News & Notes for 11-23-13

Hello Holland First Family, Here are events happening this weekend (plus a head start on next week) and some reminders… •Tonight! Men’s Life Group at Rich Hardenburgh’s home – 7pm •The Gathering! Life Group for Young Adults. Meet at IHOP at 7pm on Friday, November 22nd for dinner then on to Bowling at Century Lanes!!! •Saturday, there will be No Corporate Prayer. With the Winter months approaching a decision was made to cancel Corporate Prayer starting this Saturday. There will still be Men’s prayer every Tuesday from 6-8am and Ladies’ prayer every Thursday from 7-8am. •Sunday… *Pastor Mike Houser will wrap up his series, Meditate on These Things, with a part four sermon entitled, “If there is any Virtue and if there is anything Praiseworthy” *The First Ladies’ will be hosting their “Thanksgiving” Bake Sale after both services. Stop by the kitchen to purchase delicious pies, cookies, cupcakes and more! *No Radiant Jr. High this Sunday so that students can hear Pastor Mike’s message which will touch on family. *Sunday night from 6pm-7:30pm kids grade 1st-6th will have rehearsal for their Christmas Musical. *Radiant Youth Life Group will be having their Thanksgiving get together this Sunday from 12:30pm-2pm. Students are asked to bring a side dish to pass. The main dish and beverages will be provided by the church. For questions email Pastor Chad at chad@radiantyouth.org •Heads up for next week Monday and Tuesday (Nov 26th & 27th): Hanging of the Greens. Make sure to stop by and help decorate the church for the Christmas season. You can come 8am-3pm or 6pm-8pm. Hope to see you there! Also, Pastor Christina says, “Don’t forget to have kids bring in their Ugly Ties for B.G.M.C.” Phew! I think that is it for events, reminders and everything else!!! Hope to see you soon! www.hollandfirst.com

Dr. Michael Youseff "Your internal compass"

There is a tension afoot in our world today. Really, it has existed from the moment mankind sinned in the Garden of Eden. It comes as a result of our being tempted to twist the Truth of God’s Word so that we can live conveniently and not totally committed to Jesus Christ. When an unbelieving friend wants to know if Jesus Christ is the only way for him or her to be saved, our answer should be an affirming “yes!” There is no other way for mankind to be saved except by faith in God’s Son (John 14:6). God’s Word is a double-edged sword. It is able to cut through the dross surrounding the weak and vain arguments of those who are seeking another way to gain salvation. It is true that sin and disbelief can keep us from speaking what we know is true. However, these cannot stop the light of God’s Word from touching the blinded eyes of those who have never experienced His salvation. Without the light of the Holy Spirit to transform them, the hearts of men would remain in darkness. Revival never falls on the casual seekers of Christ. Instead, it falls on those who are seeking the Lord with all of their hearts. If your deepest desire is to be radically transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit via internal revival, the truth of God’s Word must be written on your heart. It must become your internal compass for every road you travel and for all that you do. Prayer: Lord, help my words and actions today reflect the fact that Your Word is the ultimate truth. Transform me, that I may be a reflection of You to those who do not know You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

A Timely Word!!!!

THE DOCTRINE OF JEZEBEL by David Wilkerson [May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011] Read Revelation 2:18-29 and you will see that Christ warned the church against the doctrine of Jezebel. "Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols" (Revelation 2:20). The Greek word here for Jezebel is a synonym for a “false teacher.” She clearly represents false doctrines. Jesus clears it up by continuing, "As many as have not this doctrine" (Revelation 2:24). Here is a group of God's people, full of good works and charity, having a form of faith and patience. But with all that is good and commendable, something very dangerous is going on, something so seductive that Christ warns He will send judgment and make them an example to all the churches. Certain members of the church were selling out to Satan. Their good works, charity, service, faith and patience were overshadowed by a seduction of false doctrine. They were under the spell of a false teaching, a teaching that came disguised as the true Word but was, in fact, evil. It is dangerous to sit under wrong teaching and Christ does not take this matter lightly. His eyes are piercing the Church, and He has come to warn, expose and save His people from this terrible seduction. Where you go to church, who you are listening to, the teaching that has your heart is very, very serious. The mark of a seduced Christian is that he is "carried about" seeking some new, different, strange teaching. The Bible warns, "Be not carried about with different and strange doctrines" (Hebrews 13:9). This is speaking of running from place to place, seminar to convention, church to church, having no roots. The ears of such people are always itching to hear something new, something sensational, something entertaining, something pleasing to their flesh. We get them at Times Square Church: gadabouts, human tumbleweeds riding the winds of doctrines. They resemble the Athenians who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing" (Acts 17:21). Paul warned Timothy, "They will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3).

The Only Way to Freedom

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Many preach that one must achieve nirvana, have good karma, follow certain principles, be knowledgeable enough, or pray a certain number of times a day in order to attain perfection. They believe that the way to freedom is working for a seat in heaven, which can lead to a lifestyle of constant fear, confusion, and anxiety. But Jesus preached differently. In the midst of these exhausting lifestyles, Jesus stands alone. In a time when many were burnt out on the religion of the Pharisees, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). This promise is just as relevant and powerful to us today as it was 2,000 years ago. Many people admire Jesus but become disillusioned when they see Christians who are hypocritical, anxious, legalistic, and tired. The truth is, Jesus did not die for us to live this way—He died for us to live in freedom. In Galatians, one of Paul’s most fervent letters, Paul warned against Judaizers who were preaching that Jesus’ work was not enough. They taught that salvation was only achieved through following Old Testament laws in addition to faith in Jesus. Jesus Himself rebuked the Pharisees for trying to be perfect through their works (see Matthew 23:25-28), which is self-righteousness. So what is true righteousness? Paul’s letters remind us that “the righteous will live by faith” (Galatians 3:11, Romans 1:17, Romans 4:22). If you truly believe that Jesus gave His life for you, then His righteousness already covers you. Transformation then comes from an inward connection to Jesus, the source, changing you from the inside out. Good works are not our salvation, but they are the proof of a faith-filled life. Our works do not change us; His grace does that. Jesus did not die for us to work our way into His good graces—He became the way so that we might live in His grace eternally, starting today. This grace is so powerful that our desire to love God and others becomes greater than our desire to sin, provoking us to then do good works. Do you know that Jesus’ work is enough for you? The perfect life He lived, the obedient death He died, and the victorious Resurrection He won are enough to transform you into His likeness today. All He needs from you is an open heart.

A Word that will Speak!!!!!!!

GOD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS by David Wilkerson [May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011] “For I am the Lord thy God . . . and I have loved thee. . . . Fear not: for I am with thee" (Isaiah 43:3-5). The Old Testament stories of Abraham, Joshua and all of Israel are meant to encourage and exhort us to seek God’s presence in our lives. We can thank God for what His presence did for them and yet each of us has a powerful testimony of what God's presence has done for us: guiding our lives, opening doors, moving obstacles, melting hearts, making us fearless. I have seen this proven true in my life. You may say, "You're just boasting!" No, the fact is, God's presence has been with me in spite of myself! When we started Times Square Church in New York City, the presence of Christ emanated from us in all we did. I remember walking into a famous Broadway producer's office in search of a theater to use as a church. This man's secretary and staff scoffed at me; their words and attitudes assured me, a lowly minister, I would not be able to get an appointment. In fact, I thought I might even get kicked out. But then the producer came out of his office and when he saw me, he invited me in! Over the next several weeks, the producer and I got to know each other. At times he would look across his desk at me and say, "I don't know why I'm spending so much time with you. My schedule is absolutely full." But whenever I walked into his office suite, his secretary pushed me past all other visitors, saying, "Go right in, Reverend, he's waiting for you!" Eventually, this man sold his flagship theater to us to use for Times Square Church. Even as he was signing the documents of sale, he said, "I don't know why I'm doing this!" It was only God's presence that moved him to sell that building to us. Just a few years after the deal was done, he and his attorneys were begging to buy it back! I saw God change the hearts of others as well. The man who owned the building next to ours refused to sell it to us as an annex. But over time he became a friend of mine, and eventually he sold us the building. All along, he kept telling me, "Somebody up there is working for you!" That is the power of the presence of God. And every Christian can testify in the same way: "God's presence with me has done great things!"

News and Notes for Wednesday, Sept. 25

Hello Holland First Family, Here is what’s happening this week at church… •Wednesday (25th) – Family Night at 7pm: Men’s Class: The Quest for Authentic Manhood. Ladies’ Class: Kingdom Woman plus ministry for Youth and kids! •Thursday (26th) – Ladies’ Prayer from 6-8am, Men’s Life Group at 7pm at Rich Hardenburgh’s home •Friday (27th) – The Gathering! This Life Group for Young Adults will meet at Johnny Carino’s at 7pm •Saturday – Men’s Breakfast at 9am, Corporate Prayer from 6-8pm, both events are at the church •Sunday – There will be an evening service this Sunday at 6pm because it’s a fifth Sunday. We’ll have ACCESS night, Water Baptisms, and our S.N.A.C. potluck!!! Everyone bring a dish to pass and 2 liter beverage. Also… Do you attend the 11am service and have a fast internet connection? Would you be interested in uploading the sermon audio and video each week? No experience necessary - training provided. Please contact Lisa Horton at lisaanne999@gmail.com or 616-990-4263. Thanks!

Pastor Mike News & Notes for Thursday, Sept. 12

Hello Holland First Family, We had a great first week of double services. We had 415 in attendance! Praise God! I am believing that moving to two services will enable us to do more towards the Great Commission and that is "Winning the Lost!" Believe with me. I want to let the church know that we do have a 5th Sunday night service on Sept. 29th at 6p.m. We only have them once per quarter, but this one falls on the same month we moved to double services in the morning and stopped our 1st and 3rd 6p.m. services. So, mark your calendars and do plan on being here Sunday night, Sept. 29th at 6p.m. for ACCESS Night. A night of praise & worship, water baptisms and then S.N.A.C. night. Everyone is to bring a dish to pass and a 2-liter of pop. Take care and have a great rest of your week, Pastor Mike Houser Senior Pastor www.hollandfirst.com