Heavenly Father isn’t content with a good seat in the stands, He wants His hands touching every part of our lives. We need God’s hands upon our lives every day. Wonderfully, God invites us to approach Him and receive His amazing grace to help us. Jesus said apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5)! Do we live as if we don’t really need God’s presence and power to accomplish His purposes on earth?
What was the first thing a person does who comes out of a time of quarantine? When Noah exited the Ark after the flood, he “built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar” (Genesis 8:20 MEV). Altars were significant in the lives of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all of the Old Testament saints. The altar serves as a meeting place between God and human beings.
In Christ, we have an open invitation to build an altar of prayer and worship and boldly approach God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We need to come regularly into the presence of God in worship, to encounter Him, to receive an appropriate blessing at just the right moment. Altar worship transcends our weakness and acknowledges God’s power. We receive possibilities larger than we ever imagined. William Temple, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1940s, is known for saying, ‘When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.’
Connect with Heaven. Thank God that you are still alive and God is still at work. Pray; worship; expect the supernatural. Build an altar and come expectantly to the throne. Approach with simplicity and trust like a child to a father. Discover fresh perspective, peace, and patience. “With privilege, approach the throne of grace … and find an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment” (Hebrews 4:16 AMP).
Are you ready to get your “fight” on? God’s Word says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16b KJV). This message is targeted for Mother’s Day (5-10-20).
May 17 at 8:30AM and 10AM (ONE WEEK AWAY) will be our first Onsite Church Service since our break. We don’t have all the details set in stone, but here are our tentative plans.
We encourage higher-at-risk individuals to attend 8:30AM. To help protect this segment of our congregation, we ask no children attend this service (or adults who work in high risk environments). The 10AM service is open for anyone, including children.
Let’s keep everyone safe and healthy. We will practice physical distancing as mandated by the governor. Families may group and sit together. Please, use common courtesy and stay 6 feet away, front, back and to the side of other individuals outside of your family unit. We encourage every adult to wear a mask but it is not mandatory.
For individuals who are not comfortable attending onsite services, teaching will be recorded and posted to the VFC website.
Pray! Pray fervently. Cry out to God. Fervent prayers tend to arise from within a person with some kind of need. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much” (James 5:16b MEV). Listen to the message below to discover more about what makes prayer fervent and effective.
This message was originally posted on March 29, 2020.
GOD IS GOOD! Like the Psalmist, we should praise, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6a MEV). Our lives should be filled with the great things God has done, is doing, and will do in the future.
The Lord is not holding back something – “no good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11b NKJV). Like a seed germinating underground, God is at work quietly behind the scenes, but goodness is about to spring forth. Your next season awaits with opportunities God has already prepared in advance for you.
Reach out in faith to Almighty God. Direct your speech and your steps to match God’s Word and you will witness God involved in your life. Respond quickly with yielded obedience. Plant your feet. Defend your ground. Receive God’s blessings! Follow the link to hear Pastor Greg Simon‘s message “God-Filled & God-Blessed!”
Pastor Greg shares about the powerful spiritual force of God’s joy, the enduring quality that sustains us through difficult times. You will also want to listen to Pastor Carol’s encouragement for waiting. Waiting isn’t easy, but waiting on God always reveals desirable results. United States culture prefers instant gratification and we don’t happily embrace the idea of having to wait for things. There is so much God wants to do in us while we wait.
Jesus did not give up because of the cross; He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). “Keep your eyes on Jesus …. He never lost sight of where He was headed—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever” (Hebrews 12:2 MSG). Joy empowered Christ to endure the cross. Jesus understood that the resurrection was on the other side of the cross. Recognition of God’s purpose brings joy.
The pastoral team of Valley Fellowship Church in Huntsville, Alabama, share worship, Biblical teaching, and announcements targeted for April 19, 2020. Also, we join in special prayer for the Basque people on this International Day of Prayer for the Basque.
Pastor Greg Simon asks, “Are you calm in chaos or freaking out?” We live in this world as Christ-followers, but our relationship with heaven’s Lord should make us stand out in this world – thinking differently, talking differently, acting differently, working differently. Check your life for evidence of quietness, tranquility, composure, peace. Restlessness or worry conveys that you cannot trust your connection with the Lord of the universe. People around you will notice your peace in the midst of storms. Live as if you really do have a Heavenly Father who loves and cares for you.
The pastoral team shares memories. Have you taken time to remember the significance of Christ’s resurrection?
We humans are a forgetful lot. We forget birthdays, anniversaries, and important appointments. We even forget people. Is there really any wonder why Jesus Christ reinterpreted the Passover liturgy and instructed His followers practice Communion?
“When He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take and eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He took the cup after He had supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25 MEV)
Communion is a table of remembrance. Christ Jesus wants us to remember His body and His blood, but what else should we remember?