“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Tonight, we say goodbye to 2023 and begin another year. As we look back over the last twelve months, we have a choice. We can remember all the terrible things that were in the news – the wars, mass killings, natural disasters and other trials. OR we can think of all the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us and be thankful. I am thankful for the health and strength that the Lord has given me. Many in my age…
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 “Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023 is authentic—the term for something we are thinking about, writing about, aspiring to, and judging more than ever. Authentic has a number of meanings including “not false or imitation,” a synonym of real and actual; and also “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define and subject to debate—two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary. And with the rise of artificial intelligence—and its impact on deepfake videos, actors’ contracts, academic honesty, and a vast number of other topics—the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year#: I do not know about you, but artificial intelligence scares me. When we make a phone call to a company or organization now, we do not know whether we are talking to an actual person or not. How much can we trust the information we are receiving? The…
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:3-5 Have you ever stopped to consider the intricacies of our natural bodies? Every organ, every cell, and every muscle work perfectly together. We think about doing something, and messages travel from our brain to the area of our body that needs to be involved. What a wonderful Creator who formed man from the dust of the earth, breathed into him the breath of life, and made him a living soul. Many times, in Paul’s writings, he compared the body of Christ to our natural bodies: I Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” Ephesians 4:16 “From whom the whole body fitly…
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:6-7 Paul wrote these verses to the church at Corinth concerning the offering they were raising to help those in need in the church in Jerusalem. This was something they were doing beyond their tithes and offerings to their local church. He advised them to let the Holy Spirit show them what they…
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:” I Peter 3:12 As I was thinking about the way the Holy Spirit guides us and directs us, I remembered an incident that happened many years ago. One of our teachers in Bible College was Sis. Marguerite Stairs. She was a great teacher, knew her Bible well, and was loved and appreciated by us all. Weekend trips were always looked forward to. One or more of the teachers would go with us, dropping two students off at each church in a particular area, so that we could gain some practical experience in ministering. On this day, I remember as we came out of the school and were preparing to get into the Volkswagen bus, Sis. Stairs stopped on the steps and said, “I have changed my mind. I feel a check in the Spirit and will not be going with you today.” We never knew the reason for this, but I am firmly convinced that the Lord knew something none of us knew, and there was some reason He did not want her to go. I am thankful that the Lord is…
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 It hardly seems that a year has passed since December 2022 was ending and we were looking ahead to a new year, wondering what it would hold for all of us. The word that I chose for the year was “Anticipation.” Throughout the year our Prayer Team has focused on the Harvest – revival in our hearts, and a burden to see prodigals return to the fold. God has blessed our church abundantly. We have had many visitors and several families have been attending regularly. There have been Bible Studies conducted, and as a result, several have been baptized in the Name of Jesus and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In every service, we have felt an awesome move of the Lord. We are thankful for this and are looking forward to what the Lord is going to do in this coming year as we continue to seek Him. With all the things that have transpired in our world over the last twelve months, there is an anticipation in our hearts that the Lord will soon return to…