All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name. Psalms 66:4 ESV

     Keep it simple. Let everyone simply give the Lord our God and Savior worship and praise. Many times I fear that we try to overthink God. The fact is that God is greater than our minds could ever comprehend. I know there are times when God doesn’t make sense, and people may have questions and attempt to understand what He is doing or why He doesn’t act in a certain way. But in simple faith we must believe His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. The book of Isaiah addressed this in chapter 55 verse 9 , “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my way higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (ESV) The proof of this statement is the fact that He sent His only Son to die in our place for the consequence of our sin. Think about it. Let me make this comparison. How would you react to a friend with whom you had a wonderful relationship, that wounded you and created a debt in the relationship beyond what words could describe? Would you say, “I will sacrifice my only child to pay this debt and restore what was lost due to my friends poor choice?” Honestly…. I don’t think so. Yet in reality that is exactly what God did…. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. In the book of Psalms we find much concerning praising God and more. But today I would like for us to focus on praise. Simple praise by not trying to over think the reality of who, what, where, when, and the whys of God…. Just simple praise.

PRAISE HIM AS SAVIOR!
     Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Jude 1:24-25 ESV  This verse says so much as to the power and authority of God and what He does in your life…. “keeps you from stumbling”. It also states what He will do… “present you blameless.” Justified… Just as if I’d never sinned. He is able to do so because He has the authority to make it so. Therefore our lips should praise him with song and worship Him for this great thing He has done. Do not try to make sense of it; just praise and worship Him with much thanksgiving.

PRAISE HIM AS FREIND!

     Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:13-14 ESV When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 ESV

     Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole HEART. Psalm 111:1

     My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my SOUL also, which you have redeemed Psalm 71:23

     I will sing praise with my spirit but I will sing with my MIND also. 1 Corinthians 14:15b ESV

     This is how to praise Jesus as a friend /Savior . You praise him with heart, soul and mind. Everything within you needs to cry out to Him in praise. The closer you are as a friend the more you will cherish and enjoy speaking of how He redeemed you. Realizing you could never pay Him back, you sing His praises. That is much of what you see in the Psalms… written by those who have come to simply praise him.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     In the book of Job we read the account of his life and suffering, resulting from his godly testimony. The very first chapter gives a very good picture of the life and character of Job. In this chapter his losses were overwhelming, but the chapter closed out in verse 22 stating, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” In fact, in verse 20 and 21 it says he fell to the ground worshiped and spoke of the blessedness of God’s name. In chapter two Job’s health was severely attacked with sores from his head to his toe. The pain had to be overwhelming, and yet at the end of verse 10 it states, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job’s suffering was not the result of sin in his life but the cruel desire of Satan attempting to prove that Job followed God only because of His blessings. Satan, as always, was wrong.

     Suffering is not necessarily a word used to encourage those who do not know Christ as Savior to come to Him. Many people are already suffering for a host of reasons: consequences of bad choices, unhealthy living, and situations not even of their own making. Inviting them to come to Jesus, and informing them that doing so may bring suffering, does not seem like an attractive invitation. But this invitation is exactly the invitation that Jesus spoke to those who would followed Him. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 ESV….. And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34 ESV  When Jesus spoke to Ananias telling him to go to Paul after Paul’s Damascus road encounter, Jesus told Ananias concerning Paul, these words. “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must SUFFER FORTHE SAKE OF MY NAME. Acts 9: 15-16 ESV

 
     I believe there is one of two reasons a person suffers: because of sin which is the mother of all suffering, or for the purpose of bringing God glory. The reality is that very few, if any, will travel for any length of time through life and not experience some type of suffering, or at the very least witness it in the life of another. Even God, who became flesh, being totally God yet totally man, experienced much human suffering. Isaiah 53:3 described the coming Savior of the world like this. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. War causes much suffering, and there has been a war from the garden of Eden to this present day. The battle ground from where this war is raged is …your life. Who is the enemy? Satan. Part of his strategy in this war is attempting to convince you that God, not him, is your enemy. Satan tries to convince man that God is the author of suffering, not Satan himself. Some would call it psychological warfare, and they would be correct. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 ESV However, be encouraged, for the battle has been won and suffering will one day be no more. Jesus, God’s only Son, has conquered death / suffering and is in the process of freeing those who have been imprisoned by Satan. In this process let us focus on two points.

IT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY JESUS
Jesus suffered for us and took the penalty of our sin. It was foretold in Isiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (ESV) It was remembered in 1 Peter 2:24 ESV…. By his wounds you have been healed.

 
SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD DOES NOT COMPARE
     The suffering you experience now is nothing compared to the joy of being in His presence for ever. For I consider the suffering of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 ESV

 
     Let me close with these thoughts from scripture.

     For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:18 ESV 
     Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 1 Peter 4:16 ESV
     And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8 :28 ESV

 
Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV

     In the book of Esther the Jewish people were all condemned to die because of the craftiness of an evil decree made by man named Haman. Esther herself, being a Jew and the Queen, approached King Ahasuerus and in doing so risked her very life; for at this particular season in time no one was to approach the throne unless summoned by the King. Esther went as an advocate for the Jewish people seeking an audience with the king to speak on their behalf. Esther, being his bride and loved greatly by him, was received and offered her whatever she would ask even up to one half of his kingdom. Esther, by approaching the throne, was able to intervene and save the lives of the Jewish people.

     Are you aware there is another crafty and evil one (Genesis 3:1) who desires death for those whom God loves greatly? Through his craftiness, sin and death became a reality and not just a decree in this world. God, not willing for evil to have the ultimate victory, made a decree that would overcome Satan’s evil plot, nullifying his death grip in the lives of people. There are  three things which you must be aware of for this degree to be a reality in your life.

Be Aware Of The Crafty One.
     Satan is doing a very good job deceiving people today just as he deceived Adam and Eve in the garden. Many believe they are doing ok and living what they consider to be a good life that will one day make it possible for their entrance into heaven. With this thought let me ask you a question. Have you ever done anything worse than eating a piece of fruit? Really!!! Have you??? Take a moment and read Genesis chapter three. This is exactly what Adam and Eve did and it cost them dearly, and the cost is still the same today. Death and separation from God caused by the sin of disobedience and pride. Pride is the mother of all sin. (Proverbs 16:18) Satan fuels the lie that our lives are no one else’s business, but remember every decision we make has a consequence. Other lives are always affected by the choices people make. You choose evil; you will reap evil (Galatians 6:7) and many times those closest to you reap the consequence as well. Look at the affect it had upon Adam when Eve chose to listen to Satan. (Genesis 3) Look how it still affects our world today. This is a closing verse for this point…. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be Aware of God’s Decree.
     For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV – – – – Jesus said to him, “I am THE way, and THE truth, and THE life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV – – – – And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 ESV God’s degree was not mere words but action in order to bring about the end result …. forgiveness and life. God gave his Son as a sacrifice for sin because there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9:22b ESV

Be Aware of How to Experience God’s Decree.
     The first thing a person must do is CONFESS AND BELIEVE. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10 ESV
     The second thing a person must do is acknowledge their sin and REPENT AND BELIEVE. Jesus began his ministry with these words. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark1:14-15 ESV
   The third thing to do is REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED. Peter, in Acts chapter two, was proclaiming all that God did and is doing because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. There were men listening who were cut to the heart and asked Peter, “What shall we do?” (vs37) And Peter said to them,“REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of you sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 ESV.

     These three steps informing us how to experience God’s Decree is not a formula, but a path to begin your journey with Christ. The thief on the cross simple said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:42 ESV To which Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 ESV It is a matter of the heart, and it is apparent in the thief’s heart in Luke 23:39-41. In his heart he confessed, repented, believed and was baptized by grace. Grace that enables us to come before the throne of God made possible by Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is seated at the right hand of His Father. Just as the scepter was lifted up that Esther might approach the throne as an advocate for the Jewish people ( Esther 4:11 … Esther 5:1-2 ) So is Jesus our advocate and was lifted up on the cross, raised from the dead, and seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Therefore we, who are in Christ as His bride that He loves greatly, might approach the throne. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 ESV
     Let me end today with a simple prayer of thanksgiving …. Thank you Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit for this great privilege of coming before the throne by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9.

 
Because of His Grace ~Pastor David

     Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:4-6 ESV

     Only God can take something that is dead and make it live again. There are many things in life which are impossible. Making a valley of dry bones come together, placing flesh upon them, and breathing breath into them would be at the top of the list. But that which is impossible with man is always possible with God. In fact impossible, does not exist with God. Jesus spoke these words in Luke 18:27, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” So as we read this passage from Ezekiel, what are some important elements to experiencing the impossible?

You HEAR the WORD of the LORD

     What is it that dominates your thoughts? Many times our minds are cluttered with the noises of the world so that it is difficult to hear what is really important. I’ve been to large cities where the sounds of traffic, car horns and the general rush of people clutter the air with noise. Noise that would drown out the beauty of birds singing or the sound of a gentle breeze blowing in the trees or the flow of water in a gentle stream over the rocks….. if those things were there. You could also be in the middle of a park void of the noises of the city with all the afore mentioned and still not hear the beauty of God’s creation if your mind is cluttered with the noise of useless thoughts. It can be difficult to still our thoughts in the world in which we live. Difficult, but not impossible. Yet being still is of upmost importance when hearing the word of God speaking to us. Psalm 46:10 God says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nation, I will be exalted in the earth!” Don’t miss this!!!! Just as birds sing, the breeze blows, and the water flows, these things all happen whether you hear them or not. God will and is being exalted, and the last place you want to finally hear and know this is when it is too late. So the first step to seeing the impossible is to hear.

Behold /See What God Does

     Could you imagine being an eye witness of a valley of dry bones coming to life? If you read a little past the above mentioned verses in Ezekiel, you will see the command for Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones to come alive. Ezekiel did, and he witnessed the bones do exactly what God said would happen. In life we can see God do the impossible when we listen / hear and live the truth of the Bible. In many cases you will never see God move until you do what He speaks to you from His word… the Bible. Do you want to see God work? Do what he says and behold the impossible, not in someone else’s life but your own. Back to the first point in reference with this thought, “But be doers off the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 ESV

Know That He Is Lord 

     He is King of kings and Lord of lords, there is none like Him! God does not ask for our direction or opinions. God is sovereign in all that he does, and in love we should honor, respect, and devote our lives to Him. Ah Lord God, it is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17 ESV He is Lord over all creation and everything we hear, see, and do that is worthy of worship and honor should be offered up to Him by praising his name. I will give to the Lord thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing to the NAME of the Lord, the Most High. Psalm 7:17 ESV ….. Sing praises to the LORD, O you saints, and give thanks to his holy NAME. Psalms 30:4 ESV …. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his NAME; give to him glorious praise! Psalms 66:1-2 ESV …. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his NAME, for it is pleasant! Psalms 135:3 ESV Let them praise the NAME of the Lord, for his NAME alone is exalted; his majesty is above the earth and heaven. Psalms 148:13 ESV We know the name of the Jesus is most precious for God has made it so. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the NAME that is above every name, so that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-10 ESV

     This is how revival can begin in the life of all who seek and desire to experience His presence.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

     And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Mark 10:13-16 ESV

     This week we have the greatest opportunity afforded a church. To minister intentionally to children from the first through the sixth grades. I understand this is something that is done all year long in the church but, when you have a Vacation Bible School it could be compared to having a mini church camp at home for the children. We pour into the lives of these children everyday for three hours the good news of the gospel. We teach them that Jesus loves them more than life. We know this to be true for He gave his life as a sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven. So now comes the question, “How are you to be involved?”

BRING CHILDREN:

     There are many stories in the Bible in which people experienced and did great things. One of the greatest things, however, was when parents, grandparents or whoever they were, brought children to Jesus. You read the Bible story about the sea parting so that more than a million people could cross on dry ground, manna from heaven to feed them, and water pouring from a rock providing enough water to quench the thirst of all these people. Remember the generation that experienced these things did not enter into the promise land, but their children did. This page couldn’t begin to cover all the great events and miracles of the Bible but, the desire to bring children to Jesus should not be passed over as just another biblical account. If you see a miracle, you will talk about it forever, and it will have the greatest impact upon only those who experienced it. But if you bring a child to Jesus it will not only impact that child, but will be a living miracle of God’s grace that could touch the lives of many through their lifetime.

BECOME AS A LITTLE CHILD:

     Jesus said when speaking about the children, “For to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (vs 14 ESV) Think about this for minute…. we are to become like children in respect to heaven…. totally dependent. When is the last time you heard of a small child going off to work for eight plus hours a day to provide for the family? Obviously you haven’t, so how does that child survive? They survive by trusting the one who does provide. Left to themselves they would become sick, starved and eventually die. So it is with the one who enters into heaven, they are to be totally dependent upon the provision of grace and mercy from the heavenly Father. Dependent in every area of life. So this week, as we should every day, come as a child in our teaching, praying, and all we do, knowing it all depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of every child God allows us to minister to.

BECOME THE ARMS OF JESUS:

     Be a servant used by God to touch and bless these precious children this week, whether you will be serving directly with the children or indirectly through prayer. VBS is a church wide event and requires everyone’s participation for it to be a success. Some of you will not be able to physically be present, but how very important is your prayerful support. Set your alarm clocks or whatever means you need to remember to pray during the 6:00 to 8:30 hour each evening this week. Jesus laid his hands on the children and blessed them, and I wonder….. what did the rest of their lives upon this earth look like? We will never know this side of heaven, but I would dare to say they were never the same as they experience the touch of the Master’s hand.

     I heard over the years many time the phrase, “Why doesn’t God do something?” This week He is. He is using us to minister to children that he one day may use to change the world. Many of you know Billy Graham as the evangelist who has affected the world in sharing the gospel of Jesus. Who were his teachers as a child? Who was his pastor? Who was it that prayed for him? How big was the church he attended? Unless you read his autobiography, most likely, you would not be able to answer those questions. My point is this; this is a very important time in our church this week. Don’t let it slip by unnoticed in your days, for we never know how God may chose to do great things in the life of the church this week.

Because of His Grace ~ Pastor David

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalms 33:12 ESV

 “God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her thru the night with a light from above.” The words just written are words of a song written in 1938 by Irving Berlin. In many ways this should be more than just a song, but a prayer request to God for our nation. With such a prayer request should come the desire to be a people pleasing to God.

What does it mean to be pleasing to God?

 YOU LOVE HIM:

     And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and all your strength. Mark 12:30 ESV

     God is not to be a second thought in our lives or someone just to be tolerated but passionately loved with thanksgiving for all the wonderful blessings of life He has given us. He walks with us everyday and knows us by name. His love for us is beyond measure! In return we love Him by praising his Holy name, a name which is above every name. We love Him by keeping his commandments. We love Him by serving Him wherever He has planted us.

 WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR:

     The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31 ESV

This doesn’t mean you love just those who love you, but you love as Christ has loved you. Jesus lived the example he wanted us to live out loud in the world. He always did the will of his Father which included Him dying for the sins of the world. Remember in the garden the statement Jesus made just before he was led away to be crucified, “Not what I will but what you will.” Mark 14:36 ESV It is God’s will that we love one another as Christ has loved us. (Ephesians 4:1-2)

 WE WALK HUMBLY

     God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:6-7 ESV

     Anything in our life worthy of thanksgiving is a gift of God, and we should give thanks in all things. Except for the precious grace of God, everything about us would be worthless. We must alway remember that, “In him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 ESV God alone is worthy of praise! Let us always remember we are who we have been as a nation because of God’s guidance. If we cease to recognize God and all he has done for us, we will fall. So as we sing let us pray, “God bless America,” and may we live to show that we are serious in wanting God’s blessing on America.

Because of His grace ~ Pastor David