WOW, WOW, WOW! What a crazy couple weeks and year! Have you ever visited a theme park like La Ronde, Wonderland or Disney or some other them park and took a ride on a roller coaster and just when you thought the roller coaster ride was over here comes another crazy dip that made your liver do summersaults? If you can relate to that feeling than you can relate to the way I feel.
2020 has been a like riding the world’s longest roller coaster but yet we are reminded of God’s promises. The prophet Isaiah says in chapter 26 verse 3, “you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Family, to whom or what are you trusting? Psalm 20:7 tells us where to place our trust, some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
With just a few days left in this year I wanted to remind you that when you are facing seasons of uncertainties we can count on God to do 3 things for us.
- To protect us
- To take care of us
- To surround us with His people
In this post I want to expand on the 3rd point which is; When we are facing seasons of uncertainties we can count on God to surround us with His people.
Just because we cannot gather in person doesn’t mean that we cannot CONNECT. I’ve been so blessed lately to hear story after story about the way that you have been LOVING, CONNECTING, and SERVING others. The stories of people showing up to serve other with meals, gifts and phones calls makes me feel so proud. The prayer teams and intercessors are doing such an outstanding job praying for all the needs of others, and in these times, prayer is the key ingredient that’s sustaining and keeping all of us. Thank you for helping us empower every person to “LOVE-CONNECT-SERVE.”
Don’t forget to join us online for our Christmas Eve service at 10pm and again on Christmas Day morning at 10am, for a short time of worship and a special message from my wife Glynis Burton and I. Both services are completely different so make sure to tune in! Also, don’t forget to share the stream with your friends and family!
I also want to take this opportunity to remind and encourage everyone to sow your year-end seed before December 31st. I know that many of you have been waiting for the church to re-open to bring your tithes and offerings to the house of God, but if you want those amounts to be included in your 2020 giving please send or bring it to the office before December 31 if you are not comfortable giving online.
We are also challenging everyone to consider sowing a 2021 seed offering for yourself and family members in the amount of $20.21, $202.1cent or $2021.00. To encourage each person to take up this challenge I want to share part of a testimony that I recently received from one of our members who sowed a NYE seed offering for their family last year.
“Today I write to testify to God’s faithfulness and to the efficacy of the word preached at the Resurrection Center. Just like many people, I was laid off during the pandemic. I truly loved and enjoyed my job so it was painful on multiple levels to be laid off. I remember breaking bread to reassure myself that God is still good despite not knowing how things would work out.
The word states that we should enlarge the place of our tent and stretch for the curtains of our habitation. So when an opportunity arose to do some renovations on my property, I took the opportunity despite not knowing how and when the pandemic would be over.
Also during the pandemic, one of my children was offered a private school scholarship. Even with the scholarship, the school fees were steep for me because I did not have a job. The only source of income was the CERB. In spite of this, I accepted the scholarship believing that somehow, “the Lord would provide” and I had been told to “lengthen my cords and strengthen my stakes” because “I shall expand to the right and to the left”.
By September when the CERB timeline was over, I struggled as I accepted a position that required a 40% pay cut. I heard God say to see what He was going to do with the position and that like Joseph, He was manoeuvring me for a lifting.
I took the job and I completely disliked it. I was bored and everything in me wanted my old job back. So I turned my faith to believing for my old job. Within a short period of time, I got a call from my old company asking me to return to a different position pending when I could get my old position back.
I was excited…. little did I know that this “old job” opportunity was an “Ishmael”. During the same period that I was negotiating, another position was offered to me in the company where I took a pay cut, where I disliked the position. Because I was in negotiations with my old employer, I was able to negotiate a more excellent package that surpassed what I was earning with my old employer.
God worked with me according to my faith – I believed for my old job, so He gave me my old job. But He was working in the background to bring His word and promises to pass.
Once I accepted the more excellent offer, God reminded [me] about the 31st of December 2019 watch night service. Our very own David Burton instructed us to sow a $20.20 seed towards 2020 for each member of our family and to write down what we were believing for in the envelopes.
On behalf of my family, I wrote in our envelope that 2020 must be a year where “of the increase of His government and of peace, there shall be no end “in our lives.” I write to testify that increase has been my portion in 2020. My salary has increased, my job satisfaction has increased, my property has increased and my children have increased.
I encourage you to believe God for the seemingly impossible. Stand on his promises because they are “yes and amen”. Enlarge the place of your tent even when it seems impossible. God brings some opportunities our way, that we must act on by faith immediately. The opportunity may not be there again tomorrow. If I had not accepted the scholarship for my child because I thought I could not afford it, now that I can afford it because my income has increased, the scholarship is no longer available.”
WOW! What a powerful testimony! Thank you for sharing! I want everyone to know that Glynis and I love and appreciate every person and we thank you for your faithfulness through this unprecedented year. We, along with the elders, are praying that you and your family will experience God’s overflowing blessings in 2021.
Bishop Burton
