Month: March 2020

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What Are You Waiting For? A Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength; NKJV

I’ve always tried to practice the wise saying that says, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” (Proverbs 15:28) During this coronavirus pandemic I have not said much on social media yet, except to caution us not to live in fear because I wanted to be sure of what I say. The last thing I want to do is mislead anyone.

In the midst of this Pandemic there are many voices who have rushed to announce the end of the world is coming or that this is a great plague sent by God on an evil and unbelieving generation. I do not want to join those voices. They rush to pronounce a judgment that if it is true, only God knows.

Rather, I have chosen not to comment much but instead to study how to answer the cacophony of questions, most of which begin with the word, ‘why’. While I certainly do not feel qualified to answer all those questions, I do have some thoughts to offer to the dialogue. Here are a few things I believe I can say in response…

Questions: Why is this virus happening? Is it not God’s judgment on us?

Answers:

Perhaps, but only God knows for sure. But if this virus is a judgment from God to punish an unbelieving world, then so is every other sickness, malady and tragic occurrence that has ever happened. The problem with that line of thinking is that it misses the true character of God and the true nature of the world in which we live. God is good all the time – and everything he created is good.

All the bad things that happen in our world (and have happened since the Fall of Adam and Eve) are NOT God’s direct judgment on humanity; that will come at the end of time. They are, if you will, God’s indirect judgment. They are the consequences of living in a fallen world…of humanity’s choice to disobey God and to not love Him and our neighbor.

God doesn’t need to sit around and think up thinks with which to afflict our world: wars, famines, earthquakes, and diseases. All these things entered our world as consequences of sin, and the death it brought to the natural order. We should not be surprised when they happen. And, we should not look for a supernatural reason with which to blame God.

When tragedies occur, whether through widespread disease or natural environmental disasters, we need to see them for what they are – reminders that we are not in control of anything, except our own will in how we respond.

Our Response:

So, what should our response be? Our response should be threefold:

To listen to our authorities who are trying to help us stop the spread of this disease. Yes, even if that means we need to practice ‘social distancing’ for a while…maybe even a long while. I prefer to call it ‘physical distancing’. We can still be social through social media. Right?

To pray for God’s mercy for our world, this situation, and those who are suffering and dying and giving their lives to defend us. Scripture is filled with calls for God’s mercy, as well as promises of His mercy to those who seek Him. The great English reformer, John Wesley said, “I believe God does nothing but in answer to prayer.” Think about it. God can do anything but why should He intervene on our behalf. God desires that we seek Him and His blessing. Prayer changes things.

To wait…scripture promises good things come to those who wait for Him to act. That does not mean we do nothing. A big part of waiting is praying, listening, and doing as He leads. It is in waiting on the Lord that we find new strength. It is in actively waiting as we pray that He leads us to answers, to develop proper treatments, and to find cures.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.” Lam. 3:25 NKJV

Scripture is clear. Have you not heard? Even the strong and mighty fall. But God gives strength to the weary…to those who wait on Him. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s all listen, pray, and wait on the Lord to lead us through this Pandemic, as He has all the others throughout history. Deliverance always belongs to the Lord.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: https://www.nejm.org/coronavirus

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 18 Special Edition – “Be Careful – Don’t Complain”

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.15 Remember what it says: 

“Today when you hear his voice,
    don’t harden your hearts
    as Israel did when they rebelled.”

16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt?

Hebrews 3:12-16

God’s people have a history of grumbling and complaining during difficult times. Sometimes I think we just keep repeating the same old sins and mistakes, and do not learn our lessons.

Today’s reading in Hebrews reminds how even 1500 years after Moses led the Israelites out of bondage, the Hebrew Christians were complaining about how difficult it was to live out their faith amid Jewish persecution.

From the beginning of the journey of God’s people out of slavery and into the Promised Land, and on into the first century of Christian faith we see the temptation to forget all God has done for us when difficult times arise.

These days of national and global emergency in the face of the spreading Corona Virus are certainly unprecedented for most Americans. Most of us have lived in the luxury of God’s blessings our whole lives and do not really know what it means to have real hardship and difficulty. We have had no real threat of famine or plague that would threaten our very way of life and existence.

My 90 year old mother recalls how her family was quarantined on more than one occasion in the 1930’s (the day’s before vaccines and antibiotics) because of the easy spreading of dangerous infections like Diphtheria and Measles. One of her brothers even died from the Diphtheria. Yet, even she cannot remember what it was really like to be quarantined by act of the civil authorities.

This is definitely uncharted territory for all of us. So was the desert wandering for the Israelites. At Merribah and Massah, when it looked as though the people might die for lack of water, the people quickly forgot all their blessings and miraculous deliverances by God and resorted to grumbling and complaining…even to the point of despair, wishing they were back in bondage.

As I see people flocking to stores and holding supplies of things like soap, toilet paper, and water I want to shout out to everyone – STOP IT! God is with us! We don’t need to fear! We leave no room for God to work when we try to meet all our needs ourselves.

Our hoarding of supplies proves our fears. And it will only make things more difficult for the supply chain in our economy to do its job supplying the places of greatest need, like hospitals and care homes.

The fact that we can afford to go to the store and buy up all the supplies we think we will need (like we even know how long this emergency will last) doesn’t mean that we should. Let us not forget that many of our neighbors do not even have enough money to buy supplies for this week, not to mention what they will do when they run out of toilet paper and realize the shelves are bare.

Like one calling out in the wilderness, let us all hear the voice of the Hebrew writer and not harden our hearts as did the children of Israel in the day of rebellion. If we’re not careful our hearts can lead us away from the Living God.

Instead, let us remember that God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He gave the Israelites manna and water in the wilderness and I think He can take care of our needs for water, soap, and yes even toilet paper…that is, if we do not try to meet all our needs by ourselves.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: Cleveland.com

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 12

1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, * the world and all who dwell therein. 2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas * and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep. 3 “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? * and who can stand in his holy place?” 4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud. 5 They shall receive a blessing from the Lord * and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”

Psalm 24:1-5

The Israelites always used the image of ‘going up’ or ‘ascending’ as they went to worship the Lord God at the Temple. They understood that God was always above them and their desire was to somehow come into the Lord’s presence, to rise into His presence in worship. That thought carried over into the architecture of churches through most of the last two thousand years. Churches were always built on a high foundation with steps to ascend up into the sanctuary of the Lord.

As we prepare our hearts to worship the Lord on this second Sunday of Lent, we should ask the same question as the Psalmist, “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?” Are we worthy to ascend from this earthly existence into worship of Almighty God…in His very presence?

The Psalmist gives us the answer to our question…whomever has clean hands and a pure heart is worthy. Our Lenten journey is to help us do just that. In our special times of prayer, fasting, and giving we ask the Lord to wash our hands and hearts so that we can have an ever increasing experience of His transforming glory. We wash our hearts through prayers of confession in preparation for worship. We wash our hands through works of mercy in loving outreach to others. Repentance is at the heart of the whole season of Lent.

But as you journey toward the cross this year, don’t miss the blessing. It is not just about repentance but also about celebrating the love of God who descends upon us, so that we may be lifted up into His presence. A love that not only forgives but transforms us into an ever greater likeness of His glory.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

When we realize that God condescended to us in the incarnation of His son, Jesus, we realize just how great His love is for us. Nothing would stop Him from reconciling us back into His presence. Now, through the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit, each us who believe have become sanctuaries of the Lord’s presence.

“To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart, and there to stand before the face of the Lord, ever-present, all seeing, within you.“

ST. Theophan the Recluse

The Psalmist tells us that those who make the journey into God’s presence with clean hands and pure hearts will, “…receive a blessing from a blessing from the Lord, and a just reward from the God of their salvation.” What could be a greater blessing than to stand redeemed in His presence…this is the latter rain falling on believers who have thirst and hunger for Him.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: https://revivenations.org/blog/2016/05/28/mountain/

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 10

4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord
    while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
    my highest joy.

Psalm 137:4-6

Do you have any hopes and dreams yet unrealized? I do. Sometimes I even dwell on them with an unhealthy attitude. If I am not careful my attitude starts to dwell on this life and all the comforts I do or do not have. That is why I love Lenten Fridays. Every Friday is a remembrance of Jesus giving His life on the cross, so that I may truly live. But, as long as my main focus is on this present world and all it’s affairs, I am not living life to the full…life such as Jesus died to give me.

On Fridays in Lent I like to turn my attention to the cross of Christ. All my hopes and dreams are realized in the cross, death, and resurrection of Jesus. No matter what happens in this world, as an apprentice of Jesus Christ, I am called to live as a citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem and not this present dark world.

The early Christians knew this. They longed for the day when Jesus would reign in the new Jerusalem, not the one that was always being attacked by her enemies. The Old Testament children of Israel new very well what it was like to have peace and prosperity, only to lose it all to their enemies when they took the Kingdom for granted, and began to live as part of the fallen world around them.

“By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country…For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Hebrews 11:9-10

The life I really want to live…successful and safe, with a happy and blessed family, can only be found in relationship with Jesus Christ. When my focus is on Christ and keeping my service of Him first in life, then I am free to see everything through His eyes. I can see tough times as preparation for something better. I can see miracles in everyday circumstances. But most of all, I can see through the shadows of this world into the light of eternity.

Through the spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting, I remember that this world really isn’t about me. I can learn to take my eyes off of my circumstances and focus them on my savior and His plan for my life. But it all begins with seeing the blessings in the rain. Rain can be refreshing or frustrating it depends on one’s outlook. God’s latter rain is always refreshing when we recognize that even sorrow and pain can be a blessing to help shape us into what He wants..

What is going on with you today? Are you focused so much on this life that you don’t see how what you are going through can prepare you for something better? It is not easy to have such a God-centered focus, but it is possible.

Let us not forget Jerusalem while we are living in Babylon. Let us pray, ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…’

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent-Day 9

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  

Luke 15: 17-20 NIV

In yesterday’s devotion we recognized that no matter what the prodigal son did his Father still loved him. Today, let us recognize another powerful truth from this parable that works alongside our lenten prayer and fasting; we are worthy to be called God’s child!

I know in a great sense we are not worthy of such lavish forgiveness. We have corrupted ourselves and done evil in the sight of the Lord. Romans chapter three reminds us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But we must not listen to the lies of satan that would have us believe we are not worthy at all of God’s love and forgiveness. While it is true we cannot earn our Father’s forgiveness, His love, mercy and grace do flow freely for those who desire it.

The truth is, we are worthy of His love and forgiveness precisely because we are His highest creation. In every human soul resides something of the image of God, and that alone makes us worthy of his love. What the prodigal son realized was that even though he was not worthy of his Father’s forgiveness by his own merits, he was worthy as a part of his Father’s family.

“The truth is, we are worthy of His love and forgiveness precisely because we are His highest creation.”

Each of us is a part of our Heavenly Father’s family because we are his cherished creation. And while the way we live may separate us from the fellowship of His family, it cannot separate us from His love. We must only wake up to the reality of our place in the family.

When we will realize how much our Father loves us, in spite of our sins, we will know that He never closes the door on us. He is continually calling out for us to come home, who have as the prophet Isaiah said, “turned to our own way.” (Isa. 53)

So, as we journey through Lent, may our prayer and fasting bring to us a brightness in our sorrow. In the realization of our sinfulness may we know how loved we are by our Father. Let us stand outside in the latter rain of Christ’s loving sacrifice and feel His love washing over us, drawing us back to into fellowship with Him.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: https://www.freelifechurchva.com/sermons/

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent-Day8

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

Luke 15: 17-20 NIV

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that humanity is suffering greatly. In our modern western culture we seem to have everything we want, yet we want more. We can’t even say why we want more, we just do. We want the latest and greatest of everything. Whatever we have, it is not enough so we get more. There has to be a time when we wake up and realize that stuff will never buy happiness and contentment.

When billionaire philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money is enough, his answer was telling of our current society’s rampant consumerism – “Just one more dollar”, he said. In 1937, at the zenith of his wealth, Rockefeller’s net worth was about 1.6% of the total of he U.S. economy at the time. He also owned about 90% of all the oil and gas produced in his day. Using that standard today, his wealth would dwarf the billionaires of today.

In fairness to his memory, Rockefeller did an enormous amount of good with his fortunes. He was even quoted as saying,

“God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God, to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind.” *

Today, humanity seems to be seeking meaning and purpose to life in the accumulation of things, yet we are a most unhappy people. Things such as emotional illness and suicide rates are higher than in half a century. With so much luxury and convenience in our lives, why are we so unfulfilled? The answer can be found in a fundamental truth of the historic Christian faith…this world is not our home. We were not made for such a temporary existence.

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.“

1 Peter 2:11

The Apostle Peter says we are ‘sojourners’ and ‘exiles’ in this world. The writer of Hebrews says that we are looking for another city that is not of this world, a city in the Heavens whose builder is God (Hebrews 11).

In Luke 15, Jesus tells how the prodigal son, after squandering everything he had with what could accurately be described as a wonton consumeristic lifestyle, finally “came to his senses.” What he finally realized was that in his Father’s house he had everything he really needed -a home filled with love.

On this Lenten journey of celebration, let us celebrate what we already have. We have the love of our Heavenly Father, just as we are. There is nothing we could do or buy that would bring us closer to God or make Him love us more. His love is complete in every human being; we need only awaken to the reality.

Take some time today and count your real blessings, not just your material ones. You know…your family, your health, your work, your home, and the fact that you are not going hungry as is so much of the world. And, if you sense you need something else, pray about it and ask your Heavenly Father if it is what you need. After all, He knows your real needs. Then, give Him the glory and realize that everything, even your material ones are gifts from God..they are his latter rain showering blessings on you.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/635926444221469047-1832658135_going-home.jpg

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent-Day 7

Scripture Focus:

10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

As we continue to look at our Lenten journey as a form of celebration, we need to think through what it means to ‘repent’. We often misunderstand this word as sorrow for our sins. Actually the word ‘repent’ means to “turn around and go the other way.” The word we often confuse with repent is ‘contrition’, which is a form of sorrow.

We need to feel sorrow for our sins but scripture teaches us it needs to be the right kind of sorrow. We can be sorry for different reasons. For example, we can be sorry we got caught doing something wrong. However, while that is a form of contrition, it may or may not lead us to repentance. Negative reinforcement rarely teaches us to turn from sin.

Today’s scripture focus tells us that God wants us to be sorry for our sins with a form of ‘true contrition’ that will draw us closer to Him, not drive us farther away. Such true contrition allows us to see God as our loving Father. He wants us to turn away from our sin because He knows what is best for us, not because He is mad at us for what we did; this is a critical difference in how we see and respond to God as our Father.

“Godly sorrow draws us closer to God – not push us further away.”

Far too many people see God only as a ‘Just Judge’ who caught them in their sin, is mad at them, and cannot wait to punish them. Nothing is further from the truth!

God is our loving Father. Like in Jesus’ story of The Prodigal Son, when with true contrition for our sin we turn around in repentance, God not only waits for us to return to Him with open arms, He runs out to meet us shouting, “Welcome Home!”

Lent is a season of turning around. During Lent we do not want to focus on our sinfulness in order to make us feel so bad we end up feeling even more distant from God. We want to confess our sins in joy, knowing our Heavenly Father is excited to hear our confession and see our repentance, as we turn around with the help of His grace.

The excitement we are to see in our Father God is the pouring out of His latter rain. He is raining down blessings of His Spirit upon us. So today, as the writer of Hebrews reminds us, “…do not harden your hearts…” There is no regret in Godly sorrow, so open up your heart and let the rain fall down!

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

Image credit: http://vernetteoutloud.com/2012/08/04/standing-in-the-rain/

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 6

Scripture focus

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[a] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18 NLT

As the first full week of Lent begins we may already be beginning to doubt our resolve to keep a Lenten fast. I know I am. It seems Satan always try to attack my resolve when I commit to a pathway of spiritual reflection. Christians of various traditions offer up different guidelines for fasting; what and when to eat or not eat. Whatever our tradition, let us resolve this year to do this one thing – fast with joy.

Fasting as joy? The idea of skipping meals and doing without certain of my favorite foods does not sound joyful to me. But when I think of all the good things God wants to work into my life if I will put Him first above all things, (yes, even my appetite…especially my appetite!) then I am excited to take up the spiritual disciplines of Lent; fasting, prayer, and almsgiving (giving or acts of mercy toward others).

Jesus commands His followers to fast with bright faces, so that they may be bright souls shining for Him into a dark and lonely world. If we Christians approach Lent with a sense of dearth and darkness, we will miss out on the great blessings that come from concentrated times of personal worship and reflection, of giving to others from a full heart.

Today, as we begin, let us hear the ancient words of this lenten prayer from the Eastern Christian tradition…

“Let us begin the fast with joy. Let us give ourselves to spiritual efforts. Let us cleanse our souls. Let us cleanse our flesh. let us fast from passions as we fast from foods, taking pleasure in the good works of the Spirit and accomplishing them in love that we may be made worthy to see the passion of Christ our God and His Holy Pascha, rejoicing with spiritual joy.”

Forgiveness Sunday Vespers

I hope you are beginning to hear the real message of the Lenten journey upon which we are embarking. To take up our cross daily, as Jesus commands, is to be a labor of love, a journey of joy. It is not to be viewed as some sort of punishment. Life in our world is filled with hard times. But it can also be filled with joy in the midst of pain and difficulty; it depends on our outlook. Lent is a season of discipline to help amend our outlook. A concentrated time to help fill us up with the Holy Spirit that we may see this life as the beautiful journey for which it is meant.

The latter rain is falling. Can you feel it? God’s rain always brings new life. Step out into the bright light of the Lenten season and live refreshed in the showers of blessing and you will find joy for your journey.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad

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The Latter Rain: Celebrate Lent – Day 5

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Often, we overlook the greatest power of the human spirit. We think our greatest power has something to do with our intellect, our creative genius, and our ability to figure things out. Yet all those things pale in comparison to the greatest power ever granted to humanity – the power to forgive.

The greatest power of the human being is to forgive. With one act of forgiveness, we can wipe away the greatest of afflictions that plagues us. When we hold on to bitterness and grudges against others, we allow them to fester like a cancer in our spirit. Such feelings steal our peace and keep us bound as slaves to our emotions.

“The greatest power of the human being is to forgive.”

Jesus came into our world to bring us the forgiveness of our Heavenly Father. He demonstrated the importance of forgiveness when He offered up the greatest act of forgiving the world has ever seen…from His cross, He forgave those who rejected and crucified Him. 

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we hear Jesus teaching His followers the importance of forgiveness. He links our own forgiveness from God with our willingness to forgive others. This is a most difficult thing to understand. We don’t want to think that God will not forgive us because we don’t forgive others. Instead, we think thoughts like, “After all, we aren’t perfect like Jesus. Right?”

Wrong. It is not about being perfect, it is about being surrendered to the power of His love working in and through us. Alone, we do not have the power to forgive but through His divine Spirit at work within us we can. The truth is that if we do not learn to forgive others, we are placing our souls in jeopardy. You might be thinking, “But, I can’t forgive what they have done to me!” You’re right. On your own you cannot. But we can do ‘all things’ through Christ who gives us strength (Phil. 4:13).

Today is Forgiveness Sunday for our Eastern Christian brothers and sisters. On the final day before they enter the celebration of Great Lent they turn to one another at the end of their worship service to offer forgiveness to each other; it is a powerful image of the love of God being poured out. 

If God’s grace is always being poured out, and I believe it is, then His love is always available to us. It is only in and through His love that we can forgive those who have hurt us. Alone, we cannot even love, let alone forgive. But we are never alone. His power is at work within us, teaching us and leading us.

Today, on Forgiveness Sunday, the latter rain is falling. Showers of blessing are being outpoured. We need only step out into the rain. Now, let us turn to one another and offer our forgiveness to all who have hurt us. Let us confess that we too have hurt others and need to be forgiven, not only by God but by those whom we have hurt. And let us live in the power of His love.

Shalom,

Pastor Brad