Grateful

Today I find myself deeply grateful.  Grateful for the gospel and for God's faithfulness.  Grateful for the privilege to serve the Lord.  Grateful for a church that loves me and believes in impacting others.  I love you Northside.  Grateful for a ministry that was begun to impact pastors and leaders for the glory of God throughout the Northeast and to the ends of the earth.

Tonight we begin our Keep the Fire Burning conference for pastors and leaders at Bible Church International, in Randolph, New Jersey.  We gather tonight and tomorrow to worship the Lord and seek him.  In 2 Timothy 1:6, 'For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.'  The older pastor (Paul) writing to the younger (Timothy) reminds him to keep ablaze - fan into flame - the gift of God.  Basically - keep the fire burning.

Our first conference at Northside was in the spring of 2011.  We hosted them for six years.  We took year seven off to stoke our own fire again.  This year we are going on the road - New Jersey for the Northeast and the Philippines for international impact.  By the end of the year we hope to have impacted well over 1000 leaders for the glory of God.

We pray for faith to be renewed, for instruction and inspiration, for revival and renewal and for encouragement.  Before our first conference God gave me this passage and I returned to it this morning.  Hosea 6:1-3, 'Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.  After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.  Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.'

I'm trusting Him for all of that tonight.  What a wonderful Savior.  What a mighty God.  Praise the name of Jesus.