This past month has been a month of lows. I have been in and out of hospitals so many times that I can not even keep count. Sickness, disease, surgeries, emergencies. Church Members, Wickenburg residents and immediate family. On a personal note I came down with sickness this past weekend (flu bug) and ended up having to deal with my own emergency room experience on Sunday morning as I ended up with a staff infection in my eye that swelled up and looked like a third cheek (just a lot more red) The Doctors had to lance it in order to drain it. (That was the most unpleasant feeling I have ever felt. ‘I would rather have four wisdom teeth pulled without the use of Novocain.’) Many of these visits ended in great results some in sorrow.
I have for the month of April performed four memorial services and am preparing for three more before the end of the month. Once again, of these services have been steeped in exuberant praise and others are faced with great pain and sorrow.
I cant help but mourn over the sorrows of those who don’t know Him and rejoice over those who do.
As I have reflected on all of God’s sovereignty during all of this time and realized the pains and hurts of so many, I was brought back to our week with Christ, our “Walk of Grace.”
The Via Dolorosa, The most notorious road in all the world. “The way of sorrow”, “The Road of suffering” According to tradition is the route in which Jesus took to Calvary. The path would be marked by stations frequently used by Christians for their devotions. Fourteen stations in all some which have changed throughout the years but for the most part embraces the same idea. The pain and the suffering that took place during this walk was insurmountable. For the most part very few of us will ever feel that type pain.
Is the route accurate? Probably not… Is it Biblical? For the most part….No one knows the exact route in which Christ followed that Friday.
But we do know where the path actually began.
The path began not in the court of Pilate, but in the halls of heaven. The Father began His journey when He left His home in search of us. His desire was singular. To bring His children home! The path of the cross tells us exactly how far the Lord will go to love us.
I am reminded as well when Paul Rom. 5 and James 1, tells us to count it all joy. Whether it be temptations or struggles.
So brothers and Sister, Count it all Joy.
P. Dean
April 2010 Message From Pastor Dean:
Good April Church,
The Lord is Risen and we are preparing to celebrate this Rise, His Majesty and His Place on the Kingdom Throne.
The Lord is Good. And we sometimes fail to mention that.
Have you ever noticed that the adversary (The Devil) so quickly tries to steel our joy! Even when you have experienced a miraculous event he comes in a matter of minutes to steel our joy. He sure lives up to his name as the Father of lies and like John 10:10 says; “he comes to steal, kill and destroy.”
You know what I have noticed in the past few months. The Devil has tried to do that with me. The Lord shows me His power, His purpose and His blessing. But in just a matter of minutes the Devil will get in my face with something, someone and will try and destroy my joy.
I Peter 5:8-9 tells us; Be of sober spirit, Óbe on the alert. Your adversary, Óthe devil, prowls around like a roaring Ólion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, Ófirm in your faith
One of the greatest ways for me to stand firm and resist the devil is “My Praise” you see I don’t always have my Bible with me and although the Lord continues to increase my memory of His Holy word. They don’t always flow from the compartment in my heart to comfort the present emotion of my mind. (Can I get a Witness: )
But one thing that I have found to be very engaging and almost immediately removes the enemy and puts in place the right spiritual attitude and presence of mind is “Praise.”
In our reading a couple of weeks ago I was reminded of this. I Chronicles 16:4.
4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:
No sooner was the Ark of the Covenant put in place (representing the presence of the Lord) The Levites who would be in charge of the temple would immediately put into motion their duties to praise HIM.
e has tried to do that with
The role of these musical cohorts was to give expression to Israel’s praise (16:4, 41). This role is described in three ways:
1. To praise is “to commemorate” (16:4) the Lord or more literally to “make mention” of His name in praise. It is no accident that all three of the psalm selections of 16:8–36 refer to God’s “name,” in verses 8, 10, 29, and 35 (look also at 17:21, 24). The name of God, and so the unpacking of what He has revealed Himself to be and do, is the theme of praise.
2. To praise is “to thank” (16:4). In other Old Testament contexts this is often a precise word, as in the psalms of thanksgiving, such as Psalms 18 and 116, in response to a specific and recent act of divine deliverance. Here it is a wider term in reaction to all God reveals in Grace. because His “love endures for ever,” as 16:4 expands. Israel’s God is celebrated as a gracious God to whom they owe not only their existence as God’s people but also their preservation as God’s chosen.
3. The third term, “to praise” (16:4), is a general one that encompasses all of Israel’s hymns, of which a large number are preserved in the Psalter. Truly God was “enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Ps. 22:3, rsv).
It was an absolute prime function of Israel to praise God!
The church has inherited this role. A key activity of Christian meetings according to the New Testament was “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19).
There was an ongoing need to “offer the sacrifice of praise …, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15).
The purpose of the church as a chosen community corresponding to Israel is to “proclaim the praises” of God (1 Pet. 2:9).
We praise what we prize. The devotion, enthusiasm and zeal of our praising is the measure of how much we prize God’s revelation in Christ.
The Devil making a mess of your life, Clean it up! And Praise the Lord!
Once again Praising Him,
Pastor Dean
March 2010 Message From Pastor Dean:
March is here, and before we know it summer will be here. Wow, how time fly’s.
Pastor Jerome and I took some time this week to get some exercise, fresh air, prayer and fellowship. We enjoyed the brisk early morning air, the hike, the fellowship and most of all our time with the Lord.
It seemed as though our time with the Lord was magnified and anointed. I wondered was it the place? (We were hiking Vulture Peak), was it the time? (It was about 7:00am), was it the company? (the company was good). What would cause this day to be different from my normal day? For the most part all the elements were different. Place, time and company. But as I was pondering these things, the Lord made known to me the reason. It was the pursuit!
Before Jerome and I knelt before the rock we were determined to meet with God this day! We had a passion to hear from Him. You see getting away is important, our health is important, viewing God’s creation is important, fellowship is important. But it is not the most important thing in the Christian life. Pursuing God and living in obedience to Him is. We may not always be in beautiful places or surrounded by great friends. Yet our goal should always be to pursue God passionately in every circumstance.
As Jerome and I finished in prayer we both lifted our heads and opened our eyes, we were met with the splendor of the sun cresting above the mountain peaks. It was as though the Lord was lifting his head and opening His eyes.
We don’t always get days like this, We don’t always sense the Lord’s presence like we did that morning. So when we do it moves you. Just then I was reminded of our reading in I Kings and the simple statement in I Kings 3:3 “ Solomon, Loved the Lord.” And the passage goes on to say that “he offered 1000 burnt offerings.” v.4 Because of his love he was in pursuit of the Lord. And the Lord met him there.
Let me encourage you this month to; “Go On Pursuit of God!” It Will change you life.
“The church is always just one generation away fromextinction.” This is a phrase used by leaders all over the world as they describe the future of the church. Many also say that children are the future of the church and others argue that children are not the future; they are the church of today.
Regardless of your position on this, one thing seems apparent; the church today does not live and act like it is one generation away from extinction and that youngpeople are critical to its future.
As Pastor Jerome mentioned in our meeting with the children’s department. “We as a church treat our children’s ministry & it's activities like holidays.” We get all excited about different events such as VBS, Hallelujah Parties, Children’s Camp or Children’s outings and we pump it up to go all out, but for the rest of the year we just get by.
It isn’t that we don’t have quality workers, on the contrary I would put our workers up against the best around. It is more about the support they get or (don’t get) and the mindset that if we have a program and a good leader the kids will come. Folks they are not going to come unless we give them a valid reason to want to be here. We have to get excited about reaching them and follow it through by being available to sow into the lives of these kids.
A brand new study of Southern Baptist life indicates that more than ¾ of all Pastors and Church workers believe the church needs to do something to attract more young children and youth to nurture their faith. However, the same study indicates that less than 1/3 believes that the church needs to change its priorities, budget and ministry style to achieve this. Most of us live like Hezekiah in: 2 Kings 20: 19. Isaiah tells him of the destruction that is about to come to his kingdom and Hezekiah asks, “Will there not be peace and security in mylifetime?”
Isn’t that just like us? We wonder about our own comfort, security, and desires and let those who come after us deal with what ever comes their way.
Leaders like Walt Mueller (Founder and President, Center for Parent/Youth Understanding), Perry Noble (Senior Pastor of Newspring Church, South Carolina), Andy Stanley ( North Point Community Church, Alpharetta Georgia) and George Barna (The Barna Research Group) indicate that if we are going to establish a church for the next generation it means:
doing whatever it takes today to bring them in
It means loving and nurturing them.
It means putting a priority on making sure that we live out what Deuteronomy instructs, “… totalk about our faith with young people at all times andin places.”
It means welcoming children in a way that engages them.
That is much easier to say than to do, but from Abraham to Jesus we see God’s care and concern for the next generation. So as you look at our church ask yourself these questions:
How does our future look? If the children are the future of the church.
How do we demonstrate that the next generation is a priority for us? (e.g., budget, time, style, ministries, etc.)
How are we preparing for the next generation like David in Psalm 78:1-8 and Psalm 71:17-18?
How are we living out Mark 10:13-16? (Let the children come to me…..)
I have been spending much time in prayer and thought in bringing the church to a place of Truth. We have begun to address some important issues as far as Knowing the truth and applying the truth, becoming more missional, and being about Jesus’ mission. In sharing the love of Jesus with others.
I feel it is time for us as a church to rally around the kids of this community and become the difference for them! To begin raising a generation of spiritually rich adults (that starts at infancy).
The word tells Proverbs 22:6 If you love them, train them.
If children are diligently trained, they will remember and benefit from that training. If left to themselves, their inexperience can lead them into foolish mistakes with lifelong consequences. They should be trained and disciplined while there is still hope (Proverbs 19:18) of saving them. The well-disciplined child will be a delight. (Proverbs 29:17)
