LOOKING FOR THAT DAY!

LOOKING FOR THAT

DAY OF REJOICING!

As I was writing this piece, I was looking out the window and watching billowing clouds, heavy and dark.  The sun comes out and then goes behind the clouds. Along the horizon, to the west, there are layers and layers of thick clouds. The showers come with a little bit of hail. Then the sun shines through the clouds.  You all have seen that kind of day, especially in mid- winter, as it was when I wrote this blog.

 I remember as a small child there was an old picture on the wall of my grandma’s house, with dark clouds and the sun shining through, and I thought it was a picture of what the day would be like when Jesus came back.  We were taught in our church that Jesus was coming at any time. Even as a little girl I understood that.  And on cloudy days, like today, I would get all excited thinking that this was the day that Jesus was coming back.  Here I am now in my senior years, still looking at the clouds and wondering if this is the day!

Then my mind goes back over the past week and the people I have visited, the prayer requests received, and am reminded of the dark clouds in peoples’ lives.  On some days, it seems the sun comes out, and they are blessed, then another day, pain and sickness may come and bow them down.  Sometimes it seems they cannot see through the rain and storm around them.  But we who love the Lord have a hope within us, a great day is coming when those clouds will roll back and we will see our Beloved Savior face to face.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

I look upon those clouds on a day like today and try to imagine what it will be like to see Him step though those clouds of Heaven.   The disciples in Acts, Chapter One, saw Him leave with clouds and the Angels there said He would return in the same manner.  But I wonder if the clouds He returns with will be the saints returning with Him?  Oh, what a joyful day that will be!

 WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN

“Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace; in the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!  When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.

 While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will over spread the sky; but when trav’ling days are over, not a shadow not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day; just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.

 Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold; soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold.”  (Eliza E. Hewitt)

“In my Father’s house are many mansions:  if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” John 14:2-3.

Yes, dear friends, let us sing and rejoice and look heavenward, for He has gone to prepare us a mansion, and promises to come again and receive us to Himself, to be with forever.  And our minds cannot fathom what glories He has prepared for us! “For it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.  I Corinthians 2:9.

Yes, we are walking a pilgrim pathway.  And sometimes that pathway is steep and narrow, and dark clouds over shadow our way.  There may be rocks of fear and doubt, pain and suffering.  The winds may howl around us, but someday those traveling days will be over, we won’t sigh any more in pain, or face days of shadow and darkness.  For some of us traveling days may be over soon.  For others of us we may be the ones who meet Him in the sky, what a blessed thought!

So we are called to be faithful in our service to Him.  He calls us to be faithful in prayer, be faithful in reading God’s Word, and walking close to Him.  “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT).  Just one glimpse of His dear face, and all the troubles and trials of this life here will fade away!

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:  and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” 2 Timothy 4:7-9.

And what is the prize before us?  It is to be able to say that we have finished the race, the pilgrim journey here, kept the faith.  And there is promised to us a crown of righteousness.  It will be given to all those who love Him and anxiously awaiting His appearing.

And I like to imagine what it will be like when millions upon millions of saints see His face for the first time.  The shout of joy and the shout of victory will “shake the universe.”  Oh, what a glorious day!

I pray, as you read this, that you have this hope within your heart.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, ask Him right now to come into your heart and prepare you for that blessed day, so you, too, will be among the saints as they see His face and be with Him forever!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

ARISE SHINE! YOUR LIGHT AND SHELTER HAS COME!

ARISE!  YOUR LIGHT

AND SHELTER

HAS COME!

 As I write this today, the nation is in turmoil, hearts are grieving, and people shake with terror at the events that have taken place.  We ask ourselves if we should just stay in our houses, not go into public places, because of the evil that has overtaken our world.  One never knows when darkness will overtake them.

 And we hear of a dear brother in Christ who has gone on home to be with Jesus this day.  And our hearts sorrow with his precious wife and the family.  But we have that “Blessed Hope.”  We know that this dear brother is home with His Lord, well again, no more pain, sorrow or tears. 

 Yes, as we continue to walk this journey of life, many sorrows will beset us here, but we who walk with Jesus down that path know who holds our hands, who brings comfort in sorrow, and gives us hope for all our tomorrows.  My heart goes out to those who have not accepted Christ as Savior.  We live in dark times, darkness all around, and where can we hide if we do not know Jesus?  I beg of you, if you are reading this and have not made the most important decision of your life, please do it now.  Where you will spend eternity depends on that decision.  As I have said before, “Life has many choices, eternity has only two.” Ask Jesus to come into your heart and be Lord of your life.  And when these troubled times come, you have a Shelter to run into.  When the storms beat around you, you can hide in the Shelter of the Rock, Christ Jesus!

 A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM

“The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm; secure whatever will betide, a shelter in the time of storm.

 Oh, Jesus in a Rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land; oh Jesus is the Rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.

 A shade by day, defense by night, a shelter in the time of storm; no fears alarm, no foes affright, a shelter in the time of storm.

 The raging storms may round us beat, a shelter in the time of storm; we’ll never leave our safe retreat, a shelter in the time of storm.

 O Rock divine, Refuge dear, a shelter in the time of storm, be Thou our helper ever near, a shelter in the time of storm.”  (Ira D. Sankey)

 As my husband and I traveled to the Midwest recently, we traveled for miles and miles through deserts, with brush and dry ground.  Here and there one might see a green tree.  And as we entered Utah, we entered the great salt areas, with barren land as far as we could see.  And as I looked up, there all around the great deserts were rocks and canyons.  Some were shades of gold or grey.  Some were flat on the top.  It was truly a desolate scene.

As we travel through this life, down the road and up over the mountains with Jesus, we too, will walk in desolate places, places of dryness.  But Jesus is our Rock, who towers over all the situations of our lives, and in Him we hide.  We can hide in Him, and remember that He is also our Living Water, in the dry times of our lives.  In one area, for instance, there are many green trees, even though it is considered High Desert, so there must be water there, living water to nourish those areas.  Or one might see a desert area, and in spots there are green areas, where the water flows.  When our lives our dry and troubled, He becomes our oasis in our “desert times.” 

And as we traveled through these areas, we would suddenly come around a curve and view a valley below, with miles and miles of green pastures and running streams.  Isn’t that like our lives as Believers?  We go through these dry times, and then our Lord will take us down into places where the streams flow, times of refreshing from the Lord.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

And as we look around our world, it is indeed dark and seems to be getting darker.  Evil times are all around us, but God has as a great promise in His Word.  Listen to His words in Isaiah 60:1-2:

“Arise, shine; for your light has come!  And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”

Yes, our “Light” has come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But He has also asked us to be his “Lights” in this darkened world (Matthew 5:14-16).  We are shine amidst the deep darkness of this world, and His glory will be seen by those who are lost in darkness.

So on this day, look to the Rock, Christ Jesus, our Shelter in these dark, dark times.  He walks ahead of us, lighting our path.  Even though we may go through dry places, He promises to bring times of refreshing and springs of water to refresh our way, as we continue our journey home.

 In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

A GREATER REUNION COMING.........

A GREATER REUNION

COMING!

 Summer is a great time for family reunions.  And my husband and I just returned from the Midwest celebrating his family’s reunion, a large family of 14 children. And there were many cousins, nieces and nephews.   Not were all present, but most of them were there.  We met at a lovely campground, and visited many places together.  As we traveled I was reminded by many comparisons to our walk with the Lord, and our journey “Home.”  Sometimes the way was through steep mountains, through valleys, across deserts.  And we, as His children also walk through steep mountains passes, through valleys of refreshment and across deserts, where our lives seem dry without the refreshment of the Living Water flowing through our desert place.

We arrived home from this journey very tired, but with many happy memories of great family times of fellowship around the table.  And we also experienced God creation everywhere we traveled.  We saw the great Salt Lake, the high deserts of Eastern Oregon, beautiful rivers flowing through fertile farmland, and experienced Thunderstorms that only happen in the Midwest.  And then there were the glorious skies with fluffy clouds, and the high mountain peaks with snow.  What a marvelous God we serve!  But sometimes we have to open our eyes and really see the beauty He has created.

But then reunions come to an end on this earth.  The time soon comes to head back into our lives, pack up and head home, wherever that may be.  And these are the sad times, these “goodbyes.”  As some of the brothers and sisters are very elderly, we may not meet them on this earth again.  One just never knows if we will see our dear friends again.  We had the wonderful opportunity to meet with dear friends on the way home, what a blessed time of fellowship we had.  But again, the “goodbyes” are so hard.  I am reminded of the hymn,   “If We Never Meet Again This Side of Heaven.”

“Soon we’ll come to the end of life’s journey and perhaps we’ll never meet anymore ‘til we gather in heaven’s bright city –far away on that beautiful shore.

If we never meet again this side of heaven as we struggle through this world and its strife.  There’s another meeting place somewhere in heaven by the side of the river of life.

Where the charming roses bloom forever and where separation comes no more.  If we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore.

O they say we shall meet by the river where no storm clouds never darken the sky.  And they say we’ll be happy in heaven in that wonderful sweet by and by.

Where the charming roses bloom forever and where separation comes no more.  If we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore.”  (as sung by Johnny Cash).

Some of our loved ones and friends will come to the end of their journey before another reunion is planned.  Their struggles on the journey home will be over.  I think of one dear loved one who is the eldest of the 14 children and his struggle with age, and my dear sister-in-law, also very aged, and how precious she is, and someday, just around the next bend, over that mountain there, will be their heavenly home, and we will meet them again someday in the greatest reunion of them all, and there won’t be any more separations and saying “goodbye”.  Are you ready for that day, my friends?  I pray that you will be prepared spiritually for that great time coming, because time is indeed short.  And some of us will remain until that great day when Jesus Christ returns in the clouds for His own, and what day that will be.  “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord” I Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Try to imagine with me what that reunion will be like.  All our family, who love the Lord will all be together again, laughing and sharing again, never to be parted again.  I think of my husband’s dear mother, and my mother, and others who have gone on, what a time that will be.  How can one describe that joyous time, and to see Jesus face to face, at last!

And then, just as we gathered around that table at the campground, sharing and laughing, sharing a wonderful meal, we will gather around the Lord’s table, with our families and loved ones, and the saints from the ages.  “Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Yes, we will gather around that table with the Lord Himself, and what a gathering that will be!  And we will all be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.  We have great family times here, but try to imagine what it will be like to gather with the Lord’s family, multitude without number, praising and worshiping our God!

So our reunions here end, but there is this great reunion coming of all God’s children, no more sadness, sickness or pain and where we will never grow old.  Our journey here will be completed at last, and we will be home forever, Praise His Holy Name!  If you are not ready for this great reunion, please make that decision now before it is too late.  Just ask Him to come into your heart, He is waiting for you and He loves you, He died for you, and He will prepare a place just for you in His eternal home, come now!

Pastor Sharon

Dear Friends,

I am off on another journey, and will be back with you on the 17th of July.  And I will be looking for more insights from the Holy Spirit regarding our journey here as pilgrims to share with you.  So keep looking up and no matter what the storms may be that come your way, He promises that He will never leave you, even though the way my be dark and dreary for you at that moment. But always remember that His Light shines through the darkest days.

We have that "Blessed Hope" and we look for His soon return, but He also calls us to "Occupy till He comes," so keep working for Jesus, praying, walking in the Spirit and telling others about Jesus.

The world is dark out there, people desperately need to hear about the hope that only Jesus can bring.  So we need to be reminded of the Cross of Calvary and His sacrifice for our sins and His love for us, and to share the message with others who may not even know Jesus loves them, as I shared in a previous blog.

So God bless and keep you in His special care;

In Jesus' Name,
Pastor Sharon



LOOKING FOR THAT

DAY OF REJOICING!

As I was writing this piece, I was looking out the window and watching billowing clouds, heavy and dark.  The sun comes out and then goes behind the clouds. Along the horizon, to the west, there are layers and layers of thick clouds. The showers come with a little bit of hail. Then the sun shines through the clouds.  You all have seen that kind of day, especially in mid- winter, as it was when I wrote this blog.

I remember as a small child there was an old picture on the wall of my grandma’s house, with dark clouds and the sun shining through, and I thought it was a picture of what the day would be like when Jesus came back.  We were taught in our church that Jesus was coming at any time. Even as a little girl I understood that.  And on cloudy days, like today, I would get all excited thinking that this was the day that Jesus was coming back.  Here I am now in my senior years, still looking at the clouds and wondering if this is the day!

Then my mind goes back over the past week and the people I have visited, the prayer requests received, and am reminded of the dark clouds in peoples’ lives.  On some days, it seems the sun comes out, and they are blessed, then another day, pain and sickness may come and bow them down.  Sometimes it seems they cannot see through the rain and storm around them.  But we who love the Lord have a hope within us, a great day is coming when those clouds will roll back and we will see our Beloved Savior face to face.  Oh, Praise the Lord!

I look upon those clouds on a day like today and try to imagine what it will be like to see Him step though those clouds of Heaven.   The disciples in Acts, Chapter One, saw Him leave with clouds and the Angels there said He would return in the same manner.  But I wonder if the clouds He returns with will be the saints returning with Him?  Oh, what a joyful day that will be!

 WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN

“Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace; in the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!  When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.

While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will over spread the sky; but when trav’ling days are over, not a shadow not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day; just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold; soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold.”  (Eliza E. Hewitt)

“In my Father’s house are many mansions:  if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also” John 14:2-3.

Yes, dear friends, let us sing and rejoice and look heavenward, for He has gone to prepare us a mansion, and promises to come again and receive us to Himself, to be with forever.  And our minds cannot fathom what glories He has prepared for us! “For it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.  I Corinthians 2:9.

Yes, we are walking a pilgrim pathway.  And sometimes that pathway is steep and narrow, and dark clouds over shadow our way.  There may be rocks of fear and doubt, pain and suffering.  The winds may howl around us, but someday those traveling days will be over, we won’t sigh any more in pain, or face days of shadow and darkness.  For some of us traveling days may be over soon.  For others of us we may be the ones who meet Him in the sky, what a blessed thought!

So we are called to be faithful in our service to Him.  He calls us to be faithful in prayer, be faithful in reading God’s Word, and walking close to Him.  “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT).  Just one glimpse of His dear face, and all the troubles and trials of this life here will fade away!

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:  and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” 2 Timothy 4:7-9.

And what is the prize before us?  It is to be able to say that we have finished the race, the pilgrim journey here, kept the faith.  And there is promised to us a crown of righteousness.  It will be given to all those who love Him and anxiously awaiting His appearing.

And I like to imagine what it will be like when millions upon millions of saints see His face for the first time.  The shout of joy and the shout of victory will “shake the universe.”  Oh, what a glorious day!

I pray, as you read this, that you have this hope within your heart.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, ask Him right now to come into your heart and prepare you for that blessed day, so you, too, will be among the saints as they see His face and be with Him forever!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon



ARE YOU SINKING IN SAND

OR STANDING ON THE ROCK?

As I continue on my journey here and look around my world, I see many in this path of life that are building their foundations on foundations which will crumble when the storms of life come, when the winds blow with great trials of sickness and pain.  My heart goes out to those who don’t know Jesus, and can’t endure when those times come.  They have no hope, no hope for today and no hope for tomorrow, and no hope when death comes.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” Matthew 7:24-27.

Recently, in my rounds in the nursing home, I sat down at the table in the recreation rooms with one of my dear ladies to share the Word with her.  She loves Jesus, and always sheds tears when it is time to share her favorite scriptures, and she always requests me to read out of the Book of John.  Sitting at the other side of the table was an elderly, white haired lady, listening very intently to our conversation.  I asked her what her favorite Scripture was, and her reply was that she had never read the Bible.  I was taken back a bit.

Here in this country, with Bibles everywhere, here was a lady who had never read a Bible verse, and I found out in our conversation that she didn’t even know that Jesus loves her, or that He died for her sins.  So I told her about Jesus and gave her a simple plan of salvation and asked her if she would like to accept Jesus as her own Savior, and she refused.  She said she had to think about that.  I told her that we never know when our time comes to die, she is elderly and frail.  And I shared with her that life has many choices, but eternity has only two.  I continue to pray for this dear lady, that the Lord will deal with her heart and that she will come to know Him before it is too late.  It is so sad to me, that here in America, with the Gospel preached freely, that someone is lost and her foundation is built on sinking sand.  She has nowhere to turn when times of her life are dreary and troubles come.

Down the hallway, I met another precious lady, and this lady’s foundation is built on the solid rock, and that solid Rock is Jesus Christ.  She has a remarkable testimony of God’s grace and mercy.  Just a few weeks ago she was on life support in the hospital, not expected to live, and when they took her off life support, she revived and is there recovering in the nursing home.  She does wonder at times why the Lord brought her back, but she also knows that He must have something else for her to do before her time comes.  So I see in her life, that the rains have descended and floods of trials have come, but her “house” has stood the test.  I will not see this lady again on this side of heaven, as she will be going back to her home, but we agreed that someday we will meet around God’s Throne, and she stated that she will be looking for me.  Oh, what joy to meet someone whose life is built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

Where are you standing today, my friend?  Are you building your life here on earth on things that will not last, sinking sand?  We have no excuse here in this great land, with all the freedom we have to worship.  There are “churches on every corner” and Bibles in every store, on every shelf.  What will you do when the rains of trouble descend and the floods of sickness, grief and pain come to beat upon your house?  Oh, it is never too late to turn to Him now.  This world seems to be crumbling around us, but knowing Jesus keeps us safe built on the foundation of Jesus Christ who is our Rock, the Solid Rock!  When we are built on His foundation, the world may seem to be falling all around us, but we are safe, as this rock will never be shaken, and no matter what happens around us, we are safe and secure in Him. “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior, You save me from violence” 2 Samuel 22:2-3.

So as we are standing and built up on the Rock, Christ Jesus, He is our place to hide in times of great storms, He is our strength daily and we can put all our trust in Him alone.  So let the storms come, let the world tremble and shake, and darkness come, but Praise the Lord, we are safe in Him.  What a Wonderful God we serve!

IN TIMES LIKE THESE

“In times like these, you need a Saviour, in times like these you need an anchor.  Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock.

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One, this Rock is Jesus, the only One; be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock.

In times like these, you need the Bible, in times like these, oh, be not idle, be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock.

 In times like these, I have a Saviour, in times like these, I have an anchor; I’m very sure, I’m very sure, my anchor holds and grips the solid Rock.”  (Ruth C. Jones)

We are living in perilous times, and now is the time to be found anchored on that Rock, the Rock of Ages.  When the world seems to be full of terror, He is our only hope, grounded in Him, and grounded in the Word of God, and the anchor in Christ Jesus is the Cross of Calvary.  The Cross stands as a reminder of His for you, for me, reaching out, always reaching for the lost ones, the ones He came to save.

Where are you standing today, my friends?  If you are standing on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and anchored in Him, you are safe and secure as the storms blow and the water rages around you. Please make sure you are standing firm in Jesus today.  Just ask Him to come in and be Your Rock, He is waiting for you, to give you eternal life and hope in Him.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

HOW GREAT IS YOUR

FAITHFULNESS, OH LORD!

As I was recently sitting here at my on a lovely almost summer day, I began to ponder about the faithfulness of the Lord in all the situations of my life.  And there are many situations we go through in this life and in our journey to our heavenly home, and in every detail of our life, His blessings or His benefits never fail.

In the past two weeks, I have seen the Lord do marvelous things, and He is still the God of miracles and the God of faithfulness, and we can depend on that faithfulness every day, every hour.  I had a call from a precious saint, now in her 90’s asking for prayer.  She was in great pain at the time.  This lady is confined to a wheelchair, but great is her faith, and she trusts in the faithfulness of her God.  I took her need to the Throne of Grace, and received her testimony shortly thereafter.  She was instantly healed!  All pain left her body, and she rejoiced in the faithfulness of her Lord.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, therefore I hope in Him” Lamentations 3:22-24.  Think of that, my friends, because of His great mercies and His great love for us, in sending Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, we are forgiven and set free from sin, and even in our deepest times of grief or pain in our bodies, His great compassion for our pain never ceases.  We are His children, He is our Father God.  And every new day that dawns, there are new benefits and blessings to look forward to as we walk with the Lord, Praise His Holy Name!

I think of those in my own life and in my family and how God has been so faithful in our time of grief in losing our mother.  He brings great calm and peace to our lives, knowing that mom, as she would fondly say, “I got it done.” She finished her journey home and we will see her again someday welcoming us home with that big smile and her open arms.  And mom knew of His faithfulness in every area of her life as she walked with her Lord.

And there are many who are struggling with great health issues, and some of my “little flock” are nearing the end of their journey, and just around the next bend in the road they are ready to go “Over the Sunset Mountains” and home.  God has been faithful to these dear ones.  Let me tell you about a couple of them.  They have been very dear in my life and ministry, and I have seen God do wondrous things in their lives.

This first lady has grown very precious to me in the short time I have known her and visit with her in a foster home situation.  She was a missionary in an American Indian setting for many, many years.  She has loved the Lord and served Him since she was a child, and raised her family to love Him also.  She is looking forward now to the day when He calls her home.  And we have shared of God’s faithfulness to her over the years.  This lady has definitely earned her Crown of Glory given to all those who serve as Pastors, teachers and anyone who serves in these areas, (I Peter 5:2-4).

Then there is my precious friend who is now in a nursing home, confined to bed, and loves to have the Psalms read to her.  She has difficulty in speaking now, but is always so happy when I come.  This dear lady was a neighbor of our church who came to church in her electric cart, as she had had strokes, but lived in her own home.  She came to sing, and sing she did, to the glory of God, and we were always blessed by her inspiring voice.  And she sang in various places around the valley here.  But someday soon she will be singing again, and I can hardly wait to hear that voice of hers as she sings around God’s Throne.  Great is His faithfulness!

Yes, there is much to ponder as I look around my world and know that my God is faithful, even when I see violence on every hand, and trouble in our nation and around the world, and see the hurt in people’s faces as they pass me in the mall or elsewhere.  I see people all around me who are lost in sin and need Jesus.  It seems that darkness of sin abounds. My God still is in control, and someday even though the world seems dark at times, there is a day coming when the Prince of Peace will come, and all this time of darkness and sin will be gone forever, Praise the Lord!

But I look up in the sky, see the clouds, the stars, and look at the beautiful flowers blooming and I am filled with great joy at the faithfulness of our Lord.  Recently we were able to view pictures of the eclipse of the sun, and my heart was filled with awe!  The God I serve, the great Creator, controls and shows His marvelous signs in the heavens.  “The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory” Psalm 97:6.

 GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!  Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness, to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with then thousand beside! (Thomas O. Chisholm/William M. Runyan)

So, my dear friends, look around you and see the faithfulness of God, and recall how He has been faithful to you in your walk with the Lord.  And if you don’t know this Wonderful, Faithful God as your own personal Savior, He is waiting to receive you, forgive your sins, and prepare a place for you in heaven to be with Him forever.  Just ask Him, don’t put it off.  In asking Him to come into your life, you will find the most faithful friend you will ever have.

Blessings,

Pastor Sharon