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What's Happening At TIFF
10-29-2006
by Byce & Julie Tomlinson
Hello again, and welcome to our first installment of "What's Happening
At TIFF". Here Julie and I are going to let you know what we
experienced during Sunday church service at The International Fellowship Family.
Hopefully, you'll enjoy what you read here, and then come join us
at our East Campus for church! We'd love to see you there!
Today, it was the 5th Sunday of the month, and every time we have a 5th Sunday, we have what we call "Worship Encounter", where the focus is on praise and worship to our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, who washed away our transgressions!
The band and the praise team were blowing us all away! We were very effectively lead into a worshipful experience. It's awesome to see that when people have a heart to worship, God gives them everything they need to give him the highest praise!
After praise and worship, were visited during our 9am service by a wonderful man of God from Ghana, Pastor Frank. He first told us some of his story. Baptized at age 9, he actually gave his live to Christ at a later time. His sister had told him about Jesus. So now, born into an area of the world full of witchcraft, he had come to Christ, and like so many others, had to stay in hiding. Before he had gotten saved, he lived with childhood asthma, and at the moment he came to Jesus, he was cured, instantly, and without prayer. People had told him he'd die of tuberculosis, because his system was so weak from the years of asthma, however, God saved him from this!
Pastor Frank grew up very poor. When he became saved, he believed God that he was going to be rich. So it came as some surprise that God suddenly told him to go into full-time ministry, because he knew that where he lives, ministers did NOT get rich. He didn't want to be poor, so he kept asking God to take back his calling. He stepped forth in faith and took ministry by the horns.
At one point in his quest to answer God's call, he had gotten involved with some folks who had misrepresented themselves. While he felt like he'd made some kind of stupid mistake trusting these people, he actually found that God rewards those who step forward in faith of God's promise, even if they do so in a stupid fashion. (Trust me, "stupid" WAS the word he used when he told us this story!)
Pastor Frank then told us he had a word from God for us! He told us that we are on the right course! God is going to be with us. We are called to touch the nations. Touching the nations is not something that we are going to be able to do with just a few dollars, so God is going to bless us immensely! We will tap into the blessing of Abraham. These financial blessings will not be furnished so that we can dress flashy, or drive fancy cars, or eat out every night of the week. Those dollars will be for the ministry, for the nations! When He blesses us, we can touch the nations!
It was a great visit from Ghana. I'm sure that TIFF's relationship with Pastor Frank is going to get deeper and deeper!
At second service, our 11:15 worship time, Pastor Steve spoke briefly on the concept of the Harvest. Today we read from Matthew 9, verses 35 through 38:
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Pastor's points of interest today:
* Called to the Harvest
* Saved to Serve
* Pendulum Swing
* How we miss the Harvest
* Answer the CALL!
Called to the Harvest: He mentioned that several of the children at our church had actually come up to him, explaining that God had told them that they would be pastors, or were called into some other form of ministry work! This is great news, to know that we are raising up those who will lead others to Christ our Savior! We are, as Christians, all called to the Harvest, in one capacity or another.
Saved to Serve: There was a time when Pastor Steve was without hope, and needed help in a big way. At one point, someone came along and told him about Jesus being his help. He tried it, it worked, and now is the time for him to tell others about it! It works, so spread it around! His point was that we are not saved just so that we can enjoy salvation in and of itself. We are saved to serve, and we should march accordingly.
Pendulum Swing: Like in a grandfather clock, church people can swing to two extremes. Those pious people who always say "I need to pray about it" or "I need to hear from the Lord" -- yet never seem to act on anything. On the other end, we have the busy person, who has just enough time to work their lives away like crazy, doing this job and that, taking on this task and that, yet never takes time to pray to God -- you can't serve effectively if you're not seeking regularly.
How we miss the Harvest: Do you long for his presence? Will you do anything God wants you to in order to fulfill His agenda? If the answer is no, it means you are missing the Harvest! You can't minister effectively if your emotions affect your convictions. "How you feel" can change. But the law of God will reside in your heart -- it never changes! Pastor had a great quote for me to write down today, "Ministry is not easy.... because people are not nice." I will miss the harvest if my focus is purely on helping people! Focus on GOD instead! Be aware, and try to help people, and maybe everyone won't get it -- but some will!
Service to God will require everything you've learned and heard -- and more. Today, our proper response to the call was not to come to the altar, but rather to look around the room at the signs that had been posted... "Transportation," "Ushers," "Family Kids," "Visual Worship," etc. These are ministries in our church, and they need people. You are that person!
Pastor Steve told us, "We've spent enough time in the huddle, now it's time to run some plays!" He released us to go around the room and find the ministry where we fit in, and sign up for it. It was our first Ministry Fair! It was GREAT!
Thank you Pastor Steve for leading us in another great 2-service Sunday!
Today, it was the 5th Sunday of the month, and every time we have a 5th Sunday, we have what we call "Worship Encounter", where the focus is on praise and worship to our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, who washed away our transgressions!
The band and the praise team were blowing us all away! We were very effectively lead into a worshipful experience. It's awesome to see that when people have a heart to worship, God gives them everything they need to give him the highest praise!
After praise and worship, were visited during our 9am service by a wonderful man of God from Ghana, Pastor Frank. He first told us some of his story. Baptized at age 9, he actually gave his live to Christ at a later time. His sister had told him about Jesus. So now, born into an area of the world full of witchcraft, he had come to Christ, and like so many others, had to stay in hiding. Before he had gotten saved, he lived with childhood asthma, and at the moment he came to Jesus, he was cured, instantly, and without prayer. People had told him he'd die of tuberculosis, because his system was so weak from the years of asthma, however, God saved him from this!
Pastor Frank grew up very poor. When he became saved, he believed God that he was going to be rich. So it came as some surprise that God suddenly told him to go into full-time ministry, because he knew that where he lives, ministers did NOT get rich. He didn't want to be poor, so he kept asking God to take back his calling. He stepped forth in faith and took ministry by the horns.
At one point in his quest to answer God's call, he had gotten involved with some folks who had misrepresented themselves. While he felt like he'd made some kind of stupid mistake trusting these people, he actually found that God rewards those who step forward in faith of God's promise, even if they do so in a stupid fashion. (Trust me, "stupid" WAS the word he used when he told us this story!)
Pastor Frank then told us he had a word from God for us! He told us that we are on the right course! God is going to be with us. We are called to touch the nations. Touching the nations is not something that we are going to be able to do with just a few dollars, so God is going to bless us immensely! We will tap into the blessing of Abraham. These financial blessings will not be furnished so that we can dress flashy, or drive fancy cars, or eat out every night of the week. Those dollars will be for the ministry, for the nations! When He blesses us, we can touch the nations!
It was a great visit from Ghana. I'm sure that TIFF's relationship with Pastor Frank is going to get deeper and deeper!
At second service, our 11:15 worship time, Pastor Steve spoke briefly on the concept of the Harvest. Today we read from Matthew 9, verses 35 through 38:
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
| Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:14 |
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
| Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Mark 6:34, Mark 8:2, Numbers 27:17, Ezekiel 34:5, Zechariah 10:2, Mark 6:34 |
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
| Luke 10:2 |
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Pastor's points of interest today:
* Called to the Harvest
* Saved to Serve
* Pendulum Swing
* How we miss the Harvest
* Answer the CALL!
Called to the Harvest: He mentioned that several of the children at our church had actually come up to him, explaining that God had told them that they would be pastors, or were called into some other form of ministry work! This is great news, to know that we are raising up those who will lead others to Christ our Savior! We are, as Christians, all called to the Harvest, in one capacity or another.
Saved to Serve: There was a time when Pastor Steve was without hope, and needed help in a big way. At one point, someone came along and told him about Jesus being his help. He tried it, it worked, and now is the time for him to tell others about it! It works, so spread it around! His point was that we are not saved just so that we can enjoy salvation in and of itself. We are saved to serve, and we should march accordingly.
Pendulum Swing: Like in a grandfather clock, church people can swing to two extremes. Those pious people who always say "I need to pray about it" or "I need to hear from the Lord" -- yet never seem to act on anything. On the other end, we have the busy person, who has just enough time to work their lives away like crazy, doing this job and that, taking on this task and that, yet never takes time to pray to God -- you can't serve effectively if you're not seeking regularly.
How we miss the Harvest: Do you long for his presence? Will you do anything God wants you to in order to fulfill His agenda? If the answer is no, it means you are missing the Harvest! You can't minister effectively if your emotions affect your convictions. "How you feel" can change. But the law of God will reside in your heart -- it never changes! Pastor had a great quote for me to write down today, "Ministry is not easy.... because people are not nice." I will miss the harvest if my focus is purely on helping people! Focus on GOD instead! Be aware, and try to help people, and maybe everyone won't get it -- but some will!
Service to God will require everything you've learned and heard -- and more. Today, our proper response to the call was not to come to the altar, but rather to look around the room at the signs that had been posted... "Transportation," "Ushers," "Family Kids," "Visual Worship," etc. These are ministries in our church, and they need people. You are that person!
Pastor Steve told us, "We've spent enough time in the huddle, now it's time to run some plays!" He released us to go around the room and find the ministry where we fit in, and sign up for it. It was our first Ministry Fair! It was GREAT!
Thank you Pastor Steve for leading us in another great 2-service Sunday!
"What's
Happening At TIFF" is a new column, with the intention of outreach --
letting you know what God does at our church, so that you might come to
see for yourself and be a witness to God's miracles! Praise
Jesus! Please do not reprint this article or any portion of it
without express permission from the authors.