“We will celebrate and praise you, Lord! You are good to us, and your love never fails.”
Psalms 106:1

As we enter into the holiday season, I am amazed at how fast this year has seemed to pass us by.
We are enjoying the beauty of fall season and all the array of colors that fill the landscape around
us. The changing of the season is also evident through the cooler temperatures and many
transitioning to warmer clothing. It is a reminder that change takes place each day around us, but
we can be assured that God never changes. His love for us never fails. He is the same yesterday,
today and forevermore.

This thanksgiving season may we offer God our thanks and praise for His goodness and
unchanging love. Thanksgiving and praise always go together. We cannot adequately praise God
without also being thankful. Thanksgiving differs from praise in that praise recognizes God for
who He is, and thanksgiving recognizes God for specific things He has done. It is my prayer that
we will reflect on all the answered prayers, spiritual blessings, relational blessings, and material
blessings that God has provided to you and I this year. May our hearts and prayers be filled with
much praise and thanksgiving always.

Dee and I are truly grateful for each of you, and praise God for the blessing of being a part of the
Leesburg SDA Church family. We want to thank you for the faithful and joyful giving of your
time, talents, and treasure to the mission and ministry of the church. May your homes and hearts
be filled with much love, peace and joy this thanksgiving season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Semu

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name.”
Matthew 6:9

In Matthew 6, Jesus presents what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer has been our
model for all prayer throughout the ages. Jesus begins with “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be
your name.” He is giving us an indication that we begin connecting with God through prayer by
praising and worshipping Him.

What is praise? Praise is thanking God for who and what He is. It means to declare, “God, You
are my God! There is no one like You.” Also thanking Him for His goodness and love that is ever
present in our lives.

When we praise God in prayer it takes our focus off ourselves and onto God so that we can talk
to Him and not at Him. I encourage you to read through the book of Psalms. Many of the psalms
are written prayers that simply praise God.

When we praise God in prayer, we express vocally that we value God for His virtues and
accomplishments. It is my hope that we may fill our prayers with praise and in return may God
fill our hearts with joy and gladness.

Grace and Peace

Pastor Semu

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26

Earlier this year I had pastors meetings at Camp Blue Ridge. What a beautiful drive it was from
Sterling to Montebello, VA. As I drew closer to the campground, I could see how the landscape
was changing from many buildings and homes to lush green open land spaces. The parcels of land
created a large distance from one property to the next. Some of the land spaces were occupied by
animals or crops. The air seemed to become a little more refreshing as well. After driving through Harrisonburg and Staunton, I arrived in the small city of Montebello. I drove about 8 miles up the mountainside road to the campsite. Upon arrival, I could sense the peace and calmness in the air. I checked in and received the keys to my cabin. There was some free time before our first meeting, so I chose to sit out on the balcony and listen to the sound of nature around me. The chirping of the birds quickly got my attention.

When I heard the birds chirping, it evoked my memory to the words of Jesus from His sermon on
the mount in Matthew 6:26. The birds have no worry of what they will eat or how they will
survive, God simply provides for them. Jesus also lets us know of our value in the question that
He poses to the listeners that day and even to you and I today. He formed us with His own hands
and created us in His image. We are special in the eyes of God.

Is there something that is consuming your happiness or peace today? Are you expending your
time worrying about an issue? I encourage you to take time to listen to the birds. Spend some
quiet time with God outdoors this week. It is comforting to know that God is our provider and
help in our time of need.

Grace and Peace

Pastor Semu

I remember as a kid learning to swim at the beaches in Hawaii. On this particular Sunday, my
family and I had gone to a beach in the city of Nanakuli on the island of Oahu. This beach was
known for its crashing waves and strong currents. By now I had gradually learned to swim in
waters that were calm to waters that were a bit rough. But now at the beach in Nanakuli, I would
face a real test of my swimming skills.

There is a rule in Hawaii that most people follow when they are planning to enter the waters.
That rule is to never go alone or if you are going alone, let someone know where you are going.
The waters of Hawaii are beautiful but can be dangerous as well if you are not familiar with the
ocean currents and precautions of the area.

I recall entering the waters of Nanakuli beach and having a sense of confidence. This confidence
was not because I learned the skills of swimming. But rather because as I swam, I knew that I
was never alone. We used the buddy system as a family because there was always a lot of us who
would go to the beach together. We were accountable for each other and we were never to enter
the waters alone. That day at the beach I remember my partner reminding me always that I was
not alone, “I am right here beside you.”

Throughout the New and Old Testaments, God repeatedly says, “I am with you.” This is the most
frequent promise in the Bible. This was the purpose of Jesus, the Messiah, prophesied to be
called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

Wherever you may find yourself today, God is with you. God will never abandon you; He
promises to be with you all the time. “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy
31:8).

Grace and Peace

Pastor Semu

“In the year the King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1

In the Bible, there are a handful of people who are given the opportunity to get a glimpse of God.
Most, if not all of them, struggled to describe with human words what they saw. Perhaps the
prophet Isaiah gives us the clearest record of his encounter with God.

King Uzziah was a great king. At the time of his passing, Israel is politically and economically
strong, but spiritually bankrupt. The death of King Uzziah created a vacuum of power that left
Israel vulnerable to the Assyrians and Egyptians. Devastated by the death of the king and by the
predicament Israel finds itself in, Isaiah made his way to the temple to worship and renew his
faith.

In the temple, Isaiah is given a vision and had the great privilege of seeing God. In this
experience, God wanted Isaiah to know that in spite of Assyria’s might and power, He is still all
mighty, all powerful and in control of the affairs on earth. Isaiah also learned that although his
earthly king was dead, his heavenly King was alive, God was still on His throne.

Isaiah saw the train of God’s robe, and it filled the temple. A monarch’s train signals the
presence of royalty. Notice how royal God is, “the train of His robe filled the temple.” God was
revealing to Isaiah then and to us today that He is not only sitting at the seat of power but He is
also all powerful, all royal, and almighty.

Isaiah’s encounter took place in front of God’s throne, the place of power. The good news is that
this honor is not only reserved for prophets. We are all welcomed to come before His throne in
worship. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Whatever you are facing in your life today, may you find solace in knowing that the King of
kings invites you to worship before His presence. It's in His presence where we find true peace
and comfort.

Grace and peace,

Semu Siologa

Dee and I live about 20 minutes from the Dulles International Airport. At any part of the day, we
can see planes making their approach to land and see them climbing to their cruising altitude
when taking off. We can also hear them when we are indoors as they fly over our neighborhood.

When I see planes taking off, I often wonder how long is the estimated flight time for those
passengers and flight crew. But when I see planes landing, I am thinking to myself that this must
be the best part of the trip for those passengers and crew members. The relief that they will be
landing shortly and soon will not be restricted to the confines of an airplane.

Recently, Dee and I took a trip to Washington state out of Dulles International Airport. Our flight
time was about 4 hours and 30 minutes from Dulles to Seattle. Our original flight was canceled
because of mechanical issues, so Delta booked us on another flight for the next morning on
Alaska Airlines.

Our original seats with Delta had us sitting together in a 3-seat row with Dee sitting by the
window and I sitting in the aisle with no one between us. (Ahh comfort!) But after being
rebooked on Alaska, our seats were now middle seats with Dee in row 21 and I in row 22. To say
the least, our plane ride was not comfortable.

As soon as we took off, I was looking forward to landing. Throughout the journey on that plane,
there was a voice that kept telling me, “Hold on, your discomfort will not last forever, it is going
to cease soon.” After a grueling 4 hours, I finally heard those heavenly words from the captain,
“Prepare the cabin for landing, we are making our final descent into Seattle International
Airport.”

This experience had a spiritual lesson as well. Sometimes in our lives we go through discomfort
and things do not go according to plan. But may you be encouraged by the words of Psalms 30:5,
“...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Whatever discomfort you
may be experiencing today, I encourage you to hold on for it will not last forever. Soon our
captain Jesus will descend from above and our journey through the discomforts of sin will end.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,
and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus,
we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Grace and Peace

Pastor Semu

If we are unfaithful,
He remains faithful
for He cannot deny who he is.
2 Timothy 2:13 NLT

At Gethsemane when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they asked "who is Jesus of Nazareth," He
declared "I Am" and everyone drew backwards and fell to the ground (John 18:6). What a magnificent display of power. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? If you read the Apostle John’s testimony at Gethsemane and think back to Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, you are correct to do so. When God revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), He too identified Himself as the great “I Am.” The name implies His absolute existence throughout eternity. It is more than a name or a description. It is a poetic expression of God’s very nature. “I Am that I Am” or “I will be what I will be.” Returning to the scene at Gethsemane and looking at Jesus in this context is remarkable. Let the gravity of it all sink in. He could destroy the Roman soldiers with just a breath of His nostrils and yet He willingly surrendered Himself; knowing full well what was coming. Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

He is LOVE and love never gives up. It bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails! (1 Cor 13:4-8).
If you're down on your faith and struggling, don't give up because there is no way God would ever give up on you! He has a heart of compassion and remains faithful even when we're faithless. That is a narrative in the Bible that is told over and over again. God made a promise to redeem mankind through the seed of Abraham and He remained faithful to that promise throughout the ages - even when Israel turned their back on God time and time again.

2000 years ago, when the Creator stepped into His creation, His specially chosen people were faithless and utterly rejected Him. They crucified Him and yet He remained faithful to His promise throughout it all. Even while He was on the cross He prayed “forgive them Father, for they do not know what they are doing.” This is love like no other. His love never fails. He is the complete expression of love and His desire for us is to yield to His unrelenting pursuit of our hearts and surrender our lives over to Him.

May you find hope in this passage in whatever season of life you are in. Take comfort in His steadfast love for you. Anchor your soul to the word of God. Repent of your sins, turning away from the darkness of this world and step into the light. Fix your eyes upon Jesus! He is faithful. He never fails!

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The beauty of communicating with God is that we can speak about anything, yes that’s right anything! A person who is single can speak openly and honestly about his or her battles with unholy sexual desires. People who have had their hearts broken can speak about the bitterness and unforgiveness that they experience on a daily basis. An alcoholic can speak about his weaknesses with alcoholic beverages. Someone who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer can speak about the fear of death and the anger that they may have towards God. Whatever it is you are struggling with, God wants to have a conversation with you. Jesus says in John 6:37, “whoever comes to me I will never cast out”.

Here’s an amazing thought, If you have a conversation with an earthly friend and it makes you feel better, how much more encouraged will you be after having a conversation with the most able, powerful, compassionate Being in the entire universe.

God wants to speak to you so desperately, this is his invitation to you, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool”.

God can heal the shame, disappointment, guilt, hurt and mental scars, but it it all starts with a conversation with God.