Freshwater: Pastor Paul Page August 2022

Freshwater

Located in the wilds of Wyoming, the name Freshwater was chosen as a Western analogy to Christ. Just as He is the Living Water, and we must have Him to have eternal life, any desert dweller knows the importance of fresh water to life, both for self, and the nourishment of crops or livestock. By taking nourishment in God and His word, we strengthen our own relationship with Him, our faith, and the quality and abundance of our fruitfulness.

Our keystone verse is from Jeremiah, Chapter 17, Verse 8: "For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see whenSave heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

The fruit that we speak of is mentioned in Galatians 5:22
"²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

And the heat could be anything we experience that might test our faith in God; trials and tribulations, relationships, anything that focuses our love and attention anywhere but on Him...

Monday, August 1, 2022

Pastor Paul Page August 2022

Last month we talked about Hannah, and her problem. Hannah prayed instead of worrying She believed in God’s promises, His word, and His power to answer her prayer, and God provided.

1 Samuel 1: 19-20...the Lord remembered her. ²⁰It came about ^[ⁱ^]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him of the Lord.”

In Chapter 2 of 1 Samuel Hannah sang a song of Thanksgiving and Praise to God.

2 Then Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in the Lord; My ^[ⁿ^]horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth ^[^o^]speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
²There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. ³Do not go on ^[^p^]boasting so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And ^[^q^]with Him actions are weighed.
⁴The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces, But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to be hungry. Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. ⁶The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to ^[^r^]Sheol and brings up.
⁷The Lord makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts. ⁸He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap To seat them with nobles, And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. ⁹He watches over the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a person prevail. ¹⁰Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the ^[^s^]horn of His anointed.”