Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

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Tag: Evangelicals

  • 1 PETER 2: We Are A Chosen People

    “Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.” – 1 PETER 2:4 GNT

    “But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 PETER 2:9 NCV

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    THE APOSTLE PETER mentions “chosen” three times in our passage: the first time, He references His Son; the next two times, He references us.

    1. Chosen by God as valuable.
    2. Chosen to be royal priests/holy nation.
    3. Chosen to tell others the Good News.

    That word “chosen” is key to understanding 1 Peter 2 because God, through His servant Peter, reminds us that He has “chosen” us.

    In fact, in Genesis, Chater 1 Verse 28, God chose us to be collaborators with Him in rendering *dominion* over the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every living thing that creeps on the earth.

    Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    Please keep in mind that as we exegete 1 Peter 2, we can appreciate why God puts up with us, why He has redeemed us through His Son. He has *chosen* us and still *chooses* us to be in partnership with Him and in fellowship with each other.

    Keep in mind, also, that in our first text verse, the apostle says that Jesus is the *living stone* chosen by God to be valuable, even though His people rejected their Messiah, even though most people even today reject the Messiah.

    That word *chosen* is the key word in 1 Peter 2.

    1 Peter 2 verses 1-3 (1st segment)

    “So, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” – 1 Peter 2:1 ESV

    In your identity as a follower of Jesus Christ, as a true believer that He is the Messiah, the Second Person of the Tripartite Trinity, here are some descriptions – or indicators – of how you should live. This list comes to us from God through Peter. This is God’s list, not Peter’s list. Peter was the instrument, but God was the author.

    Rid yourself of:

    • Malice
    • Deceit
    • Hypocrisy
    • Envy
    • Slander

    Replace them with: Pure Milk of the Word – so, like a baby grows through life into an adult, you may grow in your spiritual life to become one who …

    • Is a mature Christian, 
    • Draws confidence from his/her walk with the Lord,
    • Can withstand spiritual conflict (warfare),
    • Will witness in word and deed for the Lord Jesus Christ, and
    • Honors Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

    1 Peter 2 verses 4-8 (2nd segment)

    “Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.” – 1 Peter 2:4 NCV

    Peter then describes believers as “living stones” who are being built – or fashioned by God – into a spiritual house. That house, or structure, features Jesus Christ as the “cornerstone,” the building block upon which the house is built and stands.

    What you’ll see as a believer is that much of the world will not respect your beliefs but will consider you to be their enemy: you will be labeled a ‘hater’ or a ‘bigot’ because you believe what God tells us through His Word (the Bible), which differs from what the world teaches.

    The world holds “human reason” to be the god of gods; Christians hold God’s Word to be God. 

    So, we believe …

    • God when He said He created two genders, not 57 of them.
    • Men should protect women and provide for them, and, in turn, women should respect men and encourage them for the burden of care God has placed on men.
    • We should protect the lives of the unborn, considering them human, with separate DNA from their mother, and conceived with God’s blessing.
    • We should share the peace and joy God has placed on our hearts instead of the rancor, self-centeredness, and striving for material gain that mars the lives of unsurrendered hearts.

    You will, by your life and word, prove the world’s lie as to what is true and good and perfect versus what is not. 

    The Bible tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:2 NKJV

    1 Peter 2 verses 9-10 (3rd segment)

    “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV

    Peter identifies the church as a “chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s special possession,” called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. 

    This means that, as the song Amazing Grace so eloquently points out: “once we were lost but now we’re found, were blind but now we see.”

    In the OT, God says that those who did not know Him (Gentiles) would come to know Him, those who were “not my people” (unbelievers) would become known as “my people,” and I will be their God. 

    God is both a God of “inclusion” and of “exclusion.”

    • INCLUSION – His invitation is open to all to receive.
    • EXCLUSION – His reward excludes those who reject Him.

    When we did not know God, we were not recipients of His mercy; now, in Christ, we walk in fellowship with the Lord, and we do receive His mercy.

    1 Peter 2 verses 11-12 (4th segment)

    “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” – 1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV

    This passage calls us to recognize that we are to be *salt and light* to the world – that most of the world is populated by unbelievers. With our new identity in Christ as Christ followers, we are *called* by God to live honorable lives, reflecting God’s glory through good deeds. 

    Those good deeds should be delivered in love, in compassion, in humility, in good humor, in grace – not begrudgingly and not condescendingly.

    That means we should not consider ourselves somehow *better* than someone else. We are *forgiven,* not *perfect*. We are simply doing our jobs as faithful servants. We are just doing what God expects of us.

    In short, we are to *be Jesus* to the people we meet. We might be the only representative of Jesus many of them have seen in a long time or ever will see.

    1 Peter 2 verses 13-20 (5th segment)

    “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers. For this is the will of God.” – 1 Peter 2:13 ESV

    Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood (of believers). Honor the emperor. We are to be obedient to government, pay our taxes, obey the laws, educate ourselves before voting, recognize the rights of others to express themselves, and obey traffic laws.

    God instituted civil government for our sakes, to maintain order and punish the unruly. We are called to respect our leaders as long as they govern wisely.

    Unfortunately, most of them do not, and most countries are led by unelected strong men. Even our own leaders often veer from God’s wisdom. We are to pray for their hearts and minds, to follow the Lord’s will.

    As such, we also are called to speak into the culture. As Christians, our voices should be loud whenever our leaders take us down the wrong road.

    Now, there are some Christians who believe we should be silent about temporal affairs, focusing solely on spiritual matters. They believe the temporal – earthly matters – are distasteful and beneath them. We might call that the *monastery* view.

    I disagree. Notice, I said “I.” My view. I am part of the Christian tradition that believes we should lead by our actions and speak into the culture, as well. Maybe we’ll call that the *involved* view.

    We ought to call out the abortionists, the proponents of homosexuality, the transgenderism, and other atrocities that mar our current culture. Our forebears in the pulpit and the church members called out slavery, as the evil it was. 

    Slavery still is evil. We have 300,000 unclaimed migrant children that have poured into our country in recent years, and we have no idea where they are. The church, led by the pulpit, should not remain quiet. 

    The Lord says we are to shine a light into the dark world. How do we obey Him if we remain silent in the face of evil?

    The Rev. Franklin Graham says we should pray for our country’s leaders at all levels of government – national, state, and local – as well as school boards and committees, so that we will be governed by men and women of deep faith, so those functions are not dominated by unbelievers.

    1 Peter 2 verses 21-25 (6th segment)

    “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” – 1 Peter 2:22 ESV

    “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” – 1 Peter 2:23-25 ESV

    Peter continues his reference to Jesus Christ as a model for our behavior. The apostle described the Lord’s suffering not as a defeat for Him personally nor for the church and Christ’s mission but as a success.

    A success. Let that linger a bit. Christ’s suffering for our sake was a success. It fulfilled the Father’s goal of providing a way for sinful man to enjoy fellowship with His creator. 

    Jesus was born in human form and lived among us to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He came to die on the cross. Had we not sinned and strayed from God’s will for our lives, there would have been no need for Him to suffer and die.

    We caused the reason for Jesus to visit Earth in human form. 

    We caused the reason for Jesus to die on the cross. We put Him in the manger; we put Him before the Jewish and Roman courts, we put Him on the cross, and we put Him in the grave … yet He rose from the grave, defeating death for our benefit.

    Seven hundred (700) years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah (53:5 NKJV) prophesized with these words: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

    CLOSING WORDS

    Since we are chosen by God to be His possession, shouldn’t we be willing, also – eager, even – to fulfill (obey) His call on our lives to (1) believe in Him for our salvation and then (2) tell others about it. 

    We do not need to be knowledgeable about the Bible, just be prepared to give a short testimony of how God has changed our lives. 

    (FOR EXAMPLE: I used to have a problem with alcohol; now I’m sober. I used to have anger issues. I’m more patient now. I used to chase everything in a skirt [or flirt with every man], but now I’m focused on my wife/husband or special loved one. I used to cuss without blushing; now I’m more encouraging.)

    That’s it. Then be ready to say, when prompted, “This is what God has done for me, and He can do it for you, too.”

    CONCLUSION: We should pray for:

    (1) the opportunity to witness, 

    (2) the right words to say, and 

    (3) willing hearts to listen.

    Then, you’re done!

    Let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting.

    PRAYER

    LORD GOD, we thank You for Your grace and mercy. Please forgive us when we fail to follow Your lead, when we do not act like a people chosen by God to be salt and light. Strengthen us, O Lord, to be “Jesus” to a world hungry for answers — answers that only You can give. We honor You; we praise You; we worship You. AMEN

  • 1 PETER 1 – A Message of Hope for a Discouraged People

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    • Do you ever think about the promises God has made to us about an eternal kingdom in Heaven? 
    • Do you ever wonder what it takes to qualify, to pass the *entry* test, to get into Heaven? 
    • Do you ever worry that your salvation is not secure, that when you prayed the Sinner’s Prayer, God wasn’t listening, or if He was, you could *backslide* and lose His favor? 
    • If your answer to any of those questions is “yes,” or even if you’re not sure what your answer is, then today’s message is for you. 
    • Fasten your pew belts, church. We’re about to take a ride into the most important promise God makes in the Bible – our salvation and its security. 

    Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy, He has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3 NCV

    THE BIBLE REMINDS US that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has caused those of us who believe in Him to be born again; as a result, He has promised us an eternal inheritance with Him in Heaven.

    WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT HEAVEN?

    This will be a place where sadness and sickness and accidents and pain and discord and jealousy and all the other ills of our current lives will be taken away. 

    New bodies, right! New minds! New spirits!

    Yet, we’ll still be “us,” with our emotions, our memories, our individual likes and skills, and our “circle” of family and friends, as well as our desire to meet new people, some of them from other parts of the world or who lived at a far different time in human history from us.

    WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET?

    Who do you want to meet from the past? What questions would you like to ask that person? 

    • How about asking Sarah what it was like to have a baby at the age of 90? 
    • Or maybe ask Isaac what he was thinking when Father Abraham tied him to the offering pile, just before he heard the sacrificial lamb’s bleating? 
    • Maybe you want to peer into David’s heart when he realized Bathsheba was pregnant and he had her husband killed in war? 
    • Would you like a trip to the Lion’s Den with Daniel or being dumped into a vat of boiling oil with John, or face your own execution, like Paul and James, the half-brother of Jesus, or John’s brother James, the first apostle martyred. Or Peter and Andrew, also martyred. 
    • Maybe, like me, you long to talk with those who come to us from the future, who saw the completion of things we saw started, or who saw the development of new technologies that made our current knowledge seem so primitive. 

    WE’LL SEE GOD FACE-TO-FACE!

    HEAVEN WILL BE A PLACE of worship, of seeing God face-to-face, of sitting down with Jesus for a heart-to-heart talk. 

    Park your imagination on that spot for a while and do yourself a huge favor: pledge to go back to it frequently. It’s worth the trip. 

    In the place of all the evil that we experience in this world will be an oasis of peace and love and joy.

    How can you possibly go through this life without experiencing even for a few moments the sheer excitement of anticipating that glorious future God has prepared for us? 

    We will worship our Creator, we will enjoy fellowship with believers from the fullest extent of time, past and future, of every race, color, language, era – a sea of loving, compassionate, and faithful believers. 

    They – the world’s believers – will be our family and friends. 

    MY RESIDENCE 

    WE WILL ALL HAVE A RESIDENCE.

    Call it a “mansion” or a “room,” depending on your Bible translation. I like to think of it as an apartment or condominium. All the comforts of home without any outdoor maintenance.  

    As for eating, I don’t know. I’d like to know I could score a big breakfast readymade for me … as well as a dynamic dinner and an over-the-top Sunday mid-day brunch/buffet. 

    The rest of the meals I can fix for myself in my mansion – sandwiches, soup, crackers, potato chips, popcorn – nothing will be harmful for us. 

    There’ll be plenty of ice cream, maybe one of those soft-serve dispensers with 3 flavors – vanilla, chocolate, and flavor-of-the-month. 

    As for work, yes, I know our Creator values work, and frankly, I’m good with work. I’m also good with rest and relaxion; so, I guess I like plenty of both. 

    What about companionship?  

    Introverts don’t require as much companionship as extroverts do, but I imagine we’ll all have plenty of time to ourselves, just as we’ll have time to fellowship and enjoy the presence of other believers.   

    We’ll learn. We’ll learn about God, and we’ll have all of eternity to learn about Him, even if we never learn everything there is about Him.  

    PIVOT 

    ALL OF THIS is fine, you say, but what does any of that mean for me? How can I use any of what we might imagine Heaven will be like for my life now? How does this apply to my here-and-now? 

    The apostle Peter, in our text verse, encourages us with the reminder that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God has caused us to be born again; that is, for those of us who believe.

    2 Corinthian 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is past; behold the new has come.” 

    That means we were “reborn,” or “remade,” our old, sinful selves replaced with new selves through the blood of Jesus. Our new selves still sin, but we don’t live steeped in sin; we’re no longer slaves to sin, but we strive, with His help, to live without sin. 

    As a result of this new birth, we, as believers, are promised an eternal inheritance reserved for us in Heaven.  That’s only for those who believe.  

    The Bible says … 

    • God planned long ago to choose you by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work. God wanted you to obey him and to be made clean by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours more and more.  – 1 Peter 1:2 NCV
    • There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this, unless it were true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.  – John 14:2-3 CEV 
    • Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30 NASB 
    • He has also put His seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. – 2 Corinthians 1:22 CSB 
    • And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. – 1 John 5:11-12 NIV 

    We know that the term “down payment” means a good faith offering that seals the promise of future payment for the desired good or service. 

    MORE TO THE STORY

    BUT WAIT! There’s more! 

    GOD says our earth-bound lives are not the whole story.  

    There is much more for us, and it will be glorious! God does not give us many details about Heaven, but He does tell us in Eph. 3:20, and other places, that our lives with Him will be better and more rewarding than we could ever imagine.  

    WHY DOESN’T GOD GIVE US MORE DETAIL? 

    Could this be the answer?

    1. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. – Deuteronomy 29:29a ESV
    2. It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. – Acts 1:7 BSB

    When the apostles/disciples asked Jesus if this was when He would restore the kingdom to Israel, He said, “NO.”

    >You have a job to do in this world. You are to leave the end times stuff to My Father in Heaven, and you carry the Word to your neighbors, your surrounding region, and to the ends of the earth. My Father will take care of the rest.<

    Perhaps God knew that giving us more information about Heaven would be like telling a young child, who needs to eat his dinner first, what dessert will be. The child’s attention will shift from the vegetables to the ice cream, and that is not the mother’s intent.

    Revelation 21 and 22 give us a brief description of the New Heaven and the New Earth:

    • Crystal-clear streets of fine gold, 
    • Precious stones along the walls,  
    • Gates and pillars with the names of the 12 Apostles and the 12 Patriarchs,  
    • Everlasting light of Jesus,  
    • Worship with the saints, along with angels and the four living things,  
    • The gates will never be closed. 

    Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven says we’ll be ourselves with our personalities and our memories – without our memories we wouldn’t be ourselves, would we? We wouldn’t recognize anyone because we wouldn’t know them.  

    So, we’ll know who we are and who others are.

    Our bodies will be young and healthy, yet we’ll still – somehow – recognize everyone, even those we only knew when they were old or sick. Children who die before maturity will grow to adulthood, and babies who were aborted might well be present. 

    We’ll have our individual skills. If you could play the piano on earth, you should be able to play the piano even better in heaven. Let’s hope so, anyway. If you don’t know how to play the piano, you’ll have all of Eternity to learn. 

     CLOSING WORDS

    YES, TODAY WILL BRING with it many moments of joy, of peace, of kindness, of pleasantness – but today also will bring reminders of our loss, the loss that became our heritage in the Garden of Eden. God did not create this world to be experienced the way we experience it. 

    Remember, we – in the persons of our ancestors, Adam and Eve – defied God by tasting the forbidden fruit. God told us there would be consequences if we disobeyed him. We did it, anyway, and we experience that punishment every day.  

    You remember when Jesus cried? It’s in the Bible. John 11:35. “Jesus wept.” (See also Luke 19:41-42 ESV.) Why do you suppose He wept? 

    Perhaps for at least three reasons: 

    • He felt a personal sorrow for the loss of His friend Lazarus.
    • He felt the sorrow experienced by Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha, who also were friends of Jesus. 
    • He felt sorrow for the heartache of humanity’s self-inflected grief. 

    The Good News is that God sees our pain and our hopeless condition, and He has promised us a Savior – Jesus the Christ – who paid the penalty for our sin, which satisfied God’s wrath so He could restore us to full fellowship with Him. 

    The Bible reassures us by emphasizing God’s faithfulness, even when we are faithless; He fulfills His promises, even when we break ours. 

    God keeps His promises. You will not lose your salvation. The biggest reason? Because you did not earn it. God gave it to you as a gift. This gift is because of His grace and His desire that you will live in Eternity with Him. 

    PRAYER

    Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your love. We deserve none of it, but we are grateful, eternally grateful, for all of it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

  • GOD’S WILL — Embracing a Relationship With God

    Our God left nothing to chance. He exists, and He wants us to know who He is. Moreover, He wants us to know His character and His plan for creation and for us, His people, whom He fashioned in His image.

    MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY

    “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” — Exodus 18:11 (NLT)

    “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” — John 17:3 (NIV)

     Who hasn’t woken up in the middle of a deep sleep — maybe that proverbial 3 am midpoint — and wondered in panic, “Where am I?” 

    In the light of day, that question often morphs into “Who am I?” and “Why am I?”

    Those questions, and others like them, have occupied the minds of nearly all of mankind since our earliest days, with some of the greatest minds spinning yarns as they attempt answers for themselves and for us.

    Often — most often — they are wrong. 

    Why?

    Because they leave out of their equation the Creator of everything, the God who spoke life and matter into being. He and He alone determines the correct answers to those questions.

    ~God Speaks~

    FOR GOD TO COMPLETE HIS PLAN, He has given us “general revelation,” which is God speaking to us through creation itself, the majesty of the world and the universe around us, even down to the smallest specks of stuff we can see only through the most powerful microscopes.

    For those of us who believe, He has given us something more. It’s called “special revelation,” and it’s the Word contained in the Holy Bible, interpreted for us by the Holy Spirit.

    Through the answers God has given us, we can draw comfort in knowing there is a Plan, written by a Creator of mighty power and incredible intelligence, who – fortunately for us – is loving, patient, forgiving, merciful, and grace-filled.

    Imagine the terror that would befall us if our God were angry, mean, and unforgiving.

    ~Man’s Stubborness~

    WHY, THEN, DO so many people turn away from God’s invitation to meet Him and enjoy a personal relationship with Him?

    Because we are stubborn.

    Somehow, in our self-importance, in our arrogance, we think we know better than God does how we should live our lives and what should occupy our time.

    When we do that, at some point, we might realize we chose wrongly. For the unfortunate, that point never comes; for others, it comes so late in life, there’s little they can do except enjoy a brief course correction.

    But for those who come to that point early in life, God’s radiance can guide their steps through the peaks and valleys that mark our days, leading them along the pathway set out for them by their Creator.

    ~FLICKERING LIGHTS~

    THEY ARE THE ONES who live the most fruitful lives. They are the ones we call on when we are mired in our own mess. They are God’s flickering lights showing us a straighter path.

    They walk with a self-confidence knowing a personal God is Sovereign and ruling from His throne; they know life’s battles have been won by the One on the throne; they can testify to the joy and peace God has given them in exchange for their faithfulness.

    That life is available to all of us, if we choose it.

    Just open your heart to a prayer like this one:

    “Lord God Almighty, I know I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son sent to die on the cross for my sins, and that by believing in Him, You will transform my soul and reward me with eternal life in Your presence. Lord, I want that. Come into my heart and save even me.”

    That’s all it takes, but you have to be genuine. If you are, the Holy Spirit will bath you with His presence and remake you into the image Your Creator designed you to be.

    O Happy Day!

    ~PRAYER~

    ALMIGHTY GOD, Our Lord and Savior — Thank You for loving us, for creating us and fashioning us in Your image, male and female, equal in worth but designed for different and complementary roles. Thank You for being a God that spreads joy and peace, patiece and kindness, faithfulness and peace. Lord, thank You for salvation. In Jesus’ name we lift this prayer. AMEN

  • FAITH IN SMALL THINGS: God Is Working for Us

    Jesus said His Father — our God — is always working, and so was He. The call to work is one of God’s gifts to mankind. We derive pleasure and pride from what we accomplish. When our service is God-directed, when we are acting in His will, the reward is sweeter. To experience that joy, to claim God’s promise, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and repent from our evil ways; then

    He promises to hear our prayer, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE By WARD PIMLEY

    But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” – John 5:17 BSB

    “For who has despised the day of small things?” – Zechariah 4:10 NKJV

    GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING, yet from our limited and temporal perspectives, we often miss seeing what He is  doing, unless we are actively looking for it, unless we want to find it.

    How often we find it much easier to see what God is doing in our lives when we look backward, instead of forward, to see how He has managed to combine events and bring people into our lives that have changed us in some way. 

    However, when we look in front of us, we often miss what God is doing now, or how He is preparing us now, for what lies ahead. 

    There’s that famous example of someone walking along the shoreline who sees two sets of footprints — one set beside the other — and then sees only one set of footprints, and asks, “Lord, where were You when I needed You?” — and the Lord replies, “See where there’s only one set of footprints? Those were Mine. That’s when I was carrying You.”

    In my own life, I can see, looking backward, how God has intervened when I’ve humbled myself and asked Him for help and He has carried me for a term.

    Of course, He won’t always carry us because, without our struggles, there’s no growth, so He’ll gently let us down from His strong shoulders to resume walking beside us. He doesn’t abandon us; He just shifts position.

    ~GLORY IN WORK~

    IN OUR BIBLICAL TEXT, Jesus had just healed a man who had been lame for 38 years. This was the Sabbath, and Jesus and His followers were on their way to worship. 

    The Lord saw the man resting beside a pool with others who were blind or deaf or lame, and Jesus had told the man to stand up, pick up his pallet, and walk. As the man obeyed, he was healed.

    While the man obeyed Jesus, carrying one’s pallet on the Sabbath — plus healing a lame man on the Sabbath — were both forbidden by the Jewish leaders. 

    When the leaders questioned Jesus about His healing on the Sabbath and directing the man to pick up his pallet on the Sabbath, Jesus replied that He and His Father were always working, even on the Sabbath!

    That added another problem with the Jewish leaders — for Jesus was equating Himself with God — which, we know, He was and is.

    Jesus used that example to teach the eternal presence of God in our lives, that the Sabbath is holy but it was made for man, not the other way around, that He was and is God, and that there is dignity and worth in working. 

    It is worth noting, again, that the man who was lame was not healed until he obeyed Jesus’ command to stand up; then, he could pick up his pallet and walk.

    ~ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE~

    THIS PASSAGE IS LOADED with meaning. Besides the ones we just mentioned, there were at least two more important lessons. 

    One is that God has an eternal perspective while our viewpoint is very limited. At most, we see what’s happening to us and around us right now, and as we’ve noted, often we miss it, but God sees today’s events as part of the eternal landscape. It takes faith on our part to recognize that God is working even now when we cannot understand what He is doing or why He is doing it.

    Besides the eternal perspective, the other meaning from our passage is that God calls on us to help in His work. In the passage we cited, Jesus did not just heal the man; He asked if the man wanted to be healed. Was he even interested in hearing from God and doing what God asked him to do.

    We were to find out. Jesus told him to pick up his pallet and walk. It was in the doing that the lame man was made whole.

    ~WISP OF SMOKE~

    WHEN WE ASK GOD for guidance, we want ASAP, yet God works through eternity. Our days are numbered; His are unlimited. He  exists from eternity past to eternity future, while our lives are a wisp of smoke.

    That’s why He calls us to faith – to believe those things that we cannot see and to trust that He is working out His eternal and universal plan in our lives even at this very moment.

    When we look behind us, we are more likely to see the progress, the change, the work that He has done. 

    When we look ahead, we often see a blank slate. God sees what He will do … but we have to wait, in faith, that He will act; in fact, to see that He is acting. We will see it in time, if not right away.

    In the Old Testament, God is speaking through the prophet Zechariah to tell His people these three truths: “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my spirit”; “For who has despised the day of small things?”; and “This shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.” (Zech. 4:6 GNT; Zech. 4:10 NKJV; Zech. 6:15 ESV)

    The Bible tells us not to despise “the day of small things,” of limited progress (at least, to our eyes), because the days pile on, one after another, one month after another, one year after another, one decade after another, and then that compilation of “small things” over time becomes something grand. 

    Just as a little faith will move mountains, so faith in the “small things” can lead to greatness. God is always working, even when we don’t see it. He is with us, and He is faithful.

    ~FINAL WORDS~

    MY QUESTION TO YOU, faithful church, is this: Do you have faith that God is present in your lives, that He sustains you when you are discouraged or face defeat, that He carries you when you need a lift and accompanies you when you just need a friend. 

    Do you listen for His voice. Do you hear Him reassuring you, or is your own voice drowning out His voice.

    Are you even walking with Him in faith? Do you not know that all of the benefits that God promises are available to everyone, but only those who humble themselves before the throne, who receive His Spirit into their hearts, will ever know the peace and joy that He willingly offers.

    Today, if you have not turned your life over to the Lord, or even if you’re not sure you have, or you’re ‘pretty sure’ you might have at one time but have since walked away, I invite you to change that now. Don’t let this moment pass without calling on God’s grace. 

    Pray this with me, or use your own, but similar, words:

    ABBA FATHER – I confess that I am a sinner in need of God’s grace. I cannot earn salvation on my own. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son who came to earth to save the lost, to reconcile fallen man to Himself, and that He died on the cross for my sins, to pay the price that I am unable to pay. Almighty God, today I turn my life over to You. I humbly confess my sins and my need for a Savior, and I ask You to wash away my filth with Your spilled blood. Give me the peace and joy that only You can give, and when I die, take me — body and soul — to live with You forever. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN and AMEN

    Church, if you’ve prayed that prayer for the first time, then welcome to God’s holy and eternal Kingdom. If you prayed that prayer in recommitment to Your Creator, thank God that He is patient with all of us, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. 

  • JUSTICE! From Genesis to Revelation, God’s Promise – to Balance the Scales

    In the end, the Bible tells us, God will judge all mankind, restoring order and sinlessness to Eternity and sending the impious and rejectors of His mercy to everlasting punishment. He also tells us that vengeance belongs to Him, not to us. We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. 

    “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” – GENESIS 18:25b (ESV)

    “And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”” – REVELATION 16:7 (BSB)

    Message By Ward Pimley 

    HAVE YOU EVER WISHED you could – for just one moment – have enough power and force to exact vengeance on those who have hurt you in some way? 

    I know I have. Yes, it’s “in the flesh” when I feel that way, and not according to God’s Holy Spirit, but He assures us that vengeance belongs to Him, and He will repay (Deuteronomy 32:35). 

    Well, in Revelation 16, God reveals to us what will happen in the future toward all of those who have rejected Him and have harmed His “saints, apostles, and prophets.” 

    The prophets and apostles are Old Testament and New Testament teachers; the saints are those of us who trust Christ for our salvation.

    FIRST BOOK, LAST BOOK

    THE BIBLE’S LAST BOOK reinforces a point made in the Bible’s first book – that God, who is the judge of the world – will judge fairly (Genesis 18:25; Revelation 16:7). Those two verses appear as our text source at the start of this message. 

    I found it interesting to translate those verses into Spanish and French for the two other North American languages, figuring that God’s Word not only is true eternally but also available for everyone.

    “Nunca tal hagas! El Juez de toda la tierra¸ ¿no ha de hacer lo que es justo?”  – Génesis 18:25b (RVR95)

    “Y oí una voz que venía del altar y decía: «Sí, oh Señor Dios, el Todopoderoso, tus juicios son verdaderos y justos».– Apocalipsis 16:7 (NTV)

    “Celui qui juge toute la terre n’appliquera-t-il pas le droit?»” – Genèse 18:25 (S21)

    “Puis j’entends une voix qui vient de l’autel. Elle dit: « Oui, Seigneur, Dieu tout-puissant, tes jugements sont vrais et justes. »” – Apocalypse‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ (‭PDV2017‬‬)

    God’s final judgment will right the scales of injustice throughout the world for all time. That knowledge should help those of us who often want to do that job ourselves, to avenge wrongs we think were done to us.

    God will take care of everything in His time according to His will, and it will be just. We can rest easy and focus on the job He has given us – to live our lives with patience, joy, and self-control.

    ~PRAYER~

    ALMIGHTY GOD, Creator of all life – Your glory and honor and power reign, and You will avenge all evil and right the scales of justice. You are perfect in all of your ways, and we worship You. Thank You for the Gift of reconciliation through the sacrifice of Your Son that, by believing in Him and calling on His name, we will live. In the name of Jesus we pray. AMEN

  • SHARE THE GOSPEL: It’s the Good News!

    Message By Ward Pimley

    “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:25 NKJV

    “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17 ESV

    YOU HAVE SOMETHING very important to share.

    Our Savior, Jesus Christ, *commands* us to spread the Good News. He said in Mark 16:15 (NKJV): “Go into all the world and preach the gospel [the Good News] to every creature.” [cf Acts 1:8, Matt. 28:19-20]

    What is the Good News? This: That Jesus came from Heaven to reveal to us God in human form, to live a sinless life, and to be our atoning sacrifice on the cross; after which, He rose from the dead and then ascended into Heaven, where He sits at the right side of the Father’s Throne, interceding for us.

    ~FIRST FRUITS~

    AS THE FIRST FRUITS of that resurrection, He has given us the assurance that, we, too, believing in Him, will be resurrected from the dead to eternal life.

    As Sam Cooke sang, “Ain’t that good news? Man, ain’t that news?”

    So, tell someone! Share it with those in your life. The Bible tells us to “walk as He walked,” so we are to live out the Gospel and then share through our testimony, just as Jesus told the demoniac whom he healed, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39 NKJV)

    ~HONOR CHRIST~

    REMEMBER THE ADMONITION from Apostle Peter, who said (1 Peter 3:15 ESV): “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

    Our main text verse today (Romans 10:17 ESV) reminds us that “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

    So, it’s not enough just to live out the Gospel, which we definitely should do, but we need to tell others that the joy and peace we feel is because we walk with Jesus. 

    Otherwise, we’re stealing His glory for ourselves.

    ~PERSONAL MINISTRY~

    TO KICKSTART YOUR personal ministry, or renew what you once did but lost zeal, you could pray these words alongside me (or use words of your own): 

    Lord in Heaven, bless me to be a blessing to others. Help me to see the hurting souls around me and give me the words to say and the assurance and boldness to say them, not for my glory but for Yours alone. Help me, O Lord, to walk as our Savior walked. In His name and through His blood we pray. AMEN

    If you prayed that prayer, then let’s share the GOOD NEWS together!

    PRAYER

    ALMIGHTY GOD, our gracious and loving Lord: We thank You for Your lovingkindness, Your grace and mercy, and Your willingness to forgive. We know our access to the throne of grace is only through the shed blood of Your Son. Lord, we pray for the health and prosperity of our loved ones, that they may come to know You, the only true God. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

  • A BLESSING FOR YOU FROM GOD

    The Bible contains many greetings and blessings, benedictions and prayers, most of which we tend to gloss over as just part of the background. Yet, why not spend some time thumbing through the various books, especially the New Testament epistles, to uncover some gems that you could use in your correspondence. This lesson contains one such promise.

    Message by Ward Pimley

    “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – III JOHN 2 (NKJV)

    “Amado, yo deseo que tú seas prosperado en todas las cosas, y que tengas salud, así como prospera tu alma.” – 3 Juan 2 (RVR1960)

     DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF looking for the “perfect” card for someone? 

    You know, something with a message that feels “authentic” and heartfelt, that conveys the love or admiration or respect you have for the card’s recipient, instead of a packaged saccharine sentiment that does not quite match the moment?

    Awhile back, a pastor friend sent me a card with a note to check out 3 John 2, a one-chapter letter written by the Apostle John to his friend Gaius. [John’s third letter has only one chapter; sometimes it’s written as 3 John 2, other times as 3 John 1:2.] 

    The verse is appropriate for scribbling inside a card or even to share on social media or your signature panel. It’s also good for meditation! 

    Here it is: 

    “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – 3 JOHN 1:2 (NKJV)

    Think about it, how it captures a well-being for both the spirit as well as the body and mind.

    What message could be better!

    But wait! That’s not all! The Holy Bible is filled with great verses that offer hope, encouragement, love, grace, forgiveness … whatever compassionate feeling you want to express.

    So, the next time you select a ready-made card that misses the mark, why not thumb through your Bible and select something uplifting from the Creator? 

    ~Finding Daily Gems~

    Better yet, why not look for those gems every day? That way, you’ll find them daily and you’ll know exactly which one you want to include in that card to a loved one.

    Peace as you spend time with your Lord in prayer.

    While we’re at it, this message assumes the blessing of 3 John 2 is true for you, as well. 

    Are you in good health, are your basic needs met, and most importantly, is your soul in synch with the Creator? If so, you already know how to share the Bible’s gems with others.

    If not, then would you like to take this moment to correct that? If the Lord leads you in prayer, you can pray along with me (or choose your own words) this prayer of salvation, called the “Sinner’s Prayer.”

    ALMIGHTY GOD, please hear my prayer. I know I am a sinner in need of Your redemption. I believe Jesus is Your Son, the second Person in the Trinity, and that He lived a perfect life and died a painful, degrading death on Calvary’s Cross for my sin, to atone for me. Lord, forgive my sin, and help me live a transformed life, in Your image, as You planned for me. Lord, I commend my soul to You and Your safekeeping. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

    IF YOU JUST PRAYED THAT PRAYER (or one similar to it), and were genuine in your prayer, then welcome to the Kingdom of God and the blessings of peace, joy, and eternal life. 

    May you prosper in health and prosperity … just as your soul prospers.

    ~PRAYER~

    ALMIGHTY GOD, our gracious and loving Lord, we thank You for Your lovingkindness, Your grace and mercy, and Your willingness to forgive. We know our access to the throne of grace is only through the shed blood of Your Son. Lord, we pray for the health and prosperity of our loved ones, that they may come to know You, the only true God. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

  • LIVING AS JESUS LIVED-Watching How We Act and How We Talk

    As followers of Jesus Christ, it’s not enough that we proclaim our faith; we also need to live as He lived, to act and talk in a way that glorifies Him. Why? So we can lead more people to place their trust in Him for their salvation. With His help, we can do all that despite our personal failings.

    • 1 John 2:6 (NKJV) “He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.” 
    • 1 Juan 2:6 (RVR1960) «El que dice que permanece en él, debe andar como él anduvo.»

    Message By Ward Pimley

    You’ve heard that popular saying: “Walk the walk; don’t just talk the talk.”

    You know what it means: It means to be “authentic,” to be the “real deal,” to live out your life, your everyday life, in the same manner, according to the same  guidelines, that you say you do. 1 John 2:6 NLT says it this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” 

    As followers of Jesus Christ, we proclaim to the world that we believe in Him, that we listen to Him, and so we also ought to live as He lived. 

    THE BIBLE – Where God’s Answers Meet Man’s Questions

    Since that’s an impossibility — we are not perfect as He is — we need to add the caveat that we *try* to live our lives as He showed us how to live, but that in our failings, when we humbly come to Him and repent of our faults, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)†

    CHRISTIANITY’S GIFT TO MANKIND

    THAT IS THE REAL GIFT we Christians offer the world.

    That’s why we’re different, and it is in that promise, that relationship with Almighty God, that we are given the greatest gift possible — eternal life in Paradise with God (Luke 23:43; 1 John 2:25).

    Do you know the Lord? Do you really *know* Him? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? If you do, you will enjoy the promise that God, who cannot lie, has made — eternal life with Him. 

    If you do not have a personal relationship with Him, there’s another promise that God, who cannot lie, holds out to you — eternal life without Him.

    If you choose to live in this world with Him, you will spend eternity with Him. If you choose to live in this world without Him, you will spend eternity without Him,

    Which future do *you* want?

    ~PRAYER~

    If you want the peace, the joy, and the abundant life that God promises (John 10:10), then humbly and sincerely recite this prayer (or use your own words expressing the same thought):

    FATHER IN HEAVEN, I am a sinner in need of Your forgiving grace. I believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ, and that He lived a sinless life to become a sacrifice for my sinful heart and then suffered and died on the Cross to bear the wrath that I deserve. Lord, this gift of atonement is so wonderful – I want it for myself. Please forgive me, Lord God, and send Your Holy Spirit into my heart. Become my Savior, but even more than my Savior, come into my heart and be my Lord. With a grateful and believing heart, I pray.

    AMEN

    IF YOU GENUINELY PRAYED THAT PRAYER (OR ONE LIKE IT), WELCOME TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

    Now that you claim the mantel of God’s adopted child (John 1:12; Romans 8:14), walk as He walked (Galatians 5:25; 1 John 2:6). 

    As you enter your new life as a disciple of Jesus Christ, please make it a priority to:

    1. Open your Bible daily and read His inspired word  (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21), 
    2. Pray daily to the loving Father (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12), and 
    3. Live for Him daily in your personal walk (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). 

    YOU’LL BE BLESSED IF YOU DO (REVELATION 1:3).

    †Unless otherwise marked, Bible references are to the NIV Bible (2011 copyright).

  • JESUS IS OUR HEAVENLY ADVOCATE

    WHAT AN AMAZING ASSURANCE! Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven, speaking on our behalf to the Father.

    • I John 2:1 (NKJV) “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
    • 1 Juan 2:1 (NTV) “Mis queridos hijos, les escribo estas cosas, para que no pequen; pero si alguno peca, tenemos un abogado que defiende nuestro caso ante el Padre. Es Jesucristo, el que es verdaderamente justo.”

    Weekly Message By Ward Pimley

    WHAT AN AMAZING ASSURANCE! Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven, speaking on our behalf to the Father. That is so important, because as we read in the Book of Job (Job, Chapters 1-2) and even now is in Heaven accusing us of all manner of sins and disobedience (1 Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:10).

    “Did you see that!” Satan points out. “Did you see what John did, what Sally said, what Bob and Heather are doing! Hold their actions, their words, against them!”

    Jesus Is Our Advocate Before the Father

    Yet Jesus is speaking on behalf of those — don’t miss this point — who trust Him for their salvation. The Bible tells us that those of us who know Jesus as our Savior are the true children of God, and those are the ones for whom Jesus advocates.

    That means that if ~you~ have come to Jesus and received Him into your heart, confessing your sin to Him and repenting in sorrow, He will send the Holy Spirit to wash you clean of impurity, to guide you into all righteousness, and to hold you tight as a guarantee of your salvation.

    Plus, and this is the bonus part, Jesus will ~advocate~ for you, on your behalf, to the Father and thwart the vicious claims against you levied by the Enemy.

    “Yes,” He will tell the Father, “John did this, and Sally said that, and Bob and Heather were wrong, but, Father, ~they are with Me.~ They are mine! I have paid the price for their sin. I am holding them in My hand for all eternity.”

    My friends, it doesn’t get any better than that.

    LIFE CHANGING MOMENT

    IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED your life over to the Great Promise of Life and Redemption, would you do so now? Here’s what you should do: Pray with me (or use your own words to mean the same thing).

    Heavenly Father, I am a sinful man/woman in need of grace. I am sorry for my sin and seek the redemption and cleansing that is possible only through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, which was shed on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me. Come into my heart now as my Savior and as my Lord, and transform me to walk as You walk. Lord, I pray this humbly in the name of Jesus. AMEN

    IF YOU HAVE PRAYED THAT PRAYER (or one like it) and genuinely mean it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God! You are now a true child of God, and your soul is forever held in the hands of the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit as your down payment, as your guarantee of a future reward. Now, go and tell someone about what God has done for you and how God can do the same thing for him (her).

    May God bless you as you go …

    PRAYER

    ABBA FATHER, Thank You for giving us an advocate, who speaks on our behalf, assuring You that our sin has been washed clean by His blood and that we are now spotless in Your eyes. Lord, that assurance gives us great comfort as we hold dear to Your promises of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and eternal joy with You. Lord, remove all barriers between us so our fellowship with You will be restored and never shattered, that we will hear Your voice, Lord, and You will hear our prayers. Lord, we offer this prayer in the magnificent name of Your Son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

    AMEN

  • MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WORKING

    Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.

    MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY

    IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME to describe a perfect week, or even a day, no doubt I would conjure up a restful spot, probably near the ocean with a bright sun and low humidity, and I would be lounging in a comfortable chair sipping a cool drink.

    30s-SOMETHING COUPLE RELAXING BY THE LAKE

    Oh, sure, there are varieties of that image; for example, a mountainside retreat overlooking a verdant valley, or an early morning with the Bible and a steaming hot cup of coffee, but even those are not much different from the first image.

    In all three scenarios, I would be at rest.

    Yet, Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.

    We are to learn from Him and follow Him:

    • Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” — John 5:17 (NLT)

    • Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. — Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)

    • Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. — Galatians 6:4 (CSB)

    Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God (Kindle edition, loc. 1767), put it this way:

    “In Scripture, you never find God asking people to dream up what they want to do for Him. He never urges His people to set impressive goals and generate grand visions for Him and His kingdom.”

    ~WILLING SERVANTS~

    IN FACT, IN SCRIPTURE, we find God TELLING people what He wants them to do.

    Here’s King David looking for men to step up and pledge their allegiance to the Lord:

    • 1 Chronicles 29:5b (NKJV): “Who [then] is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”

    God is always on mission, and His mission is to reconcile a broken world of disobedient humans to Himself—-men and women created in His image for His glory, who in misguided pride, prefer to serve their own desires, not the Creator’s.

    In the next verse, God gives us the response He expects:

    • 1 Chronicles 29:6 (NKJV): “Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.”

    Don’t miss the key words “Gave willingly.” Not only did they give, which was what God wanted them to do, but they gave “willingly” from the heart.

    ~PRAYER FOR PEACE~

    If you want the peace and joy that comes only from giving “willingly” to God’s design for your life, then would you join me in this prayer (or use similar words):

    “LORD GOD, I am so lost. I feel an emptiness inside that I know only You can fill. Would You come into my heart and rescue me from myself and the world’s influence on my life. Lord, forgive me for how I’ve rejected You and gone my own way. I am a sinner lost in time, and I claim the promise that is mine when Christ took my sins upon Himself and suffered on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and give me new life.” AMEN

    If you prayed that prayer (or one similar) and genuinely meant it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God, your Creator and Sustainer!

    From this day on, you are a new creature; the old has been washed away, replaced by the new.

    To keep on the straight path, determine to do these things daily:

    1) Read Your Bible.

    2) Pray To God.

    3) Fellowship With Other Believers.

    GO TELL SOMEONE WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU!

    PRAYER

    GOD’S HOLY WORD
    GOD’S HOLY WORD

    HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU for the gift of life through the shed blood of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We lift up those, Lord, who have come to You in trust for their salvation that they may know of Your unending love, Your unqualified forgiveness, and Your beneficial commands. Lord, we honor You, we praise You, we love You, and we worship You. In Jesus’ name.

    AMEN