Dear Church Family and Friends of Heritage,
Do you know any words that have a feeling to them like these two words, WELCOME HOME? I have been passing through airports and have seen families with balloons and signs welcoming home their sons and daughters from war. Each time I see this, it reminds me of when I was five years old and my Dad, Speedy Keith, came home from WWII. You are not supposed to forget things like that.
I cannot wait until this quarantine is over and we open up the doors to Heritage to welcome you back home to God’s House. We miss the privilege we have of freedom to worship with one another.
I was thinking, during the last few weeks, about the Children of Israel being exiled. We can all learn valuable lessons from what we have been called upon to give up. A couple of verses have come to mind, “Confidence in an unfaithful man is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint.” Then, the next scripture which came to mind is, “We have been fitly joined together”. For days now, I have played what we have been going through over and over in my mind, and I am sure you have as well. For my money’s worth, I have been predominately made aware of my need for our church family. I think I say it best when I say, ”I love you, I miss you, I need you, and I want you.” Running over and over in my mind for several days are these two words, ONE ANOTHER.
Let me share with you this string of pearls today:
- Ephesians 4:2, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing (one another) in love;...
- Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving (one another), even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
- Ephesians 5:21, “Submit yourselves (one to another) in the fear of God.”
- Galatians 5:13, “For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve (one another).”
- Galatians 5:26, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking (one another), envying one another.”
- Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye (one another's) burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing (one another) in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
WELCOME HOME! Sometimes when we have had something taken from us, it has a way of meaning more to us. It is as though freedom has been taken from us, and none of us like it at all. The Prodigal did not know what he missed until he came to the end of himself. Can you imagine what he may have been thinking on his way home? He surely was making up his apology speech. I want to be like the Father who saw him a long way off. No apology was needed. He fell on his neck and kissed him. God’s love, and ours, should be one in the same. I LOVE THIS BIBLICAL PICTURE OF WELCOME HOME.
I want you to know personally from me how much we appreciate your financial faithfulness during this season. Your gifts and prayers help us to keep on keeping on, and we can never forget the lesson of: ONE ANOTHER. I BELIEVE IN YOU!
In His Grip,
Pastor Cleddie Keith