Wednesday, April 20, 2016

JUST ACT!

JUST ACT! Justice is the theme that will permeate the North Central Annual Conference 2016. AC16 is held at Sky Lodge Christian Camp in Montello, Wisconsin June 2-4.

This year we will informally BEGIN conference with a special dinner to HONOR PASTORS & SPOUSES Thursday, June 2. Superintendent MARK ADAMS will deliver his “Farewell Address” following the meal, and will not give a “State of the Work” during the conference proceedings. We encourage all to make an effort to be together for dinner on Thursday night. While we are honoring pastors and spouses, EVERYONE is encouraged to be part of the dinner and events which follow.
Two FANTASTIC contributors to AC16 this year will equip and encourage us as a movement to engage the work of modern ABOLITION.
Keynote speaker KEVIN AUSTIN, Director of the Set Free Movement, will deliver the keynote address. Special musical guests REMEDY DRIVE will do an outdoor concert (weather permitting) on Friday night. Remedy Drive is a premier contemporary Christian band engaged on the front lines of the battle against human trafficking.

Kidz Konference will not only provide wonderful activities for the children who attend AC16 but will also be themed along Just Act!

We believe all YOUTH DELEGATES will be moved and encouraged to find practical ways to advocate for JUSTICE through every element of the conference this year. There is a breakout for youth delegates with members of Remedy Drive.

Other workshops include Welcome Immigrants with Alma Jasinski and Prevent Suicide with Marie Rose.

We will ORDAIN new leaders and formally install SUPERINTENDENT HOPPER on Saturday morning, providing a RECEPTION BRUNCH afterward.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Thy Kingdom Come!


Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What is God’s kingdom like? Assuming the eternal aspects of heaven (where Jesus locates the Kingdom in this prayer) we see a few key things. Heaven has no more pain, sorrow or death. Heaven has no more sin, evil or demonic presence. Heaven is where together people of every nation, language and tribe worship the God who is in their midst. So, praying for the kingdom is praying for health and wholeness, purity and goodness, justice and harmony. Thy wholeness, thy goodness and thy justice come to earth as it is in heaven.

Knowing this makes clear why Jesus gave as evidence of his Lordship three primary signs (Luke 7:18-23). He healed the sick (wholeness), cast out demons and forgave sins (goodness) and preached the gospel to the poor (justice). Jesus, when commissioning his disciples, gave them these three commands – drive out demons, cure diseases and preach the gospel [to the poor] (Luke 9:1,2). This is our commission today.

Here are a few samples from your recent NCC church monthly reports. Woman healed of cancer in Beloit WI. Demon cast from woman in Wataga IL. 80,000 destitute people fed last year in Evanston, IL. Man raised from death on a hospital bed in LaFarge WI. Addict set free in Alexandria MN. 1000s of homeless housed in Chicago IL. Blind woman’s sight restored in Mason City IA. Man healed of scoliosis in Waterloo IA.  THIS LIST CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON!!! We saw hundreds and close to 1000s of first time decisions to follow Jesus this year, hundreds who have prayed for (and we trust received) fullness of the Holy Spirit and a myriad of “serendipitous coincidences” that lead to hope, healing and happiness upon people praising, repenting, asking and yielding to God.

Keep praying – thy kingdom come to earth as in heaven! Keep seeking to be used of God to bring about healing, goodness and justice. Jesus has commissioned you to do this very thing! And you are doing it!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Power Play

Power Play

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Lk.9.1,2

Hockey players are a rough and tumble bunch who understand the “power play” – when your team has more players on the ice than the opponent you have the power and are more likely to score. Whether Christians play hockey or not, we ought to understand the power play as well. God is with us (Mtw:1.23), and assuming we are with him (united in faith and purpose through Jesus Christ), every day is a power play. Frederick Douglass, the great African-American abolitionist declared boldly, “One and God make a majority.” That’s the ultimate power play.
 

Paul writes “I pray that you know…His incomparably great power for us who believe which … is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Eph.1:19;3:20). We often neglect to tap into God’s power, or may even – despite having the label “believers” – not actually believe in God’s power. Yet, Jesus empowered his disciples to drive out demons, heal the sick and preach the kingdom of God, especially to the poor. Jesus declared that any gate hell erects around a heart or a community will crumble when faced with the power of God’s kingdom expressed through the church (Mtw.16:18).
 
John Wesley, an eminently rational man, an Oxford educator, practitioner of medicine and inventor, was used of God to reconnect the church to the Spirit’s power and launch the Methodist movement. He recounts many stories of apparent miraculous healing, exorcism and overcoming impossible obstacles. Methodism was birthed by the Holy Spirit and God’s power play. Free Methodists have sometimes struggled with embracing powerful expressions of the Holy Spirit – perhaps fearing being “too charismatic” or appearing just plain silly to believe outdated things like miracles in our day.
 
I think we should fear instead considering Jesus as his Nazarene brethren did, a prophet without honor, and through our disbelief limit the miraculous outpouring of kingdom power (Mk.6:4,5) which Jesus actually commissioned us to grasp and deploy (Lk.9:1,2).
 
What if in 2016 we purposed to rely more readily upon God’s power through the Holy Spirit? What if we prayed for miracles, healing, conversions, and more leaders to enter the spiritual harvest? What if we sought God sized-vision and God-imbued power to overcome the obstacles that we face? What if we took Jesus at his word? What if we really believed?
 
I think we’d see a real power-play. Hell’s gates would crumble. The good news would be preached to the poor. Prisoners would be set free. The blind would see. The oppressed would be liberated. The Lord’s favor would be experienced (Lk.4.18-21).
 
So stop right now and pray! Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief! Fill me Holy Spirit! Let’s get more players on the ice! "God and one are a majority!”