The Citizen, 2017-08-17, Page 6Evangelical Missionary Church
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017.
From the Minister's Study
God can turn bad things good: van Leeuwen
By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
Did you know that when people
truly commit their lives to Jesus,
mosquitoes don't bite them
anymore? Do you believe that's
true? I hope not, because mosquitoes
still bite me, and I trust in Jesus. So,
unfortunately, mosquitoes still see
me as a good breakfast restaurant
even though I am a child of God.
It would be nice, wouldn't it, if
when we began to believe in Jesus
that only good things would happen
to us. It would be nice if people who
loved Jesus would always have
enough money, never get sick,
always have lots of friends, never
fight with anyone, never get
involved in a war, never have to
worry about getting bad grades, and
all the rest. It would be nice, but, of
course, we know that isn't true. Even
people who love Jesus still have
problems in their families, still get
cancer, still can be terribly lonely,
and still feel left out. And we still get
bitten by mosquitoes.
Why is that? Because this world
hasn't been made perfect yet. Even
though we follow Jesus and even
though we know that God loves us
and even though we can call
ourselves God's children, we still
aren't perfect. And people around us
aren't perfect either. Even those who
have given their lives to Jesus hurt
other people from time to time.
Sometimes I say things that hurt
other people, even though I don't
want to. And I am sure that you do
as well.
You see, we have to understand
that this world is still broken
because of sin. Jesus may have
renewed our lives, and our
relationship with God might be
restored so that we know he loves us,
but the world itself still experiences
brokenness. And that is the
problem. We still will have
struggles even though we follow
Jesus.
There are some people who follow
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($) Lit* 11Votter
CfiritaiU Irellawfu'1
August -
VISITATION SUNDAYS
"I was glad when I heard
them say, 'Let us go to
God's house today!"
- Ps. 122:1
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.org,
Jesus who have really big struggles
because they trust him. In places
like China or Ethiopia or Saudi
Arabia being a Christian can come
with all sorts of extra problems.
Today there are people in prison just
because they love Jesus. That's the
only reason they have been arrested.
In recent weeks, in Egypt, people
were killed by ISIS followers simply
because they wouldn't say that they
didn't trust Jesus. Some of the
people in the Bible, Paul and John
and Peter, people who loved Jesus
very much, suffered as a result.
That doesn't seem fair, does it? It
would be nice if we, as God's
children, would never have to suffer
again. But that's not the way God
designed it. Yes, one day, when we
die, we will get to go to heaven.
Then things will be perfect. But for
now they are not.
But there is a Bible passage which
gives us hope. In Romans 8:28 we
read that "In all things God works
for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to
Getting crafty
On Saturday, Aug. 12, 10 children participated in a Brussels
Fall Fair craft day at the Brussels Library. All of the crafts
made that day will be displayed at the fair this fall, which will
be held at the International Plowing Match in Walton. The
next one will be held on Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. From
left: Junior Ambassador Benjamin Speer, Wes MacDonald,
Little Ambassador James Speer and Brea MacDonald.
(Photo submitted)
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
Trinity
(J%, 9:15 am
Church Office
519-357-4883
BRUSSELS
St. John's
11:15 am
Church Office
519-887-6862
Everyone Welcome!
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
BRUSSELS
United Church
Welcome to Sunday morning worship
at 11:00 am
Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386
Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com
Everyone welcome
his purpose. I would like to think
about that for a moment. That
simply means this: that God can take
bad things and make good things
come out of them.
We don't always understand how
God does that. Sometimes
something so sad or bad happens
that we wonder how God can ever
make anything good come from it.
But remember this, God is great, and
we don't always understand how he
works. We simply need to trust that
he can make good come from the
bad.
God can turn bad things into good,
and helps us through the bad things.
The best picture of that occurred
when Jesus died for our sins. That
happened on what we call Good
Friday. I was teaching at our local
Vacation Bible School a few weeks
ago, and one of the kids asked me,
"If Jesus died on Good Friday, why
do we call it good?" That's a good
question. We normally don't call the
day on which someone we love dies
good, but we call that Friday when
we remember Jesus' death good.
Why is it good? Because on that
Friday so many years ago, Jesus
didn't only die on the cross, but God
his Father made it so that his death
on the cross paid for our sins. It
wasn't so good for Jesus, but it was
really good for us. And beyond that,
God helped Jesus. Jesus didn't stay
in the grave, but he rose again. And
that was good for him, but it was
also good for us. One day, if we
believe in Jesus, though we die, we
will rise to live eternally. In fact, the
death of someone who loves Jesus
becomes a doorway into heaven.
And that is really good, even though
it is sad.
You see, God can take bad things
and make them good. He can take
our struggles and make something
good come from them. And he
always helps us when we struggle.
We simply need to depend on him.
We don't always understand how
Continued on page 7
BRUSSELS
4. United Church
Welcome to Sunday morning worship
at 11:00 am
Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386
Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com
Everyone welcome
You re -Y wiled l(! join /?L .71'1 IL ors'hip
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am P
Evening Service 7:30 pm
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BLYTH CHRISTIAN l 111 Le
REFORMED CHURCHAmor- NommIb.-
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
8� Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
For the month of August we will be worshipping at
Brussels United Church
at 11:00 a.m.
Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2
- a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and
made possible by the Brussels churches working together.
(�
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service
at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 20
Please join us
and see our
renovation process
- making us more
accessible to you
-. - �^
Hillary MacDonald
All are welcome OFFICE: 519-523-4224