The Lord has carried us through the adversities of life for another year. He has blessed us to skip on the mountaintops; He has walked through the valley of despair with us and although we tend to remember His sweet presence in either extreme, let us not forget He is daily with us in our everyday life. How thankful we ought to be.

As the Church of God we have been blessed with His presence in our services, we have been blessed with peace in the Church and we have been blessed with everything we needed to improve the facilities. He has spared our lives down to this good hour. I weep when I think how negligent I am in giving Him thanks for all His great truths and mercies He has bestowed upon His Church and has made me to be a partaker of them. Praise His Holy name.

I have wondered, having been called to serve you, if I have manifested my love toward you, as I should. Notice the intensity of the words that the Apostle Paul used to describe his love toward the brethren at Philippi. (Ph. 4:1) “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” He referred to them as his dearly beloved two times in the one verse. He longed for them and they are his joy and crown. How he loved them and admonished them to stand fast in the Lord. Brethren, your servants love you even though they may not be able to express it as the Apostle did. I know that love is mutual, because I have been the benefactor of your love and prayers. There seems to be this common bond between believers of the truth, that they have a love for the Church (Zion) wherever she is located. Our hearts rejoice in the Lord in the statement made by Polycarp, a disciple of John, concerning the Apostle's, and hear of her prospering in the spirit. I am reminded at this time of the statement made by Polycarp concerning Apostle’s encouragement to one of the Churches of Asia. When he was no longer physically able to stand and preach he would sit among the brethren and say to them: Little children, love one another. I pray that my effort to preach and my walk among you might encourage you to love one another.

(Ph. 4:4) “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.” Paul is telling these brethren that he loves so much to rejoice. When we look about us in the world we don’t find much to rejoice about, however, Paul told those brethren to rejoice in the Lord, not in the world. We know that this whole world is subject to God’s power. We have been taught of God that He has over come the world and has given us the victory.

(Ph. 4:6) “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” I am persuaded, that He is not telling us to not be careful in our service to God, our life in the Church, our walk among our brethren, but is telling us not to be careful for the things of this world. But let everything be in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. God knows what we need and what we desire, however, He has made it our responsibility to make our request known to Him. I think this is the answer to our peace. He may not grant our request but He also gives us grace to be reconciled.

(V7) “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Oh for that peace while we wait for Jesus to come and gather up His sheep.

He said, rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice. Let your requests be known unto God.