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A Message From Pastor Robb
June 23, 2008
Dear New Life Family:
As we enter into another beautiful Santa Barbara summer, I pray that you will find some time to rest and enjoy this magnificent place where we live. Our sunny, summer days offer more opportunities to be outdoors, enjoying the beach, the mountains or special times with friends. Summer is a wonderful time for refreshing and slowing down. But even as you make plans for vacation and “putting your feet up,” I pray you will take time to be thankful for all God has done in our midst so far this year. Make a point to make some new friends, read a good book (I’ve got some suggestions if you’d like). But most importantly let’s keep the Lord at the center of all that we are about this summer!
God is moving in powerful and prophetic ways in our church family, and I want each of us to celebrate all that He is doing in our midst: Over 160 people have given their lives to Christ, well over 90 people have reported receiving either physical, emotional or spiritual healing, many with financial breakthroughs and many with life-transforming testimonies of God’s grace and goodness! Let’s give Him all our praise and thanks for the tremendous outpouring of His life-giving Spirit among us!
If there’s a word to sum up what I believe the Lord is saying to us in this season it is this:
“Blow the trumpet, sound it out; come and see, pay attention to Me, and see...”
The blowing of a trumpet in the Old Testament was a call to gather, a call to attention and even a call to battle. The sounding of the trumpet was to alert the people of God, and in this season I believe with everything that is within me, we are in a season of tremendous breakthrough, and I don’t want anyone to miss what God is doing in us!
Allow me to spend a few minutes on this; it’s of great importance for us all…
On Sunday morning June 22, during our 9:45 gathering, as we were concluding our worship time, I was led to share a prophetic word that was given the night before during our Saturday evening prayer. The “word” had to do with the construction work that is taking place to repair our buildings foundation and redirect the underground water that has been damaging the exterior perimeter walls of our building.
The “word” had two aspects to it: 1) Both water and earth represent powerfully spiritual metaphor’s: Water represents the Holy Spirit, and Earth, represents man, “for from the earth man was created.” Adam, literally means “man.” In the natural, for us to reach the water-flow, which is about 12 feet below ground level, we needed to dig through the dirt (earth). The spiritual application for us in this illustration is represented by personally moving (digging) through the layers of ourselves (dirt), to “breakthrough” into the flowing waters of the Holy Spirit – moving from the natural to the supernatural.
2) Timing. When the initial excavation began, we discovered that the water flow was much more serious than what had been anticipated, thus leading us to reconsideration and a redesign of our original plans. All that being said: without the need for the further excavation we would not have made this discovery. And with this, we would have built upon unstable soil, resulting ultimately with faulty construction – wasted money, time and energy… But God! God knew that in all of our delays, what would be discovered and learned through this process: the source of our water problem, and a better solution to remedy the waterproofing of the building. Timing is everything isn’t it? It’s the same for each of us. Although what we may interpret as delay’s or hindrance with our desired course of direction for our lives, may in fact be allowing God the opportunity to work something of lasting worth deep within us.
After sharing this with the congregation, what came from me was a shout of alarm, “Hear Me, listen to me!” It was an Isaiah 55 kind of shout -
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you...”
Isaiah 55:1-3 NKJV
There was no anger in me whatsoever, only the heart of a shepherd who felt the heart of God for His people, fearful that what I believed the Lord was saying would be missed or that there might be a misunderstanding of the importance of this “word.” I followed up my words with my understanding of what I just brought to the congregation by saying:
“I believe with all my heart, that to get this moment, this very season, of what God is doing, that we must break-through the natural (flesh) to break-into the work of His Spirit. I see the open, extended arms of our Savior, inviting us to His embrace. There’s nothing to fear; there’s more that He has, but we cannot get it in the natural, only by the Spirit. So, we must breakthrough the natural, and commit our lives to Him, for He’s inviting us to a new way and a new day. Do not doubt, only believe that what God has for you can only be understood in the Spirit.”
I felt this with such an urgency that I spoke with a forcefulness, not towards anyone, but towards the spirit that has been holding God’s/my people from their destiny—a spirit of death, doubt and hopelessness. As we prayed together and continued in our worship, the presence of God profoundly and tangibly filled the room and touched our hearts.
God is up to something wonderful in our lives together—there’s something new, something wonderful, yes something miraculous we’re entering into—for all who desire it! So, let’s enter into all that He has for us. Let’s stay alert and sensitive to His voice and let’s stay connected to one another as we move ahead in the days to come.
The following are some updates and calendar items to help keep us informed and connected as we move into the summer months:
Restoring the Foundation
We are thankful that as of June 20th, we received the permits for completing the construction of our parking lot and waterproofing project. In the days ahead you will observe progress as we move forward to complete this first phase. We will be constructing our new handicap ramp, pouring concrete and sealing up the outer walls so that we can once again utilize our parking lot and turn our air conditioning back on!
Financing the Harvest
Beyond our regular Harvest commitments, which currently are over $3,000 per month, you as a church family responded by giving an additional $3,900.00 to the church in Myanmar, in response the natural disaster. Through our Change for Change program, we have already sent $1,000 to help feed women and babies who live in AIDS clinics in Bujumbura, Burundi. One dollar a day for a liter of milk can feed a baby for a day. As a result of your generous giving, we are able to partner in providing food to over 100 of the poorest families registered in clinics. It is amazing that for $2 a day, a family of four can eat a cooked meal. This also means that the children can be in school when they don’t need to be out on the streets begging. The money we send is truly giving hope for a future. Thank you for caring about the world beyond Santa Barbara and for your faith filled giving.
Our Growing Congregation
Our Spanish congregation, led by Frank and Liz Giraldo, is taking church to the streets this summer! For over three weeks this June, they have been spending their Sunday gathering times meeting and blessing people at Alameda Park. They have handed out watermelon, cold popsicles, on a hot Sunday, and are continually looking for creative ways to love and care for our community and share the message of Jesus. This year our Spanish congregation has grown by 5 new signed members and 14 people have been water baptized.
As well, our 4:35 gathering is expanding the influence of our church community. In just a few short months of meeting, we have seen a dozen people give their hearts to Christ and God is bringing new visitors on a weekly basis.
Mark Your Calendars
Church in the Park
On July 6th, we will celebrate our country’s birthday at our annual Church in the park gathering. Church will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the UCSB lagoon. Plan on a fun day for the whole family. We will worship God together, share communion, and enjoy fellowship, games, cotton candy and the “world’s largest” slip and slide.
Dream Center
On July 19th, New Life Church will be sending teams of people to reach the lost and needy on the streets of Los Angeles through the Dream Center’s Adopt a Block Program.
This is a wonderful opportunity to put your faith in to action. To be part of this day long outreach, contact the church office or sign up on Sundays at the resource center.
Janet and I are so grateful for your partnership and for the countless ways you endeavor to serve our New Life Family. It is through your loving devotion and service to our King that we can make a difference in our city and throughout the world for the Kingdom of God. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of being your pastors, for trusting us and for standing with us. Each of you are very special to us, and we thank the Lord for all that He is doing in us together. May our God richly bless us as we walk together in this new season of endless possibilities.
Hearing His Voice,
Pastor Robb and Janet