Blessings upon blessings!
Our great God is a God of blessings, and He has promised to pour out His blessings on those who are faithful to obey His commands and call on Him for guidance and strength. Near the end of the Book of Deuteronomy the Prophet Moses delivers a message to the people of God. These are God’s words, given by His servant, to be followed in accordance with His will. Here are those powerful words of the Lord which were shared by Moses, “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.” Deuteronomy 28:1-5
The promised blessings listed above are just a portion of those Moses conveys to God’s people. As faithful people of God in the 21st Century, we can also see how the Lord has blessed us far more than we deserve or could imagine. At Emmanuel Lutheran Church on the Ridge, it is quite evident how God has greatly blessed this Church and its members over the last 160 years. As the Word of God and its Gospel message of salvation has been faithfully preached, read, taught, and shared since 1861, God has poured out blessings upon blessings on this congregation, its members, and the Christ-centered ministries it has been able to carry out.
With the continued help of Almighty God, may you and I be faithfully committed, like those saints who have come before us here at Emmanuel, to proclaiming the message of salvation that is centered in Jesus Christ, our Savior! May we also have the desire to obey His commands and live our lives in accordance with His perfect will. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!!!!!Pastor McCarty