FERVENT: HEALTH & HEALING

There are a lot today in our culture who talk about wellness.  There are wellness coaches, wellness programs, and a myriad of opinions on how we can be well. I think most people recognize the great need for healing.  We are people who are inherently NOT well.  We are broken and warped, twisted by our sinful natures.  Of those of us who are members of the family of faith, however, there is a way that we can be well despite our sinful condition.  The scripture above states that the Lord “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  This is the same language that is used in Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance or our God, to comfort all who mourn…”  This is also the scripture that Jesus read in the synagogue at the beginning of his public ministry and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” (Luke 4:21).  For those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, the process of healing has begun.  The first words that Jesus spoke to his disciples after his resurrection were “Peace be with you.”  Jesus reassures the disciples that they have his “peace.”  The Greek word used here transliterated is “eirene” is equivalent to the Hebrew word “shalom” used by the writers of the Old Testament.  These words are translated into English as “peace,” yet these terms connote a much deeper, more profound significance than our usual definition of peace.  The terms express a complete and entire emotional/physical/spiritual well-being among people that affects every aspect of life and every relationship.  Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus states, “For Christ himself brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us…He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death” Ephesians 2:14-16.  True well-being and health are obtained through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  This shalom is also not an individual experience but one that provides restoration to all relationships.

Let us pray for healing and restoration in our lives and relationships that God might be praised and glorified and that His peace may penetrate every aspect of our being.

FERVENT: Justice and Poverty

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love o God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

We live in a culture that spends a great deal of time discussing the needs of the poor and downtrodden. The church is often at the center of these conversations and many people speak enthusiastically about ways that the church can impact the lives of the needy. Unfortunately, there is often a disconnect in these conversations. People have a tendency to look to charities, civic groups, churches and the government to meet the needs of hurting people, while not realizing that the call to love through action is extended to themselves as followers of Christ. In his description of the early church Luke describes a people who cared for one another’s needs. They gave of what they had to provide for those around them (Acts 4). By obeying Christ in this way they demonstrated that the Gospel was not just a man-made philosophy or a way to establish a charitable organization, but an all-encompassing way of life. They had heeded Paul’s admonition to live as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). 

We often hear the reminder to “be the church”. This is a challenge to live out what the Bible teaches; to show a lost world the love and grace that Christ offers. It’s a challenge to prefer others over yourself and to give to those in need. God established the church to function as his body in the world (Ephesians 1:18-23). Part of showing that we are the body of Christ is speaking truth in love, walking in a humble manner and giving to others in the same way that God so richly gave to us (Ephesians 4:15; Micah 6:8).  

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  Micah 6:8

FERVENT: Mercy Hill Ministries

Building or Being? If you've been around Mercy Hill for any length of time, you've heard us talk of being the Church and not building a church. This is not simply some cute catch phrase adorning our website, but rather something that helps direct us as we plan events and start new ministries. To me, BEING the church is about glorifying God in all we do, living in unity within the congregation, meeting each other's needs and building one another up in Christ, and living-out the Gospel in our homes, workplaces, and communities. And the ministries of the church is what helps facilitate the being the Church. That's it. But often times, the ministries of the church are thought of as ways to grow or build the church, and most often, this is thought of numerically. We ask questions like, "What can we do (what ministry can we add) to attract more people; to increase giving?" That's "building" the church mentality. The funny thing is Christ said that HE would build HIS church (Matthew 16:18). It's not our job- that's His job. Our job is the being. We simply do our best to create an atmosphere where we can truly be the radiant Bride of Christ that He is building. Through things like the Sunday morning service, the City on a Hill Outreach, Greeters, Hospitality, Children's Church, and Gallery Nights- we are engaging in opportunities to glorify God, build-up one another, and reach out to a lost and hurting world. BE THE CHURCH. Please join with us today as we focus our prayers on the ministries of Mercy Hill Church. Pray that God would provide all that is needed for us to effectively be His Church: His Holy Spirit, His wisdom, compassion, humility, our participation, and finances.

FERVENT: Government

Praying for our government is really never at the top of our list, is it? Scripture urges that "...supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (I Timothy 2:1-2) In a time when we are bombarded with messages from the right, the left and everywhere in between, it's easy to get cynical, disparage or belittle the government because we don't agree with their points of view. However, regardless of where we stand, scripture lays out that we are ambassadors of Jesus. We aren't called to disobey our goverment and we must respect and subject ourselves to the law of the land (Titus 3:1-2). The other night, I was reading Bible stories to my 16 month old and we came accross the story of Daniel. I was reminded of what a great example we have in Daniel as that amabassador who intercedes no matter the opposition. In Phillipians 3:20, we find an important verse that reminds us that "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.." So regardless of the political spectrum, as we pray for our goverment, we pray as ambassadors that together, our leaders may lead us in a peaceful, godly and dignified way through Christ, Jesus.

FERVENT: CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Heb 13:17-19 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. Whenever the Bible gives an instruction it’s because the instruction is needed. The people in this church were groaning about their leaders. It says here about those men who were leading, “for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give account.” So whether or not the people appreciated them, these leaders were going to stand watch. The instruction to the people here is to bless the leaders by not grumbling and groaning. The writer asks for prayer too. Prayer for what? That he, the leader, would be restored to them again! So here we have a people who are groaning about their leader and yet the leader’s desire is to be with them. This make me think about Jesus and His desire to be with me. Look what the next verses say! Heb 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Jesus desired to be with me so He spilled His own blood as a sacrifice for everything that was and is wrong with me, my sin. My God is seeking my good which is to do His will in which I’ll be pleasing to Him. You see, these leaders were men who understood the gospel of grace that is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Just a few verses previous the writer of Hebrews wrote about how the people should consider the lives of their church leaders. Heb 13:7-9 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, The leaders at this church wanted the people to understand and know the grace of God towards them. The writer suggested the people watch the lives of their leaders to see their faith and way of life they had following Jesus. They taught the Word simply without complexity of weird doctrine; but instead taught about the grace that is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ really is the same yesterday and today and forever full of grace towards us the great Shepherd of our souls…our souls…what did that first text say, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” That is the heart of Jesus and so that is the heart leaders have had worked into them by Him to be His “watchman” in His church.

Fervent: A Prayer of Repentance

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8 The claim to be without sin is self deception. And the reason we are so deceived is that the truth has found no place in us. When a person is converted, the truth takes up residence in the heart. Or we could say the light of God comes into the heart. And what John says here is not that it immediately drives out all falsehood and sin. That is a battle that lasts a lifetime. What he says is that when the truth enters in, its light reveals sin! The mark of the saint is not sinlessness but sin-consciousness! The evidence of indwelling truth is the exposure of error. The dawning of God's light in the heart is the revelation of remaining darkness. In this life we never get beyond the awareness of remaining sin. Therefore one of the great signs of maturity in Christ is a deep and abiding brokenness for sin. There is much talk today about esteeming ourselves as new creatures in Christ. And so we are. But our newness consists in this: that the true light is shining in our hearts revealing the dreadfulness of our remaining sin and the abundance of God's grace. Our great joy is that our sin is forgiven in Christ. And our great grief is that so much of this very sin remains and defiles. The mark of the new creature in Christ is not a rosy self-concept. It is brokenness for remaining sin mingled with a joyful confidence in the superabounding grace of God in Christ. Jonathan Edwards writes of status in Christ like this: All gracious affections, which are a sweet odour to Christ, filling the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness and fragrancy, are broken-hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either to God or men, is an humble broken-hearted love. The desires of the saints, however earnest, are humble desires; their hope is an humble hope; and their joy, even when it is unspeakable and full of glory, is an humble, broken-hearted joy, leaving the Christian more poor in spirit, more like a little child, and more disposed to an universal lowliness of behaviour. The greatness of this passage is that it leads us to a place of repentance and restoration: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May we practice confession and repentance walking in the light of Christ.