Dear Friends,
We pray this note finds you in close, tender fellowship with our loving Father in Heaven! What an exciting, refreshing and sobering truth, that our God is with us! May our hearts and minds exalt as we turn the pages of our lives this year onto another season of reflection and deep gratitude for the gift Father God gave us in the real, effective sacrifice of His only begotten Son.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
By His passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and returning to the Throne Room of Heaven, Christ paid the price for our every sin, and opened the gates of Glory to each of us as we embrace companionship with the Holy Spirit in our very soul!!! Hallelujah!!!
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16)
All the blessings and promises of Holy Scripture await us as we enter into the depths of the relationship that God invites us to walk in with Him. The floodgates of His Grace and Mercy flow out of our daily walk with Him! And, in this Easter season may we be reminded that all the blessings and all the promises that issue from our knowing our Heavenly Father is afforded us by the humble servitude – even His submission to the torment of the Cross – by our precious Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
God grant that we reflect the nature of the Holy Spirit in the generosity and kindness and patience that we demonstrate to the world around us. May our love not be hypocritical, but a spiritual flow from our innermost being in keeping with the generosity and kindness and patience that the Holy Spirit shows to us in our own lives. Though they may not know what they are looking at, we pray that others will see the difference that walking in communion with the Holy Spirit makes in our life, in our attitude, our words, and our deeds.
“He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
Many care center ministers have testified to us about the great blessing that they receive as they serve the Lord in nursing home ministry. The blessing is certainly the reinforcement we are given by the Holy Spirit within us. And one component of that blessing from Him flows out of the grateful, humble hearts of the dear children of God that we are ministering to. Though they may not have been great Bible scholars or melodic Gospel singers or missionaries in dark corners of the world…even so, by the grace of God, they have kept the flame burning in their hearts for Jesus longer than many nursing home ministers have been alive. And when someone comes to encourage and guide the Christian residents in worship to their loving Savior, their thankfulness and love and praise overflows into the lives of those who are bringing the message, no matter how little polish the minister may have! In this concrete blessing, we as ministers to long-term care settings can truly attest to the grace and love of God flowing out of elderly and infirm Christians, not because things for them are going so great, but in spite of how difficult their circumstances may be!
So in this time that the whole Christian world has set apart as celebration of Christ’s resurrection, may we be mindful of the priceless reality that He unleashed into the hearts of His children:
“Christ in you, the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:27)
And please know that Dar and I are grateful to you for the generosity and kindness and love that you show us in your prayers and your donations! Thank you! All Praise to our Lord, Jesus!
Love in Christ,
