Hello Aspen Grove Church Family!
I pray
this finds y’all well. It’s hard to believe that it is September already.
August has flown by! On August 12th, Brother George went home to be
with our LORD and Savior. Please continue to pray for sister Judy and the
family in your prayers. We began on August 3rd, with a message
titled, “Do we Really Understand?” coming from the Book of John 6:1-13. Many
people know the Will of GOD, but not many follow through with HIS Will. We
discussed the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 plus of a young boy’s luncheon,
the 5 loaves and 2 fish, and we broke down vs. 12. Then we asked the question,
“Do we really understand what Jesus is asking of us?” In vs. 6, we see the
disciples basically trying to limit Jesus with what only Jesus can do by
basically asking, “Where can we find enough bread to feed this many people?”
Because we seem to have put limits on what Jesus can do about feeding so many
people, we asked the question, “Do we really know who Jesus is?” Especially
when the disciples kept doubting about being able to find enough food to feed
everyone and they had the SON of GOD with them. They witnessed so many amazing
miracles since Jesus entered their lives and they still tried to basically
handcuff HIM. It was almost sarcastically that Andrew brought the young man
with his little “Hebrew Happy meal,” and said this all we have. No way near
enough to feed so many folks! Yet, Jesus gave thanks and broke bread and fed
everyone until they were full! Afterwards, Jesus asked the disciples to gather
the leftovers for the little boy… 12 baskets full! We learned something
interesting about verse 12. Jesus told his disciples to, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”
We dug a little deeper by looking at a couple of words… “fragments” and “lost.”
Going back to the Greek, we learned that the first time the Greek words were
translated first with a different word for them…” broken before fragmented,” and
“perish before lost.” So, instead of saying, “Gather
up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” It
now states, “Gather up the broken that
remain, that none perish.” We see that it is the Great
Commission. Jesus is still asking us today, to go and share the GOSPEL. So, do
we understand Jesus a little more clearly now?
On
August 10th, we had a devotional titled, “Problems Provide Greater
Opportunities” coming from the Book of Genesis 40:8. We know the story of how
Joseph had a dream about one being a ruler that saves his family but looked at
how Joseph got to that point… his journey. It seemed that the dream was just
that if we looked only at the surface, but GOD was at work to help get Joseph
into the right place, at the right time, to be the right guy for the job to
save his family, and essentially Isreal. Just like HE did with Joseph, GOD
often gives us problems to provide a greater opportunity. As HIS children, we
need to look for the possibilities in our storms. Even the Apostle Paul spoke
about so many opportunities he had… all the while he was imprisoned. Over two
thirds of the New Testament was written while Paul was in prison awaiting to be
put to death. Even though we find ourselves in the storms of life, are we
looking for GOD and what HE wants us to learn? We also celebrated Communion and
held our quarterly business meeting in preparation for homecoming.
On
August 17th, we preached a message titled, “Keep the Faith,” coming
from 2Timothy 4:1-8. The Apostle Paul is on death row, and he is writing to
young Timothy to encourage him to keep on preaching, even when things get
tough. So that when its all said and done, he can claim like Paul did when he
stated in verse 7, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith:” To fight, we must 1st realize that we are at war! The war
we are fighting may or may not be against flesh and blood, but most likely
against demonic natures of the world. To finish the race means that in our
ministry, our race in life, that we are neither disqualified nor disheartened,
but are truly blessed beyond measure. We know people, and have heard of people,
who, at one time in their life, were on fire for Christ, helping souls come to
Christ, but now have grown silent, living on yesteryear… from a huge BONFIRE,
to just merely a flickering candle of light. Paul understood those stumbling
blocks of life and yet he still fought the good fight and finished his race,
but only because he knew that he needed to… Keep the Faith. Sadly, to many
“Christians” bury their faith just like the servant did when his master gave
him his talent… and why? B/c he was afraid of the worldly reprisals. Paul
carried out the Great Commission so that the WORD of God, The Truthful Gospel
of Christ, will continue to live on and on. And he tells us to do the same,
just as Christ Jesus asked him to. We learned how the Apostle Paul laid the
foundation principles of leaving a legacy for the next generation, and we
closed with this question, “How are you going to be remembered?” Did you fight
the good fight? Did you really stay the course? What will your “legacy” be?
On
August 24th, we preached a message titled "When GOD speaks… are
we listening?” coming out the Book of Hebrews 12:25-29. Everyone remembers that
famous commercial from E.F. Hutton, “When E.F. Hutton speaks, everyone listens.”
When GOD speaks, everybody needs to be listening for sure because sometimes,
GOD will speak directly to us using that famous “small still voice” that makes
the hair on your neck stand straight up or activates your “Gut” instinct. When
GOD speaks to us, HE is attempting to do a course correction because we have
strayed. When GOD does speak to us, it done so with The Voice of Compassion and
Love. And when we don’t listen, sometimes GOD will “Rock” our world with things
like earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, and even through medical diagnosis’s like
cancer, strokes, weddings, and even death. We need to understand that GOD knows
sometimes these course corrections are going to be painful, but that pain
brings about a new growth, a better understanding of GOD’s love. However GOD
speaks to us, every single time it is done to point us back in the right
direction. Sadly, when our world’s get “rocked,” we fall apart and ask
questions like, “Why me?” or “Why now?” When the real question we should be
asking is “What do you want me to learn through this?” Can we hear from GOD?
Yes, but in order to do so, we must make sure our lives are free from sin. GOD
is not obligated to listen while sin is present, except for the repenting
heart. GOD is speaking to you today and
HE is saying, “Be Still and know that I am GOD.” I love each and everyone of
y’all, but more importantly, GOD loves you so much more! Have a great day. May
the LORD bless you and keep you; May HIS face shine upon and bring you peace…
the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Pastor Sonny
