2023 - No Broken Promises.

My thoughts have been centered around the weather and how it impacts us in terms of planning our lives. As I researched the frequency of tornados across the globe, I was shocked to learn that in 2022, there has been tornadic activity every month of the year. In the US alone, there has been 1127 confirmed tornados in 2022 where 24 fatalities occurred. The National Earthquake Information Center now pinpoints approximately 20,000 earthquakes around the globe each year, or approximately 55 per day. Scientists tell us that global warming is the cause of extreme weather conditions resulting in the earth’s rising temperatures which are fueling longer and hotter heat waves, more frequent droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful hurricanes.

I am sure you are very impressed with this meteorological information but I have a very simple point I wish to make and that is what can you do about it? My wife and I are avid watchers of the weather reports broadcast on tv each night where various weather models are used to equip the weatherman to make credible forecasts of what we are to expect in the next 7-10 days. But the simple answer is that all we can do is either stay indoors or wear suitable attire when going outside. In other words, we can only react to the conditions but not change the inevitable. We may possess a level of arrogance where we believe we know better that those providing the weather forecasts and strongly disagree with their prognosis, but sun, wind, hail, rain, snow, strong winds etc. are beyond our control.

You may be wondering where I am going with this train of thought, well, a few months ago, we as a church, prepared 500 gift bags to give out at the “Coopersburg Community Day”. During the course of this event, we talked to many, many people and it became apparent that there were those who simply did not believe in God, those who had strong opposing opinions, and probably those who only felt pity for us believing that we had nothing better to do with our time. But whether we embrace the gospel or reject it, it is still a reality and scripture clearly speak about judgement – a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Out of the recipients of those 500 gift bags, many faithfully promised to come to our services but to date, broken promises. I therefore Googled ‘Broken Promises’ and came across this short poem by Bill Kochman:

The words of men have been many, but oft times they were not kept,

Bold promises that were broken, and then under the carpet swept.

Countless have been the people, who with a ray of hope slept,

Morning light saw vows dashed, left abandoned they only wept.

But our God is very different, His sure Word is our precept,

Through it we can find salvation, when the Lord Jesus we accept.

Study the Bible yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to take the scales from your heart and eyes to show you He does exist. He loves you and is just a prayer away.

Pastor Martin