Our float carried the great theme of spiritual patriotism “One Nation Under God” (from The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag), and “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12), while displaying numerous flags from America’s history from “Don’t Tread on Me” to the present.

Like all Bible-believing Christians, we believe that the more people in our nation who honor the God of the Bible by obeying His guidance, the more our nation will be blessed with strength, morality, and prosperity.

It was a joy to march the two-mile route as part of the parade, greeting the crowds along the way.

The church’s ministry in this needy world is to announce what God has declared. God has declared that the best things in life are spiritual. Not in the fuzzy-headed, drug- and pleasure-induced way that so-called "new forms of spirituality" refer to, but in the one and only way that can make life in this world better and personally fulfilling. That way is to commitment one’s self to God in faith by receiving Jesus Christ as personal savior and Lord.

Here’s how Jesus said it:  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV).

When you put your faith in Jesus and come to the Father by Him all the best things in life come your way – forgiveness of sin, salvation, grace, mercy, and peace. No matter what happens in your earthly life those things cannot be defeated.

I don’t know if the disciples actually realized that, within 24 hours, Jesus would be lifted up on a cross. That all of the 'theoretical' theology of the past three years, the prophesies of future things (His arrest, scourging, and the cross) were going to happen tomorrow. But whatever it was, we twenty-first-century readers, seem to sense a cloud of sorrow hanging over them that Passover night.

Jesus starts this part of the conversation by saying, "Do not let your hearts be troubled."  How can we not?

People (like us) experience troubles, difficulties, fears, illness, disappointments - all the time.  Sometimes their friends get crucified, and that’s that.  They have to live with the emptiness of loss.

But don’t let whatever troubles there are affect your heart.  How can you do that?  Live above the sadness.  You go to the upper room and spend time in Jesus’ presence, through His Word and prayer.

We will be celebrating friends at our 9am Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, February 12 in our Sunday School building. Hot cakes, sweet syrup, fun songs, and a talk by our own Richie Nicastro about “My High School Football Days.”

Getting together with friends is a blessing, and makes life good and happy. So how about it? Join us, get happy, be our friend.

How does He want you to behave towards others? What pathway in your current circumstances does He want you to follow? How much courage, kindness, or generosity does He expect you to have? And, maybe you have other questions about your life that you’d like to know His will about.

Where do you find the answers? Where does God speak? How can you find His will?

The answer is you find what God wants to make known to you in His revealed word, the Bible. Read it regularly, even just a little each day and you will find God speaking into your life. And, go to church (somewhere where the Bible is preached and taught; First Baptist Church of Matawan is a good place for that) because that’s where you will hear His word explained.

Here’s a principle: Know His word = know His will.

Each year at our Thanksgiving Eve Service we receive a canned and dry goods offering. The food stuffs given by our folks are divided between our small In-House Food Pantry and the Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry in a neighboring town. People that we do not know (some that we do) and may never know in this earthly life enjoy good food given by our people from the blessings given to them by God.

Our Christmas outreach to those who may be less fortunate includes Christmas gift cards from various well known store chains which are voluntarily given by our church folk and then forwarded in time for Christmas to a ministry in Weirton WV, the Weirton Christian Center, where children and families from that community are ministered to in the name of Christ.

Locally the folks of our church act like grandparents, and aunts and uncles to children in a day care center on the shore. The purchase and delightfully wrap individual gifts for this children from lower income homes, and then a group from the church (featuring a guy from the North Pole in a red suit) go down and provided a Christmas gifting party for the children who range in ages from 1-5. This year the people of First Baptist gave 148 gifts in this ministry.

On Christmas Eve at our two worship Services (7:30 & 11:30 pm) we will receive our annual Christmas Present for Jesus Offering. This offering is given away to other ministries as a present from our congregation to the Lord Jesus Christ at the celebration of His earthly birthday. This year’s offering will be given to Child Evangelism Fellowship and Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Muskogee, OK.

These gifts of thanksgiving given at this season of the year remind us that the greatest gift ever given was given by the Lord God, Himself.” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, the whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, KJV).