"A Voice in the Wilderness ..."

"A voice cries, 'In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God'" (Isaiah 40:3).  

God's people needed comfort and hope.  God used the prophet Isaiah to point to what was then a distant future:  "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:4-5).

In the days of the beginning of Jesus' ministry, God's people needed comfort and hope.  "In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight'" (Matthew 3:1-3).

Today, God's people need comfort and hope.  We are living in a wilderness, where there is a drought of God's Word.  The prophet Amos wrote, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land - not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.  They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it" (Amos 8:11-12).  Those words were spoken concerning a specific time in the history of the people of Israel, yet they are applicable to the church today.

We are in the days leading to the return of Jesus Christ to establish His reign on the earth during the Millennium.  The United States and the nations of the world are in chaos, not only because of a virus, but because of lawlessness due to a rejection of God's Word.  False religions have enveloped the nations, including our own, and the "counterfeit church," as in the days of Jeremiah, cries, "Peace, peace," but there is no peace!!

As we head into this new year, it has become obvious already that there can be no unity and peace where there is no proclamation of the Word of God ... the one, true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  To you who believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, YOU are called to be "a voice in the wilderness today," preparing the way for the Lord by proclaiming the Gospel to all, knowing that God will give to some "ears to hear," and they will be saved from His coming judgment.  You must know what God says and believe His Word is found in the Bible, not through some other means or from some other source.  Be careful of those who say they have "a word from the Lord" that does not come from God's Word.

We who know Jesus today know HIS joy, the joy of living to please our Father as we proclaim His truth and stand firm in our faith.  Do not lose heart, for He is with us and will never leave us.  And do not be quiet!  Keep speaking of God's plan and pointing people to Jesus Christ.  HE IS LORD!!!

"Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:4-5).

"All the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD!"

There will come a day, says the prophet Habakkuk, when "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).  That should give all who know the one true God a reason to have hope and to rejoice in His grace and mercy to His children every single day!

Our tendency is to forget about God's plan unfolding as we live in this world day after day.  It is so easy to be distracted and to get caught up in the advance of evil that we who have the Spirit of God within us can see so clearly.  I think of what the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8 when we says, "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved" (Romans 8:22-24).  "Groaning" is a part of the life of a Christian as you live in this world, longing for Jesus' return.

"Change" is hard for most of us, and the changes we have seen in our nation and in the whole world over the past year have been and are dramatic.  There will be more!  God says so.  Many in the visible church are looking for the Rapture and expecting the Rapture to be the next event on God's prophetic time clock, but I encourage you to study God's Word and to be prepared for a time of tribulation such as the world has never seen.  Jesus speaks about this in Matthew 24:15-29.  You can read that whole passage, but I point you especially to verses 29-31.  Jesus says,

"Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  THEN will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then ALL THE TRIBES of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, FROM ONE END OF HEAVEN TO THE OTHER."

I know that some believe this is a "second" rapture that is only Jewish people, or they have some other explanation, but what is being described here is the same as what Paul describes in I Thessalonians 4:13-18, the Church being gathered together to meet Christ in the air.  God is preparing the world for the coming of Jesus Christ and the Church must be ready to endure the beginning of the reign of the Antichrist, who together with the False Prophet (see Revelation 13) and the leaders of the world WILL set up some kind of one-world government and a one-world religion.  Most people already see this happening and welcome it!!

Meanwhile, those who know the one true God who has revealed Himself in His Word, the Bible, and in the living Word, Jesus Christ, must believe all He reveals and be ready to endure.  It is clear that most are NOT ready as they "melt" at the least trial that they are called to face.  Suffering and trials and struggles of all kinds are real, BUT God is with His children and we have a heavenly home if we leave this world before Jesus returns.  God says in Psalm 37:1-2, 8-9:  "Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!  For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. ... Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.  For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land!"

We who believe will reign with Christ for a thousand years and will then inherit the new heavens and the new earth, and "All the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord!"  That day IS coming, and if you have placed your hope in Jesus Christ YOU will SEE it!!!  Until then, be strong in the Lord and set your heart on serving Him.  He will give you what you need, one day at a time, and will carry you through the times of trial.  Rejoice in His goodness, trust in His promises and give thanks for His gift of life through Jesus Christ!

If you want to know more about the unfolding of God's plan you can purchase a copy of " ... the end." by emailing me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.  Study God's Word and pray for wisdom, for every prophecy you find in the Bible will happen, just as He says, and for those who know Him ... it will be GOOD!!!

"Lawlessness is NOT an acceptable response!"

Having spoken against lawlessness and violence over the summer months, it grieves me to see the events of yesterday in our capitol.  While I share much of the frustration of those who believe that there were very real issues with our election, the response of the relative few who committed unlawful acts at the capitol building yesterday now overshadow the real issues that we need to address going forward.

How then do we respond as Christians, knowing that our God is at work in the midst of all these things?  I want to share the words of the Apostle Paul to his young friend, Timothy, as they speak to us today:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people (people in every area of life), for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people (Jews and Gentiles) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all (Jews and Gentiles), which is the testimony given at the proper time.  For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth" (I Timothy 2:1-7).

God calls us to pray for our leaders, no matter who they are!  Why?  So that we will have the freedom to live "a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."  As followers of Jesus Christ we must not forget who we are in the world and where our hope comes from.  We must point out injustice and speak truth to our neighbors, using every opportunity to point them to Jesus Christ.  We are "Christian Americans," not the other way around!  We are followers of Christ first, and American patriots second.  Our first and greatest "loyalty" must be to Jesus Christ and to His kingdom.  While we are extremely blessed to live in what is yet, a relatively free country, we must continually pray for God's mercy and for wisdom and endurance to continue to speak of Jesus Christ, "the ONLY Mediator between God and men."  It is only through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, leading to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, that any person will avoid the inevitable judgment of God that is coming upon our nation and the world!

OUR response is not in question:  "YOU are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  YOU are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16).

As I have shared over the past months in sermons and many conversations, politics is not separated from "religion." Jesus Christ is Lord over every area of life, even in the political realm.  Pray for godly men and women to rise up and to continue to stand for biblical truth and the principles found in God's Word, to defend human life, to promote peace and genuine love and compassion toward all.  As I wrote in a previous post, evil has an agenda, but OUR agenda, if it is GOD's agenda, will eventually overcome, when Jesus Christ returns.  Until then, we must be that light in the darkness.  Peter writes it this way,

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation" (I Peter 2:11-12).

Jesus Christ is coming again to reign as King over the entire earth.  That is a fact!  Until then, by our words and by our deeds, we who believe are ambassadors of His kingdom, being sent into the world to speak and to act on His behalf, calling people out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  When He comes, may we be found so doing!

"WHY the United States is 'in trouble'!"

Many prayers are being offered today for the outcome of the election being held in Georgia for two Senate seats, and for the Congress as they meet on Wednesday to certify (or not) the results of the Presidential election.  One thing is certain, our nation is "in trouble" ... with GOD!!!

Romans 1:18-32 tells us what happens when a "people," a nation turns away from the Lord:  He "gives them over" to their sinful desires.  This is clearly what has happened in the United States.  Having rejected God's Word and turned away from His truth, we are a nation without direction.  Listening to some of the people in Georgia explain why they voted one way or another, most had nothing to say about basic truths or principles that guided their thinking, or in many cases, their feelings.

Our nation is in trouble because a larger and larger majority of people have rejected the perfect law of God and are following the sinful nature that thinks first about itself!  Long ago the Psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules" (Psalm 119:105-106).

"Righteousness" and "holiness" are a foreign language to most in our nation.  Of course, not one of us is perfect, which is why we need a Savior!!  Our Father in heaven sent His Son into the world to redeem sinners and, as the Apostle Paul wrote, "I am the worst!"  Yet the desire of my heart, and of those who know the one true God who reveals Himself in His creation and in His Word, the Bible, is to please Him, to live in obedience to His Word.

What is wrong with our nation is that there is no longer a moral compass.  There is no truth that people believe is true for everyone.  So people have no direction to guide them.  But God's Word IS true, whether people accept it or not.  Voting should never be based on feelings or self-centered motives, but rather on biblical principles that God reveals in His Word.

I long to hear people say they voted for someone because they stand for life for the unborn, for personal responsibility regarding work and moral choices, for community support for law enforcement, for legal immigration, for education that teaches morality based on biblical truth, for parental responsibility for education, for family based on God's definition, for religious freedom from governmental control, etc.  Voting is a privilege and a responsibility ... before GOD!!  But when a congressMAN prays to "the one monotheistic god," and the first order of business is to remove "gender specific" pronouns from use in political debate, you know our nation is in trouble ... with GOD!!!

He has given us over, and rightly so.  No matter what the outcome of the election today or the proceedings tomorrow, we are not going to get the toothpaste back in the tube.  Too many of the young people in our nation have been indoctrinated, by schools and even by some churches, to believe in a false god who is no god at all ... a tolerant god who does not exist.  And they are not alone.  Those who reject God's Word, whether outside the church or inside it, are part of the problem.  And increasingly, THEY think that I/WE who stand on God's Word are the problem.

In the very first Psalm God makes it clear that HE is not "inclusive:" 

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers.  The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish" (Psalm 1:1-6).

The United States is in trouble ... with GOD!  To those of you who know the one true God, pray to our Father in heaven in the name of Jesus Christ and ask for mercy, that we may have a little more time, according to His will, to proclaim the Gospel, which is still "the power of God unto salvation to those who believe."  Difficult days are ahead, but our God reigns and He is with His people.  It is hard to ask God to "bless America," but I do pray for mercy and for strength to stand when others fall.

Pray for the true Church, that we may be strengthened and empowered by the Spirit of God to stand firm upon His Word and to continue to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, calling people to repent, to turn from their sins and to believe in Him for forgiveness and life!

If you live in the United States and would like a copy of my book, " ... the end.", please email me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org.  Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks to Him, for HE IS WORTHY!!

"EVIL has an agenda! ... But GOD ..."

 The naive believe that evil, if it exists, has no agenda, no plan.  Those of us who believe that Satan is real, that there are demonic powers at work in our world and that the majority of mankind is being deceived are called "conspiracy theorists." But while it is true that some go beyond reality to imagine that Satan is hiding behind every bush, evil DOES exist in our world and Satan and those whom he is deceiving DO have an agenda!

Remember God's warning to the early Christians through Paul's letter to the Ephesians:  "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Not only does evil exist in our world today, but God tells us that as we approach the return of Jesus Christ, deception will grow and the forces of evil in both the spiritual realm and the physical realm will unite in an attempt to establish a "kingdom" that is in every way opposed to the kingdom of God and to God's anointed King, Jesus Christ!!

In my book, " ... the end.", I explain in detail what God's Word says about this evil agenda.  In Chapter 3 I write about the one whom Daniel predicts will arise, a "prince" who will establish or confirm a "strong covenant" with many, including Israel, for seven years.  Those who refuse to enter the covenant, or treaty, will be subject to great opposition.  While there is an attempt to bring peace to the Middle East, wars will spring up in other places of the world.  There will be famine and disease and death on a scale previously unimaginable.

All of this is part of the agenda of evil to establish a one-world government and a one-world religion that will "take over" the world for the welfare of mankind.  In the middle of this seven year covenant or treaty this "anti-christ" will actually be "possessed" by Satan and will stop the sacrifices at the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and will declare himself to be God, performing signs and wonders to deceive the population of planet earth.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this time in his second letter to the Thessalonians:  "That day (the day of the LORD) will not come, unless the rebellion (apostasy) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to BE God!" (II Thessalonians 2:3-4).

He goes on to say, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of His coming.  The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 2:8-12).

Evil is real, and it has an agenda:  to take over the world and to establish a "kingdom" that excludes the one true God.  Just yesterday, a Democrat congressman, Emanuel Cleaver, prayed the opening prayer for Congress and prayed to "the one monotheistic god," and then closed the prayer by saying, "A-men ... and A - woman," revealing an ignorance that is so deep that it is clearly the result of intentional deception.  "One monotheistic god" is intended to include Jews, Muslims and Christians, even though their belief about Jesus is radically different and impossible to reconcile.  And as far as saying, "A-men and A-woman," such ignorance of the meaning of the word "amen" would be laughable if it weren't that so many people applaud what he prayed.  "Amen" is the Hebrew word for "truly" or "certainly."  It has NOTHING to do with GENDER!!!!!

Evil has one agenda:  to deceive in order to control.  In our nation today evil is using deception in churches who believe the "social gospel" or the "prosperity gospel" are the true gospel.  In our nation today evil is using deception to make people believe that government control is a better form of government than freedom and true representative government.  In our nation today evil is using deception to convince people that the "freedom" to kill unborn babies, to reject the fact that there are TWO genders, male and female, that sexual immorality, greed and self-centered living of all kinds is better than living according to God's laws and the morality given in His commandments.  The transition from a nation based on Biblical principles to a nation of lawlessness is almost complete ... and most people will not see it because they choose not to see it.  Their eyes are closed and their hearts are darkened by the pandemic of sin that affects the entire human race ... BUT GOD!!

There is a remnant of the human race, chosen by God, known by God, who are being saved and who are speaking truth to the world.  We, too, were "by nature children of wrath. ... BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by GRACE you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5).  This is the only escape from deception:  God's truth, found in His Word, the Bible.

We know that evil has an agenda, but we also know that GOD, our Creator, has a plan that supersedes all that Satan and his evil host attempt to do.  Yes, evil is growing and will grow as we draw near to Jesus' return.  Speaking of Daniel's "70th week," the final seven years prior to Jesus' return, Jesus says "there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.  But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short" (Matthew 24:21-22).

These things will happen, and even now are beginning to happen, just as God says they will.  BUT GOD has a plan to save all those who are His, who by His grace believe in His Son Jesus Christ.  Though we will be persecuted, as many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have been in the past century, and are being even now, our God will be with us as we continue to proclaim the truth that sets people free, the true Gospel of forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus Christ.  As the events of this week unfold, know this:  while evil has an agenda, GOD has a plan to ultimately overrule evil and to establish His eternal kingdom where righteousness is the standard by which all His chosen people will live.

Take heart today in God's promise to be with His children and know that He is at work to accomplish His purpose IN you and THROUGH you for His glory as you serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ!  He will reign and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of our Father in heaven.  Know Him today and trust Him for tomorrow.  Put your hope in Him and do not be afraid.  Trust in the Lord and He will give you perfect peace as you rest in Him!!

Evil has an agenda ... BUT GOD!!!

"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD!"

 The prophet, Habakkuk wrote a relatively short message, compared to Isaiah and some of the other "major" prophets ... even most of the other "minor" prophets, but the message he brought to God's people bears the power of the Spirit to encourage those who believe to "live by faith!" 

Habakkuk begins with a "complaint" to the LORD, his God.  "How long shall I cry for help, and You do not hear?  Or cry to You, 'Violence!' and You do not save?"  It is almost as if the prophet is living today!!  God's answer was to tell Habakkuk that HE was going to send the Chaldeans (Babylonians), a desperately wicked people with an overpowering army filled with evil, to bring judgment on His own people, Judah.  Thousands would be killed, the temple would be destroyed and nearly all the rest would be taken into captivity in a foreign land.

When Habakkuk heard God's plan he was astounded!  How could a holy God permit such evil to take place?  Surely this would not happen!  But God gives to Habakkuk the truth that several hundred years later would be quoted by the Apostle Paul in explaining the Gospel of Jesus Christ:  "The righteous shall live by his faith!" (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17).  God was telling Habakkuk that those who would be saved spiritually would be those who believed His promises, who trusted in Him and who did not lose hope, for HE would save them.

Habakkuk then prayed, "O LORD, I have heard the report of You, and Your work, O LORD, do I fear.  In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy" (Habakkuk 3:2).  All of this was pointing ahead to the coming of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for sin for all who would believe ... all whom God had chosen to be His.  The mark of a true believer is "living by faith," enduring trials and suffering in this world, all the while believing in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  One day we will live by SIGHT, but now we live by faith!

God taught the prophet Habakkuk a lesson we who know Him need to learn today.  Throughout 2020 God was with His people and was and is working to accomplish His purpose to bring judgment on some, while bringing hope and salvation to those who believe in Him.  In spite of what we SEE, evil will not win!  Whatever happens this week, evil will not win.  Judgment is coming upon our nation and the world ...  of that we can be certain.  How?  When?  Only God knows. But our testimony must be the same as that of Habakkuk:

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, YET I WILL REJOICE IN THE LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places!" (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

May you have a truly blessed new year as you live by faith and as you rejoice in the Lord, your God!!

"Behold, I am doing a new thing!"

 Turning the calendar into a new year is not like waving a magic wand and seeing everything suddenly change from what it was just 24 hours ago, but when GOD says He is doing a "new thing" it is worthy of taking note.  So it was in the days of the prophet Isaiah, as God brought His judgment on Israel for their idolatry and other sins.  Israel would soon be destroyed by the Assyrian armies and scattered throughout the nations of the world.  Judah would not be far behind, as the Babylonians would destroy the temple and take the people into captivity for seventy years.  Things couldn't look much worse for those who were supposed to be God's chosen people!  What about the promises God had made to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob?

Ah, but God was not finished.  The people could not know that even this was all part of God's plan to reveal the stubborn, sinful, rebellious nature of mankind in order to usher in what the New Testament writers would later call "the day of salvation."  Yet, in the midst of what many may have thought were the worst of times, God spoke through Isaiah to those who were given "ears to hear."  He said,

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise" (Isaiah 43:18-21).

Though WE may be overwhelmed by the circumstances all around us, God never is!  To know the sovereign God who reveals Himself in His Word, the Bible, is to understand that this "new thing" was and is His plan to save those who believe in Jesus Christ, those from every people, tribe, nation and tongue whom He has chosen for Himself, who will be born again by His Spirit, who will confess their sins, trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for forgiveness, and then live to testify that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of our Father in heaven!

All who believe in Jesus today are part of the fulfillment of what God promised to do in the days of Isaiah.  We have seen and are seeing prophecy fulfilled in our day and we know that God is with us to accomplish His purpose until Jesus comes!  

As you head into this new year there is one way to live with hope each day and that is to know what God is doing.  The true Church is a gathering of faithful followers of Jesus Christ who have one goal in mind:  to glorify the God who created us for His glory and to give thanks for His salvation as we proclaim His truth to the world around us.  Some will be given ears to hear, most will ignore or reject the Gospel we proclaim, but God will accomplish His purpose no matter what mankind attempts to do to stop Him or to stop us.  Our goal must be to remain faithful to our calling, for God says,

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!" (I Peter 2:9).

Make it your goal in this new year to be an active part of Christ's Body, to be part of the "new thing" God is still doing in the world today.  If you live nearby Allendale, Michigan, we invite you to join us at Lighthouse Community Church.  If not, familiarize yourself with our website and watch online and learn and grow with us.  Form a small group around you and study God's Word together.  Order "... the end." by emailing me at pastorsteve@lighthouse-ministries.org and see what God's Word tells us about the events leading up to and surrounding the return of Jesus Christ.  We have other resources available for Bible studies as well.

January 1st, 2021 ... "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!"