The Citizen, 2018-03-29, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018. PAGE 13.
From the Minister's Study
The truth of Easter is that Jesus rose again
By Rev. Mark Royall
Huron Chapel Evangelical
Missionary Church, Auburn
It can be difficult to look at death.
I don't know if you have ever been in
the room when someone has taken
their last breath, but you never forget
it.
In my first pastorate, I visited a
man in the hospital who had lived a
rough life. The only difference
between him and many of us were
that his sins were more noticeable.
Everyone in town knew him and
what he had done. I stood beside his
bed in the hospital room chatting
with him about small things. I could
sense he wasn't wanting to go
deeper in our conversation than that.
After a while I left and told him I
would be back to check up on him.
Two days later his sisters called
me and asked if I could come right
away to the hospital. When I arrived
I found him comatose and
unresponsive. He had been like that
all day. I asked his sisters if I could
spend some time with him alone in
the room. I sat beside his bed and I
began to talk to him. I remember
learning how hearing was the last of
the senses to go in the dying process.
So I spoke.
I told him I believed he would be
meeting Jesus very soon. I had this
strong sense that he felt very
unworthy to ask the Lord for help
because of how he had lived his life.
So, I began to tell him this is where
every person coming to the Lord
must begin. Unworthiness is where I
began. It is where every citizen
living in heaven today began.
When Rev. Billy Graham
concluded his services, he would
extend a call to people to come
forward and receive the forgiveness
Jesus is offering broken lives. He
always had the choir sing the hymn,
"Just As I Am" during this part of the
service because this is the only way
we can come to the Lord, just as I am
with all my junk. We can't come to
God already fixed and worthy. We
come broken. We come with our
sins.
I told him this as he lay motionless
in his hospital bed hoping he could
hear what I was saying. I told him
how Jesus is the only one who is
righteous and how He takes our sin
upon Himself to pay for what we had
done. By Jesus doing this, justice is
served and we can be `right' before
God. The Bible tells us, "For God
made Christ, who never sinned, to be
the offering for our sin, so that we
could be made right with God
through Christ" (2 Corinthians
5:21).
Having said all of this, I then
asked if he would be willing to
exchange his sin for Christ's
righteousness. I realized I had no
way knowing if he did. I am not sure
he could even hear me. So, I took a
big leap. I asked if he could hear me
and wanted to accept Christ as the
One who saves him, to move his left
thumb. I sat beside this man who had
been laying motionless all day
hoping he could and would move his
left thumb. I stared at this hand and
watched closely. Then it happened.
His left thumb moved back and
forth. I told him, now you need to
trust Jesus. You need to trust that He
will take care of you.
I was ecstatic, but I began to
wonder if his moving thumb at the
right time was just a coincidence. So
I went through the whole talk again
and once again asked him, if you
You're 9nvited a join Is (In Worsf ip
Good Friday, March 30 10:00 am
Easter Sunday, April 1 10:00 am
No Evening Service
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
• Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
BRUSSELS
United Church '
LAO ane weVeoune to la
deb/tate easter with Cnussas (United Chukch
Good Friday Service at 9:30 am
Bake Sale on Saturday from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Craft and Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
with Easter Egg Hunt at 2:00 pm
Easter Sunday Service at 11:00 am
Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386
Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com
Everyone welcome
The Regional Ministry of Hope
Trinity Anglican Church
BLYTH
9:15 am
Maundy Thursday - parish service
at St. Paul's - Trinity, Wingham 7:00 pm
Good Friday - parish service
at St. John's 10:30 am
Easter Sunday - regular service time;
Guest Minister The Ven. Allan Livingstone
Everyone Welcome!
St. John's Anglican Church
BRUSSELS
11:15 am
Maundy Thursday - Community service
at 12:00 noon - Chili lunch to follow service
Good Friday - parish service
at St. John's 10:30 am
Easter Sunday - regular service time;
Guest Minister The Ven. Allan Livingstone
MINISTRY OFFICE
519-357-4883
Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector
email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca
O
The Regional Ministry of Hope
COME WORSHIP WITH USI
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
Winaham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph's
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
can hear me and want to accept
Christ as the One who saves you
then move your left thumb. He did
again.
You won't believe this, but I did it
one more time just to make sure, and
one more time he moved his thumb.
I told him over and over again, you
may not feel worthy but Jesus loves
you and wants to do this for you so
trust Him.
The Bible tells us, "But if we
confess our sins to Him, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all
Continued on page 19
You're Tnvitecd
to come worsht p
with us
Sunday, April 1
at 10:30 a.m. and 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.
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
We invite you to join our church family in:
Worship & Sunday School - 11 am
Easter Breakfast 9 am - 10:30 am
Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland
No Soup & More 2 on Good Friday, March 30th
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
Blyth United Church
Est. 1875
Good Friday Service
March 30
11:00 a.m.
Remembering...
Easter Sunday
April 1
9:30 a.m.
Rejoicing...
Hillary MacDonald
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
9am & 11am in Auburn huronchapel.com
GOOD FRIDAY
@ 11:OOam
r— I MIAs 113.