What Can I Do To Draw Closer To God?  This is a loaded question but is one that most christians ask.  The real question though is not what can I do but what am I willing to do to get closer to God.
I’ve titled this: “22 And Counting.”
1.  Draw close to God and he will draw close to you.2.  Shout unto the Lord with a voice of truimphet, shout unto the Lord with a voice of praise.3.  Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord; and he shall lift thee up.4.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteouness and then all things things shall be done.  5.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him.  6.  Hide God’s word in you heart that you may not sin against him.  7.  What ever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report think on these things and you shall be power and praise. 8.  Confess your sins to God and he is faithful to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteouness.  9.  Be not afraid only believe.10. Only speak the word of God and it shall be done.11. Love one another even as God has loved you.  12. Pray without ceasing.13. Study to show thyself approved unto God; a workman that need not be ashamed but rightly dividing the word of truth.  14. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye doubled minded.  15. But if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways: then I shall hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.16. Run from even the appearance of evil.17. Judge no one least you be judged.18. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven.19. Say unto this mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and believe in your heart and it shall be done.  20. In my name ye shall cast out devils, lay hands on the sick, and raise the dead.  21. Have the faith of God. 22. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Do these and surly you will be closer to God and he to you.  ”22 And Counting”.

Is your life full of the darkness of uncertainty?  God’s word is said to be a lamp you can carry and a light that causes darkness to flee.  Is there chains of sorrow that has kept you in bondage for far to long?  Only speak the word of God and it shall be undone.  Is the temptation of sin continually knocking at your heart’s door?  Then begin to hide God’s word in your heart, so you may not sin against God.  Is your faith slow, dull, and weak?  Then sharpen it with God’s word that is said to be quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.  Is your life controlled by a constant change of your emotions?  God word is said to be unchangeable; it is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  And his word shall stand; forever.  Is your life…

Thanks for listening, Pastor David Hayner

The last Thursday of every month we give out food from our church food pantry.  The Lord impressed upon me to start giving everybody who comes there for food spiritual food also.  So for the past three or four months we have the people sit in a room and give them a ten minute sermon of the word of God before they receive there physical food.  Tonight six people raise there hand to receive Christ as their savior and many more asked for personal prayer for daily struggles in there lives.  What a night for the food pantry ministry and thank you so much for Sharon and her crew that faithfully run the food ministry month after month.

Thanks God for listening.  D.

Psalms 150 is all about giving praise to God and him alone.  It starts out saying, praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  And the chapter ends with; let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord.  It’s so easy not to praise God during our day because of distractions and business of life.  It is so easy to forget to take time and praise the very God that keeps our hearts pumping throughout our day of activities.  It is so easy to put it off a few minutes then suddenly your day has just turned to night fall.  It’s so easy to want to give praise to God: but it takes great effort to stop and actually do it.  Let us remember the last scripture in this chapter.  The same God that hath given us breath shall be the same God that has appointed a time to take that breath.  In between the two, may we put forth with great effort a pause, to praise him.  Even Now.

Thanks for listening, Pastor David Hayner

If we were to list what most consider to be sacred ground in the bible; the list would include these:

1.  The ground in which the burning bush burned and yet not consumed.  And God spoke from it and told Moses to take off his shoes for the place he stood was holy ground.

2.  The animal smelled ground of the stable in which the baby Messiah was born in.

3.  The Place of the Skull, Golgotha were Jesus was crucified and his blood soaked the ground beneath his cross.

4.  The empty tomb; where Jesus grave cloth laid.

Can I tell you out of all the sacred places mentioned above; the most sacred ground to God, is you. You see if we believe that God has truly formed us in his image and after his likeness from the ground.  If you truly believe that God gave his only begotten son for you personally.  If you believe God forgive you when you asked him to. Then at that very moment his Holy Spirit came to live within thus making you his most sacred ground of all time.  Therefore when you take that person by the hand in Walmart and begin to pray for their teenager that ground in which you stand becomes sacred ground.  When you fall to your knees in desperate prayer for help, that ground becomes sacred ground.  When you make a decision to forgive an offense against you from many years back that phone call or meeting becomes sacred ground.  When you invite that person to come to your church where you receive such encouragement, help, and strength every week; that invitation becomes sacred ground.  Your rescued soul has become God’s most sacred ground in which he can reach in you, through you, and among you.  Even Today.

Thanks for listening, Pastor David Hayner

The word of God tells us that happy is the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Confession to God brings about immediate peace to the confessor.  It may or may not bring immediate remedy to the situation but can bring about a calmness in the turmoil of your spirit and soul.  Then once that has occurred your life doesn’t have to be paralized any longer, but you can begin to live; as God forgives and starts to move on your behalf.  The old saying is confession is good for the soul but the new saying is confession creates peace in the spirit and soul.  So today Father God I confess I need you.  I confess I am fearful.  I confess I am lost, confused, and helpless.  I confess my selfishness.  I confess my addictions.  I confess my pride.  I confess my weaknesses.  I confess my sin.  I confess my anger.  I confess I don’t how to forgive.  I confess I don’t want to love.  I confess my ……

Thanks for listening, Pastor David Hayner

If you have not heard yet our dear brother in the Lord; Bob Fulmer went to be with his Lord yesterday. We are all very sorrowful and were caught so unaware from the sudden death of Bob. Cheri and I went to be with June last night at there house as were many of his family and friends gathered also for quit some time. Funeral arrangements are being made as we speak at the funeral home located inNew Port. Please continue to lift June and all the family in comfort unto the Lord through this sorrowful yet celebration time. When we get information we will pass it on quickly. Please feel free to take food to June and the family but call first to ensure June is home. Our God is still ever so faithful. Pastor David.

“All the world religions can be placed in one of two camps: legalism or grace.  Humankind does it or God does it.  Salvation as a wage based on deeds done–or salvation as a gift based on Christ’s death.  A legalist believes the supreme force behind salvation is you.  If you look right, speak right, and belong to the right segment of the right group, you will be saved.  The brunt of responsibility doesn’t lie within God; it lies within you.  The result?  the outside sparkles.  The talk is good and the step is true.  But look closely.  Listen carefully.  Something is missing.  What is it?  Joy.  What’s there?  Fear.  (That you won’t do enough.)  Arrogance.  (That you have done enough.)  Failure.  (That you have made a mistake.)… Spiritual life is not a human endeavor.  It is rooted in and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.  Every spiritual achievement is created and energized by God (Max Lucado)”

God’s Will…Be Done Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  To pray this prayer there must be a deep desire within you to want to know and allow God’s will to be done in your life.  The great thing is that God wants to reveal his will for your life even more than you desire to know.  He is not a God of confusion nor is he a God that is trying to hide from you his will.  When ever he sees a sincere heart looking for his perfect will for their lives he immediately starts to reveal the promises and plans for that person.  Personal prayer and reading the bible are two of God’s most effective ways of revealing his will for your life.  Therefore when we pray the prayer thy will be done in earth (Me) as it is in heaven.  Let us be willing to pray, read, and listen as God the Father starts to reveal his perfect will for our lives here on this earth.

Perfection in Christ is three stages:
1.  Positional perfection which all believers have attained when they accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  You are not positioned in Christ and him alone.

2.  Relative perfection, which is, spiritual maturity especially in such aspects  as the will of God, love and holiness.  Maturity is achieved progressively as in perfecting holiness.  You are continuing to grow in all aspects of God while on this earth.

3.  Ultimate perfection, that is , perfection in soul, spirit, and body.  For the Christian nothing short of the moral perfection of God is always the absolute standard of conduct, but Scripture recognizes that Christians do not attain sinless perfection in this life.

Perfection was not ever meant to put us in bondage but at the same time you have, continue to have, and will have a perfect day in Christ.  Your perfection is not by what you can do but rather what has already been done for you.  Even Today.