January 21, 2010

Forcefully Advancing!

Last week, Pastor Dalton made this statement during our first Ecclesia session of 2010:  “The tragedy of our time is that an overwhelming number of people who declare Jesus as Lord have been domesticated…we’ve become to civilized.”  He proceeded from that point to challenge each of us to be the kind of Kingdom-minded warriors who aren’t afraid to get aggressive and even a little barbaric for Jesus’ sake.  Listen to this verse:

Mt. 11:12 (NIV): From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

(NKJV): And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Are we supposed to be violent?  That sounds a little too barbaric for most.  But God does not patty cake around the fact that we’re in a war, and we need to start acting like it!  We’re not fighting for ourselves – for our family, our position, our church – we’re fighting for the KING of the Kingdom!

That same verse in the Amplified Bible reads like this:  And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize--a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

When Pastor read that verse it pierced my heart.  We – born again believers – are here to seize “as a precious prize” a share in the heavenly kingdom, seeking it with most ardent zeal and intense exertion.  What if every born again believer had that kind of mindset when it comes to living out our faith?  What if every person who calls Bethel home made an intentional decision to get zealous and intense about advancing God’s Kingdom?

If we have truly enlisted in God’s army, if he has captured our heart, we will always be led forward – our marching orders are to advance behind enemy lines to win the hearts of those who don’t know our King.  As a new year begins, the nearly 90 students in Ecclesia are forming ranks, locking arms, and making strategic plans to push the enemy back and advance God’s Kingdom!  It’s time to get forceful, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do!

If you read yesterday’s blog and then heard Pastor Dalton’s report Wednesday night on the special offering received for Haiti this past weekend, you may have been a little confused.  We did received $6200 in Sunday’s offering but then other gifts were given after Sunday’s service and also from other churches, and the total received was $9,700!  What an amazing response from the Bethel family!

That offering was funneled to Haiti through two partnerships we have – the one with Bridge of Hope Ministries and Pastor Rod Parsley to send meals to Haiti, and the other to Pastor Laguerre who is a Haitian Pastor in Port au Prince providing front line response in local communities.

And here’s some more exciting news…Pastor Laguerre is coming to Lexington!  You’ll want to keep an eye on this blog and www.bethelharvestchurch.com to find out more in the next couple days about when you can hear Pastor Laguerre’s firsthand accounts of what is happening in Haiti AND what God is doing in the midst of the tragedy!

January 18, 2010
What an exciting morning yesterday was at Bethel! It was a bit different than usual but God’s presence was real and the love of the Bethel family was expressed in very tangible ways! Pastor Dalton has been ministering on the 4 B’s of Bethel the entire month – we are a people who belong, believe, become, and build. Yesterday, we saw this vision expressed in two unique ways.
The first expression was through our small group ministry. Rally Day was a great success with over 70 different small group opportunities displayed in the foyer and hundreds of sign-ups for the winter semester which begins next Sunday. If you haven’t plugged-in, you can find all the groups and descriptions by clicking on the small group link on the home page of www.bethelharvestchurch.com. The stories of lives transformed and the relationships that have been forged through our small group ministry are a beautiful picture of what the 4 B’s look like.
The other expression of the 4 B’s this weekend was the burden to love the people of Haiti who have been ravaged by the earthquake and the amazing response of the Bethel family to send relief to them. As Pastor Dalton shared, we are partnering with Pastor Rod Parsley and Bridge of Hope Ministries to send thousands of meals to Haiti. And the first shipment is already on its way! For every dollar given, 10 meals will be provided! After hearing from Marc Gravis, a Bethel member who was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, the Bethel family was moved by compassion in their financial support of this cause. I’m overjoyed to report that 62,000 meals will be on their way to Haiti because of your generous giving! If you weren’t here this weekend, you can still participate in sending relief to Haiti by going to www.bethelharvestchurch.com and clicking the link from the home page.
What a blessing to be a part of a church family that is living out what it means to belong, believe, become and build – not only in our church and in our own community, but across the world, as well.
This post brought to you by Mark Keene.

New Year’s Eve service was a supernatural moment for the Bethel family and all those attended.  While the world was bringing in the New Year with empty traditions and the assistance of alcohol, we were bringing it with prayer, worship, and a Word straight from heaven!

Pastor Dalton ministered a message about “Experiencing God’s Downpour in Our Lives,” and I believe everyone there is experiencing a greater measure of it today!  Take some time today to open your Bible to Isaiah 55, and see what God shows you.  God’s downpour targets those who diligently seek Him!   God’s downpour is real before we see it!  God’s downpour comes with a purpose!  And God’s downpour brings joy through the NEW thing He is doing in your life!

It’s a new year.  You may not feel any different.  Your circumstances may be as bleak as they were yesterday.  You may still feel confused or clueless about your life’s direction.  You may not feel God’s presence or peace in your life.  Or maybe everything is good and you are hopeful and expectant with this new beginning.

Whatever your situation, I’m challenging you to make a declaration right now:  “I WILL experience God’s downpour in my life in 2010!  I WILL diligently seek God!  I WILL see God’s blessings in my life!  I WILL walk in God’s purpose for my life!  I WILL experience joy like I never have before in 2010!  2010 WILL BE a year of God’s downpour in my life!”

Don’t you feel better?!  I felt faith stirred up in even as I was typing the words!  It’s a new year and a new beginning if you will choose to make it one.  The best is yet to come!