HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-06-02, Page 15From the Minister’s Study
Pastor reminds,
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2005. PAGE 15.
‘ Backup, save, restore’
by Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship (EMC), Blyth
The used computer I’d purchased
four months ago worked fine until
just recently, when the hard drive
suddenly “died”. There wasn't much
warning - just a couple of blue
screens, then no response.
Thankfully, I was able to save my
project before the final gasp, and
another machine managed to spin
the platter enough that I could
retrieve the files created in recent
weeks.
But it was a reminder how
transitory and fleeting life - and
computers - can be. Especially when
a person like me (somewhat of a
computer buff) somehow just
doesn’t get around to backing up
data.
“Back-up. save, restore” - we’re
told to take precautions regularly,
but do we listen?
People, like hard drives, have a
fixed life expectancy. Entropy and
corruption inflict wear-and-tear on
us so that no one is immortal.
Sometimes the end surprises us by
coming sooner than we’d expected.
The prophets and apostles in the
Bible similarly counsel us to “back
up, save, restore” before it’s too late
and we, like a worn computer
component, finally crash.
Back-up in real life means
reversing our course and taking a
new direction.
This is like ‘repentance’ or turning
around in Biblical terms. Sin grabs
us in many ways, leading us toward
destructive consequences in lifestyle
or relationships; it’s by taking an
about-face and returning to God that
we can avoid negative fall-out of
poor decisions. God counsels us,
“Turn to me and be saved, all you
ends of the earth; for 1 am God, and
there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22)
He is the final Fact whom we must
face. Jesus declared, “The kingdom
of God is near. Repent and believe
the good news!” (Mark 1:15)
He impressed upon His followers
that God is loving and patient, not
wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance. (2
Peter 3:9)
Our finest human wisdom and
technology cannot put off forever
our appointment with our Maker. As
Paul put it bluntly to the
sophisticated citizens of Athens,
“God...commands all people
everywhere to repent. For He has set
a day when He will judge the world
by the man He has appointed. He has
given proof of this to all men by
raising Him from the dead.” (Acts
17:300
Saving in computer terms means
writing a file to magnetic or optical
media in such a way that it endures,
and can be re-read after the power
has been shut off and volatile
"memory’ has ceased.
The voices of scripture tell us
death is not the end and need not be
something we fear, if we receive
God’s offer of eternal life through
the Crucified One. Jesus’
prematurely ‘crashed’ life - His
suffering for our sin - becomes a
means of substitution, so we are re
classified as worthy of sharing
eternity with God, no matter how
hideous or shameful our past
behaviour.
From day one Christians have
warned and pleaded with people,
“Repent... Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:38.40)
Jesus’ name, because He was
rejected on our account but also
resurrected, has power to heal;
“Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we
must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Salvation is not just a matter of
eternal destination, but makes a real
and positive difference in our life-
style here and now. Zacchacus, a
tax-collector, experienced grace
when Jesus come for lunch one day;
Zacchaeus promised to share his
wealth with the poor and repay four
fold any he’d defrauded. Hearing
this, Jesus observed, “Today
salvation has come to this house...
For the Son of Man came to seek and
to save what was lost."
Restore for a computer means all
the former files and programs
(including that hidden part, the
system registry) have been revived
to usefulness in a renewed
configuration. When it comes to
people, God is a Master at restoring
our innermost being, re-directing us
to live in ways pleasing to Him and
helpful to us. The oft-quoted Psalm
23 states, “He restores my soul. He
guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.”
Peter, who as an apostle suffered a
lot, assures us that “the God of all
grace, who called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, after you have
Continued on page 20
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Sunday, June 5
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
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
10:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship
& Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Pastor: Ernest Dow - 523-4848 .
http://getlivingwater.org
June 5: 1 John 4
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SUNDAY, JUNE 5
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15a.m.
Sunday, June 5
11:00 a.m. - Sunday Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Sunday Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Avoiding Many
Antichrists
The Dangers of
Secret Societies
it
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, June 5
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the United Church of Canada
:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------—— ---------------
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
SINGASON^OF Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD AM
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 7:00 p.m.||[\ 7:15 p.m.
Sunday Family Bible Hour
Morning Worship Service
- Evening Worship Service
Adult Bible Study
— Adult & Youth Bible Study
Friday, June 17
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, June 5
Worship Service & Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Sunday School Promotion
Service at Camp Menesetung
Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
Blyth United Church is a welcoming community of faith.
We celebrate God's presence through worship and study, and through
responding to the needs and gifts of each other.
^c‘”“munityC',urcAvGotf
"The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
> People"
Sunday 9:15 a.m. - Prayer Meeting
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
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Help us celebrate God1
faithfulness!
7:00 pm - Youth Group Reunion
Saturday, June 18
June 17-19,
2005
5:30 pm - Pig Roast Supper - RSVP by June 10 by contacting Sharon
Freeman (519-887-6564) or Suzanne Wideman (519-291-2659), or emailing
brusselsmennonite@on.aibn.com.
7:00 pm - Outdoor Musical Concert with Henk & Janet Sonnenberg.
Sunday, June 19
10:00 am - Worship Celebration!
Guest Speakers: Doug & Mim Ze hr.
12:00 pm - Potluck meal.
grow
in Love
with Jesus
together
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