Later today (Thursday) I have an eye doctor’s appointment.  This will be my 1^st appointment in about 3 years.  There are a few things in life I find more unpleasant than eye doctors’ appointments.  That’s why it has been almost 3 years since my last one.  Let me explain.  When I was in 1^st grade I had eye surgery for being cross-eyed.  This was before the days of dissolving stitches and I remember going back to the doctor and having those stitches removed.  I can still see the tweezers coming into my eye and having those stitches pulled out.  I can hardly describe it without cringing.  So I have always been hyper-sensitive about my eyes.  I even tried contacts a number of years ago but I just couldn’t get the hang of sticking my finger onto my eyeballs to get them out.  I could get them in but getting them out was the real problem.

My response to the eye doctors’ appointment is a pretty good metaphor of how Satan develops strongholds in our lives.  This week in our Bible study, we saw in 2 Cor. the idea that we “have divine power to demolish strongholds”, (chapter 10:4).  We also talked about how Satan uses past experiences to establish “strongholds” in our hearts and lives.  He attaches negative self-talk to early childhood memories that many times lead to destructive patterns in our lives.  This is why a child who grows up in an abusive home environment will grow up and be an abuser or while a child who grows up in an alcoholic home will grow up to be an alcoholic.  As much as they may have hated their home environment they end up repeating the same pattern because of the stronghold that has been established or even a generational curse that has been put into place.

One of Satan’s most powerful channels of control is unresolved anger. Remember Paul’s word of instruction in the 4th chapter of Ephesians where he writes “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold”, (v. 26-27, NIV).  The use of the negative present imperative in these verses indicates that the Ephesians were in fact sinning in their anger, letting the sun go down on their anger and letting Satan get a foothold.  The use of the negative imperative means stop doing these things.  So we see anger mishandled becomes a huge source of Satan’s working and moving in our lives to establish a “stronghold”.

Another way Satan gets a stronghold is through bitterness in our lives.  The writer of Hebrews in the 12^th chapter tells us, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many”, (v.14-15, NIV).  This bitter root then becomes part of a family curse that is passed on from generation to generation.  Think of the millions of children in America whose families have gone through bitter and ugly divorces.  What has this modeling process done to the next generation of young people growing up in Amercia?  Bitterness is a poison to our soul.  That’s why the writer of this verse begins with the warning not to miss the grace of God or fall short of the grace of God.  Every one of us who has experienced the profound grace of God must extend that same profound grace to others.  If we become bitter because things haven’t worked out like we had planned then we are certainly opening the door for Satan to establish a stronghold in our lives.  Remember the warning of Peter’s 1^st epistle where he writes in the 5^th chapter, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”, (v.8, NIV).  I am afraid many Christians have been devoured because of unresolved anger issues and the bitterness they’ve built their lives upon.

It doesn’t have to be that way.  In John’s 1^st epistle he reminds us with these words, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”, (4:4, NIV).  Paul also tells us in the same 2 Cor. passage we started with, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”, (10:5, NIV).  The part we have to work on is allowing God’s Spirit to help us take every thought captive and allowing the one who is in us (the Holy Spirit) to guide every decision and choice that we make.  So I am reminded not to fear the eye doctor’s appointment today because “I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me”.  All praise be unto our great God.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

This past week I finished reading a book entitled “A God-Sized Vision” by Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge, It is an account of revival stories around the world that stretched and stirred my own soul to desire a powerful moving of God in our nation in my life time.  I believe that the only hope for America is for another visitation of God’s Holy Spirit in our land to bring brokenness, repentance and restoration.  I don’t believe the hope of America is found in a political party or in a presidential candidate but I believe the only hope for America is Jesus Christ and yielding to His Lordship.  America has at different times in our history experienced profound sweeping revivals and awakenings. God’s Spirit has gracious and powerfully moved in the past to perform His will and get people into a right relationship with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So if we are to see actual revival in our land, what would be some of the characteristics that are found in a true revival? There are some very similar features that characterize a true moving of God’s Spirit.  First, there are usually a handful of faithful believers who are persistent in prayer.  Many times we use prayer as a last resort when things wrong in our lives or in our church but in true revival prayer is the 1^st component as God’s people seek His face together.  Secondly there is usually a season of true confession involving repentance of past sins.  What happens when we harden our hearts about sin in our lives is that we not only stop the Holy Spirit from working in our lives but we also model sinful attitudes and actions to those around us.  But confession and genuine repentance leads to freedom from the burden of guilt and shame. True confession and repentance frees the Holy Spirit not only to work in our lives but to work in the lives of those around us who have been affected by our sin.

A third characteristic of true revival is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ with clarity and power.  When we think of revival we generally think of men like John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards and Billy Graham.  These men all preached the gospel to who-ever would listen.  I remember Paul’s challenge in 2 Timothy to Timothy shortly before Paul’s own death where he writes, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (4:2, NKJ).  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, God’s Word transforms life in incredible ways.

Another component of revival is acknowledging God’s authority in humility.  Spiritual pride is one of the great hindrances of revival and awakening.  Spiritual pride keeps us from confessing our sins one to another and keeps us from working with other groups outside our own camp that could transform our world.  Revival generally takes place when churches and people put aside their own agendas and work together for the glory of God.  Spiritual pride keeps us in bondage to a critical spirit against those who don’t fit into our own little box.

A final characteristic of true revival is serving God with boldness.  Many of those who were used mightily around the world to bring revival have gone to serve God at great personal risk.  I think of one missionary named Jonathan Goforth, who during the Boxer uprising in China (in 1900) was beaten within inches of death and was actually left for dead by those who he was seeking to win.  Let us be encouraged to seek revival in our nation knowing true revival begins with each of us getting into a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Personal renewal and revival occurs in each of us as we allow God’s Spirit to convict us of sin and change our hearts and lives.  Will you join me in praying for revival in America today?  Jesus Christ is truly the only hope for America.  To Him be all the glory!

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

One of the 1^st questions many new believers ask after becoming a Christian is “What should I do to grow as a Christian?”  A better question to ask is “What should I be?”  God has not called us to be human doings but human being!  The identity God would have us to experience is the identity of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Developing the character and nature of Jesus Christ into our daily walk is usually achieved through the process of discipleship.  Discipleship is not about programming or curriculum, it’s about relationship.  Developing people who reflect the image of Christ into a dark and dying world is an intensely personal activity that doesn’t usually occur in large crowds.  Think of the 12 men Jesus invested the majority of His ministry teaching, instructing and shaping their lives.  Of those 12, He selected 3 men who He even spent more  time with refining and developing.  Peter and John would go on to write a good portion of the New Testament.  James would be the 1^st of the apostles to be put to death for His faith in Jesus Christ. 

The writer of Proverbs tells us in the 3^rd chapter, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (v. 5-6, NIV).  When we come to faith in Christ in a saving way all of us have been leaning on our own understanding. We have to unlearn or de-program our brains from all the stuff that would keep us from reflecting the image of Christ.  That’s why the process of disciple-making is so important.  We need someone who we can trust and who can trust us to hold us accountable, challenge the blind spots in our lives and invest time and energy so we can be all we can be in Christ.  Satan is committed to robbing us and disrupting our identity in Christ.  He doesn’t want Christians who are mature and walking with Christ daily.  He seeks to keep us enslaved to our flesh and to our self-centered thought processes so he can use us to sow seeds of discord and division. That’s where we need others who can challenge Satan’s designs in our lives.

In making disciples we must help people establish and understand their identity in Jesus Christ.  We need to encourage the development of the fruit of the Spirit which is a sure sign of maturity in Christ and finally we need to help people in the process of walking daily with Christ.  Paul writes in his 2^nd letter to the Corinthians in the 10^th chapter, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”, (v. 5 NIV).  I like the word “we” in this verse. Paul didn’t say “I” but “we”.  If “we” are to demolish arguments and pretension that fight against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ “we” need each other.  “We” as Paul says, do this together.  I talked a few Sunday evenings ago about the need to find “alien allies” as we travel this foreign land.  Christianity is not a solo sport but a team sport where we learn to rely and depend on each other.  That’s where being in discipling relationships is so critical for us to be all we can be in the Lord Jesus Christ.  How about you?  Are you connected to someone who can call you out when they see you going down the path of sin and self-deception?

All praise to God who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

Revelation 4:9-11

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

and

Revelation 5:12-13

12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (ESV)

. The truth is God’s glory is revealed when we recognize the wonder and beauty of His creation and actions displayed in the world. There is another sense of glorifying God and this form of glorifying God is seen when our actions bear fruit for the “Father’s glory”. God is glorified when you and I become agents of God’s grace, displaying in our actions and character the very image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday at NDC we had a powerful display of this 2^nd kind of glorifying God.  Remember in the 5^th chapter of Matthew’s gospel Jesus said “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good words, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v. 16, NASB).  I believe that is exactly what happened this past Sunday when 3 of our friends testified of their personal relationship with Christ and were baptized.  Each person shared a powerful and personal testimony of the profound significance of coming to trust Christ as their Savior.  Their testimonies centered not so much as on what they had done but on what God had done for them through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  All praise be to God, what a powerful time of glorifying God.

One of the Chinese students who was baptized testified about coming to America two years ago as an atheist and how God used a series of people and contacts to bring her to the point of trusting Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.  It was a powerful word about the glory of God and I was deeply moved as she shared.  What an amazing gift that God allows us to reflect His glory into a dark and dying world.  Because Christ is present with us through His Holy Spirit we can become instruments and tools who reflect the glory of God.  This is what Paul was writing about in 2 Corinthians when he writes, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (v. 18 NASB).

What would it look like for us at NDC to “glorify God”?  Since this is a part of our purpose statement this is no small question. First, I think we would be more open to declare our praise and thanksgiving to our great God for who He is and all He’s done. But I would also suggest to you that it would look a lot like what happened on Sunday.  We witnessed people displaying through their lives a heart change and standing up and declaring what God has done.  We don’t want people to think we’re great people but want we others to see that  the God we serve is a great and good God who is still moving and working in our world. Some time ago I remember another Chinese man standing up and sharing his testimony before his baptism. He said “if you don’t believe in miracles let me tell you I am a walking miracle”.  He went on to describe his conversion from atheism to faith in Jesus Christ, all for God’s glory.

I also believe if we are going to be a ministry that glorifies God, it is not going to matter who gets the credit for the great things that are happening because it is all for God’s glory.  Who cares who gets the credit as long as God is glorified.  He will sort it all out in the end anyway.  I was so blessed Sunday after the service when 3 people approached me about being baptized in obedience to Christ and following the model they had just seen.  Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow.  What an amazing thing that God allows us to be part of His work.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

Interestingly, the longest chapter in the Holy Scriptures is found in the book of Psalms (119) and it is all about the Word of God.  Don’t miss that fact.  Whatever the culture setting, it’s all about the power of God and the sufficiency of God released through the presentation of the Word of God.  There is a temptation in these days of media bombardment to use entertainment and other means to attract a crowd and build a church.  But I believe the only sure foundation for the church of Jesus Christ is the Spirit-anointed preaching of the Word of God.  We must build on the foundation of the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the written Word which is the Holy Bible.  You can receive all kinds of text messages these days but don’t forget that the most important text you can ever receive is the biblical text.  It truly is a “text message” from heaven. God has spoken in His Word, are we listening?

So let us make sure we are building on the sure foundation of God’s Word.  Let us take time daily to sit at Jesus’ feet and be instructed in God’s grace and God’s ways.  To God be the glory.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich

One of the specific aspects of Jesus’ plan for His apostles was that they would be instruments in making disciples.  We see this in the charge the Lord left with His disciples in the 28^th chapter of Matthew where Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”, (v. 19-20 NIV).

In the Greek culture of Jesus’ day the word disciple referred to one who attached themselves to a teacher to gain practical or theoretical knowledge.  This was done by instruction or by the experience of following and learning from their teacher.  The New Testament teaches that the goal of disciple making is to shape the likeness, not simply the knowledge, of Jesus into our thoughts and lives.  This is seen clearly in the 8^th chapter (an incredible chapter) of Romans where Paul writes, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (v. 29 NIV).  So our goal in this discipleship process is the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ reproduced in the students.

Making disciples was not just Jesus’ plan for the apostles but it is His continued plan throughout the ages.  The term “making disciples” in Matthew’s charge is in the aorist imperative tense which is a call for a specific and definite decision.  The way we make disciples is first winning them to Christ, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus taught.  The charge of Matthew’s gospel also contains the words “of all nations”.  This would have radically impacted the disciples thought process as they would have to totally realign their thinking to see this message was going way beyond the confines of Jerusalem or even Israel.  God’s desire for us is that we seek to impact our world wherever we can engage it. We must allow His Holy Spirit to use us however He sees fit in shaping and molding disciples for Christ for His glory.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

​“Holy Week” (the week before Easter) is always an exciting week around New Durham Chapel. As we prepare to celebrate both the sadness day (Good Friday) and the gladness day (Resurrection Sunday) on the Christian calendar, there has always been a lot of activities going on here that are impacting people’s lives.
This week we are doubly excited to be presenting our revised purpose statement on Resurrection Sunday. The new purpose statement reads “Making Disciples, Teaching God’s Word, Glorifying God”. Also this week we have a very special event on Wednesday evening when the Olympians hold their annual Pinewood Derby race. This is always a special time of blessing as we fellowship and share with the parents of the Olympian kids. This is just another avenue of sharing Christ’s love.
​So Wednesday night is Pinewood Derby night, Thursday is dress rehearsal for the Cantata and Friday we present the wonderful Cantata entitled “Song of the Lamb”. If you can’t make it Friday night because of other responsibilities let me invite you to our dress rehearsal at 7:30 PM on Thursday evening. The Cantata, led by Mrs. Ruthy Brookman, is always one of the highlights of the whole year as a good part of the Christian community comes together to rejoice in an Easter message in song. What a powerful time we will share together. On Resurrection morning we will gather for breakfast at 9:30 followed by an Easter egg hunt for the kids and then at 11 AM we gather for worship as we celebrate the fact that we serve a Risen Savior, the Lord Jesus. Jesus continues to move in our hearts and lives to transform those who yield their lives to Him.
​What a privilege it is for me each Easter Sunday to stand and declare that Christ is indeed Risen. That His power and impact are still changing our world as Jesus changes each individual life that calls on Him. I hope you know and trust our great Savor, Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sins by His shed blood and rose again to declare victory and freedom from sin. If you don’t have a place to worship, let me invite you to any or all of the activities going on at New Durham Chapel this coming week . Our deepest desire is to see God glorified in our midst. We hope you can come and be part of what’s happening as we celebrate the truth of the resurrection.

This week I am blogging from Central PA, where I am ministering on the theme of “Loyalty to Christ”. Rick Poole, part of NDC’s worship team, is here with  me leading worship for the week.  It has been an interesting and challenging week so far (writing this on Tuesday morning).  We are staying in a very remote hunting cabin.  How remote is the hunting cabin? Well, we have no T.V., no internet, Rick has no cell phone coverage and my coverage is spotty.  Yet coming apart in quietness and reflection is a very positive thing to do.  As I write my blog, brother Rick is upstairs running through the songs we will be singing tonight.  This is creating a spirit of worship as I put the finishing touches for my pulpit ministry for this evening.

There is something to be said about coming apart to a quiet place to reflect and to rest.  The psalmist said in the 46^th Psalm “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (v. 10 KJV).  In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives we seldom take time to sit quietly at Jesus’ feet and absorb His grandeur.  It’s so easy to live our lives, especially our spiritual lives, on auto pilot. We seldom take enough time to carefully and prayerfully consider God’s will or leading in our lives.  I remember one of my directors at the counseling center I worked for over 9 years telling us about her devotional life.  She would read her Bible and pray while driving to work in the morning. I am pretty sure that doesn’t fulfill the idea of “Being still and knowing that God is God”.

As I work on some ministry goals and objectives for the coming year, I am thankful for this quiet place of reflection, mediation and prayer.  I am also amazed at the high privilege God has given to me to represent Him at Community Chapel in Hesston, PA this week.  Again I reflect on the Psalms where in the 45^th Psalm, the psalmist writes, “My heart is overflowing with a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made touching the King.  My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (v. 1 KJV).  To have the opportunity to speak of the great things pertaining to my King, the Lord Jesus Christ, is a great blessing and privilege.  I didn’t have anything to do with the open door Jesus has given me but I am sure glad I entered it.  To think Jesus sent me to Israel for the opportunity to minister in Central PA is just like our great God who guides and directs our steps when we say yes to Him.  It is also a blessing to see God opening doors of ministry for others through my obedience, which I believe He is going to continue to do.  All praise to our great Savior who reigns supreme and uses us despite ourselves.

Shalom,

Pastor Rich Sivo

Join us on Easter Morning for brunch at 9:30 AM.