Pastor Caroline - Not Guilty

 

Not Guilty

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans Chapter 8 Verse 1.

 

What is condemnation?

Webster’s dictionary says condemnation —

Noun- The expression of very strong disapproval, censure.

The action of condemning someone to a punishment, sentencing.

 

An example of this might be, when one is in a court of law being accused of murder, he awaits his sentencing if found guilty. Perhaps though he is found not guilty, and therefore he is exonerated, clearing him from the accusation, and he is set free. He is pardoned of the crime he had been charged with because he was found, not guilty.

 

So in our opening scripture today, it tells us that “therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. We are exonerated off our sin because Jesus took our sins to the cross and stood in our place of condemnation. He was punished for all the sin of the world, which includes ours, although He himself never sinned; He took our sin and paid the penalty, (the punishment given to one who breaks the law, or for doing wrong such as when we sin).

Imagine someone willing to stand in your place to take your sentencing for the wrong you committed and then turning to you and saying, “Go now, you are free!” How could you ever repay that person for standing in your place and taking your punishment? Well my dear friends, this is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross. He set us free, going before us to the Father to pay our penalty and free us from the punishment we should receive for the wrongs and sins we have and still commit. He essentially says to us, “You are not guilty”.

We are found not guilty because Jesus carried our guilt on His shoulders all the way to Calvary and to death on the cross. Now when God sees us, if we have received Jesus as Lord and Saviour and repent of our sins, God sees the one (Jesus Chris) who stood in our place.  And therefore, He sees us as being exonerated.

 

God justifies those who have found faith in Jesus. Let’s look at Romans chapter 3 verses 25 and 26 in the Good News Bible. Here we read, (25 & 26),

God offered him, (Christ), so that by his death he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. And God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows us that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.

 

Therefore, in Jesus Christ, we are found not guilty, and for this we must give thanks with a grateful heart to Jesus for covering our sin with His blood, the sacrifice He became on our behalf. He stood in our place of guilt to set us free from condemnation, the punishment we deserve, so that one day when we stand before the Lord we can stand in the assurance of our victory in Jesus. This should have you shouting for joy and telling the whole world about this precious Savior, named Jesus. In Him, we are free!!

Not guilty, but free indeed.

Thank you Jesus.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Esther Part 7

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THE LAW

 THE LAW

Perhaps the most important event recorded in the Old Testament was that time when the Ten Commandments were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It was the Law and was to be followed by all persons who wished to remain right with God. The leaders of the Jewish religion followed this by creating hundreds of rules and regulations to further define the meaning of the Law.  It was thus felt that the sins of the people were covered by the following of these laws.

Now, it states in Romans that “…we are not under the law, but under grace…” (Romans 6:15). Not being under the law does not mean that we can neglect the law but that we can and should be able to avoid the results that come from breaking the law. It was apparently well known in the ancient world that human sin provoked God’s judgement. Evidently both the Jews and Gentiles accepted this but it was only after the apostle Paul’s preaching that it became apparent that rules, rituals, and good behaviour were not enough to atone for human sin.* 

This, however, should have been already evident to the Hebrew people when they examined their own history.  For example:  By placing the blood of a spotless lamb on their doorposts and lintels, they were saved from death during the final curse against the Egyptians at the time of Passover.  They were spared before the Laws were ever given on Mt. Sinai.

Hence, since the Hebrew people were saved from death before the Law was given, they were certainly not saved by the Law. In the same manner, the Law remains a guidepost for what we should not do and how to avoid sin, not as a means to escape the punishment that sinning requires. In that way we are still under the Law but not under the consequences that the Law entails.

This in fact is what angered the people to whom the early Christians preached. When Paul, for instance, spoke of religious rituals and good behaviour not being enough to atone for human sin, anger rose against him and others, often driving them out of a city.  The point, however, is that if Christ lived the sinless life, which we don’t; died the brutal death, which we should; and took the punishment for us, which He did, then we should stop trying to cloud His sacrifice with our ideas.

This also is why Paul and others preached entirely “Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23); “[f]or the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,” (1 Corinthians 1:18). The power of God is in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, not in any aspect of the Law.  This is why the early church was so against adding any rituals or legalisms to the message of God’s grace.

In spite of this, many tried to add to the Gospel message. We are told in Acts 15:1 that “…certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’” This addition to the gospel preached by Judean men was rejected by the apostles because if the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was perfect then adding anything to it obscured its saving power.

Unfortunately we continue to do the same today. By having rules and regulations for church membership and attendance, or by having obligations as part of the faith, are we not, once again, adding human works to God’s grace and the message of salvation? In one book, this reliance on legalism and works is referred to as pin-pricks in the gospel which makes it look fine on the outside but, like a balloon or condom, makes its’ use or function much less reliable*. In these times, when the gospel message is so needed, yet used less and less, perhaps getting back to that pure message as preached by the early apostles is something we should all start to think more about.

* Straight to the Heart of Galatians to Colossians by Phil Moore pg 17-19  

Pastor Caroline - April 25, 2021 - Show Me Lord

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday April 21, 2021 - The Healer

 

The Healer

 

This song came to my mind this morning. It’s called “The Healer” and I used to listen to Jimmy Swaggart sing this beautiful piece. I will share the lyrics with you.

            The Healer

On a cross crucified

In great sorrow my saviour died Oh the giver of so much life was he.

Yet my Lord was despised and rejected of men

Oh this Jesus of Calvary.

Chorus:

He was wounded for our transgression

He was bruised for our iniquities

Surely He bought our sorrows And by His stripes we are healed

 

Came the leper that day to Christ

Saying surely I know,

That thou, Lord can make me whole

When his great faith was seen, Jesus said “Yes I will”

Touched him and made him clean.

 

He was wounded for our transgressions

He was bruised for our iniquities

Surely He bought our sorrows

And by His stripes we are healed.

 

Note: To listen to this click on the YouTube link at the end.

 

When I think of Jesus I think about the healer. Jesus of Galilee - Jesus of Calvary - Jesus my Saviour and my Lord. Jesus, Emmanuel, Christ, Lord, and Master.  He is our all in all. All the lovely names of Jesus. Read them out loud and meditate on each name for a few moments and feel the blessing that overflows you.

 

When we feel rejected-

so did He

When we feel despised -

so did He

When we are alone -

so was He (in the garden)

When we feel lonely

He felt lonely (when His disciples left Him)

When we are hungry and thirsty

so did He hunger and thirst

When we are in pain

He suffered great pain

When we grieve

so did He grieve

When we cry

so did He cry

When we are lied about

so was He lied about

When we sin —

He never sinned!!

Yet He took all our sin upon himself to purchase our salvation and give us the gift of eternal life.

Oh what a Saviour!!!!

 

Please take time today to read Isaiah chapter 53 verses 1 to 12 to see this story and carefully read each line.

Let me share with you Verses 4 to 6 in this 53rd. Chapter

(4)”But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne.

All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God. (5) But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did.

We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.

(6)All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved”.

(Taken from the Good News Bible.)

 

This is a powerful reminder of how He suffered on our behalf.

 

Oh the giver of Eternal life was He

Oh this Jesus of Galilee.

 

Thank you Lord for ALL You did for us, for ALL you are to us.

 

Now please listen to the song, The Healer.  The Healer - Jimmy Swaggart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd2EWXIfwLI

May you be blessed in all your days.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Esther Part 6

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - WONDERFULLY MADE

WONDERFULLY MADE

There are essentially two primary theories about how we all came to be.  Many people subscribe to the Theory of Evolution which, briefly put, indicates that we all just by chance arrived here with no guidance whatsoever. The other is the Theory of Creation which indicates that we all are here by the guidance of an intelligence i.e. God. Now one cannot prove the Theory of Evolution, although there is some evidence for it, nor can one disprove the existence of God, for Whom, there is also considerable evidence. The acceptance of one theory or the other requires faith on the part of the individual.

So where does your faith lead you? If one sees something that is man-made and has a design to it, the automatic assumption is that there had to be a designer behind it. Why is the thinking different when we consider natural structures and beings, which have a much more complex design than anything, to date, made by man?

Human beings are considered to be the epitome of evolution and we are undoubtedly complex and advanced beings. Take for example just the eye; that complex camera which adjusts automatically to changes in light, distance, and environment.  It then transmits the image to hundreds of thousands of pigmented cells where a complex system of chemical reactions then changes what we see into electrical impulses.  These impulses travel over 200 miles per hour to the brain where they are again changed back into the images we initially viewed.  All this happens within milliseconds and repeats thousand of times each second; and that’s only one example*.

There are other instances in nature that are just as amazing or perhaps even more so. For instance, trees have been shown to produce chemicals to ward off attacks by insects after similar trees in the area have been invaded.  When a tree has been injured, often similar nearby trees will generate roots to help nourish the injured one, likewise, if a tree is cut, others nearby react; the woods are not as inert as we used to think**.

We have numerous examples in the animal kingdom.  For example, eagles have eyesight that enable them to see a small animal about 2 miles away. Consider also that a black bear can detect food up to 20 miles away and an elephant is able to detect water up to the same distance. You try doing that***. 

Further, as far as stamina is concerned, most humans have problems running marathons of 20 to 39 miles. The farthest a man has been reported to have run is 350 miles.  Dean Karnazes accomplished this amazing feat in 2005 when he ran across Northern California without stopping to eat or sleep. However, the blackpoll warbler, a migratory songbird, which weighs less than a loonie, flies 2000-2500 km each year without stopping on its way south to the Caribbean.  The bar-tailed godwits, another migratory bird, has been traced travelling between the Northern Hemisphere and Australia, a 12000 km journey, non-stop without eating or sleeping****.

The animal kingdom outshines us in many ways even though overall we probably come out on top. But the point is, could all of these, and so many more, come about just as a result of random chance? It really becomes a matter of faith. Are you really here because of a succession of random accidents and mutations which resulted in a sea of protoplasm and minerals coming together eventually to be what we see today? Or, is our present existence the result of careful planning by a concerned and thoughtful Deity?  The Bible states in Psalm 139:14 that “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works…” Marvellous indeed. 

So where is your faith? Is it with those who say we arrived here from nothing by random chance or with those who feel that we are the product of an intelligent and careful designer? Neither can be definitely proven; it’s a matter of faith. But the fact that we and all of nature seems to be “wonderfully made” is a fact that seems to point only in one direction, and that, in turn, is something everyone should carefully think about.

*From ‘What Darwin Didn’t Know’ Chapter 7 by Geoffrey Simmons, M.D.

** From ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ by Peter Wohlleben

***From internet sites ‘How far can..’

****From Canadian Wildlife Spring 2021

  

Pastor Caroline - April 18, 2021 - God is With Us

Let Us Bring Our Offerings to the Storehouse

 

Let Us Bring Our Offerings to the Storehouse

God loves a cheerful giver, as we are told in 2 Corinthians Chapter 9 Verse 7

Let us bring our offerings to the store house. At this time we are unable to meet at the store house, so if you’ve been keeping your offering tucked away that is wonderful.

Perhaps at this time you would like to mail your offerings to:

Master’s Hand Ministry

c/o of Peter MacLaren

Post Office Box 1924

Pictou Nova Scotia

BOK 1H0

Or please feel free to call Pastor Caroline and she will gladly pick up your gift and take it to Peter. Even though we are not meeting, we have expenses to meet and we also would love to continue to support our local missions, (the breakfast program and Roots for Youth) and also our international mission with Pastor Gamel.

We thank God for the faithfulness and generosity you have provided and as we continue to build the kingdom of God we love to reach out and help those who are in need of blessing. Thank you in advance for your generosity and remember God loves a cheerful giver.

Little is much when God is in it!!

He can and does a marvelous work through us.

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday April 14, 2021 - All Scripture Is Inspired By God

 

All Scripture Is Inspired By God

 

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 16 and 17 (Good News Bible)

(16) All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, collecting faults, and giving instruction for right living,

(17) so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

 

Here Paul is talking to Timothy, who was his companion and assistant in missionary work. He reminds him that all Scripture is inspired (was breathed) by God and is useful: (1) for teaching the truth

(2) rebuking error

(3) correcting faults

(4) giving instruction for right living.

 

In other words all scripture is used to:

(1) teach others about God, His love and care for people

(2) bring to our attention what is wrong in our lives — our sin

(3) help us to correct our errors, sins and faults

(4) give us instruction as to how to live the way God wants us to live — to have the righteousness Christ died to give us, and for us to live in that righteousness.

 

When we understand this teaching we are better able to live a Godly life. For those who are called to minister the word of God, this scripture helps us bring truth to our own lives and into the lives of those to whom we minister to. When we serve God in whatever capacity He leads us to, we must first know that He will qualify and equip us to complete the task. He will lead us to do every kind of good deed.

 

Every day, whether you are an ordained minister, or neighbour across the street; if you have Jesus in your heart as Lord and Saviour you are called to share the word of Christ with your family, friends, neighbors, co- workers, and strangers. You can do just that if you follow the leading of the Lord as you speak with people about Him. Be tender and kind, be truthful and respectful, be ready to help someone understand the errors of their way and willing to help them correct this in their life. Help them see the talents God has placed within them to serve Him. Tell them about God’s love and how much He cares for them. Show them scripture to help them understand His ways. Lead them to the very heart of Christ, and offer the gift of salvation to them. You will be doing as Paul taught Timothy to do. Both you and the person you are engaging with will have a much more enriched life in Jesus.

 

Now enjoy your day working out the word of the Lord in your life as you share with others His love. What a great way to have a pleasant and blessed day.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Esther Part 5

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - TOUCH ME NOT

TOUCH ME NOT

Easter is now over.  The resurrection of Christ has been recognized and remembered.  There are, however, still some details which need to be explained. 

For instance: As Mary kept by Jesus’ tomb, weeping, Jesus called to her “Mary” and then said “…Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father…” (John 20:17, KJV).  Later on He invited Thomas to “…‘reach your hand here, and put it into My side…”(John 20:27, NKJV).  

Again, it’s the details which explain the situation. Jesus appeared to Mary at the tomb and later to the disciples in the room where they were assembled, but there is no indication of any contact at that time between Christ and the disciples. It was only after 8 days that He appeared again and gave the invitation to Thomas that is recorded in the Bible.

To understand how this is important, one must know something about the Jewish festivals according to which Jesus was crucified. Jesus underwent crucification at Passover.  This is the festival that commemorates the time when the angel of death, as recorded in the Old Testament, “passed over” the Hebrews during the last plague of Egypt.  Jesus, who was called “our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7, NKJV), at this time of commemoration was crucified on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, the month of Nisan.

Following this, on the 15th of Nisan, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which lasted for 7 days and was in turn followed by the Feast of First Fruits, 8 days after the Passover. God called these “…the Lord’s appointed festivals…” (Leviticus 23:4, NIV) and “…a lasting ordinance for the generations to come…”(Leviticus 23:31, NIV). 

Jesus, who was the Passover Lamb, is also called the sinless Bread of Life, and, in addition, the First Born of the dead. In essence, He became the “FirstFruit” of all those who would succeed Him in being resurrected from the dead. In the Jewish tradition, which Jesus observed, the Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed the Passover, started the following day, lasted a week, and during which “…you must eat unleavened bread,” (Leviticus 23:6, NKJV).  Since leaven, in the Old Testament refers really to sin, eating bread without leaven means eating bread without sin and, in essence, refers to the Messiah, the sinless Bread of Life.

Further, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was in turn followed by the Feast of FirstFruits. This feast was referred to in this way: “…‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf;…You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God…” (Leviticus 23:10-11,14, NKJV).

Jesus, the Passover Lamb, the Bread of Life without sin, and the First Born (Firstfruits) of the Saved had to be brought before God and accepted before He could be touched by any person. Hence the request to Mary to “touch Me not” and the need for 8 days to pass before He gave His instruction to Thomas. The details and meaning can often be lost when we no longer follow that which originated from God and follow instead the traditions implemented by man.

Perhaps what has been lost needs to be once more rediscovered. At least, it’s something to think about.  

Pastor Caroline - April 11, 2021 - God's Grace and Mercy

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday April 7, 2021

 

After a sleepless night the day seemed far off. It’s 1 AM, 2 AM, 3 AM, the darkness and quiet surround me. I am wide awake with no apparent reason to be, I am not sick, nor unsettled, just wide awake. For those of you who know me, this is not like me.

 

So in those early morning hours I tried to see if God was beckoning me, but that did not seem to be the case. So I waited — through the darkness —  for daylight to come. I awaited the dawn of Easter Sunday morning, hoping the sun would awaken with streams of glorious light to announce this Resurrection morning. That was not to be either, I saw before me ice that covered the trees and lawn and a heavy grey sky that brought us chilly temperatures.

 

HOWEVER, I am not going to let that get me down, I said to myself; it’s Resurrection Sunday, Christ is Risen, He is Alive, He prepares every new day for me and you and suddenly I am reminded of the third verse of Psalm 23,

He restoreth my soul, as we read in the King James Version or, He gives me new strength as written in The Good News Bible.

 

Even after the night of not resting comfortably in my bed, I realized that a new day dawns with new mercies every morning. No matter how dark or restless the night,  every single morning we have new mercy as told to us in Lamentations chapter 3 verse 22 and 23 in the Good News Bible. It reads as follows

(22 The Lord‘s unfailing love and mercy still continue,

(23) Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise,

(24) The Lord is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope.

 

What a promise for each new day. So even after a sleepless night I am restored to a new freshness and strength because of His promise of unfailingly love and mercy for me.

What a way to put a spring in my step as I face the new day.

 

Sleep or no sleep, sunshine or rain, I am refreshed and restored every morning by God’s wonderful faithfulness and His continued promise. How about you? Are you restored today? Go to your Bible and open it at random and God will show you a word for today, a word to strengthen and restore you.

Remember after the rain, a rainbow, after the storm, a calm, after the winter, a spring, after a night, a new day, and always the love and mercy of the Lord, fresh everyday!! Praise the Lord!

Enjoy your day today walking and talking with the Lord and be restored in the name of Jesus.

 

Please join us for Mike’s reading tomorrow along with Peter’s Picks.

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

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About

 

TO LIVE OR NOT

Easter, a time when we commemorate the resurrection of Christ after His crucifixion a few days earlier. A few decades ago, I recall walking to an Easter Sunday service with a light sweater or jacket, joining hundreds of others on a warm sunny day, whereas now it often seems as if the weather has turned too chilly and damp for what might be called spring apparel.

The times and weather may have changed quite a bit but the reason for the commemoration has not. The resurrection remains just as valid now as it did then, even though the apparent need for it in many ways and to many people seems altered. We also can’t, at  this time, gather as we might wish but that also does not change the validity of the message. Christ was resurrected to become “…the firstborn of the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth…” (Revelation 1:5).

If He is the firstborn, then it means that there are others to follow, and it is this assurance that provides us with the possibility of life beyond this present existence. It isn’t Christ’s birth or death which can give this hope.  It is only the gift of resurrection that God gave Christ, the same gift that He can give to us, that provides the above hope. As Christ now sits at His Father’s right hand, so we also can spend an eternity in His presence.

But do people really and truly believe this? The Bible states that there is only one means by which this is possible; but many reject it outright, have doubts altogether, or feel other ways are just as valid.  This often happens because one cannot prove conclusively all that the Bible states. One source puts it this way: “…the resurrection of Jesus Christ, though a historical fact, cannot possibly be established by historical verification if {such verification means} the exclusion of faith in the trustworthiness of Scripture.”* The same source also goes on to say “God does not permit man to find out His secrets by way of human research and reasoning, but only by faith in Him as the Revealer of truth through His word and Spirit”.**

So what do you really believe? There are only two choices: either there is absolutely nothing after this life or there is life beyond this existence.  That means the beginning of a “new history”*** apart from our present existence. A “new history” made possible by the Resurrection which we commemorate at Easter, and which gives us hope and if you truly believe, assurance that we also may follow the same path.

Over the course of one’s life many things change, and it seems more and more difficult to maintain faith in the array of questions and apparent obstacles which the world throws at us on an almost daily basis. Our travels through life are reflected in the journey of the traveller Christian in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. The traveller is confronted by tall mountains blocking his vision, when, on a hill named Clear, a shepherd offers Christian a view through a telescope.  He then can see in the distance some of the glory of the Celestial City and Christian can then continue his journey with courage.  In 2 Corinthians Chapter 12, Paul gives us a glimpse of the same Celestial City through his own “telescope.”

We either maintain the necessary faith or we allow the circumstances of the world to deny us that belief. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 puts it this way: 

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”

This Easter, when the thought is on Christ’s death and resurrection, remember the preaching of Christ crucified and what it really all means.  Then using the Bible, as Christian did a telescope, we will also be able to see the Celestial City in the distance and continue on with the hope, knowledge, and courage to face this world and to maintain the hope of the world to come. This Easter it’s something we all should think about.

*The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible Volume 5 pg 75

** ibid pg 76

*** ibid pg 76

Raise a Hallelujah!