" In that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, Declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." -----Isaiah 12:4-5
Thoughts from the Pastor:
While in prayer and meditation, I was reminded of the awesome things that God has done in our church family. As we celebrate our Anniversary month, we are "Declaring God's Doings in our Midst!" From the beginning of our Church life 29 years ago, we have many, many things to Declare regarding our God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has walked with this people through many hardships, dangers, and adverse conditions; yet His hand has always been upon us. Many healings have taken place as the saints stood together in prayer. Miraculous things: a small child fell out of a second story window, lit on the cement drive and God preserved him from harm. Just last week or so, a parishioner's son was hit by a van, flown in the air and came down hard up the pavement, by God's Grace he walked away. The sorrows and loss, the hardships came and went and God remained our strength in the time of sorrow. He was our comfort in the adverse seasons of our lives. There have been several soldiers that we have kept on our Prayer LIst and they have returned home safely: Salvations have taken place in the Counseling Chamber along with healed marriages and homes. Lives changed by the power of our God. Prisoners have been Biblically educated, ordained and are serving in ministry behind bars, advancing the Kingdom as we speak! Once when food was being delivered through our Food Cupboard a lady gave her heart to Jesus! O that men would "Declare" the doings of the Lord! He is our substance, our strength and the Love of our Life!
Thanking God for everyone who reads this declaration!
Loving you, Pastor
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
" Comin' Through "
Thoughts from Pastor's Message:
Our Story continues: I went down stairs to my office in the furnace room. I was asking God to help us and feeling somewhat burdened with the thought of more expense. When all of a sudden I heard noises upstairs and particles of dust and debris began falling through the ceiling... the small group of people had rose up and were pulling down the affected walls. Plaster was everywhere and the insulation that had been in the walls had been pulled out and now the saints stood knee deep in insulation, not to mention the debris hat surrounded them. They had made a decision; they had risen up in faith to finish what we had started. Women, men and youth were busy; and as the night came upon us, much had been accomplished. It would take 60,0000 more dollars to add this completion to the loan that we already had. After much prayer it was decided that we would pray daily for the needs of the Church--it was His Church, and we depended on Him to supply what was needed. At this point the frame had been set over the lower facility, the offices, the hallway and restroom. The saints rose up again and began to write the word of God everywhere--on the floor, the walls, the 2x4s that were holding the frames. It was wall to wall, and everywhere on the floor was the Word of God. Friends came from everywhere, they threw up the wall board in the Sacristy, and in teh Church. Now how was going to get the ceiling down? Someone found scaffolding and a brother from another church came by and asked what needed to be done. Soon he was up in the ceiling and he never left until the ceiling was done. In the meantime, my brother laid at death's door in the hospital, so I was spending a lot of time there, and John Rector, along with the Commerce family, continued to hold services in the midst of all the mess and chaos; we never missed a service. I must say we often returned home after service a bit dusty. God was miraculous in our behalf. We finished the project, a whole new Church Building from the roof and siding to the entire inside. God supplied each time we needed money and we never had to redo the loan. What a Mighty God we serve; it is awesome to be reminded of His great goodness! this is our Anniversary month and we will begin the 29th year together--stronger than when we began! God came through for us and we are "Comin' Through for Him!"
Loving you, Happy Anniversary, Pastor
Our Story continues: I went down stairs to my office in the furnace room. I was asking God to help us and feeling somewhat burdened with the thought of more expense. When all of a sudden I heard noises upstairs and particles of dust and debris began falling through the ceiling... the small group of people had rose up and were pulling down the affected walls. Plaster was everywhere and the insulation that had been in the walls had been pulled out and now the saints stood knee deep in insulation, not to mention the debris hat surrounded them. They had made a decision; they had risen up in faith to finish what we had started. Women, men and youth were busy; and as the night came upon us, much had been accomplished. It would take 60,0000 more dollars to add this completion to the loan that we already had. After much prayer it was decided that we would pray daily for the needs of the Church--it was His Church, and we depended on Him to supply what was needed. At this point the frame had been set over the lower facility, the offices, the hallway and restroom. The saints rose up again and began to write the word of God everywhere--on the floor, the walls, the 2x4s that were holding the frames. It was wall to wall, and everywhere on the floor was the Word of God. Friends came from everywhere, they threw up the wall board in the Sacristy, and in teh Church. Now how was going to get the ceiling down? Someone found scaffolding and a brother from another church came by and asked what needed to be done. Soon he was up in the ceiling and he never left until the ceiling was done. In the meantime, my brother laid at death's door in the hospital, so I was spending a lot of time there, and John Rector, along with the Commerce family, continued to hold services in the midst of all the mess and chaos; we never missed a service. I must say we often returned home after service a bit dusty. God was miraculous in our behalf. We finished the project, a whole new Church Building from the roof and siding to the entire inside. God supplied each time we needed money and we never had to redo the loan. What a Mighty God we serve; it is awesome to be reminded of His great goodness! this is our Anniversary month and we will begin the 29th year together--stronger than when we began! God came through for us and we are "Comin' Through for Him!"
Loving you, Happy Anniversary, Pastor
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
" Rise and Build "
Nehemiah: " I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. " -- Neh. 2:18
Thoughts from the Pastor's Message:
The end of April 1999, Sunday Morning, we had just finished the Ministers' Gathering and the staff had gathered for prayer in my office (which was in the furnace room.) Our guest minister came into the prayer time and declared: " I was listening to you folks praying and God spoke to me and said, tell them, " it is time to rise and build." From the day I walked into this small and precious sanctuary, there was a burning zeal in my heart to push out the side wall, which would be over the lower facility that extended beyond the sanctuary. Now, fifteen years later, the voice of the Lord confirmed the time to build. Miracles began to happen; but the provision of God came into view the enemy sorely vexed our project. Termites! They had invaded the front wall of the sanctuary and our big, beautiful hundred year-old stained glass window hung by threads. Once this enemy was revealed, we learned the whole front side of the church was greatly affected and at any given moment when the steeple bell was run, it could have come crashing down, but God! So many times in the year of 2000 God came to our aid. It was impossible to add a new section to the old, worn and termite-eaten section. The contractor said, "Isn't there something about putting new things into old things. Little did he know he was reminding us of Mark 2:22: "No man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred:but new wine must be put into new bottles." We would need 60 thousand+ more dollars. We had already taken a giant step of faith as we signed the papers for the loan for the addition. It was a Wednesday night and I, like Nehemiah, told the people what the Man of God had said and what I believed God was saying by the contractor's remark. I asked them to pray. I went down to my office asking God to help us and feeling somewhat downcast, when all of a sudden I heard noises upstairs and particles of dust and debris began falling through the ceiling... this is our story, to be continued.
Loving you, Pastor
Thoughts from the Pastor's Message:
The end of April 1999, Sunday Morning, we had just finished the Ministers' Gathering and the staff had gathered for prayer in my office (which was in the furnace room.) Our guest minister came into the prayer time and declared: " I was listening to you folks praying and God spoke to me and said, tell them, " it is time to rise and build." From the day I walked into this small and precious sanctuary, there was a burning zeal in my heart to push out the side wall, which would be over the lower facility that extended beyond the sanctuary. Now, fifteen years later, the voice of the Lord confirmed the time to build. Miracles began to happen; but the provision of God came into view the enemy sorely vexed our project. Termites! They had invaded the front wall of the sanctuary and our big, beautiful hundred year-old stained glass window hung by threads. Once this enemy was revealed, we learned the whole front side of the church was greatly affected and at any given moment when the steeple bell was run, it could have come crashing down, but God! So many times in the year of 2000 God came to our aid. It was impossible to add a new section to the old, worn and termite-eaten section. The contractor said, "Isn't there something about putting new things into old things. Little did he know he was reminding us of Mark 2:22: "No man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred:but new wine must be put into new bottles." We would need 60 thousand+ more dollars. We had already taken a giant step of faith as we signed the papers for the loan for the addition. It was a Wednesday night and I, like Nehemiah, told the people what the Man of God had said and what I believed God was saying by the contractor's remark. I asked them to pray. I went down to my office asking God to help us and feeling somewhat downcast, when all of a sudden I heard noises upstairs and particles of dust and debris began falling through the ceiling... this is our story, to be continued.
Loving you, Pastor
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Missions Sunday at Commerce Community Church
Our Missionary Guests Today
"Dr. Janet MacArthur and Pastor Henry Musena"
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
- Romans 10:15
Thoughts from the Pastor:
It is very special to have missionaries with us on Mission Sunday. Today we welcome our Missionary, Dr. Janet MacArthur, and a co-worker, Pastor Musena from Uganda. Dr. Janet, my friend, once a student at Shalom Bible College, is now a veteran of the nations. Some of the Commerce family have traveled to Africa with her and experienced the nations first hand. We traveled to Nairobi, Kakamega and to Bungoma together spreading the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a special moment to have her with us today. Her coworker, Brother Musena, who she brought with her today, is a Pastor in Uganda and he will share with us today. We are thankful today that we as a Church family can in some small way be a part of the Great Commission through our missionaries. Some can go as our friends here today, some can pray, which we do often, and some can give. Together we answer the call the God to the nations.
We need only to read the book of Acts to see the great price that has been paid in the lives of the Apostles as they responded to God's mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Whatever part of the Mission Call that we partake of, I always remember the promise of Jesus as He commissioned the disciples: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:8
We, His disciples, have been commissioned to be His witness in Jerusalem (home), Judea (our nation), Samaria (outcasts of society), and to the nations of the world.
May our prayer be: "O Lord Jesus, help us to have an anointed testimony that will witness of You, strong upon the throne of our lives. And may our prayers be hard before Your Throne for our missionaries who have gone forth into the world to spread the Gospel of your Great Sacrifice. We give you praise!
Loving you, Pastor
Pastor Henry preached on " Touching the Heart of God!"
The points Pastor Henry made were:
God uses the weak and despised for His work according 1Cor 1:26-30.
Three ways to be involved with missions for the nations:
A) going to the nations
B) praying for the nations
C) giving to those who are called to missions
AND... Prayer is NOT a spare time activity, it should be like the very air you breathe!
God has a need... that no one will perish(2Peter 3:9) and that all men will come to the Kingdom of God.
We need a bigger vision than just TODAY!
His message definitely stirred us to see missions through God's eyes, not the eyes of circumstances or the world perspective!
God Bless you, Pastor Henry for sharing God's Word with us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)