Unlikely Hero: Getting Even Isn't Even

www.eastview.org 1 Sam 24:1-22

Songs: this is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it. I won't worry about tomorrow. I'm trusting I'm trusting what you say. I will stand upon your truth. I'm giving you my tears and sorrow.

Hosanna praise is rising. Hope is stirring. In Your presence our tears are washed away. You are the God who saves us.

David is on the run hiding in the caves of Engedi. Saul and his men are hunting for David. Saul needed a potty stop. David's 600 men are hiding in that cave. David cut off a piece of robe off God's anointed king. David could have become king that day. But he did what's right. He waited for God's time.

Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty

Pastor Dave Ens:

Only once did a destination elude me. Not really lost. 12 year old boys brigade walked and walked. Fear and excitement set in.

Vacationed on Lake Erie when Alexander suddenly disappeared under the waves. Fear gave his dad total clarity and energy.

Saul dedicated all his time to try to get rid of David. David had to flee. This may have caused David to examine his life. When we get cast into the wilderness we don't choose to go there. James says consider it pure joy. As a pastor I've seen people on their death bed with complete clarity.

David may have written Psalm 57 while in that cave. God will send me peace while I lie among lions. My heart is steadfast awake my soul make music. Written while a maniac was chasing him.

There are lots of wilderness stories.

In most of them David prays - not fight. God guided him - the times he fails is when he forgets to pray. Stop and listen to what God has to say. That can be hard because it takes time. Prayer changes us to do what God wants us to do. David came out of the wilderness with prayer.

Sometimes we try to get out of the wilderness so we say God must want me to do this because I want to. We cloak it in religious language and do what we want. Gaining clarity from God means waiting.

We vilify others to justify the evil we do to them. God doesn't do that. David saw Saul through God's eyes.

Rom 12.14-19 bless those who persecute you. Live peaceably with all. Vengeance is God's.

The wilderness is a scary place.

May you in that situation find clarity of who you are called to be.

Unlikely Hero: Who Needs Friends

www.eastview.org
Pray for the teams in Thailand. www.thaiaction2011.blogspot.com www.thailandin2011.blogspot.com

Songs:
God only wise You are the Lord of space and time. All that we are is Yours alone.
2. Our God Saves There is hope in your Name. We are gathered to lift up your Name. And the world will see that our God Saves.
3. Then sings my soul my Savior God to You How great you are! Oh Lord my God when I think that God his Son not sparing He bled and died to set me free.

Children's Story- David & Jonathan - Good friends take care of each other.

Song; Lord of all creation you are holy. Lord of heaven and earth. God of wonders beyond our galaxy the universe declares your majesty you are holy.
Praise is rising we long for you hosanna you are the God who saves us.

Pastor Dave Ens:
David has a mandate. David is growing. Saul's momentum is fading. The songs of the people make Saul angry. He wants to eliminate David 6x in 3 chapters. David & Jonathan's friendship grows at the same time. David was on the right track but came up against barriers and opposition. Ps 7 Save me from my pursuers. If I have done wrong kill me. Why are my enemies so relentless? Not everyone finds us as likeable as we really are. Eugene Peterson. Taking the right path is not always easy. That may cause us to doubt. So do we build walls to shut off others? David could have decided to kill Saul, but did not do so.
Friendliness vs. friendship. Friendly is easy. Friendship is hard. It requires entering into the other person's pain. To get into the nitty gritty of life.
Every once in a while someone enters your life that is willing to enter into your pain. the Soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David. Soul = heart.
Friendship is not convenient. Not efficient. Friend seeks core good in others. Trudge through the tough times. You might run out of energy. A friend can help you through. AA understands that you need friends.
Let's reclaim friendship and let's stop using friendliness to keep people out.
Friends lowered the lame man through the roof. Jesus said your sins are forgiven.

Go and make friends this week. Make connections. Help others keep walking in their spiritual walk. We need real friends to do that.

All People's Church Falcon Lake

Announcements included 5oth Anniversary for Jake & Fran Funk and 4oth for Raymond & Martha Dueck

Michelle Sawatzky, her son Tyson, and Michelle's sister in law did a number of songs including:
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.
Yes I love my Jesus deep down in my heart.
Victory is won and I will rise when he calls my name no more sorrow no more pain. And I hear the voice of angels crying out worthy is the lamb. I will rise on eagles wings. Before my God fall on my knees.

Pastor Brian Hamilton
Positive preaching- God's vision for his people.
God gives us lots of positives. Not always does things turn out right but we car have a positive out look in Christ
Positive Pricey playful Party Prosperous Powerful

Paul said forgetting what is behind and pressing forward. v13 he had not yet achieved
Strength in Christ allows me to be positive.
Toss what is behind, in the river of God's grace.
Bring those who are in turmoil a measure of your peace.

Michelle & Shannon: we are pilgrims on a journey of the narrow road. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. May all who come behind us find us faithful. May the clues that they discover become the light that helps them find The Way.
Michelle: Time for a Christmas Song:
Jesus came like the winter snow. He could have come in a hurricane, or in the Fire of heaven, but He came quietly. Not like a tidal wave. Soft and Slow like snow. From the sky to the earth below.

Pastor:
Phil 3: God's Vision for His people
There is a positivism in Christ. Paul was the chief of sinners. He had a terrible past but he moved forward. Positive.
Frank Lloyd Wright at age 83 said the next project is his masterpiece.

We live in a world with negativism. News is too full of negativism. Limburger cheese in our attitude? The whole world stinks? Believers tend to say that.
Negative people are so tense.
Someday you will stand around my grave. Will you be able to say he loved God?
Negative thinking keeps us from enjoying life. Paul was unjustly imprisoned yet he wrote Rejoice and again I say rejoice.
God is with us and can use us in every situation. Negative thinking limits our potential. Joshua and Caleb were positive but 10 emissaries were negative and hence they had to wander in the desert for 40 years.

Attitude Building Blocks:
Choice. Choose to believe God is who He is. Choices Of the journey. Walk forward.
Bible. Filled with examples of victory NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. God's Comforter will be with us
The more we pray the closer we get to God's heartbeat. Like John the beloved disciple.
With God all things are possible.
Circumstances are different every day. Goal to reach our eternal home.

Michelle: Lord God of all build up your kingdom in me. Father take my life everything I am. God of all of me. Reign over dreams I dare not speak.
Father take my heart hold it in your hand. Keeper of my soul.

Sunday at mom & dad's

Church for me today was watching the prayer service conducted on the deck of HMS Montreal for our future King & Queen.
CBC was very rude and kept interrupting the service with all kinds of prattle.

We went to Arborg bringing lunch for my parents and after Martha's delicious food a new family settling in Riverton came to entertain mom & dad with some very slow singing. Jim & Tina Kennimon with their children John & Kimberley sang a for a long time. They lived in Bloodvein for 8 years and got to know Neil & Edith Von Gunton quite well.

Jazz on the Rooftop

It's a hot day for that! 33c outside. But this jazz was in air conditioned comfort in the WAG auditorium. Fabulous music by the Ron Paley Big Band featuring several world class soloists, including trumpeter Mike Harriot and trombonist Brad Shigata as well as our friend Karl Kohut on bass.

We rushed home from work (not too fast with all the cops out there!) enjoyed Martha and Justin's pulled pork and rushed downtown.

I really enjoy this jazz, in part, because all the band members enjoy what they are doing.

The quilt on display in the art gallery was a millenium project started in Ontario and represents Canadians from around the world. It is 120 ft x 10 ft. The colors at the top of the center section represents the Canadian flag. More info