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A few days ago, I was watching a show where the big joke was a guy trying to tell his girl he lll... that he llloooo... that he looooovvvvv...that he loved her. Here is the thing, he did truly love her in his heart, but his lips did not work. Why is it so hard to say that, to say it from the heart? I hear it bandied about at times where it seems so fake, but there are those declarations of a heartfelt love that comes right from the soul. I have said this before and I will say it again, God is love and His Word, His Law, is love. An author quotes the prophet Jeremiah in his letter to the Hebrews: But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 8:10 NLT God declares His love for us, for all of us, by letting us know His love is written in minds, and on our hearts so that we might lead with that right out of the gate. He has no problem saying that He loves us and that we only know a small portion of the fullness of His love. My second thought on this is that if we truly wanted to even start to understand the depth of this love, we would make it the priority of our lives in absolutely every aspect of our being. I fear, however, this is not the case. You see the world would rather we lead with anger and might rather than love and compassion. I feel the world has come to embrace the fallacy that caring, compassion and love is a weakness, but I would argue that the power of His love is far greater than anything this world can even imagine. Something else to consider in all this is the fact that to forgive is probably the greatest act of love one could ever bestow upon another person. Once again, God leads the way in this aspect of life: And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12 NLT “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:9-13 NLT Jesus has gone before us to show the way of agape love, the perfect love where grace is extended and is the preferred way rather than the way of the world. The strength of His commitment to us all, the fact that Jesus stayed on the cross rather than abandon us in the time of His greatest pain at the hands of those He truly loved is a guide that we should all follow. Remember, love always and forgive perfectly, and remember, not all will reciprocate but that is not your issue, let God deal with that. This Sunday, we welcome a very special guest speaker from Voice of the Martyrs Canada, Rev Greg Musselman. Please plan to join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms ) or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessings, www.mainavefellowship.ca

There is a box that sits atop the shelves over my desk. It is a plain black box with nothing in it, just air. I used this box as an illustration years ago and it sits there as a reminder, but I cannot remember what for, but it does serve as a primer for this week’s article. Something that struck me a couple weeks ago was when someone asked me why I believe in a myth, a story that is not empirically substantiated or confirmed and it occurred to me that I needed to ask this person to elaborate a bit further. I had just given a person with a loaded weapon the opportunity to take the first kill shot. Funny thing about this volley was he was very predictable the first shot missed the mark.  “No one has seen God and, therefore, no one has proven Him to be real.”   I asked him, “have you ever seen air?”  You see, I have never seen air, but I know it to exist because I breathe it, and I can assure you I would know if it did not exist because I would suffocate. To add to this, I have faith that air in the correct mixture exists so that I can live but even if you did not believe in air, you would still be alive because it exists. Now, after years of reading about the various probability factors involved in intelligent design versus the “poof there it is” theory where a single cell organism evolved over time to become everything we know on earth, I was prepared to enjoy a wonderful debate with regards to faith. You see, in my opinion, it takes a ton more faith to believe in the theories of evolution (you see there are hundreds of ideas of how things started) then it does to grasp the truth of intelligent design. According to science, matter can neither be created or destroyed so the question is this; where did the original matter come from to become every single particle, planet, star, or galaxy in the entire immeasurable universe? The big bang theory has a major question to answer yet it is not far off.   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Gen 1:1-5 NLT   I bet you that made a big BANG! Did you also know that the earth sits at the perfect distance from the sun so as not to lose its atmosphere to the searing temperature of the sun’s rays or be in a constant state of frozen if it were further away? Did you know that the mixture of gases is perfect, even now, for the proliferation of life? Enough carbon dioxide for the plants and enough oxygen for the animals. That is not something that evolved, it was created on purpose. Which brings me back to the box. The box seems empty, but it is not completely empty, you see it has the elixir of life, air and it also has a reminder for me; there is a sheet of paper in the bottom that simply says “forgiven” and a picture of the cross. You see, Jesus went to the cross for us all, but we need to believe that He went there for each and every one of us, whether we believe or not, but for those who believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour, there is a promise of Glory. Secondly, God breathed the breath of life into His creation, Adam, and thus began our journey. Following up on the sermon from last week, this is what I believe, and you are more than welcome to dispute or confirm this, but I do know one thing that will never change, the grave may be empty, but the Breath of Life ensures the receptacle is never empty.  This Sunday,  our Community Pastor, Eryn will be bringing the second message of 2025. Please plan to join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms  ) or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB.   Blessings,   www.mainavefellowship.ca

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks   ‘Now is the Time to Draw Near to God’ Day 1: 2 Chronicles 7:14 - “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” Day 2: Isaiah 57:15 - “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: ‘I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.’” Day 3: James 4:8 - “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Day 4: Psalm 80:19 - “Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.” Day 5: Psalm 19:7 - “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Day 6: Psalm 51:10 - “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” Day 7: Joel 2:28, 29 - “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks   ‘God’s Glory Shown to Us’ Day 1: 1 Chronicles 29:11 - “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” Day 2: John 1:14 - “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” Day 3: 2 Corinthians 3:18 - “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” Day 4: Hebrews 1:3 - “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” Day 5: Isaiah 6:3 - “They were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’” Day 6: Psalm 19:1 - “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” Day 7: Ephesians 3:20, 21 - “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL READERS!!

The other day, I was talking to a person about my faith in Christ and was asked why I put my hope for eternity in what some would call a mythical being (his words, not mine). The conversation at this point could have gone two ways but I chose the path of helping this person understand why I believe what I do because, as I have stated in numerous counselling sessions over the past twenty some years, it is difficult to argue personal feelings as they are just that, my own. I took this as an opportunity to share the seeds of understanding, my understanding, with others so they have a wider base of knowledge to make their own decisions. You see, my relationship with Christ is so much different than anyone else's, that is why it is called a personal relationship. Where the foundation of my faith is in Christ and His message, I relate in a way that is different than that of my wife, Natalie yet we both love the Lord with all our heart. While the experience is different, our God is the exact same for us all and His love for us is perfect and exactly the same for each of us. I shared this with my friend, and we chatted even more about matters of faith, love and peace until we got to the big question on his mind; how do I develop this relationship with Christ? There are many ways to explain this one and if you talk with the scholars or great leaders of a church or denomination, there are many “methods of declaring your faith in Christ” but truth be told, there is only one thing a person needs to do and it is very, very personal; “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 NLT. This is the foundation of faith in Christ and from this, we can develop a deeper understanding through research, fellowship (bible studies, prayer groups etc.) and, over time, sharing with others. A while back, a friend confessed that their faith walk had become rather stagnant and boring, so I asked, “when was the last time you gathered with other members of faith in a prayer time or a bible study?” Their reply, (I don’t go to them because everyone talks above my head” to which I responded, “did you ask them to slow down and explain things a bit better?” You see, the seeds of understanding can only grow if you water them with the water of Life, His Word, and take time to let this river of knowledge wash away the doubts and allow Him to speak into your heart. I am going to be rather blunt here; if you are not going to take advantage of the resources God has placed before you, you have only yourself to blame. If I give you a pry bar to pull out a nail and I help you understand how to pull said nail and you still just sit there staring at the nail and getting upset because it is not coming out on its own, then the issue is not with the pry bar or the messenger but rather it is with the individual. Sow the seeds of understanding, take time to walk with the person during the growing stage, help them to understand their new relationship and introduce them to others who are also on the same journey. This, in my opinion, is how to develop a strong, personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how to grow in your own faith walk. This Sunday, Pastor Todd will be bringing the first message of 2025. Please plan to join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms ) or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB. Blessings, www.mainavefellowship.ca

I got a text from a good friend and peer (he is also my wife’s cousin) that got me thinking about the perfect gift for Christmas. Now I know there are some out there who are thinking “oh, he is going to talk about Jesus” and you are right, He is the reason for the season and the hope of the world and, yes, the perfect gift for all of us because He is the Saviour but I want to go for perfect gift part two. We talked a couple weeks ago about the citizens of Whoville and the drive for the perfect Christmas celebration. I refer to “The Grinch” starring Jim Carey where the competition was on for the best of the best, the best cooking, the best light display, the best celebration and how that took over the season, but it took a catastrophe to recognize what was the foundation of the season; it was all about relationships.   “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” Dr Seuss, The Grinch   The best gift you can share with anyone is yourself; your time, your fellowship and your love. A gift bought is a finite gift, but relationships are forever. That super itchy sweater you got from Gramma comes out a couple times a year near Christmas for office parties, but the rest of the year sits in a closet or drawer. That “awesome etch a sketch” might make it through the night but after that ends up in the bottom of a toy box until twenty years later when it is found and sold because it is in “mint condition having never been used”. The best gift is that given from the heart, the gift of love and caring for those around us. It is one that will last forever and is more precious than gold. There are “things” in this world that are judged precious by human standards, then there are gifts that are considered precious in God’s eyes, and we are it.   So, back to the text. We exchanged news about what we were doing and who we were going to see. We talked about sharing with our families and said nothing about the store-bought trappings of the season. Even the text from my brother in Christ was a precious gift that I will never forget. This is the season where we share of ourselves, our hearts and our time, with all those around us just as our Father in Heaven shared His Son with us to bring us all hope, joy, peace, and love. This is the season of celebration of the King of kings, let us all rejoice as the angels did that day so long ago. The perfect gift of the season, share this gift with everyone you can throughout the year and may God bless you all richly in His love and joy.  Dec 24 at 6:00 PM, we gather to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ nand afterwards gather around the fire behind the church to roast marshmallows and share in fellowship. Then, this Sunday, our Community pastor, Eryn Austin-Bergen, brings the message He has placed on her heart to close out 2024.  Please plan to join us either in person or online at 6:00 PM this Christmas Eve and 10:30 AM this Sunday. The services will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms ) or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB.         Blessings,          www.mainavefellowship.ca

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks   ‘Why You Need a Saviour’ Day 1: Romans 8:23 - “And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.” Day 2: Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Day 3: Ephesians 2:1-2 - “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” Day 4: Romans 5:12 - “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.” Day 5: John 1:12 - “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” Day 6: John 3:18 - “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” Day 7: John 3:16 - “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘Just How Important You are to God’ Day 1: 1 John 3:1 - “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” Day 2: Jeremiah 31:3 - “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.’” Day 3: Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Day 4: Isaiah 49:16 - “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.” Day 5: Romans 5:8 - “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Day 6: Ephesians 1:1-7 - “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Day 7: Psalm 100:1-5 - “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Consider this, when a baby is born, the first thing that happens for those around is usually a sense of peace and calm. There can be a room full of people helping a newborn greet the world and a feeling of joy and relief as the baby lets out the first cry of life. Moments later, there is a collective sigh as everyone gets a glimpse of the newborn and a feeling of love fills the room. The moment I saw my son I immediately fell in love with him. There was no period of “I need to get to know him” or “I wonder if he will like me”, it was instantaneous. In comparison, it took months for me to get to know my wife, my then girlfriend, before we started to really connect on a deeper level than friends, it took a while longer to fall in love and it took a bit more time to make that commitment to love and protect for all time. A split second for me to fall in love with my son, a bond that grows stronger over time and continues to grow every day, a little longer with my wife. The fact is, I fell in love with my son before he was even born, I also fell in love with my grandson the day I found out he was coming. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Eph 1:4-8 NLT I can only imagine how much the baby Jesus was instantly loved the second He came to earth. The angels rejoiced with a sound that shook heaven and earth, the shepherds gathered at His abode and they left praising His name. All we need is love and, in that moment when the Christ child was born, Love came to live with us. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16 NLT We celebrate the season of love, but we should practice this love every single day of our lives; this is the proper way for us here and now and it will be the way in Glory! This Sunday, Rev. Glenn Reeder brings the message of Love on this fourth day of Advent. Please plan to join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms   ) or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB.        Blessings,         www.mainavefellowship.ca REMINDER: We will be having a Christmas Eve Service, 24 December at 6:00 PM

Let’s go back a few years, back to the days that Pastor Doug, Pastor Mark and I were working at Calgary East Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Doug had started a series on JOY that, I believe, was going to go for an entire year. A whole year focused on JOY. I must say that, for me at the time, making it through the week in a joyful state of mind was not all that easy. You see, Natalie and I lived up the Deerfoot Trail and, if you have ever been on that stretch during rush-hour, there is little joy in Whoville by the time you get home. I was trying to figure out how Pastor Doug was going to stretch out a sermon series for a year based on JOY. How much can you say about JOY? Well, let me tell you, there is more to joy than just the regular dictionary definition, you see JOY is Jesus, Others and You. This seems like the perfect time to take a look at this in context of the world around us. Currently, there is not a place anywhere on the earth that isn’t lacking perfect peace and joy. An argument can be made for those little places where no one has any issues with anyone but reflect on this, someone always has a neighbour with a pet that does damage to lawn or garden and there is always that one relative that causes issues at the family dinner. Countries having issues with each other regarding territory, trade, religious differences or even the old argument of “we are right and they are all wrong”. Even in the church there are arguments; King James Version verses the Message (they are both the inspired Word of God, get over it), the three wise men beside the manger or thousands of miles away on their trek. There have been church splits over the wording above the door into the sanctuary. Where is the joy in selfish arguments or self-righteous indignation? I had to look that last one up to make sure I was using it correctly and, yes I was, but it is rather harsh. Here is the thing, when we lose focus on JOY, chaos and anger reign because the foundation of JOY is overshadowed by the cloak of darkness. Jesus, the J in JOY, is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace and the Saviour of all people and He is the reason for this season we are in. Sorry folks, Santa and presents are not central to the Christmas celebration, it is Jesus. Remember when the Grinch stole all the presents from the people of Whoville and they came out in the morning lacking all the presents and trimmings of Christmas and they held hands to sing joyfully in the square? The Grinch listened for the sad cries but he did not hear that! He says: “It came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags!” Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before, “Maybe Christmas” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more”. Dr. Seuss, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Jesus came to earth to give us all a hope and show us the proper way to live life. Find the JOY in the Lord through Christ the King and remember that we are all His children. Instead of fighting with others or starting wars over stupid trivial things, find the good in Others and rejoice in their happiness. Gather in the square and sing out: Fahoo foores dahoo dore-es welcome Christmas bring your light Fahoo fores dahoo dore-es welcome in the cold, dark night Welcome Christmas, fahoo ramus, welcome Christmas, dahoo damus Welcome Christmas, while we stand, heart to heart and hand in hand Stand hand in hand with those around you and celebrate JOY and let your heart burst with love and happiness. When you have Jesus in your heart, Others around you to celebrate alongside you, then You will be blessed in the miracle of His grace for all of us. Hundreds of years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah prophesied of His coming and told of His blessing for us all. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isa 9:6 NLT There is none greater than the Messiah, no government can conquer Him, no powers can break His perfect peace. He is born to us all and there is no end to His love and peace. JOY; Jesus, Others and You. Celebrate Him this Christmas and may peace reign supreme in your hearts. This Sunday, Pastor Todd brings the message of JOY on this third day of Advent, Peace. Please plan to join us either in person or online at 10:30 AM this Sunday. The service will be broadcast online on our website ( https://www.mainavefellowship.ca/socialplatforms  ), or you are more than welcome to join us in person at 402 Main Ave. W in Sundre, AB.        Blessings,         www.mainavefellowship.ca

Please join us Christmas Eve at 6:00 PM at the church for a Carole Sing and we may even have a fire with marshmallows after the service.

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks   ‘You are God’s Treasure’ Day 1: Psalm 139:13, 14 - “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Day 2: Deuteronomy 26:18 - “The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands.” Day 3: Revelations 1:5-6 - “He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” Day 4: Isaiah 62:3 - “The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—a splendid crown in the hand of God.” Day 5: Deuteronomy 7:6 - “For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.” Day 6: Zephaniah 3:17 - “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Day 7: Malachi 3:17 - “‘They will be my people,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.’” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation