Last Days…

March 2024
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“The Beehive”

 

Hello Folks!  We made it through the week! That’s no small feat considering that life these
days has its challenges, ups and downs, rocky roads, twists and turns, joys and blessings.
You name it – life has it! Like the “busy bee” that scurries about, we navigate through
our own honeycomb of life, darting about at light-speed, trying to get by.

Like most of us, we find ourselves so busy with life’s activity, that we sometimes don’t
take the time to stop, look around and appreciate all that God has blessed us with. Does
this sound familiar in your life?

Well… how about this strategy for the weekend? It’s time to rest… It’s time to stop and
consider what God is doing in our lives.

Speaking of being like “busy bees”, here is an interesting object in our Milky Way
Galaxy — it’s called “The Beehive Cluster”. I imaged this last week from our remote
robotic JMSM Observatory. This beautiful “Open Cluster” of stars is about 600 light
years distant from our Earth. It contains some 1,000 stars in its grouping. Beautiful, isn’t
it? Why do you suppose that God made such spectacular wonders like this Beehive
Cluster shown below?

Glad you asked! Part of the reason is; that God created us for His pleasure, that we may
have fellowship with Him, that we know Him through seeing and understanding His
divine nature through His Glorious Creation – the divine nature of God. Romans 1:20, “
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that
they are without excuse.”

The “… without excuse.” part of this scripture is important, for even though we have not
seen God, we all are witness to His Creation. 1 John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
Imagine that — God’s love is made complete in us. Well… you don’t have to imagine it
– it’s true! God cares about us and He wants to have fellowship with us through His Son
Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship
with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Keep this understanding in your heart as you go through your busy “bee-like” activity,
and even though you may have had a difficult week, take the time this weekend to
recognize the wonderful blessings that God, by His Grace, has continually poured out to
you.

Need an example of God’s Grace? The simple fact that we live in this country is a
blessing. The fact that we have the freedom to go to church this Sunday and worship our
God is a blessing (which by the way, is not the case in some parts of the world these
days). Remember… You can’t out-give God! When we think about all that God has
done for us, it’s good that we take the time to give thanks to our Lord. We must also take
the opportunity to have fellowship with one another.

The Bible speaks about the importance of Christian fellowship in 1 John 1:7, “But if we
walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sins.” In addition, Christian fellowship with
one another is a way to affirm and remain strong in our faith. This is one of many
reasons why it is good to get connected with a Life Group (Small Group) Bible Study.
SVCC has many such Life Groups. By being part of a Life Group, we can experience
fellowship with other Christians, and we can grow in our understanding of God’s Word
as we learn to trust what God is doing in our lives.

Did you know that understanding God’s Word helps to protect us? Listen to what it says
in Proverbs 30:5, “Every work of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge
in Him.” As a practical matter, reading and studying God’s Word brings peace and
understanding to what is happening in our lives as we take refuge in the One that protects
us. This sanctifying process speaks to our “calling” as believers in Christ Jesus –
allowing us to take comfort in His tender mercies that flow into and through our lives.
1 Peter 1:5-10, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control,
perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they
will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has
forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the
more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will
never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.”

Back to the Beehive Cluster image above… If you look closely… see if you can locate
some of the many interesting galaxies finding rest among the stars. Such is the wonderful
view that God gives us from our perspective here on Earth – His glory on display in the
heavens.

So… As you wind down from your busy week, relax and take time to rest. Take heart in
the fact that God has a plan for your life. Remember… we’re just a passing through…
We have the promise of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior. For it says in 2 Peter 3:123, “ But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven an a new earth, the home of the righteousness.”
Therefore, be obedient to God in all you do, and our Lord who is the Creator of all things,
will bless you beyond measure.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Have a great weekend folks.

Your Brother in Christ,
Mike Sherick

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