Some Sunday guests have left our church donations to the Food Pantry and this was deeply appreciated. This is a busy time of year for the Food Pantry and all other food banks.
Our congregation extends sympathy to the family and friends of JoAnn Conner Pate who passed away last week. The Clay Annex was used for the dinner prepared for JoAnn’s family. JoAnn was our friend and we love her and the family she and Joe Bob raised.
Laura Leatherwood read a lengthy scripture lesson from Revelations 21:1-27. This scripture gives an in-depth description of heaven and the New Jerusalem.
It begins with, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” And it ends with
“Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life.”
Pastor Ken said there is a quartet song with these words, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”
There will be wonders beyond description in heaven but one thing it will never be is a let-down.
Paul tells us in First Corinthians “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
When Jesus was born, He was called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” When we reach Heaven; by God’s mercy in Christ, we shall see Emmanuel face to face and spend eternity with His selfless love.