Sunday worship was a glimpse of great things to come for FCC. Saturday our prayer gathering prayed for fresh wind and fresh fire of the Holy Spirit to come upon us. Sunday, Dean preached on the Holy Spirit and the power that is already within us! The praise team sang about “dry bones rattling” and coming to new life. It was a blessed weekend.
Looking forward, new life comes from the Holy Spirit who is available to all of us. He will empower us as we give our specific needs and concerns to Him. As Jesus promised, may springs of living water well up from within us as we cultivate the life of the Spirit within us! How do we do that? Through inviting the Spirit to fill us regularly, through praise and through God’s Word which will “prime the pump”.
Over the weekend we experienced once again that there is joy in the presence of the Lord. May you experience his presence first of all in your daily lives. But there is also a special presence when we are gathered with other believers- “Whenever two or three are gathered…there am I with them.” (Matthew 18.)
Imagine multiplied blessings as we get past this virus and can all gather more freely. Now let’s look ahead to the season of Resurrection. By faith we are planning a special event for Friday, March 12 at 7 PM. We will have a guest speaker from Chosen People Ministry, a Jewish evangelism ministry. Our guest is a Jewish man who found Messiah and will be presenting “Messiah in the Passover”. (He will demonstrate the Passover foods, but we will not eat with him.)
This program can be a special blessing in helping you to prepare for the Easter season. Interestingly, yesterday was Ash Wednesday, so the Resurrection celebration is just forty days away. Will you pray for the special Passover program and join us as we prepare our hearts for the season to come. As the season of spring approaches (sounds especially good right now!) we look and pray forward to a season of new birth: just as we celebrate that Christ is our Passover lamb and also the Firstfruits of those who rise from the dead!
Let’s pray: Lord, we thank you for bringing us through a rough year and a rough winter. We pray for those even now who are suffering without electricity and basic services in much of our country. You are our hope no matter what storms we endure. Lord, we place our trust in you! Thank you for resurrection hope because Christ who was crucified for our sins also rose from the dead. Thank you that baptism is a sign of our union with him in death and in resurrection. Thank you that the Lord’s Supper which we celebrate reminds us of the new covenant in Christ’s blood.
Lord, may your word dwell richly within us both now and in the days to come. May we experience your presence both at home and in gatherings of believers. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.