"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" TO SAVE HUMANITY FROM COVID-19.
134 Faber St, Staten Island, New York, New York 10302, United States
Vicar's Page
From the Vicar's desk...............
Dearly beloved in Christ
There are times when we and others need encouragement, when their hearts are heavy. There are even times they feel unable to face the challenges before them. In such situations, God gives us the words to speak laced with kindness. The Bible tells us to have a heart of compassion and kindness. It’s a choice we have. You can probably think of people who act nice outwardly, but you know it’s not authentic. God wants us to be genuinely kind, like he is.
Even when the Holy Spirit points out ways we need to grow, he does it in the kindest way. When Jesus interacted, he was respectful, patient and kind even when they mistreated him. It baffles us, at times, that we can choose kindness to those we don’t even know, yet, be less kind to those inside our homes.
The golden rule found in Luke 6:31 remind us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. But we don’t always think of that interacting with others. We like it when people extend grace to us, but we’re not always as generous. And when a harsh word is spoken, we’d rather react in like manner than do what we’re instructed to do in Proverb 15:1 - To give a soft answer. We’d rather react in anger. We even try to convince ourselves it will feel good. After all, we were hurt, weren’t we? Why can’t we hurt them back? They deserve it, don’t they? But the truth is, God shows us grace. Just like he did when he forgave us. Pure grace. There were no strings dangling.
In Romans 5:8, it says God demonstrated his love for us while we were yet sinners. His love was so gracious he gave it, knowing some would not accept his gift. We didn’t deserve it. So, the next time we’re tempted to react instead of responding with grace, we need to remember God didn’t give us what we truly deserved. He will empower us to do the same. And the more we choose to be gracious, the easier it will become. God tells us to be patient with all. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 it says And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak; be patient with them all. Let us together cultivate grace and mercy in our hearts.
September marks the beginning of school year and this year the government has decided to resume in-person classes. We need to humble ourselves before our Lord and ask him to protect our children from all ailments and dangers. Let us keep our children in prayer. September 18th we are organizing our family night. Let us pray that the fellowship is a blessed experience for our church family. Let us come together to make it a memorable day for all of us. Keep me and my family in your prayers.
Yours in prayer
Johnson Achen
917-932-4575