And so it begins......
In Acts 8 we read about Philip, who is in the midst of a signs and wonders revival, being told by the Holy Spirit to leave that situation and to go and stand on a desert road.
Nothing about that makes any sense to our way of thinking but then there is much about how the Lord does things which is never really in our understanding.
Why send Paul to the Gentiles when he was trained as a Pharisee and could explain Jesus in the Old Testament to the Jews better than most. Why send Peter to them instead. A simple fisherman, with no rabbinical training, but experience in the north where the Gentiles and Jew's coexisted. We would have done it the other way round.
Of course we know that Philip met the Ethiopian Eunuch on that dusty road but that still doesn't make sense in terms of resource cost. Why go after just one when Philip was working with hundreds.
The answer is because the Lord knows what we don't. When we make the commitment to turn to Jesus then Romans 10:9 tells us 'we confess Jesus as Lord'. that's a phrase which doesn't say serve me Jesus and i will be one of yours it says my life is in your hands direct me as you will.
About two months ago, the Lord told me right in the middle of a message it was time for me to step down as the Senior Pastor of the church I was serving at. I was preaching from 1 Samuel 12 where Samuel steps down the office of Judge for the new office of King. As i came to the end of the sermon the Lord said to me to listen it was time for me to do the same.
When I arrived my church it was a small shell of a place, with no structure, or plan. The role of the Pastor who has to do it all was what i began with but its not what i end with. Never the less it is time to throw that ministry away, for a new team orientated ministry, which now put in place, will replace the traditional senior pastor role. After 7 years the church is ready.
In the passage Samuel does three things which are essential to handing over the baton.
1, he makes his peace with everyone and lets them have there say (hands on without lose ends)
2, He showed that he wasn't going because he had done a bad job but because he had completed the job the Lord had told him. As such he was showing that succession isn't for life and the next guy has a specific job to do so don't expect more of them than their calling
3,this wasn't the end of his work, Samuel now had a new job and he would always remain a teacher in Israel.
It was this last part that the Lord has spoken to me.
Now that it is time to step down and end my office for the beginning of a new office it doesn't mean its the end of my service to the Lord. He took me up to my mountain top to pray and seek for what is next and this, the little scroll, is it.
A bible study/teaching resource which is not to subvert but support the ministry of others. Little scroll is able to provide bible studies, content for web or social media, small group studies or even just support in your own personal study of the Word.
On our you tube page we are currently uploading our back catalogue of messages and via our Facebook, Instagram and this blog site you can keep in touch and find out more.
And if you are wondering if I am qualified for the post, well like knowing if someone can cook or not, the proofs in the eating. So why not check out our content and judge for yourself