Dear Church Family,
The travel and hospitality industry has a practice that for years has attracted many customers. Just a few words grab people and they willingly (when not restricted by a virus) pay lots of money for an experience. The proven method centers on getting people to anticipate the places they will see, the fun things they will do, the food and drink they will consume, they people they will be with and the memories they will have for a lifetime. Do I have you ready to go on a trip?
With many of you being house-bound or socially isolated, I should have your full attention. Feel free to think about and even plan that week at the beach that might happen later this summer. I like to think that a Christian advertising whiz came up with the concept after reading 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. It says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.”
We gather from this that no travel brochure, TV show by National Geographic or Rick Steves, or AAA Tour Book can offer up any plans that can compare to the plans that God has in store for all of creation. By faith in Christ we look forward to what God will do. No doubt He will surprise us with what He has in store.
We tend to think of this as what will happen at the Second Coming. To do so means we miss out on what God might do even today in and through us. At all times, and especially during our current circumstance, we must daily look forward to and pray that God will reveal to us the glorious acts that he is doing. The Second Coming will be an epic event, but even now we are to be open-eyed and ready to marvel at the sovereign work of God.
I remind you of the words we sometimes use for our Benediction from Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.” In Christ, who has risen indeed, the best is yet to come.
With great hope,
Pastor Gillikin