Curtis Tumicki

One thing that I have found out real quick is that there are those who are not going to like the word of God being spoken before them.  In other words, persecution is a real thing.  According to Dictionary.com, the definition of persecution states “A program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate people based on their membership in a religious, ethnic, social, or racial group.”  The more biblical definition states this according to study.com: “mistreatment or ridicule of a person or group based on their religious beliefs or lack of religious beliefs.”  Persecution is out there and it is real.  All we need to do is to turn on the television and see all the chaos and madness this world is producing.  Because of it, it is slowly impacting the church.  Not only is there persecution, but there are those who claim that they are a prophet from God but would use that for negative reasons.  This is one of the reasons why cults start and form.  

In today’s passage from Acts 8:9-25, we read about a sorcerer named Simon who people claimed that he was “The Great One-the Power of God” (Acts 8:10).  When Philip came and started telling those in Samaria about the gospel message of Jesus Christ, Simon believed in it so much that he was soon baptized and started to follow Philip wherever he went (Acts 8:13).  Later on in this passage, we see that Simon wanted to be equipped with the Holy Spirit and wanted to perform the same miracles that Philip was performing.  Peter, who basically speaks his mind on more than a few occasions, told Simon that he could not have any part in this whatsoever because his heart was not right with God.  How many times have we been like Simon and wanting to be part of something for the Kingdom and our hearts not being right?  If we, as brothers and sisters in Christ want to be part of Kingdom work, then we have to go under self-examination and see how our hearts are.  If our hearts are not where it should be, then nothing is going to get done.  I challenge  you to not only read Acts 8:9-25, but also go under self-examination to see how your heart is with God.  Make sure that your heart is for Him.  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I pray for Your family.  You know that we struggle with a lot of different things in our lives.  I pray that we would continue to press forward towards You and not the things of this world.  Help us to grow with You and be more in tuned and engaged with You.  When things begin to surface, help us to not be distracted nor be consumed by the things of this world.  Help us grow each and every day in Your word and in Your wisdom.  

In Jesus name, 

Amen

One thing that I look forward to is coming to church on Sunday.  Not only is it the first day of the week, but it is also a great time to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ but also to surrender our frustrations, our burdens, our struggles, and everything else of that nature up to God.  It’s one thing to do this as an individual but it’s another thing to do this collectively.  Collective worship brings power and a sense of unity to the body.  Where there is unity within the church, the stronger the body will be.  

In today’s passage, the writer David is acknowledging this idea of collective worship in Psalm 22:25-31.  In verse 25, it says “I will praise you in the great assembly.  I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.”  David is talking about how he will praise God in the great assembly, meaning fellowshipping and collective worship.  In verse 28, it says “For royal power belongs to the Lord.  He rules all the nations.”  This verse gives an absolute statement saying that God has all authority and rules all nations.  Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 28:18 that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth.  Clearly, we know who we should worship.  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Help us to understand Your authority.  Continue to remind us that You are the one who is in charge and in control of everything that goes on.  While man would try to discourage us and making us go in a different direction, help us to stay on track by following Your grace and mercy.  In Jesus name, amen.  

There are going to be times where we are going to have to learn about patience.  Patience is one of the most difficult things that we can learn.  When we are in a situation where patience is presented, it is difficult for us to be patient.  For instance, we need to be patient with other people.  Sometimes, there are going to be people who are going to drive us crazy.  So the question becomes “How can we be patient with them?”  One way we can be patient is to let the Spirit wash over before we have a conversation with them.  It is so important that we are taking the time to learn patience.  

While we need to be patient with others, we also need to be patient with God’s timing.  His timing is far greater than our own timing.  In Micah 7:9, it speaks about how the prophet Micah will be patient as God punishes him for sinning.  How many times has He been patient with us?  In Romans 5:8, it talks about how we God still loves us even while we are still sinners.  So because we are sinners, God shows great patience towards us because He still loves us.  He does not give up on us because we have made a mistake.  In other words, He is very patient with us.  If God is very patent with us, then we need to be patient with others.  Not only patient with others, but also being patient in different seasons throughout our lives.  Things happen for a reason within a season and we need to recognize His plan for us.  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for making us unique in Your eyes.  I pray that as we face different things throughout our lives, help us to be patient.  Not only patient with other people, but also being patient with Your plans for us.  We recognize Your goodness and Your love.  Help us to practice being patient and letting Your love wash over us every single day.  In His name I pray, amen.  

One thing about me is that I can sing. I have enjoyed singing for a while. Whether it was singing in church to participating in musicals and plays, I have enjoyed the concept of singing. Singing is something that brings fulfillment and joy when I feel down. I would sing whenever I had the chance. Whether it was in the car, in the shower, when I’m working at home, at the Music Ministry event on Monday nights, or anything else of that nature, I enjoy singing.

The Bible reminds about this idea of singing, particularly in the book of Psalms. Today, we will look at Psalm 95 in its entirety. In this psalm, the writer is acknowledging the fact that we should sing praises to the Lord. I recognize that when we are facing or in the midst of different seasons in our lives, we usually want to do something different rather than praising God. Here’s the truth that we need to understand: no matter what season we are facing, we need to praise God regardless. It’s easier said than done, however, this is something that we need to do because the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). In Psalm 95:2, it says that we need to come to him with thanksgiving. In different seasons, we may not want to feel thankful because of what we are experiencing. The truth of the matter is that we need to be thankful because the testing of our faith will produce patience (James 1:2). When we sing to the Lord, we are giving thanks to Him for what He has done for us and what He will continue to do for us. It is important that we do sing to the Lord. You may not hit the notes exactly, but we are called to make a joyful noise unto Him (Psalm 100:1-2). When we sing, it fills us up. When we sing, it makes us feel a sense of relief. When we sing, it brings a sense of joy. Remember to sing praises to Him. He loves you and is for you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for all that You have done in my life. I know that there were some moments and seasons that were challenging, but I thank You for getting me through it. Help me to sing praises to You throughout the duration of my day. I know that I will experience different storms and seasons of hardships, but I know that You are not only the anchor for my soul (Hebrews 6:19), I know that You are the song when I sing. Thank You Jesus for being for me and with me through it all. In His name I pray, amen.

Last week, we looked at Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1876) who played a big role within evangelism.  As we continue to navigate and examine different people who played a part in growing the Kingdom of God, it is important to understand that times were different when it came to spreading the good news of Jesus.  Some people were open to receive His gospel message and wanting to grow in their faith, while some were the exact opposite and wanted nothing to do with it whatsoever.  There was a movement known as the Jesus Movement which took place from the 1960s through the 1970s.  During this time, lots of people made their name within evangelizing as well as worship music.  This week, we will look at several different people first through the Jesus Movement.  This movement originated in San Francisco during the Baby Boomer Revival era between 1965 through 1985, and the movement specifically went between the 1960s and 1970s.  One man who began or initiated the Jesus Movement was Jack Sparks.  He started as a statistics professor and then he established the Christian World Liberation Front (CWLF).  Since then, there have been other people who have contributed to this specific movement.  One of those people was Chuck Smith.  He was a preacher at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California and one of the things that he started to do was baptizing people in the Pacific Ocean and more than 200 young people confessed Jesus as the Savior and Lord.  

Challenge 

I want to challenge you to think about what it means to step out in faith.  I remember watching an episode of the TV series “The Chosen” and there was a scene where Matthew and Philip are having a dialogue about what it means to be on the outside of the circle.  This stuck out to me because so often we want to be included and inside the circle, but sometimes it is good for us to be on the outside of the circle.  Here’s what I’m saying: you can step out in faith without stepping into the circle.  In other words, we cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world, but instead we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  I want to challenge you to step out in faith but don’t step in the circle.  When we start doing this, we will begin to see what God is trying to reveal to us and what we need to do to stay in tuned or in lined with Him.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your continuous strength and wisdom as we continue to do the things that You have called us to.  As we grow Your Kingdom, let us not be ashamed of it.  Instead, let us embrace it and let Your word shine before others so that the darkness will flee and Your light will shine through.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.  

Last week, we looked at Ira David Sankey who was with Dwight Moody for thirty  years in the world of evangelism.  He was different because he was a worship leader for Moody and they worked together for a long time.  This week, we are looking at an individual named Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1876).  Finney was part of the Sunday School Revivals from 1820 through 1850.  What was interesting about his story is that he was a lawyer before he became an evangelist.  On August 10, 1821, he went away to pray and he was convinced to leave his law practice to preach the gospel across America.  He started off at a Presbyterian church in 1824 and then served at the Congregational Church twelve years later.  He once held a revival that lasted for five months at Third Presbyterian Church in New York.  While this was something amazing, some people were not very happy with what he was doing.  There were some disputes between Finney and the pastor, but he continued to do what he was called to do.  When he went to a Methodist church, he had what is commonly referred to as “the altar call.”  He thought of this when people were going up to participate in communion.  One of the things that he was very controversial was that he was really big in remodeling church sanctuaries.  Anytime he would go to a new church, he would inform the trustees that the pulpit area need to be remodeled.  One reason is because the sanctuary would become very crowded when he would appear and he wanted the people to have room and space for them to come in and receive the Holy Spirit.  Throughout his time up in Rochester, NY, the revival up there spread to 1500 towns and villages up through the New England area and more than 100,000 people gave their lives to the Lord.  

Challenge

I want to challenge you to think about what it means to step out in faith.  I remember watching an episode of the TV series “The Chosen” and there was a scene where Matthew and Philip are having a dialogue about what it means to be on the outside of the circle.  This stuck out to me because so often we want to be included and inside the circle, but sometimes it is good for us to be on the outside of the circle.  Here’s what I’m saying: you can step out in faith without stepping into the circle.  In other words, we cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world, but instead we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  I want to challenge you to step out in faith but don’t step in the circle.  When we start doing this, we will begin to see what God is trying to reveal to us and what we need to do to stay in tuned or in lined with Him.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your continuous strength and wisdom as we continue to do the things that You have called us to.  As we grow Your Kingdom, let us not be ashamed of it.  Instead, let us embrace it and let Your word shine before others so that the darkness will flee and Your light will shine through.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.  

Last week, we looked at Ira David Sankey who was with Dwight Moody for thirty  years in the world of evangelism.  He was different because he was a worship leader for Moody and they worked together for a long time.  This week, we are looking at an individual named Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1876).  Finney was part of the Sunday School Revivals from 1820 through 1850.  What was interesting about his story is that he was a lawyer before he became an evangelist.  On August 10, 1821, he went away to pray and he was convinced to leave his law practice to preach the gospel across America.  He started off at a Presbyterian church in 1824 and then served at the Congregational Church twelve years later.  He once held a revival that lasted for five months at Third Presbyterian Church in New York.  While this was something amazing, some people were not very happy with what he was doing.  There were some disputes between Finney and the pastor, but he continued to do what he was called to do.  When he went to a Methodist church, he had what is commonly referred to as “the altar call.”  He thought of this when people were going up to participate in communion.  One of the things that he was very controversial was that he was really big in remodeling church sanctuaries.  Anytime he would go to a new church, he would inform the trustees that the pulpit area need to be remodeled.  One reason is because the sanctuary would become very crowded when he would appear and he wanted the people to have room and space for them to come in and receive the Holy Spirit.  Throughout his time up in Rochester, NY, the revival up there spread to 1500 towns and villages up through the New England area and more than 100,000 people gave their lives to the Lord.  

Challenge

I want to challenge you to think about what it means to step out in faith.  I remember watching an episode of the TV series “The Chosen” and there was a scene where Matthew and Philip are having a dialogue about what it means to be on the outside of the circle.  This stuck out to me because so often we want to be included and inside the circle, but sometimes it is good for us to be on the outside of the circle.  Here’s what I’m saying: you can step out in faith without stepping into the circle.  In other words, we cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world, but instead we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  I want to challenge you to step out in faith but don’t step in the circle.  When we start doing this, we will begin to see what God is trying to reveal to us and what we need to do to stay in tuned or in lined with Him.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your continuous strength and wisdom as we continue to do the things that You have called us to.  As we grow Your Kingdom, let us not be ashamed of it.  Instead, let us embrace it and let Your word shine before others so that the darkness will flee and Your light will shine through.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.  

Last week, we started looking at different preachers and evangelists starting with Dwight Moody.  With this intention still in mind, I want to still continue looking and examining at these individuals who have made a name for themselves when it comes to evangelism.  This week, we are going to look at a man named Ira David Sankey (1840-1908).  One interesting thing about Sankey is that he wasn’t always an evangelist.  While he was born of a prominent state senator, banker, editor, and even a member of the Internal Revenue Service collection staff under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, Sankey was a soldier fighting in the Civil War for the Union Army from 1860 to 1862).  After his time serving in the army, he started to work in the IRS as an agent.  In 1871, Sankey began his ministry career as a singing evangelist.  What?  A singing evangelist?  Indeed he was.  He served alongside Dwight Moody for more than 30 years.  Moody picked Sankey as a song leader when they attended a convention up at the Indianapolis YMCA in 1871.  Since then, they have served within evangelism.  He is commonly referred as the “father of gospel music.”  (Sorry Elvis).  When these two men teamed up, they became the first ever evangelistic preacher-singer team.  They traveled all over the world, including the two years that Moody spent in Great Britain as part of the Moody Crusades.  In the late 1870s, a new genre of music, known as the gospel song or gospel hymn, came into play.  Since then, there have been a wide variety of artists have dipped their feet into the gospel music arena such as Elvis Presley, Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Josh Turner, and a whole lot more.  

Challenge 

I want to challenge you to think about what it means to step out in faith.  Not too long ago, I spoke about this idea during my sermon “Step Out of the World, Step into His Word” referring from Matthew 14:22-33.  In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to go into the world and make disciples of all nations as well as baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  So, He is telling us to step out of the boat of familiarity and comfort and step into the direction and obedience of Christ.  He is the one who will provide for us, not the world nor the things of this world.  Ask yourself: Am I staying in the boat or am I stepping out of it? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your continuous strength and wisdom as we continue to do the things that You have called us to.  As we grow Your Kingdom, let us not be ashamed of it.  Instead, let us embrace it and let Your word shine before others so that the darkness will flee and Your light will shine through.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.