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.