Bev Sterk

Hey Fernando del Rosario...I would vote for you, whether or not we need a quota on minorities  ;)... or is your name just a clever disguise for a dutch white guy?!?!?    

 

Oh wait...it shouldn't matter... :)

Bless your heart...  that's awesome...  Believe you me, I do not want to limit God...we've already done that way too much...  and I am desperate to do it His way...  not using man's understanding...  but with much prayer and fasting...  maybe the denomination sends out a call to every church to pray and fast specifically on a certain day...  even if it's only one meal, or a fast of TV or computer...there are lots of options here...   and that there are worship and prayer gatherings on that day at the church from 6-7am, and from 12-1pm, and from 7-8pm so most can at least make it to one of the times.  I would much rather see something like that, then implementing a human system to control the selection.   Jesus promises us that His Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in all truth...The LORD of Hosts is wonderful and counsel and excellent in wisdom...  I hope I'm wrong, but it's possible the cessationist belief that was held by the Reformed tradition for so long, has hindered our "hearing" of the Holy Spirit...  LORD, help us to trust in You with all our hearts, and follow the direction You give us...  Your promise is when we acknowledge You, that You will direct us and make our paths straight....

kind of curious on what you are referring to re. the leadership being regrettably shaken though?

Thanks for responding...and being gracious with my sense of humor...   I love how God is connecting His body, crossing many traditional barriers between congregations, denominations, and nations...  and when it is done His way, we are in awe of how incredibly He orchestrates it... 

please keep me posted on the gatherings regarding this...  I would love to pray and fast in conjunction with them on behalf of those involved... 

hey Ken...just curious what quotas you're referring to...the CRC ministry shares that have traditionally been called quotas, or something else...   

it's not the God-designed wiring to correct injustice that I was referring to as from the flesh, it was being willing to support a human way of fixing it because I might benefit...  basically letting the ends justify the means...   I have worked with groups that have fought injustice with attorneys and man's wisdom...  dang if that aspect wasn't a waste of time and money...  however, Praise God that He does redeem it for good, because one of the redemptions was that  through it I connected with someone who is native,  which became a friendship, through that friendship she began going to church which resulted in her daughter not choosing an abortion - so she has a beautiful grandson now - we call him the miracle baby,  and my friend became a believer in Jesus Christ.   Just last week our family got to witness her baptism...  Praise God!   anyway, that's a whole testimony in itself, but my point is I have seen what the brightest and best (and highly paid) can do, and it doesn't even come close to being in the right place at the right time under God's direction...

I will confirm that He is purifying us, starting with leadership...  several insights I received earlier this year as I was praying specifically for the CRC were:   Malachi 3:3  He is purifying and purging us... and from How Firm a Foundation...  the dross to consume and His gold to refine...to keep our foundation firm... 

now in case someone infers that this is the 2 who have resigned...  I have no clue, only God knows the hearts...  I don't know them at all, but the reason the shake up in leadership caught my eye is because others that I pray with have shared that there will be a shift in leadership in the Body of Christ,  that those who are in leadership positions, but are not men and women of prayer (God does the shaking/purifying/purging, He knows the hearts), He will either help them become men and women of prayer, who have a close relationship with Jesus, or if they are unwilling, then they will be shifted out.

Now, we can all say...  "Well, I pray, of course I pray"...  How dare anyone imply that someone isn't a man or woman of prayer.   Every one gets to ask God for themselves, and watch for His response to you.   He loves to answer the prayer.  LORD, teach us to pray.    He prompted me to focus on prayer more through several dreams and a bloody casino (we're asking Him to make it a House of prayer for the tribe)...  talk about Him using something bad for good.  But through this prayer journey, I have re-discoverd His voice, how He speaks now one way, and then another, making the Word living and active in fresh ways, and that those "coincidences" are designed by Him, getting my attention.    I don't share this to brag, believe you me, I have been attacked for these testimonies...  however, that was one of the words He gave me early on in my rediscovery of His voice...   I will testify... from the Avalon song...

I know where I was before He taught me to pray.  and I know that my prayer time is now a delight instead of a duty... I love to linger in the secret place with Him (ps. 91.1 NKJV).   He is converting me from a Miss Martha to a Miss Mary.    and again, someone might respond, well we can't all be Miss Mary's, nothing will get done.   Not true.  In my Miss Martha days (and I love Miss Martha - she was so practical, industrious, diplomatic -  sound familiar?),  I don't remember ever leading someone to Jesus,  I hope I was instrumental in some peoples faith and I believe God used my weak efforts - but we worked hard, we were very involved in all the church programs, in leadership positions, but it was with some prayer, 0-15 minutes depending on the day, of here's my list LORD and then gotta run cuz there's lot to do.  But as I spend more time with Him, the conversations I get to have with Him and with others are amazing, I have had the privilege to lead people to Jesus...  I love to be in worship with Him, I don't care what style worship music...  When He's there with you and you are aware of Him, it doesn't matter, it can be a 1000 year old hymn (of course those are the good ones since they've endured) or a song that was just released last week...  I pray that everyone will have an incredible, beautiful relationship with Him.    That your faith will be a delight, not a duty. That all believers will experience Him in ways they have never sensed Him before.  That awareness of Him increases so you see little (and big) treasures from Him every day, little (serendipity type) signs that you are exactly where you are suppose to be at that moment.  These are Him...  I have been told they are not, but these experiences or whatever you want to call them are happening way too often to be random... and sometimes so statistically improbable, they can only be from God...  Now if I had only experienced one of these in my life, you might say that was chance, but I have experience at least one major impossible, beyond calculable event a year in the last several years including this year, and probably more often...  I would have to go back to my journals...

He has undone me more than once, in a terrible, beautiful way...  these stories are actually quite humorous now...  but several times I am crying my eyes out, in a public place without kleenex... and when I cry it's intense and everything pours forth - not pretty...  I had one time where the Holy Spirit prompted me..." You might want to get some kleenex before you go in."   and since i was in a snarky mood, I thought with a bad attitude, why would I need kleenex for this, it's just practice...  about  5 minutes later I was "undone", during the choir practice...  God used the first song Away in a manger, second  verse...the little LORD Jesus no cyring He makes  - the HS instantly dropped Hebr. 5:7 - and while in the days of His flesh, He prayed with loud, fervent cries, and tears... into my thoughts and by the next line... I love Thee, LORD Jesus, He melted the hardness I had let build up in my heart and by the 3rd verse I was a total basket case.   It wasn't whipped up emotionalism.   It's a whole story in itself, but through it He had me intensely weeping on behalf of the slaughtered unborn  - those being aborted, as several songs later we sang...Lully, Lullay the lullaby about the children that were murdered by King Herod... it still brings tears to my eyes and  gives me chills when I think about it, it was powerful, not pretty, but very powerful.  I almost walked out of that choir practice between v2 and v3 of Away in the manger because of not knowing what I was going to do with all the fluids pouring forth from my face, and I knew v3 was going to be worse for me than v2... and wouldn't have come back to that practice or any others...

 

ok, that's my testimony -  and I'm sticking to it - I have only shared a very small portion, even of the being undone.  That whole testimony alone would probably be about a  chapter's worth.    Since I started "hearing" Him again, I have journals of testimonies of these, and since I haven't been very diligent with journaling consistently, those probably only represent 25% or less.

 

at this point, you might say, what does this have to do with minorities in leadership, well, I'll say that my heart cry is that everyone who doesn't already experience this will have an incredible, delightful relationship with Jesus, that you know in your heart and experience in your inner man, what it looks like to love the Lord, Your God with all your heart, soul, strenghth and mind - that Jesus is your first love, and then out of that will flow via the Holy Spirit, His perfect combination of who He has determined should be delegates or elders or whatever the position might be, because we are sensitive to His "voice" and in the right place at the right time at His leading.  

May you, even today, "see" Him in a way you've never "seen" Him before. 

 

Ps.  here's a statistic on the devotional life of 1050 reformed and evangelical pastors - it makes me cry.   I don't think we want to know what the % is with leaders or the lay people, the article does suggest that it is probably lower -

Two hundred seventy (270 or 26%) of pastors said they regularly had personal devotions and felt they were adequately fed spirituality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here's the link to the article...statistics on pastors    http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36562 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you...  I was starting to feel very cautious about sharing any concerns about our denomination..  and that we were just skirting the deeper issues, while only having freedom in addressing the more superficial ones.  These deep concerns have to be addressed, and in a healthy, open, Spirit- led way.    Joel 2:17  Oh, LORD, that our priests/leaders would weep between the porch and the altar on behalf of Your broken, hurting Bride, Jesus...

thank you for stating so diplomatically your concerns on the BOT... I was sensing something there, but couldn't put words to it...   and if there's one thing I have found that particularly the dutch don't like - I won't speak for other cultures on this, it is lack of transparency...  whether it's perceived or real...

ok, let's pray for an alternative solution to come forth through inspiration of the Holy Spirit...   something that is obvious that it's God's idea because it's so beautiful and amazing, we could never have come up with it on our own...   one of those AHA!   breakthroughs...  So I hope you can pray in agreement with me.... LORD, lead us and guide us into what your will is, let us not settle for human understanding in this issue, but let us listen to Your voice and be obedient to carry out what You desire, may there be numerous confirmations that whatever it is, it is from You...  LORD, and if we aren't quite sure how to listen to Your still small voice, please teach us...  and if someone doesn't know whether they have ever heard Your "voice" LORD, may they "hear" You this week with a "rhema" word, whether it's through Your living and active Word, or through a person, a song, nature... whatever you know will be meaningful to each person, so there is no question it is You...

FYI, in case you aren't aware of this already..  planned parenthood. is on the verge of being totally defunded by the gov't...  that's huge...  it passed the House like 240 to 200 or so, what a strong support for life by our country's leaders...  not sure where the Senate is on it though...   I believe this issue was the hold up on passing the budget or whatever a month or so ago when the country was going to shut down for a day because it hadn't been approved by congress. 

Bless your heart, Ken...  Thanks for being in agreement... praying in one accord is powerful..

That's awesome that you helped Mitch with 3 Trees...  God is using that gathering place in amazing ways... I understand Mosaic (CRC) in B'ham is going out on the streets one service a month, and I also just heard a praise report about Bellingham Christian Center (non-CRC), who started going out on the street on Saturdays to share the gospel with people, and have led over 40 people to the LORD since the beginning of the year...   PTL!  He's on the move (and getting us to move, which can be like moving a mountain sometimes)

In Him...Bev S