I attended and participated in the 10 am Worship Service at Family Life Church in Vestal with my friend Lisa Bennett-Fish and her mother Joyce!
In front of the worship space, up above is a beautiful marble cross spanning a window overhead to the outside world. Down below is an as-large-as-life backdrop of the Empty Tomb, signifying Jesus’ Resurrection, which gives us the grace to go inside to find the light in each one of us. One could feel The Holy Spirit come upon this gathering of worshipers of Jesus Christ!
An early prayer with the words “for the rest of our lives” brought immediate joy and gratitude, in the name of Jesus, to this worshiper. Family Life Church is another unique and powerful setting where one knows that The Holy Spirit is alive in the Valley of the Spirit!
The melody of the song seemed to gracefully go on forever. Shouldn’t we all pause and sing of our blessings from God forever and ever? Yes, Jesus loves me for The Bible tells me so… unconditionally… without judgment… seek and one will find!
The reality, as the music minister reminded us, is that the love coming from others, even family, Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, and friends; the love we have for ourselves, even in the humblest and most well-deserved sense, does not match the love we have available to us from Jesus, The Holy Spirit and God.
Why then isn’t that our priority in life and letting go of all things that separate us from a relationship with Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and God?
Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
That is comforting to know as there are times in my life when I am headed in the opposite direction, yet there is forgiveness and a hearty welcome home whenever I turn and face the light again!
Romans 10:17: “Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the Word of Christ.”
God’s power to change us and the world is unlimited! There is hope, there are miracles available to each and every one of us!
The God of Abraham, Issac & Jacob is the God of Us, right now is our time in history, in life! Sometimes we turn outward to the materialism of our world but more so often The Holy Spirit turns us inward to the soul of Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and God, our soul within.
“Get out of your skin and into Him,” was a phrase I heard for the first time this morning!
And the Word of Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God was heard before, during, and after Pastor Joe Coudriet’s sermon!
SOUL Priority… We are spirit… we live in a body as a soul communicates to us and through us…
John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Boundaries, baggage, and insuring love is present within self and outside to insure boundaries do not become barricades. We have to be careful about what we love—is it Jesus, life itself or some other material things? We don’t want to become a pillar of salt like Lot’s wife when she looked back seeing all the material things that she valued in life being destroyed.
Genesis 19:26 “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”
In Romans Chapter 12 God has made a way, given us a road map, an instruction book to live a human life as he designed! We must create boundaries with love to insure that they don’t become barricades. Prepare our hearts in prayer for peaceful resolutions of conflict. Except for an actively abusive relationship, where one needs to withdraw immediately and go to a safe place to be separated by distance and time needed to heal.
Romans 12:9: “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good.”
Romans 12:14: “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.”
Romans 12:17: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.”
Romans 12:18: “If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.”
Romans 12:21: “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.”
Bottom line is to seek what God wants us to seek and not what we want! Focus our expectations on Eternity! Instead of being purely reactive, utilize the Bible to resolve differences:
Matthew 18:15: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone…”
Today was Pastor Joe’s 60th birthday! His son-in-love delivered a moving tribute like no other I have witnessed. After the service there was a Fun Day for kids of all ages!
The mission of Family Life Church is to lead people into a real relationship with Jesus Christ as we glorify God, grow together and give to others… and from my experience that is exactly what they are doing!
(Andy Reistetter; 7/22/19; Facebook Post with 25 Pics)
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