Notes from Sunday October 20, 2019

Sunday's service: (Thanks, Jean)

Steve Mc Evoy

Theme: The Glory of God

Exodus 25:8-9

8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

Exodus 40:33-38

38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

The tabernacle was God’s building and was built for God so that he may dwell there. The tabernacle was built for God and not for Moses. Thus Moses built the tabernacle exactly as the Lord had commanded. The tabernacle was a place for God’s glory to dwell.

John 1:14-18

17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Jesus Christ dwells among us. He tabernacles among us. When Moses could not go through the door, now with Jesus that glory is accessible. Jesus only does what his father tells him. Everywhere Jesus went, he was a living representative of the tabernacle where God dwell ed. When the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus garment, she connected with the glory of God (Luke 8:43-48). Wonderfully we can access God and he can change us from glory to glory. At the time of Pentecost, the glory of God spilled over from man into the streets.

John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

When we get close to Jesus, we get close to the Father. Access to God is through Jesus and Jesus is the only one who can bring peace and blessing in our lives. From the book of Exodus to Jesus, to the life of the believer, this picture is to show us, that it is not about us, it is about God’s presence and his glory and that makes all the difference. We have to get past ourselves and realize, there is something bigger than ourselves. God has a great supernatural plan for our lives, we have to be open to him and allow him to reveal his glory.

Sunday October 13, 2019

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

Dr. Barclay

Something to think about: Choosing Christ even when the road may be difficult.

Acts 7:54-60

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Saul watched while the religious zealots stoned Stephen. Saul was a religious fanatic who persecuted the believers of Jesus. After Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he now believed in Jesus as Lord and stopped persecuting other believers. Yet for him, choosing Jesus came at a great cost, being jailed and shipwrecked. Saul also known as Paul suffered a lot after he was converted and he now knew what Stephen felt like. If we were in Paul’s place today, would we willingly suffer or would we shy away from hardship. This thanksgiving we should all be thankful we are part of the family of God and have the privilege to serve Christ, regardless of setbacks, difficulties and ridicule. We need to look to these wonderful examples in the bible and choose to go God’s way even when it is not easy.

Roxann Spicer

Theme: Do not fear and look at things through eyes of faith.

Ephesians 3:20-21

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

God can do super abundantly more than we can think to ask for. God’s power is greater than, king’s, governments or armies. God does super abundantly wonderful things through us. God works wonders according to his power through our faith.

1 Samuel 17:45

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

David squares off with the giant Goliath with only 5 stones. David went out to fight Goliath in complete faith and confidence. David hit Goliath in the forehead and he fell dead instantly. David was victorious over the Philistines with only a sling and a stone, unlike Goliath having a sword, a spear and shield. Sometimes things do not seem like they will work with our natural eyes, but with our spiritual eyes they do. Goliath taunted David because of his youth and reddish complexion. Goliath wanted David to feel weak, but David stood firm and was victorious in God and showed the Philistines Jehovah is Lord. God wants us to live in abundance and have no fear.

Sunday September 15, 2019

Notes from Sunday's service (Thanks, Jean)

Dr. Barclay
Something to Think About: 

We are to think and love like Jesus, not judge like the pharisees.

There is more to the bible than we realize. For those who do not know the bible,  it is a mystery 66 books that seem like a jig saw puzzle. In the passage Mark 2:13-17, we read where Jesus dines with tax collectors and sinners and the Pharisees mockingly question him, Jesus sharply rebukes them, explaining he has come to those in the greatest need of him (Mark 2:17). The Pharisees were noted for keeping the commandments to the letter, but lacked love and compassion. The parable of the prodigal son in, Luke 15:11-32 has much we can learn from. The older son that stayed home with the father, had an attitude just like the Pharisees, he was proud and judgmental, lacking mercy and compassion. From what we know in the story, the older brother did not forgive his younger brother for wasting his father’s money and having lived in rebellion and a sinful lifestyle and he did not forgive his father for welcoming the wayward son home and showing love and hospitality to him. If we want our prayers answered we have to forgive (Matthew 6:15). God wants us to have compassion, mercy and forgiveness and not have an attitude like the pharisee’s. God calls us to have an attitude of humility and love.

Roxann Spicer
Theme: Forgiveness

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.

We have been commanded by Jesus to forgive one another, this is how we can live in right relationship with God and our fellow man. When we refuse to forgive someone, we are building a wall between ourselves and God. The walls of resentment have to come down and then God can work on our attitudes. Unforgiving and bitterness is not just harmful to our spiritual and mental health it is also harmful to physical body. Forgiveness is an act of our will to obey the scriptures. Our emotions and sense of self will not want us to for give. Forgiving each other is not easy and we may not always want to forgive, but we can forgive because of our love for God.

God is love and his nature is love.

Colossians

3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do

Sunday September 1, 2019

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

Dr. Barclay

Something To Think About: We have to have an attitude of love, welcoming everyone back to Christ, and rid ourselves of any attitudes of mockery and doubt.

Luke 15:11-31 Parable of the Lost Son

The younger son is the prodigal who goes off into the world looking for fun and excitement. The older son remains loyal and stays home with the father.

Due to the request of the younger son, the father divides his wealth between his two sons. Before he has died, he divided and gave away his wealth while still living.

After a time of sinful living, the younger son spent all the money the father gave him, he was destitute and hungry and finally gave up doing his own thing and went home and his father gladly received him with great celebration. Yet the older son who had remained faithful to the father was angry and questioned why his father would display such happiness and fanfare, when the prodigal son came home.

Luke 15:31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”

The younger son represents believers in Christ who have gone astray. The older son represents, the pharisees, people who been in church, yet very cynical and self centered. God wants us to welcome everyone back into church and not be indignant or want our own way.

Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Sunday August 25, 2019

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

Dr. Barclay

Something to Think About: 

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

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

Rev. Bill Annis

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

John 12:21

Genesis 1:26-27

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

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

Sunday August 18, 2019

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

Dr. Barclay

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

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

Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 55:9-11

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

Sunday August 11, 2019

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

Dr. Barclay

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

Mark 5:25-34 Blind Bartimaeus.

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

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

Roxann Spicer

Theme: Humility

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

Proverbs 18:12

1 Peter 5:6

James 4:10

Proverbs 3:33-34

Genesis 37,39-47

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

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