Where to start?

Today was a really good day in so many ways that I won't get into here.  However I did get some time to consider some of the conversations of late about where do we go from here?  The direction we should take as a Church and where we should start.  

As I have considered these things, I am drawn back to the Bible.  By reading the Scriptures we find the answers to what we are to do.  Our instruction that we have received is not new but often we have neglected it.  We need to communicate and connect with the one who is our leader, Jesus.  Prayer is essential to this process.  Prayer as time with God both speaking to Him and allowing time for Him to speak to us.  

For any Church to be healthy we as God's people must be striving to be humble and obedient to Jesus and His Word.  The foundation of Prayer and living the Truth of the Bible must be the way forward.  This is not about a program or a set of goals but about a re-awakening a revival of the heart.  We are to move past a daily ritual of reading and prayer, to a living ongoing digestion of the Bible that fuels a Prayer-filled, disciple-making, walk of life.  This is not to be based in emotion but a commitment to be obedient to who Jesus bought us to be.

Jesus purchased us with His shed blood, we are now His and we are supposed to live under His Lordship.  This is not some idea of floating around in emotional spiritual highs and lows.  Nor is it some idea that we must now be perfect in everything we do.  Instead it is a committed life of following our new Master, our Lord, Saviour and Friend, Jesus.  The path is found through the Bible and Prayer, not alone but in a community of believers that we call the local Church.  This is where we start.  

We start by making a fresh commitment to put aside the things that distract us from this basic Truth.  The more we focus on this then the rest will become clear.

Consider the following statements

"I find my deepest desire for God and a closeness to Him when I am most humbled."

&

"When I feel empty and dry and long for a new experience, I must recognize that my sinful self-seeking emotions are driving me and I need to seek God's face repentantly, finding my refreshment in Him and not my emotional experiences."

Pastor Bruce

Let us Pray

When things change I have come to understand that the most important thing we can do is pray.  Lets look at Acts 1 today, Jesus has just given his final instruction to His followers and ascended to Heaven.

Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.  And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying,Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.  All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

So we have the community of Jesus followers coming together to pray.  They pray as they wait for what He has next for them.  It should challenge us as we recognize that they came together, plural, a group, a community.  This was not singular in nature, but group prayer.  So often we set a focus on "personal prayer time" and not enough on community prayer time.  I find that part of the reason is a lack of proper instruction and training on how to pray as a community.  So I find myself pressed to not only teach on prayer but to live a life of prayer.

I am glad to be here at Faith Fellowship Baptist Church in Brandon, Manitoba.  And it would be easy to just get really busy and start new things.  But I believe it is more important for me as a leader and for our Church family that we be a people of prayer.  So that we will be ready when God gives us a new direction.   Then we should continue in prayer as we move forward, ensuring we stay on the path He has chosen for us.

Blessings

Pastor Bruce