Here is the story of God's calling on my life.
O Taste and See from HBCGranger on Vimeo.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
GLORY TO GOD ALONE!
Churches are being planted. Lives are responding to the Gospel. God is being passionately worshiped by sinners who He has stopped dead in their tracks and turned towards Him! I praise God for the opportunity to be a part of all that God is doing at Harvest Bible Chapel's around the world. It's not for the name of Harvest, or any organization; but it is for the fame of Jesus Christ alone! I get to rejoice everyday at the momentum and life change that is happening at Harvest in Granger, and this awesome video moved me to tears seeing the big picture of God working through His church. Enjoy!
Harvest U 2011 from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Harvest U 2011 from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
HARVEST U 2011 RECAP
So this past week I spent three days down at Harvest University at Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, IL, being poured into, and fellowshipping with worship leaders from all over the world, and people from my church. It was a great week.
Different years, I have gotten different things, as this was my 3rd year at Harvest U. This year was a little different for me. Ultimately, I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness this year. On Monday morning I got to the conference early, connected with some people, then went to the first Main session. I found a seat, not with any of my group, but just went to meet with the Lord. Well, that entire worship time I was a wreck. I could not stop the tears for the entire service, as I looked around and saw passionate worshipers engaged by truth. The entire worship time, all I could think of is 6 years ago, coming to a conference at that very church and accepting God's call on my life to worship ministry. Now, six years later, God has placed me in a growing, Christ-centered church, Harvest Bible Chapel Granger. God has grown my heart for worship, and my heart for His church, and everyday I get the opportunity to see God move in the lives of His people. What a faithful God we serve! I was blown away this week.
A humbling scene about Harvest U, is seeing thousands worship together, literally from all over the world. 70 Harvest's were represented and 14 different countries were represented! Praise God! Under the banner of Christ, every tribe, every nation, and every tongue worships the one, living God. The video below was put together and the band played live to it, but it is an incredible declaration of the nations...that all glory, honor, wisdom, and power would be the Lord's alone forever!
All Glory - International from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Different years, I have gotten different things, as this was my 3rd year at Harvest U. This year was a little different for me. Ultimately, I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness this year. On Monday morning I got to the conference early, connected with some people, then went to the first Main session. I found a seat, not with any of my group, but just went to meet with the Lord. Well, that entire worship time I was a wreck. I could not stop the tears for the entire service, as I looked around and saw passionate worshipers engaged by truth. The entire worship time, all I could think of is 6 years ago, coming to a conference at that very church and accepting God's call on my life to worship ministry. Now, six years later, God has placed me in a growing, Christ-centered church, Harvest Bible Chapel Granger. God has grown my heart for worship, and my heart for His church, and everyday I get the opportunity to see God move in the lives of His people. What a faithful God we serve! I was blown away this week.
A humbling scene about Harvest U, is seeing thousands worship together, literally from all over the world. 70 Harvest's were represented and 14 different countries were represented! Praise God! Under the banner of Christ, every tribe, every nation, and every tongue worships the one, living God. The video below was put together and the band played live to it, but it is an incredible declaration of the nations...that all glory, honor, wisdom, and power would be the Lord's alone forever!
All Glory - International from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
GREAT DAY!
Great morning with my church family in Granger.
Pastor Trent delivered a powerful message on the truth and treasure of heaven. A fire was really ignited in my heart this morning. One thing Pastor Trent said was, Heaven exists for the unhindered worship of God by His completely perfected creation. Much of my passion and calling longs to see the church become the kind of worshipers God is seeking. I long to see the church produce passionate, contagious worshipers who are centered on Jesus alone. I long for the worship in heaven to be present on earth. I know that because of sin, that can't be until God chooses to establish a new heaven and new earth, but my passion in being a Worship Pastor is to hopefully lead people in biblically faithful worship, that moves towards the unhindered worship of heaven. The time is now, and God is seeking those that will worship Him in spirit and truth. So we CAN make strides towards the Christ-centered, perfect worship of heaven! How so? By cutting off our sin. By humbling ourselves. By fixing our eyes on Christ alone.
Heaven does not exist to make much of you. Heaven exists to make much of God in unhindered worship. I cannot wait for heaven! It is hard to be a worshiper on earth. Finally in heaven, there will be nothing to distract us from the glory of God.
So that was my morning! Then, I headed out to Elgin, IL to spend the next 31/2 days at Harvest Bible Chapel's mother-ship, at Harvest University. Tonight we had a night of prayer and praise. It was an intentional time of seeking the Lord in prayer in the areas of:
His Reigning
Our Renewal
Specific Requests
Rejoicing
We split up in groups for prayer time in between worshiping the Lord in song. I prayed with people I've never met. I prayed with people from Scotland, Romania, and all over America. But there was a common bond between the brothers I prayed with. There was a boldness in prayer, and a firm believing in the power of prayer. Though we'd never met, it was obvious we had all things in common under the call of Christ.
Wrapping up the time tonight, the 500 or so early arrivals to Harvest U crammed to the front of the sanctuary, and we all prayed aloud at the same time, prayers of Rejoicing! I love the Lord and His people! I'm excited to see the Lord move in the next 3 days! It has been a great day!
Pastor Trent delivered a powerful message on the truth and treasure of heaven. A fire was really ignited in my heart this morning. One thing Pastor Trent said was, Heaven exists for the unhindered worship of God by His completely perfected creation. Much of my passion and calling longs to see the church become the kind of worshipers God is seeking. I long to see the church produce passionate, contagious worshipers who are centered on Jesus alone. I long for the worship in heaven to be present on earth. I know that because of sin, that can't be until God chooses to establish a new heaven and new earth, but my passion in being a Worship Pastor is to hopefully lead people in biblically faithful worship, that moves towards the unhindered worship of heaven. The time is now, and God is seeking those that will worship Him in spirit and truth. So we CAN make strides towards the Christ-centered, perfect worship of heaven! How so? By cutting off our sin. By humbling ourselves. By fixing our eyes on Christ alone.
Heaven does not exist to make much of you. Heaven exists to make much of God in unhindered worship. I cannot wait for heaven! It is hard to be a worshiper on earth. Finally in heaven, there will be nothing to distract us from the glory of God.
So that was my morning! Then, I headed out to Elgin, IL to spend the next 31/2 days at Harvest Bible Chapel's mother-ship, at Harvest University. Tonight we had a night of prayer and praise. It was an intentional time of seeking the Lord in prayer in the areas of:
His Reigning
Our Renewal
Specific Requests
Rejoicing
We split up in groups for prayer time in between worshiping the Lord in song. I prayed with people I've never met. I prayed with people from Scotland, Romania, and all over America. But there was a common bond between the brothers I prayed with. There was a boldness in prayer, and a firm believing in the power of prayer. Though we'd never met, it was obvious we had all things in common under the call of Christ.
Wrapping up the time tonight, the 500 or so early arrivals to Harvest U crammed to the front of the sanctuary, and we all prayed aloud at the same time, prayers of Rejoicing! I love the Lord and His people! I'm excited to see the Lord move in the next 3 days! It has been a great day!
REST AND REFRESH
Tomorrow after church, I will be heading to Harvest University. I am really looking forward to this 3 day conference, focused on equipping church workers and volunteers. Plus it is great to see friends from all over the country and other countries that I don't often get to see and hang out with. Aside from seeing friends, I'm praying this will be an incredibly refreshing few days that will fill me up for the cause of Christ!
Some exciting things about this year:
1. Pastor Jeff Miller, and good friend of mine, will be officially graduating Tuesday night from the Training Center. Excited for how the Lord will use him at Harvest Pittsburgh!
2. Harvest Granger is taking 28 people to the conference to be filled, refreshed, and equipped! God is moving huge in Granger, and it is exciting to get some of the core out to the mother ship.
3. I get the humbling opportunity to lead worship this year for a session! In 2005 I officially accepted the call to ministry at a conference at "Big Harvest." Six years later God has made me Worship Pastor of Harvest Granger, and now I have the opportunity to lead in what He's called me to at the place he first called me! God is Faithful! I am humbled!
Harvest University: An Invitation from James MacDonald from Harvest Bible Fellowship on Vimeo.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
THE COMMISSIONING
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
I've been reading and thinking a lot this week about the days after Jesus rose from the dead; the time where He appeared to His disciples and the people, until he ascended into heaven. In the former post, I hit on the first and proper response to the resurrection, as seen in Luke 24: Worship.
But it didn't stop there. Jesus, with authority from the God of universe, commissioned His followers to GO! Not simply to go, but to go and make disciples; make learners of the Gospel! We don't simply tell of His resurrection, but we go teaching people and pouring into people the ways of Jesus Christ, and the truth that is in Him alone!
We sang a song in church today, "God of Justice," by Tim Hughes. I love the song, and it was powerful within our congregation this morning. The song speaks of our commission to go, and challenges us to be people of compassion, for God has freely given to us, so why would we not freely give to others. But the key to compassion, in light of the Great Commission, is for the Gospel to be the forefront. We don't feed the hungry to simply quench their physical hunger; but that we might present the spiritual food that satisfies for all eternity. Compassion without the Gospel is pointless. The Great Commission means we GO taking the Gospel, modeling Christ's compassion for the lost.
Let us follow Christ's commission to GO with compassion for the sake of the Gospel! Below is the version of the song we sang this morning. I pray is challenges to you, and "moves you into action."
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
I've been reading and thinking a lot this week about the days after Jesus rose from the dead; the time where He appeared to His disciples and the people, until he ascended into heaven. In the former post, I hit on the first and proper response to the resurrection, as seen in Luke 24: Worship.
But it didn't stop there. Jesus, with authority from the God of universe, commissioned His followers to GO! Not simply to go, but to go and make disciples; make learners of the Gospel! We don't simply tell of His resurrection, but we go teaching people and pouring into people the ways of Jesus Christ, and the truth that is in Him alone!
We sang a song in church today, "God of Justice," by Tim Hughes. I love the song, and it was powerful within our congregation this morning. The song speaks of our commission to go, and challenges us to be people of compassion, for God has freely given to us, so why would we not freely give to others. But the key to compassion, in light of the Great Commission, is for the Gospel to be the forefront. We don't feed the hungry to simply quench their physical hunger; but that we might present the spiritual food that satisfies for all eternity. Compassion without the Gospel is pointless. The Great Commission means we GO taking the Gospel, modeling Christ's compassion for the lost.
Let us follow Christ's commission to GO with compassion for the sake of the Gospel! Below is the version of the song we sang this morning. I pray is challenges to you, and "moves you into action."
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