Celebrating 60 Years at Riverview

Proverbs 21:31

The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but the victory belongs to the LORD.

Well...we are at 60 + 1 day today.  Things don't feel too much different though.  It was a great celebration yesterday, and the remodeled sanctuary is beautiful...but what is next?

"Making disciples, equipping them for the work of ministry to the building up of the Body of Christ in Unity, Faith, and Love.”  (Our Mission Statement)

And our OBJECTIVES

• Disciple-Making

• Evangelism

• Serving

• Worshiping

• Fellowshipping

• Praying

The mission is the same.  The objectives are the same, and I promise if we will simply stick to the mission.  If we will work hard to achieve our objectives (because they are all Biblical), we will see God do amazing things at Riverview.

There is no doubt; God will do His part, but we must be committed to do our part as well.  Every objective is important, every person is important, and every job you do around Riverview counts.  So - thanks for serving with me; I couldn’t do it without you.  Remain faithful, and we will rejoice together when the harvest comes.  (Galatians 6:9)

aj

Rend Your Hearts…Not Your Garments

Joel 2:13

I started reading Joel yesterday.  In it the Prophet pleads with Judah to turn back to God before the Day of the Lord arrives.  In the last chapter (4:19) Joel pronounces judgment on Egypt and Edom because of the violence perpetrated against Judah.  Lo and behold as I scanned the headlines of today’s news I saw a Jihadist group named Mujahedeen Shoura Council claimed a rocket attack in southern Israel today from you guessed it.  Egypt.  (Click Here For CBSNews Article)

Isn’t it interesting that scriptures written centuries before the time of Christ are still being played out in the news today?  With all that being said, my question is: “How does Joel apply to us today?”

In Joel Chapter 1 , God warns Judah of impending judgment, and there are five actions the people of Judah are told to take:

 

1.)        Wake Up  (v.5)

 

2.)        Lament  (v.8)

3.)        Be Ashamed (v.11)

4.)        Put on Sackcloth  (v.13)

5.)        Consecrate a Fast & Call a Solemn Assembly  (v.14)

The message for Christians today is the same message the people in Joel’s day heard:  Wake Up, Weep, Repent, and Seek the Lord!  Basically, Joel was pleading with the religious leaders, the ‘elders’, to be honest about their sin, and do whatever it took to be in a right relationship with God.  Wouldn’t it be smart for us to do the same.  The Day of the Lord is drawing near.

aj

Repent...The End Is Nearer...

The question I am struggling with today is, "If my sin is forgiven once for all by Jesus, why is it necessary to confess sin and repent on a regular basis?"

The answer is that God saved me by His grace, and repentance is my response to His infinite love.  I really want to take credit for being smart, and enlightened enough to realize I was lost and needed Jesus in my life.  I like to look at as if I came to my senses and approached God like a groveling peasant begging for mercy.  But it was actually more than that.  I wasn't just a dirty, maladjusted wayward sinner.  I was dead in my trespasses, and didn't even know I was lost until God touched my heart, and made me aware of my condition.  Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, my spirit was awakened, and I responded in faith and obedience believing God could (He had the ability), and would (He was willing) to save me.  My response - To turn from my sin in repentance.

Sometimes people ask me which came first my repentance or God's Grace.  My answer:  I don't know.  I only know that "I once was lost, but now I am found"  I didn't go looking for God.  He came looking for me, and He saved me.

So what does that mean for confessing and repenting on a daily basis?  I confess sin and repent regularly not to stay saved, but because I am saved.  For He has cleansed me from all unrighteousness.  Repentance is about relationship, not salvation.  I didn't repent to get saved, and I don't repent to stay saved.  Repentance is the response to God's salvation.  Maybe repentance follows so closely on the heels of being saved, that it seems like they happen at the same time, but in my case.  I know that I would not have repented if God hadn't convicted.  I have nothing to boast in...I can't even boast about repenting...my salvation rest only on the grace of God.

Praise Him for His Grace...

Excuse me...I have to go confess some sin.

aj

  The Power of 3

  Your pastors gather every Monday afternoon for a Staff Meeting.  We have a routine of praying together, going over the calendar, and sharing any concerns and needs within our respective ministries.  We meet to keep everyone on the same page, and to evaluate and shape the vision of the church.  Recently in a Staff Meeting we settled on three areas we consider Focal Points for RBC:  Prayer, Evangelism, and Leadership Development.

We did not sit down and say. "What three areas do we need to work on this year?"  No, we were simply talking about what we see going on in the church, and as I took notes of that conversation—Prayer, Evangelism, and Leadership Development continually resurfaced.

  How can you be a part?

  Prayer

  ¨ Commit to having a daily prayer time.

  ¨ Pray for your pastors, and volunteer church workers.

  ¨ Pray for spiritual awakening at Riverview.

  ¨ Ask God to show you what He wants you to do.

Evangelism

Begin praying for someone you know who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Pray for them every day.  As you pray ask God for an opportunity to share His love with that person, and pray for boldness, because that opportunity will arise.

  Leadership Development

  In the Church we are all leaders and followers at the same time.  We all follow Christ, the Head of the Body, (Ephesians 4:15-16) but we also lead.  I follow Jesus, yet I am also leading Riverview into the future.  The other Ministers are my co-laborers, but they follow my leadership as we serve together.  They in turn have people who follow their leadership in different areas of ministry.  Also, if you are a Sunday School Teacher or Director, or if you are a Deacon or Door Greeter—you are a leader, and people are following your leadership.  If you do nothing, or are a grumbler just know you too have followers, and by your example you are leading as well.

  

So then, pray for leaders to rise up, get equipped, and join in as we build up the body of Christ together.  (Ephesians 4:11-13)

 

 

Confession – Getting Honest About My Sin

Psalm 51:3

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

 

I bet you thought this was going to be a “confess all” blog.  Not necessarily.  I will confess to you that I am a sinner, and I do specifically and humbly confess my sin to trusted people in my life.  In fact, I am pretty open about my sin and my need for repentance.

 

But sometimes we grow comfortable with our sin, and we don’t even realize how bad it has become.  I once saw a person who had cancer on their face.  It had literally eaten off part of their face, and left a black, ragged hole right there in the middle of it.  They had grown comfortable with the disfiguration, but most people had not.  In fact, I hate to say it, but when others saw it they were pretty much horrified.

 

I am afraid this is how we often view our sin.  To us it doesn’t seem that bad, or we grow so comfortable with it we even forget it’s there.  But God has a way of bringing our sin before us, and when he does we must respond correctly.

 

Saturday morning I confessed to Dustie I was having a problem harboring anger in my heart.  I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but Ephesians 4:26-27 says that holding on to anger like that “gives the Devil a foothold”, and once you give him a foothold he has easy access to other areas of your life.

 

Saturday afternoon I saw my inner anger for what it was.  There was no explosion (which I have done), there was no wrath, but somehow God shone the light of His love in my life.  It exposed my sin (anger) and I was horrified.  Still am.  It was there all along, and I never saw it; like a cancer on my face I refused to see when looking in the mirror.

 

I thank God He brought this to my attention.  I thank Him even more for His forgiveness and restoration.  Later is Psalm 51 David will write about “being renewed with a steadfast spirit.  Renewal.  I will too.

 

God Bless - Andy

Mercy

Psalm 51:1-2

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;

According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ESV

When I was in college I got a speeding ticket, and had to appear in traffic court. When it was my turn to stand before the judge I confessed my crime (I was guilty), and asked for mercy. I didn’t get any. I had to pay the ticket…and justice was served.

In Psalm 51 David found himself desperately in need of God’s mercy. He had sinned, he was hurting, and deserved judgment (v.4). However, he knew God’s nature was characterized by ‘steadfast love’, and ‘abundant mercy’. So he confessed his sin to God, and the Lord forgave him.

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"

And you forgave the iniquity of my sin. ESV

According to Romans 3:23 & 6:23 we have all sinned, and the wages (what we deserve) of that sin is death. But God is merciful, and while we were still sinners Jesus died on the cross  to bear the punishment we deserved. (Romans 5:8) Because God is merciful, it does not mean He is not just either. He is just, and the penalty of sin had to be paid, and praise be to God. He paid the price.

Andy

I love Psalm 51. This is a Psalm God used to pierce my heart, and draw me back to Himself.  The words in verse 12 -  “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” reverberated through my life; a life that had become tired, bitter, hopeless, and sad. But thank God He was not finished with me yet. Through much contemplation, prayer, and repentance He did restore to me the joy of His salvation. He “upheld” me.


The word uphold in (v.12b) means to renew or repair. It is the same word used in 2 Chronicles 24:4 where scripture states, “Joash was determined to repair the Lord's temple.”  That is exactly how I feel!  I feel like a new man. I feel like I was broken, and He repaired me.

As I fire up my blog once again, I am going to just hang out in Psalm 51 for awhile. I pray God will use His Word to convict, and restore you the same way He did me.

Be blessed.

Andy