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 David Servant ( - )
Read freely text sermons and articles by the speaker David Servant in text and pdf format. David Servant is the Founder of Heavens Family, helping the least of these world-wide. David Servant has been serving in ministry since 1979 as a church-planter, pastor, teacher and missionary. When David Servant read the results of his high-school vocational aptitude test, he laughed. The results told him that he was best suited for a career in ministry or in entertainment. At the time, David's future goal was to live in a log cabin in the wilderness and live off the land for the rest of his life. The Lord, however, had different plans for David Servant. God didn't intend for him to run away from the world, but rather to play a part in changing the world by building God's kingdom. David received his call to ministry during his (reluctant) freshman year at Penn State, and one year later was enrolled in Bible School.
David Servant is the author of eight books, including Forever Rich, and the The Disciple-Making Minister, a 500-page equipping manual that has been translated into more than 20 languages and is being distributed to tens of thousands of pastors.
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showing from 251 to 300 of 542 articles
Day 244, Revelation 6
Although this chapter is full of mystery regarding the specific details, the overriding message is clear: perilous days precede the time of Christ's return. It seems this chapter contains a general overview of those times, and as each seal of the scroll i ... read more
Day 245, Revelation 7
This seventh-chapter interlude in the "seal judgments" is a prelude to chapter eight, in which the seventh and final seal of the sacred scroll is broken by Christ, which introduces seven successive "trumpet judgments." Prior to those judgments, it is appa ... read more
Day 246, Revelation 8
Today's reading reminds me of an old joke about a Presbyterian and a Baptist. The Presbyterian makes the claim that Presbyterians will be the first to be taken up in the rapture. "Does not Scripture say, 'There was silence in heaven for about a half an ho ... read more
Day 247, Revelation 9
I have more questions than answers regarding the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments. But rather than be frustrated over what is a mystery, let us be glad that the general themes are crystal clear. No one who reads this chapter debates the fact that God's e ... read more
Day 248, Revelation 10
The eleven short verses of chapter ten are parenthetical between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. It begins with an angel who is apparently quite large, as he places "his right foot on the sea and his left on the land" (10:2), who cries out with a ... read more
Day 249, Revelation 11
During the final days of the final days, Jerusalem, referenced in this chapter as "the holy city" and "Sodom and Egypt" (11:2, 8), will be trodden underfoot by the nations for forty-two months, or exactly three-and-a-half years (11:2). Due to a prophecy i ... read more
Day 25, Matthew 25
The two parables found in the second half of Jesus' Olivet Discourse underscore the primary and repeated theme found in the first half. Obviously, Jesus wanted His disciples to be ready at His coming. If there were no possibility of them not being ready-- ... read more
Day 250, Revelation 12
This chapter could be called "a short history of the devil in relationship to Israel." What we've just read certainly doesn't fit well into any assumed chronological order within the book of Revelation, as it begins with a vision of the birth of Jesus.
... read more
Day 251, Revelation 13
A few chapters from now, we'll read an angel's explanation to John of what this first beast, to whom we are introduced today, represents. His seven heads represent seven mountains and seven kings (17:9-10), and his ten horns also represent ten kings "who ... read more
Day 252, Revelation 14
Interpreting the book of Revelation certainly isn't getting any easier with this chapter. Yet if we remain content understanding general themes, it isn't so bad. God is holy. He offers mercy. When His mercy ends, His judgment begins.
At first it seems ... read more
Day 253, Revelation 15
After reading about the seven "seal judgments" and then the seven "trumpet judgments," this chapter prepares us for the "bowl judgments." John does give us some hint of their chronological sequence, informing us that these are the final plagues. We will d ... read more
Day 254, Revelation 16
The seven “bowl judgments,” which are God's final judgments upon the earth, will surpass the seal and trumpet judgments in their severity. It is difficult to believe that there will be any believers on the earth then, as the judgments seem to be world ... read more
Day 255, Revelation 17
This chapter has provided more fodder for speculation than perhaps any other in the Bible! What or whom does the great harlot represent? The final verse of this chapter identifies her as "the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth" (17:18). ... read more
Day 256, Revelation 18
Today we read a further indication that the great harlot of chapter 17, on whose forehead is written, "Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth" (17:5), is one and the same as the "Babylon" of which we read today. Conc ... read more
Day 257, Revelation 19
We have just read about the battle of Armageddon, where Jesus makes very short work of the great harlot, the beast, the false prophet, and the armies that foolishly gather to do battle against Him at His return. They are truly deluded by the devil to even ... read more
Day 258, Revelation 20
It will require only one angel to subdue and incarcerate Satan for 1,000 years, giving us insight into how much more powerful God is than the devil. God could easily immobilize Satan right now if it were His will. The devil, however, serves a purpose in G ... read more
Day 259, Revelation 21
Peter wrote in his second epistle that one day “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10). Jesus also foretold that “heaven and earth wil ... read more
Day 26, Matthew 26
According to Mark, the value of the perfume which that particular woman poured over Jesus' head was equivalent to about 300 days' wages for a common laborer (see Mark 14:3-4). To bring it into some perspective, imagine a perfume worth fourteen months of y ... read more
Day 260, Revelation 22
The river of the water of life mentioned in this chapter is similar to what Ezekiel and Zechariah saw hundreds of years before the apostle John lived (Ezek. 47:1-12; Zech. 14:8). Ezekiel also mentioned seeing the tree of life along that amazing river:
... read more
Day 27, Matthew 27
Although Judas was remorseful for betraying Jesus, he wasn't repentant. Had he repented, he would not have hung himself. Rather, he would have used the remainder of his life to bear fruit for the glory of God. Keep in mind that it really wasn't Judas alon ... read more
Day 28, Matthew 28
I'm afraid this part of Jesus' story has become so familiar to us that it loses its impact when we read it. But try to imagine the surprise and joy of the women who visited His grave that Sunday morning. Imagine, for example, going to the gravesite of one ... read more
Day 29, Acts 1
The book of Acts was authored by Luke, the physician, who accurately recorded the first 30 or so years of the early church's history, particularly highlighting the ministries of Peter and Paul. God's purpose for preserving the historical account of the ea ... read more
Day 3, Matthew 3
John the Baptist preached repentance, as did Jesus and the apostles. It is through repentance that we begin a relationship with God. There is no other way to be saved. Repentance simply means turning away from sin and turning to obedience. A gospel that d ... read more
Day 30, Acts 2
God baptized the disciples in the Holy Spirit to empower them to take the gospel to all the nations, or more specifically, to all peoples, tribes and tongues. As those 120 disciples spoke supernaturally in languages they had never learned, it was a sign t ... read more
Day 31, Acts 3
He asked for alms, but got legs! This healing of the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate didn't occur because of Peter's faith. That is, Peter didn't see the crippled man and say to himself, "I'm going to have faith for that man to be healed, and so I'll l ... read more
Day 32, Acts 4
Jesus had foretold His disciples that they would be delivered up to the courts and synagogues. He also told them that they shouldn't concern themselves with planning a defense, because the Holy Spirit would give them words that none of their opponents cou ... read more
Day 33, Acts 5
We are told that the sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira brought fear upon the church and everyone else (5:11). Clearly, that was God's intention. There was such an obvious cause-and-effect relationship between Ananias' and Sapphira's hypocrisy and thei ... read more
Day 34, Acts 6
Not only did the early believers generously meet the material needs of the poor among them, but they also provided daily food for a good number of Jewish widows who were apparently not part of the church. In the early church, the poor were given greater p ... read more
Day 35, Acts 7
Why did Stephen make such a lengthy defense and recount so much of Israel's history? According to his accusers, he had been speaking against the Temple and the Law of Moses (Acts 6:13-14) and thus needed to prove he was not anti-temple or anti-Law. His lo ... read more
Day 36, Acts 8
Some suggest that God permitted the Jerusalem persecution so that the gospel might be spread outside of Jerusalem. Jesus did command His disciples to take the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8), and i ... read more
Day 37, Acts 9
It is no wonder why Paul described himself as the world's foremost sinner in 1 Timothy. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, being in "hearty agreement with putting him to death" (Acts 8:1). Soon after, he "began ravaging the church, entering ho ... read more
Day 38, Acts 10
Today's reading illustrates God's favor upon sincere seekers. He goes to great lengths to make sure they hear about Jesus. He still does today.
Cornelius, a Roman army commander in charge of 100 men, was stationed in Caesarea, a strategic Roman port on ... read more
Day 39, Acts 11:1-18
Our reading today ends happily, but how sad is the beginning! Rather than rejoicing that the Gentiles had "received the word of God" (11:1), "those who were circumcised" in Jerusalem (which would have consisted of all the church's leadership) were upset a ... read more
Day 4, Matthew 4
It is interesting that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness specifically to be tempted by the devil (4:1). It was God's plan. Had Jesus faced no temptation, it could not be truly said that He was sinless, and as I mentioned yesterday, He had to ... read more
Day 40, James 1
We break from our journey through the book of Acts knowing that James authored his only epistle sometime shortly after the Jerusalem believers were scattered following Stephen's martyrdom (see Acts 11:19). The church was about ten years old when James wro ... read more
Day 41, James 2
Faith in Jesus is incompatible with partiality, because God is impartial. He certainly doesn't show partiality to the rich---something that is often done in human societies---and unfortunately by some in the early church as well. Keep in mind that the bel ... read more
Day 42, James 3
As I read through James, I like to remind myself that it was the complete New Testament at the time it was written. There were no other New Testament books or letters then, so what we are reading was the spiritual diet of the early church when it was at l ... read more
Day 43, James 4
Was James writing to heaven-bound Christians in the first half of this chapter? Keep in mind that he previously addressed some who professed to be saved, but whose faith was void of works, proving them to be unsaved (2:14-17). I tend to think that same th ... read more
Day 44, James 5
I think it is important to note that James condemns, not the rich in general, but the unrighteous rich. They gained their riches by not paying laborers who mowed their fields, and they "condemned and put to death the righteous man" (5:6).
The unrighteo ... read more
Day 45, Acts 11:19-30 & 12
An interesting point to ponder is that, at this point in church history (about 15 years after the church's birth on the day of Pentecost), the book of James comprised the entire New Testament. The book of Galatians wouldn't be written for at least another ... read more
Day 46, Acts 13
It is now around 48 A.D., 18 years from the church's birth on Pentecost. The church in Antioch was not fragmented into scores of denominations separated by doctrine and traditions. Rather, the believers, who regularly gathered in houses in many locations, ... read more
Day 47, Acts 14
This incident of the healing of the crippled man in Lystra raises some interesting questions. According to what we read, Paul was preaching "the gospel" (14:7) in Lystra. Listening to Paul's gospel, a man who had been lame from birth was inspired with fai ... read more
Day 48, Galatians 1
There is little doubt that Paul penned his letter to the Galatian churches not too long after his first missionary journey to their region (see 1:6), which we've been reading in the books of Acts over the past two days. So the year was around 48 A.D., 18 ... read more
Day 49, Galatians 2
As Paul recounts his second trip to Jerusalem, once again we see that the primary issue was that of circumcision. Paul took Titus, a Greek Gentile, with him on that second trip, and Titus remained uncircumcised, before and after (2:3). The point? It prove ... read more
Day 5, Matthew 5
Today is one of those days that I wish I was allotted more than 700 words! If you are interested in learning more about the Sermon on the Mount, I've written much more extensively about it here.
In the Beatitudes, as they're called, Jesus lists the ide ... read more
Day 50, Galatians 3
The controversy Paul addressed in his letter to the Galatians was not a debate over whether or not true Christians obey God's commandments. Rather, it was a debate over whether or not Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order to be s ... read more
Day 51, Galatians 4
Paul's son/slave analogy (4:1-7) does not illustrate how obedience to God is optional for Christians, as some say. Rather, it illustrates how a Jew's relationship with the Law of Moses changes when he believes.
Prior to believing in Jesus, a Jew under ... read more
Day 52, Galatians 5
Once again we see that the main issue in Galatia was circumcision for Gentiles, mentioned four times in this short chapter. The teaching that circumcision was essential for salvation made Paul quite angry! He wrote, (and I paraphrase 5:12): "If these fell ... read more
Day 53, Galatians 6
If it hasn't been clear before, it couldn't be clearer today. When Paul wrote of our freedom from the Law in this letter, he was speaking about the Law of Moses. He certainly wasn't speaking about the law of Christ, because we read in 6:2: "Bear one anoth ... read more
Day 54, Acts 15
You should have felt right at home reading Acts 15 today, having just read Paul's letter to the Galatians. Both focus on the same problem and both reveal the same remedy. It stands to reason that Paul wrote his Galatian letter before the Jerusalem council ... read more
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