Pastor Caroline - July 29, 2020

But to each of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians Chapter 4 Verse 7 (New King James Version)

I love the reading today in Daily in His Presence by David
Jeremiah. When you go to your Bible, (I use the Good News Bible), the heading for chapter 4 is the Unity of the Body.

When all of us as Christians do our part in sharing the word of God, we will grow the church, and the work of God here on earth. Everyone of us, who have Jesus as Lord, can and will minister according to our gift. Perhaps you will draw someone to Christ through your talented voice, (speaking or singing), your gift of art, (being able to share the gospel in paintings and /or drawings), your warmth of hospitality, your ability to teach and lead others to do the same, perhaps you are great at encouragement, administration, prayer, loving others through hardships and / or sorrow, or however God chooses to work through you as you give yourself to Him to be His vessel as He fills you with your gift.

The important thing to learn today is when we are united in Christ and with one another, “mighty changes“ and “great works” can and will be accomplished.

We are to witness to others the love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we serve Him, we must give thanks for every opportunity given to us, to bring others into the family of God, preparing every heart to receive Him, and build their faith to a place where they anxiously await going to glory for eternity. We build ourselves strong as we carry out His plan for our daily lives and others see that in us and desire Jesus because of our faithfulness and unity in Him.

As we study the word of God, alone and with each other, we grow stronger in our faith, allowing and preparing us to do the work God calls us to do. We need each other, because each of us have different talents and when we put them together, in any task, the work is divided, and yet completed fully to completion to where God sees it to be. Many hands, make light work. We will teach each other as we work together, we will be a support and encouragement, we will comfort, love and show loyalty to one other as we live in the blessing of the Father. In all of this we will continue to build the church. We are the church, we will build the family of Christ, in diversity,(each of us unique and different with different abilities and talents), and unity, (being one), as we grow and learn together, sharing the love of Christ in all we do as we serve Him until the Day of Glory appears.

Have a great week and know God has chosen you for mighty and great works in His name.  Hallelujah!!

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Philemon Part 4

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About

CRIME and PUNISHMENT 

or

CRIME and FORGIVENESS?

As was stated last time, we all sin (commit a crime against God) and therefore are all prone to punishment.  The Bible records that “…the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), hence death is inevitable for all of us. But Satan said: “…you shall not surely die”(Genesis 3:4) and that indeed is what happened in the physical sense.  However, with sin there was an immediate separation from God and so a death in a spiritual sense did occur. Physically, God instituted a number of punishments as mentioned last time.

As time goes on, however, it becomes evident that what was initially a punishment becomes accepted as the norm and as secular crime often seems to be without punishment then why should sin be any different. After all, men expect that they will sweat some while working, and also to have to always deal with the weeds of life. And don’t women expect to have some discomfort with childbirth and to have disputes over who is really in charge of the household? It’s everyday life. Who hasn’t committed a crime without punishment?

Admittedly, most of these are very minor offences. But even more major offences often seem to go without justice being served: excuses are made, reasons are given, and circumstances are cited as to why punishment should not be meted out; so crime is often not punished. And if that’s the case, why not just do the crime? It almost becomes the norm just as our acceptance of God’s punishment in the past has become. It appears as though humanity now feels we can do whatever we feel is right, just as in the time of the Judges when “…there was no king is Israel: everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

When we look at the world today, it is easy to assume that everyone feels there are numerous ways to get by without being punished for our crimes or sin. After all, hasn’t it always been such? There seems to be many ways to avoid secular punishment and so why not the same in the spiritual sense? Does the Bible not indicate that God is all grace and mercy?  Therefore, there must be any number of ways in which sin can be forgiven as well.

In 1709, Alexander Pope stated in An Essay on Criticism that “A little learning (or knowledge) is a dangerous thing.” This phrase could be used to sum up our problem with the Bible and its teaching. We assume that what we do know is all there is to know and proceed from there. But there appears to be nothing in the Bible separating minor sins from major sins, nor does there appear to be a way to bargain one’s self out of the responsibility for sin, or out of justice served.  No excuses, no reasons, and no circumstances can be offered.

But God does have grace and mercy, and He has provided us with an out; with a way to avoid the punishment which is coming “the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:7 and 1 Timothy 1:10). He has offered us forgiveness for all our crimes, paying the penalty for us and thereby giving us the reward of His mercy rather than the punishment of His wrath. By accepting Christ’s death as payment for our crimes, He has provided us with a door to complete freedom. All we have to do is accept His offer and “walk through the door” promising to try and refrain from sinning any more. An impossibility really, but even future sins are forgiven  when we honestly try not to commit crimes and repent when we do.

In Deuteronomy 30:19 it states: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”

In the past, we have chosen curses rather than blessings; but the choice is still before us. Do we choose the curses God has promised for sins or the blessing of forgiveness He has offered by means of Christ’s death, the payment for our crimes. It’s a simple choice, not complicated and without mitigating factors. You choose life or death, blessings or curses, crime and punishment, or crime and forgiveness.

It’s something one should think about. 

Pastor Caroline - July 26. 2020 - A Day to Remember

Pastor Caroline - July 22, 2020

In today’s reading, the little boy was afraid. David Jeremiah tells us in the devotional, Daily in His Presence, which is where our reading is, that the little boy had two lines to say and when he got to the stage the truth came out in his two lines.  “It’s me. And I’m scared!“

Have you ever felt like that? Scared of what is in the present, or the unknown which lies ahead, or scared your past will come to remind you of where you’ve been? Yes, the truth be known, we have all been scared at some point in our life. How did you deal with your fear? Did you seek out someone you could talk to about being scared? Did you go someplace quiet where you could think, cry, or pray? Did you keep that fear tucked inside, trying to hide the fact that you were scared, so people would not judge you? However you dealt with it, was it effective to help you move past being scared or did it simply mask your feeling?

The Bible speaks about fear and as David suggests in our reading, a good place to start is in the word. Look up fear and study the Scriptures relating to fear. As you study and write the Scriptures out, and repeat them over and over until you know them by heart, you will see that you indeed can overcome your fear. You must first believe in God and His word, and come to His word believing you will find peace in relieving your fear. The Lord tells us,
(10) Do not be afraid - I am with you!
I am your God - let nothing terrify you!
I will make you strong and help you;
I will protect you and save you. This is found in Isaiah Chapter 41 verse 10 in the Good News Bible.These following scriptures which I will give you are also from the Good News Bible.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength.

 Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

2 Timothy  1:7
For God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

There are so many scriptures that help us when we face fear, trouble, being scared, and / or anxious, that God has for us in His word. Search the scriptures and you will find that God does not intend us to live a scared life. His word is full of power to help us overcome our fear, so do not be afraid. David ends the reading with the  words Jesus spoke, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid”. (Matthew 14:27) New King James Version

Have a great week ahead and know that God is with you wherever you are, and He loves you more than you will ever know.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Philemon Part 3

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - CRIME and PUNISHMENT…Or?

CRIME and PUNISHMENT…Or?

There’s a well known saying: “if you commit the crime, you do the time” and then someone usually adds “only if you get caught”. In the Bible it says that we all commit the crime (sin) and that we all get caught by a God who sees and knows all. And since the “…wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) then we are all going to do the time.

But our tendency is more to believe Satan who stated: “Has God indeed said…?”  After all, no one died after the first sin was committed, at least not physically, and at least not right away. It would appear that Satan may have been right when he said “…You shall not surely die…” (Genesis 3:4) when tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

So why were we not just put to death right away?  Perhaps it was due to God’s grace and Him giving us a second chance.  However, a death of sorts did take place.  There was a change in our existence — an immediate separation between God and man — an imposted penalty that has had consequences over the ensuing years.  Many still feel, however, that the grace imparted to us initially causes God to overlook our crimes and therefore we can sin all we want. But the punishment is still waiting and is even with us now.

Even though death did not come right away, God did inflict five consequences as a result of what took place: two against women, two against men, and a fifth against everyone. To Eve, He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children…” (Genesis 3:16). And this is certainly true at present, most mammals give birth much more easily than do humans, and without analgesics. He also said to the woman: “…Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). This has been true for in most cultures, and even ours until more recently (even still in some ways), women have been considered property, with few, if any, rights and little status, ruled over by men. 

To Adam, He said: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it…” (Genesis 3:17).  Man alone has to plant and work the crops to obtain food and, in addition, often has to work hard with large financial expenditures and multiple problems. “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:19).

And then to all, He said: “For dust you are, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). So in the end physical death does occur and sin has its final payment. The difficulty is that the punishment seems so far removed from the crime that many feel that God overlooks sin.  That His grace covers all, therefore, us simply accepting and tolerating our sin, and that of others, is all we have to do to be forgiven.

So has the punishment for sin been forgotten and is God just going to cover everyone with His grace? It appears many seem to think so but the five punishments mentioned above should make us realize that all has not been forgotten nor forgiven.

And that should give one something to think about.

Pastor Caroline - July 19, 2020 - The Temptation of Jesus

Pastor Caroline - July 15, 2020

In today’s reading, David Jeremiah brings us to Isaiah 61:7 as our scripture to contemplate. As you read the reading David provides, you will see that God intends for good to come to us who follow His ways. God does not want us confused and, His word, when studied and applied to our lives, will bring us peace. As the world around us brings us uncertain times, and we try to make sense of it, most times what we really need to do is put it all in the hands of the Lord and calm our anxious minds and souls. Take care of your mind, body, and soul by staying in prayer and rising above the woes of this world, reminding yourself you are fearfully and wonderfully made, (Psalm 139 versus 13 and 14), and God has a purpose and plan for every life He creates, (Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11), and that includes you. We are to remember we are in this world but we are not of this world as our home is in heaven for those of us who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. In John chapter 17 verse 14, Jesus reminds his disciples, “they do not belong to this world,  just as I do not belong to this world”, He said. We as Christians can be assured that heaven awaits us when our journey through this world is complete. Our work on earth is to let people know about Jesus, His marvelous ways and to live for Him, and invite everyone to Him.  Do not copy the ways of the world, but rather, copy Jesus and His ways. Confusion and doubt will disappear and contentment will bring peace which goes beyond what we can understand.

David says, in the last paragraph of the reading,
"Follow Him with a sense of wonder and marvel at His ways and means. To you, it’s perplexity. To Him, it’s Providence."

Well said David, thank you. Now, let’s rejoice in our Lord whose word and promise we can build a strong life upon, looking forward to every new tomorrow in Him. 

Have a glory filled week.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Philemon Part 2

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - July 13, 2020

THE INITIAL VIRGIN BIRTH

Most are familiar with the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14: “…Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”. This prophecy has always been believed to be in reference to Christ’s birth, but there also seems to be another and earlier fulfillment of its meaning.

There is a definite context in which this prophecy was delivered.  Isaiah spoke during the reign of King Ahaz (2 Kings chapter 16; Isaiah chapter 7), who ruled as king of Judah, and who was not a good king.  He disobeyed God by “…not do[ing] what was right in the sight of the Lord his God…” (2 Kings 16:2)  For example by worshipping false idols and even sacrificing his own sons in fire to the god Molech. 

As a result of this disobedience, God took His protection away from Judah. Now at that time, Judah and Ahaz were threatened by a number of neighbouring kingdoms and had been weakened by these conflicts to the point that, when the kings of Syria and Israel threatened again, Ahaz realized that he had no means to defeat these two adversaries.

So “the Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go out now to meet Ahaz’”(Isaiah 7:3) “…and say to him ‘Take heed and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted””(Isaiah 7:4)

The Lord also spoke to Ahaz and said “‘Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God’…” (Isaiah 7:11) but Ahaz replied saying “…‘I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord’.”(Isaiah 7:12)

  But Isaiah replied “…will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.” (Isaiah 7:13-16)

Isaiah goes on to say in 8:3-4: “Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me ‘Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Bas for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.”

It was just a few years later that the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III and then Shalmaneser V, his successor, defeated the kingdoms of Syria and Israel as Isaiah had predicted.  So the predictions in Isaiah of the virgin birth and the triumph of the Assyrians 

had a near fulfillment.  This can be seen in the sign to Ahaz of a child to be named Immanuel, indicating that God was still with the people of Judah.  Also, there was a distant fulfillment in a Child named Jesus indicating that He would be the Saviour of all people.

And so there must have been both an early and a second virgin birth to fulfill both the near and distant aspects of the total prophecy in Isaiah.

And that should give us all something to think about.

Scriptures from the NKJV of the BIble.

Information also from The Last Hour (pages 46-49) by Amir Tsarfati.

  

God Loves When We Don't

Pastor Caroline - July 8, 2020

What a beautiful reading today in Daily In His Presence, by David Jeremiah. Eternal Home is the title and right away that brings me peace. Sometimes when we are away from our home for a few days or an extended time, we look forward to getting back home with loved ones and friends. I know I love a vacation, but close to the end of it, I am happy and excited to be going home. My own bed, so comfortable, and the familiar surroundings brings me peace; and I am sure you feel the same way. I remember my children when they were off to university I got excited knowing they would, for sure, be home at Christmas; and it would be for a few days. There’s just something about being home that brings us comfort.

I am happy to be here on earth, doing with the Lord plans for me to do and watching each day unfold, perhaps not as I planned, but how God purposed. There is much joy in knowing He has a purpose each day for us. As we start our day in prayer God is showing us what this day will bring if we listen for His small still voice. The weather sometimes dictates what the day will bring, or company we were not expecting, brings us a joy from heaven. Perhaps a phone call from a friend, who is in need, giving us the joy to help, which brings a blessing into our day. We are asked by God as David says, to refresh the memory of others regarding the things of the Lord. We are to share God with those we meet, with those who know Him as Lord and Saviour and more importantly with those who have never met Jesus. What a joy and delight it is to introduce them to the Saviour of the world and to the very One who took our place on the cross, paying our sin debt, and giving us life eternal in our eternal home, when we accept His gift of salvation.

In all our years here on earth we will have good times, sad times, times of distress, times of joy and happiness, in other words life is a mix of emotions due to circumstances, and as we stay close to God, He will show us how to move through this life to our eternal home.

As 2 Peter Chapter 13 verse 13 to 14 in the NIV says:
I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live In the tent of this body, because I know I will soon put it aside.

David gives us this scripture in the opening of the reading,  isn’t it true, that one day we will leave this tent behind, and having accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour we will move into our eternal home. What a glorious thought that brings, giving us peace and comfort to the body, soul and mind. The Lord will greet us with these wonderful words, “Welcome home my child, welcome home”.

Thanks for joining me today and please stay tuned to our website as there will be much to enjoy for your reading pleasure as you spend time with the Lord. Have a blessed day.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Philemon Part 1

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - The Second Virgin Birth

THE SECOND VIRGIN BIRTH

Most, if not all of us, are familiar with the prophecy given in Isaiah concerning the future birth of Christ: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14)

About 700 years after this was stated, a young girl by the name of Mary was told by an angel that she would bear a child and that the seed for this baby would come from the Holy Spirit.  She was to call “…His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins”. (Matthew 1:21)

This was in fulfillment of two prophesies: the one in Isaiah which foretold the birth of a child by a virgin.  A child who would be both a sign that God was still with His people, that He had not forsaken, forgotten, nor abandoned them; that He would be a Saviour for all (Jesus  meaning Saviour).  Additionally, this would fulfil the prophecy in Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His Heel.”

So Jesus was born from the “seed” of the Holy Spirit and the womb of Mary to eventually crush the head of Satan as He does in Revelation 1:18 - “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

He was also born to be with us (Immanuel) and even further to save us (Jesus) from the wrath to come, an even greater fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy than Isaiah foretold at the time. But you see, when Isaiah gave his prophecy about 700 years prior to Christ’s birth, there was intended a double fulfilment to be had. When Isaiah prophesied, it was at the time intended for King Ahaz and had for that time a little different meaning.

A meaning to be given through the First Virgin Birth about 700 years before Christ and that we’ll talk about next time. In the meantime, it should give you something to think about.

Pastor Caroline - July 5, 2020 - Our Hope in Christ

Pastor Caroline - July 1, 2020

Happy Canada Day.
Thank you Lord for such the wonderful country we live in. May we all lift a prayer of thanks to our Heavenly Father today for His protection over our country and our leaders. We are truly blessed Canadians.

Thank you for joining me in this reading today. God impressed on my heart this week, several times, on the blessing of faith. He said, “I send many blessings and faith is one of them, and to receive the other blessings you must have faith”.
Faith is a large subject of which I could not possibly give the depth of it in this message, however, perhaps I can just give you a glimpse into it in this writing.

Faith is to be exercised every day. When you first wake up exercise your faith before you get out of bed. Say, “Lord, I believe this will be a good day, directed by You, for my life. I place myself in Your hands for your service and your care”.
This will start to build your faith, even for this day.

See, faith is first a decision, second it is obedience, and third it is a gift from God. I read this one time in a book by Stormie  Omartian entitled Seven Prayers, and I am paraphrasing. When we decide to have faith in the Saviour who we have accepted in our heart, then we must obey His plan for our life. We will then see the gift, the many blessings we receive on a daily basis, as we enjoy nature, our family and friends, our church fellowship, the secure feeling we have in the eye of the storm, and so on.

When someone calls you out of the blue and wants to spend time with you it probably was an unction, (a mental impulse) of the Lord to do that, thus, giving you both; the blessing of the company of each other,  and the Lord, in your day.

Build your faith every day. Talk to God every morning, noon and night, in other words, talk to Him all the day long. Thank Him for the little things that happen, those little blessings; like going through Tim Hortons drive-through and the girl at the window tells you your coffee has been paid for by the person in the car ahead of you. This is a blessing; now take time to thank God, and then pray a blessing over the person who purchased your coffee and maybe even pay this forward. Wouldn’t that be a nice way to start a full day of blessing to many people?

Faith is trusting in God. When we come to God in prayer we trust He hears our voice and our heart. We must believe what He says about His promises in the Bible; so therefore we must search the Bible For His promises.
Romans Chapter 10 Verse 17 says in the Good News Bible:
(17) So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

As you study, read, hear and apply the word of God to your life you will increase the blessing of faith in your life. As you increase this blessing in your life you will share it with others, naturally.  Ask God to increase your faith as you walk and talk with Him every day and your relationship with Him will grow stronger and stronger, day by day, year after year, until one day finally, your faith shall be sight. What a glorious day that will be!!

Now enjoy Canada Day and all the blessings we have in this great country, keep the faith, and be a blessing to all you meet.