Harvest Christian Fellowship Blog

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

—1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

The older I get, the more I realize that I need to take care of my physical body. I don’t necessarily enjoy physical exertion, but I know it is beneficial for me, especially in the long run (no pun intended).

Physical exercise will definitely benefit us in this life. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. It serves us well to take good care of our temples!

Bodily exercise is good; but godly exercise is profitable now and for eternity.

Notice that Paul did not ask Timothy to choose between the two. I think God expects us to practice both. A healthy body can be used of God, but we must major on holiness.

Both types of exercise take time and effort on our part. We must be disciplined.

Just before the verse above, Paul instructed Timothy to “train yourself to be godly” (1 Timothy 4:7 NLT). The word used for “train” is gymnaze, which is where our word “gymnasium” comes from.

It takes much effort to exercise physically and spiritually, and when you finish, you take on a certain aroma. Physically, you smell like a locker room, but spiritually we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (see 2 Corinthians 2:15).

Paul challenged Timothy to be as devoted to godliness as an athlete is to working out. May we live and labor for now and for eternity.

Blessings,

Pastor Brad

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Have you ever felt like you’ve been praying for someone for a long time, but nothing seems to be happening? Perhaps it’s a co-worker who’s been on your heart for a long time. Maybe it’s a family member who isn’t a believer, or has walked away from their faith.

As time goes on, it’s easy to get tired and worn out when you don’t see any visible openings in that person’s life. Sure, they might engage in a conversation or two, but they remain unwilling to listen to the gospel message. And after a while, that prayer request gets pushed back or you simply stop praying for them.

But we should remember to be persistent and passionate in our prayers, and even more so when it doesn’t look like anything is changing.

When we think of the prophet Elijah, the image that usually stands out is his showdown with the 400 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. But we also see a wonderful example of persistent prayer on his part after that confrontation.

Having called down fire from heaven to defeat Baal’s prophets, Elijah went up to the top of the mountain to pray for God to bring rain to a land that had been without it for three years. Now, this wasn’t a laid-back request on his part, “God, it would be nice to have some rain after three years.” He put his heart into it.

Scripture tells us that Elijah “bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees” (1 Kings 18:42 NKJV). He poured everything he had into that prayer . . . and nothing happened. No change.

Elijah went back to pray again . . . same result. A third time . . . no change. But he kept at it, kept praying, kept pouring his heart out to God. And on the seventh time, his servant came back and reported, “There is a cloud out there about the size of a man’s hand.” That little cloud grew and it began to rain, turning into a downpour.

Elijah never gave up on his prayer. He stuck with it, and God answered in a mighty way.

We need to remember to do the same. Maybe you are praying and don’t see an answer. Don’t give up. Keep praying, giving that request to God. Pray with fervor. Pray with passion. Pray with persistence.

Pastor Greg

Tags: Greg Laurie, prayer

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Randy Alcorn, the author of the bestselling Christian book Heaven and the new book If God Is Good, will be coming to speak at Harvest this Sunday. You will not want to miss this.

If you know someone who is suffering or has recently had a loved one die, you will want them to see and hear this service. I encourage you to invite them, have them watch it live or archived online, download it on podcast, or get the CD.

Randy and I will be talking about those “big life issues,” like . . .

• Why is there suffering in the world?
• Why does God allow bad things to happen to good, even godly, people?
• What happens when we die?
• What is heaven like?
• What will we do in heaven?

We will answer these questions and more, as Randy and I have a “conversational Bible study.”

Randy’s books on heaven and the topic of suffering are the finest I have ever read on those subjects. He brings unique and penetrating insights to these huge issues of life.

You can come to one of our live services at 7:45 A.M., 9:45 A.M., and 11:45 A.M. Pacific Time, or watch the live webcast at those same times. This service will also be archived for later viewing.

I hope to see you there.

Pastor Greg

Tags: Greg Laurie, Heaven, Randy Alcorn

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Join us next week for Open Mic Night at the Musicians’ Network.

This is one of the most popular nights of the year for the Musicians’ Network. If you have a song to share, we’d love to hear it. We’ll have a limited number of open mic slots and will be drawing tickets to see who will get to share. Plan on arriving early to grab a ticket.

And if you are interested in serving on the worship team as a vocalist or band member, this will also be your last opportunity to pick up an audition packet.

We’ll see you Thursday in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 P.M.! Bring a friend!

Tags: musician's network, open mic night

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Many years ago, I came across the following statement: “Your life is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift to God.”

Having been rescued and redeemed by Christ on the cross, we understand that our lives now belong to Him. I believe that most of us desire to have our lives count in the work of the kingdom. We cannot serve to be saved, but having been saved by His grace, we can and should serve.

Have you experienced the joy of serving in your life? After the joy of our salvation, and along with the joy of leading others to Christ, there is the sincere joy of serving.

Our motivation for serving should be love. In Galatians 5:13, we read, “Through love serve one another.” As Andrew Bonar put it, “Love is the motive for working; joy is the strength for working.”

The way to serve God is by serving others. In Matthew 25:40, in describing various acts of service and kindness, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Continue Reading »

Tags: HCF Community, Pastor Jeff, serving

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Roman Catholicism was the dominant Christian religion for more than a thousand years. What differences are there between Catholics and other Christians? What do Catholics believe? How can we minister to Catholic friends and family members?

Join us Monday, March 8 for a special Come Let Us Reason apologetics event at Harvest Christian Fellowship with Chris Castaldo, author of the book Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic.

Drawing from his Roman Catholic background and personal interviews with other former Catholics, Chris will explore the challenges and opportunities encountered by Catholics who become evangelicals and those who minister to Catholics.

There will be a question-and-answer time after the study, and childcare will be available.

Come Let Us Reason will meet Monday, March 8, at 7:00 P.M. in the Sanctuary.

Tags: catholicism, Come Reason, Lenny Esposito

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“Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!”

—Matthew 26:35

Peter was a man writing checks with his tongue that his courage bank couldn’t cash.

Jesus had a more accurate estimate of Peter’s ability: “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me” (Matthew 26:34).

Wow! What a huge reversal in the devotion deficit! From Peter’s standpoint, his love for Jesus shouldn’t have been in question. He was, he believed, exactly what his name indicated—a rock! Yet, from Jesus’ position, Peter stood on a precipice of denial that he would tumble into, just hours later.

What should we make of this lesson? I think we’re better off being wary of our own abilities, our own devotion to Jesus, as opposed to standing in judgment of Peter. Even the best of us, with the best of intentions, are but a step away from failing Jesus!

Do I love Him? Yes! But I know He loves me more. Am I committed to follow Him? Yes! But I know He is committed more. Will I fail Him? Yes! But I know He will never fail me.

Peter’s denial reveals the darkness and hopelessness of the human heart. He was a good man with good intentions; a man who spent time with Jesus and walked with him for three years; a man who saw the goodness of God played out in human form; a man who saw the power of God in the hands and voice of Jesus—and even he couldn’t muster the courage to stand for what he knew was true!

Ah, but there is a provision for us. We have been sent a comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit. He was sent not only to lead us into all truth, but to give us the power to stand in that truth.

Do you, like Peter, lack boldness? On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon those trembling, frail believers of the early church, and “Then Peter stepped forward . . . ” (Acts 2:14). He spoke about the power of God’s Spirit that was poured out upon him, and he spoke about belief and the repentance of sin

That day, 3,000 people were baptized and added to the church! The same Peter who had denied Jesus “stepped forward” and, with boldness, proclaimed Jesus.

If you’re having difficulty standing for Jesus, standing for what you know is true, then ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit upon you. And see if you don’t find the boldness you’re looking for. See if your witness for Christ isn’t energized like never before!

And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere.

—Acts 1:8

Blessings,

John Collins

Tags: courage, peter, power for living

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The definition of “genuine worship” is a hotly-debated topic in churches today. These debates, and the positions that people take in regards to their viewpoint, can lead to “worship wars” over stylistic approaches and even doctrinal differences.

When it comes to the subject of genuine worship and defining what it is, we must go to the source of all truth and that’s the Bible.

What does the Bible say about authentic worship? What kind of worship is pleasing to God?

A comprehensive answer to that question can fill, and has filled, volumes of books, so a short blog post can only scratch the surface, but a brief look at the subject takes us to John 4, where Jesus, speaking to the woman at the well, says this:

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24 NKJV)

How does God want to be worshipped? He desires to be worshipped “in spirit and in truth.”

So what does that mean?

There are quite a number of Hebrew and Greek words in both the Old Testament and New Testament that are translated as “worship.” When you put these words and their definitions together, you come up with an outline of what worship “in spirit and truth” really means. Genuine biblical worship must come from our heads, our hearts, and our hands.

The idea of worshipping “in truth” points to head knowledge. We must have an intellectual understanding of who God is and what He requires of us.

The way we get that understanding is through reading and studying His Word (see Psalm 19:7-11). As we learn about His greatness and goodness, our intellectual or “head” response should be awe, reverence, and respect.

That leads us to the next portion of the outline—worshipping God with our “hearts,” which is where worshipping the Lord “in spirit” comes into the picture. As we learn about God’s nature, His grace, love, and mercy—and how He has exhibited those attributes in the giving of His Son Jesus—our hearts should well up in worship with love and adoration (see 1 John 4:19). These feelings are expressed in many ways (such as singing), but one of the most tangible ways is my next point.

The natural outpouring of worshipping the Lord with our heads and our hearts should be that of Christian service. That’s where worshipping with our “hands” enters the equation (See Matthew 4:10, Hebrews 9:9).

When we show up too early in the morning, before many in the congregation are even awake, we do it in order to prepare, so we can best lead them in their expression of worship through song to the Lord. That’s service, and that is also worship.

Genuine biblical worship engages our heads, our hearts, and our hands. I very much look forward to this month, when we will put all of those points into action and be the worshippers the Lord is seeking after—those who will worship in “spirit and in truth.”

See you at service!

Hanz

Tags: worship

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