Hi FBC!
“You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
(Numbers 35:34)
“The Levites received no land inheritance, as the Lord Himself was their inheritance. Therefore, every tribe was to allot cities within their various territories for the Levites (35:1-8), some of which were also to be designated as cities of refuge for those guilty of unpremeditated murder (35:9-34). Like salt, the Levites were thus sprinkled about the Promised Land as a reminder to the rest of God’s people of their high and holy calling, that the Lord was their refuge, and that, ultimately, all land belonged to the Lord who dwelled in their midst (35:34).
Knowing that, through Christ, God Himself is our inheritance, we, like the Levites of old, live
in this world without being of it. We are looking rather for the city of God to come in the new creation (Hebrews 11). There the Lord God Himself will dwell in our midst (Rev. 21:22 — 22:5).” (Gospel Transformation Bible
, note on Numbers 35)
We are thanking the Lord for the safe arrival of Pastor Justin & Lynsey and family! Thank you for praying for them, for the long drive for Justin and the flight with the kids for Lynsey. And a big thank you to so many who came out on Tuesday to help with the unloading of the moving truck! We had a great crew and had the truck unloaded very quickly.
This Sunday we want to encourage everyone to wear name tags, to help the Hostetters a bit as they try to put our names with our faces! So as you come in Sunday morning, look for someone handing them out and write your name (and please make it readable!) on it. Thank you also Ron Whitted for setting him up with a nice desk, chair, and bookshelves, and for Rosemary for getting him started with his supplies. Let’s keep praying for a smooth transition for the Hostetter family and for His perfect plan and timing for a more permanent housing solution.
After the worship service we will be having a membership class. Lunch will be provided. We have a few signed up already, but if you are interested in finding out more about membership at FBC, please let me know today!
I plan again to preach on 1 Samuel 24 this Sunday, a message titled “My Hand Shall Not Be Against You.” This time I hope to actually deliver the message and not take off for Salem! But only the Lord knows what His plan is for each day!
Thank you for praying for my mother-in-law Judith. She seems to be doing better than we thought. She is home from the hospital. She does have COPD and has to be on full-time oxygen. Elizabeth and her siblings are working on a schedule for being there to help her out, along with some of Judith’s friends. Please keep praying for the family. We have nieces and a nephew from Texas going to stay with our family for a few days, so that should be fun!
So thankful for each of you… may the Lord continue to bless you and our church family… and hope you are able to enjoy the sunshine!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael