Hello FBC,
The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)
In difficult times it can be a challenge to remember the above truth. But it is precisely when we think things seems to be out of control that we need to remember this! God is on His throne. He is ruling over all. He is sovereign. We can take comfort in that. When everything doesn’t seem to be good in life, we can at the very least know that He is good. And sometimes that’s all we need to know.
Thank you for the many of you who have been praying for Alan & Zsuzsa Blake. In case you hadn’t heard about this yet, they are members of our church family that we sent off on a short-term mission trip to Ukraine, close to the border with Hungary. Yesterday we received a call from Zsuzsa informing us that Alan had what she thinks to be a severe stroke. I asked many of you to pray for them. This morning we had a good group of people gather at the church to pray together for the Blakes. Before we met I got another call from Zsuzsa. At that time they were making plans to transport Alan to a hospital in Budapest, Hungary. It is a 3-hour ambulance ride. Zsuzsa and Zach were going to have to make other arrangements to get to Budapest. I have not yet received another update from Zsuzsa, but she told me this morning that Alan had a stroke on the left side of his brain. His right side is currently paralyzed, and he is unable to speak. He does however understand what is being said to him, and Zsuzsa was even able to make him smile at one point. This continues to be a very dangerous time for Alan, though as of this morning the swelling on his brain had not increased, which is good news. Please continue to pray fervently for Alan’s safety and recovery, for strength, comfort, and wisdom for Zsuzsa, and for Zach and their other sons. Be watching your email for updates as I hope to fill you in as I hear from Zsuzsa. Pray for God’s glory to be made known in and through this situation! Thank you!
This Sunday I will be speaking on Revelation 13:11-18, “The Beast from the Earth”. I want to encourage you to prayerfully read that ahead of time, and come Sunday prepared to hear from the Lord. As we consider this future False Prophet, it’s important for us to be discerning even today, and to be aware of the many false prophets currently deceiving people and preventing the worship of the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ.
Also Sunday, from 4-6pm, is a BBQ and celebration of Lisl Ruckert’s graduation from Biola University, at the Ruckert home . You are invited! Let’s thank the Lord for His work in Lisl’s life!
Thank you for loving one another and for praying for each other during times of trial. Please especially continue to uphold the Blakes in prayer. Remember, the Lord is on His throne!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael