John Reis and his wife Barbara were some of the ones whom I served with for 2 years at Sunshine village. During his long absence during the last 6 months he has been missed. On his return this Saturday he shared a heartfelt and personal account of his struggles and God’s faithfulness that gave us all hope. My prayer is that John’s message will give you hope as well.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 ESV This Saturday, I put the message I had prepared on hold as our brother John Reis shared the story of how God has helped him through these last 5 1/2 months as he has […]
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24 NIV
Before the children of Israel left Egypt, they stood on one side of the Red Sea, but as they were leaving, they crossed over to the other side. Forty years later when they came near to the border of the Promised Land, they stood on the East bank of the Jordan, but when God parted the water, of the river, they crossed over to the Western side. Throughout History we see people who have crossed over to begin new lives. Martin Luther left the Roman Catholic system on the premise that faith alone, not the church would give him eternal life. One hundred and fifty years later, the Pilgrims, crossed the Atlantic, to what was called, “The New World”, for the freedom to worship God according to their own conscience. In the same way, Jesus has called anyone who believes in Him to cross over to eternal life. “But what does that mean? How can I cross over?” you ask. Jesus tells us that the answer is to simply believe His words more than ours. Crossing over will mean letting go of Egypt, to follow God through the wilderness, then leaving the wilderness behind to enter the Promised land. There is no crossing over, without a leaving behind. But we do not need to be afraid, because the same God who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River, is standing before us today with an invitation to believe. Jesus is stretching out His hand and saying, “You don’t need a map of the wilderness, to get to the Promised Land, you only need to follow me. He is also calling you and me this morning. “Don’t be afraid. Trust my word. Take my hand. Leave everything in this world behind and together, let’s cross over to eternal life!”
Now also when I am old and grayheaded O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.
Psalm 71:18 NKJV
Our opinions about old age change when we begin experiencing the aches and pains that usually come along with the passing of years. Our previous criticisms of mannerisms or styles of older folks, begin to sound hollow now that we are one of them! We value our friends and family more and begin to treat them with care. God has taught us to have a tender touch with others now our hands are bruised by difficulties and worn out from serving. In today’s verse, the man who once slew Goliath, is no longer praying for victory in battle. Now, he asks to share with his children, grandchildren and neighbors, his relationship with God. The crown on his head, now sits on gray hair and the power he wields comes from faith. David prays to have the strength to share the wonderful message of how great God is and God answered it in the Twenty-third Psalm. Many assume that David wrote this Psalm as a teen-ager, but scholars tell us that he actually wrote it at the end of his life. In six short verses David teaches us that the Lord is our Shepherd, He leads us on His path and stays by our side through dark valleys. Then, when we are surrounded by enemies, God prepares a feast for us and invites us to His home forever. Now that’s a message I am so glad David shared! If we know Jesus, He also has a message for us to give. We only need to ask Him how.
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