Our Hope and Salvation

"O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption." (Psalm 130:7 NKJV) Only God can heal us from our sin. We often try to heal ourselves through ways the world suggests, and or we distract ourselves from our pain by working, getting involved in social activies, physical activities, or even worse drinking or drugs. But, at the end of the day we can't run from our sins and or the pain it has caused us (and maybe others). The good news is that we can turn to God for healing. And, as this Bible verse says, with the Lord is mercy and abundant redemption. With God (and only with God) we can be whole again! This is a wonderful gift and a blessing! Thanks be to God for His mercy and grace! Love, Beau

Seeking God

"But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause—" (Job 5:8 NKJV) Job's friends suggest that he turn to God for help because their single belief was that Job had sinned, Job is being punished by God for his sins, and therefore must repent and turn to God for forgiveness, repentance, and compassion. Only God alone can remove Job's suffering. Here's the thing. Yes, God does discipline us because we are His children, He loves us, and He wants us to be the best we can be. But God also gave us free will, and under free will we are responsible for the consequences of our actions, not God. Therefore there is not one single cause for our sufferings. Life is complicated. The good thing is no matter the cause of our sufferings, we can ALWAYS seek God, turn to Him, and "commit our cause." God does have the power to ease our sufferings, and often does...but not always. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, sometimes not yet, and sometimes not completely. But, whatever God's answer it's always in our best interest, because He loves us, and it's always good to seek Him out and "commit our cause." Love, Beau

In Him No Darkness

"This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:15 NKJV) The world can be a dark and scary place. There is evil and bad people all around. Satan (aka The Devil) and his followers also roam the earth trying to influence us. God is our pure and holy light, a beacon in the darkness. He is always there with us leading us through it, protecting us from harm; and, He gives us power to all see through and in the darkness. All we have to do is take His hand. With Him there is no darkness and evil! Thanks be to God! Love, Beau

Praise! Praise! Praise!!

Normally I talk about how God wants us to live and or how to change the world and make it a better place. Today I am moved to go into another direction, and just praise God! So, as today's sermon I offer you Psalm 33 (NKJV). I would like suggest bookmarking so during the week, especially during the difficult times, you can come right back here and read this. It will make you feel better! Love, Beau

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.

No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.

Rejoice! Praise Him!

"But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You." (Psalm 5:11 NKJV) God listens to all our prayers. He listens to the just and unjust alike. God hears our prayers and answers them. However, God does it in His own time and in His own way. We just have to be open to the answer, whatever it is. God defends and protects His children. God gives us so many blessings that is is good to praise Him, and sing His praises! 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen." (The Doxology) Love, Beau

One Body

"so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another...that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another." (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:25 NKJV) A year ago this week, Tennessee experienced a devastating "200 year" flood. Gary Burr, a songwriter and former Tennessean, wrote a song called Flood Song. It says, in part, "when one of us falls we all fall, when one of us needs we all need, when one of us stands we all stand." This is how God intended for us to be toward, and with, one another. We lift each other up in the hard times, rejoice together in the good times, and when necessary we stand together. We are meant to be one and not fragment. This is a part of loving, as Christ loved us. There seems to be so many natural catastrophes and other turbulence in the world, that now more than ever we need to reach out to one another helping, loving and caring for one another. This is the will of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God! Love, Beau

The Greatest Gift of Love

HE IS RISEN! ALLEULIA!! "Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.' Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead." (John 20:1-9 NKJV) God loved us so much that He gave His only son that we might be freed from sin and death. If we believe in God, and give our lives to Him, we don't have to be tied to our sins anymore. And, we can have eternal life! This is the greatest gift of love that we could ever receive! "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away...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." (Romans 6:10; Revelation 21:4; John 3:16 NKJV) Thanks be to God for His greatest gift! Amen! Love, Beau