Welcome to the last day of 2017! This has been a very different year in a lot of ways. In some ways it has been a very good year and in other ways it has been a horrible year. This is true even for us as a congregation of the Lord’s church. We have experienced a lot of bad things in the deaths we have experienced in our families and the severe illnesses that have affected several of our members. But, we have also experienced some good things in the additions to our church family and the spiritual growth occurring within our family here. So, I guess all we can say by looking at all of this is, welcome to life in this world! As long as we are living in this physical world we will be experiencing both bad and good. Paul warned Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 3:1 where he said, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” Now, Paul was warning Timothy specifically about persecution as a Christian but, this generally covers life as a whole too. We know the Devil is going to do all he can, use everything he can to try to turn us away from God. “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). But, we can also know that our God will be there for us in every way possible. Listen carefully to what we are told in these next two verses. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10). Our God enabled us to get through 2017 and, there is no question in my mind that He will also enable us to get through 2018. We need to thank God for strengthening us through the difficult times and also thank Him for the good times and wonderful things He enabled us to have and participate in.
None of us really have any idea where this new year will be taking us. We all will have “plans” of some kind, for some things. We will do what we can to be ready for them in the best way possible but, we never know for sure how it will all come about. This is true for all of us individually, personally and also collectively as a congregation. Our men will be meeting in the very near future to set up our budget and plan our work for this new year. We hope and pray that we will be able, with the Lord’s help, to accomplish all we plan. But, things happen, just like last year with us having to completely replace the roof on the church building, having the roof blow off the church’s house. Hey, things happen but, the Lord got us through it all and He will help us in every way possible for this New Year. But, we need to place our faith in Him and step out and get to work to accomplish for Him.
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
None of us really have any idea where this new year will be taking us. We all will have “plans” of some kind, for some things. We will do what we can to be ready for them in the best way possible but, we never know for sure how it will all come about. This is true for all of us individually, personally and also collectively as a congregation. Our men will be meeting in the very near future to set up our budget and plan our work for this new year. We hope and pray that we will be able, with the Lord’s help, to accomplish all we plan. But, things happen, just like last year with us having to completely replace the roof on the church building, having the roof blow off the church’s house. Hey, things happen but, the Lord got us through it all and He will help us in every way possible for this New Year. But, we need to place our faith in Him and step out and get to work to accomplish for Him.
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
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