“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:8
I recently received a text from a dear friend…a former Celebrant who is now in the military. At this challenging time of isolation and national “lockdown”, I want to share his thoughts with you.
“Hi Jon! I’m up here in the Pacific Northwest doing USAF survival training. I spent six days in the freezing wilderness including time in a mock prison camp undergoing interrogation and some beating in a very tiny, very dark, cold cell. Through my whole time there, the lyrics of Celebrant songs kept running through my head. Fear and uneasiness had no place, for my Lord was with me. Jesus stayed with me in that cell…He never left me.”
His text touched me deeply…on so many levels… but it was his rock-solid testimony of God’s faithful and constant presence in his alone and isolated time that moved me the most.
You see, we too could feel alone, isolated, and completely out of control as something we can’t even see, called Covid-19, wreaks havoc on our world and drastically alters our lives. But the scripture at the top of this letter is an absolute promise to us from our unchangeable, loving God.
What a great opportunity for us as believers to realize that God really is our solid rock…our hope and strength…that He will never leave us! And yet, there are untold millions who have no relationship with Jesus and no such assurance in troubled times. Sincere thanks to you for your prayers which help greatly to reach them.
May the Lord keep you & yours safe, healthy and strong in these challenging days is my prayer.
Your brother in the gospel,
Jon F. Stemkoski, Founder/President
Stone Ministries, Inc.
Celebrant Singers
P.S. Please log on to our Facebook page or visit the previous posts to view some new videos called “Encouraging Words” we’re sending out weekly to bring perspective and hope in this time. -JFS
