HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-11-24, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2011. PAGE 23. By Mark Royall
Huron Chapel Evangelical
Missionary Church, Auburn
“If at first you don’t succeed …
then perhaps skydiving isn’t for
you.”
Knowing the future and being
prepared would be a real handy
ability to have.
If you were to volunteer for the
Peace Corps in South America, there
is a manual they give you to prepare
and tell you what to do for any
situation that may occur. For
example, if you are attacked by the
largest of snakes, the man-eating
anaconda, the Peace Corps has a set
of instructions entitled, “What to Do
if Attacked by an Anaconda.” Useful
information. These are the
instructions:
• If you’re attacked by an
anaconda, do not run; the snake is
faster than you are.
• Lie flat on the ground.
• Put your arms tight at your sides
and your legs tight against one
another.
• The snake will come and begin
to nudge and climb over your body.
• Do not panic.
• After the snake has examined
you, it will begin to swallow you
from the feet end. Always from the
feet end.
• The snake will now begin to suck
your legs into its body. You must lie
perfectly still. This will take a long
time.
• When the snake has reached your
knees, slowly and with as little
movement as possible, reach down,
take your knife, and very gently
slide it into the side of the snake's
mouth between the edge of its mouth
and your leg. Then suddenly rip
upwards severing the snake's head.
• Be sure your knife is sharp.
• Be sure you have your knife.
Can you imagine reading these
instructions, having already allowed
the snake to swallow you up to your
knees, and then you get to the last
three points and realize you don’t
have a knife? You realize that it
would have been a good idea if you
had read the full set of instructions
before initiating the survival tactic.
The instruction manual for life is
the bestselling book of all time. It
has a simple two-word title, The
Bible.
I am told that there are 10,385
prophecies in the Bible. I can’t tell
you if this is an exact number
because I have never sat down and
counted them all. However, what I
do know from studying the Bible is
this…every prophecy within its
pages has come true. Everything that
God said would happen did happen
including where Jesus would be
born, how He would be betrayed and
how He would die and how He
would rise again from the grave.
Every prophecy God has given in
His Word has come to pass except
one and this is it: Jesus is coming
back.
We read in the Bible, “After He
(Jesus) said this, He was taken up
before their very eyes, and a cloud
hid Him from their sight. They were
looking intently up into the sky as
He was going, when suddenly two
men dressed in white stood beside
them. “Men of Galilee,” they said,
“why do you stand here looking into
the sky? This same Jesus, who has
been taken from you into heaven,
will come back in the same way you
have seen Him go into heaven.”
(Acts 1: 9-11)
When is Jesus coming back? We
don’t know. The Bible also says,
“Therefore keep watch, because you
do not know on what day your Lord
will come. But understand this: If
the owner of the house had known at
what time of night the thief was
coming, he would have kept watch
and would not have let his house be
broken into. So you also must be
ready, because the Son of Man will
come at an hour when you do not
expect Him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)
The last and final book of the
Bible is called, “Revelation” and it
reveals some of the things that will
happen in these final days. Because
they haven’t happened yet there is
no shortage of insight and
speculation about how this book
should be interpreted for us today.
The best description I have heard
that explains this last and final book
of the Bible is this, “Jesus wins!”
This is how our story and history
ends. Knowing this, knowing the
end changes the way I live today. I
don’t want to arrive at the end and
find that I was unprepared.
I said the Bible was a manual but
really it is a story. It is a story of a
loving Heavenly Father who wants
to have a relationship with you. So
many look to God and think it is all
about religion but God looks to you
and says it is all about relationship.
He wants this so badly that the Bible
says He sent His one and only Son to
die in our place, taking the
punishment for our sins so that we
may be forgiven and be in a saving
relationship with Him. Oswald
Chambers writes, “Forgiveness is
the divine miracle of grace. The cost
to God was the Cross of Christ. To
forgive sin, while remaining a holy
God, this price had to be paid.”
Knowing how it all ends, having
read the instructions, I have accepted
this gift of grace from God. I can tell
you that I don’t deserve it. I can tell
you that I could never earn it by
being religious enough. That is why
it is called grace. It is a gift and I
have accepted it. I am prepared.
How about you?
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
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, November 27
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
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
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, November 27
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women At The Well
Evangelical Missionary Church
“Our Hope,
and How It
Helps”
November 27: Rom. 5:1-5
1st in Advent - POTLUCK
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Dedication
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
NOVEMBER 27
Christmas IS Coming, Did You Wash Your Hands?
DECEMBER 4
Christmas Stories Series, A Christmas Carol.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, November 27
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
Rev. Mark Royall, Sr. Pastor
9:25 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m.
Friday, December 9th
at 6:30 pm
Special Musical Guests:
The Kingsway Quartet
Tickets are $15.00
Call the church office
if you would like tickets!
Huron Chapel
Christmas Banquet
From the Minister’s StudyPrepare by reading God’s instructions
See histories and historic
photographs on the
Huron History section
of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca
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