May we listen, by the power of the Spirit to your call- and respond in faith- today, tomorrow, until your Kingdom come.  In Jesus’ name we offer this and all of our prayers.  Amen.

Debbie Williamson. - Not Enough Without Him.

 NOT ENOUGH WITHOUT HIM

“Now glory be to God, by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” Ephesians 3:20

I admit that I haven’t been in a very good place the past few days.  This is because, just as many times before, I started relying on myself.  Being an educator is almost synonymous with being a planner.  So off I raced into planning mode……emailing the team who recently went to Bohoc, asking numerous questions about the orphanage teachers; what was done during the prior visit, what they knew and didn’t know, on and on. I discovered that I didn’t even recognize the program which the last educator in Bohoc explained was the foundation for her visit.   The result of MY efforts to figure this out turned into frustration for me, and I began to feel incompetent to fulfill my calling.  I went on a tangent to learn more so I could be effective, efficient, and worthy of my calling to help the teachers in Bohoc.

 

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.

In my quiet time with our Lord, I heard a gentle, “Stop It.”  I knew what HE meant, because I fall into this trap a lot. I put my books and my computer down. I turned back to HIM, and prayed for direction, prayed for HIM to equip me, to be my vision, to be my guide. I was reminded of our call to bring hope and share the Good News of our Savior. This is our mission...to show and share Christ.  It’s not delivering the perfect plan to use in teaching and it’s not providing the perfect materials to put in their hands. It is what we all know is needed, both here in our comfortable world and in Bohoc where the challenges are too great for us to yet imagine.  What we all need is the perfect Christ.  HE is Enough. And it is by HIS supernatural power that we will all be able to accomplish what God has called us to do.

So my word is TRUST.  I need this word as a verb that reminds me to deny my self-reliance and rely on the Sovereign God whose will is perfect. I want goals set by God, not those which I self-impose.  I know that I am not enough without our Lord to equip me. And by HIS grace, HE keeps drawing me back and reminds me to simply trust HIM.

“Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Prayer

I praise you, MIGHTY GOD and thank You for this opportunity to serve.  Thank you for being our GREAT HIGH PRIEST and adding power to our call to Matthew 28. I acknowledge YOUR lordship and thank You for being trustworthy with YOUR authority. I ask that You guide each of us.  I am thankful that You would never call on us to do anything that You have not already equipped us to accomplish.  May all we do be done to YOUR GLORY.  In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Debbie Williamson

Countdown 25 days - Focus on our Purpose and his Providence

Caroline told the children during their message this morning that  "having clean clothes to go to school in shouldn't really matter but it does." Of course she is right.  It matters what we wear, and if we are clean and it helps us get through our days more easily if we are comfortable, and fed and get enough sleep.  I suspect that during our time in Haiti, we also will wish for these comforts that we take for granted.  A pantry full of our favorites, a closet with clean and comfortable clothing, a hot shower or bath, a house with many rooms, electricity for all of our devices and creature comforts.  We will learn first hand, what it is to live more simply.  I believe we will learn from those who do it every day and with grace.

Devotional verse:

You are beautifully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." 

God made us for a unique and special purpose and it is up to each and every one of us to lean into God and His word to discover what we are here for.  

We all feel very called on this journey to Haiti and to contribute to Matthew 28.  We are taking our special gifts of teaching and healing to the the people we will meet in Haiti.  I think we will discover much about these gifts and how God calls us to use them.  I pray for all of us to have the vision and courage to look beyond our concerns about our comforts and step out into full faith of God's providence.  

Four weeks to go.. Physical and spiritual preparation

Hi All

It is amazing that our trip is only 4 weeks away.  The entire process has been a lesson in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I have felt so very convicted and called toward this trip and the work of Matthew 28.  Meeting Hein and sharing his stories and witnessing his passion for service has inspired and energized my faith in new ways. As much as the call to Bohoc, I feel a strong desire to bring the entire congregation of FPC along on our journey.  I want our family of faith to stretch and grow in service and connection to the work of Christ. I believe the stark need in Haiti will help us all to recognize the basic need for sharing of Christian love and the impact that love alone can have.  Barriers are broken down in such circumstance and I think our congregation will respond to witnessing their gifts received and used by the children of the orphanage.

As we continue our physical preparations, it occurs to me that we have been quite preoccupied with innoculations, and clothing choices and bedbugs and yet we have not spent as much time in our spiritual preparation.  With a month before we leave, I would really like to begin this preparation and perhaps continue to share our experiences with FPC congregation via FB, Pastor's blog and any other way we can think of. The closer our church family walks with us on this journey, the more impact we can have in our culture of service.

I would love for each of us to take a turn and offer a bible verse that is particularly meaningful to you as you prepare for our roles in Haiti.  

I wanted to start us off with 1 Thessalonians 5 14-24

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

DEVOTIONAL

When it comes to faith, a lot of believers feel like they have one foot nailed to the ground. No matter how hard they try, they just can’t seem to make any progress.

If you’ll watch them, you can see why. They literally haven’t “gotten themselves together.” One minute they’ll be telling you, “Oh yes, amen, I believe the Word,” and the next minute they’ll be spouting unbelief like it’s going out of style. “I know God says He’ll prosper us, but I’ll tell you what, my business is doing so badly, it’s about to give me ulcers. I can’t sleep at night for worrying.”

Faith just won’t work for a person like that.

You see, you’re a triune being. You are a spirit. You have a soul, which consists of your mind, will and emotions. And you live in a body. Each of those areas has a specific role to play in your faith walk. You have to get all three in agreement before you can go anywhere at all!

Start by feeding your spirit on the Word of God. Just like the body produces physical strength when you nourish it with food, the spirit produces spiritual strength when you nourish it with the Word. That spiritual strength is called faith. Develop that faith, and instead of your spirit being dominated by the other two areas, it will be the one in charge.

Next, bring your soul in line. Set your mind on “things above.” Meditate on the Word until your thoughts begin to agree with it. Keep your attention on it until even your emotions yield.

Finally, bring your body in line. Once you truly get your spirit and soul established on the Word, that won’t be hard. The body is a follower, not a leader. It will do whatever you train it to do. Begin teaching your body to act on the truth you’ve planted in your mind and spirit, and it will follow right along.

I have chosen a word for 2014 - FAITH.. I am moving toward our trip full of faith in God's promises and faith that Jesus Christ is SUFFICIENT to meet all my needs, body, mind and spirit.

Yours in christ.

Andrea