HOPE FOR A NEW YEAR

What are your hopes for this new year of 2011? Are you anxious about the future may hold?  We do live in troubled times, and we do not know what the year ahead holds for us individually, for our nation or for our world.

There are many fears we can address in these times of depressed economy and the fear of terrorists and their threats.   You may fear losing your job, your home and your security.  You may be facing great physical challenges this year, or the death of loved ones.  All these things can cause us to be anxious, but we do know that our God is in the heavens, and He is in control.  We can be sure of His precious promises, and He never fails.  “Great is His faithfulness!”

God pays attention to His people.  Whether God offers escape from trouble or help in times of trouble, He always hears and acts for those who love Him.  Praise the Lord! And He calms our fears and brings us peace.

“He frees us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.

It is very easy to worry and to fret about the economy or if we will even have a job to support our families.  God is perfectly capable to supplying everything we need.  If He takes care of the birds, then surely He will take care of us, since we are more precious to Him than the birds.  See Matthew 6:25-34.

Worry never accomplishes anything, and we all worry about little things, big things.  But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:27 that we cannot add a single day to our lives by worrying, nor can we make ourselves more secure or happier or happier by worrying. 

Constant worry indicates that we don’t really believe in the sovereignty of God; we don’t trust His power and His care for us.  If we are in God’s hands, then what can really harm us?  “What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us” Romans 8:31.  We also need to ask if we have our priorities straight.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.”  If we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s grace revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ, there won’t be any room for worry.

Live one day at a time.  Don’t borrow trouble by worrying about tomorrow, when we do not know if we will even have a tomorrow.  Today is a present, God’s gift to us.  Use it, cherish it.  It is okay to look ahead and plan, just so long as we remember to follow the counsel of James 4:15: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘if the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

What is the cure for worry and our anxious thoughts, PRAY!  This is what Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6:

“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”

                                              MY NEW YEAR’S PRAYER FOR YOU

Our Heavenly Father in Heaven, as the old year ends and the New Year begins forgive us for the failures of vanished days.  Keep us from worry and fear, and let us face forward with a hope and great expectation for the coming year.

You, Oh God, are from everlasting to everlasting, and you are granting us a new beginning of days, and let us walk those days knowing that You are there to lead and guide in every situation that we may face.

Oh, Lord, help us to abound in whatever is pleasing to You.  May we know that without You we can do nothing, and that in You all things are possible.

And Oh Lord, as the days pass over us, teach us to be thankful for past mercies and ever ready to serve You in the days ahead.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Happy New Year!

Pastor Sharon

O TIDINGS OF COMFORT

AND JOY!

In this final week before Christmas, many of us are tired of the crowds, the commercialism, the traffic and the pressure of this season.   It is a time now for us to take our eyes off the mad rush, be still before the Lord and remember it is He who is King of kings and Lord of lords, and to lift up His Name in all our celebrations and to give Him our Praise!

Christmas or some seems to be all about the gifts, the latest “toy” and what will make family members and friends happy.  However, do those things really bring satisfaction?  Maybe there will be joy for a short time after the gifts are opened, but then it is all over on the 26^th of December, even the Christmas carols cease to be heard.

Then there are long lines to return the gifts that have been so lovingly bought to bring joy and happiness.  Where does it all end?  Then we start looking toward the New Year and great despondency may set in. The holiday season is just not what we expected it to be.  We have lost our focus on the Wonderful Name of Jesus, and it is His Name, the Name above all Names.

Many right now have had a great expectation of the holiday season, but then they lost their jobs, their support of their families.  Maybe they lost a loved one right at Christmas, or a loved one was diagnosed with a terminal illness.  Many situations may have happened that created despair, and they have lost the comfort and joy of this season.

I am reminded of the Christmas Carol, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: “O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy.”  Some may ask “but where are the comfort and joys of this season?”

We go back and read Luke 2 and read about Mary and Joseph and that precious baby in the manger.  We wonder what may be going through Mary’s mind as she holds and cuddles her baby.  That baby is the long awaited Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring His people comfort and joy, for that is the reason He came.  Jesus came to walk this earth, God in the flesh, then face the cross for us, to bring us salvation, raised on the third day, and to bring us eternal life with Him forever.

So if you are feeling like you have lost all comfort and the joy of this season, be reminded in His Word that He promises comfort and joy, no matter what the circumstances are or what the future may hold.  In Isaiah 40:1 He says:  “Comfort, yes, comfort my people!  Says your God.”   “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted” two Corinthians 1:3-4.  So as we look forward to Christmas Day, be comforted by the God of all comfort, may He speak peace to your heart, and in the remainder of that verse, he invites us to share that comfort with someone else.

And then there is the joy.  It is not the joy which the world tries to give, that joy will not last, but only that which He can bring.  He is our Joy!  Psalm 43:4, we read the Psalmist and his words of joy: “Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.”  And we think of Jesus going to the cross and able to look beyond the cross and see the joy that He would bring to His people, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.

So, be comforted and filled with His joy as you celebrate Christmas and look toward a new year ahead.  Know that our Lord has walked that path before you, and He also promises to never leave you or forsake you in any situation you may find yourselves in.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, comfort Your people, especially in the rush and pressures of this season, when we are to remember the One, who is our Comfort and our Joy.  Bring Your people peace, You are Peace.  Blessings on Your people as they gather with family to celebrate You!  And we look forward to that day when we will gather around Your table to celebrate with You forever, in heaven where there will be no more parting or sorrow, heartaches all ended.  So let us celebrate with comfort and joy this season.  And I pray, most of all that Your Name will be lifted up to give You Glory.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Pastor Sharon Besler

DO YOU NEED REASSURANCE
IN THIS SEASON?

I know that many of you are going through storms right now, and God reassures many ways. And the holiday season is upon us.  This season of the year brings many memories and past Christmas times with family.  It is to be a time of joy and celebration.

There are carols in the air; the lights are on the trees and in the stores.  But I know there are some who will spend this season without their mates for the first time.  Hearts will be heavy with memories and grief.  This season, for you, will indeed be a time of storm.  Some of you will even fear the holiday season because of the pain. 

However,  God is always sending us signs of His love and care.  When the Apostle Paul was preaching in Greece, he became very discouraged.  But he was reassured when his friend, Titus, brought the good news that the Christians in Corinth were holding on to their faith (2 Corinthians 7:5-7).

David found reassurance when he remembered watching a sparrow build a nest in the altar of the Tabernacle.  That memory enabled him to keep going and make the vale of tears a valley of blessing (Psalm 84:1-7).

We are reminded that God knows our names.  The prophet Isaiah reminded the people of Israel that God knew them personally, and it holds true for us also.  “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” Isaiah 43:1

And Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He calls all of His sheep by name.  “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, they know his voice.”  John 10:2-4

Yes, I understand that there may be times when you walk into a room and expect your loved one to be there, or you may expect them to walk in at any moment.  But God brings such peace and reassurance at those times.  And may you always cherish their memories and the years together.  Some of you have spent many years together.  But cherish those memories with family at this Christmas time.  And some of you are seniors, and you can be reassured that someday you will be with your loved one again in that lovely place where there will be no parting forever, forever with the Lord.

And we are reminded that God is in command of this world, and nothing is too small for Him to provide.  He is always demonstrating His tender care for His children, and we never need to doubt His love for us.

In this Christmas season, we are reminded of God’s gift to us, His Precious Son coming to earth to bring us salvation and eternal life with Him.  So have a blessed Christmas season as you gather with family and friends.

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon Besler

AT THE END OF YOUR ROPE,

HANG ON TO YOUR HOPE

What are we to do when all that is good falls apart?  What do we do when illness invades, marriages fail, children suffer and death strikes?

Max Lucado states in For These Tough Times, Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing: “ In our toughest times we may see what the followers of Christ saw on the cross.  Innocence was slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Heaven’s tower of strength pierced.  Mothers wept. Evil danced, and the apostles had to wonder, when all that is good falls apart, what can good people do? God answered their question with a declaration.  With the rumble of the earth and the rolling of the rock, He reminded them, “the LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD sits on His throne in heaven. And today, we must remember. He is still in His Temple, still on His throne, and He is still in control.  And He still makes princes out of prisoners, counselors out of captives, and Sundays out of Fridays.  What He did then, He will do still.  It falls to us to ask Him to do so.”

“When all that good falls apart, what can good people do? The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD SITS on His throne in Heaven.”  Psalm 11:3-4 (NCV)

David’s point in this scripture is unmistakable:  God is unaltered by our storms.  He is undeterred by our problems.  God is not frightened by our problems.  He is in His holy temple.  He is on His throne in heaven.  Buildings may fall, careers may crumble, but God does not.  Wreckage and rubble have never discouraged Him.  God has always turned tragedy into triumph.

Did He not do so with Joseph?  Look at Joseph in the Egyptian prison.  His brothers have sold him out; Potiphar’s wife has turned him in.  If ever a world has caved in, Joseph’s has.  Or consider Moses, watching flocks in the wilderness.  Is this what he intended to do with his life?  His heart beats with Jewish blood.  His passion is to lead the slaves, so why does God have him leading sheep?

Daniel was among the brightest and best young men of Israel, the equivalent of a West Point cadet or Ivy Leager.  But he and his entire generation are being marched out of Jerusalem.  The city is destroyed.    The temple is in ruins.

Joseph in prison, Moses in the desert, Daniel in chains, these were dark moments.  But remember Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt. Moses led God’s people through the wilderness to the promised  land, and Daniel became the king’s counselor.

God’s love will never fail us in our hard and tough times.   “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?  Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity or are persecuted, or hungry or destitute or in danger or threatened with death?  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day, we are being slaughtered just like sheep).”  Romans 8:35-36 (NLT)

These words were written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution.  In just a few years, Paul’s hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities.  This passage reaffirms God’s profound love for His people.  No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be separated from His love.  Suffering should not drive us away from God but help us to identify with Him and allow His love to heal us.

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below, indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:37-39 (NLT)

These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scriptures.  Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms:  persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death.  These sometimes have caused them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ, and have lost their hope.  But Paul exclaims that is impossible to be separated from Christ.  His death for us in proof of His unconquerable love and nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence.  God tells us how great His love is so that we will be totally secure in Him.  If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid or lose our hope.

We are never at the end of our hope.  “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed.  We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.  Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.  So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.”  II Corinthians 4:8-18 (NLT)

Paul reminds us, that though we may think we are at the end of our hope, we are never at the end of our rope.  Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us.  Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life.  All our risk, humiliations and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate His power and presence in and through us.

Our ultimate hope when we are experiencing terrible illness, persecution or pain is the realization that this life is not all there is.  There is life after death.  Knowing that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help us live above the pain that we face in this life.

One final promise in Psalm 11:7: “For the Lord is righteous, and he loves justice.  Those who do right will see His face.”

That is our great promise.  No matter what we go through on this earth, when things seem to crumble around us, we are going to see His face, and as I said in last week’s blog, when we see His face, we will be just like Jesus.  Praise the Lord!

Pastor Sharon

A BRUISED REED AND SMOLDERING WICK

Have you noticed the reeds at the edge of a river bank, a pond or a lake?  Is there anything more frail than a bruised reed?  They become bent over.  Once they were tall, sturdy river grass, they are now bowed and bent.  Did you know that reeds are used in musical instruments?  If they are bent and bruised they would only give out squeaky music.

Are you a bruised reed?  Did you once stand tall and proud?  You were upright and sturdy.  Then something happened.  Have you had sorrow and grief that bowed you over?  Do you have memories of abuse caused by those who were supposed to love and care for you?  The list could go on and on.  The world is full of bruised people, and we all know them. People hurt by the past, people who are bruised and beaten down, seemingly no hope.  Our God is the God of the wounded heart.  He’s the God who knows all the dreams and desires of our hearts.  Jesus came not to crush a bruised reed but  to heal with His gentle touch.

In the book of Isaiah, we see a beautiful prophecy of Jesus, the coming Messiah: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.  I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations.  He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.  In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.  In his law, the islands will put their hope.”  Isaiah 42:1-4

In Matthew 12:20, we see Jesus fulfilling that promise, that prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah.  “

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

Are you bowed down today? Do you know someone who is bowed down and needs the gentle touch of the Master?  “The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.”  Psalm 145:14

He alone can lift up the bruised and broken reed and bring restoration and healing.

And what about the smoldering wick?  In Jesus’ time the wick or flax floated in the olive oil in a pottery type lamp.  It was once aflame, now flickering and failing.  It is still warm from yesterday’s passion, but no fire.  It is not yet cold, but far from hot.

Was it that long ago that you blazed with faith, witnessing, ministering to others, walking in the Spirit?  But what happened?  The wind came, the wind of adversity, trials.  You took your eyes off of Jesus and looked at your circumstances.  You got away from those precious times with Him in His Word and in prayer.  The constant wind bore down upon you.  Oh, you stood strong for a while, but the endless blast whipped your flickering flame.

It won’t take much to relight the flame, and it won’t take much to snuff it out entirely.  Jesus keeps the spiritual fires burning within by the power of the Holy Spirit.  A fire keeps burning as long as the coals stay close together.  However,  when they get separated the fire goes out.  As long as we stay close to the Lord  and let Him help us our light still shines and our fire doesn’t go out.

Pray, read His Word and hide His Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him.  Stay in fellowship with other Christians to encourage one another.  When we take our eyes off Jesus, we will fall, our fire will become a smoldering wick.

Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Jewish people to whom Jesus was speaking were burdened with 628 different commands and requirements in the tradition of the Pharisees of their day.  Is it any wonder then that the people flocked to Jesus, who spoke with such gentle and loving authority?  He told them of His Heavenly Father, who has His children obey Him out of love and not from fear of punishment.

So, in conclusion, the Lord wants you to stand tall, not bent over and bruised from the past, receiving His healing touch.  Keep the oil burning in your lamp, don’t allow circumstances to take your eyes off of Jesus.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I pray for all those who are bruised and feel like they are beaten down with past hurts and circumstances.  Lift them up, Lord, and help them to stand tall.  And those who have let their wick burn low, I pray that their fire will again burn brightly and they will be a light in this dark world.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Pastor Sharon

BEHOLD, I SHOW YOU A MYSTERY!

All of us wonder about life after death.  What is heaven like?  What will it be like to live forever?  And we also wonder what our bodies will be like in heaven and after the Resurrection.  Will we have spirit bodies that float around like that of ghosts, as some would have us believe?

These bodies of ours get old.  We hurt, we grieve, we go through great trials, and we wonder when it will ever end.  We wonder when Jesus is coming back, and wonder about the Resurrection.  The Apostle Paul calls it a “Mystery.”

We all have seen loved ones die, some tragically and we wonder “why?”  Some of us have seen children die of cancer and accidents and we hurt, grief hurts.  Some of our loved ones have had cancer and other terminal diseases and we have seen them suffer in pain.  And then, as I do, wonder what our loved ones are like in heaven.  “What will Grandma (Grandpa) look like?”

Let’s go into the Word of God and see what the scriptures teach us about these questions.  We know that God’s Word is true and brings us peace.  The Apostle Paul had much to say in I Corinthians 15:15-52:  “Behold I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed –In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

As Paul states, it is all a mystery.  In the twinkling of an eye we will be changed, both the living and the dead, and this change will take place at the last trumpet.  What has been true about Jesus and true about those who have died before us is true for us as believers.  We will be recognizable, though the form may be different.  As an example let us look at Jesus after He was resurrected.

In Luke 24:36-43, we read: “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”  And they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, “Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  “Behold My hands and My feet, that it I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took and ate in their midst.”

We see in this passage, that Jesus appeared in their midst.  He was flesh and bones.  And He ate before them.  We see in John 21 that He even cooked a meal on the seashore and ate with His disciples. 

In John 20: 25-28, we read about Thomas and Jesus appearing to him: “The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”  So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”  Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and teach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

We see Jesus again mentioning His scars on His hands and side and in Luke He mentions the scars on His feet.  There is a wonderful thought here.  Jesus’ scars were on His body after the resurrection, and also as He ascended into Heaven, where He is at the right hand of His Father.  Jesus will have those scars throughout eternity, as a reminder to us of His great love for us.  We will always be reminded by those scars of His step into our world, to die for us so we could spend eternity with Him.  Oh, how Precious is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Here is a wonderful old hymn written by Fanny Crosby:

MY SAVIOUR FIRST OF ALL

When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide, when the bright and glorious morning I shall see; I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, and His smile will be the first to welcome me. 

CHORUS:  I shall know Him, I shall know Him, and redeemed by His side I shall stand, I shall know Him, I shall know Him, by the print of the nails in His hands.

Paul goes on to say in I Corinthians 15:54-55: “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is thy sting?” O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death and the victory of the grave have been observed by all of us who have seen loved ones and friends die, and stood by a grave and wept.  It hurts!  Paul is not suggesting that death is always easy to accept.  He was saying, “Death does not end it.  There is more.”  As we are encouraged to prepare for all stages of life, from childhood to old age, we are also encouraged to prepare for life after death.  We don’t know what a spiritual body looks like, but if we now are fearfully and wonderfully made, as the psalmist said, then it has to be a glorious creation.

So in conclusion, we will be changed in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye.  And what kind of body will we have?  We will have a body just like Jesus!

Even David in the Psalms knew what awaited him:  As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."  Psalm  17:15

 We have another wonderful promise in I John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now we are 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.”

We don’t know what we are going to be like, but when we finally see Jesus face to face and see Him, just as He is, we will be changed and have a glorious new body just like his, no more pain, sorrow, sickness or tears.  Forever we will be with Jesus.  Praise the Lord!

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon Besler

DO YOU KNOW THE MASTER OF THE WIND?

HE IS THERE IN THE STORM!

Do you, my friend, know the Master of the Wind? Are you in the midst of a storm in your life?  In that storm are the waves crashing, the wind roaring?  Do you feel like your “ship” is about to sink?  You might be in the midst of a battle against cancer or another terminal illness.  You may have lost your home, your job and your finances. And you feel like it is so dark and cold where you are.  Do you feel like you have lost all hope?  But look through the darkness, and you will see Him in the storm waiting to speak “Peace, be still” to your fearful and troubled heart.  I meet many as I minister in nursing homes, foster homes and hospitals.  And God is always there to bring hope and peace.  I have seen Him bring peace and joy to a troubled heart.

In the Gospel of John, we read when the disciples were out on the sea in a great storm, they were so frightened and then they saw Jesus walking on the waves.  We read this account in John 6:16-21: “Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”

Do you feel like this is happening in your life?  You reel to and fro because of your trouble, and you are literally at your wits’ end.  But look, He calms the storm and the waves are still, and then He guides you into a quiet place of peace and rest.

Listen as the Psalmist describes the storm that you may be in.  Psalm 107:25-30: “For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea.  They mount up to the heavens. They go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble.  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.  Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.  He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.  Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.”

So I pray for you today, all you out there who are indeed in the midst of that storm.  But there is light ahead, for Jesus is there.  And when He is there, He brings calmness and peace to troubled hearts.  And He wants to bring you a joyful heart in spite of the troubles you may be facing.  And, my friend, He loves you so much that He gave His life for you, and wants you to serve Him and spend eternity with Him.

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I ask You to bless all those who read this blog.  Lord, I know that there are many out there who are going through great storms of life, wondering when they will see the light of day again.  But, Lord, you walked on the water, right through the storm and into the boat with your disciples.  So walk again through the storm and into the situations that bring fear, heartache and pain to these people.  Let them know that you love them with an everlasting love and bring peace to their storms.  In the Name of Jesus,  Amen

Pastor Sharon Besler

LORD, HELP ME, I JUST WANT OUT!

LORD, HELP ME, I JUST WANT OUT!

I was visiting recently with an elderly lady in a nursing home.  There she sat in her chair by the wall, where she had been sitting the previous week.  So I stopped to visit and see how she was doing this week.  She looked at me and said, “I just want to die and go home.  I sit here day by day all alone looking at these four walls and no one seems to care anymore, and I have no purpose in this life.

Maybe you feel that way. You feel like life has passed you by.  You love the Lord and just want out of this life. Maybe you are not a senior at all, but circumstances in your life have led you to this point in your life.

I shared with her that we are on God’s timetable. He has numbered our days and put them in His book.  In Psalm 139:16 the Psalmist wrote these words: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them (NKJ).  Think of that verse, my friend.  God numbered your days before you were even born and when your days end, according to God’s plan, He will take you home.  He has not called you to “escape” this life, but walk with Him and serve Him until the day comes when He calls you home.  But you may ask, “How can I serve Him, when things are so complicated in my life right now, and I feel like I can’t go on?” “ What can I do for Him?”  You can pray and be a witness for Him.  Read the words of this wonderful Psalm.  “Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (Psalm 71:18).  

You are called to be a witness to those around you, and especially to the next generation, your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  He calls you to pray and intercede for your family, your friends and neighbors and even those on your job. If you are in your senior years,   you will never be too old to serve God, never too old to pray.  Though age may stop you from certain physical activities, it need not end our desire to tell others, especially children, about all that we have seen God do in the many years of our lives.

So He wants to give you hope, to live in peace and joy, and to walk in His strength day by day, no matter what your age or circumstances.  As long as He gives you breath, He calls you to walk in victory.

There is another wonderful passage of scripture in Psalm 73:23-26: Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.  My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Here is His promise to you.  You are always with Him, and He holds you by your right hand.  All your life He has guided you with His counsel, and then when it is time to go home, He will receive you into Glory.  There is no one in heaven but Him, and He is your complete desire on earth.  Your body will fail, and even your heart may fail, but God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever.  Praise the Lord!

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I lift up all those out there who feel that there is nothing left to live for.  They feel lost, forsaken and in despair.  But You, Jesus, came to give them life, hope, and the will to go on until that time when they are called home.  So give peace to your people, and hope to all who read this.  That because of Your great love, we can walk on in victory with You.  Amen

Pastor Sharon

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY WORLD?

Do you feel like your world has fallen apart?  Have you lost a precious loved one, your job, finances?  Maybe you have lost your health and the doctors tell you there is no hope.  Is your body wracked with pain?  Do you feel as if no one really cares?

In the book of Job, in the Old Testament, is the story of a man who lost everything.  He lost his children, his servants and everything he owned.  And then he lost his health and he literally sat in the dust and asked “Why?”

But Job, and in his questioning of God, he looked ahead and saw a day when His God would stand on the earth, and a day when his body would be resurrected.  Let me share Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”

Yes, my friend, Jesus came, and as God in the flesh, did indeed stand upon this earth.  He walked this earth, ministering to those in need, and then was crucified, and on the third day rose again from the grave.  And because of His death and resurrection, he brought salvation and eternal life to all those who would call on His Name.

When we must endure suffering, we have an advantage over Job.  We know that the dead shall rise.  Christ arose and we have hope based on Christ’s promise in John 14:19: “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also.”

So my friend, God loves you!  He even has written your name on the palms of His nail scarred hands.  “Can a woman forget her nursing child?  And not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”  Isaiah 49:15-16.

So my friend let Him be your comfort today no matter what you are going through.  Here is my prayer for you today:  Father, in the Name of Jesus, I lift up to You all those out there that feel as if their world has indeed fallen apart and feel like there is no hope.  I pray that You will wrap your loving arms around them right now, comfort them and give them your peace in the midst of the storm and that they will know that you are there.  Give them a light at the end of that tunnel, and light in their dark ness, for You are that light.  In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Pastor Sharon Besler