Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Is. 40:30-31).
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. At this point, I am sure many of us have mixed feelings about how we have been living for the last four months. I often struggle with the reality that we have now been almost 17 weeks having the doors of our church facilities closed. However, we must thank God that we are still alive.
God faithfully demonstrates His favor upon St. John despite this pandemic. I am pleased to announce that St. John has distributed over 1,000 bags or boxes of groceries to people at both the South Campus and North Campus each Tuesday since June 9th. We really appreciate all of the volunteers who have assisted to make this ministry a success. If God is willing, we hope to distribute groceries again next Tuesday, July 14th (beginning at 12 noon) at both campuses.
Moreover, I am pleased to announce that our building project at the North Campus began Monday (July 6th) with the demolition of the warehouse that we purchased across the street from the North Campus Sanctuary. The land and the adjacent vacant lots will be used for parking.
I am really pleased with how well St. John has been doing in these last four months. So many of us have proven that we are authentic Disciples of Christ, and I truly thank God for you. I do not want to judge anyone, but I would like for each of us to examine ourselves. First, are you Reaching Others For Christ? So many are sitting on the sideline criticizing and judging others, but the question is very personal. What are you doing? Is God pleased with what you are doing? Are you a blessing to the Body of Christ? Who are you reaching for Christ?
Secondly, are you growing in Christ? To grow in Christ requires believers to daily be in the Word, pray, worship, witness and do whatever the Holy Spirit leads us to do. In other words, we have to walk daily with Christ in order to grow in Christ.
Thirdly, as God blesses you to receive, do you give back to God a tenth of your blessings (tithe)? God promises to bless believers who are faithful in giving tithes and offerings (Mal. 3:8-12).
These are just a few questions designed for self-examination. If you are doing well in these areas and all other areas pertaining to God’s will in your life, you can expect to live well having God’s favor despite these perilous, but if you are not doing well in these areas and all other areas pertaining to God’s will in your life, you cannot expect to live well not having God’s favor. In other words, God’s favor is upon people who are doing His will, but God’s disfavor is upon people who are not doing His will. In times like these, we definitely need God’s favor, so my pastoral advice to each of us is to get on board with the Lord.
In addition to this, please take note of the following:
- Bereavement: Bro. Dudley Rucker went home to be with Lord on Wednesday (July 8th). Our prayers are with his wife (Mother Inez Rucker) and family. Currently, the date of the Homegoing Celebration is pending.
- Safety: We are told that a spike in the Coronavirus is occurring in many places such as Contra Costa County, and we are also told that Richmond is now the leading city in our county concerning Covid-19. Therefore, I encourage all of us to practice, promote and proclaim safety (wearing a mask in public, social distancing, frequent and thorough hand washing, etc.).
- Thank You: I announced on last week that the Pastor’s Appreciation Worship Celebration (which was scheduled last Sunday—June 28th) might be canceled this year for reasons that I discussed last week. Although this celebration most likely will not occur this year, I am continuously receiving love offerings from many of you anyway. For this, I must say “Thank You.”
- Scholarships: All St. John graduates should contact Min. Peggy Alexander (Minister of Christian Education) by July 23rd if you are interested in receiving a scholarship and recognition from our church at pmorris@sjmbc.org.
- The Bible: 1) Let’s read a minimum of 3 chapters in the Old Testament and 1 chapter in the New Testament each day. 2) Let’s participate each Sunday in at least one Online Sunday School class. 3) Let’s engage weekly in the Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00 pm. For more information about our Online Sunday School and Online Bible Study, please visit our website (sjmbc.org).
- Prayer: I encourage each of us to pray individually at least three times daily (1st prayer between 12-6 am). I also encourage each of us to procure a St. John Prayer Partner (Mt. 18:19), and pray together with this person at least once a week (a scheduled time is preferable). I further encourage each of us to participate in our Online Prayer Meetings on Wednesdays at 12 pm and/or 6:30 pm (Acts 12:5-19). For more information about our Online Prayer Meetings, please visit our website (sjmbc.org).
- Outreach: Besides our grocery giveaway each Tuesday afternoon, we are still helping St. John parishioners who have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage. For more information, please contact Deacon Johnson concerning how to receive this assistance or how to financially contribute to this ministry. Also, if you are in need or aware of a St. John member in need of groceries or unable to go grocery shopping, please share this with me by replying to this email because we want to help.
- Tithes & Offerings: I sincerely thank those of us who have been supporting St. John financially, but more of us need to do what God requires from each of us. Giving our tithes and offerings consistently enables St. John to meet our financial obligations (e.g. our Building Project) and help others in need. Therefore, I encourage everyone (mainly those of us who receive income) to faithfully and generously support St. John financially with our tithes and offerings. You can mail your Tithes and Offerings to our St. John South Campus (662 South 52nd Street—Richmond, CA 94804), or you can give online through our website (sjmbc.org). Although I do not recommend this next option, if you prefer, you can also set aside weekly your Tithes and Offerings and give the total amount (individual checks, one check or cash) the Sunday we resume corporate worship.
May God Bless And Sustain Each Of Us.
Your Servant In Christ,
Dr. Kevin B. Hall, Pastor