NO LIVERMORE — At the January 15 service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins to begin the service. The Invocation/Lord’s Prayer was recited. The hymns that were sung was “How Great Thou Art”, “Day by Day”, “In His Time”. The service ended with the congregation singing “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.

The sermon, titled “A Time for Everything” and reading the scripture from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. Pastor Bonnie speaking of how things are tough for some people right now. With everything going on in the world, we wonder if things will ever change. In 1965, there was a song called “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds and in the song it says “to everything there is a season”. Even back then, people knew things were only here for a time.

Our scripture reading was written by a man named Solomon, one of the wisest men in the Bible. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him. In today’s time, we see so many things change, we see the seasons change, we see our circumstances change, our families, jobs, education, music, technology, cultures, nations, etc. change. We have all gone through seasons of doubt, love, joy, hope, anxiety, and despair. It seems kind of odd that when we pray to God, we usually will ask for a change in our circumstances but not a change in ourselves. God has told us that He makes us all new through His Son, Jesus Christ when we accept Him as our personal Savior. Out with our old life and in with our new life in Jesus. When we do this, we begin a new season in our lives.

God has promised us that He would never leave or forsake us, and that is true. There is a time when Jesus will come back for His Church and all believers in Christ will go with Him. We know that God’s timing will be sufficient. God wants us to know that His timing is seasonal. Where there is a time of birth and death, hurting and healing, tearing down and building up, and war and peace. They all are describing different seasons in ones’ life. There are times of loss and a time when we gain something, only when it is in His timing. And why is it, we know that God is working in our lives, it surprises us when He answers us. Usually, He has answered us better than we expected and for some reason we are surprised by it. God works in ways we are not aware of, but always wanted.

There is a time for everything, but not all at once. Because we attempt too many things at once, we need to focus on a few things at a time. We need to remember that there are reasons for each season we are in. We need to remember the seasons aren’t for forever, just for a time. We also need to see the big picture and not our tunnel vision. God knows how everything turns out, we need to believe that and work towards it too.

God tells us not to get too comfortable in the season we are in. It will change and we need to adapt to the new season. We know as believers that God will take care of us and no matter what season of life we are going through, He is going through it with us. He walks besides us, in front and behind us, and sometimes He will carry us. Seasons of our life will come and go, but God will always be there for us.

Announcements listed in the bulletin are the congregation will be collecting Canned Soup for the Food Pantry in the month of January. Bible Study is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Coming Events: Annual Business meeting on January 22. The AA meetings are held on Friday nights at the church. Do not park around the church when there is snow on the roof and if school is canceled in the area, Pastor Bonnie will not be in the office and all events canceled.

For information, check out our website at northlivermorebaptistchurch.org. You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.

At the January 22 service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Invocation/Lord’s Prayer was recited. The hymns that were sung was “When We All Get to Heaven”, “What if it Were Today?”, “What a Day That Will Be”. The service ended with the congregation singing “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.

The sermon, titled “Are You Heading to Paradise?” and reading the scripture from Luke 23:32-43. Pastor Bonnie begins by saying how we go on vacations that seem like paradise to us, comparing to where we live in our lives. She stated that no matter how beautiful and peaceful a place is on earth, it will never be paradise. In the scriptures read, Jesus says that there is a paradise, and it is only with Him.

Our scriptures begin with Jesus and two criminals on their own crosses. As the people shouted at Jesus, mocking Him, they were also dividing up His clothes. This is when Jesus spoke out to God saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus knew that the people around Him didn’t realize who He really is. Even from the cross, Jesus was speaking on our behalf. They both were going to die a gruesome death, just like Jesus, but one mocked Jesus, while the other one reached out to Jesus. As symbolic as the placing of the two criminals around Jesus, even today, people are either with Jesus or not.

As one of the criminals mocked and yelled out to Jesus to save Himself and himself and the other criminal, Jesus concentrated on what the other criminal was saying. This man dying on a cross, reached out to Jesus confessing his sins by admitting his guilt and knowing he is getting what he deserves, death. As we are sinners, our guilt of sin brings death to us. As the man hung there, probably almost dead at this time, spoke to Jesus, “Jesus, (called out to Jesus, believing He was holy and pure) remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answers him by telling him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus didn’t tell him, tomorrow, or the next day or even 3 days later, Jesus said today Notice that the scripture says, “you shall be with me in paradise”, making this statement personal. Jesus saves us one person at a time. All we need to do is ask. Your forgiveness of your sins by Jesus should make you joyful because Jesus says that we will be with Him in paradise.

Jesus wants us to know that it is never too late to come to Him for forgiveness of our sins. The criminal on the cross came to Jesus in the last minutes of His life. Jesus saw a man that needed Him. That is why Jesus was born in a sinful world, was to die so we could be forgiven and receive eternal life through his death and resurrection. Jesus made it simple, all we need to do is seek Him, find Him, accept Him and live for Him.

Paradise with Jesus is for all people, but not all people will find paradise. One criminal is spending eternity with Jesus, the other is spending eternity in hell. Jesus is asking, do you have your reservation for paradise with Him?

Announcements listed in the bulletin are the congregation will be collecting Canned Soup for the Food Pantry in the month of January. Bible Study is at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Coming Events: February 4th: Deacons and Trustees Meetings, February 12th: Love Brunch after the morning service. The AA meetings are held on Friday nights at the church. Do not park around the church when there is snow on the roof and if School is canceled in the area, Pastor Bonnie will not be in the office and all events canceled.

For information, check out our website at northlivermorebaptistchurch.org. You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Comments are not available on this story.