REFRESHed!

Philemon 1:20 (NKJV) Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; RPhilemon 1:20 (NKJV) Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; REFRESH my heart in the Lord.

REFRESHed is how I’m feeling after the first few days of this week. This past Monday through Wednesday, we enjoyed lots of fun, a few laughs, many tears, and tons of encouragement with over 300 servants from around the region at our first annual Calvary Aurora REFRESH conference. It wasn’t a normal or usual conference, but one filled with testimonies and worship and prayer with a little goofiness added in.

Those of us that serve the Lord need a time to gain perspective every now and then. The ministry can become so hectic and demanding, that it’s easy to lose perspective of Who it is that we serve and why it is that we serve. The answer is Jesus! Jesus Himself said that He came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life.

That’s really where my week ends today. My heart is set on service and giving. I know things get tough. I know things have been pretty tough for me lately. But in Jesus, it’s all worth it. It’s all worth it to see folks built up and edified in Jesus. It’s so worth it to see folks growing in grace

Bottom line: It’s so worth it!

REFRESHed in Jesus,

Pastor Ed

RESPONSES: (I know it’s a little longer than usual, but please read.)

Hi Guys, I just wanted to put out a quick praise report for the REFRESH Conference we just attended at CC Aurora. It was great!...and truly a refreshment for myself and the peeps from our church that were able to attend. So my desire for years has been to get folks to commute to a CC conference, so that they can get a better handle on our roots and philosophy of ministry (Yes, they have read distinctives and watched Venture of Faith)...and after many years of prodding, they went! We are not a big church, a couple hundred adults and hundred kids on a Sunday morning, but Jesus miraculously moved on 15 of our people to make the normal 6.5 hour trek down to the Denver area. I say normal 6.5 hours, because this trip took almost 10 hours due to some very early crummy weather this year in the travel area. Not a complaint from any of them, and the road trip provided some wonderful fellowship. After attending this conference, every one of these precious people said they were profoundly impacted by the vulnerability and honesty of the pastors and servants that shared over these 3 days. They were able to mingle and make great friendships with the over 300 CC servants who attended. A major principle that these people walked away with was, that now, they have a much, much better handle on why CC does what it does and why we do it. THE major principle they walked away with was that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and working mightily through those that desire Him to. As a pastor in an outpost Calvary, it certainly brought some more street credibility to our movement and to our church, and that goes a long way in not having to constantly defend the simplicity of the way we do things. For the peeps personally, I could see the Holy Spirit's humility and brokenness having their way in these folks hearts, and the excitement that resulted from this investment of their time. I asked if they would like to attend another CC leadership conference soon, and all of them said YES!

It wasn't your typical main session after main session and workshop after workshop conference, which I, being the consummate type-A really enjoy too, but this was more along the lines of what Pastor Mike MacIntosh does with the "Huddle" every year. It's very relational and yet powerfully life changing. I can't encourage you enough to hound Pastor Ed to make those DVD's available to ya as soon as possible. The DVD's will not be able to convey even 50% of the overall environment, but you'll get a taste of why I'm so excited about the impact that I am trusting the Lord will do throughout the entire church as a result of being a part of this conference. Many thanks to Pastor Ed Taylor and the rest of you pastors who make opportunities like this available to the rest of us smaller CC's. I know that putting one of these together is a huge amount of effort, and in this case, I would imagine that for the minimal registration fee of $20 for 3 days (including giving every person a very styling REFRESH t-shirt), CC Aurora didn't even break even on recouping their total expenditure, but the treasures their team stored up in heaven is immeasurable. Again my brothers, I encourage you to get the DVD's, and plan on attending the next one...if the Lord tarries in His coming.

Godly Imitation

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NKJV) And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit...

When we think of the word "imitation" we automatically think of someone faking it, or pretending to be someone they are not, or someone who plays games just to slide by and fool people. This type of imitation in the church leads a person toward hypocrisy. When Paul commends the believers that they became followers (literally from the original language: imitators or copiers) of the Lord and his ministry team, he wasn't commending hypocrisy but rather commending their desire to follow good examples!

I thank God for the godly men and women He has put in my life so that I might follow their lead spiritually. We have the Old Testament Saints and the New Testament Believers as examples. We have godly men and women in our lives, in this church, and in our family who stand as beacons of spiritual dependence! And most wonderfully, we have Jesus Christ to follow and imitate!

I'm reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." When we do this we see our imitation of Jesus turning into being an example ourselves! That's what happens when you imitate a strong, healthy, spiritually mature believer; you become an example yourself.

I love this little poem I stumbled across: "The Gospel is written a chapter a day, by the deeds that you do and the words that you say. Men read what you say whether faithless or true. Say, what is the Gospel according to you?"

In His Great Love,
Pastor Ed

RESPONSE:
I just wanted to thank you! Saturday night you came up to me and asked me if I was ok I told you I was ok and you asked if I was sure and I just started crying and told you that my husband left and we are going through a divorce. I was so amazed that you came up to me and then prayed with me about him and his decisions. Sunday he and I had a talk for the first time. It didn't go the way I had hoped but I did get a lot out of it and before he left he didn't say that there isn't a way this can work out, he said he would kick it around. That was the biggest sign of hope I have had in 11 weeks. When he left and gave me his ring I felt a peace about myself - no panic. God has been with me the whole way and he told me my husband is coming home. It has been a tough climb but I believe I am almost to the top of that mountain. That is another funny thing, I never could understand people when they say the Lord spoke to them and I always wanted it and could not understand why I couldn't hear Him. I was also one of those that thought if I went to church I was saved. Since he left God speaks to me all the time and shows me signs and I have been saved for real. The other thing God has put on my heart is for me and my children to be there next summer for the water baptism and we will. I am so amazed now that my eyes, ears and heart are wide open. Coming to church is so different now, it is so amazing. Please continue to pray for us, I hope and pray after my husband comes home that I will be able to get him to come to church with me. Thank you again!