Pastor Greg Stoever

Hydraulic power represents an amazing display of overwhelming strength. We recently rented a hydraulic wood-splitter to cut wood for the winter. Wow!! While no human being could split a 20-inch round of wood with their bare hands, the hydraulic wedge can cut through it with as much effort as it takes a hot knife to slice through butter. The wood might prevail against lesser foes, but it is easily humbled before the power of hydraulics. And my back sure is thankful!

In an infinitely greater way, God’s power is supreme over all. His power is displayed in every realm of His creation. But God’s power is not simply an “out there” reality that we can observe and be awed by as His power is revealed in creation. His power is also very personal in this sobering way: He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

The essence of all sin is pride. Pride passionately seeks to exalt self and, therefore, pride rebels against the absolute authority of God. Pride might be expressed in many different “socially acceptable” ways in a person’s life. Thus, it can often exist undetected in our lives, but it is fully known by the One who sees and searches all, and who is able to humble those who walk in pride.

One of the most graphic examples of God’s power to humble the proud concerns His dealings with King Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in Daniel 4. Double-Quadruple WOW!! This king was unparalleled in his earthly glory and might. The extent of his power and the expanse of his kingdom were staggering. But he was a proud man who did not give glory to God. So God humbled him. Big time. For seven years, God caused him to lose his mind and become like a beast of the field.

King Nebuchadnezzar would not humble himself, so God did. Through his painful experience, the king eventually repented and gave glory to God (Dan. 4:1-3; 34-37).

God is still active and powerful in humbling those who walk in pride. Everyone. As Scripture declares:

“…at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God’s power is infinite and eternal, and cannot ultimately be resisted by any. But rather than being subject to His humbling work in discipline and judgment, God graciously invites people to humble themselves under His mighty hand (1 Pet. 5:6). To humble oneself, is to openly acknowledge and glorify Him as Lord. It is to trust Him with absolute confidence and joyfully submit to His word. It is to fully and gratefully receive by faith all the blessings and privileges of eternal life that God has given in Christ. It is to rejoice in our God-given weakness and frailty that we might know His all-sufficient power to supply.

A mechanic in an old automotive repair commercial often said this: “you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.” The same can be said for this matter of humility before God - you can humble yourself now, or wait for God to humble you later. One way or another, God will humble all. May you know the joy and peace of being humble under His mighty hand.

Growing in Grace with You,

(Taken from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet, ed., The Banner of Truth Trust: 1975, 2002, pgs.264-265)

O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.

In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.

In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.

In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.

In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.

In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.

In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.

In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.

Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.

Growing in the grace of prayer with you,

In our June and July newsletters, I shared in detail about the Elder’s decision to move ahead prayerfully and actively in hiring a full-time Associate Pastor at RCG. We are confident in the Lord’s timing and provision regarding this, and look forward to how He will continue to build His church among us as we seek Him.

Having hopefully given clarity about the nature of this new position, and why we believe it is so important at this time in the life of RCG, I’d like to now address a very pecific, tangible reality: this is going to cost a lot of money!

As most of you know, we have provided for this new position in our 2007-2008 fiscal year budget. That began July 1. Including salary, benefits, taxes, insurance, and other operating costs, the total package is in excess of $70,000 annually. Our General Fund budget was intentionally streamlined in many areas to make room for this significant addition. Even so, our current budget represents a 15.6% increase over last year’s budget. This means our monthly need has gone from $19,867 last fiscal year to $22,958 this fiscal year, or an increase in our monthly need of $3,091.

I bring this to your attention because the other Elders and myself are concerned that our current giving trends are not sufficient for what we believe our needs are as a church. During the first 3 months of this fiscal year (July, August, and September), our total General Fund giving was $62,291. This figure is $6,583 less than our monthly need will be with the new position. What this means practically is that right now current giving would not support the addition of another full-time pastoral position. (Please note that while our giving is falling short of our monthly budget need, all of our current
expenses are being met. We are committed to never spending more than we have. Again, our concern is the church’s ability to cover the cost of adding an Associate Pastor in the future.)

In light of these things, I want to ask a simple question: are you giving financially to the ministry of RCG as God would have you? Scripture clearly reveals the truth that our giving (which isn’t limited to finances, but certainly includes finances) is an aspect of our worship and gratitude to God. There are many biblical examples in both the Old and New Testaments which indicate that while God is the Giver and Supplier of all things, He works in and through the hearts of His people in giving (see Ex. 25:1,2; 35:5,21; Acts 2:44,45; 1 Cor. 16:1-4). Scripture also makes it clear that nothing so
indicates the true priorities of our hearts as much as where we spend the money that God has entrusted to us. Jesus said it this way in Mt. 6:19-21:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Likewise, God does not simply encourage us to give or suggest that it might be a good thing to do, He commands us to give! Hear what He says through Paul in 1 Tim. 6:17-19:

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (Note that being “rich” in this context is having anything more than the basic necessities of life.)

These truths indicate that the real question for all of us is not primarily “am I giving financially to the ministry of RCG as God would have me to?”, but rather, “where is the treasure of my heart - in the things of God in heaven, or in the things of men on this earth? Am I being obedient to the Lord’s commands in the area of financial giving?”

Our conviction that we are in desperate need of a full-time Associate Pastor centers upon our hearts’ desire to see God exalted as His grace and truth in Jesus Christ abounds in and overflows to more and more people. As the size of our church body has increased and continues to increase, there are simply more shepherding, equipping, discipling, training, caring, and ministering needs among us than one full-time pastor, two part-time support staff, and numerous volunteers can adequately respond to. We need more pastoral leadership.

In closing, let me reiterate that we are confident that God will supply exactly what we need, when we need it. He knows best the “what,” and “who” and “when” in all of this. At the same time, we know that He works through His people, so we want to encourage you to prayerfully consider what God would have for you in these matters.

I know I speak for all the Elders in saying it is such a joy and privilege to serve among you - all for your blessing and His glory!

In His grip,

On Sunday mornings throughout this last summer, we’ve been giving our attention to Christ’s commandment in John 13:34-35:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We’ve taken many weeks to consider all the implications of this obligation to love one another, using 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as our primary text in understanding the various dimensions of this Christ-centered love believers are to have with one another –

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

With our “Summer of Love” series now completed, it seems fitting to let C.H. Spurgeon share some final thoughts related to the role of the Holy Spirit in developing this kind of love among believers. This quote is from a sermon delivered by Mr. Spurgeon on September 4, 1881, entitled, “Love’s Labours”:

What does this teach us at the outset, but that a salvation which leads to this must be of God, and must be wrought in us by his power? Such a comely grace can never grow out of our fallen nature. Shall such a clean thing as this be brought out of an unclean? This glorious salvation unto pure love must be grasped by faith, and wrought in us by the operation of the Spirit of God. If we consider salvation to be a little thing, we bring it, as it were, within the sphere of human possibility, but if we set it forth in its true proportions as involving the possession of a pure, loving, elevated state of heart, then we perceive that it is a divine wonder. When we estimate the renewed nature aright we cry, “This is the finger of God,” and right gladly do we then subscribe to Jonah’s creed, “Salvation is of the Lord.” If charity be in any man and abound, God must have the glory of it; for assuredly it was never attained by mere natural effort, but must have been bestowed by that same hand which made the heavens. So then, brethren, I shall hope when I conclude to leave upon your minds the impression of your need of the grace of God for the attainment of love. I would not discourage you, but I would have you feel how great a labour lies before you, and how impossible it will be unless you are girt with a strength beyond your own. This shall be your solace that if it cannot be the outcome of your own effort, yet “the fruit of the Spirit is love,” and the Spirit is ready and willing to bear fruit in us also.

May He indeed bear much fruit among us, for His glory and the blessing of many!

Growing with you,