Fervent Prayer: Church Planting

" And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles."  Acts 2:42-43 ESV

From the birth of the Church in Acts, we see what the new gathered Body of Christ focused on: God’s Word (apostles’ teaching), community (fellowship and breaking of bread), and prayer (communing with God).  Thus, from the very beginning of Mercy Hill, these verses have been close to our hearts and has helped define and shape our mission of being the Church.  Keeping our focus on the simplicity of the Gospel, as taught in Scripture, and proclaiming that Good News both from the pulpit and through personal relationship, is a big part of what I think makes Mercy Hill Church the amazing community that it is.  And it seems that God is stirring the hearts of others all over southeastern Wisconsin who desire to see churches planted that are committed to the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel.  God has been building His Church with people ready to be His Church, and because of this, we are excited for what God is doing through the church planting efforts here at Mercy Hill.  

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Today, let’s focus our prayers on the area of church planting:

Pray that God would continue to build His Church here and abroad
Pray for our current church planting efforts/connections:
Mercy Hill Rock County, Janesville (Josh and Angie Dostal)
Imago Dei, West Milwaukee (Pete and Kristy Ziolkowski)
Nuovo Vita, Salerno (Justin and Abbey Valiquette)
Pray that God would provide to expand His Church:
Leadership, resources and finances
Pray that we would continue to train and equip leaders for church planting
Pray that God would continue to make His mission clear to our churches
Pray that God would clearly direct our Elders in future church planting efforts

Fervent Prayer: Financial Commitment and Provision

" For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” 
2 Cor 8:13-15

Over the years there seems to have been two dominant theologies related to personal finances that have emerged in the church. The first is a ‘poverty theology’. Explained simply, it is the idea that people who are in poverty are somehow more holy or more spiritual then those who have wealth. That one of the marks and means of your spirituality is maintaining a place of poverty. It is true that the bible does seem to indicate that a life in poverty has the potential to teach us about the nature of Jesus. Bonnie Pattison in her book, Poverty in the Theology of John Calvin, describes Calvin’s view of the sanctifying work that is discovered when we live lives of Christ-like poverty. Calvin, she says, describes the life of the believer that “bears the cross” of poverty and affliction, which he calls the “mortification of the outward man”, as lives that are being consecrated by the life and death of Christ. That this humble life becomes an instrument of divine grace and blessing for the believer. Hardships create opportunities for the knowledge of God’s glory to be revealed to the believer, with adversity revealing God’s glory in a way that is otherwise concealed where humble living is absent. The experience of “bearing the cross” brings a knowledge of one’s own spiritual poverty which works to foster humility in the believer. There is no doubt that this state MAY provide a pathway to greater spiritual understanding but poverty in and of itself is NOT greater spirituality.  The willingness to live in a state of poverty has the same potential for arrogant carnality that riches does. 

The second dominate theology related to personal financial status is a ‘prosperity theology’. It is the belief that personal financial wealth reveals personal spiritual maturity. That the blessings of God manifest on the spiritual in the form of financial prosperity. If you are spiritual you will be wealthy and if you’re not wealthy you’re probably not spiritual. Although every believer should always acknowledge that all blessings are gifts from God toward us, there is nothing in scripture to indicate that financial prosperity follows spiritual maturity. In fact a cursory reading of scripture will show that some of the great giants of faith throughout scripture were living in a state far from what could be described as financial prosperity. Jesus Christ himself describes His situation on earth as ‘having no place to lay his head’ and literally needed a miracle to pay His taxes. For that matter he says ‘woe to those who are rich for you have already received your reward’. But even with that being said, being wealthy or receiving abundant financial blessings from God is not necessarily a mark of carnality. There were many great men and women of faith that God did bless with financial well being;  it was how they chose to use that wealth that revealed their spiritual state. 

You see there is a financial theology that properly frames both poverty and prosperity that not only addresses the tension between poverty and wealth we see in scripture but also properly focuses the eyes and heart of the follower of Jesus Christ.

If I were to identify what I believe the bible teaches as it relates to finances in the life of the believer I would say it is neither a theology of poverty or a theology of prosperity but a theology of need meeting. It is the belief that God meets our needs and we in turn meet the needs of others. Every time you see the topic of God’s provision for His people you see the word ‘needs’ associated with it. Whether it is in Christ’s encouragement in the Gospels to not chase after the basic provisions of the life because ‘your Father knows’ your needs and he will provide them or the encouragement in Philippians 4 where we are told that God will supply all our needs according to His riches. What you discover is that God is aware of our needs and willing and wanting to meet them. But in addition to the meeting of our needs (not wants) being met by God,  throughout scripture we are called to meet the needs of others with our extra; your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need. This was the practice in the first century church where they were distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need (Acts 2 and Acts 4). And it’s not just the needs of the individual but it is the needs of the ministry of God’s church. Paul in Philippians 4 commended them for funding his ministry and throughout his teachings he emphasizes to the members of the church that duty to provide for the ministry of the church (1 Corinthians 9, 1 Timothy 5). 

The reason I say that the theology of need meeting puts it all in proper perspective is because it removes the focus from ourselves and on to God and others. We do not become fixated on whether our spirituality is providing our blessing or whether our willingness to sacrifice means we’ve earned our righteousness. Both of these are mindsets that spring from and lead to spiritual arrogance. Instead, through a theology of need meeting,  we are focused on God as gracious provider and on others as the recipients of our God inspired love. When we see the undeserved provision of God towards us our gratitude towards Him grows as does our desire to be generous toward others. 

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Dear God, the one who knows and provides all our needs, we come before you with open hands and open hearts. Please give to each one of us that which we need to grow in our knowledge of you. Help us to always turn our faces to you to receive and our faces towards others to give. By your Holy Spirit, may we learn the beauty of dependence on you and the beauty of generosity towards your church and your people. Amen.

Fervent Prayer: Outreach

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us."  2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Second Corinthians 5 provides Christians with a framework for their interaction with the world around us. A framework that quite often we don’t think about. Paul’s claim to the title ‘presbeutes’ or ambassador, when taken in context of his culture, established a rich responsibility for all of us who are called to be ministers in our world.

Roman provinces were divided into two types. One was under the direct control of the senate, the other under the direct control of the Emperor. The distinction was made on this basis; provinces which were peaceful and had no troops in them were senatorial provinces; provinces which were turbulent and had troops stationed in them were imperial provinces. In the imperial provinces, the man who administered the province on behalf of the Emperor, was the ‘legatus presbeutai’. By using this word he paints a picture of a man who has a direct commission from the Emperor. He does this because Paul regarded himself as commissioned by Jesus Christ for the work of the Church.  Just as an ambassador represents his country Paul represented his Lord. Just as an ambassador spoke for his country Paul spoke for Christ. 

It is this way we must all regard ourselves. We have been commissioned by Jesus Christ. This is the essence of Christ’s statement in His pastoral prayer found in John 17 when he says ‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world’ and it’s confirmed by His instruction to the church when he says, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’

We have been called to be ambassadors for Christ and when we as individuals or as the church reach out to our world we must understand that this is what we are doing. We must reach out in the love of Christ, we must reach out in the truth of Jesus, we must reach out in His compassion, His grace and His holiness. We represent Him. In the decisions and the counsels of the world we must be the voice which brings the message of Christ to the human situation. It is this biblical reality that governs the outreach efforts as Mercy Hill.  

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Dear Jesus, Grant us the courage to speak with your voice, grant us the compassion to heal with your hands and grant us the strength to love with your commitment. Help us, by your Holy Spirit leading, to do that which you are calling us to do in service to mankind and  anoint and bless those that take up that calling. In your power and strength we pray. Amen. 

Fervent Prayer: Missions: Let God Lead

"He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. Acts 1:7-8 ESV

My prayer in missions is that we do not let the cart get before the horse. Too often when we talk about missions, we talk from our perspective. Where we feel passionate, where we feel we should go, what we feel we should do.

But in establishing His Church, God is in the lead, not us.

Today's passage is a perfect illustration of this. We often cite Acts 1:8 when calling people to missions. But ignoring verses 1:6-7 rips away the context. The context is that, at the resurrection, the apostles still held the view that Christ's purpose was to establish the political nation of Israel. Even after walking with Christ for years, witnessing intense miracles, watching the crucifixion, and now seeing Him conquer death, the apostles still wanted God to fulfill their narrative. How often have we done the same?

May we return to simply pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”

By letting God lead, we are releasing Him from having to fulfill our vision of missions, and opening ourselves to what He is capable of doing. This is also a key part of 1:8 that we miss. 

Missions is not only letting Him lead in terms of the big things (who, what, where), but in the small moments as well. Making space for His Holy Spirit to disrupt our daily routines to reach those right here around us. By walking in and with His Spirit, we will allow Him to reach our families, neighbors and world.

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Father, may we be a Church that lets You lead. We repent for creating our own narratives and asking You to join us in what we want to do. We ask that You guide us, speak to us, and teach us in how You want to reach the world. We invite Your Spirit into our lives today and each day. May our heart be one with Yours as we reach out to the hurting, lost, and broken among us.

Fervent Prayer: Community

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5-6

When we talk about a church being committed to living in Gospel Community we are discussing a concept that goes beyond simply creating a safe and hospitable environment or even meeting the needs of those around us. Each of these are important and worthy of our attention but when we stop there we actually lose sight of the object of the Gospel’s ultimate influence in the life of the individual believer and the life of the church; the glorification of God. All that we are as a result of Christ’s work on the cross is intended for the purpose of embodying Jesus Christ in our lives. To revealing the power of His Gospel to the world around us. A unified community made up of a diverse group of people covenanted to each other shows the power of Christ to transform us and transverse any divide.

Romans 15 verse 6 reveals the depth of unity that glorifies the work of Jesus when it uses the phrase ‘with one accord’. The phrase comes from the greek word Homothumadon. It is a unique Greek word, helping us to understand the uniqueness of Christian community. Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rush along” (thumos/thymos) and “in unison” (homos). The intended imagery is almost musical. You see, as a number of notes are sounded, while different, they harmonize in pitch and tone. In the same way that the instruments of an orchestra come together under the direction of a choir director, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church. In this we embody our highest purpose.

As one commentator said; The consummate purpose of Christian unity is not to please other believers but to please the Lord, both inwardly and outwardly, individually and corporately. It is only when His people are in one accord and worship Him with one voice that they truly and fully glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us, by your Spirit, to be united as your church. Empower us to go beyond our own selfish concerns that we might reveal and reflect the transforming work of Christ in our lives and in our community of faith. We join our prayer with that of your Son’s when he asked that we may all be one; even as You in the Godhead are one, so that the world may believe in work of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fervent Prayer: Prayer for Mercy Hill Worship

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!  Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100

The Psalmist lays out an amazing framework for a believer’s approach to worship. Too often we participate in the practice of worship mindlessly, not understanding the great gift we have given. Psalms 100 challenges us with profound truths that should reignite our hearts and re-engage our spirits at every opportunity we have to worship.

The first truth is that we have been blessed with the presence of God. Verse 2 says; Come into his presence with singing! and then verse 4 says; Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Each of these statements acknowledges the great gift we have to dwell in the presence of God. Come into His presence, enter His courts! Too often we forget how the work of Christ on the cross not only made a way for our salvation it also made the way for us to enter into the holy of holies, the very dwelling place of God. When he died on the cross the veil of the temple, that seperated sinful man from their Holy God, was torn in two signifying how Christ’s work made the way for us to be in His presence. This is a profound truth that should never be taken for granted.

The second profound truth the Psalmist reveals is the greatness of God. Look how  Psalm 100 emphasizes the incredible awesome power and nature of God. And not in the cosmic sense but as it relates to His interaction with us, in an intimate sense. He says; It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. He made us. We are His. We are His People. And if that doesn’t convey His intimate relationship with His people it says, we are His sheep and He is our shepherd. He cares for us, feeds us, protects us. We are His! The great creator who made us, made us His own! And if all this wasn’t enough the Psalmist puts an exclamation on it by declaring: the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 

Each of these truths is meant to lead us to respond in gratitude to God. The truth of the gift of entering His presence, the truth of His intimate greatness towards us should lead us to worship. The Psalm instructs us to; Make a joyful noise to the Lord, it implores us to; Serve the Lord with gladness, it tells us to; Know that the Lord, he is God!  Why? Because, It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. It says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Why? Because, the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 

The call of the believer to worship is in response to His greatness toward us and our ability to enter into the presence of that greatness. Whenever we gather to worship it serves us well to focus on the depths of His goodness, on the enormity of His kindness, on the intimacy of His graciousness because it will animate our worship.
 

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Dear Holy Spirit, bring to our minds in the moments of worship the greatness of God’s goodness toward us. Help us to never take for granted the price that was paid so that we might enjoy the presence of God. Spirit of God, anoint those who lead us in worship and visit upon the power and beauty that only you can deliver to God’s people. 

Fervent Prayer: Confession & Commitment to Spiritual Disciplines

Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Matthew 26:38-41

When I read this passage, as much as I want to look down on the disciples for their lack of discipline and obedience, I find myself too often identifying with their failure. The call to pray is ubiquitous throughout scripture and yet we so often dismiss the call or ignore it altogether. And it’s not just the discipline to pray that we often neglect, it might be the study of God’s word or even the fellowship and community of the Body of Christ. We are instructed throughout scripture to practice each of these for our spiritual benefit and yet we don’t seem to see the import.

That’s why I find Christ’s admonition here so instructive. He acknowledges the condition most of us find ourselves in; ‘the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak’. Doesnt that sound familiar? It seems as if He has plucked these words right out of my mind as I approach the practice of spiritual disciplines in my life.  But he also reminds us that the practice of these disciplines are essential for our spiritual well being: ‘watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation’. His words reveal the truth that the presence of these practices in our lives will strengthen us to live the life to which God has called us. I can tell you that the less I pray, study His word or fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ the more I struggle with temptation but the more I commit my time to personal and corporate prayer, pressing into the wisdom of the Bible and surrounding myself with the family of God the more I avoid the struggles of the flesh. 

Now is a good time to examine our commitment to the spiritual disciplines of our lives and press into the Spirit to find the anointing that empowers us to ‘watch and pray’. 

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Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before you in humility and repentance acknowledging the truth that our willingness to train for godliness has rarely matched our need for it. We repent of the fact that we have continued to elevate the desires of the flesh above the call of the Spirit.

Help us Father, by your Holy Spirit, to change our course. Help us Father, by your Holy Spirit, to embrace the disciplines of faith that we know will transform our spirit lives. Help us Father by your Holy Spirit to enter your holy of holies through the gift of prayer, to cherish the treasure of your Word by faithful Study and to commit to our place in your community with contentment and joy as instruments of the Gospel whether we are single or married, may you empower us to find fellowship as we commit to your community.