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SatSaturdayFebFebruary4th2012
What If...
Harvest,
Have you ever just sat down and read Psalm 119? It's awesome. It'll blow you away. The Psalmist's love for the commands of God is so refreshing. Here's a tiny glimpse into the heart of this Psalm:
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
Have you ever wondered what God would do with someone who fully gave themselves over to His Word? I'll never forget what DL Moody said during his ministry: "The world has yet to see what God will do with a man [or woman] fully consecrated to Him." Do you desire to be this kind of man or woman?
Let's make this even more personal for you and me. What would happen if our family or friends or co-workers noticed us becoming fully consecrated to God. You know, fully committed. How might that make an impact for God's glory? You and I don't have to try to change the world, but God might allow us to influence and change the world around us. We can start by loving God's Word. It'll change you and give you peace you've never known before.
This Sunday, we'll be in God's Word once again. Expect to be changed. God's Word is powerful and clear. Submit to it. Love it. Read Psalm 119 this week and cherish God's commands like never before.
Love you, Harvest!
brent
FriFridayJanJanuary27th2012
The Wonder and Greatness of God
Harvest,
Our people at Harvest are interested in the things that God lays on my heart as a shepherd. Of course, Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. I'm simply an under-shepherd...not worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus So, I think what people really want to know is "what is the Chief Shepherd putting on the heart of our under-shepherd?" That's a great question. Here's the answer lately: It's Psalm 145. I read this two weeks ago while alone with the Lord and I smiled, smiled, smiled, and was filled with immense joy. Why? Just read it. It's filled with the wonder and greatness of God. I love Him so much. I'm in awe of His reverence and His holiness and His power. Also, I'm overwhelmed and humbled and desperately crying out that the Lord would cause v. 4 to become a reality in our lives, in our homes, and at Harvest. How great would it be to pass down the stories of our victorious God working powerfully in our generation?!
Please join me in praying that God would reveal Himself to us in ways He never has before. I've never been more hopeful and more hungry for this!
Psalm 145
A Song of Praise. Of David.
1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Harvest, we'll see you all on Sunday! The title of the message: Equally Yoked: I'm Leaning Fully Into Jesus! Proverbs 3:1-12. God's Word is going to really stir your heart.
Love,
brent
ThuThursdayJanJanuary19th2012
Trip Highlights
Harvest,
Immediately following last Sunday's service, Lisa and I drove to the airport and boarded a plane with Steve and Kim Deedrick from Harvest Rochester. Our destination was Florida. Our purpose was to meet with Harvest pastors from all over North America to sharpen one another, grow our relationships, and get refreshed for more fruitful ministry in 2012.
We had a great time. There's so much to report. Here are a few highlights from our trip:
- HBC Orlando was such a great host. The people there were so selfless and so kind to all of us. They served so well. It reminded me of the kind and loving people we have at HBC West Minneapolis.
- Cool story. The food caterer was so touched by the love and kindness of all the people that he actually turned his life over to Jesus Christ on Tuesday. Wow. Unexpected, but such a blessing.
- Looks like we have at least 12-14 more Harvests launching this year. Praise God! As you know, we give away 5% of our budget every year toward the planting of more Harvest churches. God is faithfully using our giving for His glory!
It's such a blessing and an honor to be a part of what God's doing at Harvest Bible Chapels all over the country and even the world. Continue to pray for God's glory to fall down at Harvest West Minneapolis in 2012 and beyond. It's all about Him.
See you all on Sunday, Harvest! We'll continue applying more deeply 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. It's time to ask the Lord to change our unequally yoked relationships, behaviors, and thoughts.
God is able!
brent
ThuThursdayJanJanuary12th2012
Deeper
Harvest,
Deeper. We're going to go deeper this Sunday. We're going to go deeper into the application of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Last Sunday, we opened the scriptures to discover that we easily struggle when we intimately partner with people or beliefs or actions that are contrary to God's will. To be unequally yoked is to set ourselves up for failure. It's to give ground back to the kingdom of darkness.
We're starting out the year wanting to take back ground for the kingdom of God. It's our heart to live a life that brings honor and glory to God. We want to live a life that literally resembles biblical discipleship. So, we're going to unpack what it means to be "equally yoked" in the many aspects of our daily life.
This Sunday, we're going to start with MARRIAGE. It's going to be a message for everyone. We're going to discover what it means to live a Gospel-Centered Marriage. We're going to touch on affections, criticism, resurrection, sexual intimacy, and more. We're going to see how the Gospel is intimately connected to our marriages.
So, be ready! Invite couples or singles that you know are ready for a message like this. God is going to work!
See you all on Sunday, Harvest!
pastor brent
SatSaturdayJanJanuary7th2012
Giving Our Live To The Lord
Harvest,
First, it's so good to be back at work serving the Lord at Harvest. My time over Christmas with my immediate family, and also my extended family was blessed by the Lord. Only because of God's grace. I believe God worked powerfully in our family over Christmas because of prayer--your prayers and ours. Thank you so much for praying for us. Please know we were also praying for you. If you have any stories about family this Christmas, please email them to me. I'd love to celebrate with you or comfort you in prayer.
Second, I'm excited to be back serving the Lord at Harvest in 2012 because of our continued pursuit and desire to experience the glory of God. It's been our focus over the last 6 months or so to call on God to reveal His glory to us in ways we've not experienced before. Only God can change us. Only God can powerfully and purposefully cause us to become more like Jesus Christ.
With this in mind, it's my heart and prayer this year that we Become the People that God is pleased to reveal His glory through in great ways. We can't make God do anything, but we can obediently and faithfully give our lives to the Lord in 2012 like we've never done before. When we do, who knows what the Lord will choose to accomplish through us.
There are three ways I'm praying we all change for the glory of God this year: 1.) We'd become a more disciplined people following hard after God; 2.) We'd have more joy in our lives because of the Lord in our lives; and 3.) We'd serve each other more selflessly, more humbly, and more sacrificially.
God is able!
Finally, continue to remember and meditate on our theme verse for this 2011-2012 ministry year: Ephesians 3:20-21, Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
See you all on Sunday, Harvest! We'll be focusing for the next several weeks on what it means to live separately from the world--not yoked to the world--in areas of our lives like sin, marriage, parenting, money, etc. It's going to help shape us to be the people that God wants us to be!
Love you, Harvest!
brent
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