We All Get Depressed

Psalm 143:1 "O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."

David is in the pits here. Really down. He goes through some pretty desperate steps trying to unload his fears and stresses on the Lord. I am sure we all understand. You have been there and so have I. When you thought it was the end, when the enemies were surrounding you and you felt faint and your heart is dismayed. You think about better days but quickly turn to words of desperation, crying out to God, but your spirit is failing and you are losing your grip. You feel like God doesn't hear you, that there is no hope and that the coming disaster cannot be averted. Read this Psalm and hear David's deep depression.

Depression is a real problem and many face it every day. Regardless of all the effort to cheer up or put on a happy face, we feel relegated to waiting for the other foot to fall and for the worst possible scenario. The tendency to pile on to our own misery is so tempting that most of us don't even resist and fall victim to spiraling negativity and hopelessness. Somehow we have lost sight of what joy is and where true happiness comes from and start actually thinking as if there were no God. David does start to get it turned around so let's look at what he does to get himself out of the doldrums and the hole he is in.

#1 He thinks of the better days. Even though it doesn't help much he does give it a try.

#2 He lifts up his hands to God and admits that his soul is thirsty.

#3 He seeks the Lord and calls out His Name and is honest about his plight.

#4 He exercises his faith that new things will come in the morning.

#5 He asks for help and surrenders to the Lord's teaching and counsel.

#6 He invokes the Lord's Name and asks for deliverance.

#7 He restates that he is a servant of the Lord.

Interesting points or steps, if you decide to use them. Most importantly, don't allow yourself to isolate, shut down and stop trying. David goes through several of these episodes in his life and each time he manages to work his way out. But, not without honesty, surrender, confession, tears, effort, a good fight and some humility. If you are blue, stuck or down, you don't have to stay there, certainly not any longer. Let go and let God. Give your trouble to the Lord. He is there, He cares and can help you. Cry for mercy and claim God's faithfulness and righteousness, He will hear you and will come to your relief. If you struggle, use some of David's steps, after all, he is a man after God's own heart. Seek the Lord, He is waiting to hear from you.

So In Him, Pastor Fred

What is Your Prison

Psalm 142:7a "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name."

I have a growing perspective of prison, prisoners, and the many forms of imprisonment. Recently, more than any other time in my life I have been corresponding with and visiting prisoners. Some of that dynamic is because of my son being in prison and the number of people I know who have family in prison. When I leave prison I am always grateful for my freedom. I also know that just being free to do as I choose doesn't mean that I escape being imprisoned in other ways. Certainly addictions, habits, co dependencies, self-limitations, victimization and even laziness can trap us with seemingly no escape. Whatever your prison is, when Christ sets you free you will be free indeed and praising Him for it. Self-imprisonment is both terrifying and terribly convenient. It is our excuse for everything from over-medicating to not changing. Probably the most crippling debilitation is the one that happens between our ears when we put limits on what God can do. Most of the time it is not that we can't, it is that we won't change. There is the biggest difference between real prison and self-imprisonment. In real prison you are just the prisoner and not the warden too. Ask God to help you with the keys today. The keys of courage, accountability and initiative. When you do you will be praising His Name and so will I.

By His Power, Pastor Fred

Blessed Rebukes

Psalm 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me-- it is a kindness; let him rebuke me-- it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.

We have much to learn about accepting criticism. Does this mean I am going to criticize you? Does this mean I am claiming to be righteous? Just exactly what do you mean to say Pastor Fred?
Wow, maybe I am touching on a sore spot. I know I can feel it. We should be open to honest criticism. God may be speaking to us through others. Nobody likes criticism, but everybody can benefit from it when it is given wisely and taken humbly. David suggests that we don't refuse it, take it as a kindness, receive it and let it work in us for His purposes (no matter how it may have been originally intended). Allow by the Spirit to let criticism be productive instead of destructive. This is how I have learned some of my most important life-changing lessons. I am not suggesting that we open up the floodgates of correction, but I know that in order to lead more effectively I must be way more direct and significantly more assertive in advising and guiding as I shepherd in Grace Harbor. That which harshly given helped me so much would surely be quite helpful to others especially if shared sincerely and kindly.

Let us all seek to be humble receivers and wise givers of criticism. We will all benefit greatly. If the Lord gives you something to say, speak the truth in love. If you receive something from the Lord through criticism...Praise the Lord. David knew what it was like to be rebuked righteously and unrighteously and he was wise enough to learn from both.

Seeking Him daily, Pastor Fred

Thanksgiving

Our Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Dolly Whitlock:

During the Thanksgiving season most of us think of celebrating the holiday surrounded by family and seated around a table overflowing with delicacies. I’d like to share this devotion that helps remind us that one day we will receive a bountiful feast from the most precious Head of the family.

Around the Father’s Table

Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb! Rev. 19:9, NIV

For the past several years, my husband and I, along with our family, have celebrated Thanksgiving at my father’s house. . . The meal is always abundant and delicious—turkey with dressing and gravy, ham, green beans, … my mouth waters just thinking about it! But the highlight of Thanksgiving is not the food, or the televised football games, or the fun. The highlight is always the fellowship around the dining room table. As we sip our coffee and gorge on one last piece of pie, my father presides at the head of the table as each person shares what he or she is most thankful for.

One day, in my Father’s House, the table will be set and supper will be ready. One day all of the Father’s children will be seated around that table. One day My Father’s House will be filled with His family, and it won’t get any better than that!

Taken from The Joy of my Heart by Anne Graham Lotz, originally published in Heaven: My Father’s House by Anne Graham Lotz

Personal Invitation:

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior, this is the perfect time to do that and be welcomed into the family of God. Share your decision with Pastor Fred or a Church Council member so we can put our arm around you and give you a personal welcome. There’s always room at the table.

God Bless Grace Harbor and the Grace Harbor family, and we will remember to thank You for our many blessings this Thanksgiving Day.

Dolly Whitlock

The Poor and Needy

Psalm 140:12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

We don't like to talk about them much and even avoid thinking about them as much as possible, but they have always been and will always be until the end. Are we responsible for them? No, but we do have to respond to them. Why are people starving, why is there so much poverty and need, why are there so many children at risk? God knows and cares. Man knows and seemingly does not care or can't respond. God will do justice for the poor, He promises; and He does uphold the cause of the needy, you are hearing about it again today as an example of that.

Let me share my heart about this, because I am grieved. My belief is that human suffering, children dying, poverty and need are caused by the very thing that causes the rest of our problems. SIN. Ever since the 'fall of man' we have individually and corporately suffered from the consequences of sin. Don't misunderstand. The sin is not poverty or need, it is greed, laziness, abuse of power, deceit and godlessness. We should never blame anything else.

My suggestion is for all of us to practice Biblical stewardship and to personally make a difference in a child's life; whether locally or around the world. Did you notice how quiet it got about the suffering in Darfur, or the human trafficking in South East, Asia? Not because it is better, because it is election time. Help the truly poor and needy and remember to do it in the name of Jesus.

He cares, secures and upholds.

With His Compassion, Pastor Fred

The Marvelous Gift of HELPS

The Apostle Paul speaking
“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. I Corinthians 12:1, 4-6, 27-28

I recently had a dear sister in Christ share with me her desire to find her ministry at Grace Harbor Church. She told me that she believes she has found her ministry as an “assistant” doing various things behind the scenes, or volunteering in the office, and then she added: “whatever needs to be done”…. which stirred my heart to realize that right before me was the perfect example of someone called to be a Minister of “Helps”! Perhaps you have never heard of this Gift, but I assure you that it is biblical and listed in scripture. Let me show you.

I Corinthians 12 is a wonderful chapter that teaches us about how God gives a variety of spiritual gifts to those in the Church. Paul compares the Church to a human body, and explains that each part of the “body” serves a purpose for the greater good of the Body and to the glory of God, all under the direction and leadership of the “Head” which is Jesus Christ, our Lord. I encourage you to take some time and read the entire chapter; for Paul begins by saying that he does not want us to be “uninformed” about such things. There are so many gifts listed in our passage today that we could discuss today such as the leadership of apostles, the proclaiming of the prophets who spoke the Word of the Lord, the teachers who lead and guide the flock to learn and apply Truth, miracles (wouldn’t we ALL be blessed with a miracle in our lives!) the gift of healing in a world filled with disease, pain and death…. but the one little gift tucked away in this list above is the one I want to show you, and that is the gift of HELPS. Have you heard of it before? Do you know what it is? Do YOU have this gift?

Essentially, the Greek definition for the word "Helps" used in 1 Corinthians 12:28 is, "antilepsis", and means "rendering practical aid and support." In a nutshell, that is the Helps Ministry, to be a "practical aid and support" to our pastors in support of their vision in the local church setting! In order to understand what the Helps Ministry is, let's look at two examples of Helps Ministers in action:

• Let's look at the need for the ministry of Helps in the life of Moses. God told Moses in Exodus 17 that as long as he held his hands high, then one particular battle they fought would go well, but if he let his hands drop, the enemy would win. Moses held his hands up, and the battle went well, but as time went by, he become fatigued and weary (as all of us do) and his hands began to drop! The battle started to turn against the Israelites so Moses' Helps Ministers, Aaron and Hur, stepped in and moved Moses up on a rock so that he could sit and rest, and held up his hands! In doing so, the Children of Israel were able to defeat their enemies! Just as Aaron and Hur did in their day, so the Helps Ministry "holds up the hands" of our Pastors and Council Members and Church Secretaries and School Teachers so that our church can win the victory and get it's job done!
• In Acts 6:3-5, the newly developing church was confronted with a similar problem, the leaders of the church found that they were spending so much time taking care of the fundamental needs of their people that they were neglecting the Word of God and prayer! They anointed men to help in these natural areas of ministry. The spiritual leadership was able to better minister to the people regarding spiritual things, because the natural things were handled by men anointed to do that work!

Do you have a burden to simply work behind the scenes, assisting where needed whether it be answering the phones in the office, stuffing bulletins, cleaning the windows, emptying trash, bringing refreshments, helping with transportation for someone who cannot drive anymore, setting up chairs, making coffee on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings, donating school or office supplies, or volunteering when there is a need? If so, then rejoice….God have given you a very SPECIAL and NEEDED gift! It is a very important gift that needs to operate in the Body of Christ so that these small details are taken care of instead of assuming that the Pastor or church staff will handle it. Their arms get tired as they hold up the various ministries…. And you are being called to step up and help them. You may not get much recognition by having your name printed in the bulletin, but usually those with this gift prefer it that way! They want to simply meet the needs and are blessed to see that their service provides relief to those in ministry. If you are feeling the Holy Spirit moving over your heart in this area, please contact your Pastor or Church office and let them know… I am sure that on any given day your local church needs help as well! So don’t wait…get involved in your local church! The Helps Ministry needs you!

May the Lord richly bless all those who are gifted with the tender heart of a Helper, with eyes that see the needs and take action to simply meet those needs, one who works quietly behind the scenes reaching out to help take care of things that need attention. May you see that your marvelous gifting holds up the arms of the ministry you serve in!

Thank you for serving the Body of Christ and for being faithful in your calling.

Shalom, sister Lahoma

How to Get Far from God

Psalm 138:6 Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.

We all know that God is both far above and within, simultaneously. We understand that He is above the highest and yet is with us at our lowest moments. I am glad for this because it speaks of His greatness and His compassion. He is both God Almighty and my Personal Savior. I should always focus on reaching Him from within. When I try to reach Him on His level or try to aspire to touch Him in the heavens is when I risk in that proud attempt being farther away from Him than when I started. This verse in Psalm 138 infers that it could be pride that creates that distance. Of course it does.

Pride goes before the fall. Pride also fosters the position of superiority and tempts us to think more highly of ourselves than we should. It is He who is above all and on high and came down, not me who rises up. He arose, He descended, that was His place and role and mine is to simply know Him from within. Sometimes we can try too hard to reach God.

God will distance Himself from our proud attempts. As the old saying goes, and I repeat.... 'If you are not as close to God as you used to be then guess who moved?' It is us who creates distance from God. He can't be intimate or close to us when we don't let Him. Our pride is a false notion that separates us from His presence. If we want to keep proximity we must practice humility.

I know that my pride leads to anger, bitterness and un-forgiveness. These possibilities in me are what keep me from the closeness I desire. God cannot cohabit when I am proud, especially when that pride makes me angry, bitter and unforgiving. Like a dog with a bone, I can be with a 'high and mighty attitude' about an issue or matter that I refuse to let go of or relent about. These things particularly need to be given to God, so I don't try to Lord it over anybody.

We should many more times in life, compromise reach consensus or agreement rather than demand our way. Who do we think we are anyway? By the way, the answer to that rhetorical question is... God. We do such a lousy job of being God too. So next time you or I get way up there and all spiritual and all-knowing and all-powerful and try to be everywhere at once and have it all under control, let us quickly remember who we are and who we are not.

Whenever I try to be God, I end up farther away from Him. Not what I planned to happen. So today I will step back and step down and connect with Him from within and draw closer to Him and what He wants and what should happen. Good counsel for us all. Draw near to Him now.

In His Presence, Pastor Fred

On the Willows

Psalm 137:1-2 (NKJ) By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung up our harps, upon the willows in the midst of it.

A little over 30 years ago, Dawn and I were part of a production of Godspell, a musical about the 3 year ministry of Jesus on this earth. We gave a creative interpretation of the gospel and our cast from the Trinity Baptist Church of Santa Monica did a stellar job of presenting an accurate and redemptive Christian rendition of a somewhat secular show that to this day inspires me. One of the songs from that effort was entitled "On the Willows". The lyrics are haunting and emotional and are taken from Psalm 137. I could never and still can't sing it without weeping. The disciples in the production sing it in response to Jesus telling them He must leave via the crucifixion and resurrection. I sing these words every once in awhile to express my feelings of not finding it very easy to be in this world:

On the willows there, we hung up our lyres
For our captors there, required of us songs
for our tormenters mirth, saying.....
Sing us one of those songs of Zion
Sing us one of those songs of Zion
But how can we sing, sing The Lord's Song
in a foreign land?

Psalm 137 is about the Jews responding to the captivity and enslavement of Israel. The poetry, though a little obscure and kind of difficult to understand tells of how when they were being taken away from their homes and were watching Zion be destroyed behind them they were asked, mockingly, to sing the songs of how wonderful Zion was and how beautiful their life was before the destruction. In protest of such a requirement they hung their lyres in the weeping willows by the rivers of Babylon and refused to sing, because of how much it broke their hearts and how utterly disrespectful it was to force them to sing. Can you imagine such a terrible thing? It would be like demanding the surviving spouse to sing a wedding song about a deeply loved husband or wife at their funeral. Simply heartbreaking.

The reason I have such a deep and sensitive connection to this song is because in the production my part called upon me to touch Jesus as He was leaving us after the Last Supper and going to Gethsemane. At one particular rehearsal I really got caught up in the moment and began weeping as I tried in vain to stop Jesus from going, knowing where he was going and why and that He was going to die. How could I sing at such a moment? I emotionally, in effect, hung up my lyre and just couldn't sing. As I explained my dilemma to the cast we reflected on how many aspects of the musical were so touching that it was difficult to separate our real feelings from the drama.

Now, my point for the day…. Are you really attached to what the symbols of communion represent? Do you feel something when you see a cross? Does a song evoke emotional response from you? Can you connect to what it means when someone in our Church Body (His Body) reconciles or breaks through, or especially when someone comes to the saving knowledge of Christ? This is the most important stuff that happens in life. I know I often talk about not trusting our emotions, but that is not to say that we should not express our passions. Especially the ones associated with our love and commitment to Him. Let me put it to you this way. If you never really sing the Lord's song from your heart then I guess I understand why you don't connect to hanging up your lyre on a weeping willow.

Let us not be so detached from our hearts that we can't feel how foreign this place is to us. We are strangers in a strange land and to a degree we are captives here and this world is not our home. There are times when the world demands that I must go along with the next godless way of seeing things that breaks my heart in such a way that I just can't sing. Every Sunday there are words in our worship that choke me up. Not because I am becoming a sentimental old fogey, but because they touch my heart and evoke a deep sense of my relationship with Jesus. Almost like touching Him.

In Him, Pastor Fred

What must I do to be Saved

"What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:30-31

“For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Our Pastor gave one of the best sermons of his entire ministry last Sunday, and it was truly a powerful message and challenge to all of us of the importance of sharing our faith with others. It reminded me of the importance to always look for opportunities to start conversations with my co workers, family members and friends. It also started me to thinking about how we take for granted that our listening audience even understands what we are talking about when we try to tell them about their need for salvation. I have been raised as a Christian my entire life. I am used to commonly used verbiage of my beliefs… Grace, Repentance, Salvation, Sanctification, Righteousness… all the familiar words and phrases of my faith, but we need to remember that we now live in a world where most people have no idea what they mean. The Church is not a dominant influence in our society anymore, the Bible is not respected or referred to, the precious name of Jesus Christ is mocked and ridiculed and people have lost their sense of need when it comes to reconciliation with a Holy God. I have to stop and consider that when you tell someone, “Good news! Good news! You need to be saved… and Here’s how to get saved: Believe in Jesus!!”, they may very well be thinking, “Saved from what? Jesus who?” Obviously, there is something missing in the approach that well meaning Christians use when they assume that people know what they are referring to when they tell people that they need to be saved. It is important, then, to prepare to share your faith in simple common ways so that people will understand and be open to the message of saving grace. So what does it mean to “be saved”. Saved from what? Why do we need a Savior? Don’t we all just try to live good lives, and hope for the best? Don’t we all go to the same place anyway? And then there are people who realize they need to be saved and then think they have to “DO” something to be saved, as our passage in Acts indicated from over 2,000 years ago. What does God say about this…. Let’s look at it together:

First of all, it’s difficult to understand the good news of being saved if you don’t understand the bad news. So let’s go back to the beginning when God created everything: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) When God created everything He said it was “very good.” This meant that everything was perfect. The whole creation was perfect. In fact, God says that all His works are perfect, and we would expect that from a perfect God. Man lived in the perfectly created earth (i.e., a paradise) with a perfect relationship with God. Our Heavenly Father created mankind to be in fellowship with Him, but He also gave man and woman the freedom of choice to embrace Him or reject Him. This is called “Free Will”. Why did God do this? Because to truly love someone, it needs to be a choice. God didn’t want robots down here just echoing what He wanted to hear… He wanted us to choose to Love Him and follow Him and fellowship with Him forever. People were originally created to live forever with God. However, Eve was tempted by Satan, who had rebelled against God in the heavenly realm), and then both Adam and Eve also rebelled against God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and sinned (sin is rebellion against God. If you are not familiar with this story, read Genesis 2 and 3.)

The result of Adam’s sin was God’s judgment on man and separation from Him because of His Holiness. From this act of rebellion, mankind inherited “original sin.” In the New Testament, Paul tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). One sin is enough to cause death! Because the wages of sin is death, God, in Genesis 3, shows that a life must be taken to cover the sin of Adam and Eve. Therefore, to make a temporary atonement (cover the sins for a time), God killed these animals on behalf of Adam and Eve clothing them with the skins. People began making animal sacrifices to cover their sins—an animal life for sin. There are multiple examples of this such as Abel (Gen. 4:4), Noah (Gen. 8:20), and Abraham (Gen. 22:13). The Law clearly told God’s people that without the shedding of blood, there would be no remission for sin. But what a burden to always have to kill an animal for each time you sinned! God knew that man would continue sinning, and that even the blood of animals wouldn’t completely cover ALL sin, so He had a solution, an eternal solution that would cut through time and space and reach into this world and provide the PERFECT and One Time sacrifice… the precious perfect blood of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ—far greater than any animal sacrifice—that would be sufficient to cover sin against a perfect God (Hebrews 10).

The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus Christ, our Savior, stepped into History because of God’s great love for us! Our beautiful and familiar verse today from John 3:16 tells us that God’s motivation for saving us is because of His great love for the world. This is what it means to “be saved”. We need to be saved from the punishment of sin.

When God intervened in our hopeless condition, He provided what the Bible refers to as “grace.” Grace means that we were to be rightly punished for our wrongdoings, and then the one who sentenced us to that punishment took the punishment upon Himself because of love for us. We rightly deserved death by God’s judgment. But God took that punishment upon Himself by dying in our place as Jesus Christ. He exercised that grace because of His love for us. Jesus didn’t come to the world to sentence it to death—the world was already condemned by sin. He came to save us from that sin (John 3:17). This demonstrates to us that God really is a God of love.

There is a final punishment that God will give to those who do not turn to Him. It is called hell and is a place of separation from God—and my dear friends; I assure you that hell is a real place. God never intended for people to go there. Jesus Christ came to be the final sacrifice to allow us to be saved from this penalty due to sin against a holy God. Those who put their faith in Christ will receive the FREE gift of eternal life and mercy and grace and forgiveness, not by anything you do, but because of what Christ did FOR you. Jesus was the ONLY PERSON in history that said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus, being the perfect sacrifice, offers the free gift of salvation. God loves you so much that He sacrificed His own unblemished Son to suffer the wrath against sin and die on the Cross. He calls you to repent (change your mind and turn from sinful ways) and trust in Him:

God made it simple for us to be “saved: as demonstrated in the following Bible passages:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

It is a simple and free gift. It doesn’t matter how many steps you’ve taken away from God; it is only one step back. If you are a Christian, let today’s devotion remind you of these simple truths, and pray for God to lead you to someone you know that is not a believer and then share YOUR faith with that person. Share your testimony of what God has done in your life. TESTIFY! If you are not a Christian, then consider more deeply the claims of Jesus, and please take a few minutes to pray to God in the name of Jesus to forgive your sins and to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. Then please take some time to sit down with a Bible-believing pastor in a local church to help direct you as you begin your new life with Christ. Stop by Grace Harbor Church and someone would be honored to open up scripture and lead you to Christ, the One and ONLY way to be saved!

Shalom, sister Lahoma

Search Me

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I don't feel well today. I am sure you know the feeling. My head feels like a brick and I am stuffed up and hacking away every time I take a deep breath. Not sure when it started, but somehow I have gotten myself worn down again and I am paying the price for not taking better care of myself..... again. God knows what is going on with me and by His grace I will write this devotional this afternoon. Psalm 139 is a real beauty. It tells us how He knows and understands us.

The last two verses are a perfect prayer for us to say each day. When I was a teen I used to love to be clever with my answers and when asked if I knew something about anything I would sometimes retort, "Search Me!" It was my way of not answering and not responding and avoiding whatever I didn't want to talk about. Frankly, God is the only one I really want to be able to search me. He can handle it, whereas anyone else might be aghast at what my heart feels or my anxious thoughts would reveal. God knows me through and through and loves me still and all. A comforting thought, actually.

I am willing to have God see my offensive ways and deal with me. I often pray for Him to lead me in the everlasting ways, not the ways of this world but the eternal ways. Earlier in Psalm 139, David (nice to know he is the author of this one, because he is such a real guy) he shares that God created his inmost being and knit Him together in his mother's womb. Doesn't that mean that God values us in the womb, before we are born? Doesn't that mean that God himself is forming us before birth? We are a living soul at the time of conception. Living souls should be cherished and protected, particularly before birth when they have no voice.

I am so grateful to have been born with God already my Creator. Meeting Him as Savior is just all the more meaningful because He has known me from my conception, through me time in the womb and on to my birth and life. God wrote all the days of my life before I was even born. What a miracle. He has always known me and knows me now and will know me forever. He can search me because He knows His way around within me. He lives in me. I am so glad he judges the heart. He knows my weakness and my faith. My faults and my hopes. He can lead me because He knows where I came from, where I am and where I am going. He can search me anytime, know my heart, test me, know my anxious thoughts and deal with my offensiveness and keep leading me. I will follow Him. He knows where I am going and has my best interest in mind at all times. May His grace abound in me and you as we seek to fulfill His will.

In His Service, Pastor Fred