GRACE AND PEACE UNTO YOU
Farewell Message to Glad Tidings Tabernacle, Greer SC
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a thing is better than its
beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
The theme I shared in several
messages when I first started at Glad Tidings was on Grace
and Peace unto you. The expression, “Grace to you and peace” is
used in eleven epistles in the New Testament. Such frequent repetition is
worthy of lengthy meditation. The Lord knows how desperately we need these two
in order to get through the realities of life on planet Earth.
Rev 1:4 John, to the seven churches which are in
Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to
come
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of
grace; that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.
I have wonderfully watched many of
you receive this grace as you’ve gone through some tough trials of life over
the past year. There is something very powerful about grace, and something so
wonderful about the fact that God wants to give it to us when we need it.
Peace starts with Jesus, the Prince
of Peace,
Isa 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son
is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be
called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The complete fulfillment of this
verse is hard to see if you look at the condition of the world today. Let us
ever remember that we have dual citizenship as born again believers. Though we
may be Americans, our eternal citizenship is in the Kingdom of God.
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and
drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Peace is a key attribute of the
Kingdom of God, it is ours as we walk in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew
Henry said:
What blessing it is which he pronounces on all the faithful
in these churches: Grace and peace, holiness and comfort. Grace, that is, the
good-will of God towards us and his good work in us; and peace, that is, the
sweet evidence and assurance of this grace. There can be no true peace
where there is not true grace; and, where grace goes before, peace will follow.
Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The
Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God;
7 and the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.
I urge you to continue to yield to,
continue to experience, God’s grace and peace no matter what life throws at
you.
My wife reminded me that part of our
call in life is to lay foundations. Looking back over the past year we’ve done
that. I’ve always tried to bring spiritual truths down to where we live, where
the rubber meets the road. You’ve been taught the 16 Fundamental Truths,
exhorted to walk in the Spirit, to be a people who hear the voice of the Lord
and walk in loving obedience to the Lover of our Souls.
Over the year you were taught those
fundamentals of what we believe and the application of them to life. I taught
on the Tabernacle in the Wilderness exemplifying our roles as priests and
kings. We talked about worship as detailed in the 1st 7 chapters of
Revelation. We talked about the gifts of the Spirit and God’s gifts of the 5
Fold ministries to the church. The love and respect you have demonstrated to Johanna
and I are indicative that, as Melody once said, that you put what you are
taught into practice. What a wow for a pastor to hear that.
I want to remind you
of this prophetic message the Lord spoke to my heart about 4 years ago. At the time I was uncertain about the application so I just wrote it down. I ran across it a few months ago and saw how it applied to Glad Tidings and the rich history of revival in the church.
Dig wells for
revival is coming. Dig wells for my glory will be poured out. Prepare your
hearts for the blessing of the Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrow. For
sooner than you expect you shall find fulfillment says the Lord. Your dreams,
your visions, and the desires I put in your heart shall come to pass. Dig wells
for the river shall flow for a time and the rain of heaven shall fall for a
time, so dig wells to contain it for a long time.
Clean out the hard
drive between your ears and make room for wisdom and knowledge of the Lord.
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of
life, and he who wins souls is wise. “
In closing I exhort you to blend in with
the new congregation, serve and love the new pastor as you have us. May there
never be a distinction between those folks and y’all. You, plus all the Lord
sends here, are Glad Tidings. Your roles will change but your servant hearts
will grow.
Also, may desperation for real
revival burn in your hearts. Those of you have experienced it in the past, like
us, can’t stand the smoke.
Always desire the real stuff, not the fluff.
Finally, you are a rare and wonderful bunch and
we will always love y’all. You, Glad Tidings, have a firm foundation and we
know you will be a great blessing in the future. Y’all are just too deep in our
hearts and always welcome in our home.
1 comment:
Such a great Word! What a gentle and Kind encouragement to the congregation you have loved well! I am sure abundant grace and peace will be yours and theirs as transition takes place. Father will finish “the good work that has begun”!
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