Beauty To Ashes

Senior Pastor Larry Crawford Jr. brought us our Sunday morning message: "Beauty to Ashes."

We stood for opening prayer and the reading of God's word taken from Luke 4:14-22.

Pastor Crawford stated he had struggled all week with what his Sunday morning sermon should be, knowing lots of Christians are hurting either from physical, financial or emotional problems, and lots of Christians are mourning.

"I asked God to show me," Pastor Crawford told us, "and he did Friday at 1:30."

The joy is gone, burdens are heavy, and strength is weak. As is customary today when one goes to a funeral, one puts on their "funeral best." It was not the case in Bible times. Many would tear their garments, not bathe and pour ashes on their heads.

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3).

But thank God! I can tell you Jesus says, "Come to me and bring me your garments. Come to me and bring me your mourning. Come to me and bring me your ashes."

Jesus can turn ashes into a crown. As sinners, nothing we have done is too far. If you bring your ashes to God, He will give you a crown. Have you asked how he can use you? God is the only one who can make our bad choices into a crown. Have you made something more important than God? Your phone, for example? Matthew 6:24 states, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Are you currently in a "Deadman Zone" with God? Remember the Bible is the preserved Word of God. A tree stands firmly rooted in the ground, the root system being a solid foundation. We, as Christians, can do the same. Can you imagine if we picked up our Bibles as often as we did our phones?

Each day we are given a chance to start again. God can turn our hardships and struggles into an opportunity for us to step aside and let His light shine through.

Many of us have stood on a mountain top and looked out and saw the next mountain top. In Biblical times, they used this as reference points for teaching. As a prophet stood on a mountain and preached, he asked God to show him signs of His kingdom. Will you look for signs of God's kingdom?

Have you read your Bible today? If not, read Isaiah 61. If you could say just one last thing to someone today, what would it be?

Please come join us at First Baptist Church in Pineville Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday School, immediately followed by morning worship at 10 a.m. Our Wednesday Night AWANA meets every week starting with dinner at 6 p.m. We have Wednesday night Bible Study at 7 p.m. Every other Saturday at 2:30 p.m., our church has Nursing Home Ministry at the McDonald County Living Center in Anderson, Mo. The next gathering is Feb. 25.

Wednesday evening Bible study begins at 7 p.m.

If you have no home church of your own, we would love for you to join us at First Baptist Church off the Northeast Square in Pineville. Just behind the U.S. Bank.

All Bible verses are from the KJV, The King James Version of the Holy Bible.