HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-03-19, Page 16By Pastor Ernest Dow, LivingWater Christian Fellowship(EMC), BlythWhat would be your reaction ifsomeone you’d never seen before
demonstrated that they knew
everything about you?
In the TV series Chuck, an ordinary
member of the ‘Nerd Herd’ at a big
box store is sent a specially encrypted
e-mail that uses visual images to
encode millions of CIA spy facts.
Whenever Chuck gets a good look at
an enemy agent, he often ‘flashes’
mentally and instantly knows all
about their evil past.
Of course, that’s just a TV show
based on imagination. But Jesus
Christ seemed to have a similar ability
when He was on earth. He said, “I am
the way, the truth, and the life.” (John
14: 6; references are from John’s
gospel unless otherwise indicated) He
claimed to reveal to His followers the
truth about God, saying those who
had seen Him had seen the Father; the
apostles later attested that, by His
words and work, Jesus had made God
known (1: 18; 14: 9).
But in addition to telling us the
truth about God, Jesus also shows us
the truth about ourselves. First, He
knows we are PERSONALLY
IMPERFECT.
He had the scoop on Judas,
knowing he’d betray his Master even
before he carried it out. When Simon
Peter boasts he’s ready to lay down
his life to defend Jesus, the Lord
replies, “Will you really...? I tell you
the truth, before the rooster crows,
you will disown me 3 times!” (13:
37f) Jesus knew all about the woman
at the well with her 5 husbands
(4:18,29). John writes (2: 24f), “But
Jesus would not entrust himself to
them, for he knew all men...he knew
what was in a man.” Even without the
help of a CIA super-spy computer!
More positively, the truth Jesus tells
us about ourselves is, though we’re
fallible and imperfect, we have
POTENTIAL IN PARTNERSHIP
with Him. In 14: 12-14 Jesus states
those believing in Jesus will do even
greater things than He did - because
when we ask, Jesus will do it, because
that brings glory to the Father. What a
promise - what potential! Greater
things than Jesus?
A possible example – instead of
feeding the 5,000 just on one
occasion, men of prayer like George
Mueller and Harvey Jesperson
(Alberta’s Bethany Homes for
Children) have fed hundreds of
orphans or homeless children for
years. They accomplished this fully
realizing they were depending on
God.Third, the truth about us is thatChristians are PUPILS OF THEPARACLETE. Jesus was going away,but He said the Holy Spirit was
coming – in fact, it was better for the
disciples that He go so the
Paraclete/Counselor could come (16:
7).
The Holy Spirit ministers Jesus’
presence to us - we’re not left as
‘orphans’, the Spirit gives us that
sense of God ‘making His home with
us’(14: 23). And it’s by the Spirit that
the Lord continues to lead us into His
truth. Jesus had more to tell the
disciples than they could bear just
then, so He provided an alternative -
“But when he, the Spirit of truth,
comes, he will guide you into all
truth.” (16: 13; 14: 26)
Fourth, the truth about us is that
those who trust in Jesus as Saviour
have a PERMANENT PLACE. And
thus, hope! Jesus said the night before
He was crucified for our sins, “In my
Father’s house are many rooms; if it
were not so, I would have told you. I
am going there to prepare a place for
you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come back and take
you to be with me that you also may
be where I am.” (14: 2f) Jesus didn’t
just die and ‘that’s that’.
He went to heaven, that alternative
dimension, that spiritual world that
may even overlap ours without us
even being aware of it. The Father’s
house, with many dwelling places.The best part, of course, is not pearlygates but that Jesus is coming back totake believers to be where He is. It’snot that we just die and ‘that’s that’.
So even death is no longer a gloomy
prospect, but as John describes it for
Jesus, ‘entering into glory’.
Fifth and last, the truth is, if we call
ourselves Christians, we have a
PRIORITY THAT’S A PROOF. That
last night, Jesus gave His disciples a
new command: 13: 34f, “Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. By this all men
will know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another.” And in case
they missed it, He repeats it a couple
of chapters later: “My command is
this: Love each other as I have loved
you. Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his
friends.” (15: 12f)
That’s the proof to the world we’re
‘for real’as followers of Jesus: are we
loving each other?
One woman who overcame a tragic
background and puts that ‘priority’ of
love into practice is Bianca
Rothschild. She’s known in her 182-
family condominium community as
The Sunshine Lady.
Bianca is in her 70s; her childhood
was spent in Poland. Days before her
16th birthday the Germans stormed
her town, and her family – totalling
43 people – was imprisoned. Bianca
watched her father and an uncle die.
She saw her mother and othermembers of her family taken away towar camps. Bianca was moved fromone concentration camp to the next. By 1945, all the other 42 people in
her family had been murdered.
One night, during an air raid,
Bianca begged to die. The fact that
she didn’t suggested to her that God
had a special plan for her. That
evening, during her prayers, she read
in her tiny prayer book this passage:
“We have a right to the joy of giving
so others may receive. We can give
material things, we can give moral
support, we can give a friendly ear,
and best of all, we can give love.”
At that moment, Bianca Rothschild
vowed to give of herself in any way
she could.
She remembered the
disappointment she felt at her 16th
birthday, when there were no cards,
no gifts, no cake, no party. So, when
she settled down in the condominium
complex, she began sending get-well
cards to anyone who was laid up. She
doesn’t sign her name; she signs the
cards simply The Sunshine Lady, but
everyone in the community knows
who she is. She’s the one who sends aray of sunshine to people who need itmost.That’s a good way to ‘flash’ onpeople – sharing love that points them
to Him who not only knows the truth
about them, but laid down His life so
His love could be experienced in our
lives!
PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2009.From the Minister’s Study‘Jesus knows we are personally imperfect’
308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 519-523-4590
B l y t h C o m m u n i ty Church of God
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
“The Church
is not a building,
it is people
touching people
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
- Christian Education for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Mid-week Bible Studies
**April Fools Dinner ~ Wed., Apr. 1 (see Coming Events column)
See you
Sunday!
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, March 22
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:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, March 22
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
No Youth Group Mar. 13 or 20
Evangelical Missionary Church
March 22: Zech. 8:9-23
“A Light in the
Darkness of
Southern Romania”
Missionary Speakers -
Kevin & Michelle Weppler
POTLUCK!
Tickets for Faith-In-Song
April 3 ~ Now Available!
Worship with us at
Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship
this Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
Guest speaker:
John Schwartzentruber
Pastor Brent Kipfer
519-887-6388
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, March 22
Ethel United Church
Worship Service - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9831
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 am - Sunday Belgrave Service
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224
Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, March 22
Morning Worship Service
and Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
PASTOR DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Services
Evening Services are cancelled
for the winter months.
MISSION FEST 2009
April 17th-19th
As part of our upcoming Mission Fest Weekend
we are hosting
“ARTICLE ONE”
in concert on Friday, April 17th at 8:00 p.m.
Advance tickets: $10 or $12 at the door
Call 519-526-1131 ext 4 for tickets
or they can be purchased at
The Gift Chest or Radiant Life
Christian Book Stores