WEEKLY UPDATE- JANUARY 1ST

Well this has been a hard year for so many of us trying to just survive the pandemic and for us the lose of our location to meet at as a church.

And it has not been fun with all this moving around from meeting online only and then to a school to a hotel back to a school and then to another church and then not being able to meet on Christmas Eve either, it has just been overwhelming for us.

I want to thank all of you who have hung in there with us during these past 2 years whether it was in person or on line.

I want you all to know that our leadership team and myself are dedicated to serving you in any way that they can or that you need, and we are looking for 2022 to be great year for us as a church in this new location that the Lord has blessed us with.

And I know meeting on a Saturday nights just seems weird but at least we are still able to meet in person. Lets not forget that the enemy wants to split us up and destroy the work that the Lord has done with this small group of people that love the Lord.

This last year we have been able to help the Cuba Churches with $6000.00 of support we were able to give 17 families Christmas who with out your giving would have had nothing for Christmas and we helped out Esther House this year for the ladies that are living there getting out of prostitution. And we have helped out at least 8-10 families with rent assistance along with helping put food on their tables as well.

We were also able to help out a family that was relocated here from Afghanistan with quite a bit of help. And we have done so much more also.

I say all this to say that I am honored to be part of this work here in GVR along side with all of you.

And I like you ask the Lord this question all the time “Why can’t we have our own building Lord we have been so faithful for 12 years out here Lord, and I feel like the Lord responds with if you had a building will that make you happy because I am not enough for you?

I am as frustrated as all are but lets finish this race well.

And inspite of not having our own building the Lord has used us to reach and minister to hundreds if not thousands through all the ministry we have done here in GVR

I want you to know that I love each and everyone of you very much.

Pastor Wally

Question:  “What sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make?”

Answer:  The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3,000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Common New Year’s resolutions are commitments to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money more wisely, and to spend more time with family. By far, the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating more healthily. These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to physical things. This should not be.

Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God-honoring and/or is not in agreement with God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions: (1) pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) regarding what resolutions, if any, He would have you make; (2) pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you; (3) rely on God’s strength to help you; (4) find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you; (5) don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead, allow them to motivate you further; (6) don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory. Psalm 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”