Letter to the Church 3-31-20

Greetings to the Word of Life Family!

God bless each of you as you are very dear to our hearts! We miss you
immensely and cannot wait to be able to join back together in public worship as a
family of God! We are very thankful for each of you and want you to know that we
personally lift up every one of you in prayer. I take the church directory and anoint
it with oil calling out each name before the Lord in heaven. These are definitely
difficult times we are living in. None of us has ever experienced something like this
in our lifetime. So, for now we must make adjustments by doing things a little
differently than what we are used to. We thank you for your patience.

We are now live-streaming our Sunday morning services beginning at 10:30.
We are also having live-stream prayer on Tuesday nights at 7:00. All these are on
our church Facebook page as well as YouTube for the whole world to watch. It
would be very helpful if each of you could share the service. This gives the
opportunity for more to watch and hear the Word of God go forth. Perhaps some
good can come out of this as people are fearful, lonely and searching for answers.
We pray for souls to be saved and that people will once again turn to the Lord!

Although, I do not believe that God is the originator of this deadly Covid-19
Virus…I do believe that He can use it to accomplish many things. Perhaps, God is
using it to gain the attention of the church. Calling us back to prayer…back to
seeking His face…back to putting Christ first in our lives! Perhaps, God is trying to
gain the attention of the lost world. Surely God doesn’t ignore the evil that is in
the world. He doesn’t ignore the many babies that have been murdered by
abortion. Surely, God doesn’t ignore the immorality, homosexuality, perversion
that continues all over the world that grieves His heart.

What is the answer? What do we do during these crises’ times? What’s the
responsibility of each Christian? Let me share this Scripture with you, which is very
familiar to you but powerful. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “…if My people who are called
by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land.”

We know this verse very well. I’m sure that most of us can quote it. But just
because we know it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are doing it. The reality is if
we as God’s people (the church) will humble ourselves (because prayer is a
humbling matter) and begin to pray and seek God’s face asking forgiveness of our
sins…God will hear! Not only will God hear, but He will answer! Prayer is a powerful
tool that we each have at our disposal! You can make a difference!

Although, we are all in our homes we can still call upon the name of the Lord!
Perhaps, we can’t gather corporately at the moment, but that doesn’t stop us from
rising up in prayer! Satan can’t keep us from having faith and believing God! He
can’t stop us from calling upon the name of the Lord! The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man avails much! We have the power of the name of Jesus Christ at
our disposal! We have the power of the blood! We have the power of faith! Praise
God for the mighty name of Jesus as we are more than conquerors through Christ!
God is greater than any disease or virus! He is sovereign and in control! There’s no
power like the power of our God!

So my beloved family in Christ, be encouraged! Rather than allow doubt and
fear to flood our hearts and minds, let us take hold of the Word of God! God has
not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind! Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer…God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds!
I’m so thankful for the Cross! We have the Lord and God is with those who put
their faith and trust in Him!

My dear friends in the Lord, may you be encouraged! Continue to pray! Fight
the good fight of faith! Although this world is shaking, the world we are connected
to is intact! Keep your sights on heaven! Pray for one another! Love one another!
Be used of God by interceding in prayer! If you’re able to fast during this time, then
please do so! Together we will get through this and we will be stronger and more
united because of it!

 

With much love in Christ,
Pastor Mark