Thursday, July 26, 2012

Handing Out Cold Water

The county fair was this past week and we were under a heat advisory the entire week - at one point hitting 106 degrees. Because our church wanted to reach out and help we loaded up in cars, vans, and trucks with coolers filled with ice and cases of water and we passed out more than 1,000 bottles to fair goers!

We tried various methods of distributing the water until we found out what would work best. First we reserved a booth space and sat down at a table hoping to reach those that walked by and also provide a "water station" where people could come to throughout the week and grab a bottle of ice cold water. This worked well, but we weren't reaching enough. So, we changed our method a bit and located ourselves in the bed of a truck just outside the barn where the livestock shows and auction happened and we passed out bottles of ice cold water to those that went in and came out. This method was working better, but we still wanted to reach more. So, keeping both of these previous methods intact, we took to the ground, walking with coolers, pulling wagons, and asking anyone and everyone that was walking, sitting, standing, riding, sleeping, showing, judging, buying, or selling. We handed out water to children, teens, adults, and the elderly.

As we walked the fairgrounds this afternoon the though occurred to me that our process of water distribution and our method of handing out water can be applied to churches too. If we were just to sit in our church building praying for people to come by and worship God with us we might wait a long time and we may never reach the very people that are in need of Him the most. Yet, when we hit the streets, sharing the love of Christ through our words, actions, and lives and sharing the Gospel message of Jesus as He has called us to, we see the influence of our service and we reach the people God desires for us to reach - connecting them to God and teaching them about His love for them.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Notes from Friday evening's worship service

FMC Wabash Conference Family Camp
Evangelist John Paul Clark

"God, show me my heart".
Jeremiah 17:9

Inwardly we desire to be pure and clean; that is what Christ died for.

Romans 6:1-7

Christ's followers live victoriously over sin!

Romans 7:8-27

Personal willpower and strength is not the answer to purity and cleanliness.

Psalm 51

Verse 1 - plural "transgressions"
Verse 2 - singular "sin"

Only through getting to the root of his sun could David be free, clean, and pure.

Romans 8; Holy Spirit (18 times)

Christ is set to baptize each of us with His Spirit.

The normal Christian life is one where the Spirit enables us to be victorious over sin and purified.

Why do so many settle with a Romans 7 existence.
Because the HS has not been given full access - not been baptized by the HS.

How can we give free access to the HS?
Through a personal crucifixion (Romans 6).

Have you experienced a personal crucifixion where you have died to your flesh?

Friday, July 20, 2012

Notes from Thursday evening's service

FMC Wabash Conference Family Camp
Evangelist John Paul Clark

Do we Free Methodists know what it means to remain in prayer?

Have you worked and worked and worked without ever knowing the magnificent power of the Holy Spirit? This power is astonishing!

Ephesians 1 - incomparable power, like when God raised Christ from the dead!

We have been endowed with power TO WITNESS!

Acts 2:22

POWER TO WITNESS!

The difference between Peter's witness in the Gospels and his witness after? THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Jesus' idea of witness is much different than we might think; exciting, risky, and thrilling.
The Greek word for witness is martyr!

"Playing it too safe is making me dead!"

What would your life be like if it were "captured by a cause"?

The problem with our evangelism is not more or better techniques. We need passion - for souls. This happens only through the power of The Spirit.

The present indifference toward lost souls is sinful, unkind, and wrong.

We need a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Notes from Wednesday evening's service

FMC Wabash Conference Family Camp
Evangelist John Paul Clark

Baptism by immersion; to completely immerse in water until they are completely covered - similar to being hurried.

There is water baptism.
There is fire baptism.

Acts 2 - everyone in the 120fellowship was baptized with the Holy Spirit.

When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit it is as if Jesus covers you with His Spirit and every part if your being is filled with His Spirit.

When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit it is both profound and pervasive.

Have you personally been baptized with the Holy Spirit? If not, would you like to be?

Ephesians 1:13-14
Ephesians 5:18

There is a difference between having the Holy Spirit and being baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit - having free reign of the "house".

John 4:13-14; a spring of living water
John 7:37-39; streams (plural) of flowing water

DIVE IN - get full immersed and fill submerged in the waters of the Spirit!

Salvation is synonymous with transformation - WE ARE IN NEED OF TRANSFORMATION!

Free Methodists; we used to be a holiness people. Are we still?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Notes from Tuesday Evening's Service

FMC Wabash Conference Family Camp
Evangelist John Paul Clark

The fire of the Holy Spirit

Jesus wants to baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit

John 15:3
Acts 1 and 2

Action steps for baptism with fire.
Wait 1:4-5
Focus 1:6-7
Work 1:10-11a
Pray 1:14
Believe 1:8a

Do you believe that the baptism of fire that comes from the Holy Spirit is for you?

Notes from Monday Evening's Service

FMC Wabash Conference Family Camp
Evangelist John Paul Clark

God has commissioned us to be world changers. WE ARE CALLED

The means are clear; by The Spirit's power.

If there is a neglected part of the Trinity it would be the person of The Holy Spirit.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit is saying; "don't be a stranger".

Three ways to avoid being a stranger to the Holy Spirit:
1) Acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is God.
a) Omnipresent -Psalm 139:7
b) Omnipotent -Luke 1:35
c) Omniscient -1 Corinthians 2:11
2) realize that the Holy Spirit is a person.
a) Mind -Romans 8:27
b) Emotions -Ephesians 4:30
c) Will -1 Corinthians 12:11
3) Comprehend that the Holy Spirit is like Jesus. (Acts16:7 & Romans 8:9).

When you wonder what the Holy Spirit is like , just think about Jesus.

If we have disrespected the Holy Spirit in the past, our response MUST BE apologizing and repenting.

Acts 7; "you always resist the Holy Spirit" - Are you?