God Provides

There is no doubt that the last few months have been difficult at Lord of Life. It has been a time of transition in leadership and staffing. Yet, through it all God has shown himself in amazing ways.

Two weeks ago, I shared during worship, that if things played out as they had been, that Lord of Life would not be able to pay all the bills at the end of February At that time the leadership would need to make a hard choice about what not to pay, our biggest expenses being staff, mortgage, or our mission tithe.

But God has come through in a big way. The offering on February 24 was more than $31,000 which is almost a double portion from our average offering from the previous weeks in February. The blessing is that not only will we meet all our immediate obligations plus we will be able to catch up on some back payments that had been delayed.

However, please keep in mind that Lord of Life is not all of a sudden on firm financial footing. We have two large debts of the mortgage and a line of credit that helped us with expenses in 2007. Our newly formed Finance Committee is exploring ways to increase our revenue to not only ensure we meet all of or financial obligations, but that we can also build on the ministry of God’s church. Please join me in praying the members of the Finance Committee and their work as we also pray for God’s provision each individually and as a church body.

God has been good and he continues to provide. We had near 400 people celebrate Pastor Barry and Nancy’s 13 years of ministry at the Texas BBQ Farwell. 50 some men from Lord of Life will be attend the Men’s Retreat at the Inspiration Retreat Center on February 29. Many of the men on this retreat are new to our Lord of Life Family. We also anticipate one of the largest gatherings ever at Lord of Life for the celebration of Jesus resurrection on Easter Sunday. Things are happening! God is happening!

In the wake of the tragedy at NIU, one of the themes that has come out of this event is “moving forward.” As we have experienced loss here at Lord of Life we also seek not to back down, but move the kingdom of God forward in our community.

In Jesus
Pastor Phil

Bad news to good news

I'm running a little late with this email this week. Things have been a little busy. It is easy to get out of routine and fall behind in things. No doubt there may be a few of you who have fallen behind in your readings. Don't despair and even more importantly, don't give up. It is not about the readings, as much as it is about simply spending time with God. If you heard my message last week, you know that you need that closed door time to build an intimate relationship with another person.

From time to time we all need a shot in the arm. In the midst of bad news, we sometimes need a little good news. Sometimes we are so focused on the negative that we fail to see the positive.

I loved something that Brian Zielke said in worship last week. He told us that God is the business of making bad news into good news. That is a powerful statement. Think about Good Friday. There was not much good about that Friday. Jesus died. But this tremendously negative event is good news for us. Because Jesus died we can live!

In John 9 there is an interesting story. Jesus is asked why a blind man had been born blind. Jesus response to the question was, "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

Maybe there has been some negative news brought into your life so that the work of God might be displayed in your life. Maybe you have received a little bad news, so you can more clearly see God's good news.

Hope you have a great week. Men, don't forget to sign up for the men's retreat. The deadline has been extended one more day till tomorrow.

Readings for next week. Notice that we have an extra day added for leap year. There are no readings assigned for this day, so it will give you a day to catch up:

February 24
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14

February 25
Leviticus 16:29-18:30
Mark 7:24-8:10
Psalm 41:1-13
Proverbs 10:15-16

February 26
Leviticus 19:1-20:21
Mark 8:11-38
Psalm 42:1-11
Proverbs 10:17

February 27
Leviticus 20:22-22:16
Mark 9:1-29
Psalm 43:1-5
Proverbs 10:18

February 28
Leviticus 22:17-23:44
Mark 9:30-10:12
Psalm 44:1-8
Proverbs 10:19

February 29
Leap Year - no readings assigned
(An extra day to catch up!)

March 01
Leviticus 24:1-25:46
Mark 10:13-31
Psalm 44:9-26
Proverbs 10:20-21

We will not fear!

I had intended to write this email about making decisions, but as I write this weekly email to you there is news coming out of DeKalb that there has been a shooting on the campus of NIU. I have heard several emergency vehicles pass by our offices in the last few hours. Someone once shared with me the idea that every time you hear the sirens of a firetruck or an ambulance to lift the circumstance in prayer, even though you may be unaware of what the situation is.

Our hearts and our prayers go out to all the people in DeKalb. We especially pray that God would preserve the lives of those who have been injured. That he would comfort and give strength to those who are fearful and to those who have potentially lost loved ones.

I have had a sense of overwhelming hurt and loss in the last few weeks. I have heard too many stories of cancer, of shootings, of losses of jobs, of tragic deaths. The world we live in is filled with violence and danger. Life is so precious and so fleeting. We never know when our next breathe will be our last. It is too easy for someone to pick up a gun and go on a rampage. Or driving home for the driver in the other lane to come across unto our side. Or the forces of a natural disaster to bear down upon us.

In a post-911 era it would be very easy to live in fear. Danger lurks around almost every corner. But for those of us who are in Christ we have this hope from Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I especially love verse 2. We will not fear! No matter what may happen. No matter how dangerous life may be, we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Did you catch that? Absolutely nothing!

Readings for next week:

February 17
Leviticus 4:1-5:19
Mark 2:13-3:6
Psalm 36:1-12
Proverbs 10:1-2

February 18
Leviticus 6:1-7:27
Mark 3:7-30
Psalm 37:1-11
Proverbs 10:3-4

February 19
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5

February 20
Leviticus 9:7-10:20
Mark 4:26-5:20
Psalm 37:30-40
Proverbs 10:6-7

February 21
Leviticus 11:1-12:8
Mark 5:21-43
Psalm 38:1-22
Proverbs 10:8-9

February 22
Leviticus 13:1-59
Mark 6:1-29
Psalm 39:1-13
Proverbs 10:10

February 23
Leviticus 14:1-57
Mark 6:30-56
Psalm 40:1-10
Proverbs 10:11-12

Weekly Email

Sorry if you missed my email this week. I have been on vacation and will be back next week. Here are the readings for next week.

Feb 10
Exodus 30:11-31:18
Matthew 26:47-68
Psalm 32:1-11
Proverbs 8:27-32

Feb 11
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36

Feb 12
Exodus 34:1-35:9
Matthew 27:15-31
Psalm 33:12-22
Proverbs 9:1-6

Feb 13
Exodus 35:10-36:38
Matthew 27:32-66
Psalm 34:1-10
Proverbs 9:7-8

Feb 14
Exodus 37:1-38:31
Matthew 28:1-20
Psalm 34:11-22
Proverbs 9:9-10

Feb 15
Exodus 39:1-40:38
Mark 1:1-28
Psalm 35:1-16
Proverbs 9:11-12

Feb 16
Leviticus 1:1-3:17
Mark 1:29-2:12
Psalm 35:17-28
Proverbs 9:13-18

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Listening for the Spirit

I have been thinking a lot about listening and discerning the voice of God recently. Specifically considering the role of the Holy Spirit plays in giving us direction. How can we be sure when it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us and not something else such as our emotions?

I recently received an email from a church member on this subject. The author of the email wrote:

“The one thing I am feeling very strongly about is how loosely everyone uses the Holy Spirit to say that the actions and words we use are totally led by the Holy Spirit. My self included. I openly admit that, and with God’s help will nip that kind of language. I feel like emotions are leading many to look for the answers they want. I do not, and am at a point where I want to refuse to be engaged in any talk that would actually grieve the Holy Spirit because of it.”

Her concern was that people were throwing out the Holy Spirit’s name to justify their position or viewpoint. The 10 Commandments forbid us to take the name of the Lord in vain. And using the Holy Spirit’s name to justify our position on a given matter is a gross violation of this commandment.

Maybe I had a dream last night. In this dream God told me to do something. Then someone called me on the phone the next day and told me the same thing. Is this the Holy Spirit speaking to me? Maybe! Maybe not! When we believe that God is speaking to us through the Holy Spirit, there are ways to confirm it.

As Lutherans, we believe and teach that God’s regular means of communication are through the Word and the Sacraments. This means that God regularly speaks to us when we read the Word, study the Word, and reflect upon the Word. He reveals himself when we receive the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We can be absolutely certain that we hear from God through these “means of grace.”

Now we keep in mind that God is God. We cannot limit God and keep God in a box. While God regularly uses the means of grace to communicate with his people there are certainly other ways in which he can communicate with us. He will speak through visions and dreams. He will speak through events and circumstances. He will speak through other people.

But we MUST be discerning in these other matters. If we believe that God is revealing something to us in a different way, it is critically important that we test this word we receive. In John’s first epistle he writes: Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

We test these spirits first and foremost according to the Word. We go back to the Scripture. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” 1 Samuel 15:29, “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."

God does not go back on his Word. His message does not change. What he said thousands of years ago, is still true today. That is why Paul says in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”

Also in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness . . .” Did you catch that? All Scripture is useful for correcting. That means correcting us, if we were to hear a voice that we believe is from God, but is not. If the message we believe is from God, does not conform to the Word of God, then that message is not from God.

Not only does the Word confirm God’s voice, but the church does so as well. If the church is not confirming of what God is speaking to you, then you had better be careful that it is indeed God who is speaking to you.

This is most clearly seen in the calling to ministry. There are many people who may feel called into ministry whether that be as a pastor, or a teacher, or an elder, or a worship leader. It has always been impressed upon me that you may feel that calling, but the confirmation of that calling will come from the church when the church brings you into that ministry through the laying on of hands.

I am reminded of Paul’s calling to be an apostle. He discovered that calling on the road to Damascus, but that calling would later be confirmed by the church. There is a story where the church is worshipping in Antioch. And it says, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:2-3

Yet a third test of the Spirit is the test of leadership. Hebrews 13:17 say, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Authority is something that is established by God. And when we go against the leadership that he has put in place we are rebelling against God. In speaking about secular authority, Romans 13:1-2 says, “The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” And if this is true for secular authorities it is certainly true of spiritual authorities as well.

On top of all this there is the commandment that says, “Honor your father and your mother, that it may go well with you.” The spirit of this commandment is not only our biological parents that God has established as an authority, but every authority he puts over us, whether it be our boss at work, our pastor at church, our president of the United States, or our small group leader.

If you believe God is speaking to you, do not rush to conclusion. Keep in mind that Satan is the wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is the great deceiver. His trademark is to take the Word of God and twist it. Think about the temptation of Eve in the garden of Eden. Think about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Both times Satan used words that God had spoken.

Satan does not speak to us in obvious ways, but in subtle deceitful ways. He does not come to us and say, “this is the voice of Satan.” Rather he comes to use disguised as the voice of God.

That is why it is important for us to know the Word inside and out. That is why must seek to grow in maturity of faith. That is why we must be quick to listen and slow to speak. Don’t rush to conclusion or judgment. Wait patiently on the Lord. Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.

Confirm God’s voice through the Word. Confirm it through the church. Confirm it through the leadership and authorities that God has established.

In the end, know that the voice of God is one of love. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7

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