Greetings in Christ,

            I’m writing this letter today because I need your input. I also want to let you know what is ahead of us. I believe that leadership demands communication of what is going on and where we are headed. Before we get started today allow me to apologize to you. I have in many ways failed to lead this ministry as I should have. I have seen this after much prayer and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I am coming today to ask you for forgiveness and also to give you reassurance that this are going to be changing around here at Servantsofgrace. As of right now I am the only Pastor in Servantsofgrace. This may change in time but for now that is where we are at.

            I said I needed your input.  Here at the beginning of August I will be publishing a history of Servantsofgrace of how we started, where we have gone as a ministry, and where we are headed into the future. In this vein of thought I want to also publish testimonials of how you’ve been ministered to through this ministry. I want to publish this on our ministry website so that visitors may see how you the people have been ministered to through this ministry. If your reading this on myspace, mychurch or Christian.com please simply respond either to the blog or to privately to my email box. All stories will be posted and shared in upcoming newsletters and ministry updates. If you would prefer to email me privately on this matter you can email me at pastordavid@servantsofgrace.net

Secondly coming around the corner is a new year. We are looking presently into a few changes on the website. One of these changes is having the video sermons hosted on the website in addition to having the podcast of my sermons on the website once again. The other features I’m looking into possibly adding to the site are social networking with the ability to make your own pages, blogs and what not. I’d like to have your feedback on this and any other features you would like on the site.

Thirdly, I need your help with the internet campus (forum). We need more prayer warriors to pray over the prayer requests. Equally though we need people posting prayer requests. If you would like to become involved in this area simply send me an email at pastordavid@servantsofgrace.net If you are not part of the forum you can join by visiting us at http://forum.servantsofgrace.net where you can then look us over and then register if the Lord leads you to do so.  I also need your input on how we can better serve you through the forum. I’d like to know the areas you are being served well in and the areas we can improve.

Fourth, please pray for me. Pray for me as I study for the sermons. Pray for me as I write the sermons. Pray for me as I work on writing this book on marriage. Mostly just pray for me that the Lord would continue to mold me into the man I need to be for my wife Sarah, and the Pastor He needs me to be to the people here at Servantsofgrace.  Also please continue to pray for the growth and maturity of this ministry.

Fifth, I consider it a high honor to serve you in Jesus name. I look forward to hearing your input on these matters. I’m bringing them before you today because you are the people of this ministry. Without Jesus we would not exist but without Jesus drawing you to this ministry we would not have anyone to minister. So we appreciate you and thank you for being part of this ministry.

Finally, I want to let you know what you can expect in terms of the sermons. I will be preaching through the book of Genesis till sometime in August, or early September of 2009. This coming December I will be doing a sermon on Jesus for Christmas. After we finish the book of Genesis in August/September of 2009 we will be doing the book of Luke.

If you would like to email me or have questions about anything I’ve shared here today please feel free to email me  at pastordavid@servantsofgrace.net

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Dave

Greetings in Christ,

I thank the Lord for the opportunity to share with you from His Word. It’s always wonderful to be able to share insight and teach God’s people. Today we will address what being a person of character is. This of course is part of our larger goal of instructing you on having a godly marriage in an ungodly world. In the world we live in godliness is not a treasured virtue in fact it is shunned.

In the first chapter we talked about how marriage was the rock of society. Now, as we turn our attention to talking about character, it’s important to distinguish a few things. Without character you cannot have a godly marriage. You either are a person of character or you are not. Ultimately the fruits of your life will show your character. Put another way, how you act and behave around others, reveals your true heart felt beliefs. Also character shines through in the midst of turmoil since it is character that is the basis of our identity. Our identity as Christians is rooted in the person and work of Jesus.

      If Jesus makes a difference in our lives then it will show and it will equally show if it doesn’t. Character will shine above the difficulties of marriage and be a witness to an ungodly world. It is character where marriage starts. Marriage cannot begin without trust otherwise the consequence is fear of the other person’s actions. A marriage without trust is like a race car without tires. What purpose does a race car have without tires? Absolutely none! What purpose does a marriage without trust have? Absolutely none!

   I’m bringing this out here today to show you that trust is important in marriage. Trust does not begin with the other person it begins with you being a person of character. It begins with you being a person filled with the Spirit. At the nanosecond of your conversion the Holy Spirit came in and filled you with the Spirit. The work of the Spirit in the work of conversion is to come in and make you part of the Body of Christ, and give you spiritual gifts so that you can be used for God’s glory. The work of the Holy Spirit in the believers life also is to guide you into living a life of increasing holiness and fruitfulness for God and to His glory. We shall address the fruits of the Spirit in the next chapter but now turn with me to chapter 1 of Psalms.

 Psalm 1:1, “1Blessed is the man^[a]
   who^(A) walks not in^(B) the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in^(C) the way of sinners,
   nor^(D) sits in^(E) the seat of^(F) scoffers;”

 The word blessed comes from the perspective of an individual. The blessed person is one who has a deep seated joy and contentment in God; from the perspective of the believing community it refers to redemptive favor. The word man here is important as it comes from the transliterated word 'iysh meaning, “man, husband, human being, person, servant, mankind, champion, or great man.”  This word man is used in the noun masculine which basically means it is more than describing something, it is the foundation for this verse. It says “blessed is the man” which is to say that it is speaking across the lines of gender.  Blessed is the man or woman who is a person of character. This verse gives us several key instructions for our lives as believers.

            The first of these is blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. What does that mean? I’m sure you know at least one person who has gotten in trouble with the law. I’m sure that you know at least one person who hasn’t repented and does seemingly evil things on a daily basis. What this verse is saying here is blessed is the man or person who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. This means that we should not take counsel from those who are unbelievers. Our counsel should come from godly believers who love Jesus and His Word.

 Proverbs 27:17, “17 Iron sharpens iron,  and one man sharpens another.”  We are instructed to be in fellowship with other men and people of godly character for a reason. The unsaved friend you have does not have the same worldview as you have. There is no way for a secular psychologist to give a believer advice. This of course is for several reasons. One is that the doctor does not have the same values as a believer. The doctor may believe in evolution, popular psychology or even some other philosophy. It is not helpful for the believer to go to an unsaved person for counsel, counseling or advice. As believers we need to go to fellow believers for counsel, counseling and advice. The blessed person is one who does not associate with the behavior exemplified by the wicked but stands as a shining light which repels the darkness.

            We also need to be discerning about where we get our advice. The advice, counsel and counseling we receive should be Bible based. They should do more than help us see where we are wrong in our lives but show us the cracks in our armor.. A skilled biblical counselor will be able to get into the sin issues of your life and show you Christ from the Word.

 Psalm 1:1c, ‘nor stands in^(C) the way of sinners,
   nor^(D) sits in^(E) the seat of^(F) scoffers;”

            The blessed man or person of character is one who does not stand in the way of sinners. They are not one who sits in the seat of scoffers. This means that a blessed person of godly character is one who has a firm foundation set upon the person and work of Jesus.

 Psalm 1:2, “2but his^(G) delight is in the law^[b] of the LORD,
   and on his^(H) law he meditates day and night.              “

            The spiritually happy man is characterized by the consistent contemplation and internalization of God’s Word for ethical direction and obedience. The more we learn of God’s Word the more we learn to think and drink in His Word. This means as we read scripture we should be analyzing how our lives are changing. Knowing and thinking about God’s Word are the first steps towards living a godly life. Knowledge without practical application isn’t knowledge. The two must be wed together in order for transformation to occur. If you want to follow God you must know His Word. The more we know of God’s Word the more resources we have to make godly decisions and have an impact on our world for Jesus Christ.

            The more we delight in obeying God, the more fruitful we are for the kingdom. The more we allow those who ridicule God to affect our thoughts and attitudes, the more we separate ourselves from our source of nourishment. We must have contact with unbelievers if we are to witness to them, but we must not join in, or imitate their sinful behavior. If you want despair, spend time with mocking sinners, but if you want God’s blessing make friends with those who love God and His Word.

            There is a right way to live life, and there is a wrong way to live life.  Allow me to explain by way of analogy. I recently took a walk to the stream. I love going to see water by the way it’s just something I find very soothing. On one side of the stream I see dead fish, trash and the like. On the other side of the stream I see a clean embankment with no dead fish or trash. I go over to the clean side of the river and look over to the dirty side. I begin to think about this in biblical terms of right living and wrong living. In this example the righteous would run to the clean side of the river while the unrighteous would party on the dirty side of the river. From now on I’ll refer to the righteous as going to the stream of righteousness and the unrighteous jumping headlong into the stream of unrighteousness.  With God there is no straddling the fence on the teams of righteousness or unrighteousness you are either on the side of righteousness or you are not.

             The godly person is one that finds their delight in the law of the Lord. What the Psalmist is describing here is the person who loves God. Only those who love God love God’s ways. A person who walks with God is one who meditates day and night on the law of the Lord as Joshua 1:8 says, “8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but^(A) you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

The person that God uses is a person of character. Where exactly does godly character come from? It can only come from a humble willingness to know God and serve Him. Without knowing God our best attempts at being intellectual are futile. All intellectual thought either submits to God’s Word or slides into the lie of liberalism and atheism. A godly person will submit their entire mind, thoughts and life to the Lordship of God who inspired His Word. A godly person meditates on God’s Word and Law while the ungodly meditate on secular philosophy, and the affairs of this world. I make this sharp distinction because a godly person will not engage themselves in vain speculation about philosophy but rather will meditate, think and frame their lives around the Word of God which informs their Christian worldview. The ungodly person will not do this. Neither am I saying that the godly person will not necessarily think about the news or other such issues because as believers we should be looking at the times and seasons and be on guard for the coming of our Lord Jesus.  As believers are to be a thinking people, yet still a people whose foundation is based upon the principles, and precepts contained in God’s Word. God’s Word is our sure foundation and where we find our peace in the midst of the storms of life.  

 Psalm 1:3, “ 3He is like^(I) a tree
   planted by^(J) streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
   and its^(K) leaf does not wither.
^(L) In all that he does, he prospers. 4The wicked are not so,
   but are like^(M) chaff that the wind drives away.”

             There are lots of analogies here in this verse. The image of a tree in the Bible is always an image of a godly believer. Jeremiah uses this image in Jeremiah 17 7^(O) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
   ^(P) whose trust is the LORD.
8^(Q) He is like a tree planted by water,
   that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
   for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
   for it does not cease to bear fruit."

           The image of a man trusting in the Lord, leaning upon the Lord’s wisdom, as contained in God’s Word, is one that should be a strong encouragement to us. A believer grounded in the Word of God is one that is planted like a tree. A tree has strong roots and so should the believer. The roots of our faith are in God’s Word. Only in knowing God’s Word can we serve our living loving Lord Jesus. Only in seeing our sin can we see the grace of God. Only in knowing the goodness of God can we come to understand the judgment, and righteousness of God. Only a believer who is mesmerized with the God of the Bible can be one whose trust is in God. The roots of a godly believer are rooted in God’s Word which is a stream of righteousness to the believer causing them to grow in godliness. The Word feeds, nurtures and sustains the believer when hard times come.

           When trials come, and come they will, only having solid roots firmly planted in the Word of God will help us sustain the blistery winds that come when trials come. This is the same point as in marriage. Only by having a godly character rooted in God’s Word can you sustain the pressures of marriage. Marriage was not meant to be apart from God or His Word. When we slide into the view that we are self sufficient for ourselves to sustain ourselves in this life or forever we fail to come to grips with reality. We cannot sustain ourselves even our very breath without God. It is God who gives us breath, who gives us shelter, food and material possessions. Everything that He gives to us, He offers as  tools of stewardship to be used for His glory.

                      The godly person stands firm when the heat of trials come or when the storm seems to come and assail them. They can only do this by being sustained by God. Only God can sustain us and lead us further into Himself. Without Him we would all go back to dust. Without His Son we would all go to hell. Without Jesus’ shed blood we would all surely be lost. With Jesus we have grace and mercy. With Jesus we have a Savior who does care and did do something about our sin. Only through Jesus Christ can we be saved from sin and death; therefore being enabled to live a godly life to the glory of God by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 1: 4The wicked are not so,
   but are like^(M) chaff that the wind drives away.”

           The wicked are not planted by the Life sustaining water giving of the Word of God. Their roots are in popular thoughts, culture, and philosophy. As a result of this they are going to be blown over like chaff driven to what appeals to their flesh, wants and desires. As our culture continues to reject Truth, so also does our grasp on moral issues continue to slid. The more our culture slides into liberalism the more our society will decay. You see this daily on the news with the family under attack. Throughout history when a civilization has honored homosexuality that civilization has been corrupted from within. Why? God has established His orders and laws for the family, and failure to obey them bring not His pleasure but His wrath and judgment. It is not man who rules the governments of the world it is God who works and does according to His will, for His name, and glory.

           The human heart is an idol factory. What I mean by this is we naturally seek after what we take pleasure in. Say a man enjoys going out fishing. He may very well go to a nice fishing store grab a boat, fishing pole, lures and everything he needs. Is there anything wrong necessarily with a man enjoying nature? Absolutely not! What’s wrong is when all his attention goes into fishing, then there is no balance to his life. The unrighteous and even the righteous often have issues with balance. The key issue is to understand that our God is a God of balance. On one hand He holds us in the palm of His hand but in the other He allows us to make decisions. These two opposing forces are held in tension by the fact that God is God and we are not. We as humans are naturally driven to enjoy pleasure, a trait we are hardwired with, but when pleasure takes over the course of our life, it turns not into enjoyment (though we may think it does) but into idolatry. When this happens we begin to worship the very things we once took pleasure in but our pleasure blinds us to the reality that we are indeed worshipping a thing instead of the living God. Both our pleasure and our enjoyment belong to God alone, otherwise our life will be like the chaff blown to and fro every which way.

Psalm 1:5-6, “ 5Therefore the wicked^(N) will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in^(O) the congregation of the righteous;
6for the LORD^(P) knows^(Q) the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Therefore it introduces the strong conclusion that the ungodly will not be approved by God’s judgment. The Lord knows, points to far more than recognition. The Lord knows everything. In this context it is a reference to personal intimacy and involvement with His righteous ones. The Words of Life indicate the totality of a person’s life. Here these two courses arrive as ways of life and death. One day the wicked person’s way will end in ruin; a new order is coming and it will be a righteous order.

The righteous has a key to growth in godliness while the unbeliever has another key mainly judgment. The way of the wicked is in the stream of unrighteous while the believer’s life is in the stream of righteousness.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Dave 

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Greetings and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ,

In the past few weeks the Lord has greatly impressed upon my heart about the necessity of humility. Humility cuts across the grain in the vast expanse of our life experience. In humility we can most clearly understand and appreciate what God has done and revealed to us in the work of the Cross. When we walk in humility we can most aptly appreciate how Jesus humbled Himself to die for us on the Cross.

The word humility can mean several things. The greek word prauþthv can mean consideration, gentleness humility or meekness. The other greek word for humility is tapeinofrosu/nh which means humility or humility of mind. Today we will be talking about the first meaning of humility.

Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

James 1:21, "21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

James 3:13, "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."

1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

The Book of James was written to reflect statements based on wise living much like that of the book of Proverbs. This book has a practical emphasis on it not stressing theoretical knowledge but godly behavior. James wrote with a passionate desire for his readers to be uncompromisingly obedient to the Word of God. It has at least 30 references in it to nature as befits one who spent a great deal of time outdoors. He complements Paul's emphasis on justification by faith with his own emphasis on spiritual fruitfulness demonstrating true faith.

Humility cuts across the grain of our natural human experience and reaches into the innermost parts of our lives. When Jesus talked about blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth He was speaking to a people who thought that they had everything together.

Another word for meek is gentle. The Greek word for gentle is "praos", which means to be mild or soft. When Jesus was hailed as the coming king in the Triumphal Entry, He was described as gentle (Matthew 21:5). The opposite of gentleness is harshness. The very word harsh implies intimidation, or something to be feared. This however clearly isn't the case with Christ. He was going to Jerusalem to die for our sins. He came into the world to empty Himself, and to take on His shoulders our sin. He gave up His rights as the Son of God, so that we could have life in Him.

Jesus is the epitome of meekness. His character and being radiates meekness. Meekness is picture of the interior of the soul. It is the strength that comes through trials and tribulations. Meekness comes as a result of following the road of Christ. It is only in following the Lord that we can become meek. Meekness does not connotate weakness. Meekness is power under control.
Matthew 27:11-14, "Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' And Jesus said to him, 'It is as you say.' And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, 'Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?' And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed."

The United States has the greatest military in the history of mankind. T he reason why it is the greatest military force in the world is not because of the things that it does (while they are impressive), but rather, because of the things that it doesn't do. The same is true of Jesus. It was not the things that Jesus did that impressed the masses, it was the things that He didn't do that impressed the crowds.

Greatness does not come to those who seek it, but to those who are meek. This verse is talking about Jesus, and His restraint. He could have given an elaborate explanation to Pilate, but it is what He didn't say that impressed Pilate. Often times it is the things that we don't say or do that speaks the most about our character. Meekness should be a characteristic of each and every believer.

Meekness was a characteristic of Christ, and if we are to be like Christ then we should also seek to be meek. George MacDonald put it wonderfully when he said, "We cannot see the world as God means it in the future, save as our souls are characterized by meekness. In meekness we are its only inheritors. Meekness alone makes the spiritual retina pure to receive God's things as they are, mingling with them neither imperfection nor impurity."

Meekness comes not in recognition of our needs, or in understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It comes only with a heart that is deeply affected to go on the Road towards Christ. The great Puritan pastor and writer Jonathan Edwards said, "Nothing is more apparent than this: our religion takes root within us only as deep as our affections attract it."

It is through the engagement of the will that is compelled by the love of Christ that one will ever become meek. Christ was the perfect example of meekness. Philippians 2:6-11, "Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Adolfo Quezada perfectly illustrates this when he said, "The more control you try to grasp, the less you have; the more control you surrender to God, the more under control your life becomes. Surrendering control doesn't mean you have become passive or fatalistic. It does mean you trust that God has given you the physical, emotional, and spiritual tools necessary to negotiate life. To surrender control to God releases the tension within that keeps you from responding to life with all your capacity.

When you stop pushing and pulling to have things your way, you are more apt to see things God's way. As you focus on God and on yourself, you detach from your obsession with control and perfection. You learn to relax and play as a child and protect yourself from harm. You see things from a spiritual point of view. You set aside anxiety, experience emotions fully, and express them effectively. You leave guilt and shame behind, embrace hope, and build on the foundation of good."

Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'" If we are to truly to go on the road towards Christ, then we must embrace the Cross of Christ. This very act engages the will, and requires that we totally empty ourselves of every emotion, and allow the Lord to touch the inner parts of our wills.

The act of following Christ starts by humbling ourselves. Jonathan Edwards said, "The best protection one can have from the devil and his schemes is a humble heart." G.B.F. Hallock once said, "The greatest expression of humility on occasion is simply to remain silent and let the applause go to the other person, the person of greatness." John Ruskin said, "I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power. But really great people have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in others and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful." Bernard of Clairvaux said, "So long, then, as I am not united to God, I am divided within myself and as perpetual strife within myself. Now this union with God can only be secured by love. And the subjection to him can only be grounded in humility. And humility can only be the result of knowing and believing the truth, that is to say, having the right notions of God and of self." F.B. Meyer on John the Baptist said, "The only hope of a decreasing self is an increasing Christ."

As we engage the will we become more like Christ. It is through the engagement of the heart that we are made meek. At the seat of every believer's heart is the hope of eternal life in Christ. It is this hope that should cause us to be meek. Humility causes the heart to be engaged. The act of humility causes the will to be engaged, and the heart of God to be invoked on our wills. When this engagement occurs our agenda is tossed aside, and we are then able to understand the workings of the Spirit of God in our lives.

Meekness is not an end in and of itself though. We are commanded in Zephaniah 2:3, "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility." James 1:21 also commands believers, "Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." John MacArthur said, "Meekness is necessary because we cannot witness effectively without it. I Peter 3:15 says, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."

The one thing that will always stop us from experiencing God's power in our lives is pride. Meekness is the opposite of pride. Meekness brings glory to God, but pride brings dishonor to God. Humility in relation to fellow Christians gives God glory.
Romans 15:5-7, "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."

Meekness is not an end in and of itself. It can only be experienced in a relationship with Christ. Nothing that isn't of Christ can remain in our lives if we are to be meek. It is only through a complete surrender of the will, emotions, and the mind that we can experience meekness. Meekness is a characteristic that believers should demonstrate in their Christian lives. While humility is an engagement of the will it is meekness that makes our character strong. As Jesus stood before Pilate on trial, for being the Son of God it was meekness that Jesus demonstrated. It is through trials and tribulations that we grow in meekness.

Many things can characterize the road to Christ, but none of them can go without a proper understanding of meekness. Jesus, before He went to Jerusalem, emptied Himself totally of everything, and walked the road towards the Cross to die for us, so that we could embrace, experience, and become His children. It is through this experience that we are made meek in the innermost parts of our hearts.

James 4: 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

A meek person is not one who says that they have it all together or celebrates in their own idealogy but rather a person who submits to God. A truly meek person is one who is gentle who is loving. What we need in our culture today are people who understand the message of humility in a world that is full of greed. We live in a world that is born on its own ideas, philosophies, philosophers and theologians even. What Jesus calls us to is not more, but to decrease so that He can be more. What Jesus calls us to is a live a life of submission unto Him. What should we do? We should submit to Jesus because He is our Chief Shephard and King. We should do so because to do so is to resist the devil and he will flee. It is time that our congregations were instructed under the light of His Word.

It is time for the stream of ministry to be purified and renewed under the light of God's Word. What the devil hates more than anything is ministers of God to preach and live the Gospel. What satan and his minions hate more than anything is for a congregation to taste of the goodness of God. What God wants is for more of His presence and Word to be proclaimed and lived out in community. Jesus prayed in John 17: 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." On account of what Jesus did on the Cross we have been given the title of sons and daughters of the living God a calling which places us as conquerors in Christ! If He has called us His children what should we do? If we follow after the Chief Shephard that means that we need to submit to our Commander.

In our world today there is great hesitance when the word submission is used. Their can be many reasons for this-men abuse their post and abusive their wives. Women are told that they cannot be promoted or they get demonted or let go. Men likewise get the same treatment, so all across the board we feel beat up and neglected. Does this mean we should stop submitting to one another and most importantly to God? What our world does and what God desires is always in conflict in our society because humility is not something the world wants or desires. What the world wants is for its desires to be made manifest in the right now sense but what God wants to do is to build character within your heart and life so you can make an impact where you are. Which one do you want the right now like when you go to a fast food restrauent or do you want character? It is going to take men and women of character to build churches where people can experience God's love in a healthy way so that they will not only progress in spiritiual edification in growing in Christ's name, but also growing in His power flowing through them by His Spirit for His glory.

It is time for we as the people of God to humble ourselves as well. It is time that we reached into the hurting and neglected in our congregations that have been beaten and torn for years by people who preach at them but don't care about where they are going for. What we need in our congregations is for God to renew a right Spirit so that His Spirit can again soar within our congregations. It is time for revival to flow in our churches and land now more than ever dear friends. But revival can only come when the people of God stand with God. It is time that we allowed Jesus to flow through the halls of our ministries. It is time that we allowed the mighty move that so many people want to talk about to actually occur. It is only about Jesus and as we come to Him in repentance we will once again experience a great move of His Spirit. Let us therefore humble ourselves under God's mighty hand for God resist the prideful but exalts the humble. Let us submit to God because He died for us in the person of Jesus. Let us cleanse our hands and purify our hearts because of what Jesus did. Let us turn once again as a people unto Jesus our Savior. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

What our people today need more than ever is a message that cuts at the grain of their existence. What our churches need is a people born with a hunger to see revival in our land. What our churches need is people praying on their knees for revival in this land, and for our churches. Will you be a prayer warrior for our churches throughout our land today? Are you one who has been humbled by God? The Scriptures say humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. What you have sown into your life may or may not be Jesus best for you, but what Jesus wants for you to begin is to sow those prayer seeds into people's lives so that the seed can grow into maturity. It is time friends that we arose and heard the Word of God. Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand and He will lift you up. Glory be unto Jesus for coming down and humbling Himself to die for our sins. Thank you Lord for sending Jesus to be an example to us of what a humble life really is.

Hallejiuah!

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Dave

What is justification Written March 14, 2005 

Romans 8
³⁰And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.
³³Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself.”

I’m forgiven

You were rejected

I’m loved

You love the unlovable

You reach into my world

Just to rock the boat

Your love is amazing

Pure and crystal clear

Your love reaches past the circumstances of life

Into the fabric of my existence

My soul longs for you

In this dry and weary land

Nothing else can satisfy

The only water

That can satisfy my thirst

Is to drink in Your righteousness

You died on a tree

Shed Your blood just for me

I’m forgiven through Your shed blood

So it’s not about me

Not about the works I do

It’s all about You Jesus

Do you hear the clarion call of the Cross?

Its message is one that will set you free

Free from the chains of sin

Free from the chains of death

Life isn’t about you

Its not about me

Its either all about Jesus

Or its all about us.

Lift high the name of the Lord

The banner of His righteouness

Will guard and protect

His peace is our sure foundation

Through His shed blood

Can we rise above

Rise above the circumstances of life.

The song of the Lord

Is a song of overcoming

You overcame on the Cross

You overcame our sin

You overcame our pride

You overcame

Now through You

By You

All about you

By Your grace

In Your mercy

By Your power

Can we overcome

It’s all about You Lord!

 Written by Pastor Dave July 15, 2008