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So I want to explain this Palm Sunday Worship (PSW). Eight years ago a group of pastors began to meet together once a month to fellowship, encourage, pray, argue, laugh, disagree/agree, and love one another. From that an idea was presented to get our churches together for a Sunday worship and praise to God. We began has come to be PSW. It looked different at different places, songs, and speakers from 5-7 churches. It is from 6:30-8:00pm on Palm Sunday night filling the place with Worship of our Savior.

Four years ago, April 14, 2019, the PSW was planned to be at Pleasant Grove Church, and I was to be the speaker. The problem was the 5 days prior to Palm Sunday my son, Jedidiah, was shot and on that Sunday during our morning service at Hope Chapel, I was told to get to GSP and fly out to Germany where he was in ICU. I left the morning service at Hope. So the PSW turned into a prayer service and worship. We have not had a PSW since that time.

This year, the pastors asked to reinstate the annual event asking Jedidiah to come and speak. All was planned and then one of Jedidiah and Jeremiah’s Navy SEALS good friends died in a training accident, and they are going to Arlington Cemetery instead of coming down to PSW. So, the pastors have asked me to step in and speak in Jedidiah’s stead about what has happened. The service includes mostly 2 grand times of worship songs and a short 15 minute Gospel presentation in the middle.

So do plan to come and worship the Lord this Sunday from 6:30-8pm at Pleasant Grove Church with other believers on the one day of the year when Jesus was honored for Who He is by people. Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! The King of Israel! (John 12:13) It is a time when we can join our voices with other believers in the same community lifting up the Name of Jesus, the King of Glory. Invite friends and family to come and join us.

This Sunday we will have Praise, Prayer, Communion, and Baptism! The Lord is working in our church to prepare for the future and insure a godly seed in the next generation. This brings a very important principle that every church has to constantly remember. Prepare for the Next Generation to listen, lead, and love so they can extend God’s kingdom. When a church ceases to tend to the next generation, to prepare them for their God-designed task of sharing the Gospel and loving God’s community, it dies. This is what Jeremiah meant when he wrote, There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border (Jeremiah 31:17). There is hope for Hope in the children that God is bringing and raising up. We will have 3 young people getting baptized on Sunday, and now we need to prepare them for a work in the harvest. The most important thing is to ensure that their eyes are on the Lord and to keep them there. That brings HOPE for them and all around them. Another verse that Jeremiah wrote for us… The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him! (Lam.3:24) When God is the center of the church and His Presence is abiding in His Church, mighty things occur and one of them is that the children come home to enjoy it, and then share it as God leads them to extend and expand God’s kingdom in their day of duty to the Lord God. Amen and Amen.

Just a reminder that we will be having a Palm Sunday Evening Worship time at PG with other churches. Please plan to come and sing the praises of God with the large community of saints. It will begin at 6:30pm and end at 8pm. Invite your friends, and let's celebrate the one day on earth that Jesus was praised for Who He is!

I am so thankful to God for His mighty work in our church in so many ways. I sit at my desk in my office and a young teen comes in and asks, “Hey, Pastor, is there anything I can do for you? I have some extra time and just wanted to help.” To say the least, I was caught off guard and stumbled in thinking how or what he could do to prosper the ministry of Hope Chapel. We talked a bit, and then I gave him something to do and off he went to serve, minister, for which he will receive a reward in heaven when he meets with Jesus about his life. Amen to that! It made me think and consider all that God is doing in the hearts and lives of people at Hope Chapel. I could recite names and circumstances to you, but then would need to get permission to use people’s names and deeds… So I will not use names, but just know that God is working in hearts and lives of the members of Hope Chapel to extend His kingdom in this place and for His glory. For 10 years God has touched the hearts of people in supporting this ministry. We have always, and I mean always, received from the Lord what He expected from us to do through giving and selfless sacrifice. Through Hope, God sent missionaries to places and kept them supported, raised aid and support for nearby churches who are seeking to serve the Lord, opened our doors to needy brothers and sisters (literally strangers) in Christ so they could have a place to worship, planned and executed programs for teens needing to know Christ, and so many more. And all of it God is noting and planning a great service for you to receive rewards for your service and support before His Presence and pleasure. Note these…

·   Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (Jms.1:12)

·   I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Re.22:12)

·   Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. (2Jn.1:8)

·   But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. (Lk.6:35)

·   For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. (Mk.9:41)

And there are many more verses… Please consider where we will live forever and the rejoicing that we will enjoy before His Face. Blessed be His Name. Work for Eternity!

All kinds of things going on in the world. As I sat with 7 other men at our Friday prayer meeting we discussed all the happenings of note in the news and how we are to respond and react. We talked about the book of Revelation and how it applies, and we talked briefly on Matthew 24, 25, the Olivet Discourse, in which Jesus tells of future events coming. Following prayer we talked about different national or local issues that have come up and need attention. We had 3 high school men who were praying with us from the teens with Jonathan. All of this reminds me of Jesus’ words for all of us in John 14:1-3, Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. What we do know is that we will be with Jesus forever, and when and how, we do not know. But we believe in Jesus and we believe in God, and they are preparing a place for us to enjoy when our journey here on earth is done. Till that time we must be faithful to God in extending His kingdom. The things of earth, the politics of nations, the progress of evil, the battle between evil and good, the ultimate victory of God and His goodness, is all to be accomplished according to His will and plan in perfection. We will see that then but not now. Rest your hearts in the Lord. Speak the truth in love. Set the Lord always before you. Seek the Kingdom of God first. And remember Our God Reigns!

James says in chapter 5:16, Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. What does that mean? Ponder on that verse and ask God to reveal to you what it means. It seriously says that prayer avails much when it is effective, fervent, and from a righteous source. When a person becomes a Christian they are made in the righteousness of God according to 2 Cor.5:21. So this requires regeneration (born again) by God. Our prayers are in the Name of Jesus as He told us to pray in His Name. (Jn.14:14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. This is why we pray in the Name of Jesus. It also is connected with the first part of the verse saying that we are to confess our sins to one another. Not to a priest but to one another. So when we realize that we have offended, transgressed, or sinned against someone, we are to confess it to them, repent, and ask for forgiveness (Mt.5:23,24). Also, if someone has sinned against you, it is your responsibility to tell them. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him (Lk.17:3). Forgiveness of the hand. This idea that we are to communicate with one another, both if we have offended or they have offended, means we are to go and make sure all is understood, accepted, and restored. Now we may need to take time to build back the trust that was lost, but forgiveness is granted on the fact that we have been forgiven by God and so have the delight and duty to forgive others. When this occurs, then healing comes and the soul is brought into a sweet communion with God. If someone has sinned against you numerous times and grievously, you will need to see their sin in comparison to your sin against God. In your understanding of God’s forgiveness of you, you can forgive others for no one has sinned more against you than you have against God. If you struggle to forgive another, you need to spend time seeing the sins you have committed against God, which He has forgiven. 

Wow, what a week! Ian and I flew up to KY to participate in the Asbury Revival, and God really worked in our hearts. Ian will be probably sharing some with you about it. Lots to learn and grow in by watching His hand on His children.

What is Paul meaning (and the Spirit) when he writes in 1 Co.6:19-20, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. How are we to deal with our body or spirit knowing that God views them as a temple for His presence and indwelling? Do we take care of our body and spirit in such a way that they present a good picture of the glory of God? How do we treat our body in contrast to our spirit? How does the world seek to destroy both? How does sin affect both? Is it easier to deal with our body or spirit in keeping them pure? Does one affect the other? These are just a few of the questions that I have pondered as it has been presented to me. Is my body healthy? How about my spirit? What causes sickness, illness, or damage in either? I am looking for answers on these frontal questions? I know they are just the beginning, but I believe that there must be answers to all of these questions. I know that my spirit is renewed everyday as my body declines. Am I taking care of my body as I ought to be? How do I take care of my spirit? Let me know what you think in a text when you have time. Thanks. Blessings.

Finally, some have asked how to support Marianna…since she is going with Spread Truth, the easiest way is by clicking this link: https://spreadtruth.com/donate/ and putting her name in the comments or message box. Thanks. 

The Lord is bringing all kinds of guests and visitors to Hope. Keep inviting and encouraging others to come and grow with us: grow, divide, and multiply. I want to thank all of you (no names so as not to offend) for helping in many different ways to minister at hope… to our kids in Children’s Church, Nursery and youth, LG Welcome Teams, Security Team, for coffee and food during Fellowship Time, Elders/Deacons, tech supporting Service and Counseling Class and especially and deservedly to Jonathan Thompson who is here every Sunday setting up for church with signs, cones…. May God bless all of you and grant great rewards in heaven because you are doing a good and faithful service to Christ’s Body. 

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork (Ps.19:1) No one on earth can stop that nor change that. God will glorify Himself in the creation that we see every day and night because He is the Creator, and the order, beauty, immensity, and wonder are all in and displaying for all to see. What a delight and glory! Take some time and look out the window at night and marvel at the true glory of God in the absolute creative display of His power, might, and majesty. It will strengthen your heart and focus.

My daughter Marianna is going on a Mission Trip with Spread Truth this month and has made a video to explain it. As a member of Hope she wanted everyone to know so you can pray. So look for the video below.

Kenya Trip