Hi Everyone,
I thought last night’s service at Life was excellent. Marilyn and Jason both commented to me how they both really entered into the worship and the I know the atmosphere during the teaching time was wonderful for me as a teacher. The entire room was caught up in the message, the feedback was incredible. If I were to offer a logical explanation I would certainly put weight on the fact that it had been two weeks since I was in our services there at Life, but I really believe it had much more to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit. I’ll never get a handle on all the nuances that seem to welcome His presence, but I do know when His presence penetrates my heart and mind.
I believe what I’ve been hearing is beginning to come to fruition (I like that word here… see the word “fruit”?). In other words, the promises that have motivated us as a church and particularly me as a pastor over the past months continue to blossom from a sweet smelling but temporary flower into tangible, edible, and nourishing fruit. I believe that Life Church will soon become established as a clearing house for the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit first into the lives of those of us there weekly, then to those that we influence and ultimately out into our community and society.
Lancaster is a very special place and the Lord is obviously aligning important leaders like Joel Seymour (Lancaster Vineyard), Tim Teague (Victory Hill), Dennis Coll (Covenant Christian Church) and now Tommy Thompson (Refuge Ministries…more on that later), to bring into our community the powerful and invigorating work of compassion and purpose to which Christ has called His people. Specifically, I believe these pastors and their congregations, and I’m sure other churches, are realizing the importance of living beyond our family gatherings to accomplish compassionate work among the people of our community who are in need of assistance and most of all, our Savior. Compassion ministries includes much more than offering a cup of water to the thirsty, it includes all the benefits of the Christ’s Kingdom now—like encouragement, inner peace and the realization of our purpose in Christ Jesus. The up and out are as desperate for solutions to their personal malaise as the poor. And only the work of the Holy Spirit through our hands by His power can accomplish that phenomenon.
This week, at Lancaster School of Ministry we began the third course in our first quarter called “The Kingdom of God.” The introductory lesson expressed that in order for there to be a Kingdom, there must be three elements:
- A King
- Servants
- Rule or authority of that King.
But the kicker to the entire lesson is the awakening statement, “The Kingdom of God is God’s rule on earth through us.” The “us” is believers. God’s rule is more than the mysterious move of the Holy Spirit over the earth, directing and manipulating the affairs and hearts of men. God’s rule is when we operate in the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purposes.
Happy Mother’s Day to you all. The Grubb’s are excited and grateful to be serving His Kingdom with such wonderful people like you all.
Ron