Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Just What We Need

Just What We Need

I have been contemplating the many revivals we have had since I have been pastor of this church. We have seen many lives revived and changed for the better. All in all, lives have been impacted by intentionally setting aside time to allow God to move in our hearts. Someone came to Billy Sunday, a famous evangelist, and was talking about the impact of revival. They said that revivals don’t last. His quick response was, “Neither does a bath, but it’s helpful.”

In Nehemiah 13, we see that the revival (rebuilding the walls) experience was short lived in some of the people’s lives because they fell back in their old ways. But it did make a difference. God was able to move them to a different level.

There are often times in our lives where we experience exponential growth. We may not be able to sustain the intensity but we will forever be changed. My prayer for our church is that we will experience all that God has for us in this season of our life and not expect to repeat a past move of the Spirit. I am praying for a fresh filling that will last as long as God allows. God, give us what we need to stay current, passionate, and contagious.

Have a blessed day and expect God to move in a fresh new way…

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike


www.findlayfirstnaz.org

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

When the Enemy Stirs

When the Enemy Stirs

As I look at the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, I am amazed at how the Lord moved on Nehemiah’s heart to accomplish this great task in 52 days. If you have time to read Nehemiah, it will increase your faith in the God of the impossible. Nehemiah inspected the walls and saw the how desolate it was. This renovation, or rebuilding project, would guarantee the security of the city and could provide a focal point for the Jewish community that had been scattered all over Judah.

Nehemiah had a strong personal faith because prayer was his first response to every situation (Nehemiah 1:4-11; 2:4). He had to overcome hostility and intimidation from powerful neighboring authorities (Nehemiah 4:1-9; 6:1-14). He also was concerned for the maintenance of the temple worship. He realized that Judah needed at its heart a religious emphasis and that making God the priority, it would bring political stability. I am thinking that it would be good to elect a Nehemiah as president in our day.

We have been praying on Wednesday morning for Nehemiah-sized miracles. The walls of our nation need to be built up again in every way. As we get serious and pray as it depends on us, there will come opposition. Let’s look at what Charles Spurgeon once wrote over 120 years ago:

“Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience that Satan hinders us. Satan will direct his engines against that very virtue for which you are the most famous. If you have been hitherto a firm believer, your faith will ere long be attacked; if you have been meek as Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah begin to labor, Sanballat and Tobiah are stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord’s side, and are doing the Lord’s work, and in His strength we shall win the victory, and triumph over our adversary.”

This is so relevant even today. God still intercedes and we live in victory. The road may be difficult and trying, but I would not want to be on any other road than the one that leads to the Father in heaven.

Again, who wants to join us on the “Front Row” on Wednesday mornings at 6:30 a.m?Tonight we will be kicking our Boost off with prayer in the sanctuary. Come and join us as we pray together. In the foyer, you will have an opportunity to sign up for the Boost class that will start the following week.

I want to thank our people for the love that was shown to Paul Fry’s family and friends. We are so blessed as a church to have so many who want to serve the Lord by serving others. I realize that this is continually going on throughout the week in many different instances. Sometimes it really comes to the forefront at different times. Thank you for being the church, the healing body of Christ wherever God calls you to lend a loving hand.

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike


www.findlayfirstnaz.org

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

On the Front Row

On the Front Row

I am so excited about how our Wednesday morning prayer time is developing. For the past two weeks we have gathered in the sanctuary to pray from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. God is helping us as we gather to call upon the One who can do the impossible. We are praying as if our nation, our church, our communities, and our families won’t make it another day unless we corporately gather and agree together in prayer.

There is power when two or three gather together and pray in the name of Jesus. I believe that our services will be saturated with the Spirit of God when we pray together in one place at the same time. I also believe many breakthroughs can happen as a result of our prayer time together. God responds to desperate, soul stirring prayers. He longs for us to pray like we say we believe. I don’t want to take anything away from our personal times of prayer. God has called each of us to set aside a time each day to personally go before the Father. But God also calls us to come together corporately as well.

Solomon prayed for wisdom and became the wisest man to live, or at least one of the wisest. Elijah prayed and fire fell from heaven at Mt. Carmel. Elijah prayed that it would not rain for three years and it didn't. Daniel prayed and God delivered him from a den of lions. The church prayed in Acts 12 that Peter would be delivered from jail and while the group was praying, Peter was delivered and came to the door of the house where they were assembled. Cornelius prayed that he might hear the Word and be saved, and God sent Peter to preach and tell him how to be saved. Throughout Scripture are many instances where people prayed and believed. When they would simply do what God asked them to do, then the power and authority of Jesus would come and change things to line up with what God wanted.

I remember on one of our first Haiti trips we felt like we were in over our head. Our prayer was that God would help us and show us what role we were to take in the big scheme of things. I remember thinking, “If God doesn’t show up then we are toast.” God showed up and each trip we have taken has been a blessing beyond what words can describe.

Many times in church, the front rows are always empty. We can get into the reasons for that but I don’t think we can count them all. When I visit a church on vacation, I do the same thing. I usually sit more toward the back rather than sit on the front row. It is interesting that the seats are a little more padded for some reason on the front row. The view is also different. If you are the curious type, then you are not as distracted visually as you are when many are sitting in front of you.

The reason why I am talking about the front row is because we have started a front row ministry on Wednesday morning at 6:30. It is giving us a new perspective by seeing things better from a better view. These rows come at a premium price. You may have to rearrange your schedule in order to be here. But paying a premium price receives premium results. I believe our nation will be better, our church will be better, our marriages will be better, and our effectiveness will reach into the the eternal realm.

Hope to see you on the front row each week. The view is divine…

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike


www.findlayfirstnaz.org

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Front Row Seats

Front Row Seats

In Matthew 15:29-39, we see a familiar passage of Jesus feeding the four thousand. Many know this story well. I want to focus on the first part. It all started when Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee. He sat down on a mountainside and people began to gather around Him. Jesus’ popularity began to grow and people started to bring the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them before Jesus. The Bible says that He healed them. They were there for three days. It was like this extended revival. People were getting help and they didn’t want to leave. That is why there was a big meal. They were out in the middle of nowhere and it was time to eat. When Jesus is the center of attention and He has His way, lost and needy people will show up to find purpose, fulfillment, and healing. Actually, there were over 10,000 people there. People are doing things they had never done before. The blind are seeing, the lame are walking, the deaf are hearing, and the crippled made well. It was an incredible three days. But that isn’t the only miracle that happened.

Jesus gives the disciples baskets of food to disperse among the crowds. They were nervous because Jesus only had seven loaves of bread and a few small fish to work with. They ended up having more than enough. When Jesus is the source of the food, you always have more than enough.

I believe people are in need of Jesus to be the center point of their life. The enemy has done a good job in getting people to settle for second best and give up hope to ever find the peace of Christ. There are addictions that people need to be freed from, some have been blinded by the ways of the world, some are crippled with the weight of sin that has a hold of them, and some do not think they can ever live a life pleasing to God any longer. Yes, there are people in Findlay, Ohio, just surviving. We need to be a church that passionately offers Jesus to this lost world. I don’t want to grow as a church because it is the thing to do. I want to grow because Jesus is Lord and that He is moving in this place. The Bible says that when people feast on Jesus, they get filled. Our prayer ought to be that no one leaves Findlay First Naz empty. We can look at it this way: Jesus is the Chef and we are the waiters serving people. We are serving up Jesus and people are filled to completeness. Our church can be on the front seat of what God is doing in our community.

While we are out sharing with and serving people, we need people willing to be devoted in prayer to make all of our efforts saturated with power from on high.

Have you ever attended a sporting event or a play, and you could only afford the cheap seats? Perhaps you were late in getting a ticket and you had to settle for the seats in the back. Whatever the case, when you sit in the nose bleed section of an arena, you only see people the size of ants performing on a stage or playing a sport in an arena. I have sat so far away from the action that I felt like I needed to call someone sitting closer to find out the score.

Now if you ever have a friend give you tickets for a game and they just so happened to be on the front row, then you are ruined for life. You can actually see the game and hear the noise from all of the action. When you experience the front row, you are never satisfied with the back row again. Did you know that they have waiters and waitresses near the front row? It’s a different world down there. Average people like you and I don’t get to experience that very often. A premium view costs a premium price.

So often in life, we are willing to pay cheap seat prices but expect premium price results. In marriage, if you settle for paying a cheap price, you will get cheap results. I want a front row view of what God is doing so I want to pay the price to live in the front row. I owe that to my wife and kids. I want a front row seat with what God is doing around the world and in our community. I owe my life to God, so paying a high price is the least I can do. When I get out of my comfort zone and routine, then God is unleashed to do miracles.

We just started a front row ministry on Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. Would you join us and expect God to show us how to be involved in the front row of what He is doing all around us? Once you get a taste of front row ministry, then you will never want to go back to the back row of compromise and convenience in life. God is calling us to the front row on Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. to unite in prayer for our nation, our community, our church, and our families. Would you join me?

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike


www.findlayfirstnaz.org