HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-07-21, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016. PAGE 13.
From the Minister's Study
What Jesus' followers can learn from a harvest
By Pastor Andrew Versteeg
Brussels Community Bible
Chapel
Harvest time is always exciting on
the farm. Everything takes on a new
sense of urgency and importance,
and things get busy. Farmers have
put in a lot of work to nurture their
crops and now is the time to see
what their efforts have brought them.
Wheat harvest is now here and there
is the expectation of a good crop
again for our area. It seems like the
farmers will be happy with the yields
again this year.
In the Bible, John chapter four
gives us the account of Jesus and His
disciples visiting a Samaritan town
called Sychar. They had been
travelling from Jerusalem and were
heading towards Galilee and Jesus
decided that He wanted to travel
through the region of Samaria. This
was an odd thing for the Jewish
people in those days and Jesus was
Jewish. They considered the
Samaritan people to be "unclean"
and would therefore not associate
with them.
It was about noon and they came
to "Jacob's well" and Jesus decided
to stop for some rest. He sent His
disciples into Sychar to buy some
food. While Jesus was resting and
waiting for His disciples to return, a
Samaritan woman, who was
considered a "sinner", arrived at the
well to draw some water. Jesus
engaged her in a conversation. The
result of the conversation was that
this woman came to know Jesus as
the One who could forgive her and
give her a new life.
Just as the woman was leaving to
go back and tell her people about her
meeting with Jesus, the disciples
arrived. It says that they were
"amazed" to find out that Jesus had
been speaking with this Samaritan
woman. They arrived with food and
were attempting to give some of the
food to Jesus when He said
something that the disciples did not
understand. He said, "I have food to
eat that you do not know about"
The disciples were thinking about
literal food; bread or something, but
Jesus was talking about something
different. He said, "My food is to do
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eadi Sunda*
at 10:00 a.m.
during the summer months
Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship
250 Princess St., Brussels
Pastor Ken Gazley
519-887-6388
www.bmfchurch.com
Guests Expected
Jesus Is Lord!
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July 24: 2 Kings 5:1-14
"When God
Asks Too
Much"
23rd -30t Follow our youth
on mission at ServeNiagara.com
August - closed: Visitation Sundays
Evangelical Missionary Church
10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 519-523-4848
getlivingwater.org,
16.1
the will of Him who sent Me and to
accomplish His work." In other
words, Jesus was saying I live to do
My Father's will - this is what
sustains Me and this is what satisfies
Me and gives Me joy. This did not
mean that Jesus never ate food, He
did, but He wanted to teach His
disciples something about His life
and their times. He used harvest to
illustrate what He meant.
Jesus then said to His disciples,
"don't say that the harvest is still
four months off, take a look around
you, it is time for harvest now." The
disciples, along with most of the
Jewish people, thought that God was
going to change things drastically in
In unison
The Brussels Community Bible Chapel's annual Vacation
Bible School was held last week at the former Brussels
Public School. Students had the opportunity to sing songs,
stories and messages all week and enjoy some time with
children their own age. Shown dancing during a particularly
action -filled song, back to front, are Mitchell, Allie and Mya
Tersptra and Hanna Mueller. (Denny Scott photo)
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SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, JULY 24
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
Israel before He was going to start
building His kingdom. And so they
were looking to the future and
waiting for God to bring about the
right conditions for the harvest and
then they would get busy with
kingdom building.
But Jesus demonstrated, by
talking with the Samaritan woman
who was a "sinner" and then with
her whole town, that the time is now
to build the kingdom. He said that
the preparation work had been
completed. The tilling, the sowing,
the cultivating and weeding had
been completed and now is the time
for harvest. He was talking about the
writers of the Old Testament who
had written and made preparation
for the coming of God's kingdom.
They had said that Jesus was coming
and through Him people from all
nations, including Samaritans,
would enter God's kingdom. Jesus
said, now it is time for us to reap the
crop, and this is what I am living for,
and this is what the Father sent Me
to do, and this gives Me great joy.
I United Church
Please note:
There will be no church services
until August 7th at 10:00 am
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
BRUSSELS
How does this harvest take place?
It began with Jesus and continues to
this day with Jesus. It is at the cross
of Jesus where the reaping takes
place. It is at the cross where
forgiveness and entrance into God's
kingdom takes place. Our sin
separates us from God and brings
His judgment against us; but in
mercy and love Jesus came as a
substitute sacrifice to take God's
judgment on our behalf. His
resurrection proves that the payment
was made in full and that the door of
heaven is open wide for everyone
who will receive Jesus as God's gift
of salvation.
We, as followers of Jesus, are
given the task of reaping. All the
preparation work has been
completed, and our Master calls us
to go out now and tell others about
Jesus and join in the task of reaping.
Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful,
but the labourers are few, therefore
pray to the Lord of the harvest to
send out labourers into His harvest"
(Luke 10:2).
ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS
BLYTH
Trinity
��,. 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!
eftuaaeld eoorurc2tnitv Tile eitaftee
You're Invited
to come worsh p
with us
Sunday, July 24
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and at various homes at 6:30 p.m.
from July 3 to Sept. 4
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
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, July 24th
Weathering
the Storm
Guest Speaker:
Dan Leonard
All Welcome
MINISTER: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
OFFICE: 519-523-4224