Category: Sermons

Stay Thirsty, My Friends

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” – Matthew 5:6

It is natural for us to crave things. I’ve been on diets before that I couldn’t stand to go another minute without a Coke. Many times in the business world, I’ve heard people say that it’s been a rough day and that they need a stiff drink. I reply with the question, “How many times have you said that about Jesus?”

We as humans are craving and thirsting for the wrong things all too often. Some people consume too much alcohol and get caught while being ‘under the influence.’ They say “I didn’t know what I was doing,” or “It was the alcohol talking.” They say that their actions weren’t their own and it’s like someone else was directing their path.

I say to you that we need to be under the influence more often, not influenced by alcohol or drugs, but by the Holy Spirit. Let Jesus direct your steps and your interactions amongst people. Being influenced by the Spirit gives you true clarity, a sober mind, and the ability to walk in the power and favor of God.

Have you ever seen a drunk person smiling, even when the situation didn’t dictate it? We as Christians should be the same way, smiling out of sheer joy for the Lord and His blessings. If you have happiness, it is dictated by your circumstances. If you have true joy, it is a gift from God and keeps you peaceful in the midst of all of these troubled times. Jesus wants you to be joyful, not just happy. God loves you. When you know you are loved, it is easier to love others and yourself.

So before leaving the house in the morning or before doing anything that you do, take a sip. Spend time in God’s Word through prayer and reading or listening to the gospels. Be thirsty for God’s righteousness. Jesus is the true and eternal water of life. Take and drink of the Holy Spirit, and take as much as you want.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Most Needed Verse

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6

When I was growing up, my mom always had a Bible sitting on the coffee table in the living room. I liked picking it up and seeing all of her handwritten notes in there.  One thing in particular stood out to me.  She had Philippians 4:6 written down next to big, bold, underlined words saying, “MOST NEEDED VERSE.”

To anyone who knew my mom, you would understand just why she wrote this verse down with such importance. Mom was a worry-wart; in fact, she was the queen mother of worry-warts.  If she would have gotten paid for worrying, even my great-grandchildren would never have to worry about their next meal.  However, no matter how much she worried, most of the things she worried about never came to pass anyway.  The very few things that did happen, her worrying couldn’t have changed them at all.

Many of us spend our lives concerned for what the future holds. We sometimes “what if…” ourselves literally to death.  Worry doesn’t keep bad things from happening, it only wears us down and saps every bit of joy from today.  Jesus knows how prone to worry that we are, but He puts it plainly when He said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”  Almost the entire 12th chapter of Luke shows Jesus talking about worrying being a waste of time.  He is speaking right to each of us when He says to consider how God provides for animals who do not plant but are always fed; flowers of the field that do not labor or spin and yet they are arrayed in more beautiful clothing than King Solomon was in all of his glory.

This life is tough sometimes. Becoming a Christian doesn’t take away the pain and the problems, but it does help you to deal with them better.  By being close to Jesus, you are setting yourself up against an immovable pillar.  The weight of the world may come crashing down on you occasionally, but you are always supported.  You are not alone!

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” How true that is.  His Holy Spirit is living in you and through you, helping you every step of the way.  We may not understand all of God’s plan and frankly it’s not for us to understand, but just know that our Heavenly Father is caring for us always.  Much like the old “Footprints in the Sand” poem, Jesus carries us through the trials and difficulties in life.  In short, if you walk with Jesus, you will never be alone.  God is bigger and stronger than any problem that you could ever have.

During the last conversation I ever had with my mom, she seemed more at peace than any other time that I knew her. Honestly, I was more concerned than she was.  Her cancer had eaten her away to nothing and we both knew there wasn’t much time left.  But, out of all of those heart-wrenching anxieties, this woman who would have normally worried about anything looked at me and said, “My darling baby boy, please don’t worry.  You and I love Jesus.  I promise, we’ll be together again.”  She taught me more at that single moment than she taught me throughout my entire life.  She taught me her most needed verse as well as the next one after that which states, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  At that moment, she showed me the true peace of God.

I miss my momma.

If there’s anything she’d like for me to tell you right now, it’s that you can’t worry yourself to Jesus. Instead, cast your worries upon His mighty cross of salvation.  He has you in His arms.  You’re safe now.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Is Your Eyesight Clear

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“And why behold you the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?” – Matthew 7:3

 

During my commute the other day, I had a mustang whip past me going who knows how fast. Of course I immediately started chewing them out, even though they couldn’t hear me.  But then, just a few miles down the road, I got behind a big semi doing about 20 under the speed limit in a no passing zone.  After about 10 minutes of getting more and more frustrated, as soon as a passing zone opened up, I floored it and zoomed around the semi.  (Please note that I have a tiny Hyundai Accent and “flooring it” consists of kicking the hamster wheel just a bit harder.)  Later on, as if the Holy Spirit was convicting me, the thought came into my head of, “I wonder what words that semi driver is cursing me with right now.”

 

I found out a long time ago what a hypocrite is. Unfortunately, I can look into the mirror and see one staring back at me.  I don’t want to be one, but here I am.  I get annoyed at people making bad choices, but then I turn around and make some myself.  I find myself being inconsiderate to other peoples’ feelings when those people aren’t considerate themselves.  I get irritated with people who want the world to cater to them, then I wonder why the world isn’t going exactly my way.

 

The fact is that, like the Bible says, we focus on the speck in someone else’s eye when we can’t see the beam or plank in our own eye. It’s so easy to point out someone else’s sins, but we seem to go blind to our own.  We hold others to higher standards of what a person and especially what a Christian needs to be, but then we too fall short of that standard.  The simple truth is that, just as in Romans 3:10, “There are none righteous, no, not one.” And again in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  That’s everybody.  ALL have sinned.  Nobody is purely good except Christ Himself and that’s why we need Him.

 

We are called to be holy people and set apart for the good works of the Lord, but how can we do that if we sin all the time? We will never completely stop sinning, but the point is to try to stop.  To repent means to change your mind.  If you make the conscious decision to try to refrain from evil, you will become more aware of your own faults and will make an effort to not do them.  You are human though and you will have your good and bad moments.  Don’t let that discourage you too much.  It happens to the best of us, but once again, the point is to keep trying.

 

After each attempt at Christlikeness, there will be a failure, but each time you try you will ‘fail better.’ You aren’t going to be perfect until you get to Heaven, but the point is to try. Each one of us has the capability to become like Christ and don’t stop trying.  Just know that you aren’t there yet and don’t get down on yourself like you are.  You aren’t where Christ is just yet, but you are on the way.

 

I like the old song that says, “I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends.” In short, each one of us is a sinner and knows something about what other people are going through.  If you’ve struggled with alcoholism or drugs, you have a ‘proof of purchase’ that can help connect you with other people who need help.  Not only can you help others, but frankly, you are obligated to help others.  Same goes for just about any sin.  That’s why God kept you around and pulled you through your ordeal, to be a faithful witness to others about God’s love and grace.

 

So don’t be too harsh on yourself or other people for various shortcomings, but by the same token, don’t just look upon sin and be OK with it either. See things through the eyes of Jesus and he will help you and others to see sin for what it is.  One day, we all will be better for it.

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH

 

 

What Have You Got For Me?

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“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” – 1 Peter 1:15

 

There’s an old saying, “you can’t give what you don’t have.” That means so much more when you are talking about Christianity.  Those of you who have children should know well that when there are questions from your kids about God and His ways.  My Lord is my life, but I still get blindsided by questions from my kids about God’s ways.  Let’s face it, God’s ways are so far above our ways as the heavens are above the earth.  There are times when I have to look at them and tell them that I’m not sure what the answer is, but I always try to find out the answer.

 

Being uncertain about God’s ways isn’t a real big deal in many cases, but being uncertain and not doing anything about it is a tragedy. You can say that you aren’t sure about something, but it better be followed up by the comment that you will find out more about the question.  We all have questions and it is probably not your fault.  You haven’t been told or shown the answer.  There was a part in the book of Acts where the disciple Phillip saw a gentleman reading the scriptures.  Phillip asked if he understood them, to which the gentleman replied, “How can I if nobody explains it to me?”  You will always have some questions, but if you don’t try to find out an answer, then shame on you.

 

Thankfully, we don’t need to seek out some yogi or lama on a mountain top thousands of miles away somewhere. If you live in America, you are blessed with the ability to walk into almost any Christian church anywhere and hear the word of God preached.  You will find believers just like you who either used to have or still have those same types of questions as you.  If you spend time listening to and reading the gospel, the Holy Spirit will reveal things to you.  It is almost like turning on a light bulb.  Probably every day I read the bible and will get something new that I didn’t even see there before.  The bible has been called a living book and that is a true statement.  The Word of God touches my heart all the time, because the Word is not a ‘what’, it’s a ‘who’; and that ‘who’ is Jesus Christ. The more I pray and talk with Him, the better I can navigate through this sea of craziness called life.

 

To live a good life, you need to first know good from evil. To be moral, you must first know what good morals are. If you look at the example Christ set before us, you see exactly what good is. You see what a moral life should look like.  You can spit out verse after verse of scripture, but do you live it?  You can’t give what you don’t have. God asks the question, “So what have you got for me?”  If you can’t say that you are trying to do right in His eyes, then you are living a poor existence, with one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel.

 

There’s a problem in this world because there’s a problem inside of each and every one of us. If we want this world to be better and closer to Jesus, we first must be closer to Jesus.  Like Saint Teresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” I will do all I can to give good, solid, and biblically based answers to anything that’s asked of me and that’s including asking me how I live my life.  I will point not to how I live, but how Christ lives in me.

 

I may not have all of the answers, but “I gotta guy…”

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH

Controlled Burn

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“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” – Luke 12:49

 

I have a friend that had to set fire to his property the other day. It’s not in the way you would immediately think.  He did a controlled burn of his field so that the land could grow and be better used in the future.  That same fire, which could bring destruction is instead bringing new life.  This is much the same way that God works.

 

Fire gives off light and heat and so does the Holy Spirit.   Jesus is called the light of the world.  His truth allows us to see what is right compared with the darkness of this fallen world.  Bad people with evil intentions do their worst at night in order to hide their actions.  In contrast, Jesus says for us to do our best so that we can be like beacons of light honoring God.  Matthew 5:15 says, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.”  We should try to be more like Christ in order to bring more people to salvation.  This world needs more lighthouses and less storms.

 

If you desperately love someone, it’s said that you are burning with desire. If someone is a bit slow in their actions, someone will inevitably say that “a fire need’s lit under them.”  Well, this world and this country is going in the wrong direction.  It’s overgrown and getting choked out by the weeds of sin and immorality.  And here we are as Christians, supposedly bringing light to the world, but most of us couldn’t even get a good smolder going on.

 

Fire can be a good thing when used correctly. It is better to light the world on fire for Christ rather than for all of us to burn in hell for eternity.  It’s time for us to start a controlled burn for Jesus.

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH

9/11 – Lest We Forget

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“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.” – Psalm 138:7

At one time, you could ask anyone, “Where were you on 9/11?” That’s not the case anymore. Apparently, incoming high school freshmen will be taught about the September 11th attacks in history class because they were not alive when that happened. I’m not entirely sure where the time went, but here we are 15 years later.

It’s easy to forget about bad times as the years go passing by. It’s said that time heals all wounds, but we keep the scars with us in this world. That’s a good thing, because those scars remind us of the choices that got us there; not only our choices, but the choices of our enemies as well.

Please recognize that our enemies are not only of a physical nature, but especially of a spiritual nature. It’s not that the events of September 11th were perpetrated by a certain people or a certain nationality, it’s so much more than that. Those attacks were done by people who do not follow Jesus Christ. That is what makes the difference. That is why those attacks were done with such malice and evil. There is God, who is our Heavenly Father, and then there are a bunch of other ‘small-g’ gods that are leading people down a very broad path towards death and destruction. That being said, each one of us is in danger of following what we turn into idols or gods.

When we choose anything other than Christ, we are placing that thing on a pedestal and worshiping it as our god. Our strongest desire should be to chase after the things of God. We should live our lives according to the firm principles of Jesus Christ. However, so many times we are too busy chasing after money, sex, alcohol, or any number of other things that we lose sight of what’s really important. “What would Jesus do” should be more than just a bumper sticker.

The problem is sin. That’s our biggest enemy. It’s easy to fall into sin when we do not follow Jesus. The Bible said that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ and that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Those are comforting words, especially in a country like ours that honestly has become more sinful as the years go by. There were almost 3,000 people who died due to the attacks on 9/11 and that was a huge tragedy, but there are approx. 3,000 babies that are aborted DAILY in this country. Pornography has become a billion dollar a year business here. Drug use and alternative lifestyles are not only rampant, but socially acceptable. We have lost our way as a nation, plain and simple. The warning has been shown throughout history in countless civilizations. The moral demise of a nation precedes the complete demise of a nation. I love America and it sickens me to see the grip that the devil has in this world.

If there was anything good that came from 9/11, it was that for a while at least we came together as a nation. The churches were packed. Retirement homes saw a large uptick in the amount of visitors stopping by to see relatives. Abortions dropped to such a small number that Planned Parenthood in New York City started advertising that they would do them FOR FREE just to get people in the door. Families were spending time together and the overall state of our nation was one of love and solidarity.

Unfortunately, time does heal all wounds and we started forgetting the events that sent our country into havoc. We forget to look at our scars. The attacks on September 11th were pure evil and should not ever be reduced to less than that. There’s no excuse for taking the lives of innocent people. There was one innocent life however that was made into sin for your salvation and for mine, Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He put sin to death on the cross. We, too, need to nail our sins to that same cross before it’s too late. God will protect us, but we need to follow His lead through the valley of the shadow of death. Never forget that.

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

DH

Solid Rock

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“And I say also to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
In the Bible, Peter was one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. Whenever Jesus would go somewhere to pray or to reveal something special to just a select few, Peter was right there at the top of the list. And when Jesus left His earthly ministry, Peter was the head of the newly established church. Granted, Peter had his failings just as all people do, but the difference was that he kept pushing through them and came out better because of them.
Peter didn’t start out as being called Peter. His name was originally Simon, which actually means ‘hearer or listener’. Peter listened to Jesus and took His teaching to heart. Even when Jesus said that He was going to be offered up and die, Peter rebuked Him saying, “Not so Lord,” even though Christ had a larger plan that needed enacted. By all rights and accounts, Peter loved Jesus. He staked everything on Him. When Jesus asked His disciples if they would leave Him, it was Peter who said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life.”
Not only did Peter believe in Jesus, but Jesus believed in Peter as well. Even though Peter in a moment of weakness denied that he knew Jesus 3 different times, Jesus knew that Peter was the right person to continue His earthly ministry. A little before Christ was taken up to Heaven, Jesus kept asking Peter if he loved Him. More than that, Jesus made sure that Peter would continue Christ’s work to take care of His people. Jesus asked Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” And each time that Peter affirmed his love, Jesus would tell him to ‘feed His sheep or lambs’, meaning to take care of His people. Jesus knew that Peter could do it, but He really wanted Peter to know that Peter could do it. Three times a denial conquered by three times a confirmation.
One last thing about Simon Peter. Simon was the earthly name that his parents gave him. Peter was the Heavenly name that Jesus gave him. Simon means listener and Peter means rock. In order for you to be firm in your service of the Lord, you first need to listen to Jesus. Once you stand upon God’s solid foundation, you will never be lost again.
God’s blessings to you.
DH

Rough Cut

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“And he said to them, ‘How is it that you sought me? Knew you not that I must be about my Father’s business?’” – Luke 2:49

 

In the early part of Luke’s gospel, it tells about one of the few youthful glimpses we have about Jesus. After a trip to Jerusalem for the holiday of Passover, Jesus’ earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, were traveling back to their home in Nazareth when they suddenly realized that they left the boy Jesus behind. After a frantic three day search, they found the 12 year old Jesus sitting in the temple speaking with the priests and scribes. When His parents asked Him why He was there, Jesus replied that He “must be about my Father’s business.”

 

There are a few things to take from this story. First off, the obvious one, Jesus was ALWAYS about God’s business because He is God in the flesh. However, Jesus didn’t just mean He was about God’s work, but also Joseph’s work as well. Joseph was a carpenter and in a bigger sense, so is Christ.

 

To become a carpenter, you must first know your tools and the material you will be working with. Each one of us is a child of God, but we are in the rough. We still need to be built into what God has in mind for our lives. God in His magnificence plans situations and trials for each of us that will, over time, wear away at our rough exterior much like sandpaper. Good and bad times both are another stroke of brilliance by the master carpenter.

 

One of our biggest problems is that we enjoy comfort. Some preachers will tell you that when you become a Christian, all of your problems go away. It sounds good, but unfortunately it isn’t true. In fact, your times and circumstances may even become tougher, but being a child of the Most High God allows us to better deal with those problems that come our way. Just like living in darkness, our old selves are dealing with the trials as they are. However, Jesus gives sight to the blind. When we accept Christ’s work on the cross for our salvation, we can then go through trials with a better sense of what awaits afterwards. Through a close relationship with Jesus, we have a stronger hope for the future and a peace within us that surpasses all earthly understanding.

 

Jesus is our Savior and the example to follow. We are to be as much like Jesus as possible. In order to make this happen, Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit so that He could always live in us and through us and change us from the inside out. There was a story once about Michelangelo and his statue of David. He started with a rough block of marble that had been tossed away by another worker. Eventually, after a lot of work, he was left with the beautiful statue. When asked how he did it, Michelangelo replied that David was always in there, he simply needed to chip away anything that was not David. The Holy Spirit works on us in much the same way. It is His job to whittle away at us and remove anything that is not Jesus.

 

Christ is truly the greatest carpenter ever. He took two beams of wood and three nails and gave us an eternal home.

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH

For Peace With God

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God’s plan is for peace in your life, but in this crazy, confused, and fallen world, it seems like all we have are difficulties and pains. Once one goes away, another takes its place. It is the furthest thing from peace, but we need to realize that being at peace is not automatic.

Our problem is that we are separated from God. We are strangers in a strange land and that becomes more apparent with each passing day. Sin abounds. It’s all we see around every turn in this world. After a while, we find we jump right into that sin with both feet. But don’t think that you are alone in that mess. In Romans 3:23, it says that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How right it is.

The words ‘sin’ and ‘fallen’ don’t need to be what define you though. God has placed a remedy before us to bridge the gap between Him and us. That bridge is the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for your sins and mine. The bible says that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

However, just because the bridge is there doesn’t mean that we automatically get saved. We have to accept that saving grace. We can’t just take a flight if we have a ticket. That plane will leave without us if we don’t climb on board. We have to cross the bridge and we do that when we accept and receive Christ through His personal invitation.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” – John 1:12

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

To receive Christ you need to do four things:

  1. ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.” Just like in any problem, the first step is admitting you have one.
  2. REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin. You have to pick a path. One leads to death, the other to eternal life. You at least have to be willing to turn down the correct path, but make no mistake, you can’t do it alone. You need Jesus’ help and that’s what He’s offering.
  3. BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross. Romans 10:19 says that if you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
  4. RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

Whether you are a non-believer in search of peace in your life or even if you are a lifelong Christian who doesn’t feel like they have had that connection with Jesus, now is your chance to come to Him. He’s waiting for you. Please pray this prayer with me:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and I want to turn from them now and forever. I want You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.”

Friends, if you prayed that prayer with me, I believe that you have just been saved. If you didn’t, than what are you waiting for? The bible says that today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time. I know that if I had a single doubt as to my eternal salvation, you couldn’t drag me away from here without accepting the peace of Jesus Christ.

Now, get into a good bible based local church, if you are physically able, and come to know more about the God who loves you and wants to be with you forever. You are now no longer at odds against Him, but instead you have returned to Him as His child who was once lost, but now is found. His arms are outstretched to welcome you home.

May His blessings be upon you forever.

DH

To All Of Our Brothers and Sisters In Law Enforcement

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When darkness falls, remember what you are here for. You mind the gap between good and evil. You stand guard and protect those who cannot protect themselves. You wear a shield, behind which we are all protected because of the daily sacrifices that you make.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)   Remember that you are a peace officer and so much more than that, you are a child of the Most High God. You have been endowed with physical, emotional, and spiritual traits that most do not possess. You are made strong by the Lord for a purpose and that purpose is to care for His flock. Few are chosen to do such a task, but those who are chosen magnify the love of God upon His people. You greatly serve the Lord through your protection.

We want you to know that no matter what this fallen and wicked world says, you are desperately needed. You will never know about the countless lives you safeguard, because you can’t quantify what your very presence actually does for our society. You will never realize the crimes you stop just by being there. Unfortunately, you may never get the thanks you deserve because most of the people you come in contact with daily are the bad people who never wanted you there in the first place. Rest assured that there are still people in this world who care and who are absolutely grateful for what you do.

The events of July 7th are deplorable and plunge our already fallen world into further darkness. However, the darker the night sky, the brighter the stars of Heaven shine and you are those stars! The darkness cannot stand in the presence of the light. Evil will occasionally gain a foothold in society, but good will soon triumph. Read the back of the Bible, we shall be victorious in the end. Be confident in that fact that you are on the winning side.

Remember the words of Jesus Christ who said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)   We pray that no other officers are called to lay down their lives in the line of duty, but we know that to ensure peace and justice, you will not hesitate to do your duty to protect us. For that, we cannot be grateful enough. Thank you for showing us the great and true love of God. Your faithful service shall be rewarded in the form of a crown granted to you when you enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

We fervently pray that you stay safe and protected by Almighty God, now and forever. God’s blessings to you all, our brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

DH