TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
A reminder and invitation to worship this Sunday morning February 26th, 10:00, at the Community Center, 200 N. Ash Street. Our sermon will be from Revelation 2:12 – 4:2, the end of Jesus’ letters to the churches, and John’s appearance in the throne room of God! Take time to read this passage before Sunday. There’s a lot to learn from this exciting part of Revelation!
If you’re not able to be with us in person, the sermon should be posted on the Crossroads Facebook page some time Friday or Saturday. A student at the high school told me last week that she and her family had been watching my sermons online (like, several in a row, it sounded like. Must have been a pretty boring day at their house!) I’m thankful for our Crossroads Facebook page; I know many of you connect there when you’re unable to be with the church family on Sunday.
Congratulations to Forrest who took four guys and four girls from the high school wrestling team to the State tournament this week!
Congratulations to Donna on her retirement! Thanks for your prayers for Andrew LaNear. Andrew has been diagnosed with hypertension, but his white blood cell counts have come down some. Let’s continue to keep Andrew in our prayers!
Please be in prayer for Misha and his family in Ukraine. As you may know, they have received approval to leave the country, but Misha would like to stay on at his two jobs as long as he can in order to save up some money for their next step as a family. Paperwork is in process for their coming to the U.S. Please pray that God would be at work, leading them and being near to them through all they’re experiencing. Thank you. (Most of you know that Misha is an exchange student who spent a school year with the Vestal family here in Nevada not many years ago.)
Our elders will meet this Sunday following the worship service. We continue to meet with ministry team leaders and address needs of the church. Thanks for keeping the church elders in your prayers. Please pray for a profitable, Spirit-led meeting this Sunday. Don’t forget that we’re looking for volunteers who will organize a monthly Sunday fellowship meal and/or activity during the months of April through October this year. Let one of the elders know if you (or a team of people) are interested in organizing one of those Sundays. Thank you!
Psalm 54 was a special help to me this week. “God is my helper” is a wonderful, simple truth from verse 4 of that psalm. Also in verse 4, this: “The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.” Finally, this in verse 7: “He has delivered me from all trouble.” That’s not only a truth from the life of David, the author of this psalm, but it’s a great promise as well! Ultimately, as we look back on our life, I believe we’ll be able to say, “The Lord delivered me from all trouble!” Of course, we will! — no matter what happens in this life, our destiny (our inheritance) is heaven … and all of it thanks to God’s grace through His Son, Jesus Christ!
“All hail the power of Jesus’ name, let angels prostrate fall! Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all! You chosen seed of Israel’s race, you ransomed from the fall, hail Him who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all!”
As I think about God sustaining my soul, I’m mindful that God has sustained me over these past ten years since Diana’s passing, February 25, 2013. Where have ten years gone? February brings back a lot of good memories and bittersweet feelings. I don’t know which were the happiest years of our life together. Probably the years of raising children and having babies, many of those spent in France as missionaries where Diana was really in her element.
I recently read a short biography of missionaries to China in the 1930s who were martyred for their faith when the Communists began making inroads across China. Their names were John and Betty Stam. A missionary colleague wrote about spending a few days with Betty and her newborn baby shortly before Betty and John were killed. She wrote, “It was lovely to have a few days with Betty again. She was a sweet practical mother. I liked to see her taking care of Baby Helen. Dear, dear Betty, she was pure gold, perfectly lovely, gentle, and sweet.”
That line reminded me much of Diana — pure gold, lovely, gentle, and sweet; a sweet practical mother. She had a heart for Christ, and she was a blessing to her husband and children.
May God be your helper and sustainer through the rest of this week! I look forward to seeing you, Lord willing, this Sunday morning!
— Tom
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