The Lord is Good

 “The Lord is Good, a Strong Hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that Trust in Him.” ~ Nahum 1:7  

As we Open the Message of Nahum, we find it is a hard book to read. Nahum is a Minor Prophet, just as important as the Major Prophets, just shorter. His name, Nahum means “comfort.” It is a strange name for this Book, because the Book of Nahum is a book of judgment. It is a Book of harsh pronouncements of doom against a people who had abandoned the ways of God. While Nahum’s Message is one of Judgment and wrath, there is one bright spot. VS 7. “The Lord is Good, a Strong Hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that Trust in Him.” In the midst of all the words of wrath, anger and doom, this Verse stands like a shining beacon of Hope in the darkest hour. As we pause at this powerful, positive point in the midst of great judgement – “The Lord is Good!” – There are some lessons to be learned as we look into what Nahum calls “The Burden of Nineveh” which Scripture reveals is a vision. As you remember Jonah was commissioned to preach to Nineveh, which he finely did, but now some 80-100 years later the city has fallen once again into great wickedness and the Judgement of God is revealed. In this small Book Nahum, as the other Prophets, carries the burden of a vision and the impending Judgement of God. In this Book it is a great declaration of the “Power” of God! He is “furious” with the wickedness and the rebellion of His People. Can you imagine How the Lord feels over our country and the Laws that are contrary to His creative Nature? However He reminds us “He is Slow to Anger” so for many years to us, He has suffered as He watched His Children fall away from Him. We also see the “Power” of Might; “He controls the whirlwind, the storms, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.” – “The sea obeys His command, the mountains quake, the hills melt, and the earth burns at His Presence!” His Word says: “Who can abide in the fierceness of His Anger?” This is a strong lesson that declares the heart of our Lord! It restores an awesome fear of the Lord” who loves His People, sent His Son, in our time, and allows His Love to suppress His Anger at a rebellious nation. Yet we will see this glorious fact: “He knoweth them that Trust in Him! To them “The Lord is Good, and He is a Strong Hold in the time of trouble!” Thank You Jesus! ❤ Pastor

The Benediction
Almighty God, You are the Lord of Your People and we come into Your Presence with Thanksgiving and a grateful heart. In Your Word we see the Power that resonates within Your Being and we are so Blessed to know that You are a Strong Hold for us in the trials of life that we face. We also recognize that You desire our Trust! Enlarge Your Word within our heart and life until Trust bursts forth in the power of Your Grace and Mercy. We hear Your voice: “Come unto Me, draw nigh to Me and I will draw nigh to you.” O Lord You are Faithful and Good to us. Please draw our loved ones unto Your Salvation and refine our witness of You so that they might see Your Presence in us. We ask all these things in Your Wonderful Name, In the Name of the Father, His Son, and the Precious Holy Ghost! Amen

The Cup and the Bread

 “For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world. John 6:33 Likewise also the Cup after supper, saying, This Cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:20

“The Cup And the Bread ”: When we see these two Words our mind immediately goes to the Holy Communion Table. This is good because I read in Ps. 23: 5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:” Holy Communion is not just a religious tradition. It is the pathway into the Presence of our God! It holds the Promise of “Cleansing, Healing, Intimacy and Fellowship!” Such Intimacy is Holy Communion with our Savior. It should happen often, because it is to Remember these important issues of our lives. If we do it often as Jesus suggested, then it is on the leadership to continually be in search of Revelations that are revealed as we partake of Lord’s Table. Meditate upon this for a moment, we are in the midst of enemies, the enemy of our soul is constantly at work to detour us from Spiritual Matters. It is in the “strength” of the Lord’s Table that we “move and have our being!” Remembering that through the “Cup and the Bread” there is Overcoming power! Holy Communion is Jesus’ meal of Divine Love extended to us! There re glorious rich benefits in the “supping” with the Lord. In fact Jesus is the “Broken Bread!” Jesus is the Bread that came from Heaven to be broken for our transgressions. We often work for bread that perishes, but the Food that endures leads us to Eternal Life. John 6:27 "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto Everlasting Life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed.” This Meat of God’s Word is found at the “Lord’s Table!” In Ex. God rained bread from heaven, a foreshadow of the Eternal Bread to Come. At the Table of the Lord we see Jesus as He serves His Disciples – we are His Disciples! In Luke Ch.22 Jesus raises the Cup and He tells them He will not drink of the Fruit of the Vine until the Kingdom of God shall Come. Consider the Cup, All that was in the Cup, the nails, the crown of thorns, the stripes – all emitting His Precious Blood, the Blood that would cover our sins! Here in Luke He takes the Cup up twice: first as He mentions His desire for them; and after dinner as He tells them, “The Cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you.” What a moment it must of been at the Table of the Lord. In the Bread we see the Broken Body of our Lord! Depth of thought must be given to this Sacrifice of Jesus’ that He gave to us! Loving you, Pastor

The Benediction

Thank You dear God for sending Jesus! As we have come to the Table of the Lord today, our hearts are filled with great Joy to be reminded that Jesus’ life is in us and we have Eternal Life because of His Sacrifice. Help us O Lord to see the depth of Your Love, that you would suffer and die for us. We now can enter into the Holy of Holies, into the Throne Room of our God! We enter with thanksgiving and Praise! We have partaken of Your Love, and Your Sacrifice, and we are humbled and Blessed! We ask that you keep our families under Your protection and draw them to this Eternal Salvation. As we sit at our tables today let us remember the Table of Christ. The Broken Bread and the Cup of the New Testament that fills our heart today. We ask all these things in the Wonderful Name of our God, His Son, and the Holy Ghost! Amen

Anchor Thy Soul!

 “By two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us: Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” ~   Heb. 6:18-19

As we saw the Burden of Habakkuk last week, we entered the arena of the Prophets! There is much to be learned as one studies the Prophets of the Old Testament. Sometimes it is terrifying to see the Judgment of God as He walks among His Chosen, the Israelites. Yet in all His dealings with mankind He is a Compassionate God who desires to bring His people to the Expected End which is Eternal Life with Him. Today the spotlight is upon Jeremiah as He Laments for God’s People. Once you have read through the Book of Jeremiah you will then enter the Lamenting, the weeping and the great burden that is on the heart of this Prophet. Amid the grieving, the sorrow, and the anguish, there is Hope! God offers a Refuge and an “Anchor” that will stabilize His Chosen People. And as we take in the Word of God today, we will see what is Sure, Stedfast and an “Anchor” for our soul. Our nation today is in turmoil as Jeremiah’s nation was so many years ago. There is Refuge in Christ for we are able to enter into the Presence of God through Jesus’ Blood and find the Anchor that is stedfast. An Anchor is used to secure the Ship, to keep it from drifting away in stormy weather. Without an Anchor, the ship will slowly drift away with the wind and strong current. If it is not Anchored it will put the vessel and the crew at great risk. The Anchor will secure the ship at a safe place. If the ship has a damaged engine or a difficult problem, and it has no Anchor it will begin to drift and this could become a most dangerous situation. We must Anchor our Soul, that is the desires of our life in Christ! If there ever was a time that Christianity must be Anchored it is today. The storms of Life rage, but we have a Refuge in Christ! In all Jeremiah’s Lamenting his answer comes as he recalls the Hope He has in Jehovah!  “The Lord is my portion saith my soul; therefore will I Hope in Him.” To Moor a vessel to the sea bottom which provides stability in stormy weather, is to attach to an Anchor! We have that connection by the Power of the Holy Ghost and we are Anchored within the veil, that is within our Saviour, our Refuge!     Loving you, Pastor

The Benediction

O Lord God, what a mighty God You are! You are the Great Jehovah and we Worship You! We enter Your gates with Thanksgiving and into Your Courts with Praise!  You still the storms that rage and You are the Refuge for Your People, You are greater then the storms of this life!  Cause us to Anchor our desires in You, and avoid the temptations of our day. Our Hope is in You!

Surround us today as we have come into Your House. Come with Your Healing Power, Your Cleansing Power, and with the Power of Your never ending Love. Secure our vessel that we never drift from the center of Your Will. Thank You for Jesus who has touched our soul and Redeemed us!  In Him our Anchor holds!  O Lord watch over our families and draw them close to You I Pray; We ask these things in the wonderful of our God, and in Jesus Name and the Precious Holy Ghost, Amen