As I write this, entering Holy Week, I picture you on the other side of Resurrection Sunday, celebrating all that Jesus did through His church as you make yourself available to be His instrument of life and love to your flock and the communities where He has placed you.
I’m envisioning the fruit that has come from your participation in the unique interplay of prayer, planning and hard work, most likely in that order. For there are many things you can do after you pray, but nothing you can do until you pray. Thank you for prioritizing dependence on the Holy Spirit’s leading and empowerment, and for working so diligently. Be encouraged by Paul’s final words from his teaching on the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV):
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
Some of my favorite moments in this role are hearing what God is doing in you and through you. If you witness something special this Easter, please send me a note and let me know so I can rejoice with you.
In the same spirit of earnest prayer and expectation, our team is working hard in preparation for our fast-approaching Foursquare Connection in San Antonio. If you haven’t made plans to attend, I encourage you to do so, especially if you are bringing children or students. The cutoff date for NextGen registration is May 1, and we want to make sure we have enough team members in place to serve them well. This aspect of our Connection continues to grow, and our teams serving in this area do so with such excellence and enthusiasm.
Earlier this year, at the Foursquare cabinet meetings—bringing together elected district ministers, board members, supervisors, appointed representatives and key One Team staff—we focused on one of our three Prophetic Imperatives: Possessing the Land. This means stepping into the full measure of God’s promises, both missionally and fruitfully. Together, the board and cabinet have made a firm commitment to seize this moment—not to shrink back, but to press forward and fully embrace what God has called us to do.
The Foursquare Church has always been marked by a kingdom focus and a prioritization of the Great Commission. We have always been a training and sending church, and we are at our best when the harvest is in our line of sight, both in the U.S. and around the world.
I believe that God has purposed an inheritance for us (personally and corporately) from the foundations of the earth and has created us in accordance with that purpose (Eph. 2:10). I believe that He has set our boundaries in pleasant places (Ps. 16:6).
I don’t believe that we can be more than He has created us to be, nor do I believe that we can do more than He has ordained for us to do. However, we can do far less and fall short of our full potential in maturity and ministry. That would be tragic, and an outcome I will resist.
In this moment, I sense a renewed urgency to stay centered on our God-given mission: making disciples, developing leaders, planting churches and sending workers. This is who we are. While the pull may be to play it safe, turn inward and lose our missionary zeal, we are called to resist it. From the beginning, our identity has been rooted in going “Around the world with the Foursquare Gospel.”
At this Foursquare Connection, let’s commence a year of Possessing the Land—laying hold of in prayer, obedience and faith what God has for us in our generation and moment in time. To do so will require:
A Baptism of Love: We refuse indifference (Matt. 9:36).
Like Jesus, when we see people harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, we do not turn away, but we are moved with compassion and brought to our knees in prayer for more workers to be sent. We refuse to be indifferent. As Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”Faith and Courage: We resist fear (Josh. 1:6-9).
The new normal when entering a new season or territory is faith and courage. God requires us to be courageous. Some things need to be said over and over again. Repetition matters in Scripture: The call to courage is a repeated exhortation. The more we have to lose, the harder it is to risk, so we preserve or protect what we already have.The people we admire in the Bible were courageous because they learned to live with the confidence that God would come through. I believe the greatest obstacle to Foursquare being everything that God has called our church to be and do in the future is fear. Fear is often the root cause of much of our disobedience to God.
When faith and courage subside, we lose boldness and mission. However, when we know that God is with us (Pursue His Presence), we will pass a vibrant, spiritually dynamic faith to the next generation (Pass the Flame) and enter the fullness of all that God has for us (Possessing the Land).
As we look toward San Antonio, let’s come prepared to encourage one another, spurring one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). Let’s possess the land together.
Now is the time our world needs the gospel we proclaim and demonstrate. Let’s live what we believe. He is risen!
