The Fellowship Blog

Between his first and second imprisonments in Rome, Paul wrote a letter of encouragement and instruction to Timothy, whom Paul had left as overseer of the church at Ephesus. During this time, Timothy faced some tough challenges.

The Upper Room Fellowship is doing an evening sports camp for kids going into grades 1st-6th on July 18th-22nd, 6:00pm-8:30pm.  Each day they will be participating in different sports and games such as soccer, kickball, Frisbee, gold-rush, tug-of-war, etc.  Kids of all athletic abilities are welcome!  Our main goal is that the kids would have tons of fun.  We will also be singing songs, hearing a message, and spending time with our teams talking about what it takes to be a good athlete and how that relates to persevering in our faith and loving God wholeheartedly.  Come join us for all 5 days or just come out for 1 evening.  This event is free to everyone and kids can bring friends or join at any time throughout the week.  Register online or register when you come.  We can't wait to see you there!

Click here to register online.

Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you  ______ ".

What would you fill that blank in with if you were given the chance? What would you have God make you? Smarter? Richer? More spiritual? Better looking? A better spouse? A better parent?

Jesus sets His agenda and His goal for the Disciples within the first few moments of calling them, and what He promises to transform them into might not be our first choice, but it is one of God's highest priorities for everyone who follows Him.

In a new sermon series which starts this Sunday, June 5th, we will be discussing what Jesus meant when he called his disciples along with all of his followers to be fishers of men. We will discus what that looks like in the present day, how the church can aid and encourage believers in being fishers of men and much more.

Join us this Sunday as we jump into our summer schedule with a sermon series based on God's call to be Fishers of Men.

- Chris

At The Fellowship, we exist to Know God, Share Life and Serve Others. In the interest of going deeper in our walk to know God, beginning this Sunday, February 27th, I am starting a three week sermon series entitled “Spiritual Health Care". In this series we will be looking at a few of the classical disciplines that Christian believers have used and benefited from for thousands of years.

As Richard Foster says,  
“Superficiality is the curse of our age.  The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.  The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.  …  The classical disciplines of the spiritual life call us to move beyond surface living into the depths.  They invite us to explore the inner caverns of the spiritual realm.  They urge us to be the answer to a hollow world.”

The spiritual disciplines are not formulas or tricks that gain favor with God. Instead, they are practices that allow God to transform us from within through the Spirit. They help us to stop, listen and communicate with God. 

This past weekend was our 2011 Elder's Retreat. We had a great time seeking the Lord, worshiping and eating large amounts of food. Our retreats always have a few enormous agenda items for The Fellowship's future that take up most of our time, but we also get to sneak in a little fun. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.
-Chris

Every person has a destiny, every person has dreams. We hear that a lot, but it is amazing how many people do not have personal understanding and vision for those two statements. To understand that you have a purpose and a calling that was birthed and began in Gods heart is a revelatory truth.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

What does the Lord Jesus think about when He thinks about your life? How can I impart peace, and good to this child of mine? How can I make clear that they have a future and a hope? God’s great desire is to impart His love, acceptance and forgiveness to each and every person on the face of the earth. None are spared access to His love, none are worthy, but all are invited to come. He has made a way, Jesus gives you invitation, will you come? It all begins with Him and His love; it is worked out in the miracle of community and bears fruit that touches other lives with the love that changed your life. So come on what are you waiting for, come celebrate your destiny, embrace your dreams, and know that you were created for a purpose. Come on, you know you want to…

In this country and around the world, there are places where revival is taking place. To hear the events of these places would put you in mind of the book of Acts. People are being healed. Folks are coming to know the Lord. Lives are being changed. Cities are experiencing transformation. What triggers all this? Does God arbitrarily show up in certain spots? Does it just “happen”? What do you think? Is it a matter of Divine whim? Does God simply pick certain spots or is there something more? God is so overflowing with mercy, I am sure that in His grace and joy, He just surprises people by showing up in amazing ways and pouring out His love. God is always anxious to show kindness. Yet in most places another dynamic seems to be at work. This dynamic amazes me. It is completely astounding! God is… responding. The Sovereign Lord of the universe is responding to ordinary people like you and me, made from the dust of the earth. He is listening for their cries. He is scanning the whole earth looking for those whose hearts are wholly His. He is responding to people who are longing for Him and crying for His Kingdom to invade their sphere. A.W. Tozer said it this way, “God waits to be wanted.” God wants us to take initiative toward Him. He is looking for it, even waiting for it. Indeed the Scriptures are full of these invitations: 

• “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Js 4:8).
• “If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” (2 Chr 15:2).
• “The eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chr 16:9).
• “You will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and soul” (Deut 4:29).
• “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6).
• “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14).

 We hear about revivals after they hit the newspapers. What we don’t see is what took place first. Throughout history all the major revivals were preceded by people who sought God for them. There were people who yearned for the presence of God and earnestly prayed for His Kingdom to come as it is in Heaven. My question is Why not here? Why not now? Why don’t we become the people that God is waiting to respond to? Why don’t we become the people that God knows He can trust with an outpouring because we are longing for Him? Why don’t we set up the groundwork for a major Kingdom breakthrough here? We are. And we won’t stop until God breaks through. That’s why we have set aside an entire week for continual prayer and worship, July 18-25. That is why we are gathering people from churches all over this region to seek His face. That day and night, an unbroken cry would go up from this place, “God, we want you here!” And that is why you are invited—no, urged—to be a part. Revival is waiting. The world is wanting. God is watching.

The LORD longs to be gracious to you.

He waits on high to have compassion on you.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

How blessed are all those who long for Him!   (Isa 30:18)

 

To be a part of hastening revival right here, join the escalating cry that is going up to heaven for His Kingdom to come. As you know, it is not our intent that gets rewarded, it is action. A practical way you can be actively involved in bringing real breakthrough to this area is to register and participate in the approaching 24/7 Regional Prayer (www.urfellowship.com). We long for His kingdom to be released here!

As I was seeking the Lord about the approaching 24/7 prayer for this region July 18-25, He directed me to several passages that are to be a theme for our time in His presence. The passages are verses 1-3 of Isaiah 60, 61, and 62. Really, the whole chapters are applicable and help to give context to what the Lord is saying. As Isaiah 60 describes, nations are going to see the brightness of the Lord’s glory because it will be revealed through His people. It is the Lord’s intention to make known what He is like through us. The world needs who God is—they need His wisdom, His insight, His grace, and His favor. The Lord is going to use us in strategic places—at the right place, at the right time, with wisdom from heaven—to effect businesses, families, governments, media, education, arts and entertainment, both here locally and beyond.  Isaiah 61 talks about the anointing that will be on God’s people to bring deliverance and freedom. As Jesus proclaimed, we will do the works that He did and even greater ones. Motivated by compassion, God is releasing a greater anointing for healing, miracles, and deliverance from all kinds of bondages in our cities. The world is desperate for those who can bring them Hope and Life. This will come through a people who have been set free themselves and are full of the Holy Spirit and abundant joy.  What triggers the release of all these things, as Isaiah 62 expresses, is a people whose hearts relentlessly pursue the Lord and won’t let Him go until heaven touches earth and His glory is released upon the world. “All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isa 62: 6,7).  This is why a week has been set aside for continual prayer and worship. This why we carve out time and do whatever it takes to seek His face. We love His presence and long for His Kingdom to come here as it is in heaven. We are thrilled that He has chosen to reveal His glory by placing it upon us. We yearn for others to be touched by His kindness and for society to be changed by His goodness. So, oh Lord our God, let Your kingdom come, Your will be done, here as it is in heaven.

—Bruce Stryffeler 

Isaiah 60
¹Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. ²For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. ³Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 61
¹The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; ²To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, ³To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting so they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 62
  ¹For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning. ²The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will designate.  ³You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.