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The Best Is Yet to Come
Elder Chris Camacho • November 8, 2024
I want to share a story with you that I read awhile back, actually it was around 22 years ago when I first started in ministry.
The sound of Martha's voice on the other end of the telephone always brought a smile to Pastor Jim's face. She was not only one of the oldest members of the congregation, but one of the most faithful. Aunt Marty, as all of the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope, and love wherever she went. This time, however, there seemed to be an unusual tone to her words.
"Pastor, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk with you." "Of course, I'll be there around three. Is that okay?"
It didn't take long for Jim to discover the reason for what he had only sensed in her voice before. As they sat facing each other in the quiet of her small living room. Martha shared the news that her doctor had just discovered a previously undetected tumor. "He says I probably have six months to live". Martha's words were naturally serious, yet there was a definite calm about her.
"I'm so sorry to..." but, before Jim could finish, Martha interrupted. "Don't be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a long life. I'm ready to go. You know that." "I know," Jim whispered with a reassuring nod. "But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about it.....
The two talked quietly for a long time. They talked about Martha's favorite hymns, the passages of Scripture that had meant so much to her through the years, and the many memories they shared over the years Jim had been with Central Church.
When it seemed that they had covered just about everything, Aunt Marty paused, looked up at Jim with a twinkle in her eye, and then added, "One more thing, preacher. When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other."
"A fork?" Jim was sure he had heard everything, but this caught him by surprise. "Why do you want to be buried with a fork?"
"I have been thinking about all of the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years," she explained, "I couldn't begin to count them all. But one thing sticks in my mind.
"At those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a server or maybe the hostess would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can hear the words now. Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder and whisper, 'You can keep your fork.' And do you know what that meant? Dessert was coming!
It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding or even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come!
"That's exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral. Oh, they can talk about all the good times we had together. That would be nice. But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, 'Why the fork'?
"That's when I want you to tell them, that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come!’"
To save a fallen race, Christ gave Himself to a death of shame and humiliation. We cannot afford to lose heaven, lose eternal life, lose the eternal weight of glory. We cannot afford to lose all these riches, this exceedingly precious, immeasurable happiness.—EGW, Testimonies, p. 698, par. 2.
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” I Thessalonians 4:16-18
The key words here are "In Christ." If you are In Christ you will live again. Accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Fall in love with Him. Serve Him. Become as much like Him as you can. Someday you will see Him face to face never more to part.
Blessings,
Elder Chris Camacho
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Mark 10:15. Whosoever… the question is are you DETERMINED? Determination in the dictionary is described as firmness of purpose; resoluteness. So, the question I have for you is, are you determined? Christ does not acknowledge any caste, color or grade as being necessary to be a subject of His Kingdom. Admittance to His Kingdom does not depend upon wealth or a superior heredity. But those who are born of the Spirit are the subjects of His Kingdom. Those who are determined to be there. Spiritual character is that which will be recognized by Christ. His Kingdom is not of this world. His subjects are those who are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. A key to change is, yup you guessed it, determination. And this grace is given them of God. Christ does not find His subjects fitted for His kingdom, but He qualifies them by His divine power. Are you determined to change? God will provide the Grace to enable you to change. Those who have been dead in trespasses and sins are quickened to spiritual life. And this can only happen if we are determined to change. We don’t have the ability to change ourselves but if we are determined, God will send His Spirit to work in us to help us to change. The faculties which God has given them for Holy purposes are refined, purified and exalted, and they are led to form characters after the divine similitude.... After the character of Christ! Christ draws them to Himself by an unseen power. He is the light of life, and He imbues them with His own Spirit. As they are drawn into the spiritual atmosphere, they see that they have been made the sport of Satan's temptations, and that they have been under his dominion; but they break the yoke of fleshly lusts, and refuse to be the servants of sin.... They realize that they have exchanged captains, and they take their directions from the lips of Jesus. As a servant looks to his master, and as a maid looks to her mistress, so these souls, drawn by the cords of love to Christ, constantly look unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of their faith. By beholding Jesus, by obeying His requirements, they increase in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. Thus they become changed into His image from character to character until they are distinguished from the world, and it can be written of them: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9, 10) And this all starts with Determination! Come this Sabbath to hear the rest of the story! May God's blessings be poured out upon you as you determine to walk with Him! https://whiteestate.org/devotional/ag/02_13/ Excerpts from The Review and Herald, March 26, 1895.
I am sure like many, there has been a day that we wished we had all of the answers to life and all its problems. Well lucky for us.... we do. The Bible... God gave us our ancestry line, a history book and an instruction manual. If you have a problem we are told to go to God... That also means going to The Word. The Bible... When nothing else has the answers ( like how to find Jericho) we turn to.... The Bible... 25 "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:25-27 KJV Jesus says, "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? What he is telling them is that it was written…. That their hope for something different should have been already solidified in the writings of Old Testament. That speak of his sacrifice and the whole sacrificial system. That indeed the Bible is our basic instructions, and if we look, study and search for answers….. we will find them. "We would have hoped" had to have been so disappointing to Jesus. After all they had witnessed first hand and experienced, and to still have wanted something else. Jesus reminded them to forget their hope and remember what they were taught and instructed to do. It was all written down for us to use, for us to study and for us to follow. As large as this book is, it really is simply “Basic” to be a Christian. To be Christ like and to Love. Our instructions are given to us, and when we follow them, we get to leave this earth to spend eternity with our King. Happy Sabbath Elizabeth
Healing is a biblical discipline that encompasses physical and emotional wholeness. This discipline will continue until we're made whole, when Jesus returns for His people. By seeking God's healing through prayer, faith, community support, scriptural meditation, repentance, healthy living, emotional healing, forgiveness, anointing with oil, and patience, we can pursue healing according to the principles found in the Bible. Remember that God is the ultimate healer, and His desire is for His people to experience restoration and wholeness in every aspect of their lives. Here are ten things Christians could pray for to promote physical and spiritual healing, along with a corresponding Bible verse from the English Standard Version (ESV) for each one: Pray for Healing from Sickness: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." - James 5:14 Pray for Emotional Healing: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3 Pray for God's Comfort: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort." - 2 Corinthians 1:3 Pray for Forgiveness and Spiritual Healing: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9 Pray for Strength in Times of Weakness: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" - 2 Corinthians 12:9 Pray for Inner Peace and Calmness: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7 Pray for Spiritual Renewal: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10 Pray for Freedom from Fear: "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." - 2 Timothy 1:7 Pray for Wisdom and Guidance: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." - James 1:5 Pray for God's Presence: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18 These prayers encompass both physical and spiritual healing, acknowledging that God is the ultimate source of restoration and wholeness in all areas of life. By seeking God's healing and comfort through prayer and aligning their hearts with these biblical verses, Christians can promote healing in their lives and in the lives of others. Happy Sabbath Gary Snyder
Good morning ☀️ Happy New Year 🎆 Morning Manna : Starting the Year Aligned with God’s Will Wednesday, January 1, 2025 Key Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) Devotional Thought: Welcome to a brand-new year—a blank canvas, a fresh chapter, a reset button on life. But let’s be honest. It’s easy to charge into January with big dreams and bold resolutions, only to find ourselves off-course by February. That’s why today’s focus isn’t just about starting strong—it’s about starting aligned. Proverbs 3:5-6 is more than a verse; it’s a GPS for life. It reminds us that true direction doesn’t come from leaning on our own limited understanding but from leaning into God. Trusting Him wholeheartedly means handing Him the steering wheel instead of riding shotgun, giving Him full control of our plans, priorities, and pursuits. Now, let’s be clear—alignment with God’s will doesn’t mean perfection. It means positioning. Think of it like a car that’s out of alignment. It might still move, but it’ll drift and wear down faster. Many of us are pressing the gas on life, but we’re veering off track because we’re not aligned with God’s direction. The solution? A spiritual realignment that begins with surrender. Practical Application: 1. Check Your Heart. – Alignment starts with inspection. Are there areas of your life where you’ve been leaning on your own wisdom instead of God’s Word? Identify them and invite God into those spaces. 2. Pray for Guidance. – Prayer isn’t just about speaking; it’s about listening. Spend time in God’s presence, asking Him to make His will clear as you step into this new year. 3. Walk It Out. – God’s direction doesn’t always come as a map; sometimes, it comes as a step-by-step process. Move forward in faith, trusting that He’ll light the next step as you go. Closing Encouragement: As you start this year, don’t settle for running in circles. Make 2025 the year you walk in step with God—one decision, one prayer, one act of obedience at a time. When you trust Him with all your heart, He won’t just show you the path—He’ll clear it, straighten it, and bless it. Let this be the year you stop striving and start trusting, because when your life lines up with God’s will, you’ll always arrive at the right destination—on time and on purpose. Blessings, Elder Chris Camacho
Jesus birth is far from what you’d expect a kings entrance story to be. It’s a messy story, a very messy story. And it’s messy for a reason. His story is so messy because our stories are messy. Sometimes we think our lives happened wrong. Our past was a mistake, our present is all screwed up, and our future is going to be a disaster. But through all the mess God brings order. God has good intentions and a perfect plan through every event that seems to have been a mistake. And we can trust that our lives have not been in vain. Even our screwups lead to something amazing with God at the wheel. This Christmas, take comfort in a God who turns a mess into something to bless, and has ordained a great plan through lives as screwed up as ours. Matthew 1:18-25 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. “God is in Messy Stories“ Pastor Troy Wallace
We continue with the conversation between Jesus and the Jews with Jesus saying, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56 ESV). Jesus had identified their father spiritually as the devil and now he identifies Abraham as their father in the family tree. Abraham is not only their father, but he is the father of the whole Church (See the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:1 – 17). Spiritually, Abraham looked ahead and saw the coming of Jesus and what that meant for the people of faith. In some way God allowed Abraham to see the coming of Jesus and all that he would provide in establishing his kingdom. Abraham was able to see it and he was glad. As expected, the Jews respond by saying to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57 ESV). The implication is that Jesus is not old enough to have seen Abraham, who died many centuries before. Notice that Jesus never said that he saw Abraham, but that Abraham saw his day. That is quite different. To that Jesus responds with a most powerful claim which we will see brings the Jews to the point of attempted murder. “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am”” (John 8:58 ESV). The Jews pointed out that Jesus was not old enough to see Abraham. Jesus then claimed that he was alive before Abraham, over 2000 years ago. Claiming to exist over 2000 years ago raises himself above man to the existence of God. In this, Jesus claims to be eternal and in fact is identifying himself as the I AM who spoke to Moses at the burning bush. The Jewish opponents understood this claim clearly and picked up stones, to stone him to death for blasphemy. “So, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59 ESV). According to Leviticus 24:16, stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy. However, the Jews were wrong in attempting the execution themselves. This means of punishment was to be the result of righteous judgment, not mob violence. The Jews were not successful because it was not yet time for the death of Jesus, which was to occur on the cross. Jesus somehow eludes them as chapter 8 ends. Prayer Father, if anyone reads the scriptures with an open mind to learn what it has to say, I find it hard to understand how anyone cannot see Jesus for who he is, but I also know from our study of John that without your draw on a person, that person will be unable to understand. Father, thank you for giving me an understanding of who Jesus is and a desire to want to come to him for salvation. Author: Stephen Weller Source: https://www.anchormyfaith.com/blog/jn152
The Holiday season can bring a lot of things— joy, family, presents, nostalgic music and movies, and many other positive experiences. But it can also come with a lot of stress, anxiousness, sadness, and sometimes loneliness. God came into the world and was called the “Prince of Peace.” How can we transform our lives to reflect more of his peace, and what s standing in our way that needs to be removed for us to have real joy and real peace in our lives? God shows us there is a battle in our hearts over who we really worship when we are stuck in anxiousness, stress, and loneliness, and it’s no surprise that it isn’t Him! So come and be encouraged to seek God’s kingdom and you will reap the peace that God desires you to have. Pastor Troy Wallace
Many of us have gone through trials, been in situations that we would call tragic, and some have even experienced things that were traumatizing. When you are in the midst of your struggles, sometimes it hard to see or even understand how something that hurts so bad could bring something so beautiful and profound from it. Imagine for a moment, the trials and struggles Mary had to work through as Jesus grew in her womb. A young unwed women, promised to a man who did not yet know she was pregnant. Imagine the thoughts and struggles she may have brought to God as she traveled to see her cousin. Hoping that someone she knew would believe her. In Jewish custom sexual activity traditionally was viewed as a grave sin if it is outside of the bounds of marriage. This new chapter could have very well have cost her, her marriage before it even began. And yet, the bible tells us that when she met with Elizabeth, this is what she humbly said: 46 "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. " Luke 1:55 KJV When you turn trials into triumph, it brings great things. And for us, Mary’s first trials meant bringing forth “Truth”, our Lord and Savior, our King, Jesus Christ. Let Christ pull us through our trials and let Him be your triumph. Elizabeth
One of the repeated themes in the New Testament when it comes to how we approach God is the theme of thanksgiving. We are commanded to bring everything before God with gratitude. But is this some sort of ideal or is this a posture we can actually realize. I believe we can become that filled with gratitude that our whole life reflects it. But the “hard work” that developing that character requires is an ever deepening understanding of who God is. For people like Paul, his encounter with Jesus transformed his entire life, including his thankfulness. May we all discover the richness of God’s goodness, and may it transform us as people to be a people with overflowing gratitude. Pastor Troy Wallace
It's been many years, but it still feels like yesterday., since I have become a Christian. Before finding the Bible, I was just drifting through life, deeply confused about who I was and wondering if life held any purpose. It wasn't until I was at the lowest point in my life when I found true meaning. Once I started to read and study the Bible, I quickly discovered why this is the number one bestseller in the world. I can't even begin to tell you what the Bible has done for me. It's the awe-inspiring living Word that has the power to transform human hearts. Jesus said, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you'll know the truth and the truth will make you free.” And this is still the truth today. And it's the reason that I'm standing here, thankful to be able to proclaim His Word and eager to bring hope to those in need. I truly believe that today’s message is going to fulfill that desire and leave you with a rich blessing. The athlete that has won the most medals of any athlete in the world is Michael Phelps, in many categories of swimming. I saw a very interesting picture of one of his final gold medals that he won. He was kissing the medal while standing on the podium and you can see the tears come into his eyes as they're playing the national anthem. It's a pretty grueling process to get to the Olympics. First of all, anyone who makes it to the Olympics is a champion because there, they are representing their country because they've already gone through incredible discipline, training, trials, tribulations, before they experience the triumph of being chosen to even go to the Olympics. But to win in the Olympics is a whole another level of training. I went online and looked at some statements from Michael Phelps regarding his regimen of training. By the way, he won, was it 28 medals? Twenty-eight Olympic medals, twenty-three of them gold medals, in all different categories of the swimming events. Becoming the most decorated Olympian ever doesn't come cheap. He has to grind more often and harder to get there. His workouts were punishing. His body is well suited to swimming, which plays into his success, but his real secret to success is how hard he worked in the gym, in the pool, every day. His workout was intense, his diet pretty extreme. But if you're going to aim for becoming the best of the best, then you're going to have to push yourself further than the rest. Michael says, "In preparation for Beijing, I started adding weightlifting to my dry land work. Since then, we've been expanding the amount of weights I'm using and I'm running more than I ever have. Push ups and pull ups also have to be essential. For me, some of the most effective drills focus on vertical kicking and underwater kicking." Phelps said, "It's painful but very effective." It's painful. "In Beijing, when my goggles filled with water, I didn't panic." Can you imagine that? You're in an Olympic race, you dive in the water, and your goggles fail and they fill up with water and you're blind now and you've got to race several laps. "When my goggles filled with water, I didn't panic." He says, "I went back to all of my training. I knew how many strokes it would take me to get up and down the pool, so I started counting my strokes. I didn't reach the time I wanted, but I did win the race." I think sometimes we don't know how much training is involved. They say that there's trials and tribulations of training before you can turn that into triumph. Well, God wants you to receive the gold. He wants you to walk on the golden streets and get your golden crown, and you are in training right now. And it feels like trials and tribulations, but this is par for the course. Because the Lord loves us, you're going to experience trials. They teach us to trust. Blessings, Elder Chris Camacho
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