Tag: thanksgiving
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday October 12th, 2014
Dear Friends,
I love fall! Harvest is in full swing on the farms! The air is getting cooler and nights longer! Football games come on the weekends and holidays are not far away! As we enjoy this season, we can look back and thank God for His faithfulness to supply our needs and lead us daily. He has abundantly supplied!
Take time this Sunday to join with God’s people and worship our Lord! Bring a thankful heart and present your selves before Him. One of the marks of the people of God is taking a day to honor God and give Him thanks! Offer yourself afresh as a laborer in His harvest field!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday September 7th, 2014
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ! He loves us and has demonstrated that love by giving His life on the cross and shedding His life-blood that those who would look to Him would have cleansing and eternal life! We celebrate His resurrection and victory over death and Hell as we gather today! What amazing love God has poured out on us! We remember Christ’s death until He comes again to receive us into glory!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary
Sunday rest and reflection!
Sunday July 20th, 2014
Dear Friends,
Summer is flying by! What a blessing to see the crops growing and a harvest maturing! Gardens are producing all kinds of vegetables and fruits and sweet corn is delicious! What an opportunity to gather with God’s people and thank Him for the abundance we enjoy! He is the source of all blessings and we are indebted to Him! Worship, prayer, and a listening ear for His Word will bless you on Sunday! He is worthy of our gathering and praise!
In His Love, Pastor John and Mary
Declaring His Glory!
Scripture reading for June 21st: Psalm 90-97
Psalms 95-97 are focused on the glory of God and worship! I enjoy these psalms because of their joy and rejoicing in God, Himself. They call all of mankind and creation into the chorus of worship that belongs to God who is worthy of praise!
Singing for joy and shouting out loud is mentioned in Psalm 95:1. Coming before Him with thanksgiving is always a good idea for God’s people, because God is the source of all their blessings! (Psalm 95:2) God’s people are urged to bow down in worship and kneel before their maker. (Psalm 95:6) Our posture, as well as our voices, instruments, and songs, indicates humility and honor. He is the great King above all gods, creator of heaven and earth!
Psalm 96 opens with an exhortation to sing a ‘new song’ to the Lord. His people are to declare His glory among the nations and peoples of the earth. All other nations and peoples have gods that are idols, but Israel alone knew the one true God who was worthy of praise! (Psalm 96:8) God was so arrayed in glory and majesty that a new song would come to those who contemplated His beauty and strength!
The Holy Spirit’s infilling often brings a new level of worship to the believer. From the Holy Spirit comes ‘spiritual songs’ given to help us worship of our awesome Lord when our own words aren’t enough! (Ephesians 5:18-20) This is a special experience available to New Testament believers!
In Psalms 96 and 97, all of creation joins in the worship chorus! The heavens rejoice and the earth is glad, the sea resounds and all the creatures in it at the glory of the Lord. The fields are jubilant and the trees sing in harmony as the Lord comes. The clouds surround Him. Fire goes before Him and lightning lights up the world! Mountains melt like wax in His presence and the earth sees Him and trembles! All the peoples see His Glory and His people rejoice and are glad. God comes to judge the earth and the peoples in righteousness and truth!
Take time today to offer heart-felt worship to the Lord! He is truly worthy of our praise! Examine your own heart for your preparations to see God as Redeemer and Judge!
Grasshoppers for lunch?
Scripture Reading for February 5: Leviticus 11-15
I remember a missionary from Africa once bringing chocolate coated grasshoppers to a service and offering them to
whoever was brave enough to eat them. I tried one! It was nice and crunchy and the chocolate took away most of the taste! Without the chocolate, I am sure it was low in fat and sugar! In our reading today, grasshoppers are on the list of “clean” animals that were allowed as food. (Leviticus 11:21-22)
Why all the rules about “clean” and “unclean” animals? In fact, the word “unclean” is used over 1oo times in today’s reading. God is holy and wants His people to be holy too. (Leviticus 11:44-45) What we eat affects our health and our ability to glorify God with our body. God knows which animals could carry disease and cause sickness. If you look at the list, some are obvious. Eating vultures, owls, osprey’s, bats, or hawks would be dangerous because they feed on carrion–dead animals. (Leviticus 11:13-19) God’s people were also not to eat any animal with the blood in it.
In this same passage, we are not to eat the pig, either. (Leviticus 11:7-8) This prohibition is because the pig was also a scavenger, eating anything available. God did not want His people to be defiled or made sick by the meat. It might have worms or bring infection.
However, Jesus declared all foods clean. (Acts 10:10-16) In a vision, Peter saw a sheet with all kinds of “unclean” animals on it. God told Peter to eat! When he protested, God told him a second time not to call anything impure that He had made clean. The Apostle Paul also taught this truth in 1 Timothy 4:4-5, declaring all food was to be eaten with thanksgiving and prayer.
We need to use wisdom in this matter, though. We must do all that we do out of faith. If the Lord shows you that for you a certain food is not to be eaten, don’t eat it! Anything not done out of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) We must also be mindful not to cause anyone else to stumble.
In conclusion, when you set down to a meal of grasshoppers, be sure to pray! God’s blessing and sanctification are a life and death matter! And be sure to eat with thanksgiving and in faith! If you can’t do that, grasshoppers might not be a healthy choice for you! Amen!
Grasshoppers for lunch, anyone?
Scripture Reading for February 5: Leviticus 11-15
I remember a missionary from Africa once bringing chocolate coated grasshoppers to a service and offering them to Read more