Volume 11 Week 43
Cardinal
Playoff Week Special!
A Sudden Change Of Fortune For The Good Guys Who Truly Believe!!
Wow! A blast like a lightning bolt. And just like that, in an instant, we’re all winners!
Picture it once again. The enemy seems to be prevailing. The good guys are down to their last strike. Many have given up hope and have already turned out the lights. Little do they know that their predictions of doom and gloom will be proven wrong so dramatically and suddenly.
It’s almost understandable why the faithful would give up. Everything has gone just right for the enemy. The good guys can’t seem to prevail in any aspect of the contest. The roar from the crowd shows that the population is almost totally one-sided.
But right when it seems all is lost, there’s a glimmer of hope. There are some who still believe. Maybe not the biggest, or strongest, but the ones who refuse to give up, who keep striving and clawing and believing, suddenly find themselves in a place where something great could happen.
And then it does happen. In the blink of an eye, in a moment completely unexpected, a blast is heard around the world, and victory is ours!
It’s not the blast of a homerun ball. It’s the blast of a trumpet, blown by the host of angels that accompany the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, as He returns in glory to gather us to Himself.
A memorable baseball game Monday night gave us a teeny tiny glimpse of what it will be like when Jesus returns.
Don’t ever lose hope. The promise of Easter is that just as Jesus rose from the dead, and just as He ascended into heaven in the sight of the disciples, so He will come again. He promised it. And there’s no reason to believe that it will not be soon.
My
wife told me that on Tuesday morning, one of the doctors she works for asked,
“What game?” How sad that there are some
in
I’m reading a very good book by a Christian who has decided to quit calling people who don’t know saving faith in Jesus “lost.” He said that he and his friends have decided that “lost” sounds final and hopeless. He prefers to call them “missing.”
In Luke 15, Jesus says that the little lamb and the coin were lost, but the shepherd and the woman treated them only as missing. They searched feverishly and would not give up until they were back where they belonged.
I like “missing” for another reason. As the author so poignantly points out, the friends and relatives of those killed in the World Trade Center tragedy posted the names and faces of their loved ones and called them “missing.” They refused to believe that they were lost.
Never give up. Jesus is coming back to take us all away from this old world and take us to a celebration better than any World Series championship. And until he comes, it’s not too late to share his saving love with those whom He misses, because they are not yet gathered into the flock.
When you look and see empty seats in worship, who’s missing? Offer an invitation soon!
Stewardship Report!
Some things cannot be measured. How can you quantify the significance of one individual or one family from our congregation who sits in faith and in prayer before God, seeking His will for their financial support of the Lord’s work?
Jesus pointed out to His disciples that the offering of the widow, two tiny coins, could not be measured by the size of the gift, but only by the heart from which that gift of love and faith flowed. Throughout this time of spiritual renewal, I’ve been praying that God would touch the hearts and wills of all His people. That’s what matters. The money always follows.
Eighty-six financial intention cards have been returned so far with a total pledged of right around $300,000. That is a very encouraging figure, but the true measure of our offerings is the love and faith that is behind those numbers. I hope that every dollar indicated, whether in weekly gifts that are large or small, are a joyful and eager sacrifice that you are making in response to the Savior’s love for you. I thank you for your testimony of faith!
As strong as these pledges are, you should know that so far in 2005, we have seen only a slight increase in giving over last year. Our church is changing. Many long, long time faithful supporters of our church have moved past the years when they can give as generously as they have in the past. We are all hoping that our younger families will continue to grow in the grace of giving so that our mission work may continue strong.
The development of a ministry spending plan for 2006 is well under way. The Board of Directors will present a plan at our November congregational assembly meeting. Please watch for preliminary information that will be coming your way in advance of that meeting so that you can be fully informed as we prayerfully prepare for some difficult decisions.
And continue to pray (and obey) as God unfolds His purposes among us, in us and through each and every one of us, as we move forward in the mission He has entrusted to us.
New Worship
Although
I have not yet visited yet myself, I understand that our sister congregation,
If you’re thinking of going because you want to see it, or because you yourself prefer a different style of music, don’t. At least, don’t go alone. It’s not the intention of this mission work to shuffle Christians around from one place to another.
Bring a friend to see and hear the good news of Christ in a way that may seem more natural and comfortable for them, less threatening maybe, than a more formal church worship service on Sunday morning.
What a neat idea! Has God given you any lately?