Pastor's Message - October 2014

Dear Friends,

As of the writing of this Newsletter Article, it has been two weeks ago today that my Mother passed on to the hope that we all have, to spend all eternity with Jesus Christ. At about 3:55am on September 10 Judy and I watched as she breathed her last breath in this life. Our lives have been kind of a whirlwind since then. On Monday the 22^nd, my Brother, Sister and Judy started to go through her things in her house. My Mother lived in that house for almost 70 years. You can only imagine the accumulation of things and memories. It really seems strange to not have parents, it really seems strange to not be able to call. Now Judy and I are both without parents. I knew this day would come, but there is a hole in my heart, at least for right now.

I want to thank all of you who sent cards, expressed condolences, came to Connellsville to the funeral home, and prayed. I can’t tell you how much your love and support means to us. I am reminded that the Scripture says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psa 116:15 I really believe that today and draw comfort from that great promise. 

I want to express to you our excitement about having a new Associate Pastor. We look forward to Angela and her family coming to Clarion. She and her son Joshua will be here by the first of October and then Keith and Matthew will be here sometime the end of October or the first of November. This is another new beginning in the life of the Liberty Street Church of God.

A few weeks ago I preached on Psalms 24 and realized how much there is in those few verses. One verse I am interested in is Psa 24:3 “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?” Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this about that question in verse 3. “What shall I do to rise to that high place, that hill, where the Lord dwells and manifests himself, that I may be acquainted with him, and to abide in that happy holy place where he meets his people and makes them holy and happy? What shall I do that I may be of those whom God owns for his peculiar people and who are his in another manner than the earth is his and its fullness?” I really wonder, and ponder the thought,  with regard to our society and the lack of moral integrity, the sin that so abounds, the permissiveness that is experienced by so many that call themselves Christians, do we really see that many people that hunger for more of God? That really wants to ascend to that high place, spiritually? That high place is to be in God’s presence, to be filled with the fullness of the Creator of the universe!

There are several references in Scripture that refer to Zion, God’s Holy Hill, the Mountain of the Lord, God’s Tent, God’s Tabernacle and all these terms refers to God’s manifest Presence and His Glory and that is how verse 3 applies to us today. The key and the hunger is to be in God’s presence and that can be experienced through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Who has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Those who have “clean hands and a pure heart.” That would be those who have been born-again, those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, those who have been redeemed, and those who have experienced a change of heart and have been made a new creation because of the redeeming work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I am so grateful that many of you are raising your children in the life of the church. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that one of the greatest gifts my mother gave me was experiencing life growing up in the church. I knew what it meant to have a Savior, I’m glad that in those early years I learned the songs like, “Jesus love me this I know.” Even though I had those years of disobedience to the Lord, I always was convicted and knew that the place to be was in church. However, there is only one way to experience true life in the church and that is through Jesus Christ. The Word says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rom 10:9

Please keep Christ in your heart and the center of your lives and you and I can have the confidence to know that when it is our time to cross of to life everlasting, we will indeed be with Jesus.

God bless you all,

Pastor Bruce