So, it happened again this week – 58 murdered, over 500 injured. Another mass shooting, it boggles the mind to consider this great evil in our land. And yet we shouldn’t be surprised. When a country leaves God out of the equation as our nation has done, God from time to time will remove His hand of protection. We live in a very dark world, and the reason that we live in a very dark world is that our nation has forsaken the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. You don’t hear our political leaders calling for more prayer and spiritual awakening. Nor do we hear that in many of our churches either. What we hear is more calls for gun control. Jesus spoke of the contest between light and darkness when He said in John 3, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly what he is done has been done through God,” (v.19-21 NIV). Jesus says, “that light has come into the world,” into a place of darkness and death Jesus has shed His light. This is no mere shining moonlight but rather a life-giving compassionate light that flows from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are two things that are revealed by this light. First, the light reveals Christ so that we may see God. Like the light of the sun, light reveals Jesus in all His power and all His glory. Keep this passage in its context, Jesus has been speaking with Nicodemus about the greatness of God’s love. God’s wisdom, love, and grace shine out of the SON -not the sun. Jesus has come to reveal the image of the invisible God to us so that we may know the true light. Secondly, the true light reveals to us the true condition and destiny of mankind. The man who committed this heinous crime this past week “loved the darkness”. God’s condemnation will be just because people love the darkness. Think of the darkness of hate and evil that would lead this man to murder innocent people that he had never met in his life. Whatever his reason was his true motivation was that he was a child of Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning. When the gospel is not received, and Jesus is rejected there is nothing left but darkness. Satan snares people and leads them into a life of darkness and misery.

The things that people fill up their lives with will never meet the deepest longing of their lives apart from Christ. No matter how much success this man had in his gambling or how many guns he accumulated, they were not going to meet the deepest needs of his heart. Men love the darkness rather than the light because the darkness provides them the escape to continue in their evil undisturbed. Many people don’t want their lives exposed to God’s light because they’re afraid of it will reveal what they really are and because they have no interest in changing. Even for us as children of God we should not be surprised when people are threatened by our desire to obey God and shine Jesus’ light in our dark world. Because men hate the darkness, at times evil prevails in our world. When the light of the Lord Jesus Christ shines on the evil in people’s lives, they don’t usually rejoice and repent. But we should not be discouraged and stop shining our light into the darkness.

One of the great challenges I find in the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ is in Matthew’s Gospel where He says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14 – 16 NIV). These verses express how Jesus really feels about us. It’s about allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to use us in the face of great darkness and evil. How does one hide their light on the top of the hill? We can hide our light by being quiet when we should speak up or just simply going along with public opinion. We hide our light when we don’t witness when the Lord lays it on our hearts to do so, and I think we also hide our light when we ignore the needs of those around us. Don’t shut off your light to the rest of the world or your neighbors and family.  Jesus said, “you are the light” and it’s directed to those who are Jesus’ followers. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? If so, make sure you are allowing the light of the Lord Jesus Christ to shine into the darkness, you never know who your light you may affect!

Shalom,

Pastor Rich Sivo

This week our Jewish friends and neighbors celebrated Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish new year. On the Jewish calendar, we just entered the year is 5778, though no one seems exactly sure where that date begins from. Rosh Hashanah and the ten days of repentance that follow, which is highlighted by Yom Kippur, are the Jewish high holy days. The biblical basis for Rosh Hashanah is found in Numbers 23 where we read, “The Lord said to Moses, “say to the Israelites: ‘on the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with the trumpet blast. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire,’” (Num.23:23-25 NIV). Rosh Hashanah is not at all like our celebration on New Year’s Eve on January 1. Rosh Hashanah actually begins ten days of repentance that will lead to Yom Kippur. The Jewish tradition says that God writes every person’s words, deeds, and faults in the book of life, which He opens and examines on Yom Kippur. If the good deeds outnumber the sinful ones for the year that person’s name will be inscribed in the book of life for another year on Yom Kippur. So during these ten days, called the days of repentance, people will do good deeds to increase their chances of having their name inscribed in the book of life. The shofar is usually blown to call people to repentance and to remind them that the holy days are arriving. Many Jewish people attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services even if they have not attended synagogue services for the rest of the year. That’s kind of like “Christians” who show up on Easter and Christmas morning.  So that is why it is not a time of festive drunkenness as we frequently see in the Gentile world on New Year’s Eve. Rosh Hashanah is sometimes referred to as the day of judgment. Rosh Hashanah is a serious new year holiday, and it is a common custom for people to send cards to relatives and friends to wish them a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

      We as Christians also believe there is a day of judgment coming. We also believe that there is a book of life, in fact, it’s called “the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). The only way to have one’s name inscribed in this book of life is to have trusted through faith in Christ’s finished work on our behalf. Those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be sentenced to hell (eternal separation from God) as Scripture says, “if anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire,” (Rev.20:15 NIV). We do not get our name written Lamb’s book of life by doing ten days of good deeds. We don’t merit our salvation by any other way than by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. I love what Paul said in Titus when he said, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:4, 5 NIV). There is a wonderful peace that is found in having my name written in the Lamb’s book of life. I know that my salvation is not dependent on what I do or anything I keep doing. But it is totally and completely dependent on what Jesus Christ has already done for me. A lot of people think that they’re going to work out their salvation by having their good deeds outweigh the bad deeds. But the premises are wrong and because God not only does he see our deeds but what he sees our motivation that brings about those deeds. What a wonderful thing it is to experience God’s forgiveness through the cross of Christ. Jesus declares that he is the one who will judge. We read in John’s Gospel, “For as the Father has given life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man,” (John 5:26,27 NIV). Do you know Jesus as your friend or as you judge? Then perhaps the most important question: Is your name written in the Lamb’s book of life? If not call out to him today, you will meet you where you are and come into your heart life.

All for Christ,

Pastor Rich Sivo

I was blogging last week about the importance of good works that are repeatedly found in the book of Titus. We saw several biblical passages that pertained to good works. As Paul closes his letter to Titus, he has one last statement that I think is very appropriate to discuss on my blog today. Paul says,” And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful,” (Titus 3:14 NASB). Jesus very much expressed in John 15 that He desires us to be fruitful Christians. We read, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so proved to be my disciples,” (John15:5,8 NASB).   I highlighted the words – bear much fruit. Jesus’ great desire for us is that we be fruitful, and not a little fruitful. He wants us to stand before him with our baskets full of the good works that we have brought before Him to lay at His feet. Paul says to do good deeds to help people’s pressing needs. This Sunday we will be taking up a love offering for the flood victims in Houston and Florida. We will do so because people have pressing needs and we have been abundantly blessed. We desire as a church to bless those who are in crisis right now. Remember in the John passage that the fruitless branches are purged, but the good branches are pruned. Again, Paul is repeating in Titus the place of good works in our spiritual lives.

But that leads to a question in my mind – what are the hindrances to fruitfulness in our spiritual lives? First of all, I believe that our selfishness at times keeps us from doing the good works that God would have us to do. Serving in any ministry is generally inconvenient. It takes time and if it involves working with people, and people are messy. And it’s easier for us just to do our own thing and not be concerned about the needs of those around us. The denial of our own self-centered lives is one of the most important lessons any of us can ever learn in our Christian pilgrimage. Secondly, I believe that sometimes it’s the unfitness of the soil in our lives. Living in this day when we are surrounded by a culture of sinfulness, it’s effortless for our hearts to become hard and stony to the needs of others. Also, the fact that we are bombarded by so many needs all around us. Take the recent flooding in Texas and Florida as an example. We’ve been watching night after night the overwhelming destruction of property and people’s lives. We may think the task of helping so many is so overwhelming we won’t consider even giving a little because we believe that it’s not going to make a difference. But even as we take about love offering for the flood victims on Sunday we are reminded of the fact that any good that we do will make a difference.

It’s also very important to grasp the fact that when it comes to good works, we enter into the realm of spiritual warfare. Satan loves to blind us to the things that God would have us to do. He frequently does this by attacking us in the area of our inadequacies. He will send messages into our mind that were not qualified to serve or that you’re not any good at that ministry so why bother. We are in a spiritual battle, and it’s important we realize that Satan is going to resist us at every turn when we try to serve Christ. We must yield our lives to Jesus Christ and allow Him to direct our paths in serving Him. Finally, I think people at times neglect good works because of time allowances. We fill up our lives with so many activities that we don’t have the time to do good deeds in Jesus’ name to help others. These activities in and of themselves may be good things, but they take the place of the better things. I’ve even heard of some people who don’t come to church during the fall because it’s football season and they need to work on their fantasy football team. This is what Paul calls living “unproductive lives.”

Let us surrender ourselves to Jesus and to be wholly possessed and used by him to make a difference in good works and sound doctrine in the lives of those who are closest to us. Jesus did not come to make us happy; He came to give us the abundant life. We have seen that a critical component of knowing and walking with the Lord Jesus Christ is fruit bearing. Let us pursue the opportunities that God has set before us so that Jesus Christ may be glorified and honored in our lives. Paul’s challenge to Titus stresses the need for good works, not to earn our salvation but to serve others and to store up heavenly treasures. Opportunities abound for good, so let us grow in our faithfulness, fruitfulness, and service for the living God.

To God be the glory,

Pastor Rich Sivo

I took my grandsons back to Michigan this past week. It was difficult saying goodbye to them knowing that I probably won’t see them again until next summer. My son Matt was also there, and we enjoyed our short visit with him when he came out and brought Ethan in August. I flew out to Detroit on Tuesday and back to Trenton on Wednesday and was saddened to say goodbye to unique grandsons. But as I was sharing last week on my blog it has been a rather remarkable summer with many specia

l occasions. Our family vacation in Michigan included a stay in a three-bedroom home on the 20-acre private lake that had been gifted to us last summer when we blessed one of our missionaries in northwestern Michigan. I have previously blogged about that and what a remarkable gift we had received. God showed up for another surprising gift this summer. I had the privilege to plan a church outing with 12 of us from NDC to a Somerset Patriot game on July 26. My planning this outing was just so that we could experience a good time of fellowship with one another and the joy of each other’s company. Imagine my surprise when my wife Deb was selected to be the sweetheart of the game for the Patriots. This meant that she would receive a coupon for a one- night stay in a hotel in Somerset. Of all the ladies that could have been selected Deb was the one who was chosen. Which just reminds me what a very special lady she is. I consider this another precious gift from the giver of all good gifts, our Heavenly Father.

Scripture tells us- “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Thess. 5:18 NASB). Some things are easier to give thanks for than others, but every occasion in our lives is an opportunity to rejoice in our God and Savior Jesus Christ. I rejoice in the kindness of God that was seen once again in this unusual selection of Deb on July 26. My heart was blessed to see her honored and I’m thankful that we have an overnighter away for refreshment and relaxation. This is very helpful after our hectic and busy summer. Having my grandsons come and stay with us is a beautiful and challenging time, but it is not relaxing. Yes, some of the things that we did were quite relaxing, but it seems that a 13-year-old and 9-year-old very much want to stay busy all the time and we frequently heard the statement, “I’m bored.” So having an overnighter planned away with my wife at the end of the summer courtesy of the Patriots is a real special blessing. We ought never to overlook the kindness and care of our great God who provides for us in so many unusual ways. Paul writes to the Romans and says – “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4 NASB). God’s kindness is an overwhelming gift that we should never take lightly or for granted.

Even as we reflect on Labor Day this weekend, it’s good to be reminded that God is the author of all the blessings that we have here as American citizens. God is the one who has chosen to so richly bless us as a nation that most of us go to bed at night with our stomachs full and clean drinking water at our disposal. This a privilege that at least 1 billion people on earth don’t have. As Deb and I celebrate our summer together with an overnighter, we can be truly grateful for the profound kindness of God and all that He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. I hope this Labor Day will find you rejoicing in the kindness and goodness of our God. Remember the above verse tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. When we reflect on how awesome God is and all the blessings that He has poured into our lives should we not with hearts and lives rejoice to He who is the creator and giver of all good gifts. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity occasion to go to Patriots game this past summer with some of my church friends. As I was purchasing the tickets, I could not have imagined that God would so richly bless even this simple act of wanting to share a special occasion with my church family. But once again God shows up in all the moments and mysteries of life. I hope that you’re experiencing His goodness and kindness and that God will use His love to draw you into even a closer relationship based on gratitude and thanksgiving. All praise to our great Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ who leads us into every good work.

Shalom,

Pastor Rich Sivo

This morning (Fri. morning) as I’m blogging I’m sitting outside on a spectacularly beautiful morning with my heart filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for the excellent ministry that God allowed us to be part of this summer. Sometimes it’s good just to reflect and praise God for how He works and moves in our circumstances and lives. Our summer ministry got a good kick off with our “Taste of the World” event held on Saturday, June 3. This is the fifth year we’ve done the Taste of the World outreach and each year God uses it to touch hearts and lives and bring our church community together in great outreach to our neighborhood. Several hundred people visited and took advantage of the 12 – 14 international food tables that were set up and the hot dogs and hamburgers that were served. The following Sunday I had the privilege of baptizing a young man who had put his trust in Jesus Christ just two months earlier. Later in June, we had our Ocean Grove Pavilion ministry which is always an enjoyable experience. I deeply appreciated those who came out to sing and minister and those who supported the event through their attendance. On July 1st I had a marriage renewal service for the young man who had been baptized 2 weeks earlier as he and his wife renewed their vows on the occasion of their fifth anniversary. This is part of their commitment as they continue to grow in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ and one another. The following week we received an amazing gift of a week at a cottage on a lake in Northwestern Michigan. With most of my children and my 2 grandsons being there it was a very special time. With no phone or cell phone service, no Internet and no television it was a very quiet week. And yet at that special place God was moving and working in many special ways in my heart.

After we returned from our vacation in Michigan we swung right into our Vacation Bible School mode. It was once again a very meaningful and significant week of ministry as we had a great deal of volunteer support. We ministered to around 75 children a day including some of the moms who were a part of ladies daily Bible study. After V.B. S. my son, Matt and grandson Ethan joined us. Matt was able to join us for a week and he very much enjoyed watching the Tigers beat the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon. Ethan was with us as we went the following week to enjoy our first visit to Wildwood Crest. God gave us a very pleasant time with our grandsons and one day that Matt was able to come down and join us. Also this summer I was asked by a former high school friend, for whom I served as the best man in his wedding 41 years ago, if I would have the committal service for his mom who had passed away. This opened up the door of ministry to Harry and Debbie and they came and down and joined us for dinner in Cape May while we were at Wildwood Crest. One of the special things for me was enjoying the sunrise once again with my grandson Tyler. This has become an annual tradition for Tyler and I (our 4^th year) as Tyler really enjoys spending time with his grandpa to get up and watch the sunrise. I enjoyed the sunrise on three mornings while we were down in Wildwood, but I especially enjoyed the time that Tyler and I got to spend together on Thursday morning. One of the best blessings of the whole summer was the wedding that took place this past Saturday at New Durham Chapel. Diane K has been with us for 10 years and last year she reconnected with her college sweetheart. God has been working in this situation and Fritz and Diane were united in marriage last Saturday afternoon at NDC. Diane has been a precious friend to my grandsons and it is the reason that they have stayed out here so long, so they could be in attendance last Saturday at her wedding. It was a wonderful time and both of my grandsons very much enjoyed the reception and all the food they were served.

The Scripture reminds us of the goodness of our God and the fact that we are called to rejoice in His kindness and care. The psalmist states, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it,” (Ps.24:1 NIV). God has abundantly blessed in our lives in so many ways and we should never take it for granted. Paul reminds us, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; rejoice!” (Phil.4:4 NIV). As I reflect over this summer’s activities in ministry- from the sunset over the Ocean Grove Tabernacle, to the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean I am so grateful and thankful to our God who is a personal God. God in heaven has done everything He could to make Himself known to us by revealing Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I count it a great privilege to represent Jesus Christ before my family and in the world that He’s called me to serve. Let us rejoice together in the greatness of our God who has ministered in so many special ways, but above all He’s given us His Son, Jesus Christ who makes the way of salvation possible for each and every one of us when we call out in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ.                                                                                Shalom,                                                                                                                                                                                                              Pastor Rich Sivo