The Citizen, 2015-02-12, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015. PAGE 15.
By Pastor Mark Royall
Huron Chapel Evangelical
Missionary Church, Auburn
One of Jesus’ best known sayings
is not recorded in the Gospels. We
find it, quite unexpectedly, in the
book of Acts when the Apostle Paul
reminds the church in Ephesus,
“You should remember the words of
the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to
give than to receive” (Acts 20:25).
And just like that – in one sentence –
Jesus divided humanity into two
groups, the ‘givers’ and the ‘getters’
and He says the blessing is in the
giving.
It was in Paul’s letter to this same
church where we come across the
best marriage advice ever given. It is
based on the saying of Jesus about
giving and getting. In Ephesians
5:21 we read in the context of
marriage, “And further, submit to
one another out of reverence for
Christ.” We can have a problem with
the word, “submit” in our day. When
we see the word we immediately
think of us being forced to do
something we don’t want to do. But
look how we are being asked to
submit to one another; we are being
asked to submit in the same way
Jesus submits to us. So how does
Jesus submit to us? The Bible tells
us, “He gave up His divine
privileges; He took the humble
position of a slave and was born as a
human being. When He appeared in
human form, He humbled Himself in
obedience to God and died a
criminal’s death on a Cross.”
(Philippians 2:6-8)
Jesus humbled Himself and
submitted Himself on our behalf
because He wanted to. He did it
because He loves us so much. It was
His choice. He did so we could be
free. He did it, the Bible says, so
that you and I could know an
abundant and eternal life. In the
same way if one of my daughters
needed a kidney and my kidney
matched…I would submit to the
surgery. Why? I love them. I want
the best for them so I would gladly
submit. This is how Jesus reaches
out to us.
Now, how do I choose to respond
to such love as Jesus gives me? I
submit back to Jesus. Why? I want
to. It is my choice. I do it out of love
for Him. I gladly yield to His leading
and teaching in my life. In the same
way God tells us to submit to one
another in marriage.
Ephesians 5: 25 goes into a little
more detail about how we are to give
to one another. It says, “…husbands,
this means love your wives, just as
Christ loved the Church. He gave up
His life for her.” I like how the
Message Bible translates this,
“Husbands, go all out in your love
for your wives, exactly as Christ did
for the Church—a love marked by
giving, not getting.” Then for the
wives we read, “For wives, this
means submit to your husbands as to
the Lord… as the Church submits to
Christ, so you wives should submit
to your husbands in everything”
(Ephesians 5: 22,24).
Now when a husband is prepared
to submit to his wife by giving and
loving his wife the same way Jesus
gives and loves the Church, then a
wife who receives this measure of
selfless and sacrificial love should
have no problem submitting to her
husband by loving and giving to him
the same way the Church responds
to Jesus.
So here lies the beauty of
Ephesians 5; when both the husband
and wife are giving to one another,
when both are submitting to one
another out of love, they both are
receiving from one another. You can
Continued from page 14
AG-Ambitions Twitter feed,
Facebook and at www.AG-
Ambitions.ca The series offers
opportunity to explore the
agricultural industry, access tools,
contacts, resources to develop a
business plan, access mentorship
and connections to grants or a low
interest loan to develop, expand or
buy an existing Ag-business model.
The program supports four
different types of business lines:
Farming, Agriculture-value-added,
AG-manufacturing or Agriculture-
service. The full series includes
business and marketing plans,
management skills, branding,
leadership, teamwork and human
resources, accounting and financing,
communications, customer service
excellence, selling your sizzle and
grants and resources.
The AG-Ambitions Program
recognizes program support for
workshops and events from the
County of Huron, and the
Government of Ontario. They work
closely with our valued community
partners at The Huron Business
Development Corporation, The
Municipality of Perth South, Huron
County Federation of Agriculture
and the Regional Equine and
Agricultural Centre of Huron
(REACH).
Youth
program
to begin
in Walton
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.
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.
Just Happy
To Be Going To
Church…
10:30 Sundays @ Huron Chapel
huronchapel.com
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
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.
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Sunday, February 15 ~Really love your loved ones...
bring them to church
Sunday, February 22 ~Jesus Cares...
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, February 15
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 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
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
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Feb. 15: Jn. 3:1-21
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
“The Mystery of Rebirth – and Rejection”
FREE MOVIE: Fri., Feb. 20 ~ 7:30 p.m.
From the Minister’s Study
Give and receive in marriage and life: Royall
Continued on page 22