HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-03-14, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019. PAGE 17.
By Pastor Andrew Versteeg
Brussels Community Bible
Chapel
This morning I was thinking about
Iran. I follow the news in the Middle
East a bit and today my thoughts
were on Iran, especially on the
Christians in Iran. I did a Google
search and a number of articles came
up about the growth of the
Evangelical Christian Church in
Iran. The church in Iran is growing
rapidly, despite the fact that the
Islamic Republic forbids converting
from Islam to Christianity and often
persecutes those who do.
One Christian organization, which
distributes Christian literature via
the internet, reports that on average
they receive about 700 enquiries per
day from people in Iran who are
interested in learning more about
Christianity. Open Doors estimates
that the church in Iran has grown to
approximately 800,000. These
numbers are hard to ascertain
accurately because the Christians
generally function in an
“underground” manner.
This month, we began a new
teaching series at our church based
on the book of Titus, found in the
Bible. The book of Titus is actually a
letter written to Titus by a man
named Paul. Paul was directed by
the Lord to write to Titus to instruct
him to organize the new churches on
the island of Crete.
When we first met Paul in the
Scriptures he was persecuting
Christians with a vengeance. He was
arresting them, imprisoning them
and even putting some to death. But
then God intervened in Paul’s life
and he did a complete turnabout.
Paul found out who Jesus really
was, namely the One who came from
heaven to earth to offer to us
forgiveness of sin from God, a new
God-focused life, and eternal life
with God forever in heaven. He
accomplished this for us through His
death on a Roman cross just outside
of Jerusalem. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “for
Christ also died for sins once for all,
the just for the unjust, so that He
might bring us to God, having been
put to death in the flesh, but made
alive in the Spirit.” Paul was given
faith and He trusted Jesus to be his
Saviour.
Everything changed for Paul. He
became a proclaimer of Jesus
wherever the Lord led him, and he
was also a great help for the church.
The Christians were amazed at what
God had done in Paul’s life. They
were saying, “he who once
persecuted us is now preaching the
faith which he once tried to
destroy… and they were glorifying
God” (Galatians 1:23-24).
Instead of being the one who was
doing the persecuting, Paul now
became the one who was being
persecuted.
Paul travelled throughout the
Roman Empire proclaiming the
message of Jesus Christ.
Everywhere he went people believed
in Jesus as their Saviour and
churches were born. Everywhere he
went he, and those who trusted in
Jesus, met with persecution and
often it was quite intense. But they
kept on going and did not give up
despite the hardships they faced.
How did they do this? How did
they persevere under such
conditions? How do Christians in
Iran persevere under the conditions
that they face? What is it that they
believe that enables them to press on
through the hardship of persecution?
In the book of Titus, Paul gives us
some answers. He begins by
identifying himself as a slave or
servant of God. He belonged to God
and God had promised to be with
him always. So he always had God
with Him.
He then says that God gave him a
job to proclaim Jesus, “for the faith
of those chosen of God.” This
simply means that God is building
His church throughout the world,
and as Paul proclaimed Jesus and
His death on the cross, God would
save people for Himself. This is a
truth that gives us, as those who
follow the Lord, certainty in our
work as well. Jesus said that He
“would build His church and nothing
could stop that.” God does this as we
proclaim Jesus and not even
persecution can stop what God is
doing.
The truth of history teaches us that
persecution often causes the
message of Christ to spread even
faster. You can blow out a fire with a
strong wind. But the wind of
persecution is not strong enough to
put out God’s fire. It only makes it
spread.
Paul also knew that proclaiming
the gospel would result in eternal
life for all who believed. In Titus 1:2
it says that even before the world
began, God had promised eternal
life for those who would receive
Jesus as their Savior. It is called here
as ‘the hope of eternal life.’ Not a
wish but a certainty of eternal life
based on the promise of God, “who
cannot lie”.
This is encouragement for us too
here in rural Ontario. God is saving
people and giving them eternal life.
Wherever he has us, He intends to
accomplish this work as we proclaim
Jesus Christ. Nothing can stop God’s
purposes of building His church.
Nothing can separate us from God’s
love. And we have a certain hope of
eternal life. Romans 8:18 says, “the
sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the
glory that is to be revealed to us”.
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.
huronchapel.com huronchapelkids.com huronchapelyouth.com
519-526-1131 ~ 119 John’s Ave., Auburn
Sunday March 17
9:30 a.m. Sunday School, 10:30 a.m. Worship
Youth and Family minister
Rob Campbell preaching
Tuesdays 6:30 - 9 p.m. “Way of Jesus” training
Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 p.m. HEIRBORN (JK-Gr. 6);
6:30-8:30 p.m. Jr. & Sr. YOUTH (Gr. 7-12)
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday ~ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Special Speaker:
Trish McGregor
Accessible
Sunday, March 17
Worship Service at 11:00 am
Blyth United Church
Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, MARCH 17
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
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.
Worship & Sunday School - 9:30 am (*New time)
Coffee & Snacks following the service
We invite you to join our church family in:
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, March 17
at 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.
650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School)
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.
Wednesday Night Kids’ Club 6:45 pm - 8:15 pm (ages 5-12)
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
BRUSSELS
United Church
Worship and Sunday School
Sunday, March 17
at 9:30 am
Worship leader, Trish McGregor
All are Welcome
The Regional Ministry of Hope
BLYTH BRUSSELS
Trinity St. John’s
9:15 am 11:15 am
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector
519-357-7781
email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca
TheRegionalMinistryof Hope
St. Paul’s Trinity
WINGHAM 11:15 am
These Anglican Churches
Welcome You
From the Minister’s Study
Nothing can stop God’s church: Versteeg
Drop by our office in
Blyth or Brussels and
check out our wonderful
selection of books. We
have books for all ages.
541 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-9114
413 Queen St., Blyth
519-523-4792