Missionary of the Month
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1285 43rd Avenue G ra ce B ap t i st 772.562.4609
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April 2014
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and na on;” Revela on 5:9
The picture here is a futuris c one of worship of the Lamb. Marked by His wounds, He takes the book of judgment to open the seals. The four beasts and twenty and four elders li up a song of praise. He is worthy for He was slain and had redeemed sinners to God through His blood. One writer said about the phrase redeemed, “It implies that those who once were the property of sin have become the property of God. They are His to use as He sees fit to glorify Himself.” What a glorious thought of what we once were and now, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, what we are. The scope of this great work is that men, women, boys and girls are called out of every tribe, na on, and race. Christ’s death has crossed every line of delinea on. In verses 11 through 12, the angels respond. These thousands upon thousands of these beings who do not experience salva on but are in amazement of God’s work and plan, join in the adora on of the Lamb. Their words of adora on make known the glorious a ributes of the Lamb. The final response to the Lamb is of all crea on issuing forth a chorus of praise to the Lamb. All crea on acknowledges His worth and gives honor to Him. It is a reminder to us of the great work accomplished upon the cross and the future worship of Him who died and rose again to complete the plan of salva on to bring glory to the Father. May we offer praise from our lips and from lives that are consecrated for His glory.
News and Noteworthy
UPCOMING EVENTS
PRAYER LIST
Ge ng to Know Grace
BY MY STRONG HAND I WILL SAVE YOU...
One August morning in the early 1990's, I 4/3...7 p.m. Trustee Mee ng
arrived along with my wife and two young 4/3...Ladies Bible Study daughters at my sister's rented vaca on co age Bob & Helen VanDeWalker
at the Delaware seashore. The kids wanted im-­‐
Edna Cantner
4/5...Church Work Day
mediately to go to the beach, so I led them down to the sand. Unfortunately, a recent Paul & Peggy Wyher
4/6...4:45 p.m. Missions storm had brewed up huge waves and whiteDoris Webber
caps, and "no swimming" signs were every-­‐
Commi ee Mee ng where. We resolved to just wade at the water's Dale & Naomi Bintz
edge for a while. A er a short me, we no ced 4/13...Palm Sunday Potluck Tom Jervis
we were being pulled further and further out. A er a huge unexpected wave, I Luncheon Iva Hu on
was pulled underwater and out to sea by a strong undertow. I did all the wrong things. I foolishly tried swimming towards shore against the 4/13...Elder’s Mee ng Sam Frey
current. Finally, I became exhausted with limp arms and legs. I was pulled under 4/16...Church Business Mee ng Millie Laxson and held under, about 8 feet down. I could see the daylight, but couldn't get there. I started breathing ocean water, which triggered the worst panic I have 4/17...Ladies Bible Study ever known. This was the start of the drowning process. Suddenly, this horrible panic just stopped, like someone flipped a switch, and it was replaced by a blissful 4/20...Easter Service feeling of peace and resigna on. Things began ge ng darker and darker, and I No night service remember my last thought was of heart-breaking regret that I would be leaving my family to be fatherless (which happened to me when I was a child). Although 5/3...Men’s Prayer Time
my lungs were full of water, I cried out in my mind a final, simple prayer to God: “Lord, save me!” ( I didn't know then that these were the same words Peter called to Jesus, when he started to sink in the Lake.)
Instantly, a huge hand which was larger than my back slammed into me at waist level, and started propelling me underwater. I could feel the palm and the five huge fingers. Suddenly my limp feet and knees were dragging on the sand in BIRTHDAYS
ANNIVERSARIES
the surf, and just as suddenly, the hand wasn't there anymore. I staggered to the beach, and coughed up a lung full of ocean water. Looking back out into the Atlan-­‐
c, nothing and nobody was to be seen...just grey clouds and rough waves.
4/6...Marvin Mayer Reflec
ng on this experience in the days and weeks that followed, I realized 4/2 4/7...Kristen Jones that my life had been more than changed. I had been a dead man, with no hope of Bob &Helen Van De Walker
survival, and been given my life back by the love, grace and power of our Lord. I 4/10...Bill Cramer determined that every day of life from that me would truly be a gi from God. I 4/12...Judy Haines 4/19 resolved to make my faith and commitment to my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus my 4/13...Jim S ne highest priority in the years to come. We worship a God who in scripture promis-­‐
Paul & Peggy Wyher es that by His strong hand he will save his people, and tells us to call on Him, and 4/25...Jennifer Jones He will answer. As a man who should be dead, but instead is alive, I know these 4/29...Joey Krauss promises are as true today as they were thousands of years ago. Depend on Him! -Jeff Burgard
4/30...Brock Drinnon