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Christmas message -Dec. 20th, 2022 - pastor Lincoln Vellacott

Christmas: On Jesus’ Terms

Merry Christmas and Thanks for reading this article!!

Are there things you will do, or accept, only on certain conditions? Mary “was the first person to accept Jesus on His own terms, regardless of the personal cost.”

The Angel arrives announcing that she would give birth to the promised King. She responds, “I am the Lord’s servant,” – “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) Why is that so remarkable?

Giving birth to Jesus was a highly favored & privileged role. One person in the world got to do what she would do. But there were some “issues” - things that troubled her, even caused her to fear and were complicated.

Mary was an unmarried virgin. What would her fiancée, family and community say about all this? No fury like that of a slighted fiancée. Jewish law would regard her as an adulteress - subject to death by stoning.

Joseph considered the more gentle route of quietly breaking off the proposed marriage. He didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace and shame. As if that would have taken away Mary’s public humiliation. How would Mary explain this to everyone? Mary hadn’t been sexually immoral, but that is sure what it would seem like to others. There could be scandal or the appearance of being mentally unstable with that story about being a pregnant virgin, and an angel speaking to her about giving birth to the Son of God.

Mary received Jesus on His terms, no matter what it would cost. Even if it meant stoning, separation from her fiancée, shame, single parenthood, scandal, skeptics, shunning, stories, questions about her sanity, and loss of security.

Mary trusted that receiving Jesus into her body would result in more blessing, favor, joy and purpose than all the potential problems. She understood the eternal good that could come, and far outweigh the temporary trials that troubled her. Because of her faith and obedience, and because of the Christ child that she would give birth to, all nations would be blessed. Salvation would be made possible thru the one she would agree to carry in her womb.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Will you receive Jesus on His terms? Many want to accept a God of their own making, or on their conditions, and don’t want Jesus to “get in the way” of their life. We may go to church once in awhile, ask for prayer when we are in trouble – be okay with a little baby in a manger, but not ready to accept that Christ came to die on the cross for our sins. Don’t forget the Lord knows what is best. He wants to give what is really best. He will help those who are His. Will you take Jesus into your life and trust Him with all of your life?

There is a cost to faith in Jesus and following Him, but the cost of not receiving Jesus on His terms, is way higher and far more detrimental to your life and your eternity.

Jesus promised, to all who would receive Him - that He would be with them always – that He would give them full and abundant life (better than anything else this life has to offer) – and that He would give them the blessings of eternity in Heaven.

Receiving Jesus on His terms is what makes life good, and also brings favor with God, real joy, real peace, and purpose to all of our days.  

April 12th, 2022 

A Smart Criminal and His Dumb Friend

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship - Herbert, Sk.)

      A man in Pennsylvania was given 24 years imprisonment for armed robbery. He and an accomplice had not worn masks when they held up a bank. Instead, they had rubbed lemon juice on their faces in the belief it would blur their images on the security camera.

      A hopeful criminal in Swansea, Massachusetts, fainted when the bank teller told him she had no money. He was still unconscious when the police arrived. His getaway car, parked nearby, had the keys locked inside.

      Henry Smith was arrested moments after returning home with a stolen stereo. His error was having tattooed on his forehead in large capital letters the words "Henry Smith".

      We sometimes hear stories about dumb criminals and the things they have done, and that often makes us chuckle. In the Easter Account, we hear about a smart criminal, and his dumb friend. What the smart criminal did made a Huge difference. He did the brightest and best thing that he could do, not only for this life, but also for the life to come.

      You can read about that in Luke 23:32-43.

      Even as Jesus cried out words of forgiveness from the cross, people were laughing, mocking, gambling, and acting as though nothing of any importance was taking place. Two other gospels tell us that two criminals, crucified on either side of Jesus, heaped insults on the Lord along with many that were gathered in the crowd.

      What was their Reality? These two guys were not petty thieves. These robbers were rotten guys. There was a reason that these two guys were on crosses. There was an admission that they were punished justly and getting what their deeds deserved, but Jesus had done nothing wrong.

      What was their Response? They both had equal access to the Savior. One of the criminals, up until the time of his death, continued to ridicule & reject the Lord. The other criminal had a change of heart.

      One robber wanted rescue from the cross. Save yourself and us. Get me down from here. Someone might say that it was the pain speaking. He was carrying on in selfishness. He cared nothing for the Savior. He was like many people today, who may only want Jesus to take away life’s suffering or sin’s consequences.

      The smart criminal was repentant. He wanted help with his greatest need and a future with Jesus. He acknowledged his sin. He put his faith in the Lord Jesus and believed that there is life after death. He boldly professed his faith even in the face of a hostile crowd, taunts and jeers. He exercised astounding faith. To most people Christ on the cross wouldn’t have looked like He would be able to save anybody.

      What was the Result? For the robber that railed at Jesus and rejected Him, it was but a start to an eternity apart from Christ. His suffering was but a start to the suffering that would be his forever. Christ’s shed blood did him no good. He refused to turn to the One who could save him from more than the consequence of his sin.

      The robber who asked to be remembered by Jesus when He came into His Kingdom was granted reconciliation with God, and life in heaven. The thief who asked Christ for salvation received it. All he had to do was cry out to Jesus and he was snatched from the brink of hell. It was almost too late, but he made the right call. He was almost lumped in as a dumb criminal, but near his last seconds, the Spirit of God made him smart towards salvation. What might have looked and sounded like foolishness, proved to be his pardon, and a promotion to paradise.

      What does the smart criminal teach us? Salvation is independent of good works. He was saved without formal sacraments, and apart from deserving deeds. They aren’t enough to make us right with God. For the one who has put their trust in Jesus Christ to save them, to depart from this life, is to be present with the Lord. He wasn’t saved because of his suffering in this life. Only the sufferings of Christ are an adequate payment for our sins.

      Salvation is not universal – not everyone will be saved. Jesus told only one of the two men that hung on the crosses with Him, that he would be with Him. The other man sadly would not – he would have an altogether different fate for eternity.

      Even “great” sinners can have their sins forgiven, and can receive eternal life with God in heaven. Each of us needs to do as the smart criminal did, and place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The eternally wise thing is in faith, to call out to Jesus, and to help others do the same.

      Let me encourage you to celebrate with us, the Resurrected and Living Savior, on Easter Sunday morning.  

March 24, 2022

I Forgive You - Jesus

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship - Herbert, Sk.)

What was one word that Jesus was all about? What did Jesus pray about from the cross?

When you are suffering lots of pain what do you do? What word, or words, comes to your mind? If someone is being extremely mean to you, what do you do? What do you say? What about when someone makes you feel rejected or if they mock you? How do you feel? What might come out of your mouth? What if they were trying to kill you?

Thankfully most of those extreme things are rare in our lives. But Jesus was being mocked, rejected, caused to suffer greatly, and killed on the cross. It wasn’t because of anything wrong that He had done. It was because of our sin that He died on the cross, and even for the sin of those who crucified Him on the cross.

What were some of Jesus first words from the cross, as they pound the spikes into His hands and feet, and as they dropped the cross into its place? “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus life and death was all about forgiveness.

Someone might say, why do preachers and churches always talk about sin? It was Jesus who was most concerned about our sin. He was born to save people from their sin. (Matthew 1:21) While He lived and taught, Jesus told various people who came to Him that their sins were forgiven. (Luke 5:20, 7:48) In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask God for forgiveness, and to forgive those who wrong or offend us. (Matthew 6:12-15) He not only taught forgiveness, Jesus modeled forgiveness when He prayed forgiveness from the cross, for his persecutors. He allowed His blood to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7) Christ’s desire is that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached in His name to all nations. (Luke 24:46-47)

While the Lord wants everyone to come to repentance, (2nd Peter 3:9) not everyone will be saved. Acts 10:43 says, “that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.” Whoever hears the Word of the Lord and believes in Him will have eternal life and not be condemned. (John 5:24) If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins (1st John 1:9) - based on His sacrifice on the cross.

Nothing could be offered to us as wonderful as the forgiveness of God. Jesus desired everlasting salvation even for His murderers. For that He willingly gave up His life. Jesus died for sinners – even “great sinners” – and wants us to be forgiven thru Him – thru confession of sin and trusting Him as our Savior.

As I conclude, let me encourage you to take in a church worship service this weekend. And as you do, may God use it in a special way in your life. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Dec. 22, 2020

SEASONING OUR RECEIVING

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

 The day after Christmas has been one of the busiest shopping days of the year. That’s in part because many people want to return gifts they were given.

Sometimes we as people have a hard time receiving gifts. At Christmas we receive presents and remember that Christmas commemorates God’s great gift to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In Luke chapter 1 of the Bible, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. He tells her not to be afraid, that she is highly favored, that she will give birth to a son and she is to name Him Jesus. She simply says, “I am the Lord’s servant - may it be to me as you have said.” Mary simply and trustingly Receives the message, and in the process receives the Savior into her, and delivers Him to a needy world.

When the shepherds came and then spread the word concerning Jesus - it says that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Mary treasured the gift of Jesus.

When Mary & Joseph take Jesus to the temple, to present Him before the Lord, righteous Simeon picks him up and offers a psalm of praise, thanking God for fulfilling His promise of salvation thru Jesus. In Luke 2:33, Mary and Joseph marveled at Jesus and what was said about Him.

The shepherds responded to what had been brought to them. When the angel tells them the good news of great joy for all the people, a Savior has been born to you; they said, let’s go to Bethlehem. And when they had seen Jesus, the gift of God, they went out and spread the Good News, and then returned glorifying and praising God.

Is there anything we can learn from these people in the Bible about how to graciously and enthusiastically receive The Greatest Gift of all time?

An interesting thing can happen at Christmas. There can be a drifting and a covering up. Jesus can disappear from sight. This year, let the central figure, Jesus, be illuminated and displayed more brightly. There are many meaningful and special traditions and activities that usually keep us on the go at this time of year. They can be nice, and they can be pleasant, but they can also cover up Jesus.

Let’s make sure in the days that remain of this Christmas season, to Trust what God has said about Jesus, Respond to Him, and Receive Him as a treasure. Spread the word about this most wonderful gift. Continue to marvel at God’s unbelievable generosity in Christ Jesus. God’s gift is so amazing, so needed and so undeserved; let it thrill you again this year. Return again and again, glorifying and praising God, for providing such an indescribable gift, and such a great salvation. May doing so make your Christmas Merry & Bright.

Dec. 15th, 2020

CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

   A Quote from Composer Oscar Hammerstein, goes, “A bell is not a bell until you ring it. A song is not a song until you sing it. Love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay. For love is not love until you give it away.”

Matthew 2:11 in the Bible says, when the Magi saw Jesus, “they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Thru the Bible we see giving is proof of one’s love for another. “For God so loved the world that he gave.” “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (John 3:16, 15:13 & Matthew 20:28)

The heart of the gospel is that God so loved, He gave. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for each other.

2nd Corinthians chapter 8:9, reminds us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become (spiritually & eternally) rich. The next chapter ends by saying, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Jesus is God’s indescribable gift to us. It is so unexpected, so undeserved, and so unparalleled that no other word or words can explain it.

With God’s gift of Jesus to us, there was nothing we did; there was no contribution we could make. And through Jesus coming to give His life on the cross for our sins, we can receive what the whole world could never pay for - the salvation of our lives for eternity, and a right relationship with the Heavenly Father even now.

What are some gifts you can think of that would be a giving of yourself, and an expression of the love of Christ? Some of the best gifts are purchased with the currency of love and forgiveness, and offered in very physical and practical ways.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into a local Church service on their YouTube channel (ours is, Hebert Living Faith) or FaceBook page. And may God bless your giving when it is done as an expression of His love.

June 30th, 2020

Ready or Not

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

    When you were a child did you play the game of hide & seek - where you counted and then yelled out, ready or not – here I come? If you played a game of hide and seek and you didn’t get ready, what would happen? You would be found wondering around, get caught, and put out of the game.

Maybe you have been told that supper is ready or you have been invited out for a meal with a friend. What is the wise thing to do? Do whatever you need to do to prepare for the meal. That might mean to wash your hands, shut off the TV, help set the table, or jump in the vehicle and get to where the meal is going to be. What happens if you don’t get ready, or just lay around, or ignore the call? You may be late – things will get cold and not be tasty. You might get hungry, or done often enough, it might start to affect your health and strength (not to mention your relationships with others).

Another call is being made to each one of us. The call that is being made to each of us is urgent. We are being pleaded with. (You could read about it from 2nd Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2 in the Bible).

What is the call? Be reconciled to God! Get right with God. Christ has done His part – He took our sins upon Himself on the cross. Our part is to in faith, answer the call. To be saved by placing our faith in the work that Christ has done for us. To trust Jesus to make us right with God and fit to be with Him forever.

Why is the call so urgent? Because the offer won’t last forever. God’s Word tells us, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42 & 44 ) We don’t know when the Lord will come back, and we don’t know when we will take our final breath. We don’t know if something will happen to us so that we will get to the place where we can’t think or understand or make faith choices. We also may get to the place where we ignore God, and He will eventually let us go our own sorry way.

Today, is the day of God’s favor and grace. Today, if you can hear God’s voice, don’t harden your heart to Him. Say YES to God’s offer of salvation. Tell God you want your sins forgiven – trust Him to be your Savior today. Jesus wants each of us to be made right with God the Father, for now and forever.

Each of us needs to ask ourselves, “Am I Ready, or Not?” Are you ready for when the Lord comes back, or says your time on earth is over? I am ready because I have thrown myself on Jesus & His mercy. You also must be ready. If not, someday it will be too late.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church service thru YouTube. Our channel is Hebert Living Faith, or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

June 16th, 2020

A Trait of the Father

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott, Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

     When talking to my mom over the last while, she often concludes saying, “I love you terribly much.” It make us smile, because terrible doesn’t seem the best descriptive word regarding love.

Father’s Day presents us with an opportunity to look at what a Father is like, or what he does. For all the other good and manly qualities of a Father, he also needs a soft and tender heart that is sensitive to others and to the will of God. It is good for a Father to be able to express genuine love.

The cartoon strip, “For Better or for Worse,” showed a Dad coming into the room where his teenage daughter was sitting on the couch watching television & munching popcorn. So he decided to sit down next to her and help himself to the popcorn.

As he was sitting there, a little thought balloon appears over his head. He’s thinking, “I remember when she was so young. I held her in my arms & loved her, and it was wonderful. Now look at her. She’s all grown up, and such a beautiful girl, too. I wonder what she would think if I held her like I used to & told her again that I love her?” He finally concludes that she would be uncomfortable if he did that.

While he’s thinking that, the thought balloon over his daughter’s head has the words, “I wonder why Dad never hugs me anymore?”

In 1st Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 8, the apostle Paul says, “We loved you so much”, and then he goes on to explain what that resulted in. In the original language those words expressed an intensity of love that gives over and over again. Paul was sayings, it’s hard even to find words to express how much, but we really do love you.

I think that is an important character trait for fathers & others, because loving & expressing love does not always come naturally, especially for many of us as men.

Our best example of Fatherhood is God our Heavenly Father. The Bible tells us something of that in the story of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15. The son is sure he knows best. He has it all figured out. The son goes far from home and wastes all his early inheritance money. When he runs out of money, he runs out of friends. He ends up in a pig pen, wanting to eat what the pigs are eating.

As he sits there the Bible says, “He came to his senses.” He starts thinking, “How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father.”

Notice something important. He felt that he could go back to his father. He knew the door was open to him. The father must have communicated his love. That kind of love is a vital thing to communicate to our children.

The sinful son practices his “I’m Sorry” speech, all the way home. But before he could blurt it out “his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” The erring child was shown a special welcome and acceptance. The Father had no fear of expressing love.

You know, the wonderful part is that our Father in Heaven always leaves the door open for us to come home again. No matter how deep our sin, we can always turn to Him. God the Father will always be waiting to throw his arms around you, and to assure you of his unshakable love. The Heavenly Father genuinely loves you and He expressed His love for you thru the sending of His Son to be your Savior.

June 9th, 2020

MORE THAN SURVIVORS

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott, Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

     Maurice and Eva married in 1906 England. They saw posters that advertised Canada as the land of milk and honey. He left for Canada in March 1911. She was to come on the Titanic, but couldn’t board. Eva traveled a short time later and arrived with 3 little ones, age 4 and younger. They settled north of Clair, Sask. Around there shack was nothing but bush, and where there wasn’t bush there were sloughs that were ideal for raising mosquitoes. They moved into another noisy shack for the winter, as it was located alongside the railroad track. It had cracks in the wall and was so cold. They stayed there for the winter, and survived, but every morning Eva’s hair was frozen stiff from the steam of her breath. They filed for another homestead and built a house on that farm where they raised their 7 children, my father being the youngest.

Anyone who has left the “old country” to seek a better life in a new world has to have faith and courage.

In the Bible, God spoke to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans, and told him to pack for a journey that would take him across the desert. It would be a trek that would test his tenacity and his trust in God. Abraham demonstrated faith. God can be trusted even when the destination proves different than imagined.

Have you experienced twists and turns in the road that you hadn’t counted on? Are you lead to feel that you are just trying to survive the mixing bowl of your circumstances?

In Romans 8:28 the apostle Paul says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Paul goes over some possible scenarios in Romans 8:35, “Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? And then in verses 37-39, he proceeds to answer his rhetorical question with a resounding NO! “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God is on the side of those who trust in Him. He will blend together the bitter and the sweet of your life to accomplish His purposes. Paul would know. He’d been imprisoned multiple times, flogged, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, given the infamous Roman 39 lashes, knowing what it was like to be in need, snake bitten.

When God touches our lives for good (even when we are not aware that He is working), we have every reason to believe that we will survive the storms (even when they take us in a different direction than the one we were planning on).

If we’re honest, when it comes to moving into unprecedented waters, or unanticipated experiences, we’re all in the same boat. We face many uncertainties. Each of us leaves the old country of today and goes into tomorrow. We don’t know what is ahead. Faith in God sustains or upholds us in whatever the new days brings.

God is in control of our lives, even when we feel like our future is up for grabs.

Be More Than a Survivor! Be a Spiritual Thriver – knowing that God is for you, and works things out for your good as you trust in Him and look for His way.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church service thru YouTube. Our channel is Hebert Living Faith, or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

May we become More Than Survivors, through Him who loves us, Jesus Christ our Lord.

June 2nd, 2020

Be Strong and Courageous

(Living Faith Fellowship Church – Herbert, Sk. - pastor Lincoln Vellacott)

     Being called a chicken is basically seen as fighting words, right next to saying something nasty about your mother. Being singled out, as someone with courage is something to be desired.

God calls us to be courageous in the daily challenges and struggles we face. We can make the retreat to timid territory, or we can make daily choices to live with courage.

We need Spiritual Courage. Some might say Christianity is for weak people. But you have to have courage to repent before a Holy God - to tell Him the truth about yourself. Everyone who is a follower of Christ has come to the point where they have said, “I’m a sinful person. I often choose self over others, pleasure over service, greed over sharing, disobedience over obedience. I know what the right thing to do is, and I don’t always do it. I confess my sin and throw myself on the mercy of God. It takes incredible courage to become a Christian.

We need Moral Courage. Honesty and being ethical in business and with finances could make things tight, upset customers, upset bosses, or create a fuss in a friendship? Someone once told a group of us that they would rather quit a job than to lie for their boss. That’s moral courage. How about staying pure in a sex-crazed culture? Courage is needed to stand by your convictions when everyone else says you are hopelessly idealistic, old-fashioned, and a little bit strange.

We need Relational Courage. Some people would run into a burning building, or jump into a frozen lake, before they would face the condition of their marriage. Instead of saying we have got some trouble, we need a marriage retreat, a counsellor, or we’ve got to get together with another couple we respect. It takes courage to parent and raise children the way God would have them to be raised. To say I am going to do the right thing in this situation and stick with my convictions takes courage.

The apostle Paul tells timid Timothy, in 2nd Tim. 1:7&8, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord … join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life.”

From Joshua 1:9 the Lord told Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and Courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” From 1st Cor. 16:13-14, we hear, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” And Jesus promised His followers, in Matthew 28:20, “and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The things of life don’t have to back us up into the corner of timidity. We can have courage in the daily challenges and struggles, the temptations and persecution. Courage is possible when we know that we are in the hands of the Almighty God and under the loving protection of the Heavenly Father.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church service thru YouTube. Our channel is Hebert Living Faith, or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

May the Almighty God, who gives us strength, and will be with those who have put their trust in Him, help you stand firm in the faith and to live with courage.

May 12th, 2020

 Rest For Your Soul

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

Do you ever feel tired? Have you ever felt so restless you couldn’t find a comfortable way to sit or sleep? Have you ever told someone that you felt worn out - Or like you could sleep for a week? We don’t have to be in the middle of seeding or harvest, calving or haying, canning or Christmas, or a crisis or pandemic, to feel exhausted, or in need of rest. Having less energy comes with aging. Experiencing weakness is part of being human. Just seeing someone yawn or talk about needing a rest, makes me want to yawn or to take a nap.

But often tiredness has to do with more than just the physical, emotional, mental, and relational (or lack of relational). Some say I feel weary to the bones, to the core, or in my very depths – or in my soul.

St. Augustine, in his book, “Confessions”, says about God, “Thou has formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” Another person has said that we have a heart shaped vacuum inside all of us, that can only be filled by the Lord Jesus. Our hearts long for something more, something beyond ourselves. Restlessness or weariness sometimes comes deep down inside each one of us because we are seeking fulfillment or satisfaction in things other than God. We maybe want to be known as a hard worker, as smart or good looking, or even as rich, funny or famous for something we have done. We may want to be someone who is very religious, or with a beautiful singing voice, or who is always serving or volunteering. Those things may satisfy for awhile, but as we honestly look back, maybe they only add to the strain.

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes 1:8 tells us, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say.” And in the next chapter, Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, says “When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

My great-grandmother, gave her son a Bible, on his 18th birthday, not long before he came to this country. Along with his name, she wrote the words from Isaiah 55:6, which says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” She had it right, but sadly I don’t think my grandfather ever got it right spiritually speaking.

Revelation 22:17 tells us, “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

From Isaiah 40:28-31, it teaches us that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, will not grow tired or weary. It is He that gives strength to the weary. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest – and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

Have you come to Jesus? Have you placed your hope and trust in Him, and the salvation He made possible thru His work on the cross? I can’t promise you that you will never feel physically tired again, or emotionally spent, or have a tired brain; but your true and eternal self, the very heart and soul of you, will be at rest when you put your faith in Jesus. Call on the Lord. Come to Jesus. Put your hope in Him and find rest for your soul.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church service thru YouTube. Our channel is Hebert Living Faith, or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow May the deep rest providing Jesus, give rest for your weariness, and hope for tomorrow.

April 21st, 2020

Easter – Now What?

(Living Faith Fellowship Church – Herbert, Sk. - pastor Lincoln Vellacott)

Lee Strobel graduated from Yale law school with a master of studies in law, became a legal affairs editor of the Chicago tribune and a spiritual skeptic. After his wife converted to Christianity, he wanted to disprove her and so he began to examine what has been said about Jesus, what Christ said about himself, and questions regarding the resurrection. Here is what he said:

My journalistic skepticism toward the supernatural had melted in light of the breathtaking historical evidence that the resurrection of Jesus was a real, historical event. In fact, my mind could not con­jure up a single explanation that fit the evidence of history nearly as well as the conclusion that Jesus was who he claimed to be: the one and only Son of God.

The atheism I had embraced for so long buckled under the weight of historical truth. It was a stunning and radical outcome, certainly not what I had anticipated when I embarked on this investigative process. But it was, in my opinion, a decision compelled by the facts.

All of which led me to the “So what?” question. If this is true, what difference does it make? There were several obvious implications.

• If Jesus is the Son of God, his teachings are more than just good ideas from a wise teacher; they are divine insights on which I can confidently build my life.

• If Jesus sets the standard for morality, I can now have an unwa­vering foundation for my choices and decisions, rather than basing them on the ever-shifting sands of expediency and self-centeredness.

• If Jesus did rise from the dead, he's still alive today and avail­able for me to encounter on a personal basis.

• If Jesus conquered death, he can open the door of eternal life for me, too.

• If Jesus has divine power, he has the supernatural ability to guide me and help me and transform me as I follow him.

• If Jesus personally knows the pain of loss and suffering, he can comfort and encourage me in the midst of the turbulence that he himself warned is inevitable in a world corrupted by sin.

• If Jesus loves me as he says, he has my best interests at heart. That means I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by committing myself to him and his purposes.

• If Jesus is who he claims to be (and remember, no leader of any other major religion has even pretended to be God), as my Creator he rightfully deserves my allegiance, obedience, and worship.

I remember writing out these implications on my legal pad and then leaning back in my chair. I had reached the culmination of my nearly two-year journey. It was finally time to deal with the most pressing question of all: “Now what?”

I realized that I needed more than an intellectual decision. I reached over to a Bible and opened it to John 1:12, a verse I had encountered during my investigation: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

The key verbs in that verse spell out with mathematical preci­sion what it takes to go beyond mere mental assent to Jesus’ deity and enter into an ongoing relationship with him by becoming adopted into God’s family: BELIEVE + RECEIVE = BECOME.

Yes, I had to take a step of faith, as we do in every decision we make in life. But here’s the crucial distinction: I was no longer trying to swim upstream against the strong current of evidence; instead I was choosing to go in the same direction that the torrent of facts was flowing.

So I talked with God in a heartfelt and unedited prayer, admitting and turning from my wrongdoing, and receiving the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. I told him that with his help I wanted to follow him and his ways from here on out.

After taking that step, I knew from John 1:12 that I had crossed the threshold into a new experience. I had become something different: a child of God, forever adopted into his family through the historical, risen Jesus. Said the apostle Paul, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Maybe that sounds mystical to you; I don’t know. Not so long ago it would have to me. But it’s very real to me now and to those around me. In fact, so radical was the difference in my life that a few months after I became a follower of Jesus, our five-year-old daughter Alison went up to my wife and said, “Mommy, I want God to do for me what he’s done for Daddy.” (The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel, p. 266-270)

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church service thru YouTube. Our channel is Hebert Living Faith, or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

This Easter, may the Crucified and Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, help you to see Himself more clearly, and draw you to Himself in these days.

April 7th, 2020

Easter - Spiritual Preparedness

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

April 15th is the 108th year anniversary of the Titanic disaster. My extended family can thank the Lord that my Grandma, and her 3 young children, were not allowed passage on the Titanic. If they had boarded, we would most likely have not come into this world.

We might just be tempted to say that it was fate, that though they were on the dock, all prepared to go, that the Titanic was too full for them to board (or the 2nd more likely version of the family history, is that one of the nieces that they were traveling with, had ring worm, and because of that they were not allowed passage). Was it fate?

You might ask why were they spared and not some of those others who died in that terrible disaster. I see God’s miraculous hand in that event - His protection, His sometimes unknowable sovereign will, and His mercy towards us.

The Bible tells us in Acts 17:26, that “From one man (Adam) he (God) made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”

Your life, and your being on this earth, also, is not an accident or a stroke of fate. Our lives are the plan of God. He desired to bring you into this world. He desired that you should still be here. Your life is part of the plan, the mercy, the will and desire of a Loving Heavenly Father.

The Titanic was a technological marvel of the age, and legend has it that it was referred to as the unsinkable ship, a ship God Himself couldn’t sink. The people had no idea that many of their lives would come to such a quick and sudden end. They were unprepared and overconfident for what lie ahead, as they did not have enough lifeboats on board.

What, or who, are you depending on? We only have to think about these days we are in to realize how much we can’t control. Health, security, technology, financial markets, good conducive planting weather, can all fail us.

There is only One who is fully dependable and that can be trusted to keep us from unspeakable and eternal disaster. Eternal disaster preparedness means placing your faith in Jesus, the One who came to rescue us from great loss. We live in that spiritual state of emergency right now. That’s why Christ had to come to the cross.

From the Bible we are told, “The Lord … is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2nd Peter 3:9 ) Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

This Easter, 108 years after the Titanic disaster, and during the Covid-19 crisis, let the Cross of Christ be your life boat, that which you cling to and depend upon. Don’t be unprepared and overconfident for what lies ahead. Let’s not depend on that which will fail us, or seek to live without God, and without properly preparing for what is ahead. Turn to God thru faith in Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins that are found in Him.

Let me close by encouraging you to tune into our local Church service on our YouTube channel (ours is, Hebert Living Faith), or click on

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

This Easter, may the Crucified and Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, help you to see Himself more clearly, and draw you to Himself in these days.

March 31st, 2020

Oh Yes, He Cares

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

Newspaper advice columnist, Ann Landers, received an average of 10,000 letters a month - almost all of them from people who were burden with life’s problems. She was asked if there was one problem that people seemed to struggle with more than any other. Her reply was, Fear.

Fear is a common problem from which none of us is immune. According to a well-known doctor, 30 percent of the chronic patients who see today’s physicians have one common symptom - fear.

Fears do strange things to people. We may experience some close relatives of the word fear – words such as anxiety, worry, stress, and tension. In an issue of “the Christian businessman”, the results were given of a survey of the major concerns of small business owners: a fear of poverty, a fear of criticism, a fear of illness, a fear of rejection, a fear of growing old, a fear of being separated from loved ones, and a fear of death.

What are some of your fears?

Read in the Bible Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus gave His followers a hands on practical lesson in having faith instead of fear. The fierceness of the storm can be seen in the reaction of the disciples. Many of these guys were experienced fishermen, probably use to being out on the Sea of Galilee. They ask Jesus a question that many of us probably ask from time to time in our difficulties and problems. “Don’t you care?”

Jesus cares. He gets up and rebukes the wind and then commands the waves something to the effect in the original language, ‘to put a muzzle on it.’ The storm quit storming and the sea quit raging - because of Jesus.

What storms are there in your life? What fears are you experiencing? We do not have a weak or distant and uncaring Lord. He has all power and authority. Whether we recognize it or not, He is at work. We may recognize that our life is topsy-turvy, and feel like we aren’t in control, and we will probably be right. But we can depend on the Lord because He is in control, and we can trust Him. We can have faith in God even in the stormy times because He is a powerful, active and trustworthy God.

As with the current circumstances I can’t encourage you to physically go to a church worship service this week-end, so let me close by encouraging you to tune into our Church services on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

If you would like, you could email my church office ([email protected]), and I can email you a message for the week. I also encourage you to phone a Christian friend, regularly, to have a conversation and ask to pray together. If you are feeling low and overwhelmed, and just need someone to talk to, let me remind you that one of the resources you can go to is to call a church or pastor.

May the God Almighty, who cares and is loving and faithful, be with you by His Holy Spirit, help you to see Himself clearer through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and draw you to Himself in these days. Amen!

March 24th, 2020

My Hope

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

If you live in the typical Canadian community – with 100 average neighbors – here is the reality: 5 of your neighbors struggle with depression, contemplating suicide; 12 feel crippled or trapped by fear and anxiety (and that was before the Covid-19/coronavirus outbreak and pandemic); 11 abuse or are addicted to drugs or alcohol; 7 are struggling with the loss of a job; 3 are grieving the death of a loved one; and 72 don’t profess to know Jesus Christ as their Savior – www.myhopewithbillygraham.ca Maybe one or more of those things could be true of you.

There are some pretty sad statistics and stories in our world today. One doesn’t have to listen to the news very long for it to begin to depress you. What about for us? Has your life been full of things and activity, but you sense you’re lacking something? Do you ever feel empty, like you’re losing hope, or disappointed with life? Do you ever wonder why are you here, and who or what gives life meaning?

The Billy Graham organization had a campaign called “My Hope.” It encouraged us to think about what or in who do you place your hope? Real hope isn’t found in the government, in our own strength and health or financial security, in the work/job we can do, or even in being religious. One of the saddest things a person can say is that they have no hope. To have no hope, or to have lost hope, is a very discouraging thing. But know this - There is HOPE for YOU!!

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, in the Bible, reminds us of 3 short important truths.

1. First, because Jesus rose again, we can have hope. Real hope comes from our living Lord Jesus. That is what we celebrate, especially in a few weeks at Easter.
2. Secondly, those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior have no hope, or nothing to look forward to when life is ended. While that is sad, it is a biblical truth. But it doesn’t have to be or stay that way.
3. Finally, those who are “in Christ” will be with the Lord forever. The difference between having no hope, and having a certain or sure hope, is if we are “In Christ”.

What does it mean to be “In Christ”? To be in Christ, means we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ. To be in Christ, means we have asked Jesus to forgive our sin and have put our trust in Him to be our life’s Savior. The God of the Bible wants us to be encouraged, because all who are in Christ, thru faith in what Christ Jesus did for us on the cross, can overflow with hope. Jesus Christ is with those who are in Him thru faith. And those who are “In Christ”, are with the Lord forever.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 131:3, to put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. And in Psalm 130:7 we are told to, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation. (nlt)

An old hymn goes: “My hope is in the Lord, who gave Himself for me, and paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. For me He died; For me He lives, And everlasting life and light He freely gives.” It goes on to sing, “No merit (to earn or deserve or be worthy) of my own, His anger to suppress, My only hope is found in Jesus righteousness. His grace has planned it all, ‘Tis mine but to believe, and recognize His work of love and Christ receive.”

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

As with the current circumstances I can’t encourage you to take in a church worship service this week-end, so let me close by encouraging you to listen in to our Sunday services on Youtube -

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiaRZmoDpJFOsH7P8Bt8Ow

Or if you would like, you could email my church office ([email protected]), and I can email you a message for the week. I also encourage you to phone a Christian friend, regularly, to have a conversation and ask to pray together. If you are feeling low and overwhelmed, and just need someone to talk to, let me remind you that one of the sources you can go to is to call a church or pastor.

May the Almighty Lord God, who cares and is loving and faithful, be with you by His Holy Spirit, help you to see Himself clearer through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and draw you to Himself in these days. Amen!

Feb. 18th, 2020

Are You in The Faith?? – 4 Tests

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott – Living Faith Fellowship Church, Herbert, Sk.)

Have you ever received an email, or read a newspaper ad, asking if you would become a tester in your area, or have you watched a crash test dummy commercial?

Thankfully there are people who do quality control, safety checks, tests to see how much radiation is in milk, or examine claims on offers to see if they are scams. That’s important. But there is something even more important to us than car airbags or braking abilities, investment interest or what’s in the food we eat, or the quality of service we receive.

2nd Corinthians 13:5 tells us to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” We don’t want to be self deceived or wrong about spiritual and eternal matters. The consequences to that are real and lasting.

I want to give you 4 tests or ways to examine yourself, your beliefs and behaviors, and to test what people might teach you or say to you.

1st John 4:1-3 says we recognize God is in the one that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. If someone teaching you does not acknowledge Jesus, they are not from God. You may have heard people say that Jesus was just a good man, a miracle working prophet, a wise teacher, but he was not God. They may say it doesn’t really matter whether Jesus actually physically lived and died, the important thing is to do some things He supposedly said. The Bible says the person who denies Jesus is a false teacher and is really against the Lord God.

1st John 4:20-21 gives another test to us when it says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” Would you say that you are a believer, a child of God, that you have a relationship with God, but you have all kinds of animosity and bitterness to other people, especially Christians? That person the Bible says is a liar, because whoever loves God must or will also love his brother.

1st John 1:6-8, says if we say we have fellowship with God (or say we haven’t done anything wrong), but continue to live darkly, not caring about the things of God or whether we sin, we are only fooling ourselves or not accepting or living by the truth.

One more test from 1st John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Eternal life - having a proper faith connection with God – comes thru Jesus. If you have trusted Jesus to be your Savior from sin, made possible thru His death on the cross for you, you can be confident that you believe rightly and that you have entered into eternal life even now.

What do those tests say about you, your condition before God, your beliefs, and about the ones who guide and teach you spiritually? You can be assured that you have eternal life with God, which begins on this earth and last forever with Him. It all depends on what you believe about and do with the historical Jesus, who came to earth for you, and died to be your Savior.

Have a great day thru Jesus. Let me encourage you, to take in a church worship service, near you, this weekend. And may God bless you in it.

Christmas 2019

What if Jesus Had Never Been Born

(pastor Lincoln Vellacott)

One movie, often shown around Christmas, is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with main character George Bailey. He has tough times, and after drinking, considers suicide. A bumbling angel saves him and shows what would have been the case for the community and the people around him if George had never been born. It is a feel good movie, which ends up with George Bailey seeing how it was good for so many that he had been born into this world.

As we move towards Christmas, let me ask the question: “What if Jesus had never been born?” What kind of world would that be? What kind of consequences and despair would have resulted if Jesus had never been born?

Let me suggest 7 things that would result if Jesus Christ had not come into this world and lived and died and been raised to life again. First, we would be lost – spiritually and eternally speaking. Luke 19:10 in the Bible tells us, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” That is each one of us.

Second, we would be dead in our sins and unable to change or do anything about that. Ephesians 2:1 says, “As for you, you were dead in your wrongdoings and sins.” Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that our wrongdoings have separated us from God.

Third, we would be unaware of the extent of God’s love. 1st John 4:9 reads, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

Fourth, we would be without hope in this world. From Ephesians 2:12, we are separate from Christ…without hope and without God in the world. 1st Peter 1:3 says, “In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Fifth, there would be no forgiveness. Quoting from Acts 13:38, “Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Sixth, we would remain unreconciled to God. Romans 5:10 declares, “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Seventh, we would remain eternally condemned by the judge of all the earth. In John 3:18 we find these words of Jesus about himself: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” And again from John 5:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

Because Jesus Christ WAS born, those 7 or more things don’t have to be the case, or our consequences anymore. We can be alive, spiritually and forever, thru faith in Christ Jesus; encountering God’s love; filled with confident hope; forgiven, pardoned; in union and friendship with God; and experiencing God’s great salvation. Thank God that Jesus Christ WAS Born, and thru trusting in Him, life for each one of us can be far different from what life would have been.

Peace be yours thru Christ Jesus the Savior.

I encourage you to take in a church worship service this coming week-end, so that you can be encouraged - with those - who like us, needed a living Savior. Merry Christmas from myself, my family, and Living Faith Fellowship church.