FOLLOWING JESUS EACH STEP OF THE WAY

FOLLOWING JESUS

EACH STEP OF THE WAY

As I look out my window today, it is dark and cold.  The sun has not shown today.  It would be nice just to stay inside where it is warm and not venture out.  Oh, it has been a good Lord’s Day, with plenty of warm fellowship and teaching of the Word.  But on days like today, I would love a warm fire, a cup of something warm to drink and a book to read.  But life goes on and the journey with the Lord continues no matter what the weather across my pathway, weather storms, or wind blowing, tears filling my eyes.

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved” Psalm 121:3.

Our journey in this life is like traveling through some great mountain.  Along the mountain path our feet can slip.  There may be spots on the path that may be smooth as glass and others that have loose stones, and in either of these it is hard not to avoid a fall.  So with pitfalls, snares, weak knees, weary feet, no child of God could stand, if it were not for our Precious Lord to guards our steps.

So as we follow Jesus, He leads us on, no matter what may come across the pathway.  Are you following Jesus today?  Are you letting Him guide you on life’s pathway?  Is these days of uncertainties in this nation and in our world, He is calling us to cling to Him on the path.

 

I’M FOLLOWING JESUS

 I’m following Jesus, one step at a time;

I live for the moment, in His love divine.

Why think of tomorrow, just live for today;

I’m following Jesus, each step of the way.

 The pathway is narrow, but He leads me on;

I walk in His shadow, my fears are all gone.

My spirit grows stronger, each moment, each day,

For Jesus is leading each step of the way.

Redd Harper

What a testimony in this chorus!  Jesus calls us to take one step at a time.  We don’t know what lies ahead on the path before us.  We don’t know about tomorrow.  “Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery.  Today is a gift, that why it’s called the present.”

Yes, the pathway is narrow, but the pathway Jesus leads us on is the pathway to life eternal.  Isn’t it wonderful to walk with Jesus, even though we don’t know what’s ahead.  But we know that He holds tomorrow, as He sees the future and what is down the road, around the next bend in the road.  So we walk with Jesus, walking in the shadow of our Shepherd.  When we walk in His shadow, we are protected under the shadow of His wings.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare of the LORD: He along is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague.  He will shield you with His wings.  He will shelter you with His feathers.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection”  Psalm 91:1-3. (NLT)

And when we are walking in His shadow, He brings peace in the midst of every storm in our lives, and when He brings peace, He calms our fears and our anxieties. 

“That is why we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us an immeasurable great glory that will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever” II Corinthians 4:16-18. (NLT)

Yes, my friends, even though the pathway is narrow and troubles may come across our pathways, but as we walk with Jesus, our spirits grow stronger and our strength is renewed each day.  Yes, we may think that there is “no light at the end of the tunnel” but when we walk with Jesus, and He leads us on, He is the “Light at the end of the tunnel.”’

But someday all our troubles will be over and just think of the joy that will last forever.  Oh, what hope we have in Jesus!

Oh, I pray that you are walking with Jesus today.  If you have strayed from the path and taken your eyes off of your Lord, cry out to Him and let Him set you back on the right path following Him each step of the way, all the way into that eternal city, that blessed hope of Heaven, and a place where there will be joy and peace forever in His Presence!  Walk with Him today and let Him lead you each step of the way.

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

GOD WILL TAKE CARE

OF YOU!

It is Thanksgiving week and everyone is rushing around preparing for the feast on Thursday.  There are so many blessings He has bestowed upon us, and He calls us to remember Him and what He has done for us and for our families.  He has answered many prayers this past year, and many, many have come to the Lord, and have so much to thank Him for this year.  When I think of “Black Friday” I think of that day on Calvary’s hill and it was a dark day for Christ as He suffered there for my salvation, for your salvation.  God’s only Beloved Son giving His live to redeem man.   So give Him praise as you gather around your table with family and friends.

I am sitting here on this cold and rainy afternoon thinking of the events of this past week and all those who are in great distress this afternoon.  The weather is overcast and very wet outside.  And it reminds me of the clouds that hover over people’s lives.  There are clouds of despair, hopelessness, fear, grief, sickness, and obstacles in their pathway that they see no way around. 

As a Pastor it seems that there are days of listening to the hurts of others, and sometimes I just don’t know what to say when they share their hearts.  All I can do is listen, pray and cry with them.  It is only the Holy Spirit who can comfort, dry the tears and bring peace.  I remind them and want to remind you out there that God does care and He hears and shares your sorrows and He sees those tears.  And He will take care of you, He promises in His Word.  And one of my reminders on this time of Thanksgiving, is of the many that God has touched with His mighty power this year, of those He has comforted, and those who have had mighty answers to prayer.  And I am reminded that no matter what the next year may hold, God will always take care of His own.

The Song, “God Will Take Care of You” was written by Civilla Martin, wife of an evangelist.  She became ill at a time when it was time for her husband to leave for a scheduled preaching obligation at a church some miles away.  Her husband, Rev. Martin, then considered cancelling the engagement to stay home and care for his wife, when his young son said, “Father, don’t you think that if God wants you to preach today that He will take care of Mother while you’re gone?”  Rev. Martin, with renewed spirit, went ahead with his plans and when he returned home late in the day, his wife was much improved.  During the day, Civilla had pondered on the simple faith of their young son and was inspired to write the words to his hymn.  That evening  her husband wrote the music to accompany his wife’s poem.

 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU

“Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

Refrain:  God will take care of you, thru every day , o’er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you.

Thru days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; when dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you; nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you.  Lean, weary one upon His breast, God will take care of you.  Civilla D. Martin/W. Stillman Martin

There are many out there today who are dismayed at what has come into their lives, and they don’t know where to turn.  Some are dismayed with the state of our nation, their families, their children and their problems, and what the future may hold.  But listen, God’s promises never fail.  I am so glad we serve a God who hears and answers prayer, and Oh, the joy to know that we have Him on to love and care for us.

“He will shield you with His wings.  He will shelter you with His feathers.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection” Psalm 91:4. (NLT).

As we read the Psalms, especially those of David, we see in many places that He compares God care to hovering wings, or hiding under the shadow or protection of His wings.  We see a lovely picture here of our Savior gently taking you under His tender care and hiding you from the storms blowing around you, just as a chicken takes her little chicks under her wing.  Oh, what a precious promise!

And sometimes in those great times of trial we do feel like our hearts will fail us.  Just today a dear one, in sharing her hurts told me that “her heart hurt.”  God knows that pain.  When He walked this earth, He had great compassion on the people, and His great heart hurt for the crowds that thronged around Him.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light” Matthew 11:28. (NLT)

So if you are weary right now of the heavy burden you are carrying, and you don’t feel like you can’t go on, let Him carry that burden, and He will give you rest, and will bring peace to your hurting heart.  He calls you to “Come.”

And some of you are worried about the economy or your own personal finances.  You wonder how you are going to provide for your children.  Maybe because of the economy you have lost your job, and days in and days out, as you look for employment, it seems like a hopeless situation.  But let me give you a couple of promises in God’s Word.  And in these times of trial, we need to cling to those precious promises.

“I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, not hid seed begging bread” Psalm 37:25.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19.

So whatever test you may be going through right now, God specializes in things that seem impossible.

“Ah, Lord God!  Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” Jeremiah 32:17.

If our God can create this mighty universe by His mighty power, then nothing that we go through, no situations that we face are too hard for Him to handle.  Think of that, my friends.

You may think your situation is impossible, and that you cannot possibly see this through, but God does care for you.  Here is an old chorus we used to sing and it speaks of God specializing in impossible situations.  The writer of this old chorus is unknown.

 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 friend can do. 

“Father, in the Name of Jesus, I bring all these precious ones to you right now, and all their impossible situations.  There is absolutely nothing too hard for you.  So walk through their complicated problems, and give them peace in the midst of their storms, and bring healing to the hearts that “hurt.”  Only you, our Great God are able to calm the storms of our lives.  Yes, the winds may blow, the waves may be high around them, but You are the One who walked on the sea and calmed the storm, and You are still calming our storms today.  Thank you, Jesus, for answered prayer and for loving and caring for us in all situations.  And thank You, Jesus, for your loving care and blessings you have bestowed upon us this past year, and bless each one with a thankful heart as they gather with family this Thanksgiving Day.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED, YOU ARE NOT FORSAKEN!

DON’T BE DISCOURAGED,

YOU ARE NOT FORSAKEN!

In the last few days many people have had their hopes dashed, all their dreams and plans for themselves and for their world came crashing down.  They wonder where God was in recent events.  Some wonder where God is in their lives and circumstances.  Many are facing homeless situations because of the hurricane and the oncoming winter storm.

God is still in control.  He is in Lord over the nations of the world, and He alone determines each nation’s destiny.  “Praise the name of God forever and ever; for he alone has all wisdom and power; he removes kings and sets others on the throne.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.  He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he himself is surrounded by light” Daniel 2:21-22. (NLT)

Yes, He is in control of the events in our nation.  Oh, some may feel like the God of the universe is not listening or does not care, but He does.  This is the world He created, and nothing is not seen by Him.  And our God has a plan for our future, your future and the future of this world, and everything will move according to His divine plans.  And I am so glad that we serve the God of the Universe, the Creator, who sent His Son to die for this world, and who desires that all men come to know Him.

And He knows you, my friend, and He loves you no matter what the circumstances are in your life right now.  You may feel like you have no hope left, or that no one could possibly love you because of the things that you have done.  But we serve a mighty God!  And I want to tell you that He is concerned about every aspect of your life and all the hurts and struggles that you may be experiencing right now.

 

I want to show you in God’s Word just how much He does care.  The Bible is full of promises that show His love and care, but there is one particular scripture I want to share with you that has blessed my life and the life of others, and gives meaning to knowing just how much He loves you and me.  The following quotes are the words of Charles F. Spurgeon, written over a century ago, and still brings encouragement to our hearts today, as he shares this scripture from the book of Isaiah:

“Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” Isaiah 49:16.

“Behold,” is a word intended to excite admiration.  Here indeed, we have a theme for marveling.  Heaven and earth may well be astonished that rebels should obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to written upon the palms of His hands.

“I have graven thee.”  It does not say, “Thy name.”  The name is there, but that is not all:  “I have graven thee.”  See the fullness of this!  I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, thy wants, thy works; I have graven thee, everything about thee, all that concerns thee; I have put thee altogether there.

Wilt thou every say again that thy God hath forsaken thee when He has graven thee upon His own palms?"

I think of those loving hands and His palms out stretched to you and to me.  And there you are graven.  He sees you there.  He sees the circumstances you are going through right now, and the hurts there.  He sees the sins there too, but we have the promise that with the blood of Jesus, those sins are washed away.  He sees all the temptations that come into your life, and your struggles over them.  He knows all the desires of your heart and knows when you are weak, but He desires to give you the strength you need to go on.  He knows everything about you, and He sees you right there on the palms of His mighty hands.  What a beautiful picture of the love He has for you!

“Oh, Lord you have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways” Psalm 139:1-3.

He knows when you sit down and when you rise up, and He even knows your thoughts ahead of time.  He knows the path that you tread and has walked that path ahead of you, and promises to guide you even to death, and He will be there to walk with you into your eternal home.

“For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death”  Psalm 48:14.

I was reminded again of the elderly man I was visiting sometime ago.  He has since gone on to be with Jesus.  I was showing Him this scripture to impress upon Him how much Jesus loves and cares for Him.  He began to look at his hands, at his palms.  Then he tried to comprehend what I was trying to tell him, and said, “But that is millions of people!”  I said, Oh, yes, but there you are right there, “graven upon the palms of His big hands.”  As I prepared to leave and say my goodbyes, he was still looking at his hands, amazed at how much God loved him.

So my dear, friends, how can you think that our God has forsaken you, when He looks at His hands and sees you there in your times of trial, your times of feeling forsaken and maybe you are lonely, in a place where you feel like even your family has forgotten you?  But He also sees you in times of happiness and joy in your life, and He smiles with you as He looks at you graven there in His palms.

So be encouraged today.  He knows your name, and He sees you right there on the palms of His mighty hands.  Oh, what a wonderful picture of our Loving Lord!  And His hands are outstretched to each one of you today.  If you don’t know this Wonderful Lord, He is reaching out to you, calling you to Himself.  Let your life be also be on “palms of His hands.”

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

 

THE COMFORTER IS HERE!

 

 

 

THE COMFORTER IS HERE!

As the storms have raged in our land, leaving many homeless and in dire situations, I think of so many who just need some comfort or maybe just a hug.  I so feel for those who are lost and alone and not knowing where to turn in times like these.  And there are others alone in nursing homes, foster homes, care centers, who just need a little comfort.  I walk among them touching a hand, giving a kiss, and telling them that Jesus loves them.  “The Comforter Has Come.”

We live in troubled times, the storms rage, the earth shakes and men’s hearts fail them for fear of the things that are coming on our world.  All we have to do is read the news and hear of wars, of violence, of trouble everywhere.  And I am here to tell you that “The Comforter Has Come.”

And there are many sick among us.  As I shared with someone today regarding one from our congregation who has suffered endlessly, and is facing more surgery tomorrow, and another in a foster home who continues to grow weaker and weaker, and others who are failing with health concerns.  I see a dear precious lady in the nursing home whose suffering seems never to end, but she has been a witness there, leading many to Christ from her bed.  But she knows that “The Comforter Has Come,” and He is here for all who are suffering and in great pain.

Then there are those who have lost loved ones recently.  Many in this storm have lost loved ones, and they need comfort and someone to cry with them and share Jesus with them, and cry with them when they cry.  I recently conducted a funeral for a dear precious elderly man.  I saw the tears of the family, and was able to tell them of the hope and comfort that Jesus brings. 

Jesus promised before He left this earth to send us a comforter in the promise of the Holy Spirit, He is our comforter in these times of great sorrow and grief, and I am here to tell you of the peace that He brings.  The world cannot bring that comfort.  Oh, there are wonderful people who will share sorrow with those who are suffering, but there is only One who can ease away the suffering and bring peace to a troubled soul.  And He has come, “The Comforter Has Come.”

 THE COMFORTER HAS COME

O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found, wherever human hearts and human woes abound; let ev’ry Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

CHORUS:  The Comforter has come, the Comforter has come! The Holy Ghost from Heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n; O spread the tidings ‘round, wherever man is found the Comforter has come!

The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last, and hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast, as oer the golden hills the day advances fast! The Comforter has come!

Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings, to every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings; and thro’ the vacant cells the song of triumph rings; the Comforter has come!

O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of tine to wond’ring morals tell the matchless grace divine that I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!  The Comforter has come!    By  (Frank Bottome)

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said unto you. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”  John 14:25-27.

Jesus was sharing with the disciples, just before He was arrested in the garden, and crucified on the cross.  And their hearts were troubled by the things He was sharing with them.  They were facing troubling times in their lives, a night of sorrow and grief as their Lord was taken away from them and crucified.  And they in their sorrow, left their Lord, and hid in frightened terror.

But Jesus promised them and us, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would be sent to them, to bring them peace.  Oh, the world will try and bring peace to troubled hearts, but only He can bring peace, as He is the “Prince of Peace.”  So He says, don’t be troubled or afraid, I am with you in the presence of the Holy Spirit, “The Comforter.”

So He calls each one of us as Christians to share comfort to those who are suffering and going through great trials.  It is such a blessing to watch peace come upon a person laying there in a bed, as I just touch a forehead and speak the name of Jesus!  And the song calls us to proclaim the joyful sound!  And truly the work of the Holy Spirit brings joy into the lives He touches.  He brings joy and hope at last.  The world cannot bring the hope that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter brings.

And someday the long night of suffering will be past, and the morning will break at last, and the roar of the storm will cease, the waves of sorrow and pain will no longer wash over us.  And just over the hills, we will see the golden sunshine of our heavenly home.  And as I watched a gorgeous sunset last evening, I was reminded again and the glory just awaiting His children just beyond the sunset, when the day is over.  And I truly believe that the day is approaching quickly, and the Comforter reminds us to be ready for that call whenever it will come.  For some it may be soon, for others we may have other valleys to cross and mountains to cross before we see the light of the city dawning over the hills.

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings.  And you will go free, leaping with joy , like calves let out to pasture”  Malachi 2:2. (NLT).

God is speaking to His children here, to those who fear His name, He promises that Jesus, called “The Sun of Righteousness,” will arise and bring healing in His wings to all who suffer, deliverance will come and peace and joy.  And as we enter our heavenly home there will be no more pain, suffering or tears.  And Jesus walked this earth and touched and healed those who were suffering, and He still heals today!

And how can one explain God’s salvation in sending His Son to die for our sins, the wonderful grace and mercy of our Precious Lord.  There is no way to describe the peace and joy that salvation brings.  And that hope and salvation is here because “The Comforter Has Come.”  Praise the Lord!

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon