Our sister in The Lord, Sharon Ralph, has finished and published her first book, The Missing Peace, about her journey to inner peace. “As I took a look at my chaotic, stressful and overwhelming life, I thought, ‘This is cannot be how life is supposed to be. There has to be more than this…’”

Our missionaries to Haiti recently visited the church they planted there a few years ago, which has grown now to over 600(!) members, many times the size of the parent church here in Woburn. In the three days that the missionaries were in Haiti, they had 28 people give their lives to Christ, 5 baptisms, and 2 baby dedications. Photos and videos are now posted, including the newest from another, more recent trip.

6/12/22 — Sharon Ralph — “The Salvation Message” —
Life is short, and eternity is really, really long. Jam 1:17; Jhn 14:6; Mat 25:31-34, 41, 46; 2Th 1:4-10; Rom 2:5-10; Rev 19:20; Rev 21:1-8; Mat 10:32-33; Jhn 3:16
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220612 - Sharon Ralph - Salvation Message

• God is the one true source and provider.
• The world is not our home; we’re just passing through.
• Death is not our final destination.
• We all have an eternal destination; there is Heaven and Hell.
• Being sick or in pain or hungry or uncomfortable for years is nothing compared to eternity.
• Consider never being able to eat or drink again, never being comfortable or at peace, never feeling joy. That means never - eternity.
• Purgatory is not Biblical. Nor is praying loved ones into Heaven after they die.

Hell

• The eternal absence of God
• Eternal suffering
• Think about everything that is good, everything that brings you peace, joy or comfort. These things come from God.
• Jam 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
• If Hell is the absence of God, then it is the absence of all that is good.
• There is no love in Hell. There is no compassion, beauty, nature, peace, comfort or healing in Hell. There is no hope in Hell.
• There is no hope for change or relief, no hope to receive God’s grace or mercy or favor.
• there is nothing in the Bible that suggests that Jesus will give non-believers in Hell another chance. He’s already been there and already given us all the chance we need to avoid eternal damnation.
• As Christians, we’re called to tell people about the love of Christ, not to scare people with visions of Hell, but people do need to know.
• People don’t end up in Hell because they sin - we all sin because we’re human.
• Jhn 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
• So Jesus is the one and only way to Heaven. Without Jesus, you can’t get into Heaven.
• We may start out witnessing by saying, “I love you and Jesus does, too. We both want to see you in Heaven. I care about you so I want to share with you that having a relationship with Jesus is how you gain the assurance that you will one day be in Heaven.” We may end up saying, “Are you listening to me? Do you understand what I’m saying? Without Jesus, you’re going to Hell.” that further devolves into, “Hell is real! Suffering for eternity is real! And I’m afraid for you.”
• There’s a lot of focus on the end times these days. It’s in social media. There are lots of opinions, truths and lies.
• Although it may be difficult to understand, the Bible does give us all the truths about the end times and how to discern deceit.
• We can know all there is to know about the end times. We can read about it, research it, discuss it, and watch shows about it. But just knowing about it will not be enough to save us, keep us safe, or direct us and show us the way. It’s not enough to know about Jesus, what He did and will do when He returns.
• We need to know Jesus personally. We need to have an intimate relationship with Him so that we will know what He wants us to do. We need to know His voice so we can be directed and not mislead.
• It won’t matter how much money, education, connections, resources, skills or abilities we have. In the end, it all comes down to Jesus.
• Jesus is our salvation, protector, provider, redeemer and guide. That’s true now, in the end and for eternity.
• Believers have peace that our destination is Heaven. For non-believers, it’s scary to not know where your destination will be. Non-believers convince themselves that everyone goes to Heaven.
• Some people believe in a “Purgatory,” where you have a sort of ‘layover’ on your way to Heaven until you earn enough travel points to continue on. Purgatory isn’t in the Bible.

The End Times

• Mat 25:31-34 - When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. [34] Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’
• Mat 25:41 - Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’
• Mat 25:46 - Then they [the goats] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
• There is only one way that we are righteous, and that is through Jesus Christ.
• 2Th 1:4-10 - Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. [5] All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. [6] God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you [7] and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. [8] He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power [10] on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
• We may be suffering now, but it is not eternal.
• May the following NEVER apply to us:
• Rom 2:5-6 - But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. [6] God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”
• Let this instead be our claim:
• 2:7 - To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
• May this NOT apply to us:
• 2:8-9 - But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. [9] There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
• Let this apply to us:
• Rom 2:10 - but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
• Rev 19:20 - But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Now for good news:

• Rev 21:1-8 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ... [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
• Mat 10:32-33 - Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
• So don’t be embarrassed to acknowledge Jesus Christ in who He is.
• We would like to think that God comes to us in our last breath and offers us salvation, but it much better to know for sure that they are going to Heaven.
• Jhn 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• Don’t wait until your last breath or take a chance that a loved one will be saved at their last breath. Instead, share the Gospel. Share the love and promises of God. Share what God has done for you.
• We are saved be the grace of God.

3/12/23 — Pastor Betty — “Serving God” —
The motivation for serving is love. 2Co 5:10; Mat 25:40 KJV; Luk 18:10-14
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3/19/23 — Pastor Betty — “Truth” —
Truth is the Word and the promises of God. 2Co 1:1-3; Psa 136:1 KJV; Jhn 18:38; Psa 46:10; Pro 3:5; Isa 43:1
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3/26/23 — Mona Moudakkire — “Testimony about Haitian Church” —
Psa 119:89-96 NIV; 2Co 12:9; Jhn 3:30
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4/2/23 — Pastor Betty — “He Is Coming (Palm Sunday)” —
They threw their cloaks. What will you throw down? Mat 21:1-11; Isa 9:7-8
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4/9/23 — Pastor Betty — “Easter Sunday” —
This was the final service of The Blessed of The Lord Church in Woburn, MA.
Link to Zoom Video