HOW I LOVE IT WHEN EVEN THE WORLD ACKNOWLEDGES THINGS OF GOD! All day I’ve been thinking about God’s covenants with us. These covenants are recorded hundreds of times in the Bible. How I would love to be able to sit down and read in one sitting, each covenant that is mentioned in God’s Word. But lest we get confused about what a covenant is, I checked out the definition in about four different resources. These sources of information all confirmed that a covenant is “a binding, solemn agreement between two individuals or parties to do or keep from doing a specific thing.” Then I got really excited when I read the last meaning, which was the last one listed of the many definitions. Stated as a theological meaning, ‘covenant’ was defined as “the promises made by God to man, as recorded in the Bible.” So even the world acknowledges that God’s promises to us are covenants made with us – and they are binding and solemn. In other words, we should never ever need to wonder if God is going to come through for us! He will not revoke His covenant – it’s a done deal. Many of God’s promises to us were made by a covenant, and often they required two parts: God’s and ours! I absolutely love the 55th chapter of the book of Isaiah! In verse 3, God is inviting us to come close to Him, like we do when we have something really special or important to tell someone else! Let’s hear what He is saying: “Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to My life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.” God goes on: “I set him up as a witness to the nations, made him a prince and leader of the nations, And now I’m doing it to you: You’ll summon nations you’ve never heard of, and nations who’ve never heard of you will come running to you because of Me, your God, because The Holy of Israel has honored you.” Is that exciting, or what? There’s something else we should consider very solemnly when it comes to promises, namely, the nation of Israel. These days the Middle Eastern countries dominate our daily news. There is unrest, protests, clashes, fights, battles, terrorism … all of these descriptions of daily life there remind us of the unleashed upheaval being experienced. And of course, all of this was prophesied so long ago. Checking the daily on-line news alerts is like reading the Bible; seeing the news highlights on television is like watching prophesy being played out before our very eyes! So why should any of this concern us? Why should it matter to those of us who are believers a half a world away? Well, according to God’s Word, these events should make us more alert than ever, and we should be on our knees in prayer for the nation of Israel. After all, Israel is God’s chosen nation and its people are God’s chosen people. God’s covenant promises to Abraham were for his physical descendants, yes; but they were also for us who are his spiritual descendants. Just what did God tell Abraham in that covenant relationship? Listen: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3) You see, God is committed to Israel. Period. He is committed to His covenant promise with Abraham. Period. And as Abraham’s spiritual descendants, He is committed to us. Period. Forever! Always! He longs that we would fall in love with His nation and His people; that we would honor them and pray for them and support them. He longs for His people to know that He is the true Messiah and that He is coming again. When the world turns their backs on the tiny nation of Israel leaving them to stand virtually alone against the raging hatred of the bordering Islamic nations, what will we do as true believers of Christ? Will we bless this nation and stand with them? Will we stand in the gap for them with our prayers and our offerings? Will we experience God’s blessings as we are obedient to bless them, according to the covenant – or will we bring curses on ourselves because we do nothing for this land and this people that our God is so passionately in love with and devoted to. In my days of seeking God regarding His nation of Israel, my heart has been tugged at, pulled, and stretched, that we might embrace the Jewish people now in these days more than ever before. Why? First of all, because it’s God’s command. And second of all, because it comes with an undeniable, alignable, attractive promise! When we bless Israel, we will be blessed! I challenge you to make a promise to God regarding His land and His people that you will keep … no matter what! Enlarge your world, burst out of your binding boundaries, and begin to see just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to God’s blessings! Get into covenant with the God of the universe!!!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- WHAT A GREAT TIME OF WORSHIP we experienced as we met together in a different place! God’s presence saturated our hearts and we sensed the blessings of the Lord as we focused on “God-Head Love” from the Word of God! Wherever we meet, God is our same faithful God – He doesn’t change!
- OUR SPECIAL WELCOME to our guests from SouthWay Manor who worshipped with us for the first time! We were honored to have you come, and we pray that you were encouraged and blessed, as well!
- LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug continuing his messages in the new series on “God’s Love”. This week, he will be preaching on “God’s Extraordinary, Extravagant Love” from both Old and New Testament selections. Isn’t this the kind of love we all desire? Don’t miss out!
- 11:15 A.M. – POST-VALENTINE’S LUNCHEON CELEBRATION, with festive decorations and an outstanding menu! The Baked Ham w/Cherry Sauce/St. Louis Potatoes/Fresh Home-baked Rolls/& Black Forest Cheesecake will be provided, as well as the beverages. All you need to bring is a salad to share! Come expecting a time of wonderful fellowship!!!
- FUN EVENT for RE: FUEL YOUTH will follow the luncheon. See Pastor Doug for the latest details! And be sure to invite some friends to hang out with us!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – ‘LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY! Pastor Doug and Debbie invite you to their home to dig into the Word and to learn how it applies to us in practical ways!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP & COMMUNION - centering on “The Sacrificial Love of Christ”. Come prepared to open your hearts to receive such an incredible love as His was – and still is!
- MARCH 20TH: SPAGHETTI FEED with the double bonus of making your own sundaes and enjoying a movie after!
- APRIL 24TH: EASTER SERVICES, including Sunrise Celebration, Continental Breakfast, & Easter Egg Hunt!
- APRIL 30TH: MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEA with a “Rose” theme, gourmet refreshments, and a special concert!
- WOMEN OF FAITH UPDATES to come with on-line accounts to save money for your conference tickets for October in St. Paul!
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- MAY GOD WATER OUR HEARTS with divine expectations for spiritual breakthroughs in our bodies, finances, relationships, but mostly in our walk with God … and in our desire and involvement to win the lost for Christ! We declare sickness and lack of provision to be broken, in the Name of Jesus! We declare harmony and restoration in families and marriages to be nurtured to fullness, in the Name of Jesus! We declare surrender on our part for God’s will to be done, in the Name of Jesus! And we declare passion and participation on our part as we pursue the lost for God’s Kingdom, in the Name of Jesus! Make the above your daily prayer this week … over and over!
- REMEMBER . . . “When we call on God, He bends down His ear to listen, as a father bends down to listen to his little child.” ~ Elizabeth Charles
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
