Letter From Pastor
Dear Friends,
A couple weeks after Hurricane “Katrina” had wrought such devastation, I was blessed to lead a wonderful, loving team of volunteer workers from our church into the area. We were there to help distribute supplies, as well as assist individuals and churches in clearing houses and buildings of debris. As we stood in the midst of the ruble of where homes once stood and drove through miles of heavily damaged communities, the whole experience seemed surreal.
The things, however, that impacted us most was the grief and suffering of all the people whose lives had been so undone by this terrible storm. None was more heartbreaking than the man who was seen pulling his pickup truck suddenly over to the shoulder of a high bridge. It happened so suddenly, t here was no time to stop him from committing this suicidal act. The hopelessness of that man who became another victim of Katrina broke our hearts and has stayed with us since that time.
After returning to Tennessee , I was remembering the sights, smells, and sorrows of this disaster. While reading my Bible and asking God how we might further help the victims of Katrina, I glanced down at His Word. The scripture Luke 4:4 was right in my sight. It reads, “ And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but every word of God .” It was then I knew that God not only wanted us to help with physical bread, but to give the spiritual bread also which is necessary for life. I immediately had the vision of this book you have in hand. The Word of God will help you not only to live through your life disaster, but to live better after this.
I asked a published author in our church, Gregg Spiker, to help me write this book. I thank him for the labor of love he has contributed. He is a compassionate man of God who himself knows firsthand how God can take us through difficult times. Our congregation caught this vision with me, along with other outstanding churches from around the nation. I want to thank all of them for their prayers and financial support which made the publishing of this book possible.
My prayer is that you will truly receive hope and help from these pages for the difficult time you are in.
My love and prayers,
Senior Pastor- Johnny Lowrance
Turning Point Assembly of God
Introduction
But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely
on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.
We depend on the LORD alone to save us. Only he can help us, protecting
us like a shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we are trusting in his holy
name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33:18-22 (NLT)
This book is written to each and every person affected by a disaster in your life. Our hearts go out to you in these trying and troubled times. We want you to know that each one of you is important and loved! We are praying for each of you.
We may not know your face or your name, but there is one who does! We may not have all the answers to the feelings you have, but there is one who does! There is someone who knows who you are, where you are, how you feel, and what you need! You are special to God and to us!
We have gathered some versus from the Bible to help encourage you and show you that God is a God of love and mercy and grace! Also included are notes of encouragement and prayers to help you in this time of recovery. God bless each one of you!