The Berthoud Bugle: Seek and You Shall Find
- berthoudfoursquare
- Jan 1
- 14 min read
Volume 2025: Edition 33
Food for thought: An Unexpected Question
Hello everyone. We thank you for your love and support for our Church and our family. Please continue to pray for our church, our pastor and his leadership, and our church leaders as we move forward into this year. Last year was very hard for us with the loss of Pastor Steve Salazar Sr. who led our congregation for over 34 years. Pray that we continue to move forward and continue the work that was laid before us. We are so blessed and grateful for the growth in our church, the ability to share our messages and newsletters with our viewers, and the strengthening of our church family and viewers as a congregation and as individuals. We strive to bring encouragement and connection through this newsletter that we will continue to post every 1st of the month, so we hope you will continue to learn and grow in God's word with us.
I want to start off this new year’s topic with a question—a question that I have asked and spoken about with others and that many have pondered before. It is unfathomable and requires deep and careful consideration in the exploration of an answer.
What are our loved ones doing when they leave this world?
I asked my dad this question more than I can count, and when my dad went home to be with his creator on December 28th, 2023, it went through my mind constantly: Where is he? And what is he doing?
I can only speak to my personal journey with this topic, obviously, but I want you as the reader to understand that I’m talking about this subject because it is a monthly discussion I am having, and I want to share over the past year how this question (which is really a two-part question) has driven me to a direction and path I never thought it would.
This year is the first year I have lived without my dad being in it. I knew that this day would come. The day I would have to see my mom and dad leave this world. And when this newsletter comes out, it will be over a year since my family lost my dad. With the pain of losing someone so close, it reminds me of the many people that have come and gone throughout my lifetime. The impact they made on me, and the impression they left behind molded me into the person I have become, and the man I want to be.
Everyone who reads this has shared the same pain, loss, and heartbreak of losing someone so dear to their heart. My dad spoke to me about this moment many times over. My questions were always the same, and my mind could never grasp the answers he would give to Me.
My dad always answered with a verse from the Bible, then with a word of encouragement, and would end with a quick reminder to always pray and ask God about what’s on my mind.
The last time we (my dad and I) spoke about this topic, was a couple of weeks before he passed away. My uncle Chuck had just passed away, our family had just gotten back from my uncle's funeral, and many questions ran through my head.
You would think that growing up with a dad who is a pastor and growing up in a church I wouldn’t struggle with this specific question, or that after hearing my dad's answer several times before It would be easier to understand, but from my personal experience, it wasn’t. Because I still had doubts. I’ve always struggled with doubting because this world (the devil) attacks God’s people constantly. It tests your faith, and it has always attacked this family (my dad’s family) non-stop.
My question was the same question, but phrased differently- “What do you think the people that make it to heaven are doing? And where are they?”
My dad had heard me ask this question so many times that you would think he would say - “really? Why do you ask the same thing over and over?”. But of course, he didn’t respond like that. He had so much patience with me and was glad to guide my questioning and troubled mind with verses and prayer. I didn’t know it at the time, or the many times throughout my life that I would ask the same questions over and over to him, that I would get the answer through the pain and heartache of his loss.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
(Matthew 6:25-34)
“You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.”
(Psalm 139:1-5)
In my conversations throughout this year and my continuous questioning and search for an answer, I found an answer in this verse:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
(John 14:1-6)
When my mind races to questioning everything and anything, my dad would help me to remember what truly matters the most, turn to God’s word, and turn your troubles to Him, the one who created all things.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
(Matthew 7:6-8)
I always thought I would get an answer to my questions through someone’s remarks or that I would have a moment of clarity, but when I searched for my answers, I always ended up asking “Where will I be?” What would it matter what I was doing in heaven if I didn’t even make it to heaven? The second part of the question was no longer important. What is important is that when it is my time, will I be ready? Will I have prepared to meet my creator face to face and found my way home? Would I meet my maker knowing that I was never worthy, but that I leaned on my savior and His worthiness and gave Him my whole heart?
It is not an easy path, as we all know. I know I will always have to struggle with my doubt, my fears, the constant questioning of everything, and the fight to stay on the right path. But remember this, as I have to remember daily: you are not alone. God didn’t make you to be alone, He made you to be in fellowship with one another. We are here to help each other, to encourage each other, to pray for each other, to love one another, and most importantly, to love Him for all He has done.
I let myself believe that I could do better on my own because I thought people would always let me down. I didn’t trust in anyone and so I tend to shut people out around me. But I know that is the world and the devil trying to keep me away from what God has for me.
God placed me here in this moment for something, like He did for every single one of you. “What is my purpose?” is another question I ask all the time, but I know He wants more out of me and that what I do now matters so much more than what I will do while in Heaven.
When I started this topic with the question: What are our loved ones doing when they leave this world?
The answer didn’t come through comforting words and opinions of what we think and hope they are doing, but through answering with the question: “What are you going to do to get to see them again?”
The answer was always going to lead me to our savior. Because to get the answers we are truly looking for, we must ask our God for understanding and to guide our minds. For me, the answer to the question was as simple as praying and reaching out to Him and being answered with the task of getting to Know Him personally.
Only in having a relationship with Christ would I be able to see my dad and loved ones again. By completing my race of life hand in hand with Christ I would fulfill what I was meant to do on this earth so I can be with everyone before me in Heaven and live with Him there in the place He has prepared for me and all of us who choose to do His will here on earth.
I know that if I believe in our Lord our God, you and I, and everyone who believes in Him, will never have to worry or question another thing again.
“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”
(Revelation 21:3-7)
Even though it has been over a year since I last spoke to my dad, I can still hear him encouraging me to push forward and to leave it to God. To trust in Him. To just believe in Him. And to let God lead the way. My dad always knew that by giving me verses to look up and encouraging me to pray and ask God for the answers that it would lead me to seek God more and more. My dad’s goal was never to really give me an answer, but to push me to seek a relationship with my creator.
I can never thank my dad enough for always pushing me, steering me in the right direction, helping me fight my anxieties, and helping me fight the never-ending thoughts that always overcome me. My dad’s heart was truly set on God. He lived his life for God. I thank God that He gave me an earthly father to leave his imprint on me that was focused on the God of the heavens and earth.
I never thought that the answer to all my questions was to open my heart and let God’s Holy Spirit in. I know that from time to time, I will still have all the same weaknesses reappear, the same struggles, and that I will have to put up a good fight. But I also know, that through the bad and the good, we must always, and I mean always, turn our thoughts and our heart to God.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
(John 3:16-17)
“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
(John 10:6-18)
As this newsletter continues to grow and expand, please don’t be afraid to let us know if you are in need of prayer or support. And feel free to share your stories, your testimony, or just a quick question in the comments section below any of our links. We truly want to hear from you and do what we can to help because we are meant to be here to love, encourage, and support one another.
We are grateful to have you with us as readers, church members, and interested guests and we are always open to any suggestions and volunteers for our website, newsletter, and future activities. We hope to see you at our Sunday service and stay tuned for our coming newsletters and updates at church, at bible study, on Facebook, on our YouTube Channel, on the Wix App, and the website.
Upcoming Events:
Special Prayers:
Pray for Rachel Salazar that the Lord provides her with comfort, Love, and peace
Pray for Lucy that the Lord continues to watch over and Protect Her, and that her family is able to have a relationship with the Lord.
Pray for our Newsletter that we can continue to write through the Holy Spirit
Pray for our Pastor and our church that we may be blessed to continue to grow and share the word of God.
Congratulations to Latrail and Alyssa Thompson and baby Kha'lani!
Sunday, January 5th, the church will have a dedication ceremony after service for her and her parents in recognition of their responsibility and the responsibility of the church to support, love, and raise her in the faith and Love of God. May God bless their family and may Kha'lani grow in the love and wonderous blessings of Christ our Lord.
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Weekly Devotional: Live in the Now
Psalm 95:7 says, "Today, if you will hear His voice." We need to understand that God wants us to focus on each day as it comes and to learn how to be "now" people.
The choices we make today will determine whether we will enjoy every moment in our lives or waste them by being anxious or upset. Sometimes we end up missing part of today because we are too concerned about tomorrow. We need to keep our minds focused on what God wants us to be doing now.
For years, this has been my definition of anxiety: "Anxiety is caused by trying to, mentally or emotionally get into things that are not here yet (the future) or things that have already been (the past)." We often spend our mental time in the past or in the future, instead of living in the moment we have now. When we don't truly give ourselves to what we are doing at the moment, we become prone to anxiety. If we live in the now, we will find the Lord there with us. Regardless of the situations life brings our way, God has promised never to leave us or forsake us bit to always be with us and help us (Heb. 13:5 and Matt. 8:20). Don't waste your precious "now" worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Live today!
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways. ’So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.’”
(Psalm 95)
Meyer, Joyce. Battlefield of the Mind Psalms and Proverbs. FaithWords, 7 Mar. 2017.
Verse of the Week:
" If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
(James 1:5)
Announcements:
We have a prayer board! In the back of the church, we have a board that is now a space to share their prayer requests for help in prayer, individual testimonies of God's miracles and answering of prayers, and encouragement and guidance in prayer. If anyone would like to have their testimony or prayer on the board but cannot physically do so, please send us an email and we will put it up for you.
We want to thank everyone for their participation and attendance this past Christmas season. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful congregation and to be able to share the word of God with one another. In this new year of 2025, we are hoping to continue engagement with the community of Berthoud and our congregation. If you would like to volunteer to help us in this mission for this
year please contact us with any ideas for further community outreach.
We would love to send out the newsletter personally to every member as well as pray for and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries together as a church family. We are asking for all of our members to send their birth date, anniversary date, and email to 303-916-3950 or to the church email. You could also write it down on our paper before or after services.
Questions?
For any questions or suggestions regarding our newsletter please email berthoudfoursquarechurch@gmail.com or call (720)466-0951
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