Watchnight Message

By William Nicholson
December 31, 2014

As we come to the end of one year and approach the beginning of a new year, it should be helpful to take a look backward and count our blessings. It should be helpful to also take a look ahead and make plans to work more closely with the Lord.

The past has been good for us as a Church; we’ve seen God’s hand move! We are in a nice and larger Church building and the financial needs to run God’s Church has been adequate. God has blessed us with wonderful people. God has brought us people from different backgrounds. There are builders here. And as long as we remain in unity, appreciate our diversity and agree to move in God’s Spirit, we will move forward to make a meaningful difference for God’s Kingdom. The message today is presented so that each one of us will be encouraged to base our movement forward based upon dependence upon God and His Word.

Let’s take a look at 2 Peter 1:1-11. Read. Here in verse 3 we see a big blessing God has bestowed on believers in the past. His divine power has given to us “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” It also gives each one of us words of instruction and encouragement to live a life in which we are growing spiritually and serving significantly.

We should be encouraged to remember that Peter addressed his message “to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (verse 1). You have been given some special gifts from God to live the Christian life. We’ve used them in 2014. They should be a blessing for the future.

2 Peter 1:3-4 helps us as look backward. We can see the blessings of the past. As I’ve shared already the apostle called to the attention of his readers the exceeding great and precious gifts from God to them through Jesus Christ. God has given us so many blessings bestowed on believers through Jesus Christ.

Think on this! God has given us “All things that pertain unto life and godliness.” In Christ Jesus, believers have received everything necessary for experiencing the abundant life.

Jesus made many promises to his disciples; you’ve received more today from the offering plate It will enrich our spiritual life and deepen our faith if we will read them, claim them for our own, and move forward trusting God to keep his promises as people of faith have done in the past.

Look at 2 Peter 1: 4. It speaks of the new birth. Thank God for this! It says “That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.” So we should practice holiness and go on to sanctification by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us as he seeks to develop the new nature, similar to the fruits in Galatians 5:22 that came to us in the miracle of the new birth. Verse 4 also says, each one of us is able to leave worldliness – “Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Then there is the ability to look forward to the future. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 it speaks to the importance of adding to our lives. It’s really about intentionally growing in the new life God has given to us!

Spiritual growth will not take place automatically or accidentally. It’s about exercising our faith. Peter encouraged his readers to give all diligence or rather, hasten with all diligence, to seek the Spirit of God’s help in developing the Christians graces that are associated with spiritual maturity. And Peter gives us a list which we should pray for and work for.

I don’t have time to go through all of them. Its a blueprint for spiritual progress. The apostle Peter was concerned that his readers experience the benefits that come from spiritual maturity. He was eager that his readers escape the terrible results of immaturity in the faith. 1 Peter 2:8-9 it clearly shows the immaturity, which is barreness or unfruitfulness. “He who lacks these things is shortsighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”

By praying for and seeking to add these Christian graces such as more faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, brotherly kindness, believers will not be idle and or unfruitful in their experience of salvation through Christ.

In closing, Peter declares that he who does not put forth a sincere effort to grow toward Christlikeness is blind (II Peter 1:9). Blindness is really about a state of mind that really does not understand the mind of God and what He wants you to do. As a Church we need to know the mind of Christ so that we can grow and become the Church that God wants us to be and make a meaningful difference for the Kingdom and for the world.

Someone that does not know the mind of Christ will make mistakes and miss out on the blessings and abundance promised in John 10:10 and Psalm 37:1-4, Joshua 1:8-9 and so many other verses in God’s Word.

So in 2015, I trust we can move forward as believers who are really interested in putting on the mind of Christ, moving forward, thinking forward, planning forward and doing significant things together for Christ’s Kingdom.

Any moment now, we will cross over into the New Year! We are approaching the end of another year in the journey of life. The past is gone. Nothing can be done concerning the past except to admit and to confess past failures. The future is before us. With God’s help, may each of us respond to the apostle’s challenge for the future.

Let’s pray: Thank you Father for the new birth. Father forgive us for past mistakes. We know we are forgiven and we reach out to your word and your Spirit. Continue to speak to us and help us to understand better your mind and heart, and that each one of us will be obedient to help build your Kingdom here. Bless each one who has heard this message. And may we continue to grow in your grace and knowledge in the days ahead. In Christ name. Amen.

Where Do We Go Now?

Note: The following are excerpts from Bishop William Nicholson’s message to the Anchorage Moravian Church membership, Sunday morning, November 2, 2014.

To answer the question, “Where do we go from here?” we must first honestly recognize where we are now. Each one of us must honestly look deep into our hearts and answer the question, “Where am I in God right now?”

What I know about the Kingdom of God is each one of us are more capable that we can ever imagine. God may bring us through great difficulty so He can use us more.

In Psalm 42:7 (KJV) it says, “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me”. An understanding here is that the Psalmist recognizes that life can be stormy; it brings us blows, difficulties and sometimes we are overwhelmed. But our faith tells us that God brings us through and he will give us a story of His grace in our lives.

As a Church we’ve had some tough times, and we’ve asked the question, “Where do we go from here?” Some of the billows have been very high, they over whelmed us so many times; but we’ve arrived somewhere. Look at what the Lord has done! We’ve done outreaches to the nations; the nations have come to us for special services the last two months. We are helping a nation to begin a new Spanish speaking Church in Anchorage.

But this is not where we are staying! We are moving on. We’ve got other things to do! We’ve got other people to reach! We’ve got another place that God would want to take us! So the question before us is “Where do we go from here?” Or more precisely, where do you go from here?

Where are we going from here? If this church is going to accomplish all that God has called it to do, it is going to be because some people have moved beyond where they are at right now.
• It’s going to be because we as a church body and even each one of us have entered into a realm of the Spirit that few churches ever enter into.
• It’s going to be because we have a deeper prayer life. It’s because some of us are fasting.
• It’s going to be because of a greater knowledge of His Word. And it is my prayer that our worship is going to need to get deeper and richer.

Where do we go from here? It’s like what the Jews asked on the Day of Pentecost…“What Shall We Do?” The bible says, “Repent and be baptized Every One Of You in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.” Have you repented of your sins yet? Have you been baptized yet?

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Then God will use us to do some pretty amazing things in the days ahead. We can’t stay where we are. We’ve got to be growing and reaching for that next place where God would want to take us.

Prayer: Father take us where you want to. In Christ name. Amen.

Accommodation - Our Moravian Duty

Reconciliation is always important! God has reconciled each one of us to Him through the blood of our Chief Elder, our Savior Jesus Christ. So, too, each one of us must be reconciled with one another. United Alaska Moravian Ministry Group (UAMM) will meet in General Church Conference on September 19-20, 2014 in Anchorage, Alaska and discuss reconciliation with anyone that needs reconciliation in their hearts, personally, local church, or denominational.

UAMM is a ministry group approved by the Unitas Fratrum in November 2012 and its Moravian status was again reaffirmed, globally, at the Unity Board meeting in Tanzania, Africa in May 2014. UAMM’s home church, the Anchorage Moravian Church is noted for its traditional Moravian liturgical services in the morning on Sunday, but during its non-denominational services on Sunday night, it has a worship style that accommodates testimonies and song in Singstunde format. Brief messages from God’s Word is presented and at the end of the service, folks are prayed for as the Spirit moves.

From what I have learned a long time ago, as Moravians, no matter where we are from throughout the world worship differently, and should have the freedom to do so. But importantly we must always remember, God is a God of Order, not disorder. So often when conflict comes it comes from within because of “disagreements on worship styles, especially with indwelling of the Holy Spirit”.

From what we have heard in Anchorage, Alaska from UAMM’S General Church Conference of March 28-29, 2014, and from UAMM’s Advisor from Denmark – The Rev. Dr. Jorgen Boytler, “Moravians are known to be accommodative and accept different worship styles.” Br. Jorgen goes on to say that when renewal happens in the Moravian Church it can cause division within the Church. Not all appreciate the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Be careful not to judge the other church. This issue is happening Worldwide in a lot of churches, not necessarily just the Moravian Church”. Then Br. Jorgen said, “Be open to one another and accommodate different feelings!

Moravians in Alaska and Moravians from throughout the world as Moravian, indeed should aways be open to one another and accommodate on another and practice the Moravian motto – In essentials unity, in non-esssential liberty, but in all things love.

UAMM’s deliberations this week in Anchorage, Alaska with input from The Rev. Isai Granwell Nuth, former president of Honduras Moravian Province, should prove fruitful in the Kingdom of God and in our southcentral area of Alaska. And as Moravians may we always accommodate one another, no matter where we come from.

Moravians, Let's Speak Honorably!

According to God's word, we must always "overcome evil with good".  Paul the Apostle tells us this in Romans 12: 9-17, which is Love in Action. May "overcoming evil with good" always be our goal as we continue relationship with Moravians in Alaska and Moravians for that matter in other areas of the world.

Since I have heard of some distasteful comments about the Anchorage Moravian Church, recently, from a former Moravian leader's wife, I would like to clear the air of any error!  And to do this in a spirit of humility but state some very real facts (to overcome evil) that will help others look more positively at Moravians in Anchorage, Alaska, and rejoice with us that God is at work to expand His Kingdom of love and that through the Holy Spirit there is unity.

MY BELIEF IS THAT THE ANCHORAGE MORAVIAN CHURCH (ANCMC) AT 2150 E DOWLING ROAD IS AMONG THE STRONGEST AND MOST TRULY MORAVIAN CHURCHES IN ALASKA WITHIN THE HERITAGE OF HISTORICAL MORAVIANISM! Each one of us should realize the following which helps us to appreciate our religious heritage in Anchorage:

1. AncMC as a Church organization is affiliated with the Moravian Unity and since November 2012 recognized as a United Alaska Moravian Ministry (UAMM) Group church supervised by the Moravian Unity Board. In 2014 it continues its application for Mission Province status within the Moravian Unity.

2. The AncMC follows the Moravian Church year in its worship. It does this through the Sunday Moravian Liturgies that are followed, Holy Communion using the Moravian surplus which only ordained pastors use, the lovefeasts, Christmas Candlelight services, practicing the Right Hand of Fellowship, doing Moravian Daily Text readings, and going to graveside on Easter morning at sunrise.

3. We systematically teach Moravian history. Since 2002, the Confirmands (7-9th graders) are taught Basic Christianity using the Moravian Church in America catechism materials and other publications such as "Through Five Hundred Years:  A Popular History of the Moravian Church" by Dr. Allen W. Schattsneider and "Customs and Practices of the Moravian Church" by Adelaide Fries, a publication by the Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America. A short history of the Moravian Church in Alaska using "Harmonious to Dwell" by Dr. Kurt Vitt and Jim Henkelman is also provided as formal instruction before the Confirmands are entered as Full Communicant members of the Moravian Church.

4. Since 2001, the AncMC has as its pastor, the only Alaska Native and graduate of Moravian Theological Seminary with a Master's degree serving in Alaska. It's pastor is also a consecrated bishop recognized and in good standing within the Moravian Unity.

As the Anchorage Moravian Church traces its history back to 1457 much more can be said. The unique historical heritage of the Moravian Church from John Huss's time in Europe, it's Moravian Pentecost in 1722 at Herrnhut which brought Moravianism to America also gave rise to the Alaska Moravian Province in 1978. By 2008 the spirit of Zinzendorfian Moravianism (moved by the Spirit of God) gave occasion for the AncMC to enter a time of restoration and renewal which we believe is an expression of 18th century "Renewed Era" (under Zinzendorf) missionary emphasis. Through love of music and its meaningful history of experience with the Holy Spirit, UAMM Moravians continue to directly or indirectly impact other Native communities in Alaska.

Among the UAMM Churches and Fellowships has come a call of God for for renewed sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and expanding outreach ministries to southcentral Alaska Natives, Canada and the world. The younger generation of Moravians within UAMM is expected to meet this challenge.

One interesting challenge, I see, is to wake up our youth to using trumpets and trombones at Easter Sunrise service; that way we'll be connnected to among the strongest and stable Moravian Churches in America in the Northern Province, Schoeneck Moravian Church, next to Nazareth, PA. It was there before I became acquainted and served among the Moravian Churches of Alaska that I served as a student pastor for three years. Moravianism there still impacts me strongly today!

In closing, I deeply appreciate a Moravian minister who is in retirement in the lower 48 states in American. Thank you The Rev. Raymond Schultz for making Moravianism real to me back in 1974-1977 at Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth Pennsylvania.