GIFTS OF LOVE COME IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES!!! Leaving work last evening, I listened to my voicemails on my cell phone, and here was this sweet little voice, saying, “Gramma, will you pray for me?” Our ten year old granddaughter had called and left a list of several things that had happened to her in the last few days. None of them sounded much fun, including falling out of her chair and getting a fat lip and a headache. And she was asking me to pray that no more of these occurrences would take place. Immediately, on my drive home, I began to lift her up before the Lord and declare good things for her life. And my heart was so filled! I’ve always told our children and grandchildren that they can gift me with nothing greater than asking me to pray for them! My heart always leaps with joy when they call and ask for prayer for something specific! I consider it a true privilege to be able to lift up our family in prayer, as well as anyone else who calls with needs in their lives. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s a common thing to be thinking of valentine cards and chocolate candies … heart decorations and an endless list of gifts to show our love! But today I’m thinking of another kind of gift that has come in different forms and was also “decorated” in red. Such a long time ago a precious Papa decided to send His only Son to earth so that He could personally deliver our valentine invitation to us – for a party that will last forever! And this first-time hand-delivered valentine continues to be sent, day after day, year after year. Without fail, God keeps the invitation open, hoping that more and more people on earth will decide to RSVP that they are coming! There has never been, nor will there ever be, a valentine that costs as much as this one did. I just read about a lady that collects old valentines – many of them fragile and yellowed, but exquisite, nonetheless. And depending on their age and condition, she could command quite a price for some of them if she ever decided to part with them. But the incredible beauty and value of God’s valentine, is that it cost Him the very life of His Son. His Son was in the very prime of His earthly life, yet He decided to give Him up … for us! He knew that was the only way His valentine would hold any value, any hope, any power to free us from sin. Do you see it? There the Invitation hangs, pegged to a cross with spikes, the red blood of His very life staining His head and brows and covering His hands and feet. Drops of blood, for you and for me. His life-blood decorated the Father’s plan, and He willingly wrote out His love in red. And if there was any chance at all that we might not hear about this Gift, God had it recorded in black and white in a book we call the Bible. His Words declare the power of this Invitation all stained in red, and we are drawn by the Holy Spirit to make our decision to accept it – rather than refuse it. Yet, the final decision is up to us! Knowing what little we know of the real Heaven and the real Hell … still we know enough to know that we’d much rather spend our forever in Heaven! And hearing testimonies of individuals who have gone to Heaven or to Hell for a short period of time and then returned to earth after their real encounters, their descriptions of both places would surely cinch a person’s decision of which place they’d rather spend forever in! I’m truly not trying to make this Valentine message heavy, but I do not apologize for wanting to try to paint the picture of the love that God has for us, and the life-and-death choice every person on this earth faces, accepting it or rejecting it. Who will you share God’s valentine with this week? It could make an eternal difference for that person! Please recognize the importance of “sending out God’s valentines” to everyone you know! They are “written in red” ~ like a very beautiful song states. Just today someone we know experienced a powerful valentine gift from God following hours of prayer, even in the night and throughout the morning! What could have been devastating, causing her and many others to lose everything, was all changed by the Valentine gift written in red: an answer to all the prayers, bringing complete victory and favor through the shed blood of Jesus that day at Calvary! What a God we serve ~ who loves us passionately and fully and pursues us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) His valentines are ever-ready … they are sent to us daily in various forms! May we open our eyes and not miss them, for they cost God what was most precious to Him! Your phone is ringing … it might just be another valentine from God!!!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- NO MATTER WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON, come Sunday morning, we find the greatest experiences in the presence of our Lord God Almighty! And how blessed and challenged we were as Pastor Doug preached his heart out about “Praising God: and how blessing Him opens the floodgates for blessings into our lives!”
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Mike and Mary Jo Haley and their family as they visited us for the first time! We pray that you sensed God’s Spirit in our midst and were blessed by your time with us! We hope you will visit us again soon!
- LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES to our daughter-in-love, Melissa, who celebrates on February 14th – may you be blessed wonderfully by our Lord! We thank God for you and love you so much! Also, special anniversary wishes to Jimmy and Nancy on the 14th … and special birthday wishes to Ernie on the 17th! May God’s best be yours is our prayer!
- OUR CONGRATULATIONS to Pam and Chuck on the birth of their new little grandson, Eric James, who was born on February 7th! And congratulations to his mommy, Hannah! May God bless all of you!
- LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug beginning a new series of messages on “God-head Love” – this Sunday sharing about the depths of God’s love from a variety of scriptures. God’s Word is packed full of verses about His love – come and drink in!
- 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION TIME – your opportunity to grow in fellowship as we live out God’s plan for godly relationships within the body of Christ!
- ELEVATION NORTH 21-DAY FAST – Comes to completion this Sunday, the 13th, and perhaps we will never fully know until eternity just what all was accomplished through this time of prayer and fasting as a church family. May God be glorified as spiritual breakthroughs continue to become evident!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – “LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at Pastor Doug’s and Debbie’s home. Come prepared with eager hearts and your Bibles in hand!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with a Post-Valentine’s Luncheon Celebration to follow - be sure to add your name to the sign-up sheet!
- COMING IN MARCH – SPAGHETTI FEED on the 20th featuring “make your own sundaes” for dessert / and a movie to follow! Invite some friends to church and to lunch and a movie afterwards!
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- GOD PROMISES HIS POWER to us ~ because He lives we can face our tough times and come through victorious! This week, let’s continue to lift our church family up in prayer and our evangelists and missionaries as they bring the gospel to those across our nation and around the world!
- REMEMBER . . . “ … as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love.” Psalm 108:11
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
