July 2012 - Impressing God

It sometimes amazes me as to what people want to impress others with.  Sometimes people lay on the big words, big ideas and big knowledge trying to impress with intellect.  Sometimes it’s the attempt to impress with success through speaking about wealth or position.  Sometimes its gifts and talents as they seek approval from their abilities.  While these are all good when taken in a proper perspective, there is something that does have a significant impression on me.  I’m sensitive to it because I believe God is also sensitive to it.  This really impresses God.

I bring this up as a counterbalance to my last pondering.  While intellect is important, we should not hold that it is the most important.  There is a trap in thinking.  Paul wrote that knowledge puffs up (1 Cor. 8:1).  I admit that there have been times where my theology (knowledge of God) has tripped me up from really knowing Him or receiving from Him.  I am not encouraging the throwing off of all we know of God but to recognize that we know and see in part (1 Cor. 13:12).  I am also pointing to something beyond knowledge that God is impressed with.

What impresses God and me is what is seen in the heart, not the head.  Knowledge is easily added to but the training of a heart is a much deeper work.  Consider God’s own words concerning the importance of heart tuning:

• The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart ... (1 Sam. 13:14)
• But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Sam. 16:7)
• For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (2 Chron. 16:9)

Whether you look at Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Peter or Paul, you will see God responding to their hearts.  They all had their flaws and made big mistakes but God saw something in them that caused Him to strongly support them anyway.

I am not discounting or diminishing the need for repentance in our lives – the changing of thought and action.  However, if you change thought and action without having a heart that supports it, then it will be short-lived and shallow.  Paul wrote that godly sorrow leads us to repentance – a heart issue (2 Cor. 7:9-11).  The elders have been sensing this sorrow in their prayer times.  God is bringing us to a place of influence with Him like never before by taking us to the place where our hearts are completely His.  From that place of influence, we will have the impact He desires in the world.  I encourage you to go to the places of the heart that God is dealing with today.  These are often deep places of brokenness that God needs to bring wholeness to.  The changes that are coming our way will require it but the rewards will be well worth it.

Journeying with you,   Pastor Merril

June 2012 - You Are What You Think

Psst … hey, I have a confession to make. While I wouldn’t say that I have been secretly doing this, I haven’t necessarily been telling anyone either. From the moment that I came on as Lead Pastor, I have been working to affect your minds. I am keenly interested in the way you think and in influencing it.

This may surprise some of you, but God is also interested in this. Our minds are important to God. He didn’t create our brains so that He could simply circumvent it. He wants us to think His thoughts. He wants us to perceive from His perspective.

The reason this is so important is that we act as we think. You can see this in the student protests in Quebec. If you read news articles you will see that people for and against the protests see them from completely different perspectives. Those against the protests see the actions of the students as wrong. The student protesters are acting based on their beliefs, even to the point of civil disobedience. How we act in relation to God, society, church, family and self is informed by our beliefs.

I suppose I have a tendency to this because I have a bent for teaching. However, Jesus, the Master Teacher, would also say, “Do not think …” (Mt. 5:17) or “Why do you think …” (Mt. 9:4) or “What do you think …” (Mt. 17:25), just as examples. Paul, a teacher, would write, “… to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly …” (Rom. 12:3) or “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus …” (Phil. 2:5).

What we perceive the church to be and how we think it is supposed to function affects how we act, react and respond. I’m not suggesting that everyone is off their rocker in how they think, but we can have, as was said in a Pixar cartoon, a “kink in our think.” The Word will continue to challenge our thinking as we move forward into the purposes and plans He has for His church. He does renew our spirits but our minds must also be renewed (Rom. 12:2).

So, what do you think?

Journeying with you,

Pastor Merril

May 2012 - Completion

Have you ever had any of the following bother or frustrate you?

·       A car that’s missing a bumper

·       A lighted sign with letters not working

·       A strip of grass on a lawn that didn’t get mowed

I’m sure you can come up with other examples. There’s something about incompleteness that seems wrong. It’s intrinsically incorrect to have something that’s only partially done. Often, however, we only notice such things when we first notice it and then it soon becomes part of the landscape. We accept it as the way things are, the way things have always been or as something that will never change.

Jesus was not someone who started something without finishing it. Hebrews 12:2 states that we are to keep “our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Jesus even declares of Himself: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Rev. 22:13) As God’s beloved children who are to grow up on all ways into the image, stature and fullness of Christ, we should be co-labouring with God on completion of things in our lives and in the life of this church.

You might not be aware of this, but our heavenly Father also does not like things left incomplete. It bothers him to see such things. Jesus sent such a message to one of the churches in the Book of Revelation:

“Write to the angel of the church in Sardis:

“The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation[lit. have a name] for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen[other mss read guard] what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. (Rev. 3:1-3, HCSB)

James writes that the areas of faith that we engage and grow in come into completion by our good works.

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (James 2:20-22, NKJV)

The Greek word “telos” and its derivatives occurs in all of these Scripture passages. We have read it as “perfect,” “end,” and “complete.” Taken together is speaks of fullness, completion, and maturity.

I believe God is at work in this hour to bring many things to fullness, maturity and completion. There are areas of prayer and intercession that the elders are co-labouring with Christ to see come to completion. There are aspects of our vision, mission and values as a church that have not been clear enough that God is currently perfecting. There are parts of our building and ministries that have been incomplete that can no longer remain so. And, I believe I am not the only one with whom our Father is saying now is the time to come into full maturity in areas of our lives.

This is both convicting and encouraging. I am challenged and excited. It is in the completion of these aspects of our church and our lives that we will find the release to move forward into the new things God has in store for us. I encourage you to join with Jesus in doing the works or completing the works that God is revealing in this season.

Journeying with you,

Pastor Merril

April 2012 – Resurrection

Yes … Easter does happen this month … and it can seem cliché to speak about the Resurrection.  However, as I was reminded in our Foundations of the Faith class, it is a foundational principle to Christianity.  The difficulty is that it becomes only a yearly reminder or monthly reminder as part of Communion.  As a foundational principle, Paul wrote that without the Resurrection of Jesus there is no proof that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf and that our sins are forgiven; or of a future bodily resurrection for us who believe in what Jesus did for us. (1 Cor. 15:12-23)  Without the Resurrection, Jesus was just another guy who died on a cross.

While the past and the future are important aspects of the Resurrection, it is its present application of that power to our lives that lifts it from the realms of theology, philosophy and nostalgia.  The first present application is the assurance of sins forgiven.  When we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive them because of the complete work of the Cross. (1 John 1:9)  Salvation, being born again, is the first and greatest work of God in the life of the believer, but we don’t remain at that point, just as a natural new born doesn’t remain at that stage.  The Resurrection is key to everyday life for the follower of Christ.  Paul prayed that we would know “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places….” (Eph 1:19-20)

Jesus designed us to walk in the power of the Resurrection.  We live in eternal life today; not at some time in the future.  Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)  Paul wrote that he no longer lived but Christ lived in and through him. (Gal. 2:20)  I don’t know about you, but the level of that Resurrection Life that was released through the early church challenges me.  There is a power of witness that the church has lost.  “With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 4:33)  Jesus’ own assurance to John the Baptist that He was the Christ was: “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matt. 11:4-6)

Let’s continue to press forward.  Let’s not settle for less than a powerful demonstration of the Resurrection Life of Christ in His church.  Many strongholds exist in the current experience and thoughts of God’s people but we have been given the weapons to overcome it and walk in fullness of life. (2 Cor. 10:4-6)

Journeying with you,

Pastor Merril

March 2012 - Awaken!

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’”  Ezekiel 37:1-6 (NKJV)

I have been thinking on the theme of “awakening” for a few weeks.  I looked through many Scripture passages thinking about it.  There were many I could have used to bring this pondering to you but I felt lead by our Father to bring this one to you.  It speaks to appearances and circumstances.  It also speaks prophetically to outcomes.  The Word of God released overrides circumstances and brings forth God’s desired outcomes.

I began speaking a series of messages on the implications of the New Covenant.  I felt lead to do this because I believe we have to awaken to God’s prophetic outcomes.  If we are to become the church that God intends us to be, if you are to become the fully alive Christian that Jesus intends you to be, if we are to have the impact on our community that Father intends us to have, then we have to receive the Word spoken to us and over us completely, gladly and without reservation.  What He intends for us is not what we are living—can we be satisfied with less?

Ezekiel 37 is so appropriate for us.  Many circumstances in our church and in our individual lives would say that the promise of God is never to be fulfilled.  Even where that Word has been effective, it may have only been partially so.  Ezekiel prophesied as commanded by God, and yet the breath did not come until after him prophesying a second time.  We need to continue to speak God’s Word and words over ourselves and our church.  I truly believe we are becoming what has been prophesied over us.  Don’t sleep waiting for the day to come, for the day is upon us.  Awaken!!!

February 2012 - Questions

Have you ever asked God a question? I’m sure you have. Questions we ask of God are usually deep ones … personal ones … heart-felt ones. Even the asking of the question brings part of the answer as it points us in a direction simply by asking. I have been thinking of questions lately.
More than that, I have been thinking of the questions that God asks. We can be very aware of the questions we have but are you aware of the questions God has? Do you know what Jesus is asking you?

• What do you seek? (John 1:38)


• Who do you say that I am? (Luke 9:20)


• Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? (Mark 4:40)


• Do you believe that I am able to do this? (Matt. 9:28)


• What do you want Me to do for you? (Mark 10:36)


• If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? (Luke 6:32)


• Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

Jesus was and still is the master at asking the right question of us at the right time. He continues to ask us questions. The above list is just a sampling of the questions Jesus asked in the Gospels. Masterful questions lead us into learning.
I encourage you to search through the Gospels and see the questions Jesus was asking and hear Him asking them of you. I challenge you to not simply ask questions of God hoping He will give you all the answers, but rather listen the questions He is asking of you so that you might discover the answers He wants you to have. And, don’t be superficial with your answers to His questions … His questions are also deep, personal and heart-felt.
Journeying together with you,
                        Pastor Merril

January 2012 - Year of Opportunity

Pastor’s Pondering

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012.

So … what are you excited about for this year? What are you expecting from the Hand of God? How will this year be better than the last and what good things are in store?

I ask these questions because too much of what I have read or heard from many Christians are doom and gloom. The predictions include the end of the world, collapse of the world financial system, increase of radical Islamism, and the ever-present rapture of the church. While any of these may happen … I have to ask, “So what?” So, what if disasters or destruction comes? So, what is our heavenly Father doing in the midst of it all? How does He want us to interact with our world so He can impact our world?

There is an interesting factor that happens when markets take a sharp drop or even collapse—some people actually thrive through it. While most see doom and gloom, some see opportunity. While many are going from riches to rags, some are going from rags to riches … and some from riches to richer. Do your circumstances present insurmountable opposition or unprecedented opportunity?

Consider what Jesus said in Mark 13:

 5 Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 6 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 7 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 8 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

 9 “When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 10 For the Good News must first be preached to all nations. 11 But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

The Lord would challenge you to look for the unprecedented opportunities in 2012. I am not predicting specific circumstances or events, but I cannot help but predict a loving, merciful, gracious, awesome Heavenly Father wants us to seize the day and capture the opportunity in His Great Name.

Journeying together with you,

    Pastor Merril