What’s it all about?

In the first sermon recorded by Luke, Jesus gives us His mission manifesto.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord"

A sermon on this text can be found here.

Central to this proclomation is the idea that Christ’s coming was the dawning of the time of the Lords favor. The poor would have some good news. The struggling ones would find release. The ones who couldn’t see would receive vision. The ones who felt like they were being walked all over would walk free.

We can apply this text to our own lives. Where do we feel in poverty? What are we seeking to be released from? In what areas do we feel life is trampling all over us? Where in in our life are we seeking direction?

To believe that Jesus Christ is a Saviour means allowing Him to save us! To preyerfully seek His perspective on the struggles of our lives. To seek to apply the scripturs teaching to our daily dilemmas.

The promise remains the same. The Holy Spirit is still the Counsellor, Comforter and Guide. Christ’s living love has not lost any of it’s power to renew and refresh our lives.

Prayer: “Lord help me today to apply Your love to the situations I am struggling through. Remind me when I give up on myself that You never give up on me. May this day be a day of the Lords favor! Amen.”

Annual Sports Fest

Sunday, January 31st, 2:30-6:30 p.m. the Church is having its Annual SportsFest . . . Fun and Games Afternoon. There will be bowling for all who are interested (cost for bowling is $8.00 for 2 games and shoe rental) at the Baldwin Bowling Alley on Grand Avenue.

If you don’t bowl, there will be bridge, scrabble and other board games for adults at the Church. All activities followed by a Pizza Supper in Beyer Hall. All are welcome to this fun-filled event!

DID YOU SEE THAT?

John 2:1-11 records for us the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. As you read through the account you become aware that a lot of the people present at the wedding feast missed out on the fact that any miracle had taken place. All they knew was that for some reason the host had saved the best till last. We can so easily miss out on what God is doing around our lives. Miracles can happen and we miss them.

A sermon on that theme can be found here.

Sometimes we sing a hymn or hear a piece of music and we may think ‘Well that’s nice". But so often there is a story behind a song that can take our appreciation to a new level.

Consider a hymn such as Frances Ridley Havergal’s ‘Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee’. Frances was the daughter of a rector in Worcester, England… who was in his day one of the finest church musicians around. She, like her father, was exceptionally gifted but prone to periods of doubt and depression. Though constantly in a religious atmosphere she struggled for many years to accept herself as a child of God. It took a real act of surrender for her to allow Christ to take His rightful place in her life. Having struggled personally to break through into a living faith she was anxious to share her journey with others.

The hymn ‘Take my Life" came out of an experience she had staying with a family where religion was on the back boiler. Aware of her hosts low spiritual expectations when she arrived she prayed "Lord, give me all in this house". Over a period of five days she led every member of the household into a deeper faith with the exception of two daughters.

Retiring to her bed on the last night she was awoken by the governess who told her the daughters were in great distress. She counseled them and led them to faith in Christ. When she returned to her room she was too excited to sleep. She records in her diary ‘I passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own conscecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another …"

She speaks elsewhere in her diaries of how writing for her was praying. Rather like she had, as a child, asked her Father when composing a poem "What do you think I should say next?", so her hymns came out of her relationship with God who gave her, in her own words; ‘not merely thoughts and power, but also every word, even the very rhymes. Very often I have a most distinct and happy consciousness of direct answers."

It’s easy to sing a hymn with the mindset of those who saw no miracle at the wedding feast when Jesus turned water into wine. It is only human to think… well that’s a nice tune or pleasant little rhyme… without realizing that behind the words are often some wonderful stories of the grace and love of God.

As we go through our lives it easy to take so much for granted and miss out on daily miracles taking place all around us. It is the work of God to take the common place and make it into a special place of blessing and wonder. Keep the eyes of your heart open because you don’t want to miss a thing!

Prayer: "Lord forgive me for my low expectations. Help me to be awake to the daily miracles all around my life. Amen"

BE PRAYERFUL

There’s a little detail in the account of the baptism of Jesus that is easily missed. The Holy Spirit did not alight upon Jesus the moment He was baptized, but the heavens opened as He was praying. Luke 3:21 reads; "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven opened".

A sermon reflecting on the timing of the praying and the coming of the Holy Spirit may be found here.

In religious life there things we need to do together and things we can only experience for our selves… on a one-to-one with God basis.

Baptism is one of the together things. So are Communion and Corporate Worship. There are many mission adventures that we cannot embark upon alone. From the start ‘Church’ has been all about community.

But there is also a very personal side. On a personal level we need to develop a living faith in Jesus Christ that is energized through prayer. Time and time again Jesus withdraws to lonely places to recharge His spiritual batteries one on one with God. If such a practice was necessary for Him, how much more so for us!

A wonderful New Year resolution to make is "BE PRAYERFUL". It is as we pray the Holy Spirit transforms our life journeys. It was when Jesus prayed that the Spirit came and empowered Him for the journey ahead. To repeat some words from our sermon…

"If you want to be a real treasure to your church, to your family, to those you love, to your community, and you value your own personal growth and your own well being, then let 2010 be a prayerful year.

This is a win-win resolution to make. You are not being asked to give anything up. You are being invited to deepen your relationship with God. You are being invited to deeper fellowship with God and a deeper experience of God’s love."

Prayer: Lord, help me to make 2010 a year of prayerful journeying. Amen.

A NEW YEAR PERSPECTIVE

Paul writes from the confines of a prison to his friends in the Phillipian Church : "I forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead" (Phillipians 3:13). As we begin a New Year his perspective of leaving the past behind and pushing forward to the future is a great attitude to embrace.

A sermon on that very thought can be found here.

What sort of things might Paul have been leaving behind him?

Resentments: Being in prison does not appear to be the best strategy for launching a world wide mission. Paul could have complained about his lot, even given up on the idea that Christianity had anything worthwhile to offer the world. Yet instead of cradling his hurts, he allows God’s Spirit to put it all behind him.

Worries: There was a lot Paul had to worry about. But that’s not the choice he makes. Instead he simply trusts in God. He has faith and trust in God over and above his worries. He believes God’s love is strong enough to hold his life in His care.

Failures: Paul had been a one-time enemy of Christ. He had stood by and held the coats when Stephen was stoned to death. He had caused a lot of pain and created a lot of enmity towards the church. But that was then and this was now. Yes… he had failed. But now he lived in the freedom of the forgiving grace of Jesus Christ.

What things keep Paul moving forward?

He realizes he is only human. He speaks of doing his best. He doesn’t sit back and wallow in self-pity. He does not regard grace as a cheap commodity without implications. He actively pursues a higher goal.

He finds his strength in Jesus Christ. Elsewhere Paul complains that in his human nature he lacks the power to move on. He rejoices that God’s Holy Spirit grants him a power to travel beyond his own limited resources and achieve things that otherwise would not be possible.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter into a New Year help us to put all our resentments, worries and failures behind us. Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to move forward in faith and in the knowledge that You will walk with us throughout the coming days. Amen.