Pastor Caroline - Wednesday June 30, 2021 - You Are My All in All

 

You Are My All in All



Good morning and please have a wonderful day as we close out the month of June.



When I fall down

You pick me up

When I am dry

You fill my cup

You are my all in all.

By Nicole Nordeman

 

As I awoke today I heard this chorus in my head and I thought to myself how faithful God truly is. He never leaves us down or dry. He picks us up - every day, there are new mercies every morning.

Lamentations Chapter 3 verses 22 to 24 in my Good News Bible tells me:

(22) The Lord‘s unfailing love and mercies continue,

(23) Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunshine.

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

And God gives us living water. Jeremiah Chapter 2 verses 13 and Chapter 17 verse 13 confirms this. The prophet Jeremiah describes God as “the spring of living water”, who has been forsaken by His chosen people Israel and in John Chapter 4 verse 10 Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well saying, “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water”.

God is our strength and our hope; He is our all in all.

 

The chorus I opened with was from the song You are my All in All, by Nicole Nordeman and so I will give you the lyrics today as our reading and I would like you to concentrate on the words and the blessing it brings to your heart.

 

You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all

Seeking you as a precious jewel

Lord, to give up I’d be a fool

You are my all in all.

 

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame

Rising again I bless Your name

You are my all in all

When I fall down You pick me up

When I am dry You fill my cup

You are my all in all.

 

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is Your name

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is your name.

 

You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all

Seeking you as a precious jewel

Lord, to give up I’d be a fool

You are my all in all

 

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is your name

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is your name

 

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is your name

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is your name.

Worthy is your name.

 

From this song I can say my Lord is:

My fresh start every morning

My strength in my weakness

The very one I seek

God is a precious jewel to me

I can always count on Him - He is faithful.

He took my sin and my shame to the cross, He is my redeemer!!

When I am down – He comforts me – He picks me up

When I’m thirsty - He fills my cup; meaning He replenishes my emotional, mental and physical energy. When I run out of anyone or all of these I need to go to His word and recharge who I am in Christ. As I plug into His word He fills me to overflowing.

Lamb of God – the sacrificial lamb, Jesus, who came into the world to suffer and die on the cross as He carried the sin of the world, all our sin, once and for all; and redeemed us back to the Lord for eternity, when we accept Jesus as Savior. When He rose from the grave He arose triumphantly and so we stand triumphant in Him.

He gives us mercy and peace. Only Jesus could bring us back into right relationship with God the Father, so that sin no longer separates us from God and His glory. What a precious Savior!!

 

Jesus, Lamb of God

Worthy is Your name.

 

Only God is worthy of our praise. He is to be honored, respected, and loved for all He has done for us. We can trust in Him so we ascribe greatness to Him because He is the very one who created us, and because of who He is and what He has done for us in saving us to eternity.

 

Praise His name, for He is worthy to be praised, which leads me into another great worship song which I will leave for another time.

 

So sing or speak the words to You are my All in All, and I am sure your heart will be greatly blessed today.

 

P. S. Go to YouTube and listen to Nicole Nordeman sing her song and your heart will be filled with the peace of the Lord.

 

Have a blessed day in Jesus.

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

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - DELIVERANCE

 DELIVERANCE

The Bible, overall, is a book of deliverance.  It tells the story of how God used Moses to help the Hebrew people leave Egypt and of the difficulties they encountered while doing so - many of which developed because of recurrent disobedience to God’s commands.  Even Moses, who led the people out, was not immune from punishment, as he too disobeyed God’s orders.  Instructed to speak to the rock to bring forth water, Moses struck it and as a result was not allowed to enter the promised land (see Numbers 20:8-11).  

Joshua succeeded Moses and he did succeed in bringing the Hebrew people into the land promised to them by God. But it was not without difficulty as there were foes to be overcome and battles to be fought before everything was accomplished. 

Joshua, however, was a strong leader and a faithful follower of God.  As He neared the end of his life, he related a short history of how God had, a number of times delivered His people from their enemies and had led them into the land of promise.  He also left them with a warning that: “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good ”(Joshua 24:20).

After the death of Joshua, a number of people were lifted by God to lead the Israelites in their struggles against their surrounding enemies.  Some of these leaders were people who followed God and with His help delivered the Israelites time and again from danger.  Others, however, were not as heedful to Joshua’s warning and often led the people away from God’s direction.  As a result, the Israelites during such times often fell prey to the activities of their enemies.  And so it repeated, on many occasions, during the times of the Judges that when the Israelites were in tune with what God said they prospered and when they not in compliance with God they faltered.

Moses had also issued the same warning in Deuteronomy 30:

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land…”(Deuteronomy 30:15-18).

God is said to never change; therefore, what He did and warned in the days of Joshua and Moses still applies today.  When the Israelites followed God they persevered and overcame and when they wavered in their to God they were often overcome.  As we seem to diverge further and further from God’s initial ordinances and do our own thing, perhaps we should consider further what God has said. 

The Israelites, in the end, became reconciled to the fact they needed a king under God to save them.  It had come to this because “[i]n those days there was no king in Israel; [and] everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).  Look around, does it not seem as if history might be repeating itself?  In this present time referring back to the times of Joshua and Moses might be something we should think about.

Pastor Caroline - June 27, 2021 - Christian Giving - Give Generously

A Journey Completed

 

Good morning.  

I would like to share with everyone the passing of one of own dear friends from our congregation who has completed her journey home. On Thursday morning Muriel Bugden entered the gates of Heaven and stood in the fullness of glory. Oh what a day for her, to meet Jesus face to face and be reunited with loved ones who waited on her arrival. Her family here will miss her greatly and please keep them in prayer. I waited to do this announcement out of respect for the family until they released Muriel’s obituary.

You will find the obituary under Angus Funeral Home.

Let’s celebrate who Muriel was to each one of us and keep Tim, Natalie, Noah, Jill, and Nikki, and other family in your thoughts and prayers over these days of mourning. We will all miss her and one day will see her again.

Pastor Caroline

https://angusfuneralhomes.com/tribute/details/1808/Muriel-Bugden/obituary.html#tribute-start

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday June 23, 2021 - Power, Love, and Self - Control

 

Power, Love, and Self - Control



Power, love, and self-control, is what everyone wants, right? Is this possible? How can we have this?

We can have this when Jesus lives in our heart and is Lord and Saviour of our life. The word of God in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 7, tells us in the Good News Bible;

(7) For the spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.

This is a beautiful scripture to have tucked away in our mind and in our heart.

 

As Paul writes to Timothy, he assures Timothy that keeping the faith is exactly what he needs to do and as we apply this word of God to our life, this is what we need to do. So let’s look at this word today as if God is speaking directly to us.   No matter what comes in our path we must always be witnessing for our Lord. On days when we are weak in the flesh we know God will strengthen us in our spirit and rise up to do all that He enables us to do.

When we fill up on the power, love and self-control of the Lord we can be confident in how much more pleasant our day will be. As we open our mind each day to receive His power, love and self-control our mind will not be overtaken by the worries of this world. When we suffer in this world, and we will, we can be sure that God will keep us safe until the day of His return when we trust in Him alone. His word says so. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 confirms this. You can read it there.

 

As we follow the plan the Lord has for us and remain in faith and love that is ours in union with Jesus (verse 13 in this chapter of 2 Timothy), we will be well cared for.

 

As you read this full book of Timothy from chapter 1 to chapter 4 (this is Paul’s second letter to Timothy), you will see Paul tells Timothy to endure through to the end, to the day of the Lord’s return or Timothy’s day of being called home.

As we apply this word to us we are told to be strong in the word and for the word. To openly spread the Good News of Jesus and to be filled with the power, love and self-control provided to us. We are reminded not to follow the ways of the world that are evil but to rise up to the standard that God sets and be an example of how to live a Christ-like life, even when people make fun of us, criticize and abuse us for our faith. As we work out our faith, being an example to others as to how to live and believe in our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will increase in power, love and self-control as told to us in verse 7 of this chapter. God has not given us a timid spirit but one that can be bold for the cause of Christ. I love when I have an opportunity to tell people about Jesus and how he’s changed my life, making it a beautiful testimony of how He lives in me and how I live in Him. As He gives me power and self-control I am well able to stay clear of what this world will entice me do and live in heavenly peace until the day I journey home to eternity.

 

His love teaches us about patience, endurance, confidence and suffering and in His love, He enables us through our union with Jesus to endure all things knowing one day we will be raised to glory!

 

How I love the word and instruction of the Lord. Perhaps you would like to read all of 2 Timothy using your name where you see Timothy’s name and make Paul’s letter personal to you. Now let the gift of the Holy Spirit fill you always with power, love and self-control and be bold in sharing His love and power to help others learn self-control, keeping them safe until the day of His return.

 

If you know this worship piece please sing it out loud and rejoice!

        Be bold! Be strong!

       by Morris Chapman

 

Be bold! Be strong!

For the Lord, your God, is with you

Be bold! Be strong!

For the Lord, your God, is with you

I am not afraid

I am not dismayed

Because I’m walkin’ in faith and victory

Come on and walk in faith and victory

For the Lord, your God

Is with you.

 

Enjoy you day in Jesus

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

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - JUSTIFICATION

JUSTIFICATION

Justification refers to the act of becoming right with God so that it’s as of you’ve never  done anything wrong. Now if you don’t believe in God then the term really has little meaning. Most people, however, including those who deny God’s existence, often refer to heaven or to meeting those who have passed away once again.  The vast majority of people believe in some sort of afterlife in spite of the prevalence of teaching regarding evolution. Most, if not all cultures, since the dawn of man, have believed in an existence beyond one’s earthly life.That in turn implies a belief in a spiritual being and a need to somehow please such an entity.

Such efforts on the part of mankind have essentially known no bounds. To appease their gods, people have sacrificed young women and men, infants and children, and animals by the thousands. They have done self-mutilation, self punishment, deprivations, penances by the score and pilgrimages. And since sexual activity is pleasant, and therefore must be pleasing to the gods, sexual orgies on pagan temples were often part of man’s efforts to please “god”. Although some of this seems very bizarre today, man still does almost everything in his power to please and make oneself right with “god”.  Most, if not all, religion is based on the premise that we can do enough right to rectify our wrongs and, therefore, make it to heaven, even if god is distant and austere or nearby and personal. 

Yet the Bible states that “…God is holy” (Psalm 99:9) and that even though “he is a holy God. He is a jealous God” (Joshua 24:19). Furthermore, in Leviticus, God has said: “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy” (Leviticus 20:26).  But, no one fits that bill because “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). Since the Laws were given to point out this sin and because “…it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail”(Luke 16:17), we have little hope of pleasing God by our efforts such as rules, rituals, sacrifices, feast days, pilgrimages, etc. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

The Bible states it very clearly - “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).  In 1Corinthians 15:56 it says “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law” while 1 John 1:8 states “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

So the crux of the matter is this: if we are full of sin and can’t keep the laws to make ourselves right with God, then making more regulations, rules, and/or rituals (aka more laws) won’t make it any better. That is why God Himself decided to forgive us by taking the punishment that we deserve upon Himself, as Christ, and all we have to do is accept the gift and grace that His gesture implies. By acknowledging that God, through Christ, paid for our discretions, and truly accepting that gift, we can receive that justification before Him that countless people throughout the ages have tried to do for themselves. True acceptance of His Gift means that what you do in His name, you do because you have been made right before Him and not to become so. It’s not complicated but in fact so simple that people reject it and try to do something themselves. We always seem to want it that way.

This Father’s Day what better gift to give to our Heavenly Father than to fully accept the gift that He has so graciously given to us and acknowledge the sacrifice He made by doing so. After all, it’s apparently all He really wants. It’s also something we all should carefully think about.                        

Pastor Caroline - Sunday June 20, 2021 - Happy Father's Day

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday June 16, 2021 - Embrace Change

 

Embrace Change

 

 Don’t fear change. Welcome it as an opportunity! If change is a great problem, it is also a grand human hope. One word, one illustration, one idea can transform the whole complexion and destiny of our life. I see this happening constantly. Some positive idea falls unexpectedly on the mind and changes forever the destiny of an entire family. Thank God we are not created to be rigid, non-changing objects of marble, granite, or steel!

 

These words were written by Robert H. Schuller in his book entitled Hours of Power.  Why am I sharing this particular message from his book with you today? Well first of all, this last year and a half since Covid we have all had to make some changes. Some easy, some not so easy. People in their workplace suddenly found themselves working from home, school children found themselves separated from their friends and their sports programs and other extracurricular activities they were involved in at school, those in church leadership had to find new ways of keeping their congregations involved and connected as church doors closed to gathering as an assembly. Hospitals, doctors and nurses, and all frontline workers faced change as to how to serve the people. Funeral directors were greatly challenged when trying to be a compassionate service at a difficult time for families when they found themselves mourning the loss of a loved one. So many services, which we all took for granted, changed within weeks of the first Covid experience.

 

However, (aren’t you glad there is always an however), as Robert Schuller says in the last line of the reading today:

Thank God we are not created to be rigid, non-changing objects of marble, granite, or steel!

 

With change comes opportunity. If we face change knowing God is with us we can do anything. The word of God says, all things are possible with God! Matthew Chapter 19 Verse 26

 

When we pray and wait on the Lord, He will show us how to change a problem into an opportunity. True prayer brings renewal. We are looking forward to the times of renewal ahead. In all the changes that had to take place to keep us safe during Covid, I personally can see a new way of moving forward in all areas of life. We all can see – we are capable of change and of making it work! People continue in their employment, students are still being educated, ministry is much more widespread because of technology as the gospel is shared online, the medical professionals are looking after and taking care of the sick and the funeral directors are still able to accommodate the brokenhearted in their time of grief.

 

The one thing I find challenging is not being able to be with people, in close contact with the many people even just in my circle of contacts. I am sure you are too. But one day soon, after the pandemic, we will all be joined back together; stronger, more compassionate, with a greater sense of loving and kindness because God has grown each one of us in new and marvellous ways. As we wait on the Lord we know He will renew our strength! He has, He does, and He will continue to do so. Praise His name.

 

As we embrace change let us lift a prayer to the Lord.

Thank you Lord for change. Whatever it may be, if we wait on You and hear Your voice we will be encouraged, strengthened, enthused and renewed! Let us not be afraid to move in a new direction, for it may be just the move we need. A new job, a new home, a new city, town, or rural area may be calling us. So let’s go into the unknown with a heart of excitement, trusting in You Lord, to encounter the new and undiscovered possibilities you have prepared for us. Education, medicine, ministry and dying may look different to us but you Lord will always make away for all services to be carried out. Change brings growth, and growth brings change. Let us all be flexible enough so as not to break when change happens. Let us move with the assurance that you Lord are leading us, and in every step, through every challenge, we know all things will work out to the glory of You and You alone.

Amen.

 

Psalm 25 versus 4, 5 and 14 are reassuring indeed:

(4) Teach me your ways, O Lord; make them known to me. (5) Teach me to live according to Your truth, for You are my God, who saves me. I will always trust in You.

(14) The Lord is the friend of those who obey Him and He confirms His covenant with them.

 

There is such strength and promise in the word of God. He shows us His answer when we pray about anything / everything  and / or, for ourselves or others. This message, Embrace Change is for you who are waiting for God’s answer to your prayer. I believe you will see this answer today!

God bless you — each and everyone who reads this message. May it be a blessing to your heart and a stronghold in your decision. Embrace Change as Robert S. Schuller says in his book.

And always remember to give thanks and praise to the Lord as He sees us through each day.

Have a great week ahead.

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

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - BREAD

 BREAD

Bread is mentioned more than 340 times in the NKJV of the Bible.  The first mention of it is in a curse, when God told Adam “…Cursed is the ground for your sake…in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:17,19).  Man has been working and labouring to obtain bread to survive ever since.  Bread was, and remains today, a staple of man’s diet. Whether it was for survival - “Now there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe…”(Genesis 47:13) - or for ceremony - “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High,” (Genesis 14:18) - bread has played an important role. 

It was during the Hebrew enslavement in Egypt that they would have become familiar with the Egyptian practice of using leaven (or yeast) in the bread making process. Therefore, for the Hebrews, leaven became synonymous with sin, and so to leave Egypt entirely behind, God commanded the Hebrew people to eat unleavened bread beginning at the time of the Passover.

And they shall eat…unleavened bread…Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses.  For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel…So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt…”
(Exodus 12: 8,15,17)

Unleavened bread thus became synonymous with sinless bread or bread without sin. This is why Christ, when confronted by Satan in the desert and challenged to “…command that these stones become bread,” (Matthew 4:3) replied by saying “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” (Matthew 4:4).  Christ Himself was that Word.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1,14).

So Christ became for us “…the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger” (John 6:35) because “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10).  In other words, if you only have what the world offers you will survive, but if you take in the sinless Bread then you can really live.

It’s important to realize that much of the Bible has an allegorical as well as a literal meaning.  Taking bread is as essential for our physical being as taking the Bread of life is for our spiritual life.  Christ did this at the Last Supper when He broke bread and said “This is (symbolic of) My body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of Me,” (Luke 22:19).

Jesus used this symbolism in a number of ways in addition to the Communion. When talking to the disciples he said: “How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven [sin] of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” (Matthew 16:11).  Then He stated “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst,” and “…he who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:35,58).

He who receives Christ takes in the bread of life with all its’ benefits.  It’s as simple as that.  What more is there to think about?

   

Pastor Caroline - Sunday June 13,2021 - A Child of God with Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Please note that the verses read today from Ephesians chapter 1 are 3 - 14, not 13-14 as stated in the sermon.

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday June 9, 2021 - True Worship

 

True Worship

 

Romans Chapter 12 verse 1 in the Good News Bible tells us this;

(1) So then, my brothers, because of God‘s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.

True Worship is serving this verse tells us. Isn’t that beautiful?

 

Every morning we thank God for a new day and perhaps we add our prayer request for the day to Him. But, do we stop and say, “God, here I am, ready and willing to do whatever you show me today. I will not shy away from any task, big or small, for I know you are over them all”.

Just think about that for a moment. Take whatever time you need to process your offer to God, to be in His full and complete service for this day.

 

Now your schedule must take a backseat to God‘s plan for the day. Open your eyes and ears to see and hear what God is showing you and telling you.

 

Then the phone rings, someone needs a drive to the doctor – it is an hour away -then you need to sit in the office and wait for the appointment to take place – and another hour to drive back home. Well that pretty much takes up the morning. Do you excitedly say yes, with a servant’s heart, and immediately thank God for this little task He has sent to you? Or, do you make some excuse not to be available and just go on your merry old way missing the very opportunity God has given you, to bless your day, and bless the day of the person in need and most importantly; miss the opportunity to glorify God?

You have just missed your opportunity for True Worship unto the Lord.

 

Now suppose, someone needs you to sit with an elderly person because they cannot be left alone. You say yes, I’ll be right there. After some instruction on their care you are left alone with this person whom you barely know. The first thing you notice is, (let’s say she), she is not responding to your first attempt at conversation. You soon realize she lives in her own little world. She has a doll, which she tells you is her baby, and her name is Alice. She sings to Alice as she tenderly holds her close to her. Then you hear her quote scripture over Alice and you realize that this lady, up in her years, has not forgotten her first love because she tells Alice, her about Jesus. She sings Jesus Loves Me and tells Alice, Jesus loves her so very much. She promises Alice when she goes to meet Jesus in the sky, Jesus will take care of her. My dear little Alice, you must never be afraid because Jesus will be with you always, she gently tells her.  All through your life trust in Him as I have, she says. Oh the love in the room is electric.

 

Now, suddenly you realize that to enter her world you must find a connection. You see her Bible – which sits on the table next to her – you pick it up and you start to read the underlined verses you see. All of a sudden, the lady and baby Alice are very attentive to you. The lady often smiles as she hears you and she repeats scripture with you. Then she starts to sing, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. This lady has a golden voice and the room fills with the presence of God. You are overwhelmed at the love and peace you feel just now. You close your eyes and listen as she sings with the voice of an angel.  A mother’s voice is beautiful at any age you think to yourself. Then the front door opens, and the family have returned home and you are relieved of your service. You exchange the pleasantries of the afternoon and head on your way. You silently wish it did not have to end so soon.

Now in your car, you feel excited, loved, blessed, honoured and so much more – how can this be? You never even knew this lady until you met her this afternoon. However, God gave you that very assignment or task to slow you down, to give you rest, to allow you to sit in His presence with an old Saint who ministered to you, even in her demented state. Proverbs chapter 22 verse 6 in the Good News Bible says;

(6) Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life.

 

Someone in this lady’s life taught her about Jesus, raised her up in the faith and even as her mind cannot wrap itself around the present time; her mind never strays from being in the presence of the Lord.

She enjoyed your visit as you read scripture to her and listened to her sing. She was happy you came and spent time with her and Alice. You served and were served at the same time. It is truly amazing how God works in our lives. You experienced True Worship today.

 

The next day, the people from the house called you and said, “Mom thanked us for having the Minister drop by, we had a lovely time together with the Lord”, she told us.  “Of course you realize she has dementia, but lives happily in her memories of church and visits from the Minister. We did not correct her as she was truly delighted with your time together. We want to thank you for sitting with our Mom yesterday, and making her so happy”. You offered to go again any time they might need you.

 

How little did you know perhaps that you would or were ministering, but you were. You offered yourself as a living sacrifice and dedicated your service to the Lord, you pleased Him as you served and in that you gave True Worship unto Him. And God served you through your visit with this lady.

 

What a glorious day in Jesus you had. You were blessed by this lady and little Alice and you blessed them as you brought joy and love to them by your very presence.

Isn’t it wonderful to serve the Lord? To be a living sacrifice serving the very one who gives you new mercies every day. Praise be to the name of the Lord.

 

When we have the heart of a servant we will always be blessed! It is then we will be a living sacrifice to God, giving True Worship unto Him.

Enjoy your day in service for Him and with Him, for you are never alone when serving God.

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

Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - KEYS

 KEY(S)

A key, by and of itself, is a useless object.  We all have keys for which we no longer have a use and they just hang on hooks collecting dust. But if there is a lock for that key, an opening for it to fit into, then it’s an entirely different matter.

I am sure there have times when we have the lock but no key; times when we have locked ourselves out of the car or house, or being somewhere and wishing to leave but someone else has the key to the escape vehicle. The point is if you want to get somewhere or get into some place that’s locked, you need a key or to be with someone who can undo the lock.

Most people want or expect to get into heaven even though the Bible states that “…narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matthew 7:14).  If that is the case, how do people really get to the destination they long for? 

It must be evident that you would need the key or know the one who has it.  Also, not to follow one who may have given it away.  Luke 11:52 states: “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

So who has the proper key?  The one referred to in Isaiah 22:22, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.”  Revelation refers to Him the same - “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David. He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens…” (Revelation 3:7).  An angel was given the key to the bottomless pit.  “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand,” (Revelation 20:1).

So who do we follow? The intellectuals who haven taken away the key of knowledge, the angel who has the key to the bottomless pit or He who has the key of David?  Perhaps the one who has all the keys.  “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,” (Revelation 1:18) and He, graciously, is willing to “…give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 16:19).

You want to get to heaven? Then you should be with the one who has the keys and is willing to give them to you. Then can you be sure about your entrance into the Kingdom and that’s something you can be certain of.  It’s also something you should think about.

Pastor Caroline - Sunday June 6, 2021 - We Are Forgiven

Pastor Caroline - Wednesday June 2, 2021 - What Day Is This?

 

What Day Is This?

 

What day is this? Don’t you hear people asking this all the time lately? Because people are out of their regular routine the days of the week all seem the same. So the calendar today tells us that it is Wednesday, June 2nd, and that is true. I love when someone says to me, “What day is this?”, and I can say with confidence; “This is the day the Lord has made!!”

It is always a good way to introduce the Lord if they do not know Him, or to immediately go to prayer with a fellow Christian. So therefore it is a good day; this day that the Lord has made.

 

Now let’s look at the word of God as I go to Psalm 118 verse 24 in my Good News Bible and it reads as follows;

(24) This is the day of the Lord‘s victory; let us be happy, let us celebrate.

 

Just reading that very verse starts our day off on a good foot, for any day that we have victory we tend to be happy and it may cause us to want to celebrate.

Knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour certainly is reason to celebrate. And when we spend time in His word it causes our hearts to be happy and we understand the victory we have in Jesus.

 

As I cast my eyes over the complete Psalm of 118 I read words such as;

Thanks -      verse 1

Trust -          verse 8

Power  -       verse 10

Saved me -  verse 14

Proclaim -     verse 17

Righteous -   verse 20

Victory -         verse 21

Success  -     verse 25

Bless  -           verse 26

Greatness  -   verse 28

 

Now perhaps when you read this Psalm there will be other words that will stand out to you and you can use those to build a prayer. Wow, when I read the words that I’ve listed above I immediately wanted to put them to prayer. When we do this type of exercise with the word of the Lord, taking words that stand out to us, and applying them to our lives, we could and should have a good day, every day.

So please let me share my prayer with you using the above words, (which I will put in quotation marks) and then perhaps you could write your own prayer using these words, or others from the Psalm to make your day shine as you sit in His presence for awhile.

 

Father, I give “thanks” to you for my life. I “trust” you know all that should take place for me in this day. Your “power” strengthens me and equips me to face and conquer each challenge. You “saved me” Lord, for a day such as this, and so I ask that you direct my steps and allow me to bring glory to you. I shall “proclaim” your goodness, love and mercy to those I meet today. Today, I stand “righteous” before you because of the gift Your Son brought to the world on the day of His crucifixion, and I have accepted His payment for the debt I owed. “Victory” is mine today because of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to you Lord, to where He intercedes on my behalf. As I commit this day to you Lord I know whatever I do, Your plans will succeed; as I read in (1 Kings chapter 2 verse 3), and therefore “success” shall be mine in this day.

I will “bless” you Lord in all I do, I will bless your mighty name for You have greatly blessed me in too many ways to recount. Your “greatness” will empower my day and only in your greatness can I be bold, confident, determined, and ready to do a good work that you have already prepared for me for this day. I am thankful God that you have my day - and all I need to do is to wait on You, hear Your voice and with Your help and guidance, accomplish all that You have planned.

What day is this? This is a good day in the Lord, a day in which I will be grateful and choose to be kind and loving to my fellow man.

And I will,

(29) Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good, and His love is eternal. (Verse 29 in Psalm 118)

What day is this?

This is a good day in You Lord!

Praise Your Mighty Name.

Amen.

 

I pray you will take time to do an exercise such as this and enjoy being in the word of God. It truly is beautiful reading His love letter written especially to us to bring every one of us into a good day with Him.

 

Enjoy this day as it is a gift and remember, it is the day the Lord has made.

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