“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

On an outside marquee at a church in Moody, Texas, on Highway 317, the sign read:

EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST,

EVERY SINNER A FUTURE

This message, actually an Oscar Wilde quote, sums up why I’m so grateful to be a child of God, and this promise brings me such comfort.  It reminds me that God forgave my many sins when I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized.  God always knew what was in my heart even when I thought I wasn’t good enough to deserve His salvation.  We all face hardships, and those adversities can cause us to be afraid and lonely and doubt God’s presence in our lives.  But Paul tells us in Romans that it is  impossible to be separated from Christ.  Impossible.  I love the way the Apostle Paul lists all the things he can think of that could drive a wedge in our bond with God, and Paul even ends verse 38 with an all-inclusive encouragement (…’or anything else in all  creation…’) just to ensure he covered everything.  God’s profound love for us never fails us; we are never alone.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the promise of a future in heaven with You. Amen.

Contributed by Becky Smith

Friday, February 16, 2018                                                                          

James 5:16

 “Pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Several years ago, my best friend Mike Quinn called me one Sunday after church and told me that he was on his was up to Baylor Scott & White in Dallas because his wife Tina was experiencing liver failure, and the hospital here had exhausted all possible avenues for her treatment. I immediately began to pray for her healing and made my way up to Dallas to be with him. The week was long with so many ups and downs. By Friday evening the doctors informed Mike that unless she had a liver donor, she wasn’t going to make it through the weekend, and he needed to gather the family members together so they could say their last goodbyes. Mike had called me when he received the news, and we cried on the phone. I tried to find the right words to say, but was at a loss. What do you say to someone that has just been told that someone they love so dearly is not going to make it through the weekend unless a miracle happens?? I told him I would continue to pray for Tina and lift her up to the Lord for healing. Exhausted, I arrived home late that Friday night but was so restless I could not sleep. I usually sit on the side of our bed and say my daily prayers before I go to sleep, but this night I walked into our den and got down on my knees and prayed for a miracle of some kind to happen. No sooner had I finished my prayer than my phone rang, and it was Mike. A long pause ensued, and in a broken and tearful voice he said, “We have a donor!” Four years have passed this past October, and Tina has fully recovered with no side effects and lives a normal healthy life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for Your healing hands to cure the sick and comfort those who are in need. In your holy name I pray, Amen.

Contributed by Dave McCullough

Do everything in love.”  (Corinthians 16:14)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that  whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

When I chose my devotional for Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday, I really hadn’t     considered their connection.  We mortals celebrate Valentine’s Day for lovers, those who are in love, and maybe those who are looking for love.  I’ve been fortunate to be married to my best friend for nearly 38 years (tomorrow), and in love with him all these years.  Then it dawned on me that if you consider the most important love of all times, it comes to us from God, who sacrificed His only Son so that we might have everlasting life.  I can only imagine the enormity of that gift, as losing a child, for whatever reason, is the most painful type of love that I know.  Losing my oldest daughter 20 years ago last August has allowed me to experience some of the pain that our Lord must have felt.

I hope during this 40 days of Lent you will be able to experience the love that our Lord showers on us daily in our walk with Him, and that you will be able to experience both the joy in giving love as well as receiving it.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for the love you have put in my life.  I hope that  I can be the person that You want me to be, showing love to all I meet. Amen.

Contributed by Marty Portmann

Letter from the Pastor:

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year already!  Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the time when we prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Christ.  But if you’re anything like me, the first Sunday of Advent also gets me to thinking about preparing in other ways…  gifts!... namely, those gifts I have not yet gotten!  Shopping this week has led me to think about who all I need to find gifts for, what everyone will most like and want, and even reminds me of those funny gifts we never knew we really wanted.  I reminisce about all the many gifts I have received, too, and how many of my most exciting, most precious gifts proved to be less than all I’d hoped.  Fortunately, as Christians we recognize the greatest of gifts cannot be purchased, truly fits all, and will never go out of style, and at Christmas we are reminded to celebrate that gift every single day – the gift of Jesus Christ and the salvation that is offered through him!  So, in the midst of all the gifting, may we be reminded of the gift of Good News in Jesus  Christ.  Now that’s some really Good News, and truly the most wonderful gift of all! 

Blessings,

Pastor Alison