JESUS, SOVEREIGN OF THE SEA

JESUS, SOVEREIGN OF THE SEA

We are home from our travels on the east coast.  We had wonderful visits with children and grandchildren and took note of the life that they live in busy and crowded cities.  It is fun to get away on vacation but always wonderful to walk in the front door of your own home.  We had a long day of air travel, so getting back into town was special.

I watched people, sat in vehicle in stalled traffic, and hit the shops and tourists areas.  I always wonder about the crowds around me.  How many know Jesus as their personal Savior?  How many spent time in prayer that day and read their Bible?  I saw sad faces, happy faces, and people in a hurry to get places.  And I again realized that people need the Lord.  We live in troubled times, and I wonder how people can walk through great struggles without Him.  Do they know that He calms the raging storms?  Do they know He quiets the waves of sorrow?  Oh, to be able to tell the world about my Jesus!

And then there was the sea, the great Atlantic Ocean, just within walking distance of the house we were staying in.  Some days it was sunny, other days the waves were choppy, and the wind was blowing.  But the waves rolled in upon the shore.  And there were the people under their umbrellas in their chairs enjoying the sea breezes.  One day, just out past the waves the dolphins were running and we could just view their tails as they swam.

But as I recall our ocean visit, I compare it to our walk, as we journey through life and especially as we journey with Jesus, as we travel onward towards “Home.”  Life gets rough.  Sometimes the waves will threaten to drown us in our pain.  But read the words of this old hymn and realize that Jesus is the “Mighty Sovereign of the Sea.”

JESUS, SAVIOUR, PILOT ME

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea; unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treach’rous shoal; chart and compass come from Thee:  Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild; boist’rous waves obey Thy will when Thou say’st to them, “be still”; Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea, Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar ‘twist me and peaceful rest, then, while leaning on Thy breast, may I hear Thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.”  (Edward Hopper /John E. Gould)

There are many of you in great trials right now.  The waves roll, and there are treacherous days before you.  But direction comes from Jesus, as He pilots our ship.  When the waves roll in, and I feel like I am drowning, I want Him at the helm of my ship.  I know some who are experiencing “troubled seas” right now.  We have a very dear loved one who continues to battle brain struggles after brain cancer and surgery.  Oh, she loves Jesus, but she knows who pilots her ship!  Oh, Praise the Lord!

I know of another person with cancer, who the doctors say that she will be gone by Christmas.  I don’t know the spiritual condition of this lady, and only God knows her heart.  All I can do is pray that Jesus is her pilot on the troubled sea she is traveling right now.

I am reminded of when Jesus walked on this earth, and His disciples experienced the boisterous waves and the “Mighty Sovereign of the Sea.”

“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”  But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matthew 8:23.

We see the disciples frantic with fear as their boat was covered with waves, and Great Creator Himself, the One who created the sea and those waves is asleep.  He was in total control of the situation, but He questioned their faith.  But all He had to do was rebuke the winds and the sea and everything was calm, and the disciples were amazed and filled with awe.

This is our Wonderful Lord who calms the wind blowing out on the sea of life, and the great waves become calm.  We don’t understand the “whys?” of situations that blow across our path, but Jesus is there to bring peace and calmness in the midst of the storms.

I was reminded of our Mighty Sovereign of the Sea as we were walking on the boardwalk along the ocean.  There we came to a huge grey statue called “Neptune, god of the sea.”  There is only one God of the sea, as I shared with my husband.  Our God not only calms the wind and the waves, but our God walked on the water in Matthew 14:24-33.  Our God is alive and well, not a mythical god and not a god carved into a stone statue!

And someday, as we near the shore, He will be there to meet us, and take us into eternal glory with Him.  I am so glad the “Mighty Sovereign of the Sea” is the pilot of my ship, and I can depend on Him when my ship is rocking and the wind is boisterous.  And we, as His children, don’t have to fear when death comes, because He will be there to bring peace forever.  Oh, Praise His Holy Name!

I do pray that He will pilot your ship through life.  He died on the cross for you, and is waiting to take you into His arms and hold you through the storms that come.  Oh, let Him be your pilot today!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

AS WE TRAVEL!

It is that time of the year again for a much awaited vacation, and a time to reflect on our travels with our Lord, as we journey on toward our Heavenly Prize.

I am looking forward to new inspiration to share and some wonderful old hymns to remember to bless you.  I will leave you for a couple of weeks with this from Charles Spurgeon:

"For this life's long night of sadness He will give us peace and gladness.  Soul, remember, in thy pains, God o'er all forever reigns."

So no matter what the issues in your life this day, God is still in control.  We don't always understand the "Whys?  But He is still the bringer of peace and gladness, and someday we will reach that Heavenly shore, and there will joy forever more with Him.

In Jesus' Name,
Pastor Sharon

JUST PRAISE HIM!

JUST PRAISE HIM!

As I sit here thinking over the past few days, I am reminded of those moments when things just didn’t go quite right, and situations come into my lives suddenly which brought worry and concern.  The world around us can become very dark at times and troubles surround us, but He calls His people to praise Him in the midst of it all.  And He calls me and each one of His children to just praise Him!  And to praise Him when, at the end of the day, we can look back and see that He took care of each one of those issues in our lives.

I talk to people and see situations come into their lives which bring depression and much pain.  I talked to a dear sister in the Lord just today who is very distraught over situations in her life at this moment and in much physical pain, and my heart goes out to her.  But in the midst of such despair, He is calling us to praise Him, for God is in the midst of her pain and despair and your pain and despair!  Oh, what a wonderful God we serve!  

As I was talking this morning with a sister in the Lord we praised Him for the strength He gives in each moment of our days, and we wondered how people can walk through such things without Him, and some I have heard of recently, don’t even want Him in their lives, even in the midst of pain and terminal illness.

Oh, that people would just look up and “see” Jesus, and know that He cares so much and is not willing that anyone perish without Him!  Time is so short and we all desire that our family and friends come to know this wonderful Lord that we serve.

But I have seen the Lord answer even the smallest concerns of my life in the last couple of days, and in the midst of all we go through as we walk with Him, He calls us to just praise Him in the midst of it all, and praise Him for who He is and what He has done.

Stop and think with me for a moment back over the last week and remember what the Lord has done in your life, how He has answered prayer, and take a moment to give Him praise.  He wants to fill us with joy and sing joyfully as we lift our hands in praise to our “blessed Redeemer.”

PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM!

“Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory; strength and honor give to His holy name! Like a shepherd Jesus will guard His children, in His arms He carries them all day long.

Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered and bled and died; He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.  Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows; love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong:

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King! Christ is coming over the world victorious, pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong:

Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

In this hymn written by Fanny Crosby, we are called to tell of His excellent greatness.  We are called to praise Him, praise Him in joyful song.  We are called to give Him glory, to honor His holy name with great shouts of praise.  Can we do that in the midst of the trials that we go through on this journey we are on?

In those days when all seems so dark and confusing, He actually carries the lambs in His arms.  You are one of His lambs.

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” Isaiah 40:11.

He calls us to praise Him for our salvation, for He is our blessed Redeemer!  He gave His life that we may have eternal life.  His love is unbounded, as I said in a previous blog, His love is like the mighty oceans, rolling and rolling over us.  Who can understand the depth of His love.  So our call is to praise Him, praise Him!

Our Wonderful Lord reigns forever and ever, and someday He will come back as King of kings and Lord of lords!

“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD O my soul! While I live I will praise the LORD: I will sing praises to my God while I have my being” Psalm 146:1-2.

PRAISE the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful” Psalm 147:1-2.

So whatever is the trial of this day, no matter what the problems and obstacles you may face, God lives in the praises of His people.  I know it is hard to praise Him while the storm blows around you, but even if you just whisper a praise to Him, call out to Him in the midst of the wind, He is there and will gather you into His precious arms.

So on this day, when the sky is grey with smoke in our area, or there may be storm clouds in your area, lift your eyes and praise Him for your Salvation.  Praise Him for your hope in eternity with Him.  Praise Him for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you.  Praise Him that He promises to load you with strength for the journey daily.  Praise Him for His grace and mercy to you. Praise Him for answered prayer.  Praise Him for all His precious promises in His Word.  Praise Him for His soon return.  And I could go on and on with reasons to praise our Wonderful Lord!  But I call you to praise Him because He is our Precious Lord and Savior, who promises to never leave us alone, to always be with us.  May you be blessed as He receives your praises!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS

KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS

As I sit here at my computer, I look out at smoked filled skies, due to fires in neighboring counties, and I wonder about all those involved, fire fighters and those facing having to leave their homes and go to shelters.  My mind goes over the past weekend attending a lovely wedding by the river, and Sunday services and the opportunity to stand in the “pulpit” sharing God’s Word, as I focused on the love of Jesus, and the call to be ready to meet Him, as we never know what a day will hold.  And we need to put aside our burdens and just look up, His redemption draws near. So much goes on in our lives sometimes that we need to just stop and refocus. 

It is a time to reflect on where we are on our walk with the Lord, to take a moment to quietly praise Him for the blessings He bestows upon us, and take some time to just be still and let His peace overflow us.  We may be in the midst of walking through the “fire” in our lives, and the wind may be blowing “smoke” in our eyes so we can’t see the “Son.”  So many people are going through great trials right now, but our God is in the midst of every storm, Oh Praise the Lord! 

As I shared on Sunday, His love is like the mighty ocean, rolling and rolling over us.  He is over us, under us, and all around us.  And I want to share today that it is all because of the Cross.  The Cross of Christ stands in the midst of history.  Its mighty arm points back to the promises in the Old Testament of a coming Redeemer, the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world, and the other arm is extended into eternity, bringing life and salvation.  In our walk with the Lord everything is obtained through the Cross of Christ, our Salvation, our healing, His great love, and the great redemption of our souls, promising eternity in heaven with Him.

 And then, as believers and walking with the Lord we must keep near the Cross, and let our focus and our very walk with Jesus be there.  I desire to stay near the Cross, and encourage all believers out there to also be near the Cross, as we kneel in prayer, spend our quiet times with Him, stay in His Word and reach out to a dying and hurting world.

NEAR THE CROSS

“Jesus keep me near the cross, there a precious fountain free to all a healing stream flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever; till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul, Love and mercy found me; there the Bright and Morning Star sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me; help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o’er me.

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever, till I reach the golden strand, just beyond the river.  (Fanny Crosby)

That healing stream is flowing from Calvary’s Mountain, to you my sister, to you my brother.  The blood of Jesus is still flowing, as a great fountain. As the old song says “Millions have come, there is still room for one, there is room at the Cross for you,” can you fathom that love, that He would give His very life, shed His blood so man’s sin could be atoned.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin (Hebrews 9:22).

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” Romans 5:6-9.

I remember so well the night, at nine years of age, realizing the price Jesus had paid for my sins, I made my way to the altar, and there His love and His mercy found me.  It is near the Cross where His mercy and grace flows out to each one who kneels there.  And I pray that you, too, will kneel there, and let His presence surround you as He gathers you into His arms.

And as we walk this pathway of life with Jesus, He calls us to ever keep the Cross before us, ever mindful of the sacrifice He made, the suffering He went through for you, for me.  Again, such love as Jesus has for the world our minds cannot comprehend such love.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, what whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.

We are called to be watching and waiting, staying near the Cross daily, as we continue our journey upward and ever onward toward our eternal home.  We walk with hope in our hearts, fixing our eyes on Jesus as He leads us home.  Yes, the storms will come and rock our ship, the winds will blow, and just as today our skies may be filled with smoke and we can’t see the “Son” but He is there surrounding us, covering us with His love, and holding us in His everlasting arms.  He is the Prince of Peace, the One who walks on the water and calms the storm. 

So my friends, keep moving on with Jesus, keeping your eyes on the Cross, as heaven is just around the next bend, and such joy awaits each of His children.  I pray that if you haven’t knelt at the Cross, you will do so now, make your peace there with Jesus, He is waiting for you with his ever flowing love, waiting to gather you into His arms for all eternity.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon

HIDING IN JESUS!

HIDING IN JESUS!

Today I finished a milestone on my journey along the road with Jesus.  As I look back from where I have been, I see His guiding hand all the way.  I see how along the way He worked some miracles for me, and gave me His strength to go on.  There have been some rough days and nights.  There have been days of discouragement and tears, but Praise His Holy Name, He hides me in the “cleft of the rock” as the storms roll on around me.

Last weekend I was so very tired and my husband and I were in a particular store looking at items, and I actually didn’t think I could go on.  I have had those moments before when the Lord will suddenly drop a song in my heart, and my spirit begins to sing.  It happened, as I shared, when I was in the hospital.  It happened during a time of cancer several years ago.  I might have shared in the past the song “Until Then.”  I was checking in a local store as a cashier, and I was so sick and was actually beginning to experience fear of the future, when all of a sudden that song was dropped into my spirit and I began to sing with joy.  It wasn’t out loud, of course, but deep within me.  I knew at that moment I would “go on singing and with joy would carry on.”

Last Saturday afternoon I began to hear the words of the song: “He Hideth My Soul.”  And my spirit sang for joy as the Lord gave me strength to go on, put one step in front of another.  Let me tell you about that wonderful old hymn.

As a blind person, Fanny Crosby faced daily insecurity, which is why she found so much comfort in the book of Psalms and why so many of her hymns point to the security we have in the Lord.

This gospel song was one of her favorites.  Like David in the desert, she sometimes felt alone and vulnerable.  In the words of Scripture, she prayed, “Hide me,” and she delighted in Psalm 32:7, which says, “You are my hiding place.”

But the verse that inspired this song is from Exodus.  Seeking to know God was with the Israelites in the wilderness, Moses asked the Lord to show him His presence.  God acquiesced to Moses’ request and assured him, “I will put you in the cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand” (Exodus 33:22, NIV).

In the New Testament we find that Jesus is the cornerstone who was rejected for us, and thus we who are Christians are hidden in the cleft of the Rock.  When we consider how the hand of God covers us and shields us from harm, we, too, can joint praise to God: “O glory to God/For such a Redeemer as mine! (HYMNS-William J. Peterson)

HE HIDETH MY SOUL

“A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me; He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, and covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away; He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns, and, filled with His fullness divine, I sing in my rapture, “O Glory to God for such a Redeemer as mine!”

When clothed in His brightness transported I rise, to meet Him in clouds of the sky, His perfect salvation, His wonderful love, I’ll shout with the millions on high!”  (Fanny Crosby)

I want to encourage you in the Lord this day, my friends out there.  In all our storms of life, and in those relief times when you have passed a milestone in your walk with the Lord, you can look back and see the rivers of pleasure that He brings to you in those mountain top experiences.  And truly when He drops His joy into your spirit, it truly is a “river of pleasure.”  He brings joy that truly flows like a river, flowing over you.

Sometimes we go through dry places, and we feel like our “well has run dry.”  The land around us is barren.  I am remembering the children of Israel as they wondered through the barren wilderness and there was no water.  But above them was a rock shadowing that dry land.  And when Moses struck the rock, streams and rivers of waters flowed down from it. In I Corinthians 10:4, Paul tells us that the rock was Christ Jesus.  So when we are in that dry place, right above us, overlooking the dry road we are traveling is the “Rock” Christ Jesus, and we hide in Him, He covers us, and feeds us with living water.

He holds us up and takes away the burden we are carrying and covers us with His love!  Oh, what a Wonderful Savior we serve!

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters whey shall not come near him.  You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance” Psalm 32:6-7.

And when you feel like you are flooded by a river of trouble, sorrow and grief my bring pain to your heart, He is your hiding place from all our troubles.  And there is the promise:  He will actually surround His people with songs of deliverance, O Praise the Lord!

“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17.

The Lord is in the midst of His people, and He will save us as we pass through this journey and its struggles.  He brings quietness to the raging storm with His great love.  And I love this verse as it tells that He sings over His people!  He rejoices over us with songs of deliverance.  I hope this Word will bring great joy to your soul this day.

And then we have that great hope, whether we rise to meet Him in the sky, shouting with the millions all meeting Him there, or we go home to meet Him before that, we will rejoice and shout for joy when we see Him face to face.  All our struggles and trials will be over as we bask in His presence forever.

So take heart, let Him bring quietness to your soul this day, and fill your spirit with hymns of joy!

In His Blessed Name,

Pastor Sharon

A CROWN WE SHALL WIN!

A CROWN WE SHALL WIN!

As I sit here on this warm summer afternoon, I look out at the beautiful blue skies, and begin to think of all the summer activities, the races, ballgames, the games children play.  And many are competing for a prize.  And as we walk with the Lord, we too, are competing for a heavenly prize.  We continue to run in this race with Jesus. 

And sometimes we tire and want to give up in the race, but He calls us on.  And someday the battles of this life will be over and we will be rewarded by our Lord for the service to Him.  I am looking forward to that day, that great day of joy!  And I think of those who recently have won their heavenly rewards. 

I am thinking of a former pastor, who was instrumental to me in my teen years.  I think of his many years of service for his Savior and Lord, and now he has finished the race and gained the heavenly prize.

AND WHEN THE BATTLE’S OVER

“And when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown!  Yes, we shall wear a crown!  Yes, we shall wear a crown!  And when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown in the new Jerusalem.

Wear a crown, wear a crown, wear a bright and shining crown; and when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown in the new Jerusalem.” (Isaac Watts)

The Bible lists five crowns which will be given to believers.  Are you looking forward to your glorious crowns of victory?

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” I Corinthians 9:24-25.

In all the games we play, all the races we run, all may run but only one receives the prize.  In Paul’s day the winner of the games won a crown of flowers or such as that.  But we are running in our race an Incorruptible Crown, a crown that never will fade away.  This is also called the Imperishable Crown, this is a crown for eternity.  Oh, Praise the Lord!  But this crown calls for sacrifice, to lay aside our earthly desires and give our all for Jesus, and to complete the call and mission God has called us to do.  Yes, it will take much sacrifice and laying down our own fleshly desires to walk with the Master.

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy” I Thessalonians 2:19-20.

This crown is called the soul winner’s crown. Paul calls it a Crown of Rejoicing!  This crown is given to those who faithfully witness to others about Jesus, and lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Oh, what joy to lead a soul to Jesus!  I am looking forward to this crown.  I have seen the joy in faces as Jesus comes into a life, and He calls all of us to be witnesses for Him.  He calls each one of us to be in prayer for a lost and dying world and to desire a burden for souls, and then go out and do the work, led by the Holy Spirit.  I have seen wonderful doors open to witness and lead others to Christ. And truly the angels in heaven rejoice when one soul invites Jesus into their life.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12 (Revelation 2:8-11).

This crown is for those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death.  This crown is also called the Martyr’s Crown.  Jesus says that He will give this crown to those who undergo severe hardship, testing, tribulation/or physical death on His behalf.  Being willing to die for your faith in God would be the ultimate sacrifice.  We think of those down through the years who have given their lives for the cause of Christ.  And many, many in our world today are laying down their lives for the cause of Christ.  The Lord would remind us to be in constant prayer for the persecuted Church around the world.

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” 2 Timothy 4:8.

Are you looking for the coming of Jesus?  Are you anxiously awaiting His appearing?  This is the Crown of Righteousness. This crown is given to those who are walking daily in Christ’s righteousness.  If you are a believer you have been made righteous before God the Father as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for all of your sins.  This means that the righteousness of Jesus has now been imputed to you.  So we watch the skies, anxious for that day when He comes back to gather His children home. 

“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over whose entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” I Peter 5:1-4.

This is the Crown of Glory, or also known as the Pastor’s Crown.  This crown will be given to all our pastors who have been faithful in service to their flock.  I am thinking of the former pastor I mentioned earlier and that he has been faithful to receive the Pastor’s Crown.  It would also be applied to preachers and other ministers who feed the flock of God.  Even faithful Sunday School teachers who have been faithful to their calling will receive this crown.  It will go to all those faithful in teaching the Word of God.

There is one other “Crown of Glory” that I would like to mention to all my senior friends out there: “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness” Proverbs 16:31.

Yes, the Lord sees your lovely hair as it were a crown to Him.  You have walked the way of righteousness over the years, and He smiles upon you, looks upon your “crown” as beautiful.  And someday, the battles will be over, the victories won, and all who are faithful will receive their beautiful crowns.  Oh, what a day that will be!

In Jesus’ Name

Pastor Sharon

WHEN WE ALL GET HOME

WHEN WE ALL GET HOME!

This past week has been a week of laughter and tears.  There has also been pain this week and discouragement, and sometimes the road gets narrow, rocks along our path and stormy days, but in the midst of days and weeks such as this God brings such joy!  And in the midst of that joy He brings a taste of heavenly joy to come.

“But now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” I Corinthians 13:12.

Yes, when we think of heaven and seeing our Lord face to face, it is like a dim mirror, just a glimmer of the hope that awaits us just around the bend.  But someday, the Word promises we will know our loved over there and they will know us, and oh, the reunions that are going to take place!  Our minds can only try to imagine what that day will be like.  And for many of us that could be soon or down the road.  This day could be the day when we meet Him in the skies.  We are so looking and longing for that day

WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE

“There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come, no more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye; all is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore, what a day glorious day that will be.

CHORUS:  What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace; when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land, what a day, glorious day that will be.

There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear, no more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there; and forever I will be with the One who died for me, what a day glorious day that will be.” (James Hill)

When I think of “no more parting over there” I think of the reunion my husband and I attended this past week.  We were invited to see a dear friend and her husband who were visiting here.  I met this precious friend almost 39 years ago, and we have been though many trials, joys and heartaches together.  Our children grew up together.  And also gathered there at that lovely home were other friends from that time period.  We were all young then, raising our children, worshipping together, retreats together, sharing our joys and sorrows together.  Now we have all gone our separate ways.  We have all entered our senior years, with grandchildren and all that goes with these years.  And there are some we knew of that group who have gone on to be with Jesus.  And the group, as it was this past week, will never be together again as it was on this side of heaven.

But as we were all gathered together, laughing and sharing and sometimes we didn’t even recognize each other, but oh the joy of memories!  We have all walked through our trials down the years.  Our eyes have been dimmed by tears, clouds have covered our sky, but someday we will be able to sit down and fellowship together forever.  There won’t be any time limits, any appointments to hurry and take care of.  I think of my dear friend and the trials and the pain she has been through and the victories she has won and am reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Sometimes in the midst of pain, we feel like we are losing heart.  And sometimes that pain can be just a minor pain, a pain that is nagging.  And the Lord is interested in those pains and in all our struggles, even the smallest ones.  But oh, this old body may be perishing and getting older, but by the Holy Spirit it is being renewed each and every day.  These are just light afflictions compared to the glory that is just ahead.

“Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” I John 2-3.

We all have this hope within us, that someday when we finally see Him face to face, we will be like Him, and we will see our precious Lord just as He is.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

Do you have this hope within you?  Are you looking forward to that “great reunion” in our heavenly Jerusalem?  Reunions are usually prevalent in the summer months.  We have a family reunion with our children coming in August.  But again, reunions are just a shadow of what is ahead for God’s children, when all our loved ones in Jesus will be there, and old friends will gather, enjoying the angels and all the glories of heaven.  But most of all being with Jesus will be the grandest of all we could ever hope to imagine.  And, being with old friends again, never to part will be a joy that I can’t begin to describe.  I hope to see you there on that day, and that day could be just around the corner, over the next hill, or we will all meet together up there in that beautiful blue sky when that trumpet sounds, never to part again.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon