WE GROAN IN OUR SPIRITS,

BUT WE WAIT. . .

We live in a world of great frustration.  It seems like some days and weeks are filled with uncertainty, fears and sorrow.  Sometimes we groan inwardly as our bodies are wracked with pain and grief.  We wonder when will it end and eternity will come, with its joys forever.  We all have days and weeks, sometimes even longer, with burdens pressing.  But in faith, we journey on, running the race to gain our eternal prize, the prize of Christ Jesus and our heavenly home.

“A Christian’s experience is like a rainbow made up of drops of griefs on earth and beams of happiness of heaven. It is a checkered scene, a garment of many colors.  He is sometimes in the light and sometimes in the dark.”  By Charles H. Spurgeon, “We Shall See God”

Our lives consists of times of grief as we travel here, but our hope is in the eternal joy of heaven.  It is indeed like a rainbow.  Sometimes we can see and feel His presence so clearly and other times trouble and many trials hide His lovely face.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the redemption of the sons of God” Romans 8:18-19

The Apostle Paul reminds us that all the sufferings we go through here will not even be compared to the absolute glory we shall experience in that day when we will see His glory and these bodies of ours which suffer and die will be “changed in the twinkling of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52), to a glorious new body, no more pain, suffering, sorrow or tears.

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now”

Romans 8:22.

And in the meantime, the whole world is groaning, travailing, as it were, in pain waiting for that day when the Lord of Glory comes and brings peace to this world, and the days of evil and death will be gone forever, Praise the Lord!  And meanwhile we groan in our pain. We groan in our sorrow when a loved one is taken away.  We groan over financial worries.  And most important, we groan in our spirits for our loved ones who are lost without Jesus.

“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly awaiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  For we are saved in this hope, and hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” Romans 8:23-25.

We are told to groan after perfection, but we are to wait patiently for it, knowing that the Lord has is best.  And sometimes waiting is hard and we become impatient.  But we have this hope within us, a faith looking for those things we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).  But in our waiting we are to be ready.  We are to “stand at the door” expecting our Beloved Lord Jesus to come and receive us to Himself.

And no matter what we go through on this earth and even though we groan in our distress while we wait for that blessed day, nothing can separate us from His love.  His eternal love was demonstrated at Calvary when He gave His life for our redemption, and shed His precious blood for our sins.  And He finished that work, resurrected on the third day and now intercedes for us in Heaven.  Oh, what a Precious Lord!

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.   Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Romans 8:26-27.

And as we pray the Holy Spirit knows our hearts and hears our groans and our hurts.  And He, Himself, searches our hearts and makes intercession for us in our need.  In fact, it says that the Spirit groans in our weaknesses, and then makes intercession for us to the Father and seeks His will in those situations for our needs.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”  Romans 8:37-39.

No matter what we go through on this earth, and even though we groan in our distresses,  while we wait for that blessed day, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from His love! But that Blessed day will come and all the trials and struggles we faced here will be over, and all we have been through will be worth it all when we see our Blessed Lord face to face.

“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy will be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away” Isaiah 51:11.

In conclusion, I pray that you, dear friend, will be among those who come into heaven with singing, and everlasting joy, into that wonderful place where there will be no more mourning or sorrow.  Make that decision today if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior.  He loves you so much.  Just ask Him right now to come into your heart and give you peace and joy and you will be ready to join in that happy throng on that Blessed day of Christ’s return.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

SOMEDAY……

WE WILL UNDERSTAND

As we continue on in this journey of life, walking with our Lord, things happen in our lives and in the lives of those we love or come in contact with that we have no answers to their problems. 

As a Pastor I run into this frequently.  I meet a beautiful elderly lady in great pain, and she wonders “why” do I suffer so when Jesus has promised never to give me more than I can bear?   I can only comfort her with the promises of God’s Word, and give her hope and encourage her with the Love of Christ.  Then hold her in my arms, cry with her, and give her problem back to the only One who can lift that burden, our Lord Jesus Christ, and someday she will understand why she has to go through this trial and suffering.  Right now the sky is dark and clouds are dark in her life, but someday, and maybe soon for her, she will understand when she sees her Savior face to face.

In recent weeks I have heard of returning cancer in a loved one.  I have seen despair and loss of hope in others.  But I have learned to keep my focus on Jesus and ask for His strength for everyday, as the work of the ministry goes on in reaching out to my suffering brothers and sisters.  It is so hard sometimes to see a beloved sister in the Lord so crippled in body, and I want to weep.  I don’t understand when another brother and sister in the Lord are now in deep stages of dementia and are so confused, and it is hard to reach them at times.  But someday……………………

There is a dear lady in a nursing home who is so precious and loves the Lord.  She is confined to bed now, resting with her stuffed “bunnies.”  Yes, she has stuffed “bunnies” all around her.  Her dear husband, who has gone home to Jesus, gave her a stuffed bunny before he passed, and she named it her “Honey Bunny” because her “Honey Bunny” is now in heaven waiting for her.  So we spend most of my visit with her talking about heaven, and oh, she wants to go “home!”  She knows that even though her body is failing and sometimes the tears come, but she will understand someday when she sees her Lord face to face. 

Here is an old hymn that many of you will remember.  It will remind us of the storms we go through, and the problems we face, and the hope and joy in knowing that someday we will understand it all!

 WE WILL UNDERSTAND IT BETTER BY AND BY

“We are tossed and driven on the restless sea of time; somber skies and howling tempests oft succeed a bright sunshine; in that land of perfect day, when the mist are rolled away, we will understand it better by and by.

By and By, when the morning comes, when the saints of God are gathered home, we’ll tell the story of how we’ve overcome, for we’ll understand it better by and by.

We are often destitute of the things that life demands, want of food and want of shelter, thirsty hills and barren lands; we are trusting in the Lord, and according to God’s Word, we will understand it better by and by.

Trials dark on every hand, and we cannot understand all the ways of God would lead us to that blessed promised land; but he guides us with his eye, and we’ll follow till we die, for we’ll understand it better by and by.   (Written by Charles Tindley)

“For now we see though a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall know even as I am known” I Corinthians 13:12.

Yes, we are driven on this sea of life, and sometimes the storms howl around us.  Sometimes we walk in sunshine and all is calm, then another storm comes rolling in.  But someday,  everything will become clear.  Right now it is like looking through a blurry mirror, we only see a shadow, but what will it be like when everything becomes clear, and we see Him face to face, and all our doubts and fears are suddenly erased and we see and understand!

And sometimes we become destitute of the things that we need.  There are many right now who have lost jobs and don’t know where the next supply of groceries will come from to feed their families.  Some have lost their homes.  We become dry in our souls as we become discouraged.  But God’s Word promises:  ‘’I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” Psalm 37:25.

Yes, God has promised He will never forsake you even when times are tough.  But someday, we will live in a land where we will never want for anything, and someday we will understand it all.

Trials seem to come on every hand, and we don’t understand the “whys” of it all.  And we don’t understand how the Lord leads us on this journey of life.  The path ahead is rough and steep sometimes, there are boulders in the way, mountains to climb, rivers of sorrow flow over us.  But just ahead, around the next bend, by faith, we can get a glimpse of that city ahead, that bright and golden place of rest promised for those who love Him.

Here is an old chorus we used to sing when I was young and don’t hear it sung anymore, but you may remember it: “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable.  Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through.  God specializes in things thought impossible.  And He will do what no other one can do.” (unknown)

All the problems that we face, all the mountains that seem so high, the Lord is there walking ahead of us, guiding us through impossible situations, answering prayer, encouraging our hearts, giving us His wonderful peace.  And someday morning will come and we will all be gathered together at last, there won’t be any more mountains of difficulty to climb or rivers of sorrow to cross, and we will finally understand it all.  And I can hardly wait!

How about you? 

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon

GOD’S HEART OF LOVE

LIFTED ME!

Today is Valentine’s Day. “Be My Valentine.”  This is a phrase that conjures up a lot of different images associated with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.  And there are cards with poems of love, candy, flowers and many expressions of love. 

St. Valentine was a priest near Rome in 270 AD.  He continued to minister in those days despite great persecution of Christians.  But he continued witnessing because He loved the Lord and his fellow man.  He was willing to risk his life to free the prisoners and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it.  And he was martyred for his faith in prison.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13.

God showed us this love by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins.  And St. Valentine demonstrated this love when he died for his friends.  This is the kind of love that Valentine’s Day is really all about.

 LOVE LIFTED ME

 “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more; but the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me!  Love lifted me!  When nothing else could help, love lifted me.  Love lifted me, love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me!

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling, in His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing.  Love so mighty and so true merits my soul’s best songs; faithful, loving service, too to Him belongs.

Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves.  He will lift you by His love out of the angry waves.  He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey; He your Saviour wants to be, be saved today.” (Howard E. Smith)

So let’s look past all the hearts, flowers and candy, and look to the One whose great heart beats with the deepest love for us.  The red displayed reminds me of the sacrifice of Calvary, the blood my Saviour shed for my sins and for yours.  The sweetest of Valentine candy could never be as sweet as the love my Lord has for me, and He is indeed the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley.

This great heart of love beats with love that is beyond all human comprehension.  From the beginning of time, God’s love had a plan, a plan to redeem man by sending the Lamb of God, His very own Son, to walk among us, to redeem us by going to the cross, sacrificing His very life, but Praise the Lord, He came out of that tomb on the third day, and is now at the right hand of His Father and still reaching out with His love to all who will call on His name. 

Yes, once I was also sinking in sin, far away from the peaceful shore, and He heard my cry, and like Peter when He was sinking, He reached down His hand and pulled me up out of the waters, and I am now safe in His loving arms.  And I cannot serve Him enough and cannot praise Him enough for this great salvation, this great peace, and the hope of eternity with Him.  Praise the Lord!

So my friends, are you sinking down in your sin?  Do you feel like you are too far from the shore to be rescued?  Are the waves crashing around you, threatening to drown you?  Have you drifted away from the peaceful shore, having once walked with the Lord? 

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” Jeremiah 31:3.

He has loved you, my friends, with an everlasting love, a love that will never die, and He waits to draw you out of the raging seas of doubt and despair.  He waits to draw you out of the deepest sin.  He loved you so much that nothing could keep Him from going to the cross for you.  How can I begin to describe the matchless love that the Lord has for you?

So when you walk through the stores, or see advertisement on television, wherever you may go, be reminded as you look on the Valentine hearts of red of the supreme sacrifice that Jesus made for you.  And His great heart of love is beating for you, waiting to draw you up out of the raging waters of sin, to bring you to the peaceful shore of His love.

Oh yes, there will still be trials and storms ahead.  But you will be safe in the midst of the storms, because our Lord Jesus walks on the waters, stills the storms and lifts the one who cries out to Him in desperation.  Call out to Him today, my friend and be lifted up, and someday live in eternity with Him forever.  Now that is love!

In His Love,

Pastor Sharon

A JOURNEY ON THE

PATH TO LIFE

 It is a wonderful time of the year when vacation time rolls around.  We all love to go on a journey to visit special places or visit loved ones.  There is excitement as we pack our bags, jump in the car or head to the airport for a flight out to a favorite destination.

And sometimes it is a visit to the mountains, down or up a hiking path.  And sometimes the pathway is broad and easy to walk.  We all like those kinds of paths.  But later, the path may become narrow and twisting and a hard climb all the way.   All of us are also on a spiritual journey, and we are all walking down a pathway that each of us chooses to walk. There are only two paths to choose, one leads to death and destruction and the other one leads to life eternal.  Which path have you chosen this day?  

 ETERNITY HAS TWO

“When the melody has been written, and the words have all been picked, and you heard the Spirit calling through some old sacred hymn, in the valley of decision, tell me friend what will you do?  This life has many choices, eternity has two.

This world and all its pleasures will so soon pass away.  The final invitation could be going out today.  You’re standing at the crossroads and the Savior is calling you.  This life has many choices, eternity has two.

The straight and narrow way leads to life, the broad way down below.  What would it profit to gain the world and lose your very soul.  Tomorrow is uncertain, our days on earth are few.  This life has many choices, eternity has two.”    (Eternity Has Two, by Doyle Lawson)

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it, Matthew 7:13-14. (NKJV)

Jesus explained that the broad way, the easy way only leads to destruction and eternity without God, and as we look around us we see many in this world traveling down that road without Jesus, without any hope.    But the narrow road is more difficult.  It is winding and narrow with rocks and obstacles in the way.  Sometimes it is dark with storms and rain and with dark days.  But at the end of that narrow and difficult path is life eternal and joy forevermore.  Jesus doesn’t promise us a “bed of roses” as we travel this road, but He promises to never leave us and to walk ahead of us, showing us the way.

I want to share the way to travel on the narrow road to life eternal with Jesus.    This road I will take you on is called “The Roman Road to Salvation.”  As I take you down this road from the Book of Romans, you can find life eternal and be saved and know that you are secure in Jesus.  We are living in troubled times, and we need Jesus to be walking with us along this path of life.  And as you travel down the Roman Road, you will understand how to be saved, or to be born again into a new life with Christ.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 The first stop on the Roman Road is to admit you are a sinner.  We all have sinned, all of us were born in sin.  And all of us have fallen short of God’s glory, as God cannot look upon sin.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23.  Sin leads to death, eternal death, eternal separation from God in Hell. You must understand that you deserve death for your sin.  But God’s gift to you, my friend, is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a free gift, but you have to reach out and take it.   Ask God to forgive you, then repent of the sins you have committed, telling God you are sorry for your sins, and that you now want to walk into a new life with Him. 

“God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!” Now that is the ultimate love, that God would send His own beloved Son to die on the cross and pay sin’s penalty for the whole world.  Even though we were born in sin, yet He died for you, for me.  His love saves you, not religion, but a relationship with Himself. 

“Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13. All you need to is call to God in the Wonderful Name of Jesus and you will be saved!

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe down in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved and have eternal life.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things become new” II Corinthians 5:17. When you walk this Roman Road and realize you are a sinner, call upon the Lord to save you, and believe in your heart that He is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead, you are saved and you become a new creature.  In other words, your heart becomes new, your desires change and you want to serve Jesus and can’t love Him enough for dying for you and saving you from sin, and God’s Word, the Bible will come alive to you as you read.

So my friends, remember that eternity has only two choices.  Which road will you travel on?  I pray that you will travel on the narrow road to life eternal.  Please make that choice, your eternal destiny hinges on the choice you make.  Call upon Him now!  Follow the Roman Road to life eternal.

n Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon