Let Us Pray....A Lot

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31


Beloved,


We need to pray.  We need to pray more often and more faithfully.  God delights in hearing our hearts cry out to him. He delights when His gathered people call upon his name.  The early church was marked by faithful, consistent and expectant prayers. They prayed because they were desperate for His presence. They wanted what only God could give: the Holy Spirit.  Are we desperate for the Holy Spirit?


Notice what happened when the saints gathered together in one mind and heart to pray.  First, the place where they were gathered was shaken. The presence of God fell upon their gathering.  Second, those gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit. Third, God’s presence and the filling of the Spirit emboldened the church to speak the Word of God. Can you see how important prayer is for the church?


Please pray.  Pray that God would fill our church with the Holy Spirit. Pray that God would grant us boldness as we proclaim the word of God.  Beloved, we need God’s power and God’s presence if we are going to fulfill his mission.  He has promised us that he will be with us always even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).  He has promised us that will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for Him (Luke 11:13). God has promised that he will reward those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Beloved, let us earnestly seek the Lord in prayer and plead with him for the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we may speak the word of God with great boldness.


In Christ,
Pastor Dave

Gossip Needs to Die

“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Proverbs 26:20

Beloved,


Two years ago I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  We hiked 30 miles in 3 days.  It was early April and the weather was cold.  The best thing to do on cold nights is to light a fire, but unfortunately the rain from the morning caused much of our wood at our campsite unusable.  Let me tell you that without wood a fire most surely goes out.  The fire did not last long because there was no fuel to add to the fire.


American Churches are known for its quarrels and bickering among its own.  It grieves my heart every time I hear churches marked by infighting and gossip.  Pastor Kent Hughes defines gossip this way: Gossip involves saying behind a person’s back what you would never say to his or her face.  We have the opportunity to protect the unity of our church by simply choosing not to participate in gossip.  You can be a part of growing unity simply by saying nothing. Do not give fuel to quarrels by participating in gossip.  If you would not say it to the person’s face, than do not say it behind their back.


We must fight against our fleshly impulses and avoid gossip at all costs.  Gossip is divisive and destroys the unity of the church.  James1:10, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” If you are using your mouth to curse others with gossip, repent of your sins and strive to be a blessing with your words to this church. Do not tear one another down with our words, but use every opportunity to build up the saints.  Without wood a fire goes out, without gossip a quarrel dies down.  Be part of letting quarrels die.


In Christ,
Pastor Dave

The Lord Rejoices Over Us

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Beloved,

In 2003, I asked Ellen to take a road trip with me to the Midwest over the summer.  We were still just friends, but we both knew that his trip would be the official start of our relationship. The night before the trip, Ellen’s roommate walked in to find her packing AND singing. She was so excited to be with me that she couldn’t stop from singing.  By God’s grace, my wife is still singing.  My wife loves me.  Her love gives me strength and courage.  The love of my wife is one of my most cherished possessions in the entire world.  Her love is a precious gift from a kind and generous God.

Her joy and love for me continues to amaze and astound me.  My wife’s joyful love is a model of the joyful love of our gracious and loving God.  In the same way, do you know that the Lord rejoices over you with loud singing? He is so excited to save that he cannot stop singing over us. The Lord is mighty to save AND he also loves to save.  He will exult over us with loud singing.  The Lord does not save us because he has too; He saves us because He delights in saving his people.  He rejoices over us with loud singing.  Our God is passionately in love with his people.  He delights in salvation.

His delight in singing over us is why we should respond in loud singing back to Him during our worship. Music is a gift from God to express our emotions for our great salvation in Jesus Christ.  Praise God that we get to sing of his saving love together every Sunday.   Beloved, be encourage that our great and powerful God, rejoices over us with gladness and exults over us with loud singing.  Let us respond in kind. Let us make a joyful noise to the Lord.

Root of Bitterness: Be Gone

“15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15

Beloved,

We need to guard our hearts for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).  We must examine our hearts to make sure no roots of sin are growing there.  As I mentioned on Sunday, bitterness is a deadly sin for a church.  It is so dangerous because it develops quickly and has the power to control relationships for many years.  It may appear easier to allow bitterness to overtake the heart rather than offering forgiveness to those who have hurt you, but the root of bitterness causes trouble and many become defiled.


So what kind of trouble does bitterness cause? Bitterness affects the relational unity within the church.  We are commanded to “make every effort to keep the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  When bitterness takes root in the heart we are not make every effort to keep unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace.  Bitterness inhibits obedience.  It is a sin against God and against God’s people.  Our unity is a picture to the world that gospel is true for in the way we love each other all men will know we are disciples of the Lord Jesus (John13:34-35).


Seeing that no root of bitterness develops in your own heart is a protection for you own soul and for the souls of others. We must have the same attitude of that of Christ Jesus for when he was reviled, he did not revile in return (Phil 2:4; 1 Peter 2:23). Jesus received the greatest evil this world has ever known when he became sin who knew no sin so we could become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).  Jesus did not harbor bitterness against those who hurt him, but said, “Father, forgive them.”  I pray you do the same.
There are many relationships that need healing, I pray that you will examine your heart to see that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble for your soul and the souls of others.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave