Puritan Evangelical Church of America

This message was for Mr. Jorge Vencel's graveside service today at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego per request of his wife Carmen and daughter Sandra, whom Pastor Grant worked with ministering to Jorge and them during their time with Apreva Hopsice which Pastor Grant works for as a FT Chaplain. The message reflected the Bible verse Mr. Vencel kept saying to Mrs. Vencel preparing to go to heaven, Philippians 1:21: "To live is Christ, to Die is gain." While it is better for a Christian's fellow saints to stay and live and serve them, it is far better for that Christian to die and live with Christ. It is normal for a Christian to desire to die on earth and live with Jesus in heaven. The poem quoted at the beginning (learned of through Apreva Hospice (BHS) training): I Am Standing Upon The Seashore. I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side, spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone" Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast, hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me -- not in her. And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!" And that is dying... See https://allpoetry.com/I-Am-Standing-Upon-The-Seashore.

Seriously seeking God's holy guidance will best bless a truly godly Christian life. Be Blessed All Your Days by Always Seeking Out God.

God is always the One to call upon when you are in trouble because He always hears and answers. When in Trouble, God Will Always Answer Your Call.

The coming of Christ to earth brings a heavenly, eternal kingdom for all who trust in Him to come with Him into the new heaven and earth. Jesus is the Way to Heaven.

Belief in Jesus Christ is to be filled with His eternal Holy Spirit which provides everlasting life-giving satisfaction from within. Drink of Christ's Spirit and Never Ever Thirst for Life.

Because God Who made everything at creation including all mankind through His image in the first Adam, all men are to be reconciled to God through Jesus the Second Adam and within His one Body of a diversified unity. There is No Place for Racism in the Church.

Jesus knew great grief on the cross to relate with, receive, and relieve His people's griefs. There Truly is a Place for Good Grief in the Church.

The Christian's ability to endure everything comes from Christ Jesus. You Can Do All Things Through Christ's Strength.

The person who stays unshaken in the face of everything is the one who keeps looking at the face of Jesus Who is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Resurrection. Set the LORD Jesus Christ Always Before Your Eyes.

Sinning saints should repent and return to God for mercy being moved to do so by the fact that God is abundantly free and ready to pardon them. Freely Pardoned, Free to Go.

Jesus came to serve His people to save them from their sins by paying for them.
 Ransomed and Redeemed.

How God's people with problems should go to sleep at night: silently speaking to themselves about God's special care. Be Still and Know and Sleep Soundly.

Because God sets apart His own people for Himself, they can be confident in His Fatherly care for them through all their troubles from those who are not His. Trust in Prayer God Cares for You.

Pastor Grant Van Leuven was the guest preacher for the afternoon chapel service at Fredericka Manor Retirement Community in Chula Vista. His three oldest boys joined him and stood to honor the elderly saints ministered to with one of the Bible verses read ( Leviticus 19:32). Psalm 71:18 teaches that the heart of a Christian late in life is to desire to still be actively useful to the Lord with a lasting spiritual legacy. May Your Last Years Be Your Best Years.

Regardless of what God's people may want to pretend God says, God's true preachers always and only proclaim what God has truly said. True Preachers Preach God's Truth, His Whole Truth, and Nothing But God's Truth.

Explain: EP: Those who are not forgiven in Christ shall suffer hell's punishing eternal heat. Escape Hell's Horrible Heat!

God's past deliverances for us are important to recall and reflect on so we remember to trust that He is delivering us through in the present and that He will in the future—ultimately to heaven. Remember How God Has Delivered You To Trust He is Delivering You and He Will Deliver You.

God's people must really repent which will not be only outward and focused on themselves but inward and focused on God. Repentance is to and for the LORD.

An appropriate gesture of praise and prayer in worship as God's people includes humbly lifting our hands to Him in heaven. You May Lift Your Hands to God in Prayer and Praise.

It is so good to give God all your appreciative attention all day because He is your highest help and hope all the time. Glorify God. Because God is so greatly good! You should praise God all the day long. Because it is so good for you! It's So Good for You to Always Give Glory to God.

When God's leaders and people do not carefully consult Him directly, their plans and purposes will not prosper with His blessing. Throughout All Your Life, Carefully Consult Christ.

The God of heaven and earth has the power not only to create but control them and He does so to glorify Himself in delivering His people. The Son of God is All Powerful to Deliver You from All Things.

Jesus who raises Christians from the grave and death's eternal darkness will also lead them to walk in living fellowship with Him and His people of Light. You Will Walk Before God in the Light of the Living!

God will deliver His faithful people through drought and follow it up with showers of blessing. Always remember that—both physically and spiritually, rain comes from God alone. God showers His blessing by the revival, rediscovery, and reformation of His Word. God will bring rain in its season. Pray for Rain.

Pastor Grant Van Leuven shares an update with the Church from a personal devotion from Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul he happened upon that was perfect timing, "Out of a Job," by Dick Van Patten. He also shares significant updates on behalf of Session that inform why it was such a blessing to Pastor. Jon Guerra's son, "I See the Birds" also was shared. Time did not allow to also show Pastor Grant's interview on "Living My Faith" that can be viewed here: https://livingmyfaith.com/2026/shows/living-my-faith/living-my-faith-with-grant-van-leuven-of-puritan-reformed-presbyterian-church/.

The heart of Christians should be seen in a life consumed with building Christ's Church to leave to their children for their continual, covenanted commitment to a life centered around glorifying God's name. Have a Burning Heart for Building Christ's House.

The source of strength and faith is God—and the source of seeking and finding Him for ourselves is His self-revelation in the holy Scriptures. Keep Going to God's Word to Find Him and Yourself.

Pastor Grant Van Leuven gave the promotion ceremony address, "Be Kind," to Heritage Christian School kindergarteners on Friday, June 12, 2026. His son, Gideon Emmanuel Van Leuven, was one of the children being promoted. It was held at Skyline Church in San Diego.

Christians are to forgive one another just as God forgave us in Christ. Forgiveness is Powerful!

Because God's enemies seeking to deceive and destroy His people will be disappointed and devastated at Christ consummation of His kingdom, Christians can rejoice in rising and reigning forever over His enemies. Sleep Sweetly in Christ for in Him You Shall Rise Again and Reign Forever!

God's people can close their day with thankful praise because the Lord has all along again provided for them in every way. Transition from Morning to Evening with Continual Praise for God's Provision Throughout Your Day.

Because God always holds us up at night we always can cling to Him to make it to the morning light. Cling to Christ Every Night.

God's mercy that endures forever gives supernatural cause for the most natural eruption of praise and rejoicing from our soul and body every morning! God's Gift of Everlasting Life is Cause for Enduring and Eternal Rejoicing Every Morning.

Remembering how God clearly cared for us all day as night falls upon us protects us from fright while covering us with delight. Recollect with God of His Continual Daily Care at Night and be Covered with His Delight.

Morning devotions that reflect weekly morning Sabbath worship gives God's people glorious glimpses of His power to dwell on and derive from for living each day. Meet with Your Glorious God Each Morning and Be Blessed by His Powerful Presence.

Mr. Alex Mauger, ministry intern for Reformation Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan, WI, filled in at PRPC while Pastor Grant was serving RPC this Lord's Day. Here he preaches for our evening service on Colossians 2:13-15, entitled, "Christ the Victor."

Mr. Alex Mauger, ministry intern for Reformation Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan, WI, filled in at PRPC while Pastor Grant was serving RPC this Lord's Day. Here he preaches for our morning service on Philemon 8-14 with his sermon entitled, "Paul's Plea."

Mr. Alex Mauger, ministry intern for Reformation Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan, WI, filled in at PRPC while Pastor Grant was serving RPC this Lord's Day. Here he teaches on Christ and the Psalms for our Sabbath Class hour.

God is the last thing and Person to be thought about and sought out before you go to sleep at night. Close Your Days at Night with Christ.

In our wilderness wanderings we must first thirst for God to quench us with Himself. First Thirst for Christ's Living Waters Every Morning.

God's people must be compassionately considerate about what might be behind a person's sinful actions. Compassionately Consider the Stories of Other Sinners.

Christ grows and builds His Church through many stages of service by His various saints. Behold How You Are All Builders of Christ's Kingdom.

Giving yourself over to the world's evil ways begins and ends with selling your self to the Evil One. Don't Sell Your Soul to the Devil.

Satan wants to usurp Christ's kingdom worship by tempting you to not bother to get up and go out of your way to offer the sacrifices of praise where God has ordained public worship. Beware of the Idolatry of Idle Worship.

There is a danger of being drug away or held back from purity in worship and service to the Lord based upon evil influences by those closest to us in our family—and especially when we are most vulnerable during our old age. Serve the LORD with Zeal in Your Olden Years.

Though the enemies of God seek to cut His people off and stop us from serving Him, the LORD Himself always is supporting us to keep us going. The LORD is Always Your Stay.

This message was given on 2 Timothy 1:7 by Pastor Grant while he lead the Protestant Chapel Worship service during his on-duty chapel time this weekend (where he also lead spiritual study groups and visited and ministered to veteran patients). God has not given us a spirit of cowardice that should paralyze us but of courage that should stir up in us His powerful gifts of love and self control. Don't Live in Fear.

Pastor Grant was on duty call again today for the SD VA Medical Center this Lord's Day. We thank Dr. David VanDrunen of Westminster Seminary California (WSC) in Escondido for leading worship and preaching for both our services. Dr. VanDrunen is WSC's Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics.

Pastor Grant was on duty call again today for the SD VA Medical Center this Lord's Day. We thank Dr. David VanDrunen of Westminster Seminary California (WSC) in Escondido for leading worship and preaching for both our services. Dr. VanDrunen is WSC's Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics.

In all our dark moments without, God will shine within and through us. The LORD Your Light is Always Shining Within You.

Because God's hands reach out everywhere wherever we are, He always is and always will be taking care of us—and thus we should always lift up our hands in praise to Him. Raise Your Hands Praising God for His Ever-Present, All Providing Hands Always Under, Over, and Around You.