Sunday August 25, 2019

Here's some notes on Sunday's service: (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay

Something to Think About: 

The world may provide temporary solutions, but only Jesus provides an answer that is lasting and all sufficient.

Various mental health problems such as PTSD, depression and anxiety are almost always the results of events that happened in one’s past. The true answer to these mental health problems is a spiritual answer. People often turn to drugs and alcohol when they have mental health problems and they are hurting inside. But if they turn to Jesus first, they would save themselves greater heartache. Only Jesus can provide grace, contentment and peace. Jesus is the true source of happiness.

Rev. Bill Annis

Theme: We can know God by knowing his only son Jesus, and what a privilege it is to know we were made in his image.

John 12:21

Genesis 1:26-27

In being a human being, we are tied to God as we are created in his image. The image of God is Jesus Christ himself. We cannot fully know the value of mankind until we have seen and know Jesus. When we know and see Jesus correctly, we will see ourselves correctly and know who we are. Everyone is a child of God by design, however man is not a child of God until he chooses to come to Jesus and chooses to receive his gift of salvation.

Of all the religions, Christianity is the only one, where God came to man and walked among us and saved us. Man does not have to go to God and earn his way. Every person on this earth has the capacity to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. No person is beyond the reach of the gospel. God loves humanity and always has. God is made visible in the form of Jesus Christ, the eternal word.

Sunday August 18, 2019

Notes from Sunday's service: (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay

Something to think about: Faith that is Drastic, Desperate and Bold.

Mark 5:25-34 Woman with the medical issue of uncontrolled bleeding.

Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus.

Blind Bartimaeus sat by the road begging, waiting for someone to pass by and help him, yet when he heard it was Jesus going by, he called out for the Lord to have mercy on him, (Mark10:47)

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The woman with the issue of blood would have been considered unclean under the levitical law, everything and every person she touched would have been considered unclean. Jesus did not heal people just because they were sick, he had compassion on them and he recognized they made the effort to seek him out. The woman couldn’t just stay on the sidelines, she had to physically push her way through the crowd and come to Christ. Both the woman and Bartimaeus were bold and desperate. Bartimaeus had faith that was so bold and drastic, he threw his cloak aside and jumped to his feet and went to Jesus.

When we come to Christ seeking a solution and an answer to our problems. We need to be humble and yet have faith that is bold and drastic. When things are down to the last wire and we need the Lord like never before, we need to have extreme faith that is drastic, desperate and bold.

Rev. Jim Weller from MREE -Ministry to Russia and Eastern Europe.

Reverend Weller and his wife faithfully distribute bibles and spread the Gospel to Russia and Eastern Europe.

Isaiah 55:9-11

During the years of communism in the former USSR, millions of people had been martyred for their belief and loyalty to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Miraculously a great revival broke out in the former USSR after the fall of communism in the early 1990’s. However sadly today in 2019, times have changed and it is extremely difficult to spread the gospel in Russia and Eastern Europe. Sadly many evangelical churches, collages and seminaries are closing. Laws and regulations make it extremely difficult to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and distribute a bible. And yet, God is moving throughout Eastern Europe in places such as Macedonia, Bulgaria and Russia, people are hungry for the gospel and seeking out bibles. Here in the western world the bible is taken lightly, as they are plentiful and easy to access. However for the people of the former Russian republics such as the Gypsies (Romany) the bible is a treasured and valuable possession. Despite obstacles by the governments and attacks by the devil himself. People are coming to Christ and souls are being saved and the bible is being read, due to the moving of the Holy Spirit and the mighty hand of God, providing protection.

Sunday August 11, 2019

Notes from Sunday's service: (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay

Something to think about: With great compassion Jesus heals the whole body.

Mark 5:25-34 Blind Bartimaeus.

Mark 10:46-52 Woman with the medical issue of uncontrolled bleeding.

Bartimaeus longed to see, he cried out to Jesus with great faith and he received his sight. There was also a woman who had a terrible sickness that caused her to bleed for many years, she sought help from physicians and spent all the money she had, yet she received no help and her sickness only became worse. Yet with great faith she reached out and touched Jesus garment as he was passing by and she was immediately healed. Both this woman and Bartimaeus would have had andodor and perhaps a sick unkept look and ostracized and isolated from the general society due to their physical uncleanness. For these two people Jesus gave a physical and spiritual healing. Their physical bodies were healed enabling them to live a normal and productive life. Thus they had a physical revival and a spiritual revival as they nowhad hope and joy. Just like blind Bartimaeus we are all blind to ourselves and our sin, we can spend all kinds of money and do all kinds of things and yet never clean ourselves up. Like these two people only Jesus can clean us up and take away the sin and filth in our lives. Jesus brings a physical and spiritual healing, he takes care of every aspect of our lives.

Roxann Spicer

Theme: Humility

The most godly man we can ever know is Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 18:12

1 Peter 5:6

James 4:10

Proverbs 3:33-34

Genesis 37,39-47

The story of Joseph is a great lesson in humility. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, because they knew he had his father’s heart. Joseph was sold in to slavery with no resource and no one to go to, but the one person he did have to cry to was the Lord Jehovah. Yet even after Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, which resulted in him being thrown in jail, Joseph did not have a pity party or feel sorry for himself at all. By the Lord’s blessing, Joseph was raised from the lowest of the low to the second in command of Egypt. When Joseph’s brother’s came to him to plead for food in Egypt during the famine, Joseph had long ago forgiven them, he gave them food and all they needed for their families and Joseph said to them (Genesis 45:5) But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Joseph stayed humble throughout his life. The Lord preserved Joseph, not just to save the nation of Egypt, but to save the lives of his entire family. Just like Joseph, Jesus went through tremendous hardship on this earth, yet with love and forgiveness saved our souls through his death on the cross. Just like Joseph saved the lives of his family when his brothers came pleading to him. Jesus saves our souls when we come pleading to him, so we may spend eternity with him. Both Jesus and Joseph serve as wonderful examples of humility for us to follow.

Sunday August 4, 2019

Notes from Sunday's service. (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay- Something to think about: Deception

Pride and Ego says my way is better than yours and what I have you have to have, whether you want it or not. One of the biggest problems in the world is pride on one side and deception on the other. Unfortunately many people do not have the ability to discern what is right and what is wrong. Deception that has long been happening in the political and business world, is now happening in the church today. To protect and guard ourselves from deception and falsehoods, the Lord commands us to meditate on the bible day and night.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

We we study and meditate on the word of God, we will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will enable us to discern what is true and what is false. If we meditate on God’s word, think about what Jesus said and obey him, we will find that our chances of being deceived and tricked will be much less and very slim.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Pastor Caroline – Jesus was the first to teach us, what we know as The Golden Rule

Luke 6:30-31 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, fort his is the Law and the Prophets.

God wants us to do for others what we would want them to do for us. Be kind and generous to a stranger, even though you may not know them. Do not hold grudges, be forgiving and loving. Be a listener, by listening to what comes out of a person’s mouth we learn a lot about what is in their heart.

We need to hear people out and be compassionate and always resist the temptation to judge people. We are a disciple of Christ, when we spread the word with a heart of compassion. The world may not seem to be a great place, but we can make it a little happier by bringing joy and light to people.

Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Sunday July 28, 2019

Notes from Sunday's service. (thanks, Jean)

Roxann Spicer

Theme: To be blessed, we must follow God all the way, not half way.

King Asa’s reign looked very promising. But he put his trust in man and no longer the Lord, thus his end was very different from his beginning.

2 Chronicles 14-16

The reign of King Asa in Judah

Just like it says in verse 5 of chapter 14, that King Asa removed the high places of pagan worship. We also have high places in our own lives any time we elevate people and things above God.

Asa was a great king who sought the Lord in getting rid of idols and sinful practices, yet when Asa stopped seeking the Lord and put his trust in man, God’s blessing was removed from him and Judah experienced hardship and pain and war.(Chapter 16:7-10)

Hanniah had rebuked Asa for putting his trust in the King of Syria and not the Lord.

16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

Just because we started out right, does not mean we will end up right at the end of the road. We have to follow God all the way and not waiver or regress; if we want to be blessed from beginning to end. Throughout our whole life we have to stay with God through heartaches and loneliness and not take a detour unto the devils path. When we want to please God, we want to hear his voice and obey his spoken and written word. Many voices speak into our lives, but we must listen to, and obey the voice of God. God calls us to be faithful, not to a specific church or doctrine, but simply to him and his written word.

We read in verse 12 Asa when became very sick and dying, yet still he relied only on physicians and did not seek the Lord in any way.

We have countless examples throughout the Bible and world history that show us what happens when we veer from God’s path and place our trust in man above God and ultimately serve the enemy.