Brownsville UMC Parish

April 5, 2020 I want you all to know that I am praying for you at this difficult time. I miss and you so much. I want you to be strong and pray. Only our Gracious God can bring us through this successfully. I fear that we may not be together for Easter. Today is Palm Sunday; the day that our Lord is arriving back in Jerusalem on His journey to the Cross. For many of us today it is a sad lead up to His death. But, our Lord triumphed over death and is with us this very day to ...deliver us from death. I want you all to be strong and to rely on your faith. There is no greater power. Jeremiah 31: At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people. 2 Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall take your tambourines, and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall enjoy the fruit. 6 For there shall be a day when sentinels will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’ As our Lord brought the Israelites through the wilderness from bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land and restored them from slavery in Babylon; our Lord will deliver us from the slavery from this virus. We need to rely on our faith and to listen to our medical professionals and we will be triumphal just as the Israelites were to get to the Promised Land. Many might ask why this has happened. I believe that many in this world have turned from God. I don’t believe that He would do this to us, but I also believe that we here in this world have greatly disappointed our God and that we need to pray for one another and become strong in our faith and He will take us through this difficult journey and restore us. My hope is that we will get together again in the near future and we will be thankful and be glad in it. Let me pray. Father God, you alone are worthy of our honor, glory, and praise. With You, we can overcome every storm, including Covid-19. Right now, we are asking You to heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. Give our leaders extra wisdom as they navigate this pandemic and economic uncertainty. Strengthen your global church. Reveal to us how we can partner together to reach the needs of those around us. Calm our fears. Fill us with Your hope, joy, and peace as we continue to trust in You. Use this pandemic to pave the way for spiritual renewal. We want your glory, power, and healing to be on display. We ask this in the name of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, the source of our salvation. Amen. God Bless you and keep you safe. Pastor Frank See more