The Gift of God: The Holy Spirit

Who and Why is the Holy Spirit?

Covid-19, enemy or gift?   

This seems like a no-brainer. 
Of course it is an enemy that is causing the whole world to go to war against it.  

It has caused a major disruption of our "normal" lives; caused loss of income; cost billions of dollars; caused death; and made us fear for our future.  Enemy?  Absolutely.  And so we must battle on.
Isolation and social distancing are two of the tools being used to fight.  We do our part as front-line workers become our heroes as they fight for us and keep us safe. 
But a gift?  Seems like the thought of a virus on the rampage is not much of a gift.  Especially not a gift to those who have lost a loved one or unable to be with those loved ones who are in hospital or in nursing/retirement homes. Many are facing financial hardship. Others are working from home while trying to be a parent to their children without break. And for us grand parents, we struggle with not being able to hug our grandchildren.  Still others are alone or in difficult relationships. 

Ok, enough already with the bad news.  My intention isn't to make you feel lower than a snake's belly but to offer you some GOOD NEWS!  It's PENTECOST!!!  Why don't I hear shouts of Hallelujah???

Well ok, Covid-19 is not a gift but perhaps it is responsible for us to stop our rat race life-style and consider what things are really important to us; or God wants us to take time to contemplate our faith or lack of faith in God. Has God historically used tough times to get our attention. Yes.
I happen to think that God is using this time to turn our hearts toward Him; that we might know his heart and just how much he loves us and wants us with him forever. 
Pentecost is timely.  It proves to me once again how God has provided by His amazing grace, to reach out to humanity... once with the gift of His Son, and this time by the gift of His Spirit. 
So, I think it's important to find out a few answers about this Gift and why "he" is so important to be in our lives, especially when we are facing such unprecedented times.

Please look at the who and why questions about the Gift of the Holy Spirit and just maybe as you learn from the scriptures and reflect, we might hear the sound of "hallelujah" from the angels of heaven and the believers on earth.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Past, Present and Future... GOD

Pentecost will be celebrated this coming Sunday, May 31. It is based on the out-pouring of God's Spirit into the lives of each of Jesus' disciples.  God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit make up the existence of God.  Each are revealed within the scriptures so that we might know God, His person, His work and His will.  Each person of the Trinity is to be received by faith.

God's Seal That We Forever Belong To Him

The Spirit is God's seal that you are forever His, signed, sealed and ready to be delivered.
(Ephesians 1:13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit."

Why the Holy Spirit?

Teaches and reminds

(John 14:26)  “But the Advocate, (God's spokesperson) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Testifies The Truth About Jesus 

(John 15:26)   “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (Jesus)

Giver of Good Gifts

Believers receive wonderful gifts through the Spirit 

(Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” The Spirit distributes gifts “just as he determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11).

Life Giver

(Romans 8:11)  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Application 

Our Ever-present Helper

(2 Timothy 1:14)   Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Our Prayer

A wise prayer for Christians desiring spiritual stability is, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143:10).

Our Walk

Paul encouraged believers to “walk in the Spirit”—keeping in step with Him and applying Scripture in daily living (Galatians 5:25; Romans 8:14). The Spirit who is good and holy desires to lead us in God’s good and holy paths.

My Blessing for you

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)  

Announcement

Please join Diane and I in this coming Sunday's video as we celebrate Pentecost with virtual communion from our home to yours.  Please prepare your own elements and we will lead you in this special time of worship with special music, prayer and scripture.  Although physically apart, remember that believers in Christ are united spiritually. The Spirit who lives in me also lives in you. HALLELUJAH!!!

Fan Into Flame the Gift of God (Part 3)

 (Part 3)

Believing Is Seeing

Introduction

Good morning friends, or whenever you are reading this message, good afternoon, good evening or good night! 

Today’s  message is for Sunday, May 24^th.   
I am continuing on the theme “Fan Into Flame the gift of God”. 

Text:

Today’s scripture verse is from John’s gospel, chapter 20, verses 29 - 31

Background:

This chapter 20 tells of the resurrection of Jesus and his many appearances to his followers.  The disciples were hiding out in a locked room, fearful of the authorities.  Jesus suddenly appeared to all the disciples except Judas and Thomas.

At another time Thomas was there and the disciples were excitedly telling him that Jesus had appeared to them, that He was alive.  Thomas though said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  At that moment Jesus appears and tells Thomas to touch him and see that He is truly real.  As Thomas reaches out and touches the Lord, every doubt and fear is immediately erased, and can’t you just hear him, with renewed excitement, proclaim, “My Lord and my God!” 

For a crossword go to-   https://sermons4kids.com/seeing_is_believing_crossword.htm

Listen to Jesus’ reply.

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John recorded all these stories for us that we would be blessed, not by seeing but by believing.  He ends this chapter with these words of encouragement that by believing we may have life in the name of Jesus.   Here’s what he tells us.

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

My Thoughts:

1.       I’m reminded of a quote from Santa Claus 2 (you never know where you might find great quotes) where little elf Judy says, “Seeing isn’t believing.  Believing is seeing!”

2.       Many people are like Thomas who needed physical proof before they believe. (are you like Thomas?)  
       So what is faith?  According to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”       Believing is seeing!

3.       So how can we have that same excited reaction that Thomas had by meeting the Resurrected Lord Jesus? Accept his promise by faith and you will see it’s true, as he tells us that we will be blessed by believing even though we can’t physically see Him or touch Him.  And like Thomas, we will have life, now and forever, in His name.          Believing is seeing!

4.       Fan into flame the gift of God, not by looking for more proof, but by believing in the scriptures so that you can see God more clearly.   Our theme for this year comes to mind, “Seeing God with 2020 vision”.  

5.       Remember in 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame the Gift of God. 
       Next week we celebrate Pentecost, when the Gift, was given to the apostles.  The Holy Spirit is that gift, as he lives in the believer.  This Gift lives within us is how we know, that we know, that we know.         Believing is seeing! 

6.       Please join me next week (Pentecost Sunday) for a virtual communion service (by video) where once again we will ask God to bless the elements of communion that you prepare in your homes and as we share what the Lord has instructed us to do until He comes again.   God bless you today and forever.  Amen!

Fan Into Flame The Gift of God (part 2)

The Promise

Today's Reading:

John 14:15-17 (The Message)

“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

Prayer in Song: (VU#371)

'With this beautiful hymn,  you can use it as a prayer.  Look over the words and let them lead you in opening your mind and heart to hear what the scripture for today is telling you.  If you know the tune, sing this prayerfully and take time to silently wait for God to speak His wonderful truths into your life.'

(Lord) Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Background:

Now go back and read today's scripture again. This is Jesus speaking to His followers. It is a promise given to them and to us who believe, that a gift from God is coming.  In these chapters of John's gospel, Jesus is telling his disciples that he will be leaving them (returning to heaven) and when there He will ask the Father to send another of the Trinity (the Holy Spirit) that will live in them.   This "friend" is also known as the Spirit of Truth.  This is the PROMISE, the GIFT OF GOD. 

My thoughts:

1.   This promise is the ever-present Spirit of God. (you will always have Someone with you.)

2.   This promise is the ever-present Revealer of God's Truth.  (the Spirit of Truth)

3.   This promise is the ever-present Reality of Jesus within us. (He will be within you)

Application:

Remember our year's theme? Seeing God with 2020 vision.  Coming up is Pentecost Sunday, when we are once again reminded about "the gift of God" that Paul spoke to Timothy about in 2 Timothy 1:6.    Paul told Him to fan into flame this gift that lives within him.  This gift is God's way to help us see God more clearly.

So what about us?  Do we need the Holy Spirit?  With so much information coming at us, can we find one source of absolute Truth?  The answer is a resounding YES.  The Spirit of Truth is a promise given by Jesus.  It came to life on the day of Pentecost for those disciples of Jesus.  Over a couple of thousand years the church has survived because  this promise has come true to live within faithful believers in Christ.  

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I have chosen to accept you as my Saviour and my Lord.  I confess that there are times when I am spiritually confused and admit that I have doubts.  Forgive me for not believing in all of your promises.  

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God, Thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit Divine.  

I accept your gift!  Help me to fan it into flame.  In Jesus' name, Amen!

FAN INTO FLAME THE GIFT OF GOD (part 1)

Text:  2 Timothy 1:5-6

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Background:

Paul understood what it was like to have his faith severely tested. His words to Timothy (above) was his reminder to Timothy in how to survive when life’s storms come crashing down upon him.

Our faith in God (Jesus) is being tested in a big way. 

Question:

As our world continues to face this horrid covid-19 virus, we can easily become discouraged.  Our faith is tested and hope sometimes seems to be fading.  We might be asking… where is God in all of this?  How can we survive the storm(s) we are facing?

                                        

Message in a sentence: 

Like Paul, like Timothy, and yes like me, and most likely you, discouragement can come knocking when facing hard times.  Out of his own experience, Paul offers encouraging advice for all of us to follow when our faith gets tested.

My thoughts about Paul's advise.

1.       Look for Christian examples.

Timothy looked up to Paul, who stood firm in His faith despite persecution, imprisonment, and beatings.  The church looked to Pastor Timothy to stay strong despite trials.  Who do you have as  examples of unwavering faith during these trying times?

2.       Look at what God has done for you.

Paul reminded Timothy how God used others, like mom and grandma, to have a sincere faith.

Who can you credit with pointing you to faith in Christ? or to helping you grow in your faith?

3.       Look at how God might be using this “storm” we are facing for His purposes.

Paul knew from experience that God used the storms of life to bring about his greatest desire, that being, for us to look to Jesus and accept His grace and love.

Are you praying only for God to fix our problem or do you pray that He might use this time for his purposes in your life and in the lives of others?  

4.       Look at how the enemy (Satan) is using this “storm” in order to attack not just unbelievers but believers as well.

Do you recognize his darts being thrown your way like…. discouragement, fear, anger,

 impatience, doubt or hopelessness?  Why do you think Satan attacks Christians?

5.       Look to Jesus, our Saviour and Champion, who himself healed the broken-hearted, calmed the angry sea, fed the multitude with a boys lunch, cast out legions of demons, accepted the outcasts, the downtrodden, the poor, the estranged, and GAVE THEM LIFE through his own suffering and death.  Above all remember HE IS ALIVE and lives in you. (The gift of God)

      This passage from John’s gospel is one I readily need to stand on. 

 It reminds me of the One who lives within me. 

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Stay tuned for the next couple of weeks as we discover more about 

"the gift of God".

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mothers Day dear sisters and brothers, from different mothers.  

I do hope this Sunday morning finds you well, physically, mentally and spiritually.  

Church sign says:  No services.
God is making house calls.
(God may not be in this house (church) but He promises to be in yours.)

During this recent pandemic, much news has been  to applaud the efforts of those on the front lines and essential workers.  We all say a huge thank you!

Today, we want to honour and give God thanks for another group who are working on the front lines and are essential workers within our homes and community. Some are working from home, some are struggling financially, some are grieving the loss of their own mothers, some are caring 24/7 for the needs of their families, and some are caring for neighbours and friends.  Today, we celebrate mother's day when we can say thank you to mothers and those who have been like moms to us.   

Mother’s Day Responsive Reading

I invite you to read this responsive prayer

All of us are either a son or a daughter.

Thank You God for my mother!

For those women who have joined God in Heaven and whom we miss dearly here on earth.

Thank You God for the mothers of the past.

For every woman who is working day and night to raise her children right now.

Thank You God for the mothers of today.

For all the women who are expecting, but aren't quite mothers yet!

Thank You God for the soon-to-be-mothers.

For the women who took in others' children through adoption and foster care.

Thank You God for the mothers with hearts so big.

For those women who have lost a child to death and must carry on.

Thank You God for the mothers who are so strong.

For all the women who have desperately wanted to have children of their own, but chose instead to mother everyone else.

Thank You God for the mothers in spirit.

For ALL women, who have been like mothers to us,

We thank you, Lord, for the women who have influenced our lives in so many ways.  We pray that we will honour them in everything we do.  Amen.

 2 Timothy 1: 5

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Background:

This single verse from the 2 Timothy passages we have been referring to lately, describe how God uses mothers and grandmothers to raise children in the Christian faith.  Paul, the writer, calls this faith, “sincere faith”.  The word sincere leads us to believe that Timothy’s mom and grandma knew Christ and loved him with all their heart and soul, mind and strength.  It is such a faith that is truly authentic and is openly displayed in their lives, so much so that Paul tells Timothy, that because of their teaching and role modeling the faith, it also lives in Him.  Paul says he is persuaded, meaning that He has seen Christ-like, authentic and sincere faith being passed down and now lives in the life and ministry of Timothy.

My thoughts:

Today is Mother’s Day.  As I hear these words of Paul, I think how blessed I have been to have had the influence of my mother and grandmother who showed me who Jesus was in their lives.  For them and many other women, like my sister, teachers, youth leader, church members, especially my wife and daughters, I say thank you God.  

Perhaps your are one of those moms we celebrate today, or maybe you have had very similar blessings from your birth mother, or maybe not and yet God in in His amazing grace and love for you has sent along other godly women who have been like a mom to you.  

Being so influenced, let us fan into flame a sincere faith, that we too can pass it down to others.  Thank You God for our moms and those who have been like mothers to us. Amen!

Thank You For Giving To The Lord

THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE LORD

Dear brothers and sisters, I am always amazed at your generosity as I see how faithfully you support our church along with local missions.  We will hopefully one day soon be able to return to worship together and continue the work of Christ as His people.  In the meantime, we can still be the church as we continue to pray and communicate with one another and reach out in various ways to our church family and to our neighbours.  As places are allowed to open up, we take notice that it comes with safety measures.  As our premier says, we will be returning to open things up but a time line is still unpredictable as we still need to be diligent in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. 

 I know gatherings of people, like church congregations, may be still a ways off but I think its ok to begin thinking about what our "new normal" will look like as we make preparations for re-opening our church.  

I am certain that we will need to make adjustments to keep people safe.  It may need to begin with  out-door worship services where we have lots of space to safely distance ourselves.  We may need to video tape services so people who are not comfortable or able to be with us can also enjoy worship.  Maybe we need to look at our sanctuary to see how we can limit physical distancing or to not use bulletins/hymn books/bibles.   Of course, we will only begin to look at all of this when we are given the green light to proceed by our health and government officials.

I'd like to give a big SHOUT OUT to a few people who have been continuing to do the necessary duties around the church.  So thank you Janice for all the work of communicating to our church family and friends; thank you Karen and Nick for maintaining our parking lot and driveway;  and thank you to Gord and Brenda for grass cutting and looking after our financial matters.  

I am so grateful for every one of you within our church family.....for giving to the Lord.  You never know how your Christian love and generosity is encouraging another life.  I am reminded of all those who have been instrumental in helping me in my life and faith.  As we approach Mother's day, I can think of so many wonderful women who have influenced me over my life with their strong faith and unconditional love.   As you think of moms and those women in your life who have been so important to you, I invite you to send me a photo via my email address of either your mother or another woman of influence that we can celebrate with you and give God thanks for them and so many others during this Sunday's Mother's day video.

As I close I think of a song that we have sang at special occasions over the years.  It sums up this message as I thank all of you for your faith and your service to the Lord.  The chorus is below but I wish I could have been able to attach the whole song as Janice has recorded it.... but maybe we can one again experience it live when we are all together again.  Until then... God bless you!

Thank you for giving to the Lord

  I am a life that was changed

  Thank you for giving to the Lord

  I am so glad you gave