The Importance of Unity

Psalm 133 "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

For me, this is one of the most meaningful and picturesque passages of scripture in the Bible. When I was in my early twenties, I was asked to memorize a Psalm, pressed for time and beginning to panic I picked one of the shortest ones I could find and because I quoted it over and over and over again, it sank in. I mean I really got it. Psalm 133 became part of my understanding of God. Let me share with you the 5 lessons that this Psalm has taught me.

#1 Unity is of paramount importance. Brothers in unity are one of the most powerful illustrations and examples of God at work ever. We sensed it at our recent retreat and I sense it often among the brothers at Grace Harbor. Maybe only one thing more powerful than brothers in unity..... sisters in unity. Look at the destructive force disunity can be, and then it is easy to see how marvelous unity can be.

#2 There is a God-glorifying abundance that needs to be invoked from time to time. When Mary Magdalene broke the expensive jar of oil on Jesus feet and washed his feet with her hair, it was not inappropriate, because of the sincerity and Christ-glorifying moment. Similarly, when so much oil was poured on Aaron's head that it ran all the way down his beard and even on to his collar it illustrated the importance of the preciousness of the worship. Excess is seldom in order, but from time to time we need to know when to sacrifice our best to show the supremacy of who He is to us.

#3 The priesthood, or pastorate or any ministry leader should always be humble enough to be used by Christ for illustration. Oh how many times I have needed to just be gracious in those moments and to get out of the way and let Jesus be exalted through me in spite of myself. I know Aaron knew what that meant. Every leader should learn this crucial lesson of the attitude of servitude.

#4 Sometimes things happen where they don't seem like they should and that truly glorifies God. Mount Hermon is lush and Mount Zion is not. See the comparison? Aaron doesn't deserve that oil, neither do I, neither do you, but it is like something really wet pouring out on something really dry. Miraculous. A beautiful simile followed by a beautiful metaphor.

#5 God has a way of making the simplest things the most profound. This Psalm in effect, saved my bacon when I was put on the spot to deliver something from memory. Almost completely extemporaneously God gave me these lessons early in my life which are part of the cavalcade of gems and jewels that the Spirit has revealed to my spirit to shape who I am.

I hope these pictures touch your heart and help you to hunger for the depth of the meaning of God's Word. No doubt just sharing this with you reminds me of how amazing God is in how He can make His Word come alive and teach us both mysteries and truths. Every passage of the Word is rich with nutritious ingredients that our hearts are starving for every day. Read, meditate, study, search, pray and listen to God's Spirit unfold the truth to you. It doesn't have to be the same as what I've learned. This Psalm has grown in practicality and application for me over the years.

Grow with me, Pastor Fred

“God Remembers”

Psalm 132:1 "O Lord, remember David, and all the hardships he endured."

First of all, let me remind you that even though God forgives and remembers our sin no more, He does remember everything that we endure that glorifies Him. This thought blesses me today. The tough times and efforts of our lives that were done in service to Him and all the sacrifices made and losses endured, if done with sincere heart they glorify His Name. We do not do anything that isn't noticed by God, not just our sins either, our service is recognized and God does remember all that we've done towards accomplishing His will in our lives.

This Psalm is dedicated to celebrating the arrival of the Arc of the Covenant in Jerusalem. David went through a lot in his life and the anonymous writer of this Psalm begins with a request of God to remember David and all the hardships that he faced in his life. From giants to shame, from victory to defeat. From one end of his life to the other, David was a man after God's own heart and God remembered that and glorified Himself because of what David endured. All is not for nothing. Everything done for Him is of value and God remembers.

We all endure things. We are patient and tolerant at least to a degree and we survive many pitfalls, poor choices attacks of the enemy and so on. But, we also serve Him, love Him, praise Him and do many things for the purpose of His glory. God is aware of this and remembers what we do. We should think of this not for the purpose of exalting ourselves, but instead, so we don't forget to keep doing what we should be doing.

I know I grow weary of "the high road" as I have come to call it. That way of doing things that focuses on what is right and best and always consider what Jesus would do and how. The value of doing things for Him, His way is that He remembers and He glorifies Himself when we do it for Him, sometimes just because it is the right thing to do. I am grateful today to be reminded that He remembers. Have you ever had someone remember something you did that blessed them that you had completely forgotten about? Or, someone tells you of something that happened years ago and you had no idea that it was such a blessing to them? When this happens I always want to say 'Praise the Lord', because that's why I try to do what I do. For Him. It blesses me a lot today to consider that God remembers, because we so often forget. We seem to too often forget the good and always remember the bad. He remembers the good and forgets the bad. I'm so glad He is not like us. Let us not forget to appreciate Him for that. We should also remember to apply to others what is good for us.

With His Love and Mine, Pastor Fred

Be Still My Soul

Psalm 131:2a "But I have stilled and quieted my soul."

The verse preceding this one in Psalm131 talks about not being proud with haughty eyes, and thinking more of ourselves than we ought to or should. I have said the words that are the title of this devotional to myself many times. Be still my soul. Sometimes it works; sometimes I have to try harder. Our souls can be restless more often than we'd like to admit. We are restless with worries and anxieties, restless with plots and schemes and drama, restless with a lack of faith, restless with anger, and un-forgiveness and restless with control and a lack of self control. We need to be able to still and quiet our souls. How do we do this?

I have found three ways that work best and most often for me. There are probably more ways but these are the ones that come to mind that I can share with you and I hope they help you to find some peace and solace within you today.

#1 Talking to God... I was going to say praying, but we say that so often that it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Think of praying more as talking to God. Let it all out with Him. (Do take as long to listen once you've vented) Really let Him know what you are thinking and feeling, even about the drama, worries, anger and lack of self control. He can hear it and is listening and will respond. When I talk to Him and listen to Him, I get more and more quiet and still.

#2 Meditating on His Word... I was going to say Bible Study but we say that so often that it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Think about the content of His Word and run it through your mind over and over again. This actually serves as a mental cleansing process. Picture His Truth as a washrag that you could put in one ear and pull out the other, now pull it back and forth a few times. This cleansing motion can bring great relief to our bad ideas and self-centered feelings. Ever notice that a really hot shower (or cold one if needed) helps to make us relax and be still and quiet. I like to run that hot water across the back of my neck for a couple of minutes. Good for the circulation and it also gives me a couple of quiet and still minutes to sort out my thinking which is probably just as valuable.

#3 Serving the Lord... I was going to say Helping Others, but we say that so often that it seems to go in one ear and out the other. (Save the in one ear and out the other process for the spiritual washrag illustration ok?) It is true though; that if you lose yourself in something you can do for the Lord (usually for others in some way) it surely stills and quiets the soul. On Monday mornings I go to Panera Bakery before 7am and pick up the bread donation every week. I am ready to let someone else do it, but you know what? I enjoy it, because it quiets and stills me to just do something labor intensive to clear my mind and put me in perspective early in the week. After I pick it up I take it to the church and sort some sweets out for the staff and then bag up the rest for staff and school families. As I bag it up I talk to early arrivers and offer them bagels, bread and goodies as they leave. Then the Food Ministry takes the rest and distributes it to those in need later in the morning. I used to set up the chairs in the Worship Center. I used to police the church grounds for trash. I used to pick up the toys that are left out on the playground. Someone else does this most of the time now. Even if someone else takes on the Panera Bread Ministry, I will need to do something else similar because it is good for me. It quiets and stills my soul. What do you do that does that for you?

I hope these ideas help you to find some quiet and stillness in your soul. If you are restless, you might want to try doing something about it. It’s really up to you. If you make an effort the Lord will take care of the rest.

In His Service, Pastor Fred

Fear NOT!

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7

This time of year usually brings out all kinds of festive decorations for October, including pumpkins, scarecrows, black cats, and yes we see other types of decorations that are very disturbing in terms of death, mutilation and disgusting themes. People pay money to go to amusement parks to be scared; others decorate their front lawns with scary apparitions and fearful scenarios for those who pass by when trick or treating. I personally do NOT enjoy the feeling of fear. It is not entertaining, amusing or fun for me. God created us with a variety of emotions, and God also knows that we have the ability to be afraid. It is not a sin to become afraid, but it is not necessary for Christians to remain afraid or live in fear. This is not what God desires for His children. As a parent, when my children came to me in the night when they were afraid… did I ignore them? Or encourage them to stay afraid? Did I punish them for being fearful? Did I leave them alone to “get over it”? Did I try to make them more afraid by playing tricks on them when they were scared?, BY NO MEANS! I did everything I could to comfort them, ease their fear, show them that they were safe and LOVE them into a calm and peaceful place. Our heavenly Father is exactly the same when His children are fearful. He wants us to be comforted, and to not remain in fear. The Bible has a lot to say about overcoming fear, specifically why we should not fear. Throughout the Bible, God commanded His people to "fear not" by assuring them of His presence and help on their behalf. In times of fearful circumstance, we must remember to trust in the constant presence and love of God, and STAND on His Word and His promises. Here are just a few of my favorites:

"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I Am your shield, your very great reward'"
(Genesis 15:1)

“ When you go to war against your enemy and see horses and chariots and soldiers far outnumbering you, do not recoil in fear of them; God, your God, who brought you up out of Egypt is with you. When the battle is about to begin, let the priest come forward and speak to the troops. He'll say, "Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win." (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).

Fear not, for I Am with you; be not dismayed, for I Am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I Am the one who helps you.” (Isaiah 41:10, 13)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalms 23:4).

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:25,26)

One of the main causes of fear is our lack of control over events in our life. Please realize that NOTHING that happens to you is a surprise to God. God wants us to know and be assured that as long as He is with us, we need not be afraid. Your peace must not depend on circumstances because those change as often as the direction of the wind. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:35-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Are you convinced? Is your security in Christ a settled matter? Do you KNOW that there is NOTHING natural OR supernatural that can separate you from the Love and protection of Abba Father? If so, then do not fear. If not, then spend some time and talk with God about this, ask Him to show you His Power and Presence in those times that can bring fear to your doorstep. We need not fear any danger from anything natural or supernatural, small or great. It is the love of God that overshadows us and gives us victory in and over all these things. The Lord knew that we, as humans, would find ourselves overcome by fear from time to time, but it is important to remember that when those times happen that we need to not run or hide, but stand firm in the truth of God’s Word.

Do you know how a lion captures its prey in the wild? It is a very fast animal, but not as fast as a gazelle or a zebra. The lion will ROAR in the direction of the animal it seeks to overcome, and the animal is parallelized with fear and stops running, just long enough for the lion to overtake it. I believe this is why Paul warned us in I Peter 5:8 that our adversary, the devil, is just like a lion in this respect: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” If the devil can paralyze your spiritual walk with his tactics of intimidation and fear, he can overtake you and assault your peace of mind and your ability to move forward in Victory. Satan is the father of lies and will do whatever he can to keep us from walking in the powerful life of Christ. One of the weapons he uses against us is fear. When we are driven by a spirit of fear, we act out the antithesis of power, love and a sound mind. We become weak, unable to freely love, and our minds are overwhelmed and not operating in rational ways. We hide, we cower, we fail to move out, and we are frozen in the fear, which is what the devil wants us to be: immobilized. My beloved brothers and sisters, this is NOT how God intended us to live our lives. The fruits of the Spirit (Who resides in every believer) are LOVE, JOY, PEACE, and none of these give room for fear. Since God’s Spirit is in us, God says we do not have to be afraid. The Spirit that He has given us is not cowardly or timid, is not lacking in love, and is not confused and unstable. It is a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. No matter what we are going through, or how weak our human spirit feels- we have power already on the inside of us. When we feel like we can not put up with another person or when we don’t like anyone- much less love them, we have love on the inside of us. When we feel life is too much, that there are too many decisions to be made and we feel like we are losing our minds, we must remember we have a sound mind right on the inside of us! That is something to get excited about!!!

Fear NOT!

Shalom, Sister, Lahoma

The Record of Sins

Psalm 130:3 "If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?"

Please allow me to answer the rhetorical question presented in this Psalm..... uhhhh NOBODY!! If indeed, God kept a record of our sins or did not forgive completely, nobody could stand before Him. There are two very interesting points that we should consider as we are eternally grateful for His grace and mercy that forgives us. One, there then is a record of all unforgiven sin. What an overwhelming thought that is. In this high tech age we are coming to understand that what we do, especially in the cyber world, is part of a permanent record. I shudder to think how many volumes the unforgiven sins of mankind could fill. Can you imagine the grace it takes to forgive all the repented sin?

O Lord, thank you for taking our sins on yourself and for removing them as far as the east is from the west and for burying them in the deepest sea to be remembered no more. Even though this is true, the consequences of our sins are still due and payable. Sometimes God somehow shows us grace and mercy in this regard also, but for the most part all of us will need to account in this lifetime for what we have said and done. Add to that our thought life. Oh my, O Lord, thank you again for your grace and mercy.

Aren't you grateful that God is not keeping score on believers? Aren't you aghast at the reality that He is keeping score on unbelievers? This is why we must share the gospel and try to bring people to the saving grace of Christ, because someday the ledgers of our life must be rectified and only His blood can cancel out the debts that will be owed. This very thought touches my deepest inner core. Life is so precious and time is so short, there are people choosing to go to hell every day, and for eternity too (not just for a scare the hell out of you visit either). This is a eternal life and eternal condemnation decision that is made by each and every human being.

No wonder Jesus suffered so much. No wonder He agonized so much. No wonder the Holy Spirit is grieved and the Father's heart must be broken. O Lord, forgive us for not sharing and for missing the divine appointments we have been given to share the good-news. What does God want us to do? He wants us to be part of His redemptive plan. Our primary purpose is to fulfill His will, to not only share His love, but His salvation with everyone we possibly can.

Someday I will get to go home to be with Jesus. What a blessing that will be. Until then, I want to live this life in such a way that not only honors Him, but also shines like a light. A light of witness. A witness that tells of His love and plan to redeem every soul. Since I can stand, because of His mercy and am still standing because of His grace I should stand up and testify whenever there is opportunity. He does not keep a record of sins for those of us who know Him. But, for those who don't He does. Let us share with them that there is hope and that judgment can be avoided. I hope that you will consider seriously the potential eternal consequences of your choices. I know I will.

In His Service, Pastor Fred

Devotional - I think it's my week

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Ray Beeman:

Grace Harbor Saints: you probably know that Max Lucado is one of my favorite Christian authors, and the following is lifted from one of his great books. Yes, we definitely need to collect as the body of Christ, in the physical church of Grace Harbor, but Max also recommends here that we use our home as a place of worship as well, to all. Here's Max:

Long before the church had pulpits and baptisteries, she had kitchens and dinner tables. "The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts" (Acts 2:46 NCV). "Every day in the Temple and in people’s homes they continued teaching the people and telling the Good News - that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42 NCV).

Even a casual reading of the New Testament unveils the house as the primary tool of the church. "To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer … and to the church in your house" (Philem. vv. 1–2). "Greet Priscilla and Aquila … the church that is in their house" (Rom. 16:3, 5). "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house" (Col. 4:15).

It’s no wonder that the elders were to be "given to hospitality" (1 Tim. 3:2 KJV). The primary gathering place of the church was the home. Consider the genius of God’s plan. The first generation of Christians was a tinderbox of contrasting cultures and backgrounds. At least fifteen different nationalities heard Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Jews stood next to Gentiles. Men worshipped with women. Slaves and masters alike sought after Christ.
Can people of such varied backgrounds and cultures get along with each other?

We wonder the same thing today. Can Hispanics live in peace with Anglos? Can Democrats find common ground with Republicans? Can a Christian family carry on a civil friendship with the Muslim couple down the street? Can divergent people get along?

The early church did - without the aid of sanctuaries, church buildings, clergy, or seminaries. They did so through the clearest of messages (the Cross) and the simplest of tools (the home). Not everyone can serve in a foreign land, lead a relief effort, or volunteer at the downtown soup kitchen. But who can’t be hospitable? Do you have a front door? A table? Chairs? Bread and meat for sandwiches? Congratulations! You just qualified to serve in the most ancient of ministries: hospitality. You can join the ranks of people such as

Abraham. He fed, not just angels, but the Lord of angels (Gen. 18).

Rahab, the harlot. She received and protected the spies. Thanks to her kindness, her kindred survived, and her name is remembered (Josh. 6:22–23; Matt. 1:5).

Martha and Mary. They opened their home for Jesus. He, in turn, opened the grave of Lazarus for them (John 11:1–45; Luke 10:38–42).

Zacchaeus. He welcomed Jesus to his table. And Jesus left salvation as a thank-you gift (Luke 19:1–10).

And what about the greatest example of all - the "certain man" of Matthew 26:18? On the day before his death, Jesus told his followers, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, "The Teacher says: The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover with my followers at your house" (NCV).

How would you have liked to be the one who opened his home for Jesus? You can be. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt. 25:40 NIV). As you welcome strangers to your table, you are welcoming God himself.

Something holy happens around a dinner table that will never happen in a sanctuary. In a church auditorium you see the backs of heads. Around the table you see the expressions on faces. In the auditorium one person speaks; around the table everyone has a voice. Church services are on the clock. Around the table there is time to talk.

Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It’s no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing. When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message: "You matter to me and to God." You may think you are saying, "Come over for a visit." But what your guest hears is, "I’m worth the effort."

"Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another."(1 Peter 4:9–10 NLT)

Heavenly Father, you have given me so much - every breath I take is a gift from your hand. Even so, I confess that sometimes my own hand remains tightly closed when I encounter the needs of others. Please open both my hand and my heart that I might learn to delight in taking advantage of the daily opportunities for hospitality that you present to me. Help me remember, Lord, that when I show your love in tangible ways to “the least of these,” I am ministering directly to you. As you help me open my heart and hand, O Lord, I ask that you also prompt me to open my door to those who need a taste of your love and bounty. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

So, bless you as you bless others in the warmth and Spirit, in your home, Ray Bee

I’m not done yet, Thank you.

Psalm 129:1-2 They have greatly oppressed me from my youth-- let Israel say-- they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.

I love these words. From the earliest days of Israel, they have been persecuted. Perhaps, accumulatively, more than any other 'people group' ever. God's people living in a broken world have never gone very long without being hated. When representing God in any capacity, it doesn't take too long for the world to turn on you, whether you are Israelites or believers or the church or even as an individual follower of God. If you want to be consistently well-liked or popular or criticism-free or have an easy path, don't pick following God as your primary purpose. Christians beware, all the hatred that has ever been felt towards Jews is now shared by us.

I remember from my youth how not too long after I became a believer I began to feel the 'separation' from others. At first it was just casual, but the more fervent and dedicated I became, the bigger the rift grew. Soon it was not just avoidance, it started with teasing and eventually over the years the derogatory comments and ridicule turned into persecution. If you are not experiencing any rejection as a Christian, try sharing your faith more or stating your moral standards, or letting those around you know what the Bible says about controversial subjects.

As I venture into my sixties, one of the blessings of aging is a sense of resolve that emanates from the core of my being, directly connected to my core beliefs. Without risking becoming an 'old fart' too soon, I find myself standing my ground with increasing strength and fortitude. I may have been pushed around, mocked, avoided, categorized, minimized and ignored, but 'they' have not gained the victory over me. This old world may be going to hell in a hand basket, but I'm not and neither are as many people as I can tell about the good news either.

As the title of this devotional says.....'I'm not done yet, thank you'. And I'm not. I still have life and fight and will and vision and dreams and hopes and with God's help whatever purposes I will submit to Him accomplishing through me. I'm always ready to go another round, or another mile. Come on everybody let's get up and fight. Fight for what is right and while we are doing it, with love and mercy and grace, have a blessed time too. Makes no difference how old you are. I have sung this battle song many times throughout my life and I am humming the chorus all the time again.

It is too easy to cave in and call it a day. Too simple to just give up and fall in line with the status quo. The same deep convictions that provoked me to evangelism as a new believer and to civil rights as a young man and to youth ministry and the pastorate still resonate in my soul. We have a cause and that cause is the sharing of Christ as Savior with a needy, needy world. But, we must be tougher and more determined to speak up, stand up and get up every day to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Do you agree? Are you with me? Grace Harbor Church has a vision and mission and 'they' have not gained the victory over us. Not yet, NO.... not ever. He is victorious. He is the victor. We are victorious with Him as we fulfill His will. The next time I take one in the head or heart or wherever, I am going to say....'bring it on'... I'm not done yet, thank you. Are you? I sure hope not. Let us all resolve to recommit ourselves to total commitment and to victory in Him. I read the end of the Book again recently and we do win you know. So let us keep the faith and the fire burning.

Victorious in Him, Pastor Fred

Our Hope is in Christ

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15

When we lose of a loved one to death, it is a very difficult mix of emotions for many of us: Sorrow, grief, lonliness, anger at times, questions to God about why He didn’t stop it from happening….. all of this is part of the human experience that brings tears to our eyes as we sit in a funeral or by a graveside and say our farewells to those who have left us behind to grieve. In reality, for believers, we are not saying “goodbye” but rather, “see you later”, for our HOPE in Christ is that we have eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. It is in these painful moments that our Faith MUST hold onto us and comfort us and ASSURE us that what we believe is sure and true. We can over time come to a point where we realize that it is within these tears that we find peace that passes understanding to face tomorrow without that loved one in our lives, but it still doesn’t make the initial period following the death of our loved ones easy to walk through. Remember David said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me…” Psalm 23:4 David knew grief, he knew loss, and he learned to walk THROUGH these kinds of dark valleys, and surrender his fears to the One Who stayed with him and led him through to the other side of loss.

Some deaths are harder to understand than others, say for example when a small child dies unexpectedly, or a parent receives that call in the night that there has been a terrible car accident and their high school son or daughter will not be returning home from Prom…. Other times, when there has been a long illness, or we know of someone who has lived a long rich life, we see it as a release or a promotion of sorts that they are free to run through the hillsides of heaven and celebrate their life in the arms of their beloved Heavenly Father. Such is the case of a dear friend of Grace Harbor Church: Mrs. Estelle Mathis, who recently went home to be with the Lord. I remember Estelle from my childhood growing up at Tustin First Baptist. She and her husband Bill were always in the midst of every church activity and event. Estelle had such a precious spirit throughout her 89 years here on earth, and a beautiful smile that always showed the love of Jesus, she would simply shine for God without even saying a word. I know that I will see Estelle in heaven someday, rejoicing and dancing with Jesus. Estelle, thank you for showing us such a beautiful example of a Proverbs 31 woman, gentle, strong, always about the Father’s business, a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and servant of God, always about the Father’s business for the kingdom work at our church.

Our scripture passage today is a tender one for it speaks of something PRECIOUS to our Heavenly Father. Why does God consider the death of His people precious when we dread it and make every effort to avoid it and postpone it? God deems the death of his saints precious because their happiness is very dear to Him. When they die, they enter at once into eternal rest. The death of God’s people must be precious to Him because He has so long sympathized with them in all their trials, pains, and sorrows. Whatever has touched them has touched the apple of his eye, but when He sees all these trials terminate, to be renewed no more--their physical pains and trials cease--all their wants supplied forever, and the state of want passed forever away; when He sees all this, can you not understand that He rejoices in it with great joy?

In a very important sense, when God receives his children home, He receives the reward of all His labors in their behalf. We are apt to speak only of our reward, when we allude to the joys of saints in heaven; why should we not also think and speak of God's? Has not He deserved a reward for all his cares and sacrifices and labors? And is it not fit that He should receive it? Didn’t God pay the HIGHEST price to be reconciled with His children for eternity because of the shed blood of HIS only Son? God has experienced watching His loved One die, and He can sympathize with our suffering as we grieve, but understand that at the time of death, is it not also reasonable that He should rejoice in his own reward, and furthermore, that we should also rejoice with Him?

Today, take comfort in knowing that our times are in His hands, and when our time comes to be called home, whether it is unexpected or due to an old body that just wears out, remember that He will welcome His beloved children personally into His kingdom, and will hold them and wipe away all pain and suffering and tears, and will send the Holy Spirit’s Comfort to those left behind to know that it is well with our souls to trust our God to be GOD in such circumstances when words fall so short of comforting our hearts when death comes. Paul told us to “comfort one another with these words” found in the book of I Thessalonians 4:16-18 regarding that last day when we will be reunited with those who have died before us: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." Be comforted in knowing that your FAITH produces HOPE for an eternity with Him, and with our beloved brothers and sisters who have died in Christ.

Here is one of my favorite hymns to close our time today, but it speaks of our HOPE, that it holds strong, even in times when we face death for ourselves or our loved ones.

Shalom, sister Lahoma

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
By Edward Mote, William Bradbury


My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

CHORUS:

On Christ the so lid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Peace Be Upon Israel

Psalm 128:6b "Peace be upon Israel."

Peace being upon Israel should be very important to us. Why? Because it represents peace in general. Think about it, has there ever been much peace in Israel? Not really. Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace. It is spoken as a blessing. To speak peace to someone, be it nation, people or person is to bless them. Many times recently in our worship and in the messages we have been dealing with the concept of peace. Mostly from the perspective of all of us wanting to experience peace or know peace. We all have an inner longing for peace. For good reasons.

Conflict is a given. By our very nature we are at war with ourselves (the conflict within, between our sin nature and our new nature), we are also conflicted with one another and with the world (again, because of our sinful nature and the fact or living in a fallen world) This makes us each and all prime candidates for peacemaking. The path to peace is reconciliation. We must be reconciled with God, subsequently with ourselves and with each other. This peace comes from atonement. The only means whereby peace can be made with God is by sacrifice. That sacrifice must be perfect. Peace only comes from accepting the blood atonement of Jesus Christ for sin. God sent Jesus to make a way to peace.

Oh how Israel needs Jesus. He is the only way to peace. He is also the only way to peace for the entire Muslim world. We must not waiver on our firm commitment to keep pointing to Jesus as the answer to all the world's conflicts. He is the only one who can bring lasting peace in any conflict. Especially between Jew and Muslim. Peace, in its simplest form begins with me. There is a song that hardly gets sung anymore , but is so true. It goes like this.....

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me
With every breath I take, let this be my solemn plea
To take each moment and live each moment, in peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

Consider this. Could it be that the only eternal peace possible is made with the only eternal God, who has provided us with one way to peace. Reconciliation through salvation, through the atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross. Hmmmmm. I don't mean to sound too simplistic here, but seems to me that we ought to offer Jesus to everyone. Oh, I know that the Jews and Muslims alike will be inclined to reject and resist, but, remember it is the Spirit who convicts and woos. Our efforts to witness have been so thwarted and ignored, but we should not lose heart. We must redouble our efforts to share the gospel.

Jesus is the answer and He is the only way and if there is to be peace in Israel, it will come from Him, because of Him and for His glory. The good news is spread one soul at a time and we must be the agents of peacemaking and reconciliation. Join me in a recommitment to share the Prince of Peace.

In His Service, Pastor Fred

God Must Be the Foundation

Psalm 127:1 "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain."

When God builds something, then you really have something. He really knows how to establish a strong foundation and to how to build something that will last. All of life's work-- the building of a home, preparing a career, raising a family and of course the founding of a ministry must be done through Him and by Him. It is destined to be fruitless and vain, unless the Lord is for it, behind it, in it and sustaining it. This is a principle that God himself has ordained.

Solomon is the writer of Psalm 127 and with the mention of something being done in vain, it should be no surprise. Solomon is the writer of almost all of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon. All of these works chronicle the efforts of man in conjunction with the plan of God. When we do things within the Purpose of God, they just seem to go better. So many of our self-willed pursuits are done for misguided reasons or for shallow purposes and God wants us to include Him from the foundation up in everything. If we did so, we might not pursue some things at all.

When I let the Lord lead, and Him build, and Him design, plan and enact, the results are always so much better. That is true in my family and in my career, in every project I undertake and each thing I do. For myself I try to utilize three simple tools that help me keep my life in His will. The more I use them the more they work.

#1 Plan Check..... Best done before you break ground, make commitments and get started.

#2 Objective Analysis.... Always good to try to see everything from His perspective.

#3 Ego Barometer.... Very necessary to make sure that I don't take over mid-project.

I'm not perfect at this but it does keep me out of trouble and moving forward as best is possible. After all, if God is not at the center of it, whatever it is, it is more likely maybe even most likely to fail.

Within His Grace, Pastor Fred