Come ye to the waters!

Dear Weekly Readers!

The prayers of the Christians in the USA are with you again this week!
It is so wonderful that when we read God’s Word and we see very clearly see that there will be people in Heaven from…….. all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands; Revelations 7:9

What a day that will be when our Saviour we see in that beautiful city of gold!

Today let us look into the Old Testament. We will look at just a few short parts of Isaiah 55. Isaiah was such a wonderful writer and such a great prophet.

Leading up to this chapter 55 in Isaiah, The 53rd chapter is very much a prophecy of Jesus that was to come when it says the He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief ..V3…… Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; V4 and so forth.

The 54th chapter is promises for the children of Israel, God’s children. V 14 Says in righteousness shalt thou be established; etc.

The 55th chapter is Gospel (Christ) and an evangelistic chapter. The whole Bible ties together so wonderfully, and Isaiah is surely no exception.

This chapter begins with the word HO! In other words, pay attention, listen carefully! In our country we might say, hey! Listen! Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.. Do you find yourself thirsty for God’s word?

Do you find yourself in need of God’s word and what Jesus has to offer? If so, the good news is you have a very blessed invitation! COME! COME ye to the waters! Come and drink!

What and where are the waters found? In John 7: v 37 & 38 Jesus said. If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Now we know where to find the living water! By believing in Christ Jesus by faith, we come to the water! Come without money and without price.
There is nothing that we pay, nothing we must accomplish in order to merit salvation. There is no amount of work that we can do, no amount of religious penance that we can pay, no amount of making pilgrimages to certain religious sites that will help us to be redeemed!

The living water is without price because it is so valuable that it is priceless. There is no price high enough that would begin to approach what salvation through Jesus Christ is worth! This is truly the pearl of great price, this salvation through Jesus Christ.

This living water, which is the Holy Spirit, (John 7:39) that is ever flowing for the believer!

Notice that is says if you have no money come, buy and eat. How can we buy without money? In our life here on earth that seems impossible. If we buy, we must have money. Here it says, buy without money. We must remember that our redemption has already been paid for by Jesus Christ suffering and shedding His precious blood for us. It is Finished, Jesus cried from the cross! The price has been paid in full! It is free for the thirsty sinner, but it was a very expensive price that was paid by Jesus.

How great love the Father has shown unto us when He sent His only Son to die for us sinners! He sent His only Son to die so we can live! What a great price was paid! Now this is offered to everyone that thirsts!

Come! Come! Come to Jesus while He is near. We wants to give Life and Life more abundantly!

Verse 3 says, Incline your ear and come unto me: Do not come to show your face, come to listen. Come to hear! So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17
What a wonderful promise of grace fulfilled if we are thirsty, we come to the waters (Jesus), we incline our ear (listen), and we hear! Then v 3 says, and your soul shall live!

Could there be a more clear and simple gospel message written? And to think this was written hundreds of years before Christ! What a good, merciful and loving God we have that would love his people so much as to allow these glimpses of His love and plan! Long before Jesus came, as well as now to us so many years after His work on the cross has been completed, Jesus is calling Come!

Dear Sinner, and we are all sinners, gone like sheep to our own way. If you are thirsty today, what a blessing this truly is! If we come, listen, hear, seek, then His promises for us are so true! Matthew 7:7 …see, and ye shall find…


Verse 12 of this ch 55 of Isaiah explains the real life application and results of the promise and reality made to all those that are obedient to the call! For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace;

Believe today dear reader, in the wonderful saving work of Jesus Christ!

May God Bless your week!
John R.

Keeping the Faith

Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Blessings to you this week!

By Faith are we saved! We know this from scripture. The below article is about keeping this most important substance of all! Please enjoy this article written by Pastor Ron Holmgren! JR



Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all
your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16:13-1

Closing remarks of a letter or message sometimes can be overlooked. We have heard the contents of this letter and have taken note of them. We try to conform or use
the information to better ourselves, and this is good.


But Paul here would not leave to us just a list of marching orders. He knows how important it is that everything he has written in the letter must be shored up with a foundation that will stand in the testing of the future. He gives us five imperatives. They are given to protect us from falling away from the faith.

I have used some thoughts from RCC Lenski, from his commentary on this
passage of Scripture. Paul would have us be watchful. We must keep our eyes open and be on guard so that we would not be surprised by the things that would erode our faith.

We are to stand fast in "the faith," not like a dead post driven into the ground but like a tree that has roots and lives.
We are to act like men. This attribute of men is used for all of us. Men, women and children are to live this way. We can take our place in the family of God with the assurance of one
who would not give the enemy any quarter to destroy our faith.

Be strong; show strength! We are not helpless in this faith. We are offered all that we need for the walk of faith. Our bodies need food and water to be able to continue doing our tasks.

So, too, have we been given the nourishment for our faith.
Keeping "the faith" requires watchfulness, firmness, manliness, and strength. But it also requires love. This fruit always comes after faith.
Never separated, but always following faith, is love. Faith produces love; not the opposite.

God bless us and give us these attributes to keep us walking in faith. This faith has an object, and it is Christ Jesus Himself.

Pastor Ron Holmgren
Hockinson, Washington

Stewardship

Dear Weekly Readers!

This week we will feature an article written by a great missionary that many of you know, Alvar Helmes! Please enjoy!

May God Bless your week!

Stewardship

The word "stewardship" is derived from the word "steward." The dictionary definition of "steward" is: a person morally responsible for the careful use of money, time, talents, and resources, especially with respect to the principles or needs of a community or group.

This word has regularly been used in Christian circles (and with good reason) referencing how we should be good stewards of our money, time, talents, and resources in serving the Lord. As a group of churches, we must collectively be good stewards of these gifts from God. The time, talents, and resources perhaps are easier to understand and carry out than the issue of money.

Time: God created time and we are stewards of it; this is the most precious resource we have. We need to order our time according to God's purposes and values, or redeem the time wisely as Ephesians 5:15-16 says: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

We can all understand how time impacts us and how easy it is to waste the time that God has allotted to us. Too often we find ourselves involved in pursuits that are not beneficial to the kingdom of God here on earth, or to our wellbeing. Of course we need time for relaxation and exercise that is beneficial to us, and we spend time caring for and supporting our families and maintaining our homes, but we can all, I'm sure, think of incidents in our lives when we have later thought that what we did was surely a surely a waste of time, and more beneficial things could have been done.

Talents: The talents we possess have been given to also be used for His kingdom. The talents have not been given to us equally, but no matter what talent God has given us, it should be used for His glory. It doesn't matter if our talents are used on simple tasks or on more complicated ones. They are to somehow be used in the furtherance of the kingdom of God according to the abilities and capabilities given to us. It is for each one of us to be aware of the talents that we have and to use them beneficially in His work here on earth. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Resources: In addition to the resource of time, God has also given us other resources to draw upon in this life. These could be things that lie ready for use or can be drawn upon in time of need. We also have what are commonly known as "inner resources" that provide a source of strength or ability within ourselves, sometimes beyond what we thought we even possessed. It is something we turn to in critical times of need, praying to seek from Him as written in Ephesians 3:20-21: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Money: And finally we come to the issue of money, which is the most difficult to deal with. Somehow it hits a sensitive spot with us when it is discussed as a need in the church so that God's work can be carried on. We can think that whatever money we have earned is ours to do with as we please—we worked hard for it; therefore, we'll spend it as we wish. But this is not the biblical expression of the use of money.

In the Old Testament, the Jews were obligated to give the firstfruits of their labor (literally their money) to the priest in the temple (house of the Lord). It is commonly thought that this amounted to ten percent.

The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. (Exodus 23:19)

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. (Proverbs 3:9)

The firstfruits in the biblical sense of the Old Testament is the first produce, the first receipts of labor, the first income that one receives in the year. It is the fruit of our labor before it is committed or applied elsewhere. In other words, giving financially to the Lord's work should be the first item considered. In a sense, the firstfruits can be considered to be a form of tithing.

The New Testament is silent on the amount of tithes that a Christian should be giving to the church. Romans 12:8 says ...he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity (or liberally). In other words, giving should be done willingly, not grudgingly.

Giving to the Lord's work should be done thankfully, always considering the blessings that God has bestowed on our lives.

The biggest "giver" of blessings was God Himself. John 3:16 reads: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son...

Where would we be today without the gift of the Son? Where would we go for consolation when needed? Where would we go for help in our trials and temptations? The true Christian values God and His Word above all things. We express that value by bringing the fruit of our labor, whether it's called firstfruits or tithe, to the Lord.

...He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)

Alvar Helmes
Battle Ground, Washington

Grace Greater than our Sin

Dear Weekly Readers!

As you know my time is very tight while on this journey visiting churches here in America. Therefore, I am calling upon articles written by friends in the faith! Today our article is by brother David Impola! May God Bless you all this week! John R.

"Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt... Points to the refuge, the mighty cross… Whiter than snow you may be today… Will you this moment His grace receive? Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace that is greater than all our sin."
(Julia H. Johnston)

A s the selected lines from the song "Grace Greater than Our Sin" express, our God is ready to pardon and His grace is immeasurable. As one precious brother in Christ said, "It is
not the enormity of a man's sin that condemns him, but the rejection of God's grace condemns him."

The devil likes to go fishing in the sea of grace to dredge up our past sins, to cause
us to be discouraged and lose our focus on Jesus Christ. The devil has only one purpose toward the children of God. As Jesus makes known: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy... But Jesus reassures us: ...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

May we rejoice and praise God for the revelation of Jesus Christ in saving us
from our sin. Apostle Paul says, That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

When we comprehend God's love, it motivates us to reach out to others with the desire that they, too, would come to know His love. God has comforted us not for our comfort alone, but
also that we would be comforters to others in need. The blessings we receive from God, we pass on to others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 instructs us in this way: Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

By grace may our faith be exercised in the milk and meat of His Word. Apostle Peter has good instruction for us as Christians: According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that
by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-8)

"O happy day when we shall stand, amid the heavenly throng, and sing with hosts from every land the new celestial song, the new celestial song." (Wilhelm A. Wexels)

Constrained by the love of God,
Dave Impola
Everett, Washington