This is Not an Overstatement: Next to the death & resurrection of Jesus, the single greatest event in the Bible is the coming of the Spirit into the lives of the Believers. It is His presence that guarantees we are saved and enables us to fulfill God's commands and blessings. The Holy Spirit's arrival on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) is a really BIG deal.
This Sunday, as a church we begin our study of Acts 2. This dynamic chapter will fulfill the OT hope and promise and grant new vision and power for the believer's daily life. It becomes the standard by which all future churches aspire to and will be judged by. I believe this with all of my heart!
Please be praying for us and the church in Forest Hills. The issue of the Holy Spirit, and His filling, has been so abused and denigrated by so many that it is a constant battle to insure a proper reception and response. I believe there is a cleansing (purging) that is taking place here in NYC, and that God is using FHCC as a foundational piece in this process. Please pray that His will is accomplished.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
May Prayer Points
After an incredible season of Outreach and Evangelism during the Spring holidays, we were all excited and eager to see what God was going to do through us and His church in May. Originally, we had planned on kicking off the new month with a sermon series on the book of Acts. God, however, had something else in store.
Days before "kick off" Sunday, the Lord clearly spoke and said that the people of FHCC and NYC were not yet ready to live and receive the implications found in the book of Acts. Sin and apathy were still too prevalent and would only frustrate us as we read and anticipated God doing the miracles of Acts in our lives and city. Instead, God called us to proclaim Ephesians 5:1-20, and then call the church to repentance.
So with a church filled the Sunday after Easter with new guests and families, we read the rebuke of the Lord regarding sin and apathy. It was a powerful message and it led to the spiritual confrontation with many in our church and community. God was glorified, His church purified, and His witness exalted. It has been an amazing beginning to the month of May!
We now feel the Lord releasing us to begin our study of the book of Acts entitled, "RADICAL: When God Dwells with His People." It is going to be fantastic, but also incredibly tough. The miracle of Acts is not simply the power of God being displayed in physical demonstrations and healings, but more miraculously in the lives of the church. The church was full of POWER, because they HATED sin (Acts 5), LOVED Jesus (Acts 4), and DEPENDED COMPLETELY on the Holy Spirit (Acts 5). This is not an easy task for mortal men...
Please join with us this month in praying for the following:
1 - GREATER dependence on the Holy Spirit
2 - More Jewish people to hear the Gospel and come to Faith
3 - Health and Sanity for the family - it is especially tough living as a Jesus-loving FAMILY in NYC
4 - More Workers in the Harvest Field of NYC
Days before "kick off" Sunday, the Lord clearly spoke and said that the people of FHCC and NYC were not yet ready to live and receive the implications found in the book of Acts. Sin and apathy were still too prevalent and would only frustrate us as we read and anticipated God doing the miracles of Acts in our lives and city. Instead, God called us to proclaim Ephesians 5:1-20, and then call the church to repentance.
So with a church filled the Sunday after Easter with new guests and families, we read the rebuke of the Lord regarding sin and apathy. It was a powerful message and it led to the spiritual confrontation with many in our church and community. God was glorified, His church purified, and His witness exalted. It has been an amazing beginning to the month of May!
We now feel the Lord releasing us to begin our study of the book of Acts entitled, "RADICAL: When God Dwells with His People." It is going to be fantastic, but also incredibly tough. The miracle of Acts is not simply the power of God being displayed in physical demonstrations and healings, but more miraculously in the lives of the church. The church was full of POWER, because they HATED sin (Acts 5), LOVED Jesus (Acts 4), and DEPENDED COMPLETELY on the Holy Spirit (Acts 5). This is not an easy task for mortal men...
Please join with us this month in praying for the following:
1 - GREATER dependence on the Holy Spirit
2 - More Jewish people to hear the Gospel and come to Faith
3 - Health and Sanity for the family - it is especially tough living as a Jesus-loving FAMILY in NYC
4 - More Workers in the Harvest Field of NYC
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