Sunday March 27, 2016

Some notes from Sunday's service.  (Thanks, Jean)

Something to Think About - Dr. Barclay: 
Theme- Christ is the best teacher about Heaven

BIBLE-Basic instruction before leaving earth.
Christ is the only one who came back to life with a resurrected body. Unlike Lazarus who came back to earth in his earthly body.
The Bible gives us subtle glimpses of Heaven. There is no darkness in Heaven it is all light.

John 8:12
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jesus came back in the resurrected body to show us a glimpse of what Heaven is like. To get to Heaven there is a small price to pay, which is to accept Jesus and do the will of the Father. The price is worth it, all the way,

Revelation 12:10-11
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

With medical advancements and the use of resuscitation many people have had near death experiences and say they saw Christ and moments of Heaven. We do know from scripture that Heaven is real, yet it is a choice we make to get there. We need to overcome the troubles and hardships of this life and not give up, so that we will make it to heaven and worship God for all eternity.


Pastor Caroline Barclay: 
Theme- Follow Christ’s example and live a life of service for others.

God does not want us to sit still, we have to keep moving and serving others.

John 15:13
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus truly lived out this scripture verse. As the Son of God he could have avoided the torture and cruelty of the cross. Yet he willingly laid down his life for us.
Jesus did not want, and does not want us to perish.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved

John 14:1-6
14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 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.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Christ invites us to come close to him and know that he is the way. When we understand Christ’s work on the cross we will live our lives completely different.

John 14:25-27
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Holy Spirit gives us the peace that passes all understanding. Jesus is interceding for all of us to the Father; covering us with his love and protection. In the cross there is beauty, pain and eternal hope. It is hard for us to understand the suffering Jesus bore. “Because he lives” as the song says, we can accept the risen Savior in our hearts and lives.

Because He Lives

Sunday March 20, 2016

Here's some notes from Sunday's service.  (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay: Theme- Christ died for our sin and was the only person to do so throughout history and he is the only bridge to Heaven. 

 

Romans 5:6-8

⁶ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Before crucifixions were used in Judea, stonings were the main means of punishment.

Contrary to arguments by Muslims and other groups, Jesus truly did die on the cross. Many thanks go to the testimony of 12 meek and humble disciples who continued following Christ and spread his message.

Ever since the golden calf in Deuteronomy people have been following idols, trying to make their own way to heaven. The bridge across the great gulf is  only the cross. 

Luke 16:24-26

^{24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’}

 

Everyone must accept the work of Christ on the cross and receive him as Lord or they are bound to the abyss of Hell.

We will all have to make this decision at some time to cross the bridge for Christ, it is essential to do so now before it is too late.

 

 

Moody Ogden- Theme : God is faithful and we need to continue going God's way.

 

Moody started his message by playing the guitar and singing "Tell me the story of Jesus"

Moody gave his testimony of how his back was healed at a Pentecostal Church service in Ontario, many years ago. About six years ago Moody suffered a massive heart attack and by God's grace miraculously survived and is still with us here today. He later found out he had kidney and lung cancer. Yet again God has been merciful and kind and Moody is still with us here preaching and singing. In the midst of his sickness he lost his wife Judy, who was a faithful servant of God.

Luke 19:30-39

³⁰ saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. ³¹ And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’”
³² So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. ³³ But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”
³⁴ And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” ³⁵ Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. ³⁶ And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
³⁷ Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, ³⁸ saying:

“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’^[a]
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

In the midst of sorrow trails and hardships we are to be like the crowds following Jesus, boldly testify and Glorify God.
Moody spoke about the importance of numbers in the Bible.
1) Symbol of Unity
2) Symbol of divine right and wrong such as  Heaven and Hell.
3) Symbol of  Solidarity, Past, Present, Future in time.
In Genesis we see God in Creation
In Exodus we see God in Redemption
In Leviticus we see God in Worship
1 Corinthians 1:30
³⁰ But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 
Prosperity does not just mean money, it means to prosper in the things of God.
Psalm 1:1-6

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

⁴ The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 Christ preforms the office of Prophet, Priest and King.
Moody closed his message with the Aaronic blessing and urged us all to be faithful to Christ.
Numbers 6:22-27
² And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²³ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

²⁷ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Sunday March 13, 2016

Some notes from Sunday's service. (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay: 

Theme: There truly is a great gulf between Heaven in Hell, make a decision for Christ before it is too late.

²⁶  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.

Luke 16:19-31

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell^[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
We can learn a great deal from Jesus teaching on the wealthy man in Hell and the poor beggar in Abraham's bosom.
Man has changed the gospel, to suit his own needs many times throughout history. It is clear, very few people want to remain faithful.
There is a big difference between belief and faith. Very often people have the mind to believe but we do not have the faith to go with it and act upon our belief.
Many religions and denominations have tried to build their own bridge across the gulf. Yet the Bible has always been very clear, only by acknowledging Christ as Lord and his death on the cross is the only way to Heaven.



Buhle Dlamini: Theme: "Praise You In This Storm"

-Look up and pray
-Look back and remember
-Look forward and hope
-Look again and praise

God wants us to be excited about him everyday not just on Sunday. 
Sometimes we pray and it feels like God is very far away. What do we as Christians do when we are going through trials and fierce storms. What we need to do is keep praising God in the middle of our crisis. We need to recognize and acknowledge God's power and holiness.
Psalm 77 clearly teaches us how our response should be in hard times.

1 I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
³ I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

⁴ You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
⁵ I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
⁶ I call to remembrance my song in the night;
I meditate within my heart,
And my spirit makes diligent search.

⁷ Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
⁸ Has His mercy ceased forever?
Has His promise failed forevermore?
⁹ Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

¹⁰ And I said, “This is my anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
¹¹ I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
¹² I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
¹³ Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
¹⁵ You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶ The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
¹⁷ The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
¹⁸ The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
²⁰ You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Many Christians are feeling down and discouraged, carrying burdens they were not meant to carry. We need to praise God in the midst and through the storm. There is a purpose in our pain. God will let us go through things, so he can he can get through to us. There will always be problems in our lives that money cannot solve, only God can. God is waiting for us to ask for his help. When we are going through a storm we need to immediately look up and pray. The God we serve is able to do much more than what we are worrying about. Sometimes we have to go through storms to learn spiritual lessons.
Thank God for the blessing he is going to give you as if it has already been delivered. The problem is not that God cannot hear us when we pray, the problem is we do not have faith that the answer will come when we pray.

Matthew 15:21-28

²¹ Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

²³ But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

²⁷ And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This woman truly believed with sincere faith and her daughter was delivered from demon possession.
We need to run to the Lord and pound on the door of heaven.

Sunday March 6, 2016

Here's some notes from Sunday's service.  (Thanks, Heather)

Master's Hand is now on Facebook. Follow us at:
https://www.facebook.com/Masters-Hand-Ministry-199166430446284/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Happy Wednesday! Another day in Nova Scotia where Mother Nature was having fun with us :D

I missed the first part of Something to Think About, but I did grasp something to think about!

    

• Without faith it's impossible to please God
• Crucifixion... Do you believe it actually happened? Do you have faith in it?!
• There is a difference!

Had Communion

The Message ~ Pastor Caroline

• 'On Strike'
• Are you tired of your job? Do you wish you were retired? Or have a different job?
• We all go through those thoughts at one time or another.
• Thank you Lord for never uttering those words!! How we need you!
• Have you ever asked someone in a store a question and they said that wasn't their department?! Instead of helping to find someone in that department, this could be the customer's last visit
• When we give, we receive
• Maybe someone asked for a drive to an appointment/groceries, and you've said 'No, that's not my job'
• What if going on strike/finding another job doesn't change the situation?!
• (Sorry I could find the words to the poem Pastor Caroline... about if God went on strike)
• John 19: Jesus was stripped, whipped, mocked, and nailed Him to the cross... And not for one moment did her think of going on strike.
• He KNEW what was coming; he knew what He had to face, but he never quit.
• Mark 14:35 (Jesus prayed 'not what I want, but what you want')
• He loved us soooo much that He gave up His life.
• He gave up His life while asking forgiveness for those crucifying Him cause they 'knew not what they were doing'.
• He asks us to live holy, perfect lives, however he knew we will stumble... Thus giving us His forgiveness and help. Even giving us eternal life!
• Don't quit, don't give up on your faith... Come to Jesus, and He will give you rest.
• When you throw up your hands and just want to quit, Jesus wants to give you His peace.
• He wants to supply all your needs!!
• Thank you Lord for never going on strike!!
• He wants you to know He's called you, has equipped you, and has a plan for your life!!

Cheers

Sunday February 28, 2016

There are no notes from Sunday's service.

Please go to Master's Hand YouTube channel to see Pastor Caroline's message and Dr. Barclay's Something to Think About.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrUaNS-N8LPEpsbWiJDYloQ