HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2006-05-18, Page 11Lioing,TVater
Cfiriatian reIleatip
May 21: Gen. 22
"Total Commitment" '1, •
Lisles' Small Group '
Leading
Nlissionar ( much of Canada
10:30 a.m. - Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Mondays & Tuesdays 7:00 pm Small Group
Fridays 7:00 pm Youth Group
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-484!)
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MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Sunday, May 21
11:00 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Sunday BeIgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
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SUNDAY, MAY 21
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Pee,ade lag ca etienduA
Sunday, May 21
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, May 21
Join us for a pancake breakfast
at 9:00 a.m
Ail are welcome
Worship Service, Sunday School & Nursery
11:00 a.m.
Minister: Rev. Robin McGauley
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Office: 523-4224
Sanctuary
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BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, May 21
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
SING A SONGOF
.9)j.taLse Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Family Bible Hour
- Morning Worship Service
- Evening Worship Service
- Jr. & Sr. Youth Bible Study
- Olympians
Adult Bible Study
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday t
Welcome to
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Sunday, May 21
9:30 a.m. Worship Service
Celebration of Baptism
10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
Noon Potluck Fellowship Meal
_%111 Fri
110111
Pastor Brent Kipfer 887-6388
Community Church of
004
"The Church is not a 00, A N1)1,4v
Sunday 9:45 a.m. - Power Hour Circus
(Ring of Relationships)
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Mid-week Bible Studies
Phone 440-8379 308 Blyth Rd. E. - Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Building,
5 It is People Touching
People"
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2006. PAGE 11.
From the Minister's Study
Pastor shares views on life and death
By Pastor John Kuperus
Blyth Christian Reformed
Church
In your circle of friends, how often
do you talk about death and what
takes place after death? Generally
the topic of death is avoided. We
may buy life insurance to protect our
loved ones and may struggle to
determine how much is enough. We
may (and should) go to an attorney
to have a will written up to spell out
our desires after we die.
As a culture we are into the here
and now and tend to look at death as
too distant to worry about.
This is so different from ancient
cultures like the ancient Egyptian
pyramids where they spent a great
deal of time and resources to create a
burial place for themselves.
The fact of the matter is we are all
going to die. The Bible says that
after life there are two options,
heaven and hell. The world is
moving forward in a linear way.
History is going somewhere.
According to the Bible the world
began in a garden and will end in a
city, the New Jerusalem. This view
differs from what is presented in the
book and movie, The Lion King.
This death is depicted as being a
part of the circle of life; we are born,
live and die. •
Some religions see with this circle
of life we will return some day. This
is known as reincarnation.
The Bible does not teach
reincarnation; we are given one life
for which we are accountable.
In Genesis we read about the
death, the unnatural separation of
body and soul and from loved ones,
starting with Adam and Eve.
Humans were placed in the Garden
of Eden. In the garden, they had a
perfect relationship with God, each
other and nature. This all changed
when humans decided that God was
withholding something from them
and they could not trust God. They
needed to become like God knowing
good and evil, so they took the
forbidden fruit. This resulted in a
broken trust between God and
humans and humans were evicted
from the Garden of Eden. The
Garden was the place they were built
for.
Part of the punishment for
disobedience is that "you will surely
Now we live in a place where we
experience breakdown and decay
and eventual death. Ever wonder
why you are experiencing pain in
places where you never had pain
before? This is because your body
was not built for this place. This is
not your true home; we are like a fish
out of water. Our present home is not
designed for us and the result of this
is we die
Yet God did not give up on the
human race. In Genesis 5 we read
about Enoch, who walked with God
and was no more because God took
him. This is remarkable. Humans
betrayed God and God continues to
reach out to them.
When someone betrays us, as a
rule we withdraw from him or her.
When we are hurt once, we protect
ourselves by withdrawing from
those who wound us. Yet God gets
hurt and continues to reach out to
humans and is walking with them.
As history continues to go
forward, God continues to reach out
to humans by personal visitations
and by communicating through his
prophets, priests and kings.
Humans communicate to God
through sacrifices and offerings and
prayer. Their sacrifices and offerings
were only shadows of what was to
come. Ultimately their sacrifices
could not pay for their sins.
Someone had to fulfill God's law
perfectly in order to be worthy to
take the sins of the world. So God
sent his Son to be the one great
sacrifice to deal with the sins of the
world. Jesus came to earth to deal
with the eviction notice we received
in the garden.
John 3:16 says, "God so loved the
world that he sent his one and only
Son that whosoever believeth in him
shall not perish but have eternal life."
In John 14:1 we read Jesus is
about to die and be that ultimate
sacrifice, and he says to his
disciples, "do not let your hearts be
troubled" (John 14:1).
You would think that it would be
very troubling for them, their friend,
teacher — rabbi, Messiah was dying.
Jesus continues by saying "trust in
God, trust also in Me."
What does that mean? Just that,
Believe in God.
To trust in God means to give him
title to our hearts. When we buy a
car, we receive a certificate of
ownership. When we buy a home or
a piece of land, we receive title to the
property. That means we are in
control of the car or home.
God wants title to our hearts. Saint
Augustine said "our hearts are
restless till they find rest in thee."
Okay, death is a result of
disobedience and we are living in a
world that was not built to sustain us.
Jesus comes to deal with the eviction
notice we received in the Garden and
restore us into a right relationship
with God.
What happens after we die? This
leads us to a conversation on the
afterlife. We enter into this painful
separation between body and soul
and between loved ones and there is
a judgment day. The result of being
judged is we will go to either heaven
or hell.
What is heaven like? Jesus tells us
he is going to prepare a home for us.
This is not a house, but a home. A
home is a place we decorate. We put
pictures on the walls and arrange the
furniture in the way we want it.
Home is a place of security and
refuge. Home is a place you let your
hair down. Home is a place of
closeness and intimacy. Signs say it
well, when it says "Home Sweet
Home." Heaven is a home.
Heaven is often thought of as a
place where we will be playing a
harp and wearing white robes. Will
there be songs in heaven?
Absolutely! Music is an important
part of our culture and it will be
important in heaven too.
I think describing heaven is like a
man falling in love with a woman.
The man finds it hard to describe
what is happening to him. It is
difficult to put words to this
wonderful feeling. Describing
heaven is similar, it is hard to
describe. Heaven is a place where
we will experience love in a way that
we only have a taste of experiencing
here.
What is the purpose, of the white
robes? The white robes are symbols
of purity. Heaven is a place where
our consciences will be clean. The
mess we have created is exchanged
with Jesus. He has taken our
unrighteousness and we have taken
his righteousness. He takes our rags
and gives us a wonderful garment in
exchange.
In addition to this being home and
it being pure, we will experience the
face of God. We will walk with God
and not being ashamed. We will not
be hiding as Adam and Eve were
doing after they disobeyed.
On the other hand, what is hell
Continued on page 16