newsletter

Dear Friends,

Our family continues to be blessed again and, again. Our daughters and their families continue to inspire us as grandparents. Our oldest granddaughter became Mrs. Hannah Addison. Brandon is a fine young man.

On Dec. 6 we celebrated our 50th anniversary. Thankfully we were able to get out of town for a few days to celebrate.

We continue to work full time. Keith, being a chaplain of three groups, keeps him busy on top of everything else connected to church work. Diane still helps in the teaching department at church and still helps direct the nursing school. The prison ministry continues to bless us.

We learned a long time ago the ministry is not about us; it is about Him! In July of 2019 we will have completed 40 years in full time service in the ministry.

And the Angels Rejoice

And the Angels Rejoice

By Robert Johnson

Scripture reveals to us that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are eternal, having no beginning and no end. Such a concept is difficult for us to consider and fully understand, being the finite creatures that we are. Paul references God creating all things, apart from deity, through Christ. “For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16). The angels then, while heavenly servants of the Most High, are not divine, not infinite in their knowledge, power, or understanding. As is expressed in Scripture, being in the presence of God, they acknowledge in praise His greatness and majesty (Rev. 5:11-12; Psa. 148:2).

As such, they have a great interest in how God is fulfilling His purposes in and through us. At the birth of Christ, the shepherds witnessed angels praising God for the coming of Christ. Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!” (Luke 2:13-14). In speaking of the plan of redemption Christ accomplished for us, and in working it out in us, Peter writes, “These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things” (1 Pet. 1:12). The term glimpse, or look, means to bend, or stoop; to stoop down near or by something, bend forward or near in order to look at something more closely. Metaphorically speaking, it means to look into, to find out, to know. Angels know how important we are to the Father, Son, and Spirit, in the lengths taken to provide us salvation. They are greatly interested in how this eternal plan works out.

So it should be no surprise to us that, when one who has been ensnared by Satan is freed from sin through Christ, there is great rejoicing. Jesus tells us there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, and that includes the angelic host (Luke 15:7, 10). Angels know what is at stake in our lives…heaven and hell. They know we have been created in the image of God, and that Satan seeks to ruin and destroy that in us. They understand how horrible the punishment will be for one to die in that condition, and so the great joy they have over one who is redeemed from sin to eternal life. They understand all this better perhaps, than we do ourselves.

Have you ever given thought to how great that celebration must be? We aren’t told specifically how it is expressed, but if there were a great many, a multitude of angels, who expressed praise to God for the coming of Christ into the world, it seems logical to believe there is a great many, a multitude of angels, who express praise that God’s purpose in Christ is fulfilled in one who obeys the gospel, who finds life instead of death, hope instead of despair, salvation instead of condemnation. It’s hard to picture in our mind’s eye the throng praising God, but we know it’s true. When we obeyed the gospel, there was rejoicing in heaven that God’s salvation became real to us in Christ. When we sin, and repent, there is rejoicing again and again. We may not be able to visualize it in any way that gives it justice, but it happens. We are that important and precious to deity and to angels. Do we acknowledge that our souls are that important to ourselves?

We can’t see heavenly scenes in the flesh, but we know what some of them are. Someday, we will share in that eternal praise of God will all the host of heaven, if we connect our lives to Christ. Such thoughts should fill our hearts with joy, and offer us encouragement not to give up. “I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13). Let us help each other be there, to see and participate in what we can only imagine today.

I STILL DO…50 YEARS LATER

I STILL DO…50 YEARS LATER

By Keith Bellamy

Do you remember the vows you made when you were married? I very well remember 50 years ago when my wife and I were married. I remember the vows and I also know that sometimes I wasn’t what I was supposed to be in our marriage. However, I think I have grown some, and I’m still trying to be better. But the vows--how important are they?

Sometime ago a man was taking care of his very sick wife. She had a terrible disease that left her totally incapacitated. Her husband took care of her day and night. Her husband wanted to do something to celebrate their marriage of 40 years. So, even with his wife unable to really help with this project, the husband planned on having a private ceremony honoring their many years of marriage. Somehow the husband was able to get into his military uniform that he wore when they were married, and he had his wife dressed in her wedding gown. Naturally, because of her condition, she couldn’t really wear the gown, but they improvised. The husband had his children come to their home and he had their preacher present and after everyone had gathered together, the husband said…“I STILL DO!” What a commitment!

Amazing, isn’t it? Or is it? There are more fifty-plus marriages now than there have ever been. What causes these marriages to last?

Clint Black and Lisa Hartman performed a duet years ago, entitled “When I Said I Do.” The message of the song was about commitment to their marriage as husband and wife. Things may change, but the commitment to their marriage would hold them together because they were determined to be faithful and true to each other. What a refreshing attitude.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were good at making vows but not keeping them. So that is why He said in Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'…” When one makes a commitment, one must honor that commitment.

I made a vow to the Lord on April 24, 1960 when I was baptized. I made another vow to the Lord on December 6, 1968, when I said I do. I STILL DO even fifty years later!

Some of you have made a commitment to the Lord. You obeyed Him and became one of His children (John 3:3-5). However, have you forgotten the vow you made to the Lord? Can you still say, “I still do!”?