Acts 19 records the story of Paul’s first visit to Ephesus where he met some disciples of John the Baptist.  When asked if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed, they replied with total honesty, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit was the God they hardly knew.

I wonder how many contemporary Christians could say virtually the same thing.  We know about the Trinity.  We know there is a Holy Spirit.  But what do we know beyond that?

When it comes to the subject of the Holy Spirit, I think the picture gets a little fuzzy for many Christians.  That includes Pentecostals and Charismatics!  Because the person and work of the Holy Spirit is so important in our lives, we are going to take the month of July and focus entirely on this third Person of the triune godhead.

So I want to invite you to be a part of this series as we focus on such topics as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Gifts of the Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit, and so on.  Coupled with the teaching in the morning services will be prayer meetings on Sunday nights at 6pm where we will pray for seekers to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that at the end of the month each member of RLA will be able to answer Paul’s question to the Ephesian disciples with a resounding YES!

Pastor Todd

As many of you are now aware, this Sunday (June 5th) we launch the Generosity 212 journey.  In preparation for this I have been reading the account in Numbers 13 of Israel at the border of the Promised Land.

The twelve spies had gone into the land and came back with a report to give to Moses.  They confirmed that it was a good land, a very good land.  However, ten of the spies reported that the land was filled with insurmountable challenges in the form of walled cities, warlike people, iron chariots, and worst of all, GIANTS!

Hearing this, the people were thrown into a state of extreme discouragement.  You can hear them as they complained to Moses, “Whose idea was this anyway?  We should have stayed in Egypt!  This is a failed experiment!  We knew this would never work!”

But two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, quickly stilled the people saying, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”  Unfortunately, the negative report of the ten spies prevailed.  As a result, the people forfeited the blessing of God.  But forty years later, Joshua and Caleb led a new generation of Israel into the Promised Land.  And the Old Testament book of Joshua tells the story how they overcame the walled cities, warlike people, chariots of iron, and even the giants!

River of Life Assembly of God is facing the challenge of a very large debt with corresponding high monthly payments.  As a matter of fact, this debt resembles a walled fortress or even a giant.  It’s big and a little bit intimidating!  But the word the Spirit of God is speaking to our church at this time is that we are to go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it! 

Generosity 212 is the plan God has given to us.  That means that each member or adherent of RLA is honoring God with the firstfruits of all their increase (Proverbs 3:9-10).  That’s where it begins.  And then, we are all going to go the second mile in increased giving (Matthew 5:41).  We are going to turn up the heat an extra degree.  It’s amazing that turning up the heat from 211 degrees to 212 degrees makes water boil.  Boiling water creates steam, and steam can power a locomotive!  One extra degree makes all the difference.

Please be in prayer as we launch the Generosity 212 journey.  I am not calling this a “campaign.”  This is a journey of faith we are taking together as a church.  So let’s get started!  “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Pastor Todd Weston