New Life News A Minute Message from Pastor Fessenden
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New Life United Pentecostal Church of Hastings, NE 304 West ‘E’ Street Hastings, NE 68901 Pastor@NewLife‐UPC.com Visit us on the web at www.newlife‐upc.com
Call The Next Witness Please Pastor Wilson Fessenden September 2011 The testimony of a dear saint of God can lead a sinner to the realization that God is real and that he cares about us personally. My desire as I am laying these words on the page is to encourage pastors and saints to embrace the power and persuasion of the testimony in ways that we have never before dreamed possible; to lift up and exalt the name of Jesus as we have never before. Ps 119:171-175 There is an empowerment that will come when you tap into the mercies of God and the blessings that He has bestowed to you and you begin to share these with others. We must be careful that we are not hasty in our words. Let us not be hasty and just blurt out our reliable, stand-by testimony but let us move on to a higher calling and truly bless God with our whole heart. In order to determine what a testimony is, let us first decide what a testimony is not. A testimony is not an opportunity to “brag� about the past sins that you have committed in your life. Who is being glorified here? How is this in any way pointing a soul to Calvary? Now that we know what a testimony is not, let’s take a look at what a testimony is. According to the Random House dictionary a testimony is evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof. It is also said to be an open declaration or profession, as of faith. As Christians it is vitally important when we are called upon to be witnesses of Jesus Christ that we have an intimate knowledge of who He is and to have experienced His power and authority firsthand. What a sinner wants to know is, what has God done for you and will he do the same for me?
Who But God? Pastor Wilson Fessenden October 2011 How many times have you been in a car on the way to the store or to some other destination and noticed a particularly beautiful sunset or cloud formation? As a child I would lie on my back and imagine all of the various objects that could be seen in the clouds and never once did I stop to think about how those clouds got there. As an adult I have come to appreciate many amazing sights and occurrences that scientists try to explain away in their unfounded theories, and yet, all I can think now is, “Who but God?” Who but God could form the Great Smoky Mountain Range that stretches from Tennessee through North Carolina? It’s almost too dangerous to drive through there if you are distracted by beauty because everywhere you look you become mesmerized by the view and you can only ask, “Who but God?” When stand on the shores and look out over the vast ocean teeming with aquatic life, you can only reflect and ask, “Who but God?” When you knock on deaths door and escape his grip, you can only ask, “Who but God?” In a time when the world would like to boast of its wealth of knowledge and technologies, let us not forget that before Yahoo was ever formed, God was already instant messaging. Before there was Duct Tape, God was already holding the universe together. Who but God could do so many wondrous works and asks so little in return? Have you stopped to thank God for your family today or for your daily needs that He has met? Prov 30:41 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son's name? Tell me if you know!
1. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Thank You Pastor Wilson Fessenden November 2011 There are two little words that carry such a great power; thank you. It is an expression that extends a feeling of gratitude to others for what they have invested into our lives. It is not just in the receiving of a tangible gift, but rather the receiving of time, energy and thought from one person to the next. Our parents have invested years into shaping our morals and helping to develop character in us so that we may someday help shape the next generation. To our parents I say, “Thank you.” Our teachers/educators have invested years into helping us to become learned members of society and to one day be able to give back to our communities with the knowledge and abilities that we have learned. To our teachers I say, “Thank you.” Our brothers and sisters, in the Lord, have given us years of character building opportunities, fellowship and encouragement to help keep us grounded and to keep us moving toward the mark of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). To our brothers and sisters I say, “Thank you.” Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, invested all when He laid down His life for our sins. This was done so that we would have hope in a hopeless world. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Again in Matt 28:20, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” To our Lord and Savior I say, “Thank you”. During this holiday season it is important for us to remember that Thanksgiving Day is not about the turkey and all the trimmings, but rather a time to reflect on the many blessings we have every day. This should not be a once-a-year process but every day should be Thanksgiving Day. It is my challenge to you today to call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while and to find something to say ‘thank you’ for. You would be surprised at how powerful two little words can be.
Joy To The World Pastor Wilson Fessenden December 2011 Once again we come to a time and season where we take a moment to reflect upon ourselves; our walk with God, our relationships with other people and our motives and actions. No matter your social, economic or religious background, there is something about ‘Peace and good will toward men’ that brings out the best in all of us. When we are greeted on the street by perfect strangers with a ‘Merry Christmas’ or a ‘Happy Holidays’, we don’t stop to examine who they are or where they come from, but rather from deep within we return a similar greeting before continuing about our business for the day. The reason for this good will and joy is that over 2000 years ago, in a stable outside of an inn in Bethlehem was born a child, a child carried and delivered by a young virgin, as the prophet Isaiah had told in Isaiah 7:14, ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ This scripture was fulfilled in Matt 1:18‐23. Luke 2:10‐11 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. I say for your consideration today that Jesus did not come into the world to preach the gospel (good news); He is the gospel (good news). Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Let’s keep our focus on the true reason for celebration and share the greatest gift that we could give to others; Acts 15:11, ‘But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.’
New Beginnings Pastor Wilson Fessenden January 2012 As the year comes to an end and anticipation of the New Year approaches, it is common for people to resolve to be better, do better or change in some way in the coming year. This attempt is a way for us to ease our conscience when we realize how little we accomplished in the previous year. This is a common theme that can be found in many areas of life. As a child trying to hit a ball and missing miserably, I would yell, “Do over” and would often be given a second chance at hitting that ball. As I grew up I began to play golf and quickly realized that yelling, “Do over” just doesn’t sound as cool on a golf course. In golf, especially in informal play, a player may request what is known as a mulligan. A mulligan, as defined by Merriam‐Webster : a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played. I know that do‐overs are necessary because none of us are perfect. When we make a mistake we don’t have to stand in the middle of a church and yell, “Do over” or “Mulligan please”…we simply need to acknowledge him and petition the throne of grace to receive mercy. I don’t want us to be standing at the edge of the end of the season and have regrets about how we have played this life. I thank God that when the scorecards are handed in that he is all about the mulligan…The do over. That is why Jesus came to earth, not to condemn the earth but that the earth, through Him, the ultimate mulligan, the ultimate do‐over, might be saved. I want to take the time to reflect on how far God has brought me and to have a sound plan for where we are headed in the upcoming year and realize that He is still in control. Also while making these promises, make sure they truly mean something to you because the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:5, “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” New American Standard Bible (©1995)
No Greater Love Pastor Wilson Fessenden February 2012 Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me." Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if" for two months, she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing and sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?" "Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as it is in often repeated deeds. I would love to see the result if we were all to live for God every day “as if” we truly love Him, and tell Him daily how much we love Him and honor Him! O how our outlook would change if we would just change the way we respond to Him rather than just giving lip service Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.! I challenge each of us to cause our actions and feelings toward God to equal or exceed the words that we use to praise Him!
God‐Glasses Pastor Wilson Fessenden March 2012 It is difficult at times for us to take time to reflect on the reality of how good God has been to us in our lives. Through no fault of our own, we tend to forget where we came from and we don’t truly see where we are at this present time because we are trying to focus on where we are going. There is nothing wrong with forward‐thinking people. People who are visionary in their thoughts, ideas, values and ambition in going about our Father’s business are a necessity for true Apostolic church growth. In fact, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. As a young man growing up I heard pastors and teachers talking or preaching about catching the vision. Businesses today want you to catch the vision of ‘the wave of the future’! Young entrepreneurs today are springing up by the hundreds and are oft referred to as ‘Young Visionaries’. Many of these mentioned, sadly, have no true idea of what capturing a vision is really about. To fully capture the vision, as far as the church is concerned, will require that we remove the critical‐thinking, oft‐scrutinizing, self‐serving, program‐promoting glasses and replace them with ‘God Glasses’. When we are able to see others as God sees them and not through our natural eyes we will finally catch a glimpse of true God given vision. Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. We need to see the people of this city through the eyes of God; how would He see them? John 3:16‐17 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Until we are willing to give up our seat, or better yet, to sit next to the alcoholic, drug addict, developmentally disabled, destitute or the spiritually broken, we cannot truly see people as God sees them.
How will we respond to their needs? Will we look at them through the same ‘People Glasses’ we have always used or will we choose the tougher pair of ‘God Glasses’?
New Life Pastor Wilson Fessenden April 2012 As I was reading Acts 3:1‐5 I was immediately drawn to verse 3, “To whom he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs”, and upon further review I found that this word ‘passion’ is used in all of scripture but once. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word passion, ‘used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful):1’ It is important to us to understand how much it meant for Jesus to go to Calvary’s cross for us. It was not merely a single act that ended upon that cross. Jesus endured a great deal of suffering and pain in his physical body while taking upon him the transgressions and sins of man that began with Adam. From Garden to Garden, Eden to Gethsemane, sins, iniquities, transgressions, wickedness, evil thoughts and imaginations: wrong doings such as theft, murder, adultery, fornication, lying, covetousness, hatred, jealousy, deceitfulness and drunkenness – these all, and many other things since the time of Adam & Eve’s disobedience had filled the cup of man’s iniquity, incurring the wrath of a righteous, holy God. This is why Jesus came into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, to condemn sin in the flesh and redeem us from all iniquity. It was that bitter cup that Jesus faced in Matt 26:39, ‘And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. You and I are the reason Jesus endured this passion; this pain and suffering. He understood that there was something greater yet to come. Three days after this suffering Jesus raised from the grave, conquering once and for all, death, hell and the grave! The awesome change Jesus Christ has made in our lives proves conclusively to us the truth of His resurrection. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor 5:17). I encourage you today to embrace New Life and allow the resurrection power of God be a reality for you. Reference: 1. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek‐ Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Connection Failed Pastor Wilson Fessenden May 2012 We are living in a day and age where everything we do depends upon technology performing at optimal levels. We often forget what it was like to hear the dial tone and the scratchy dings and bongs as the modem was connecting to this new technology dubbed the internet. As a spoiled tech enthusiast I am often frustrated when I am trying to do research on a topic or just browse the web and get a message that says, ‘Connection Failed.’ I have the audacity to believe that I should be able to get connected when I need to and not when it is convenient for the internet company. I pause and wonder how many people have come to our church service, or that we have come into contact with over the years that were hungry for a move or word from God and when it was our turn to deliver the goods they got a signal that said, ‘Connection Failed.’ When people come to God it is, more often than not, on their terms and not on His. It is when they finally come to the crossroads of their lives, or the valley of decision, that they will make a decision to take the step towards serving God. As the body of Christ it is our obligation to be prepared, or as Paul instructed in II Timothy 4:2 ‘Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season…’ The church cannot afford to allow fatal crashes and failed connections because the consequences for the sinner are eternal. We need to persistently pursue excellence of service in all that we do. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent in our walk with God. We are admonished in Heb 6:10‐12 (Amplified) 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do. 11 But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end, 12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith ( by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.