Beloved,
Let me encourage you in your faith.  Faith, trust and belief are synonyms for knowing that God knows what He is doing.  Faith is, as the seasoned saints would say, “Knowing that you know that you know!”
This week make it a point of emphasis to grow your faith, bless your belief and turn up your trust in the Lord!  Read, remember, and recite God’s Word, I’m sure your faith will increase!  “The just shall live by faith!” (Romans 1:17)
Glad the tomb is empty,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields

     As we move toward the middle of the year, I want to remind each of you that life is fleeting. Things change quickly and we move through seasons of our lives often without smelling the roses. It sounds cliché, but take time to appreciate the love of God expressed toward each of us in Christ Jesus. Then value all of God’s creation, you never know what tomorrow will bring. But, you can certainly squeeze the most out of what God has given you today.

     James 4:13­17 tells us, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

Glad the tomb is empty,
Pastor Fields

Beloved, God’s grace is sufficient!  Jesus extended that grace to us on Calvary’s Cross.  He paid our sin debt to atone or cover us in crisis.  He gave access by the shedding of His blood and He affirms us in His WORD.  On this Resurrection Sunday take Jesus at His Word.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes on him should not parish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Glad the tomb is empty, Pastor Fields

Beloved,
When you are a living sacrifice, no one will have to beg you to minister or serve. 

• You will have a Jeremiah heat! 
• You will serve because it is like fire shut up in your bones.
• You will not be a lukewarm living sacrifice. 
• Your love for the saints will be like the light of the Lord that draws moths to a flame. 

It is you logical service!

Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved,
How valuable is a soul?  To what length is God willing to go to retrieve a lost soul?  In our text today, we are shown the purpose Jesus had in setting sail from Capernaum in Galilee.  We see why He was willing to encounter the mega storm at sea.  We see why Jesus was willing to go across the great sea even though He knew what was waiting for Him during the trip and on the other side.
Jesus was willing to go to great lengths to save one tortured soul.  How valuable is one human soul?  To God the soul is priceless…  Your soul has infinite worth!  So much worth God sent His son to suffer, bleed and die for your blessing of eternal life. Don’t split with our Savior!
Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved,
We see this idea of the purity or holiness of God for the first time in Exodus when God tells Moses to take off his sandal because He is standing on Holy ground.  Moses covers his face in fear.  God says, “Don’t come any closer!” It is intense!
That intensity of God’s Holiness or purity shows up in greater sense when we see stories about the Temple in Jerusalem.  The temple represents the center of God’s presence in Israel.  That intensity is at its greatest in this room of the temple called the Holy of Holies.  It is the hot spot of God’s presence.  If you live in Israel or a priest working the temple, you are close to God’s presence.  It is dangerous!  This is a problem!
In the Bible, the solution is you need to become pure.  The Bible talks about being ritually pure in the Old Testament.  Ritual purity is separating from anything that is anything dead, bodies or even bodily fluids.  These things make you unclean!  Impurity means death because walking into God’s presence in an impure state means death.  The Bible gives specific instruction about what makes you impure and how to become ritually pure.  That is what the book of Leviticus is about…Ritual Purity! 
Jesus is our picture of moral purity.  Jesus shows us proper behavior in places we have all been perverse.  This is why true belief in Jesus shows up in proper (moral) behavior.  This week focus on moral behavior that honors our Master!

Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved,
Do you remember the day you believed Jesus for salvation?  On “Day One” you were made one with Christ.  Not only were you made one with Jesus, but on “Day One” you were made one with all believers.  There’s no separation by skin, no difference or division. All who believe are in Christ.  On Day One we’re made one.  

• We’re “one body!” Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “(Jesus) is the head over all things to the church.
• We’re “one Spirit.”  Ephesian 1:13 says, “…ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”
• We’ve got “one hope of your calling…” which that believers will be raised from the dead in Christ.
• We’ve got “one Lord” whom God has made “both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)
• We’ve got “one faith.”  “The faith,” as Jude said, “one for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)
• One Baptism as commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission.
• One God and Father represented in the “Godhead.”

These “seven ones” create a unified church.  Like John Wesley, “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field.”  On day one of 2017 we must be one as Christ's church!
Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved Union Members,

I am grateful for God’s hand on this church over the last year. He has
sustained us as we have achieved some ambitious goals. I look at God’s
hand in the continuation of our growth in His spirit. We have worked
through the letter to the Colossians gaining wonderful insight on knowing
and growing in Christ. We have also worked through the 9th Chapter of
the Gospel of John in consecutive expositional preaching during the
past year. I firmly believe the church has grown through the preaching of
the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

I am grateful for each of your efforts in reaching others for Christ. We
have tracked our visitors for the 2016 calendar year. Let me encourage
each of you to proclaim Christ by repeating sermons, studies and prayer
calls principles to those you come in contact with. Additionally, our new
signage has allowed us to cast out darkness in the community with the
Light of the world. We are blessed to be able share all that happens in
this building that someone may come to Christ. Thanks to each of you
who gave for the installation of our new LED sign.

Lastly, God is calling us to display “Belief & Behavior that Glorify God.”
Our Wednesday Bible Study has been expanded to teaching and
providing not only spiritual, but physical food also. God is enlightening,
enriching, empowering, enthroning and making us the embodiment of His
Son. Let’s do more and be greater in 2017.
Now unto Him is able… (Ephesians 3:20)

Sincerely yours and Securely His,
Rev. Darryl K. Fields, Pastor/Teacher
Union Missionary Baptist Church

Beloved,
The explanation of the birth is not in the birth; it is in the baby!  What Child is this, who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping; Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherd’s watch are keeping?  Sweet little Jesus boy … we did not know who You was.
Find out who the Baby is … and you will understand His birth. The Virgin Birth does not explain who He is.  Who He is explains the Virgin Birth.
How do you account for Jesus?  Who is He? Answer that question and you’ll also have your answer about the Virgin Birth.
Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved,

I need to say that God is blessing and building Union as a Church. Wednesday’s Bible Study was proof that God is enriching believers in this place!  It was wonderful to see so many of you come out for the mid-week service.  

Let’s build on that blessing by inviting someone who didn’t make it out last week.  Remind them of God’s word regarding our Faithfulness, Availability, and Teach ability in not forsaking assembling themselves with saints.

See you on Wednesday! 

Sincerely yours and securely His,

Pastor Darryl K. Fields