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Rick John Dec 26, 2025

Two Gifts

Dear Friends, As we close our memory verses for this month let me celebrate with you. We are hiding God’s word in our hearts and God is pleased with us! 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIVMay our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Paul mentions two gifts: encouragement and hope. God gives these by His free grace; we cannot earn them or buy them. They are free and exceedingly valuable! God has, in Christ,…

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Rick John Dec 2, 2021

December 2 EncourageOgram

Dear Friends, Today we read Luke 2.  This chapter was quoted by our children at my first church in Barrington, NH each Christmas season.  As they stood together to quote it, our hearts were blessed beyond words!   It is difficult to pick just one verse in this chapter to focus on but let us ponder this one:  And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NIVO  Luke 2:52  This verse describes the childhood of our Lord Jesus.  Jesus matured in stages. His physical growth is normal as far as we can tell. He also…

Rick John Dec 1, 2021

December 1 EncourageOgram

Dear Friends, I hope you will join me this month in daily reading from the gospel of Luke. As we ask God to feed us His truth, we will read one chapter each day.  By Christmas day, we will have completed the letter. Let us read with joy the letter that Dr. Luke wrote for us as a “orderly account” of the testimonies of eyewitnesses to the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. NIVO  Luke 1:1-4Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed…

Rick John Nov 25, 2021

November 25 EncourageOgram

Dear friends at FCC, I want you to know how much I thank God for each of you!  As I am reading today in 3 John these words jumped off the page into my heart.  Here is my thanksgiving prayer from your pastor! NIV  3 John 1:2-4Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater…

Rick John Oct 22, 2021

October 22 EncourageOgram

Dear Friends, My dear Grandmother John quoted to me the 23rd Psalm just hours before she entered heaven. It has always been a favorite for me.  Many of us would concur it is an inspirational song that feeds our souls!  NIV  Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. I will never forget the words of a wise preacher who told us: “The most important word in Psalm 23 is the fourth word.”  Yes, when we put our trust in the Lord as our Personal Savior and Shepherd – everything for this life and the next changes!  As a…

Rick John Oct 15, 2021

October 15 EncourageOgram

To my dear Friends in Christ, Today I have meditated on Psalm 37.  This precious song is intended to keep me from fretting when evil people seem to be winning.  Now if we are honest, we all expect God to work things out as we wish.  We want Him to give us the desires of our feelings and wishes.  When it seems that our enemies are winning; we are whining!  David experienced many victories, yet he was victimized by King Saul and others.  His advice seems so timely for our situation in life today.  David is addressing the age-old problem…

Rick John Oct 5, 2021

October 5 EncourageOgram

Dear Friends,  NIV  Colossians 1:28-29“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.”  These words summarize the Apostle’s goal for his life and ministry.   First, we must proclaim Jesus Christ!  We dare not substitute anyone else.  He alone is our Lord and Savior.  No one can do what the Wonderful Counselor will do in a life who trusts in Him.  The good news of the gospel is used by God as the…

Rick John Jul 26, 2021

July 26 EncourageOgram

July 26, 2021  Dear Fellow-Worshippers!  Today I am thinking about the shout > Hallelujah!  Surprisingly, this cry only appears in Revelation 19 in the NIV translation!  Surely the announcement of the reign of our Lord Jesus deserves a long and loud shout of praise!  After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his…