One day, recently, I was talking to a friend who was raised Catholic. He told me that for his daily devotional prayer, he would use the Psalms. “After all,” he said, “We know that these are ‘approved’ already; they work! These are God’s words, for us to use.”
So, I’ve been doing the same.
I read one or two Psalms each morning as my own prayer. And I put in my own, personal words to make them my own.
One good example would be Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
I sometimes put my name in. And I talk about my transgressions.
I was stumped, for a while by Psalm 27:2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
I don’t think I have any real enemies, like David did. But then I remember that I have certain temptations that are enemies of the good that God wants for me. It made more sense when I read it with that in mind.
I always read out loud, too, because of texts like Psalm 27:7Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
I think it would be a good idea for me to memorize some of these enduring passages, besides the 23rd Psalm, which I already know. I know that more is meant by this verse than mere memorization, but having great texts ready to recall can’t be a bad thing:
Psalms 37:31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.
I happen to be reading a biography of Martin Luther, the great reformer. As a monk he sang (chanted, really) through the Psalms with the other monk. Soon he had them all memorized.
What are you reading for your devotionals?
I’d like to hear from you…
Be Blessed!
Pastor Albert
Church is now open with antivirus measures in place.
Newsletter is Late Again! But I have a good reason. When I arrived at church last night to participate in the Building Committee’s Zoom meeting, Kathy and Jonas Rogers told me about a water leak in the ceiling above the Cradle Roll room. As you will see by the picture, it has caused some damage.
Instead of getting out this edition, I spent some time in trouble shooting the problem. I thought it was a leak of the fire suppression system. What other pipes could be in the ceiling!? It would have meant a lot of trouble, but instead it was a regular copper pipe which leads to the drinking fountain in the foyer.
A plumber has fixed the pipe, replacing a length of the pipe with a new one. Fortunately, he found a valve to shut off the water to that section, so the whole church supply was not affected. Now there is some more cleaning up, and drying up to do.
Special thanks to Jimi Chae for helping us get the services of a plumber on short notice.
Building Committee has reviewed the progress of the new parking lot light installation. We hit a big snag. The existing foundations for the light poles are not deep enough to meet current standards. The existing ones will be removed and replaced with foundations that will go to a depth of five feet! (who knew!?) Yes, this will cost more, much more.
Finance Committee will meet on Sunday night by Zoom to look at this problem and the total church finances, as they usually do. They will have some recommendations for the…
Church Board which will meet on Monday evening.
Children’s Church Periodicals Those for the Juniors & Youth for the month of September are here and can be distributed on Sabbath, because these two departments are meeting here in person, under shade tents on Sabbath mornings. If there are any needing to be mailed, however, you must let us know and we will prepare the mailings for those who need them.
This Sabbath’s Sermon will be given by a special guest: Aaron Zerna. He is currently studying aviation flight science at Andrews University (in Michigan, so we hope the internet connection is clear) and holds a commercial pilot license. He has over 200 hours in a single engine aircraft and has special certifications to fly complex airplanes, inside clouds, and to teach people on the ground. He is currently working to become a flight instructor, which should happen very soon. He has served as a student chaplain for Andrews University for 1 year and has also served as a prayer warrior for 1 year. His favorite book of the bible is Job (the subject of his message) but also loves the story of Samson.
This Sabbath Adult Sabbath School there will be two discussion groups, the one on Zoom, and the one at church, outdoors. We hope that this will enhance discussion among the participants.
If you have a blessing to share with the church, please send us your message to include in our next newsletter!
REMINDER:
Sabbath School this quarter we want to brainstorm ideas to be more effective both individually and as a church to share the love of God. Please join us to provide your testimony, experience, and ideas. Join us Sabbaths at 9:40am.
Reach Your Pastor: I am forwarding the church phone (310/541-1819) to my home phone (424/206-2949). You can call my cell phone (626/826-8448), text me, or email me: albertfrederico@gmail.com
This is the perfect time to share more uplifting messages online: if you have any social media accounts, follow and share post, messages, and comments with and from our church accounts on Facebook, Instagram, our youth Instagram, our local conference page. There are many people online who may not come to church, but may see a message that will encourage them to seek Christ.
A healthy body is the foundation for an optimally healthy mind that will also be the foundation for an optimally healthy spirituality. And optimal health is the greatest protection against COVID-19, which, unfortunately, is still out there. What is and how we can have this optimal health is a quest we will always be on in this world of imperfect understanding, so here are some new videos for you to keep learning from! Watch the latest videos from Modern Manna's online Health and Healing Crusade!
Online Giving: did you know you can return your tithes and offerings online? Adventist Giving enables us to return our tithes and offerings online easily.Go to Adventist Giving
Psalms 23 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
