Thanks
and praises be to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is the Lord in every season
and the Lord of every season. We have been blessed and privileged to
enter another awesome autumn season here in Central NY. The colors
have been spectacular in a way that only our Lord God, who created both heaven
and earth, could create. Thank you again for all of your surrounding me
in prayer 24/7. I posted a brief video on Facebook to update you all on
my status. Thank you for your loving comments from all over the
world. My heart is warmed and refreshed. Many of us have been
partners in ministry in the course of the last 40 years. It has
been a journey of great blessing and deep joy. I plan to post some video
clips from time to time as an update on my recovery. Please continue to
intercede for us. I count it a great privilege and honor to be surrounded
by such a "great cloud of witnesses", who love Jesus and serve Him
joyfully.
Our church here in Marathon hosted
a community-wide dinner Wednesday , at which it served Italian
cuisine. Next, we are getting ready for an evening of contemporary
Christian and classical music, to be presented by our dear friend, Aric
Phinney. It will be on Friday, October 28 at 7:00 PM, at the sanctuary of
the First Baptist Church in Marathon. Our Methodist Church is
co-sponsoring this event.
We have had some deeply soaking rains lately,
but our garden is still giving back to us of its produce. Alice has
harvested almost 2 bushels of winter squash (in 4 varieties), some
kohlrabi, some greens, beets, a few more tomatoes (that the frost missed),
eggplants (brinjals), peppers, pumpkins, and a couple of cucumbers. Alice
has started listening to Christmas music as she works on schoolwork or spends
time at the computer. We have already begun to anticipate the
celebration of the wonders of Advent and Christmas.
The churches of Marathon will kick off
the Advent season with a community Christmas Carol singing from church to church
on Sunday, December 4 at 7:00 PM. The Roman Catholic, Episcopal,
Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches all join together for this
evening of song and worship. Our church has chartered a bus to go to New
York City for the Christmas Extravaganza at Radio City Music Hall on
December 6. The world comes to New York City during the
Christmas season. The city is transformed into a place of
magic and wonder. We will also be hosting the St. Petersburg Men's
Ensemble from Russia on Friday, December 9 at 7:00 PM. Please mark
your calendars for these events, and for the Downtown Singers' presentation of
"The Messiah" in conjunction with the Binghamton Philharmonic, on
December 17 at 7:00 PM at the Forum. We have so much to celebrate, so
much to sing about, and so much in which to rejoice.
I have been pausing and pondering on the
majesty and mystery of Christian life, Christian sojourning, and the
Christian pilgrimage. The Christian faith is an invitation to
unspeakable joy, accompanied by unending trials and tribulations.
The Biblical witness and salvation history declare that there is wonderful joy
in Jesus in the presence of the Mighty and Merciful Lord. Again,
the Bible declares that in God’s presence is fullness of joy; at His right
hand are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). If we as His
people are to reflect His image, then we must become joyous people.
Numerous commands in the Bible call
us to rejoice and be glad in the Lord. (Ps. 5:11; 9:2; 32:11;
33:1; 40:16; Phil. 3:1; 4:4; etc.) They show
that it is both possible and necessary for all believers to experience
the joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is the joy that God Himself
possesses. He reveals it to us through His Word that tells us of His
great salvation and the joy that it brings. .The joy of the Lord is
something that only those who know the Lord can experience - and
they can enjoy it in spite of circumstances.
`King David certainly knew this
joy. The psalms are full of rejoicing and gladness in the Lord, and quite
often at the most unexpected moments. In Psalm 13, David cries out, “How
long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” Four times he cried out,
“How long,” mentioning his ongoing sorrow, but at the end of the short psalm,
he affirmed his trust in the Lord’s loving kindness and then stated by faith,
“My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord,
because He has dealt bountifully with me” (13:5-6). This is not the joy
of circumstances, but rather the joy that comes from focusing on and trusting
in the Lord and His salvation. He chose to rejoice in the Lord
(Phil.
3:1; 4:4). Joy in the Lord is not the joy of circumstances or of
having a naturally upbeat personality.
