The Citizen, 2015-02-26, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015.
By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship, Blyth
The RRSP contribution deadline
for the previous calendar year
approaches once again. Investment
firms, like lottery companies, know
how to tap into our unspoken
dreams, tempting us to invest that
money or buy that ticket to make our
dreams happen quicker. But are we
pursuing the best possible dream?
Recently a couple from Wasaga
Beach won $50 million. It’s reported
the couple “say a new boat is first on
their list...[they] spend a lot of time
on nearby Georgian Bay in the
summer so they’ll be shopping for a
bigger boat.” I read that and thought,
“Buy a bigger boat? Is that the extent
of your dream?” The words remind
me of the “rich fool” Jesus talked
about in Luke 12(13-21) who, when
his crops flourished, figured he
could build bigger barns and tell
himself he had plenty of good things
laid up for many years... But God
had other plans for him, because he
stored up things for himself but
wasn’t rich toward God.
How do your dreams measure up?
Do they factor in God and His
Kingdom, or are they short-sighted
and earth-bound?
In the third chapter of John’s
gospel, a man named Nicodemus
came to see Jesus at night for a
private audience. In many ways,
Nicodemus seemed already to “have
it all”. He was a man, which
conferred privilege and status in that
culture that women did not enjoy. He
was a Pharisee, a member of the
religious elite. He was a member of
the Sanhedrin, the ruling political
council of the Jews. We understand
from his later participation in Jesus’
burial, contributing 75 pounds of
spices, that he was rich. Jesus refers
to him as “the teacher of Israel” so
he was apparently a renowned
master-teacher, having high standing
amongst the other religious
instructors of his day.
Given all these pluses, what more
could Nicodemus want? He already
“had it all” to an enviable degree.
Yet Christ must have brought him
up short when He said, “You must be
born again.” As much as to say: You
seem to have it all together, but in
order to see God’s kingdom, you’ve
got to press “reset”. You’ve done
very well for yourself, Nick, but
your earthly accomplishments just
don’t count for eternity.
Jesus went on to explain, “No one
can enter the kingdom of God
without being born of water and
Spirit. What is born of the flesh is
flesh, and what is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Do not be astonished that I
said to you, ‘You must be born from
above.’”
One must be born “of water” -
cleansing, confession, repentance, as
reflected in John the Baptist’s
symbol of water baptism. “Reset”
includes “repent” and confess.
It’s also a matter of being “born of
the Spirit” – God’s Spirit, free and
unpredictable, uncontainable like the
wind, sovereignly blowing wherever
He chooses. It’s both a mystery and
a must. No exceptions! All your
good works, all your riches, all your
polished social skills, all your
religious law-keeping – none of that
qualifies you for the kingdom. It’s as
personal and relational as a woman
giving birth.
Jesus is not inventing new doctrine
here, but echoing what Ezekiel had
prophesied much earlier: “I will
sprinkle clean water on you, and you
will be clean; I will cleanse you from
all your impurities and from all your
idols. I will give you a new heart and
put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh. And I will
put my Spirit in you and move you
to follow my decrees and be careful
to keep my laws.” (Ezek 36:25-27)
Jesus shifts gears and starts to
bridge Old and New Testaments: He
lets Nicodemus in on how what was
prophesied centuries before is about
to become fulfilled and effective in
Jesus’ own person and story. That
“cleansing” the prophets foretold is
about to become available because
of His own substitutionary,
sacrificial death.
Jesus declares He, the Son of Man,
is the absolute, uniquely qualified
source of truth. “No one has ever
gone into heaven except the one who
came from heaven— the Son of
Man.” (3:13) No other founder of a
world religion originated by virgin
birth. Jesus has the corner on
heavenly truth because “by Him all
things were created... He is before
all things” (Col. 1:16f ). If you want
to know about heaven, talk to
someone who actually came from
there!
Jesus relates that He is the
Saviour. He reaches back into a story
from Israel’s earliest days, the desert
wanderings in Numbers 21(5-9)
when the people became impatient
and discontent, and the Lord sent
venomous snakes amongst them.
God told Moses to make a snake on
a pole, which the people might look
at and be healed. What an apt
foreshadowing of the cross of Jesus!
One has to turn (repent) and look
(believe) in order to live (be saved,
have eternal life). Jesus says in
3:14f, “Just as Moses lifted up the
snake in the desert, so the Son of
Man must be lifted up, that everyone
who believes in him may have
eternal life.” Jesus is aware
crucifixion – being “lifted up” on a
rough wooden stake – awaits Him.
He will defeat the serpent (Satan) by
taking the place of the bronze
serpent Moses lifted up – actually
taking your place, and mine, as
sinners.
John 3:16 points out that this
forgiveness made possible through
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.
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
Sunday, March 1 ~ Lent 2 – “Jesus Laughs…”
Sunday, March 8 ~ Lent 3 – “Jesus Cares...”
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
Just Happy
To Be Going To
Church…
10:30 Sundays @ Huron Chapel
huronchapel.com
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, March 1
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
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
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MARCH 1
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
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.
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
getlivingwater.org
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
March 1: SoS 4
“Increase Intimacy”
Evangelical Missionary Church
Small Groups Weekly in Blyth & Wingham
From the Minister’s Study
Involve God, His Kindgom in your dreams
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
Continued on page 24