Uplook - November 30, 2024
Dear Seattle Saints,
Thank you all for your patience in not receiving an email last weekend as Lori and I were in Kawasaki, Japan dedicating our new church building there. You can see a report and photographs of the event on our Portland Headquarters website or at this web address: https://www.apostolicfaith.org/world-report/new-church-building-dedicated-in-kawasaki-japan
And a late Happy American Thanksgiving holiday to you all. We have a variety of nationalities represented within our congregation and while they are now all here and celebrate on the American holiday we are aware that in their native countries/cultures the official day of Thanksgiving often falls on another date. I suppose this should remind us all that Thanksgiving is not something to be done one day a year but rather every day during the year. I noticed our reader board sign outside the church had a message this past week which read something like: “Thanksgiving is ThanksLiving.” I smiled at the truth of the short little saying. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul stated three short and simple admonitions which we can take to heart as we approach the end of the year.
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
It is not always easy to rejoice when things are going badly. It is easy to cease from praying when it seems the answers are not coming in a timely manner. And to give thanks in everything may sometimes be the most challenging of all. Yet…when we embrace the last part of the verses that God is still in control and that those things which have come our way have been through His fingers before they reach us and in the person of Christ Jesus hope can be found. Scripture declares that He is our peace having destroyed the walls which divide us and we now have access to the thriving wholeness that comes from knowing Him personally, no matter the circumstances of life.
Tomorrow marks the first Sunday of Advent …a time of remembering the longing of Isreal for their Messiah who came in the person of Jesus. During this same time as Christian believers today, we long for the Second Advent of this same Jesus who has promised to return. If your current situation is difficult…you can still rejoice, and pray, and give thanks that Jesus as promised to return for us. In that we have hope and great rejoicing.
Note: Because of the Holiday weekend…there will be no evening service tomorrow either live or online. Wednesday Bible Study will resume as usual.
God bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
Thank you all for your patience in not receiving an email last weekend as Lori and I were in Kawasaki, Japan dedicating our new church building there. You can see a report and photographs of the event on our Portland Headquarters website or at this web address: https://www.apostolicfaith.org/world-report/new-church-building-dedicated-in-kawasaki-japan
And a late Happy American Thanksgiving holiday to you all. We have a variety of nationalities represented within our congregation and while they are now all here and celebrate on the American holiday we are aware that in their native countries/cultures the official day of Thanksgiving often falls on another date. I suppose this should remind us all that Thanksgiving is not something to be done one day a year but rather every day during the year. I noticed our reader board sign outside the church had a message this past week which read something like: “Thanksgiving is ThanksLiving.” I smiled at the truth of the short little saying. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul stated three short and simple admonitions which we can take to heart as we approach the end of the year.
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
It is not always easy to rejoice when things are going badly. It is easy to cease from praying when it seems the answers are not coming in a timely manner. And to give thanks in everything may sometimes be the most challenging of all. Yet…when we embrace the last part of the verses that God is still in control and that those things which have come our way have been through His fingers before they reach us and in the person of Christ Jesus hope can be found. Scripture declares that He is our peace having destroyed the walls which divide us and we now have access to the thriving wholeness that comes from knowing Him personally, no matter the circumstances of life.
Tomorrow marks the first Sunday of Advent …a time of remembering the longing of Isreal for their Messiah who came in the person of Jesus. During this same time as Christian believers today, we long for the Second Advent of this same Jesus who has promised to return. If your current situation is difficult…you can still rejoice, and pray, and give thanks that Jesus as promised to return for us. In that we have hope and great rejoicing.
Note: Because of the Holiday weekend…there will be no evening service tomorrow either live or online. Wednesday Bible Study will resume as usual.
God bless,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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