I have a tough question for you and me: do we expect to encounter God Himself in worship and prayer and when we are in His Word? Do we believe that indeed we will have a supernatural encounter, interaction and communion of our spirit with His in the midst of worship? Do we pray for it? Do we look with faith, hope and expectancy for the hand of God at work and the face of God shining upon us as we exalt, adore and lift Him up? The truth is that we almost always see what we are looking for. If we are looking for God, we will find Him (that is a promise of His Word!). If we are looking for things to complain about or critique we can find those things too. But if we are looking for the Almighty, Divine, Holy Presence of Almighty God in the midst of our gatherings I believe we will be able to see that He is there waiting on us and desiring (and willing!) to pour forth of His Spirit, His fresh wind and His fresh fire upon His Beloved.
You are accomplishing more than you know
Dear Pastor,
Somedays it seems like we are just spinning our wheels or running in a hamster wheel. But I want to share something with you that I heard a few years ago from one of the General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene: “You are accomplishing more than you know” (David Graves). Sure there is always another sermon to prepare, another parishioner to visit and another meeting to attend, but the reality is that if you are abiding in Christ and He in you then you are accomplishing more, much more than you know. Hiding in God and hiding His Word in Your heart will always bring forth fruit for God’s glory. Praying and seeking the face of God will always bring God’s Kingdom into our midst. So regardless of what is seemingly endless, or left undone, or criticized by people, please know that as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, if you are letting Him live His life through you great things are happening. Simple words anointed by His power are touching the lives of hurting people. A gentle look of love flowing from a heart of love is communicating the agape love of the Father. Faithful perseverance in serving God and others is being used of God to draw people unto Himself. So keep on keeping on, and let God receive the glory as He does His mighty deeds through you His humble vessel.
Christ is with us, Christ is in us,
Mike Johnson
God is with you and for you
Dear Pastor,
Please remember that as a believer in the Lord Jesus and as a child of the King you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means that the very fullness of God is in us, with us and for us. As such let us hold on to the promise and assurance that because God is with us and for us, we will overcome. We will not merely survive but will be conquerors in Jesus name! We conquer because He conquers, we overcome because He is victorious, we will make it to the finish line because He is the author and finisher of our faith. Please remember the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who saves, guides, encourages and sustains. I am praying for God to strengthen you as you journey in Him!
Christ is with us, Christ is in us
Mike Johnson
Your worth and identity are in Christ!
Dear Pastor,
I want to remind you that you are loved by God and called of God. Remember this day that it is not what you do nor the approval others give you that determines your worth. Your worth is determined by the Lord Himself and the fact that He created you, He chose you, He pursues you and calls you. Continue reading “Your worth and identity are in Christ!”
The ministry of preaching
There are many styles of preaching, many thoughts about what preaching is for and various ideas of what happens when someone preaches a sermon. Paul called it the “foolishness of preaching” but then he also reminded us that people can only know the gospel if they are told. (Romans 10:14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?). In this blog post, I would like to offer a possible understanding of the ministry of preaching and the role of the minister of the gospel when sharing the Word of the Lord.Continue reading “The ministry of preaching”
Does God believe in me?
Does God believe in me?
We all have heard that we are supposed to believe in God. Even if we aren’t sure everything we believe about Him, for the most part, people know that they need to decide whether or not they believe that He is there. I for one believe that He is there because of the intricacies of nature, the witness of the church, the testimony of the Bible and my personal interaction with Him. But the question I would like to pursue today is whether or not God believes in me. Why does it really matter? And is there any way that I can actually know? Furthermore, if He does believe in me what does that change about how I live?
Trust
Trust is something that seems hard to come by these days. To trust someone can be a delicate and difficult thing based on our past interactions with that person as well as with other people. Many times we trust the person in front of us based upon how our trust was treated by the last person. Trusting the Lord therefore can become especially difficult if we base our trust in Him upon how the last person treated us. We know that God is worthy of our trust, we know that He always does what is best for us out of His heart and character of perfect love and yet…Trust seems like a simple thing to do but we know that it is not easy. Continue reading “Trust”
Working out our salvation
In this life, there are certain things that are universal and certain.
Some have said that the only things that are certain are death and taxes.
I happen to believe I can add a few more things to that list.
I believe it is universal that people desire to be heard, loved and valued. Further, I believe that people around the world desire to know that their life is not only significant but also making a difference in the world (or at least making a difference in the small corner of the world we spend our lives in). I understand that we may get into routines and habits where we don’t necessarily question why we do certain things or what impact we may be having on others but at some point, I would put forth that it is a universal practice to ask “why?” and “what does it matter?” Hopefully, as we ask these questions we will begin our quest not only for significance (and the outcome of life) but also purpose (and why/how we came to be here in the first place).
The hidden and lurking danger Christians need to see in this election
There is much conversation, accusation, argument and division over the current state of affairs in the USA as well as the potential direction that the two primary candidates/parties are seeking to take the country.
And yet, my greatest concern in this election season is not the political direction of our country. Continue reading “The hidden and lurking danger Christians need to see in this election”
Christ, who is your life
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have actually confessed your sins and believed in Him for salvation and a new reality, I want to remind you that Jesus Christ is your new life. Colossians 3:4 reminds us of the truth that Christ is our life and Colossians 3:3 lets us know that our lives are hidden with Christ in God. This week when you are facing the struggles and realities of this world remember this:
- Christ is my new life: He is the perfect, content, holy and fulfilled life and He actually lives in me!
- Christ is my victory: Though I struggle with my insufficiencies, He is the victor in all things and specifically He is the victor in this!
- Christ is my fullness: Of myself, I am tired, weak, foolish and empty, Christ is overflowing in the fullness of all I need!
- Christ is my supply: In this moment that I am lacking, Christ in me has all I need!
- Christ is my peace and rest: This week as the wind blows and the waves crash, Christ is at perfect rest in me.
Pastor Michael Johnson 