Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
On January 22, 2023, my father, Brother Jaime Andres Vega passed onto eternity. It happened on a Sunday morning, when I was preaching the Word of God. The Lord had told me prior to not preach bilingual for this time (English and Spanish), but to preach two separate messages. In retrospect, there are moments when one may be prompted to do something out of the ordinary and one may not always understand 'why', yet we surely can trust God and act accordingly. I have discovered that God is always present--even in the smallest details. It was this particular moment that I chose to listen to that 'small still voice' and preach two separate messages online as God had directed me. And as it turned out, as soon as I was done preaching one message in one language, I received a text from my brother asking for urgent prayer! My father had fell and became unconscious! I, instantly realized that if I had not been obedient to do what God put on my heart, I would have missed my brother's text!
Thankfully, my husband, pastor Leyva at that moment was with me and we immediately went into intercessory prayer. Quickly, we both felt a supernatural peace in which we learn in the Scriptures that Jesus Himself shares, that this type of peace is available for all of us. It is described as a "peace that the world does not know but a peace, which surpasses all understanding".
My husband and I then made eye contact and he said, "keep preaching". So I did. I preached my heart out. I preached with even more Faith, with a knowing that we truly serve a God of the Living.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies"
(John 11:25).
As soon as I was done with my assignment, I contacted my brother to see how my father was doing? I learned that he had passed on, right after he had asked me to pray. I believe in my heart that it was at that moment that we both felt the peace of God was when my father went on to heaven. You see my father many years ago, met a man at the gym while working out, invited him to church. My father took his wife and his baby girl, Emma to his church. It turned out that he was the pastor of that church. There, both of my parents gave their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ and from the day on, they raised all of their five children in the church. Through my father, many have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And my father deeply loved me and raised me to love and serve God. I am the eldest of five children and I am so very proud to be able to carry on my father's legacy of faith and family and even teach my own children to do likewise.
Although, I have had the privilege of helping many families through great losses of their loved ones, this was extremely painful for me and my family to go through this sudden passing of my father. However, I have been once again come out of the valley of the shadow of death with so much gratitude and blessed assurance due the "Comforter". He is known as the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. There are no words that would fully describe the deep comfort and the love of God that I personally experience through the Faithful One and through my beautiful community of Faith of this great loss of my beloved father.
And as I have been comforted, I too am able to be used by God to comfort others solely through the grace of God.
We personally know many who have lost loved ones during this time, and you too, may be one that has also been mourning as well. Let us take comfort in the promises of God, today:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Pastor's Prayer: Lord, we lift up each one of your sons and daughters, today, who are experiencing any kind of loss or pain. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to comfort them now in their hour of need. May they know that you are with them and will never leave them nor forsake them. Strengthen them and give them your perfect peace as they place their faith and trust in you, in Jesus' name, Amen.
If you need prayer or someone to talk to, call or message us and we would be honored to help you on your own faith journey and connect you with our faith community here in Montclair, CA.
Love, The Leyvas (Pastors Emma and Manuel Leyva).
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