January 2023 From Your Congregational President – Declaring & Teaching – Jesus is Lord !
John 14:1,12-15 – Jesus Comforts His Disciples
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 12 Truly, truly I
say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater
works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in
My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me
anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
Holy Spirit Come
There must be a message that He wants us to hear in Chapter 14, it feels like the
spiritual center of John’s Gospel to me. It follows 13 where the disciples had just shared
the last super with our Lord and Savior and He washed their feet and instructed that they
ought to wash one another’s feet. He then lays out the things that are to come and
repeatedly instructs them and therefore us to follow His commandments.
He continues with that instruction into Chapter 15 and explains why this is, “These things
I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater
love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.”
The Work of the Church
We have been blessed, in December we had a dozen people come forward to serve as
trustees of the church, Lord knows we need the help. Many of the projects that need to
be worked on are the painting projects that are carry overs from 2022. We have a voters
meeting scheduled for Sunday January 22 at approximately 12:15 where we will hold
elections and have some annual reports. The church’s finances are much improved and
we have not needed to withdrawal any of our reserves this fiscal year. Praise be to God
and our faithful parishioners, the giving, other income and preschool tuition has been
adequate to cover the expenses this past six months.
Blessings,
Tim Grace