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God’s Promises

Today’s the Day

by TerryLema October 8, 2023

Today is the community-wide launch of Christian Fatih Center (CFC) Middleton. We will be headed over to the church before the first service at 9:30AM. I am a greeter today. I will stand at the door, smile, welcome, shake hands with some and hug others as they enter that old log cabin building (now refurbished!).

The Way Middleton will finally and completely be CFC Middleton. The Way will fade into the past. CFC will burst into the future. Yet … as I sit here this morning pondering what has transpired over the last few decades, I see God’s promises given to so many.

In the 1990’s someone decided to plant a church in Middleton called New Beginnings. I don’t know the names of all those first pastors. I just know it met in a rented facility when Bob and I started attending and eventually assumed the leadership for the church in 2008.

In 2010 the church was renamed The Way, and a handful of people were given the opportunity to rent and then finally purchase a log cabin church in the center of town. Those few people and others who joined them prayed fervently over the years for God to reach the people of Middleton with the Gospel. They yearned to see the church grow, to see people saved and set free by the LORD Christ Jesus.

In 2022 a new young pastor took over leadership of The Way and a subsequent joining with CFC saw the beginning of a new phase of God’s promises for Middleton. Today that promise takes the next step.

The church buildings have changed. The people have changed. But God’s promise to the people of Middleton remains sure. As we were reminded last Sunday night, standing in that log cabin building, God “will build [His] church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it.” [Matthew 16:18]

Thank you, LORD, for Your promises that are always “Yes and Amen.”

October 8, 2023 0 comment
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My God, How Amazingly Wonderful You Are!

by TerryLema October 13, 2020

As I was combing my hair a few mornings ago, I was reminded to read the Psalm sequence for that day. I mark that sequence in my Bibles every time I get a new one. Five Psalms per day, so Psalms 1-5 on the first day of the month, Psalms 6-10 on the second day, reserving that wonderful long Psalm 119 for the 31st day. I began reading the psalms like this in the 1980’s! They have taught me so much—how to pray, how to worship, the wonderful character and love of my LORD.

The Psalms God directed me to that day were Psalms 36-40. When I opened my Bible to read, I did not get past the first one. Psalm 36, written by David, is labeled in my Bible as “Human Wickedness and God’s Love.” The opening four verses and the last two are directed at Human Wickedness. Verses 5 through 10 are all about God’s love.  (Suffice it to say, those are my favorite.)

Human wickedness is summarized simply. “There is no dread of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his sin.” [v1a-2 HCSB]

Then David tells us that the wicked person’s words are malicious and deceptive, and their actions are unwise. They have stopped doing good and have set themselves on evil paths. They even spend nights thinking of more maliciousness.

Suddenly David turns his attention from wicked persons to the LORD, and his vision soars. “LORD, Your faithful love reaches to heaven, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your rightness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments, like the deepest sea.”  [v5-6a HCSB]

Stop and read that again. What a wonderful, faithful, holy God we serve. David goes on in the remainder of those middle verses to describe just a few of the blessings that flow from our wonderful, faithful, holy God. If you have a moment, open your Bible and read Psalm 36. Savor the words and the descriptions about our LORD. Meditate on how David’s words apply to your life today … no matter what you are facing!

God’s promises! God’s Faithful love! God’s righteousness! Amen.

October 13, 2020 0 comment
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Ready for Amazing?

by TerryLema August 6, 2020

One of the emails in my inbox when I got up last Saturday morning asked me, “Are you ready for an amazing August?”  Am I ready?  Ah, yep!  Of course, their determination of my August was dependent upon my purchasing a new coffee maker along with a lot of “autumn” flavors.

But am I ready for an amazing August? More than ready. The first half of 2020 has been less than amazing. I am ready to turn a corner and see 2020 end on a much better note. Do I expect that to actually happen?  No. I expect 2020 to end on a down note. I think recovery from this fear-and-virus pandemic and economic downturn will take far longer than we anticipate.

Still, can August be amazing?  Yes, it can. It can because I have put my hope in the promises of God, in His Word to His children. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119, “You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.” [vs 114 HCSB]

At the end of his life, Joshua reminded those he led that everything God had promised them had come true. Not one of God’s promises had failed.  “I am now going the way of all the earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the Lord your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.” [Joshua 23:14 HCSB]

I know August can be amazing, even in the midst of a fear-and-virus pandemic in our nation because our God has promised us that by trusting in Him, we have life and that life can be an abundant one. He has promised us that we have a future and a hope. He has promised us an inheritance in the saints. He has promised us that He alone is our shelter and our shield and if we put our hope in His Word, nothing in this world is strong enough to take us away from Him.

Amen & Amen. 

 

August 6, 2020 0 comment
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Pastor Terry Lema

Pastor Terry Lema has been married for 53 years, and has 3 children and 3 grandsons. Terry graduated from Trinity Bible College, and and recently retired as Lead Pastor at The Way Church in Middleton, Idaho.

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