This New Era

I enter this new era. I am wondering how I got to be here exactly. I realize of course with some discerning part of myself that I am here because God put me here. I realized that that is true with every bounded existence, every existence whether or not the boundaries are recognized or present. 

According to acts 17 God sets the boundaries. He orchestrates the events. He does this For All mankind not just for me. However, his primary purpose is so that man will look around, seek God, and then as God reveals himself to the man the relationship with God begins in earnest. 

Begins. 

The boundaries of this era seem to include ordered rest but not achieved rest. I can see that a man may die from this. I'm driving on an expressway and the Lord is telling me it's time to exit, I'm guess doing so through an eminently qualified doctor. However, I am not exiting. 

This analogy seems strangely familiar to me because it is the first sermon I ever preached. At that time, the exits were salvation. Salvation was dismissed and Satan was in the car and he was comforting the driver, encouraging the driver to continue without taking one of the exits. I'd had a reason to believe then the failure to take an exit to salvation would result in the death of one and even the eternal separation. 

But this era is not about spiritual death and separation from God as much as it may be about simply keeping a heart beating and brain waving. He says I must rest. He says I must decompress. But I'm awake at 6:00 a.m. . I am in the Bible and seeking God through prayer. I am not back to sleep. Then, today at least, I am writiing this.

My body says the Sun is up why shouldn't I be even as much fatigue says, he really should be listening to the doctor. Somewhere in the rattly chambers of my mind, a notion finds a tiny bit of nurture. Could this be my exit? If I spend myself on God and leave this world now will He not take me into his presence? Yes, of course He would. 

 The current concern in  the voices of those who say they love me is touching. I have seldom felt in all my life touched in such a way. I do find such concern strangely absent in certain places I have looked for that kind of resonance in the past. 

Of all the world perhaps my wife trusts me the most. Another notion concerning whether I am betraying that trust by contemplating my own  demise arises within me. I comfort myself by telling myself that I did not choose this era. But in the very same instant I consider that arrogantly summing up my choices, which did indeed lead to this era, as God ordained, indicates the kind of hubris that even worshipers of a false god should conclude leads to self-destruction. 

So, I know better. A unique situation. A situation I believe calls for a unique response. Thoughts of uniqueness couched in an understanding that there is actually nothing new under the Sun. But not everybody recognizes the era, perhaps I do not recognize the era, and even though I am discussing the era perhaps I am unequipped (I carefully use this word with all the defference to God and know meaning of insult.) I do know better. Whatever course I'm slated to take God has equipped me for it. 

I am not awake praying and writing this now because I'm a fool. But, I am wise because he has made me wise. I find however within myself the inability to direct myself to deal judiciously with this new era. I recognize that weakness. I say I am seeking wisdom and biblical counsel. I received some input. Soon I must begin to assess and apply. 

I trust God. That will do it. That will be my sufficient response. I trust God with my continued drive. I trust him with my exit. I know enough to hope for myself the will the Lord, to pray for the will of the Lord, and as He makes it, to live it....or to die it.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the life I have lived for the promise of the life yet to come in this world and the next. Despite challenging thoughts of morbidity which can be little more than spiritual warfare, please continue to give me victory, daily, even at 6:00 a.m. when I didn't go to bed until midnight and woke up four times, even when I'm tired and it seems like my legs aren't quite working, even with blood counts that bespeak serious illness, and even with a doctor's orders. 

Lord, this era is yours. I find within myself the same weaknesses I have seen in my ability to deal with past eras. So, you're up. You the one. In this ongoing grudge match between us and your eternal enemies, I tag you in once again. I know I probably haven't done that enough and that is probably the real reason why I am here. I repent today. 

As I stand here, or rather lay, I do make this very intentional choice to let you fight this battle, and knowing some thing about your amazing power, I declare the win. I declare the win not because I trust I will get it right, but because I realize that every outcome is a win if you are the one doing the fighting. But I realize it goes beyond that because I am not even able to see the goal. 

Been there before. 

Been here before? 

Please steer.

Please plot the course.

Your car not mine. 

Your fuel not mine.

Like every other era of my life, I realize that the victory is in settling into you, in my God provided armor, as enemies Fall Away, shattering against your sword of the spirit, recklessly throwing themselves in their contrived plots against the shield of faith, failing to penetrate your protection provided by the helm of salvation and the breast plate of righteousness, I have seldom felt more girded up by the belt of Truth and I'm more empowered and called by these shoes. 

I suppose in order for the Gates of hell to not prevail against us they must come against us. That's going to look like this sometimes. These times. The gates must Fall and for them to fall, God being sovereign, will spend whatever resources He chooses if  spending is the thing that a God like our God must do. I am not certain it is. 

If it is, I am willing. But given His immeasurable resources He seems the one to decide such as well. Sovereignty is a concept ordinarily beyond human understanding. I believe now that there is a new nuance to this understanding that I am retrieving during my expedition into this era.

So be it. All Glory to king Jesus. 

P. Daniel Stevenson
Pastor New Heights Fellowship
Director Southside Life Station
419.469.0270
churchToledo.com
app: life4toledo
text INFO to 419.419.0095 for updates
text NHFBCT to 49775 to get free right now media

One Live Program banned in Russia available in our app and on our podcast platform

 Here is the link for the podcast that was banned in Russia. It was officially for copyright reasons but it could certainly be something more sinister. 

Thanks for listening, following, and sharing, especially to any of your Russian friends who will not be able to get it on Facebook. 

These podcasts are also in our app on the front page life4toledo

Also on Alexa and Siri as New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo but it's hard to get a specific episode that way

We also have an audio program called life for Toledo which is available everywhere and consists of short encouraging messages (90 seconds or so.)

Pastor Dan

Taking A Stand is Important, But...

video 

I love this message.

P. Dan

God is the God of Status April 24th, 2024

Many times we see in Scripture that God reverses the positions of people by His will. He makes the rich poor. He makes the poor rich. He makes the strong weak and the weak strong. He does these things in His time and for His purposes. Of course, because He is a good God, He only does these things for ultimate good even if we don't understand it. Godly men trust Him always and even realize that things are not always as they appear. He will lift you up in time no matter what you think your status currently is. He will bring the proud to their knees just the same. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess but those who do so willingly now can trust that He will wield the sword of justice perfectly. Moreover, He will deliver grace to the humble which means salvation. His arm is not short and His power is not limited. He has done it and He will do it. Eventually, He will do it once and for all. Trust the Lord. FWM continues to grow. Please tell any Christian men that they can text FWM to 419.419.0095 to be added

P. Daniel Stevenson
Pastor New Heights Fellowship
Director Southside Life Station
419.469.0270
churchToledo.com
app: life4toledo
text INFO to 419.419.0095 for updates
text NHFBCT to 49775 to get free right now media

From July 5th, 2024: ASA On Sunday

Sunday during the sermon time at New Heights we will be diving into the second sermon of our series on Asa, king of Judah. In the first segment which is available on Facebook and as an audio program on https://rss.com/podcasts/newheightstoledo/ (also on the front page of the life4toledo app and Siri or Alexa under New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church to East Toledo podcast-we talked about people getting stuck in the "pre-flight Checks," which is to say there may be a lot of people who think they are "Christian" and in the hall inside the house, when they are in fact still standing on the stoop.  The equation that says that if a person seeks the Lord, he or she will be blessed is surely true but the equation that if a person seeks the Lord, the Lord will show Himself to them is all the more important. Going after God isn't enough but receiving Him through Christ is always enough. In part two Asa actually begins to walk with the Lord (so it seems) but is there a problem? Will ASA stay the course and begin to fly level? Part three will be July 14th with Asa either landing or crashing as He supposedly continues to follow the Lord in faithfulness. Please consider joining us, bring your Bible, pen and paper, and maybe a friend as we take a look as this famous king of Judah and learn from his successes and his mistakes. #reachingwheightsjnjesus
mt30.org/lJIdvl

P. Daniel Stevenson
Pastor New Heights Fellowship
Director Southside Life Station
419.469.0270
churchToledo.com
app: life4toledo
text INFO to 419.419.0095 for updates
text NHFBCT to 49775 to get free right now media

Keys and locks of Prayer

At new Heights we have been going through the 10 keys and 10 locks of prayer from the Kendricks book that was generated surrounding the movie war room. Even though I've been through these 20 pieces previously I have really enjoyed going through them with the church. The input of passionate people in the room as we puzzle out these topics and how God uses them to glorify Himself and to support us, has been amazing. 

I reflect now on how there is almost nothing as encouraging to a pastor as when a growing believer in their congregation asks significant questions about how they can apply the lesson being taught to their own lives. 

I'm not a huge fan of bread and butter anymore. Of course I really enjoy it when the bread is homemade or substantive. However, when the bread is that sugar-packed, block-store variety, even if I enjoy the taste, all I can think about is how they take everything good out of it to pasteurize it and then add vitamins back in that are less digestible and the whole mess is packed with a bunch of useless calories delivered via sugar. For a moment, I begin to think I am living in the matrix and the bread is not real. 

The bread is a lie. (I'm not sure how many will get this reference.)

So, I'm not that big on bread and butter anymore. 

Bread and butter used to be a staple. 

So, to say this is my bread and butter used to mean, the thing is a pillar to me. The thing is essential and it makes me generally better. In my life at least, bread and butter has lost this position. But now that I've spent a couple of paragraphs on explaining what bread and butter could be, I'm pretty sure you will understand the following statement. 

Congregation members genuinely and aggressively interacting with the lesson is a pastor's bread and butter. It doesn't pay my bills but it pumps me up in a way that nothing else can. 

On days when I could give up. And I suppose that's many days...

On days when I could give up, thoughts of congregation members or even visitors being radically transformed by God's grace as they interact with lesson that God is using me to teach, sustain me. 

Do I need it? Has God not called me to continue regardless of how people respond? Why, yes indeed. He has called me to continue regardless of my own feelings. 

But He is a good god. I sense his love in the encouragement that comes from a congregation member or a visitor delving deep into the truths of God. I am reminded that God is a life changer. He is a gentle and yet mighty, a holy and just, and yet gracious, giver of good gifts 

So, what I am saying is that it occurs to me that one of the great gifts that God gives to pastors, the gift that fills up sails....is the gift of a congregation member exhibiting a desire to grow that goes beyond just showing up. 

Don't get me started talking about showing up. My feelings on that topic may be heard loud and clear in a lesson I taught entitled, Don't Stay Home.. You can listen to it on rss.com or on Alexa or Siri but neither of them are very good at finding a specific episode from our audio program which is about 250 episodes long. The easiest way to find it would probably be in a life4Toledo app or maybe by searching it on Google. 

To share a synopsis here would make this blog even longer. Or, would it?

Thank you Jesus. 

P. Daniel Stevenson
Pastor New Heights Fellowship
Director Southside Life Station
419.469.0270
churchToledo.com
app: life4toledo
text INFO to 419.419.0095 for updates
text NHFBCT to 49775 to get free right now media

Treating Others Accordingly

 1 Peter 3:7 NASB1995

[7] You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

https://bible.com/bible/100/1pe.3.7.NASB1995

This verse has obvious implications for married men of God but there are also  less obvious and equally important implications for all men of God. I imagine these go far beyond what I might list. But, here are a couple  that come to mind in general. Christian men are called to be discerning, treating someone "weaker" with  understanding. This runs contrary to present human thinking as the weak get assigned systems to help them and are largely put aside by the strong. Note: It does not mean that women are weaker inherently, God makes it clear by his choice of words in Genesis that actually women are equal or stronger helpmates as God himself is (the same word for helpmates being used elsewhere referring to God)  Additionally, this verse implies that how we treat the weaker among us, reflects on our character and concern for the things of God. While the command is expressly that a man also respect and serve.his wife as commanded, the extension is that a man may interfere with his own prayer life by his choice of conduct. Yes, saved by grace and remaining saved the same way, all things being now permissable, man must rightly avoid damaging his relationship with God through disrespecting others. God cherishes them as well, they are made in His image as well, Christ in us yearns for their blessing and more.