6-3-20
Dear Hope Chapel family members and friends,
It has been about two and a half months since we last worshiped together and enjoyed the blessing of being with each other because of COVID-19. The purpose of this short note is to inform everyone what is being done for Hope Chapel to be ready as soon as possible to resume meeting together.
As you might know some churches in our area have begun to meet, but with some requirements and temporary and precautionary practices in place. In order for Hope Chapel to commence to have services and meetings, we also must have specific requirements in place in order to do so.
This week, the Church Council will be going over what our Foursquare authorities and governmental authorities require and recommend for us to implement in order to have our gatherings a safe place for each one of us while being respectful to others.
Concerning this point, over the past two weeks Eliana and I with most of the pastors and leaders of our District have participated in several “Zoom” meetings with our denomination’s general counsel, our District Supervisor and other denominational leaders to specifically inform and guide us to what we should do to be able to gather again.
It is our desire to commence to have services as soon as possible, but only once we have meet and complied to what our spiritual and government require and suggest.
Please be patient but also expectant in prayer that we will be together once again very soon. Why is prayer important? How can we pray? One of the many points of our prayers can be asking the Lord to show you how in the past we have taken for granted not just meeting together but also the importance and many ways of how can we be used by God to encourage and be a blessing to others because by the expression of His love in us. Ask the Jesus how can we fulfill His command that is in John 13:34-35, 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The apostle Paul tells the Thessalonian church the following which is also is the expression of the love of God that is in me that I should always show others. 1 Thessalonians 5:13-15, Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Another point of prayer we can ask the Lord about is for Him to show us to recognize and help us not to forget what we learned about the love of Christ in our relationship with Jesus and also how can we continue to cultivate or build on that once we start to meet again. Ephesians 3:17-19, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Randy Remington, our newly elected Foursquare president, recently sent a letter to all Foursquare leaders which asks an important question that I am going to change to apply it to myself. I need to ask myself the following, will I be more loving and wiser when we begin to meet again because I have matured in my relationship with Jesus in these past weeks?
The following is an excerpt from Randy’s letter. “The Ethical Question: Is it loving and wise to begin meeting at this time? Love is the preeminent motivation for the ethics of God’s kingdom. Unless we demonstrate our love for others in the decisions we make, they will not clearly hear what we say about God’s love for them. We become nothing and we gain nothing without His love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Randy Remington continues in his letter on the point of wisdom. “While Jesus commanded us to love others, He also said that He was sending us out as “sheep in the midst of wolves” so we were to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt 10:16, NKJV). When we act in ways that are both loving and wise, we can avoid foolish and reckless decisions.”
The question I need to ask myself is, what does God’s wisdom look like in me? The answer is found in James 3:13,17. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
As I previously stated, the Council will be reviewing “what our Foursquare authorities and governmental authorities require and recommend for us to implement in order to have our gatherings safe for each one of us and respectful to others.” Please pray for our church Council to be aware and in line to God’s will for Hope Chapel, also to be who God intends us to be as we are fulling His purposes in the lives of those who consider Hope Chapel their home.
Finally, please also pray that Hope Chapel will fulfill God’s purposes in this neighborhood and community. What Randy Remington said in another portion of his letter pertains to this final point of prayer. “The Missional Question: How can the church be a faithful presence and prophetic witness in the communities where we live? Our future opportunities will be impacted by our immediate decisions. It is loving and wise to ask: “What are we currently doing that advances our mission and what might hinder it?” (Titus 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:2-4; 1 Peter 3:14-15; Philippians 2:5- 11).
My prayer for all of us is that will always continue do what the apostle Paul desired for the Christians of the Thessalonian church.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Sincerely in Christ,
Pastor John R. Caudillo
