Disciples of Jesus don’t always understand spiritual things.  And we feel we should.  We place a lot of importance on maturity, and seeing a certain logic or routine on these things.  We are of the opinion that being able to predict and then anticipate makes us quality Christians.  But Jesus keeps surprising His disciples.  (And He still does!)

What do you have?  We make an inventory and find just a smidgen, not even worth talking about; just five small barley loaves, and two skinny fish.  Laughable to be sure.  A little boy’s sack lunch.  They turn what they’ve found over to Jesus, but they have absolutely no idea what their Master is about to do.

Barley was the food fit for the poor and animals.  Middle-class Israelites considered eating it to be beneath them. Barley was sub-standard.  But Jesus chooses to use the worst.  The kingdom of God is made up of people of dubious quality.  There are not many wise, or rich, or of a sterling reputation.  Most of us are made of barley and we bring very little to Jesus’ hands.

Is it strange that Jesus would restrict Himself to what His disciples could scrounge up.  He purposefully chooses to keep His activity confined to what they provide.  There is no question that Jesus could manage quite well without a thing at all.  Afterall, as the Creator, He made the Universe from nothing, “ex nihlo“.

That small boy’s lunch is enough for Jesus.  Five thousand men, plus wives and children sit in anticipation of a promised meal.  Their eyes are watching.  The disciples are wondering.  And Jesus is praying.  No one  has the slightest clue what will take place next.

We have the lesson of the barley loaves.  But a parallel lesson is the edgy unpredictability of God.  Even the wisest and most gifted disciple is pretty much clueless about what is going to happen next; this drives pastors and elders of churches crazy (so cut them some slack.)  We should be building up an atmosphere that anticipates surprise.  Our faithful God is notoriously unpredictable.

Following Jesus is an amazing adventure of faith.  We  just need to do what we are told, and leave the rest up to Him.  He seems to delight in using our barley and our fish.  And the world is waiting, and they are very hungry for something that will satisfy.

We need each other

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12)

As believers we should be made aware of the mysterious substitution that has happened between Jesus and us.  He has exchanged places with us, giving to us his righteousness in exchange for our sin.  The ramifications are powerful. Every encounter we have with a brother is an encounter with Jesus.  This has staggering implications.

Every brother, every sister is a rendezvous of wonderful significance.  When we serve them, we are really serving the Lord Himself.  I guess it can also be a sobering experience if we should mistreat or neglect them.  What we say and what we do has consequences.

There is no escaping the Gospel logic that our personal contact with each other carries an eternal weight.  Immaturity and pride keep us from seeing the delicate connections that believers have with each other, and perhaps suggesting a new basis for our relationships is a bit much to hope for.

Without a complete mind  renewal we will continue to see others as rivals or people to control.  We use the HS gifts to ascend rather than serve.  The disciples had to make their adjustments.  They were told that they were to lay it all down and wash each others feet.

We must begin to realize that when we touch someone, when we speak to a friend, we are doing that to the Lord.  Every believer is someone who will be covered in glory someday.  We are to live out this wonderful mystery of Jesus living in our brother.  He is that close!

2007 Word Recap

Psalm 24

Gates and Doors,  ancient doors – speak of getting back to the core,  getting back to basics.

Connecting in a personal relationship with God.

2008 Word Recap

Isaiah 59:19

When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

 NLT – For he will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord

 Basically speaks of God’s protection over us as we get back to basics with Him.

There is a security in Him when your heart is right before Him.

Ezekiel 1:4-28 – Could this be the host that goes before the Lord?

 The angels precede the presence of the Lord

 When you open up ancient doors the King of Glory comes in.

 When the King of Glory comes in his angels precede Him.

When the Lord of Hosts shows up, there is no need to fear.

Its a secure place to be. To be in his presence. You don’t have to worry about being on the right path.  You are on his path, not Him on yours.

 We have to move with the presence. We have to find out where He is going and what He is doing. We need to be on His page.

 Sometimes we are trying to get Him to bless what we are doing. It is a better perspective to hear his voice and do what He is doing.

Revelation 3:7 – Message to the Church in Philadelphia (brotherly love) “these things says he who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.”

 When we wait for Him to open and close doors, it is so freeing. We don’t have to open and close our own doors and find our own direction.

 Not only that but we don’t have to worry if they are the right ones. And if they will stay open or closed. He is in control of all that.

 What a good place to be!

Find a place of worship so the King of Glory will come in

He will be you protection

He will give direction

Word for 2009 Recap

John 10:1-30 – Jesus is the door of the sheep.  I guess I was expecting a revival or evangelistic explosion this year.

Interesting how we put our own expectations on the word of God.  So I was seeking the Lord on how this word came true this year.

Jesus opens the door to let sheep in and out. We had sheep come in and out of this flock this year.  The sheep that are here right now define who we are. There are twenty other churches that you could have chosen to go to. You have chosen Refuge and Jesus has chosen you for Refuge.

I believe the Lord is saying that this is a pivotal time for this body.

Paul Hueper had the word that we are at a time like when God was choosing the size  of Gideon’s army. He started with 32,000 and ended up with 300. The Lord chose the size of the army that would give Him the glory.

Numbers are not the most important thing to the Lord. He cares about relationship and worship.

I am excited about who we are right now. Over half this church is active in the ministries we have here.

We have an eldership that have all been together over five years and are really close relationally, and are still growing in the Lord together.  We have a frame that is ready for us to step into. We have a great building, a great testimony in the community, and foundations for wonderful things to happen.

The building, church, Refuge Room, Armageddon, and our missions program have so much room for growth and prosperity.

As far as I’m concerned. We are in a perfect place.

Word for 2010

Luke 19:46 – My House will be called a “House of Prayer”

Once the body is established, worship happens. Worship is the core of body life.  Prayer is at the core of worship. Establishing communication with the Lord.

My prayer for myself this year is: “Lord, make me a house of prayer.”

I want prayer to be my testimony this year.  That this year I established prayer as the cornerstone of my life and ministry.  This is a challenge because I feel like I have so far to go.

Prayer has not been my first mode of operation.  I want prayer to be the cornerstone of all I do, my strategy for ministry, the salt of every conversation. (and I talk for a living)

My goal is to bring prayer into every conversation, if possible.  This is a life change for me.

The Lord has established this body here now. Now I believe he wants to make us a “house of prayer.”  A few months ago I read the book, “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”, and it sparked this new passion for prayer.

We have one of our worship team members, who was a youth raised in this church attending the “International House of Prayer” school in Kansas City.  We have a link with IHOP now.

 I believe if you have a good relationship with the Lord, communication will be at its core.

 ”His sheep hear his voice, they are in his sheep pen and they hear his voice.”

We give thanks!

“Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, catch me a catch.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Look through your book, And make me a perfect match”

-Fiddler on the Roof

As Christians, we must be like a Matchmaker, who persuades a girl to marry somebody else. The Matchmaker must be very careful that the girl does not fall in love with himself. Likewise, the Christian must be a guide enabling others to reach the bridegroom. As believers in the One and Only whose very name is Love, we must ignite a love for the bridegroom in the hearts of others, so that after hearing our words or seeing our deeds the people should not say, ‘How beautifully he has spoken,’ but ‘How wonderful Jesus is!’

There was a sigificantly long period of my life which could at best be described as ugly. I did not like what I saw in myself, and yet, no matter how desperately I tried to change, when I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted. My best attempts to change led me down a road filled with guilt, embarrassment, and shame. Then one glorious day, a friend led me in prayer and God spoke to me saying “Don’t worry, I have already broken you, simply step into my presence and I will cover you.” In relation to my sins He continued “Absolutely, not a problem. It is time for you to accept My grace.”

In my mind I saw the Lord standing before me with his hands outstreched asking me to please accept His gift of grace. I accepted His grace, and in that moment the weight of my world was lifted off my back. I could finally breath. I could finally look in the mirror. When once I feared seeing my reflection and masked it in the presence of others… now it is an intimate experience between God and I. With all confidence, I can say ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ live in me’ so that now when I look in the mirror, I see His image.

As you look into the mirror, the mirror of your life, can you see the work of God that is taking place as the Spirit of God is changing you and bringing you into the image of Jesus? How intoxicatingly wonderful it is when we are able to see God working in our life, and just to marvel at what He has done.

“Even the finest messengers of Christ cannot answer the deep need of the soul. The duty of a pastor is only to reveal to men how unhappy they are without Jesus. Then he must tell them how he has found Jesus, and how they can find him too.”                                                       –Richard Wurmbrand

Pastor Darren Williams

By Pastor Darren Williams

Just got back from a two week journey to Peru. Got to spend quality “down-time” with widows and orphans. After being over-come with church life and church politics, it was a good break. After being down there for two weeks. I really felt like the Lord was telling me to “focus on the poor .” Both at home and on the mission field. 

• Exodus 23:11 – Let the poor among the people get food from the fields during the seventh year. Kindness commanded to the poor in the Torah
• Deuteronomy 15:7 – do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.  
• Deuteronomy 24:14 – Never take advantage of poor laborers, whether fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they might cry out to the lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin. Is He saying that if you do not take care of the poor it is sin?  
• Psalms 41:1 – Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. Helping the poor secures God’s help for you. 
• Proverbs 19:17 – he who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. being kind to the poor is a good investment.
• Matthew 19:21 – Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Giving to the poor = perfection, treasures in heaven, and an invitation to follow Jesus.
• Galatians 2:10 – All they asked (the leaders of the early church) was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. This was the command of the early church concerning the Gentile church.

After starting to search the scriptures about the poor, I realized that there are  many scriptures about the poor.  There is one we will focus in on,

Isaiah 58:6-12

This the kind of fast day I’m after:

To break the chains of injustice,

 get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

free the oppressed, cancel debts

 What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

sharing your food with the hungry,

inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on,

and your lives will turn around at once.

your righteousness will pave your way

The God of glory will secure your passage.

Then when you pray, God will answer,

You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘here I am.’

 If you get rid of unfair practices,

quit blaming victims,

quit gossiping about other people’s sins,

If you are generous with the hungry

and start giving yourself to the down-and-out,

Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,

your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.

I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places –

full muscles, strong bones.

You’ll be like a well-watered garden,

a gurgling stream that never runs dry.

You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew.

rebuild the foundations from out of your past.

You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,

restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,

make the community livable again.

Matthew 25 says that we minister to Jesus by ministering to the poor.  It is part of our vision statement here at Refuge, ministering to the poor.

 Do you want God to minister to you? He says here several times. The way we get his attention is by ministering to the poor.  (I’ve even heard Dr. Laura say  that to get yourself out of a funk you should find a way to help others.)

 This is one of the heaviest running themes throughout the bible.  Jesus said he did not come to call the well to salvation, but the poor and sick.  Jesus went to the poor not the religious or wealthy.

 In the Isaiah 58 passage he says that if you minister to the poor, He will show you where to go. I have also been memorizing the be-attitudes lately and meditating on, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

How can a rich person be poor? He could sell all he has, or maybe a good place for a rich person to be is “poor in spirit”.  How do you become poor in spirit? Minister to the poor. There is something devastating about ministering to the poor. It puts you in a whole other mind set. It impoverishes your spirit, or breaks your heart. You realize you don’t have all the answers and you can’t fix it. It creates a dependency on God.

 I’ve realized in the past that we are an outreach body. But now I realize that we also have a focus on the poor. That much of our outreach is toward the poor.  Everybody at Refuge has a heart for the poor, because it is much of our focus. As you give yourself to this body, you give yourself to the poor.

 There are poor people in Homer. It is our job to find them and help them.  There are poor people all over the world. The Lord will use us to minister to them.

James 1:27 - Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

Contact us regarding outreach to the poor at (907) 235-4744

“Religious people love to hide behind religion. They love the rules of religion more than they love Jesus. With practice, “Condemners” let rules become more important than the spiritual life.“ 
                                                                                      — Michael Yaconelli  

“We are told that Christ was killed for us, that His death has washed out our sins, and that by dying He disabled death itself… That is Christianity. That is what has to be believed”.  

                                                                     –C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity  

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

People with mental illnesses, for the most part, have been diverted underground. We have been pushed into hiding our true identity; we can come out into the open, but only if we agree to play according to the rules—their rules. We are expected to censor ourselves, and say appropriate things at the right time. Pharisees [who are alive and well] insist on a level of purity that all must maintain. [I am not picking on anyone, just a generality.] 

If I say that I am depressed, paranoid, manic or desperate I end up upsetting the apple cart and muddle up everything.  “Truth?  You can’t handle the truth?”, [a line from some movie.]  But, if we use our shortcomings as credentials, we have the ability to speak about grace, love and of self-acceptance with authority.  

Christians with mental illnesses, have been given a gift that we are to share with the Church.  The Holy Spirit has sprinkled us into each fellowship of believers.  He places us as we are suffering into strategic places. Our “gifts” are to speak to the Body, spiritually about a lot of things, but especially grace.  

If our fellowships become hard and religious, it is usually because we in our weaknesses, have accepted  being silenced into submission by the so-called interpreters of scripture.  If we don’t like the rules, we are told to go elsewhere.  We are not welcome.  

But that is our moment to shine!  Our “unsightly” presence shouts out to the “wonderful” people, all about grace in weakness.  Those who receive us, receive Him.  Those who turn from us, muffling us, are doing that to Jesus. Frightening, isn’t it?  It’s interesting to note the those who do not believe yet, have often used “legalism” as the touchstone for their decision. 

I would strongly suggest that we should take our illnesses out into the open.  That we become transparent toward others.  As we do this, we can oh-so-gently guide our fellowships into true grace and love.  They look at me and they see Jesus.  And perhaps that is our greatest ministry as mentally ill people to the Church.  

⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power  is perfected in weakness.”  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. ¹⁰ So because of Christ,  I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  

                               2 Corinthians 12:9-11 (HCSB) 

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Associate Pastor, Bryan Lowe

“The gospel is either radical, or it is nothing”

Jesus cares for each of us

by Pastor Bryan Lowe

“Cross Jesus one too many times, fail too often, sin too much, and God will decide to take his love back. It is so bizarre, because I know Christ loves me, but I’m not sure he likes me, and I continually worry that God’s love will simply wear out. Periodically, I have to be slapped in the face with Paul’s words in Romans 8:38,

 ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’” – Michael Yaconelli, “Messy Spirituality”

Like Mr. Yaconelli, I live with a continuous fear that God’s love has limits. That someday, I will sin myself beyond a Saviors reach. It nags on me and betrays me. The fear that I will end up on some spiritual junk heap is real and it is pervasive. It accentuates my failures, aggravating them and poisoning my whole being. I feel worthless and so alone. Since my particular struggle is with depression, I end up bringing that with me into the throne room. It seems God has to convince me over, and over again of his love for me.

Kids who have been beaten by their fathers often will visibly flinch when Dad raises his arm to scratch his head. They cower and duck out of habit, waiting for the blows. But God isn’t like that.  Our heavenly Father has gone out of his way to make the gospel truly good news. We often have to be convinced of a love that cannot be diluted by the stuff of life. And we who are the sinful and wounded need that assurance. We are loved with a love of such quality and such a quantity, and such magnificence that all we can say is “GRACE!” As broken people we must understand that the Father delights in us. He especially loves his sheep who are weak, frightened and afar off.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

If you want to think about this a little more, check out this Campus Crusade for Christ site: http://www.ccci.org/growth/transferable-concepts/08-how-you-can-love-by-faith/02-5-truths-about-love-god-loves-unconditionally.aspx