Sunday, July 23, 2017

People's Church Falcon Lake

Pastor Brian is in Spain coming back to Canada. He was training missionaries. He is passionate about missions. Next Sunday is mission Sunday and barbeque day.

Pastor Bill Ehlers of Bethesda Church is preaching today. Shannon Sawatsky is on the piano. Back to the 80s music. There is a Redeemer, Jesus God's own son.

I pray that God will speak to you. 

Onesimus decided to go back to slavery. 

David decided to cover up his sin. That did not work. God knows what happened. Nathan knew what happened. Everyone now knows the story. 

Nathan told David a story. About the rich man who stole a poor man's sheep and cooked it. Psalm 51 is his confession. Psalm 32 is his response to forgiveness: what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord ." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. 
Psalms 32:1‭-‬3‭, ‬5 NLT

Was in Kansas this week. So very hot. Just felt wasted with the heat. Sapped. David was like that. Because of the burden of guilt. Many people get sick because of guilt. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
Psalms 51:3 NLT
80% of some people's efforts are spent on feeling guilty. During Billy Graham's crusade in England a psychiatrist said 80% of mental patients could be released if they could accept forgiveness. 
Like a snowball rolling downhill guilt gets bigger and bigger. 
An addict said I feel so bad about what I've done so I'm trying to kill myself slowly. The cycle of the dammed. I deserve hell. 
There will be no drugs in hell. Only the agony of guilt. 
Time does not cause it to go away. The stain does not wash away. 
Psalm 32 helps. Millionaires will gladly pay. Money will not buy forgiveness. 
How to get to the blessing of forgiveness? Hiding makes the bones ache. Confession clears the wound. Cover up is deceiving. You have to be a good liar if you want to deceive. 

Confession is agreeing with God about your sin, to get on the same page. Confess your sins that you may be healed. Cleansed. 

V6, 7 pray to God for songs of deliverance. 

Jesus's sacrifice paid for the sins of all people who believe in him. Past present and future sins. 
That was a marvelous transaction. The righteous of Jesus was transferred to us. 

When the accuser comes to us we can embrace God's forgiveness. 

David had to learn a lesson. Not to be like a mule. David is a good example to us. Be responsive to God. Confess. Don't become defensive. Be soft to the things of God. The Holy Spirit will draw near to you. 

The prodigal son's father gladly forgave him. The burden was lifted. You can sing again when you know you've been forgiven. There is power in the blood. 

Sunday, July 16, 2017

COTR Abdu Murray former Muslim

Do you want to be healed of pain on your left side under your rib cage? Let's pray for your healing. Check it out. Did you get healed?  Pastor Keith Eberhard www.ChurchOfTheRock.ca
Children's Camp International costs $5 to send a child in India to 1 week Bible camp. 95% of them will accept Jesus. 
I will sing forever of your love forever come down. 


Abdu Murray former Muslim:
From Michigan. Sometimes drive south to Canada. Spoke in Wallaceburg. Took the ferry that took 2 cars at a time. 
Got nausea because I could not get a fixed point of reference. Our society has lost its moorings. 

Are we bringing middle east people in because they need help? 
We are not getting happier. In the 60s we had psychosis about Soviet nuclear attacks. 
We are anxious about the confusion. We want to be a law to ourselves. Who decides between preferences? Some post truth dictator. That elevates preferences over truth. There is no objective truth any more. If confronted by truth people say I don't care. 
Adam and Eve had the same problem. Their preference was more important than God's truth. Confusion is a virtue and truth is a sin. 

How do you combat this confusion. 
Talk about the consequences of Confusion and present the Truth. I didn't leave Islam because it's false but because Jesus is Truth. 
The capital T is objective Truth. Everyone has versions of the truth? As a trial lawyer I beat him. The facts are that

1. When we sacrifice reason we lose truth and reason. That
2. We lose Accountability. Only 40% of scientific studies can be reproduced as truth. They are looking for headlines. 

No one is immune to the Culture of Confusion. Because we want to be God. We think we can deliver a value system. Rough agreement concerning values. We have invented better ways of killing each other. We have agreed to be rough. Charles Murray conservative got attacked at a university. 

Is there any firmament. We invert the laws of nature.

3. We loose our values. That allows people to argue that parents have a right to kill it. It has no value if the parents don't value them. What about the elderly? 

I'm an optimist.
There is s source of Truth in the Gospel. The message of the Bible is all about freedom. 

Freedom. You have the ability to be who God made you to be. 

Truth and Freedom always go together. 

Preferences always leads to oppression and slavery. 

If the Son sets you free you are Free! 

Jesus gave an objective test. Kill me and I will rise again. Guys who rise from the dead have credibility. 

How do you know someone has value? What determines value? What someone is willing to pay. 
God values you and is willing to die to pay for you. 

In Africa Christianity changes everything for the better. 

Sexuality is designed to be beautiful but must have a border. 
God wants us to be valued. 

Crash Parallel talks about our problems. I need someone to believe in. 

Sunday, July 09, 2017

Falcon Lake Church

Guest preacher. Pastor Brian is in Spain teaching. 
A deer longs for streams of water. God, I long for you in the same way.  I am thirsty for God. I am thirsty for the living God. When can I go and meet with him?  My tears have been my food day and night. All day long people say to me, "Where is your God?"  When I remember what has happened, I tell God all of my troubles. I remember how I used to walk along with the crowd of worshipers. I led them to the house of God. We shouted with joy and gave thanks as we went to the holy feast.  My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me? Put your hope in God. Once again I will have reason to praise him. He is my Savior and my God. 
Psalm 42:1‭-‬6 NIRV

This psalm was directed to be sung by a choir. It's a teaching psalm. V5 why am I depressed? Praise God my Savior and my God and I will feel better.
He was lonely unable to go to the temple. He was fleeing from his attackers and being mocked. 
He was looking for deeper intimacy with God to help him survive. 

Israel was in trouble. Do you sing the blues? Lose people we love? 
If life is a bowl of cherries why do I live in the pits? 
Have we trials and temptations?
  Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
  Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
  Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
  Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Is that realistic? Giants of the faith have often been very depressed and discouraged. 

What steps to take when discouraged? Question emotions. We tend to question God. The Psalmist questions his own emotions. Not follow his feelings. Eject the discouraging tapes. Quit listening to yourself and talk to yourself. We tend to talk to ourselves all the time with words of discouragement. Stop it and put your hope in God. 
We tend to hope things will go well. Biblical hope is confident expectation. God is there. A command to put your hope in God. An imperative. A decision to believe in God in spite of circumstances. 

We all have to go through trials. God has a life jacket for you. He is with you at all times. 

Hope in God right now. Throw your anchor out to God. 

If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.
I will yet praise him. 
Are you discouraged. Have hope in God. Have faith in God. He will do what he promised to do. 

Let us pray. 

Sunday, July 02, 2017

Elijah - the summer series 1

Not qualified. James says Elijah was a normal bloke. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
James 5:17 ESV

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."
1 Kings 17:1 ESV

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. 
TRUTH
God can take a nobody and make a somebody. 

That's God's job. What does it take to become somebody? Be common. 
Gilead means rough hillbilly unrefined. 2 Kings 1:8 the hillbilly the Tishbite 
He knew how to pray fervently. Stopped the rain. He was depressed living in solitude. God captured his heart. He steps into the presence of the king and becomes somebody. 
Fear is our society's real epidemic. Not drugs.

Samuel learned that the Lord looks at the heart. 

Do we believe that the Word of God is infallible? Do we follow it or ignore it? Elijah dared to speak up. Do we stand up for righteousness? 

3. Commitment to God. That's what gave him the guts to stand up. I believe in Jesus. Don't just say whatever. 
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 ESV

Simple faith. Common faith with full confidence in God. Stand in his presence. Deal with the stuff. 

Trust God to make your nobody into a somebody. A powerful servant of God.