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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-01-28, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016. PAGE 13. From the Minister's Study Let Jesus serve as your trusted mediator By Pastor Andrew Versteeg Brussels Community Bible Chapel A mediator. Have you ever had need of a mediator to help you settle an issue with another party? It is a common practice in our society to call upon the help of a mediator when two parties are having difficulty settling a matter. We often hear of mediators that are called in to help settle labor disputes, or other legal matters. Lawyers often take the role of a mediator in court as they seek to defend or affirm the status of the party they represent. In the Bible Jesus is described as a mediator. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one Mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Jesus is a mediator for Festival accepting entries Entries are now being accepted for the annual Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story writing competition which offers $2,000 in cash prizes in the adult and student categories. The contest officially opened on Friday. First place in the adult competition will be awarded $1,500 with two runner-up prizes of $250 each. New to this year's competition is a $500 prize sponsored by the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto to be awarded to a Toronto-based writer. Prizes in the youth competition include $500 for first place and $250 each for two runners-up. The 12th annual short story competition for emerging writers provides an opportunity for Canadian writers to explore the short story, a literary art form made popular by 2013 Nobel laureate Alice Munro. Submissions for the competition are now open and are being accepted until April 1, 2016. Entry fee is $25 per entry for adults and $10 per entry for youth. Entries must be an original Canadian work of up to 2,500 words in the English language, fiction, written by an author not yet published in book format. Winners will be announced at the Jubilee Gala on June 4, 2016. The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story is an annual four-day festival that takes place in Wingham, June 2-5, 2016. The festival features workshops, readings, and on-stage presentations by internationally renowned Canadian authors. t t t t t t t t t t t t IfivinifiVotter CMatiauu Tel u ip Jan. 31: Gal. 3:22ff,4:3ff "Adopted, Belonging, Clothed, Directed" Potluck & Annual Congregational Meeting Evangelical Missionary Church Tues. 7:30 pm Small Group at R&S Howson's Wed. 10:00 am "Coffee Break" Women's Bible Study at CRC Sun, Apr. 10, 7:00 pm "Faith•In•Song" Christian Music Concert at CRC t 10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School n at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) I I t Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848, us, and in this case He is the mediator that we all need in order to settle matters with God. Why is it that we need Jesus as a mediator? The answer is that we can't go directly to God ourselves, we need someone to go to Him for us, and as the verse says, the only One who can do that is Jesus. A mediator is needed when two parties are estranged because an issue has come between them. That is true for us and God as well. The scriptures teach us that we are separated from God because of our sin and because of God's holiness. This does not mean that we can just live in our separate places and be happy that way. God is the Ruler of the universe, it belongs to Him, He made it and it is His dwelling place. He created us to live in harmony with Him. He created us to love Him and He created us so that He could love us and bless us. But we turned away from Him, and disobeyed Him and we have brought God's just punishment upon us for our sin. This could have been all there was to the story of history, but it is not. The story of history could have ended with us turning away from God, and God punishing us and sending us all to hell forever. God did not end the story of history that way, because God is also loving and merciful. So what did God do? He provided a mediator for us. He sent His Son Jesus to this earth to become a mediator between us and God the Father. This is where Jesus the mediator stands apart from all other mediators that we know. Jesus did not come to earth just to broker a settlement for us with us giving a bit and God giving a bit. He did not just enter a plea bargain for us to try to reduce our sentence or make the punishment lighter. No, Jesus came to earth to take our punishment and to bring reconciliation and harmony between God and man. He did that by becoming a human being and living on earth as a man. United Church WORSHIP SERVICE AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 am All Welcome Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div. Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224 b lyth u n ited @tcc. o n. ca 6. Church bookings: 519-887-6377 Other concerns: 226-963-1175 ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS AIL 0BLYTH BRUSSELS Trinity St. John's 4(5. 9:15am 11:15 am Church Office Church Office v AI i 519-357-4883519-887-6862 Everyone Welcome! www.na bcom.ca/church COME WORSHIP WITH US! MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 11 1 - i�i ,_ We invite you to join our church family in: Worship & Sunday School - 10 am Coffee & Snacks - 11 am 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 519-887-9017 Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m. Sunday, January 31 "Healing Hands" Guest speaker: Gail Fricker Sunday, February 7 "Ground Control to Major Tom" All Welcome MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. 6, OFFICE: 519-523-4224 In His life, He was sinless, and unlike us, He always obeyed the Father. He was completely righteous and this qualified Him to be our mediator. Then as our mediator He took the punishment of God's just wrath for our sin and died on the cross. There on the cross as our mediator He removed what separated us from God, namely our sin. Three days later Jesus rose again, indicating that the punishment for sin had been paid in full, and that there could now be peace between God and man. What must we do in all of this? We must trust Jesus to be our mediator. We must turn to Him and believe in Him and receive Him by faith to be our mediator. There is only one way to be reconciled to God and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 7:25 says, "He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus), since He always lives to make intercession for them." You're e9nvited a loin SUNDAYS Morning Service Evening Service s 9n Worship 10:00 am 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 eauaaeP4 eaoxoZf.orltv 'e&e You're Znvitec to come worsht p with us Sunday, January 31 Brussels Business & Cultural Centre at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service. For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 4 t HURON CHAPEL EVERY SUNDAY @ 10:30 in AUBURN huronchapel.com THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. FsP 17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph's Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N.