Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God, from here in Gig Harbor, Washington. We’ll be here for a few days visiting brethren, as well as having Sabbath services tomorrow. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you all doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.

This has been an interesting couple of weeks here in my office. My email provider stopped working effectively due to a change and requirement from Google, and it’s been a learning curve after over a decade of getting used to my previous one.
Rebuilding recipient address books, re-saving files, loading my various email addresses, laborious at best.

Sabbath evening I began having difficulty with my internet connection, along with our landline phone. I may be one of the few who still uses a cell phone, while also having a direct line into my office.

I would have internet connection for a few minutes, and then it would go out without warning for sometimes 2-3 hours.  The provider was of little help, other than saying “we’re not exactly sure at this point”. I rely heavily on the internet to do my job, webcasting, social media posting, as well as stay in communication with our brethren in the U.S., Colombia and other areas.

I’ve had this happen in previous years, where our normal monthly Bible Study where I connected between 25-30 people worked only for a little while and then went down….so most of our regular attendees by connection did not hear the study. I used the study that Sabbath as an outline for my sermon message.

Why do I mention this? Because we all become accustomed to having things “work” and can take that for granted, especially when it comes to communication.

I recall a few years ago when the electricity went off for several hours (actually an entire day and night, twice) at the hotel we were using for the Feast of Tabernacles in Cartagena. I commended all, as not one person attending from Colombia complained!

Perhaps their occasional inconvenience of such things had increased their patience beyond what some here in the U.S. have.

There may well be a time in the future where communication is interrupted for hours, days, maybe weeks or months. How will we respond to such?

Here in the U.S. folks have become so needy for their smart phones, that they seem bewildered and lost without it in their hands. I wish they were that concerned about having their Bibles with them…but I’ll save those comments for another day.

As time moves forward, and times become even more challenging…let’s, you and I focus on the true communication that is critical to our lives. Our lifeline is indeed prayer, God’s Word, and additional opportunities with attending Sabbath services (whether in person or online), Holy Days, and Bible Studies, all are special. These afford us opportunity to fellowship with one another as well.

This “virus” has affected our lives in many ways, hasn’t it? I remember asking just a few years ago, “If tomorrow you were informed you would no longer be able to attend, connect, or have a church congregation so near…would that change things?…That you would not be able to just connect via the internet and listen to a sermon, live or recorded…would that change things for you?”

The world stumbles along, busy with all its many distractions, entertainments, and requirements…and I understand we will always have daily commitments we must take care of.

However, I do pray we are not caught up in it all, and oblivious to what is truly important. Matthew 6:33 has never been more relevant than as it indeed is today.

The history of God’s people is one of struggling to hang on to the truth, at times having to secretly study and pray and gather to avoid persecution. We still readily today are pretty much able to gather and worship and study God’s Word here in the United States and Colombia freely…that will not always be the case.

As I’ve mentioned before, Mark 10:17-31 Is a passage of scripture for us all to study, analyze and read in light of where we are today in this world. Even if you have done so prior, please take some time to do so again would you?

Let’s ask ourselves, “What communication is really important?” Our connection and communication with God of course, as man cannot dissolve that in the ultimate sense.

Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.