After six years of weekly pastor’s desk, this will be my last, due in part to my analysis of effort verses fruit.  As Christ followers we are all required to be fruitful.  We are all called after we have answered the call to salvation to do periodic honest self-examination of ourselves and ministry, seeking the Holy Spirits direction and ask ourselves the hard questions - individually and corporately as a church (i.e. body of believers).  Why do we do what we do?  Is it fruitful for the kingdom?

The Holy Spirit, in the life of the believer is essential in these troubling times!  You cannot, individually and corporately accomplish the mission without the spirits control, direction and empowerment.  Our partnership with the third party of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, is essential!

We must understand His work and experience His daily presence and empowerment in our lives.  It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts one of his/her sin and leads them to true repentance.  We first receive the Holy Spirit upon the new birth - born of the spirit!  It is an ongoing work of the Holy Spirit that sanctifies the believer and produces the fruit in our lives.  We must recognize our total dependence upon the work of the Holy Spirit to be effective for Christ in our world - our spheres of influence.

I believe the individual believer and the church at large is trying to accomplish the mission through human effort and power.  Yes, we have our part but it the Holy Spirit through us!  We must be diligent not to grieve the Holy Spirit through disobedience and sin in our lives.  Quit trying to redefine and rationalize sin, name it for what is it and repent.

God is not looking for talented, charismatic, gifted, talented, professional people - He is looking for “clean vessels!”  The Holy Spirit can only work though clean vessels.  “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit…therefore glorify God in your body…” (1 Corinthians 6: 19)

I am not called to be the “cheerleader” but to proclaim the whole counsel of  God’s word - and to live it out in my own life.  The different roles of ministry is not “till death do we part!”  Our ministry may change and sometimes has too, but our mission remains the same individually and corporately.   Church, Jesus gave us the mission statement in Matthew 28, quit trying to redefine it!  Jesus gave us the ONLY WAY to fulfill the mission, in His own words, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you SHALL BE WITNESSES…” (Acts 1:8)

It has been a pleasure sharing with you via the pastor’s desk these past six years.  I pray it may of helped someone.

God bless and Godspeed!  Just Rodney