Dear NLS Family and Friends,

It started on the 13th of March when the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Marshall, Hugh Coleman, his aides, and other dignitaries gathered around the fountain at Forsyth Park to dye the water green. During the next several days, they dyed all the fountains in Savannah green as well.

Over 300,000 visitors came. A lot of green floated through the streets: green costumes, green floats, green hats and beaded necklaces and even green beer! Owners of shops, restaurants, and hotels smiled as the green overflowed in their cash registers!

If that wasn’t enough, the winds blew and various shades of green pollen covered the landscape, cars, sidewalks and porches. Green pollen everywhere!  You step in it, you sit in it and you breathe it! You feel like you need a shower, and you do! But you wouldn’t want to turn on the shower to stand under a spray of green water! Only fresh, pure water will do!

Every day we live on this green earth we are subjected to sin. It’s everywhere! You see it, you walk through it, you smell it, and sometimes you even sit in it. This sounds much like Lot who was vexed by the filthy lifestyle of the wicked: “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds . . .” (2 Peter 2:8)

Soon God will destroy this old sinful world, even as He overthrew the cities of Sodom and Gomorra. One amazing day we will walk down golden streets. We will breathe Heaven’s pure air. Together, we will live in a perfect place with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Until then, we need to keep ourselves clean. God directs us to that wonderful place. Hear it in the words of this old hymn: “There is a fountain filled blood, drawn from Emanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains. And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains!”

Thank God for the blood!

Pastor J. S. Hartman
New Life Sanctuary
Bloomingdale/Pooler, GA

Dear NLS Family and Friends,

I appreciate a solid foundation. Without it the building would surely crumble.

As Christians, we must never forget our roots. Abraham walked faithfully with God and was blessed with a family too numerous to number. That family gave credence to a singular, monotheistic God. The Almighty God of creation chose this family of faith to reveal Himself to the entire world.

The Patriarchs, the Prophets and the Law of Moses spoke not only to that faithful nation, but also to its hedonistic neighbors. While they prayed to their lifeless idols, the One True God answered by fire!

Israel had her enemies down through the years, and still does, but she also has her friends. There was a Friend that loved Israel, and the world, so much that He came as an Israelite, particularly as a Jew, to point men back to the One True God. He came to redeem His people Israel, but He also came for “whosoever will.”  He opened the door of salvation to the Gentile nations as well.

There are Messianic Jews today who came to the realization that Jesus was truly the Messiah. I believe that as this old world races toward eternity, many Jews will come to that same conclusion. As well, Israel should come to realize that the “Holy Nation,” those “Peculiar People,” the “Church,”  yes, committed Christians everywhere . . . are true friends as well.

We must never forget or neglect our foundation. The Old Testament. The Jewish Nation.

Psalms 122:6-9
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

Shalom!

Pastor J.S.  Hartman
New Life Sanctuary
Bloomingdale, (Pooler) GA