Here We Go Again...

Been taking some time off from posting during the month of August for a variety of reasons. For starters, I had the awesome privilege of traveling the first week to Phoenix for the Assemblies of God General Council. this bi-annual event allows ministers and missionaries from all over the world the opportunity to come together for worship, encouragement, networking, and church business. While not a glorious task, the principles and notion of a unified organization (denomination) are, in fact, biblical (Acts 15) and I am honored to play a role in a fellowship like ours. Looking forward to seeing what God has next in store for the A/G.

Additionally, I have used this month to enjoy time with the family and the church. Our church is preparing for another season of harvest with the Fall fast approaching. The summer was very hot and very challenging. With the ruling of the Federal Court banning church use of public schools, many in the congregation decided that being a portable church involved too much effort and decided to worship elsewhere. I thank God, however, that the majority took to heart the biblical language and example of the church in Scripture. The "church" is not a building but a people. It does not exist for the needs of the saved, but for the purpose of redeeming the Lost. You don't come to church to "take," you come to give and be a part of God's mission. This is what it means to be a church, and this is what the 50 individuals of Forest Hills Community Church are giving their lives to!

So, pray for us as we enter the Fall season. We are still searching for a new meeting space and the options are slim. God is in charge and the fields are "ripe unto harvest." Please pray that workers will be sent out and that the CHURCH will emerge from homes, coffee shops and other public and private gatherings and that many Jews and Gentiles will meet Jesus!

Thoughts on Healing

Been a hard afternoon, but one full of God's providence. In light of my upcoming trip to General Council, I have been working on a sermon two-weeks from now based on Acts 3:1-10. The passage is very familiar and powerful because it involves a supernatural healing at the mere mention of Jesus' name. So many have been encouraged by the story's very simple retelling of the events that led to a lame man being instantly healed; Peter and John command the man to stand and he does with praises unto God. It is so simple and challenging.

No sooner had I cracked the outline on the passage, then my phone and email inbox begin filling with prayer requests for healing. Brain tumors, cancers, mental anguish and anxiety, etc. are effecting my immediate world and friendships. People are suffering and in desperate need to God's mercy and power and the timing of these events cannot be coincidental. So, how should we respond?

WHY?
Before we address the healing, I feel it imperative to address the nature of sickness. With limited exception, sickness is NOT the fault of the afflicted (John 9:3). Yes, every man's sin furthers the plight of creation and breeds evil, but this should not lead one to the conclusion that if one is sick that he/she is being punished by God. The Bible is replete with the prophets, apostles and common people of God suffering the effects of sickness. Evil simply exists and effects all of us on this side of eternity, period.

WHAT MATTERS
After concluding that sickness is merely a component of living in a fallen world, the decision remains with how to treat it. Sadly, more people choose to focus on evil than its cure. Perhaps this is because of our carnal nature and obsession with the physical, but either way the practice is destructive. No good ever comes out of focusing on the problem, we must focus on the cure.

One of the many strengths of the Christian belief is that the biblical description of God is that He is sovereign. God is not limited by anything, nor does anything take place that is outside of His permissive will or ability. Additionally, the Bible declares that He is absolutely "good." This not only defines His essence, but also, by default, declares all of His works/actions/behaviors/ to be "good." These are important and imperative qualities when considering evil and its effects. Because God is sovereign and good, the effects of evil/sickness is never without purpose or cure. This is not to say that man can discern what this purpose is, this truth is reserved for God and God alone. Rather, by knowing that God has given purpose to evil/sickness it gives credence and necessity to look to Him in times of trouble. What matters is that God is always in control.

But His goodness is not abstract or merely theoretical, it's practical and demonstrated particularly in response to evil. The incarnation of Jesus (Jesus coming to earth as a man) proves that God's goodness and sovereignty are real and effective. God takes on the very thing that is susceptible to sickness/evil and overcomes it through the power of the Spirit. Additionally, He preserves not only His body, but he makes it priority to heal those who are sick and dead. God cares for the flesh and overcomes evil's effects toward it (Matt. 8:14-17).

As significant as God's concern for the flesh is, it is not the sole concern of the incarnation. The true significance of God becoming a man is so that He may suffer fully the effects of sin on our behalf and overcome them for all eternity (I Thess. 5:9-10). Jesus came to heal the soul, not merely the body and this is what matters most. I know this is hard to fathom from this side of eternity (John 11:35), but it is true. We should seek and expect God's healing in our physical bodies, but more important is that He be seen as the Healer and Victor over evil's effects on our soul.

APPLICATION
If you are sick, then pray to the Lord for healing (James 5:13). God has demonstrated His love, concern, power and will to heal, therefore, expect it with a gracious heart. But, do not major in the minors, loosing sight of God's greatest demonstration of His goodness and love for us: His salvation and healing of the soul. Receive Jesus for who is fully is: God the Healer and Victor over flesh and spirit. The flesh is significant, but far greater is redemption of the soul.

Thoughts on the USAToday article

Many people have reached out to me from across the sphere these past 24-hours. I've had calls from lawyers looking to take our case (didn't know we had one), old friends and colleagues sending messages of encouragement, and have even had Christian news people call to inquire about the church. It has been an amazing experience, but I'm still waiting for that one call from someone who is not a Christian.

Honestly, it's all about Jesus; not me. I didn't say those things on camera or in an interview to "fire up" the Christian community, I said them to provoke the Lost into considering Jesus. I just want people to stop seeing church as a building or a weekend social/religious hour. The church is the people of God at all times (Acts 2:42-47), and I pray this article simply furthers this truth and its implications.

Who knows, may be a few new people will show up this Sunday in PS 144 because of the article. I hope so. But even if they don't, I pray that the Christians who do attend, and those who have read the article, will incorporate the Biblical description and command of the church into their daily lives. Maybe non-Christians will not be directly impacted by this article, but maybe they will be indirectly saved as Christians live as the church from here on out.

It's all about people meeting Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and serving like Jesus as a missionary...

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Many of you have been asking about the coverage we received last month when USAToday visited our church concerning a federal court ruling. Well, I am happy to report that the story as officially been released, and we made the FRONT PAGE !!

Please celebrate with us in this incredible testimony. It's not about numbers or publicity; it's all about Jesus! Our prayer is that through this experience the Gospel will be advanced and people will come to know Jesus and His church. It's not about Forest Hills or the Sweetens in any way...

Additionally, we want to thank you, our supporters, for giving each month. If it were not for your continued sacrifice we would not be able to be pastors and church planters. Thank you for giving!!

There is more to be done in this city and nation and we are resolved not to rest until Jesus returns. Let's rejoice in the victory and be the church.

-Jeremy & Christine Sweeten
Pastors and Church Planters in Jewish New York City
AG US Missionary # 293-4370
www.fhcchurch.com

Thoughts on Family

Being a dad, a husband, a son, etc. is tough. Let's face it, living in a community of any kind is difficult, because people are always taking or needing something from you, or you are taking or needing something from them. This is not a rash overstatement, but simple truth.

Some would argue over the reasons for this turmoil and come up with radical, illogical political or social solutions, but that would be missing the BIG PICTURE. You see, community is good and necessary. God has designed us to live together and never alone. In fact, He says that being alone is "not good" (Gen. 2), and this is precisely why He created man and woman in harmony with using the plural (Gen 1:27-28).

Community might be a pain in the neck at times, but that is because of sin. My sin and your sin, because all sin separates (Gen. 3). To live a happy life is not to live in solitude or in man-created communes, but to enjoy the redemption of Jesus and live in holy community with Him at the center (See Leviticus and Rev. 21). But, before we can enjoy this ultimate society, we must first learn to excel in the minors: family.

The redemption offered through Jesus not only cures our hostility with God, but also our hostility with our fellow man. When a person becomes a Christian, the first area of his life that is to be impacted is his household. (Check out the Bible: God saves households because one person is saved first.) If this does not happen, then something has gone terribly wrong or has failed to be enacted.

My question for all of us is this: Are we living in Holy Communion in our families?

More Thoughts on Preaching

This week we wrapped up our study of Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, which is really a defense of salvation theology. Sure it explains the gifts of tongues and the personhood of Jesus, but ulitmately the sermon is a call to salvation. Peter's remarks on the pouring out of the Spirit is that the Jews (regardless of how religious) are not the true sons of God as evidenced by their lack of the Spirit.

All of Peter's remarks about Jesus are not merely historical for the people are said to already know the history of Jesus; in fact, Peter states that these men listening to his sermon were participants in His death and witnesses of His resurrection. What Peter is doing in his remarks on Jesus is stating that Jesus is the giver of the Spirit as attested to by His life, death, resurrection and ascension. All of these claims are not about mere history or theology but about calling people to a response. Peter is imploring these devout Jews to change their view of Jesus.

All Christians possess the Spirit and, therefore, all Christians are called and enabled to preach. But when we preach, we must preach so as to call people to a response about JESUS. It is not enough to stimulate people to good works or thoughts on God; we must call people to Jesus.

Acts 2:14-41.

A First Win

This Sunday we had an incredible move of the Spirit take place. It all began on Friday when we discovered that our lease at the public school would be renewed through the summer. This was an incredible answer to prayer and allows us to focus on what matters: people meeting Jesus.

Friday's events got even better when we received word that USAToday would be joining us for service on Sunday. They had heard about our "housing dilemma" and wanted a local church to highlight in NYC. Following a phone interview, they decided it would be really cool to take pictures of a service, interview our folks, and see what "portable church" is really all about. Oh, they would give our church national media attention for free...

When Sunday arrived, I still had told no one of the news media joining us for service. If people were going to come to church and serve the Body, then they were going to have to do it for the right reasons, not merely to get on camera. Sure enough, everyone on our Setup team arrived on time and ready to work. Needless to say, the media was very impressed to see a church of 50 have 20 people arrive 2 hours before church to work in the heat without coffee or compensation.

Oh, and I didn't tell the media that this Sunday was also BAPTISM Sunday...

With 45 people in attendance this week, the church was truly visible and unified. No one cared about the news crew being there, they were thrilled that Jesus was present and His mission shining clear for all to see. People worshipped, soaked up the Word, and were excited to see five people baptized...only 9 people ended up getting baptized.

Following the sermon from Acts 2:37-41, four people from the audience spontaneous responded to the Holy Spirit's call to be baptized. They didn't do it because of emotions or as a publicity stunt. These people were moved by God, saved, and led into obedient righteousness. It was awesome and the pictures scream a MILLION words to the glory of God!

I want to close by stating that this is a FIRST win of many for the church. The month of June was a defining moment for us as a church, and I believe one of refinement. Instead of freaking out in the face of adversity (well, maybe a little freaking out at times...), we dug into Jesus, His Word and listened to the Holy Spirit. We are a new church with new, cleared mission and more dedicated people united around a common goal: Jesus' fame. We are all MISSIONARIES ready to be trained and sent out so that spontaneous baptisms are the normal experience.

Jesus said that He came to "seek and save the Lost." We are the means of extending that grace to others (Matt. 28:19-20), and when we go out in His name people are saved supernaturally! Let's go, Church.