Beatitudes: Blessed are the Peacemakers

www.EastView.org
Matth 5:9 Pastor Delbert Enns
There is such beauty when God's children get together. We are in a safe place.
I need God. When I'm in tune with God's Purpose I will want to be in God's plan and my quality of life will go up.
The 7th Beatitude is different. It asks us to do something. Not just be. Peacemakers love peace so much that they are not afraid to compromise their own peace to help others achieve peace.
Peacemakers are Not synonymous with peaceful people. Not pacifism. Peace-broker.
Augustus Ceasar was called a peace-broker. Military peace.
Jesus' words would have tingled the ears of his listeners.
Eph 2:16 Pure heart peace. Remove hostility from the heart.
NYC church Conference. U. N. has not been able to create ot a single day of world peace.
Luke 2:35 a sword will pierce. Jesus came to reveal the faults in our own hearts. To make peace in own hearts. We are our own greatest enemies. Our idolatry is ourselves. Our selfish desires.
Peace starts in my own heart. You cant manufacture it. We can't be peace brokers unless we have peace in our hearts.
Movie - "Not Easily Broken"
Pride always precedes the conflict in a relationship. She kicked her husband out, then realized she wanted to fight for her marriage.
Blessed are the peace brokers that deal with the pride in our hearts. Then you will be called my children. Complete Surrender. To be a peace broker. Pray. Confess. 1 Jn 1:8-9
Desire to be at peace. Experience the blessing of confession.

Next Sunday does God Exist?

6PM www.eastview.org
Simulcast debate between Christian apologist Craig and Hitchens, author and proponent of "new atheism".

Trip to Europe

We have a ticket worth $1000 for Oberammergau available. Share room with Justin. No charge if you are with YWAM or a Christian Mission in Europe. Any takers?

May 5- 12 Paris & France 7 nights

Wednesday May 5 Relax in Disney area

Thursday May 6 Paris Disney

Friday May 7 Paris

Saturday May 8 Paris

Sunday May 9 church in Paris

Centre Mennonite de Paris http://www.centre-mennonite.fr/

Notre Dame Cathedral

May 10 Juno Beach

May 11 Tours France

May 12- 13 Switzerland Zollikon http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/Z68.html

May 14-15-16 Austria - 3 nights Shlossmittersol Castle http://www.schlossmittersill.org/

Sunday May 16 church

May 17-18 Oberammergau 17th – 19^th may 2010

2 night Oberammergau Package - Parkhotel Sonnenhof May 17 & 18

May 19 - 20 2 nights at Seeburg Castle http://www.wdl.de/62.0.html

May 21 depart Munich 7am

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The Honourable Dr Jake Epp

Speaker at Canadian Mennonite University Spring banquet:
Churches have been building centres of higher education for centuries. Funding challenges have always been there, and will continue to be an increasing challenge. Health care is costing the Ontario government 46% of the budget. And growing. Educational funding will decrease. Christian universities are being targeted because of their Christian mission statements. That's why we need fundraising banquets.

On a tour to China, Jake found out that the government taxes the farmer 90% of their income. Will that happen here?
The Chinese official Lydia spoke to, had been trained in East Germany and attended a church where he learned how to be saved (selig werden). That's why we need CMU with its Anabaptist Christian emphasis. It impacts the world for good in untold ways.

Dinner was followed by the Spring Concert.

Beatitudes: Blessed are the Pure in Heart

www.EastView.com
Today is Sunday XL Dr Gus Konkel
June 6 another baptism
Next Sunday big volunteer party
God's blessings -taste and see - I am blessed

Dave Ens
Blessings go beyond our things. Many of the people Jesus addressed were not ''blessed" as we usually think of it. The blessing is that Jesus chooses to spend time with us. When I see Him in my life, I am blessed.
The Pure in Heart includes those who remove moral filth from their lives, and those who go deeper. Reality here is that we are not always pure. In Jesus time the heart was considered to be your core, your intellect.
1 Col 2:9 original text has heart as the centre of your intellect.
Pure. When your being leads you purely to God. To will the one thing of walking to God. The heart - the centre of my spiritual being. It needs to be clearly focussed on God.

Power in our lives does not last. Eventually every one loses it.

Ps 51:1-4 10-12 Create in me a clean (pure) heart. A willing spirit. Confession is to take off hypocrisy. Let confession help us move forward in the life God has for us.
Luke 18:12 -
What do you need to shed? What inconsistancies?
May the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Big Six Oh

The Birthday Party at The Centennial Concert Hall was attended by more than 100 friends and relatives. A good time was had by all. I felt so very honoured by each individual that came. I did not feel worthy. Met mi es et nush. Pictures here

Jason Died 31 Years Ago Today

Today is also the BIG six oh Birthday Party put on for me by my family at the Centennial Concert Hall. How does one celebrate and mourn at the same time? How does one do that plus grieve the untimely death a vibrant 23 year old daughter? And all this while trying to collect 2 year old unpaid bills from former family business partners.
Wish I knew!

Blessed Are The Merciful

www.EASTview.org
Pastor Dave Ens
Christ is Risen Indeed. We are now living in the new Kingdom Normal.
Blessed are the losers of society. You will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful
Ps 103:1-12 In Easter this psalm is brought to life. He sets us free because he is a merciful God. Sin no longer has the final say.
Grace - undeserved -given to me -could not be earned.
Mercy - always deals with what the results of sin are - helping those who are suffering.
Keep Jesus at the centre of our definition of Mercy. Heb 2:14-18 Jesus suffered for us so he can help the tested. He came in flesh and blood so he could be is our midst. That's so overwhelming that the creator of the universe would do that.
When our father died, we suffered the pain of loss. Someone said, this is good, it will help you in the ministry. Inappropriate as that comment was, there is truth.
Jesus knows how we feel. He knows every pain.
Mercy - What does it look like? At Hamstead school breakfast program? Started by Greg Armstrong. What does the principal say? 180 students. 80% low income homes. How do we level the playing field? The program is making a big difference. The kids are developing positive relationships with adults and each other. The teachers give fewer "office referrals" The kids are happier. A goal was to have 90% of the students present 90% of the time. That is now happening. The kids are now achieving average academic standards.
Kingdom mercies are making a big difference. Then Dolsom Donwood. Now 22 churches are involved.
It costs $3000 a year. Volunteers are the hardest to get. 3 mornings a week. 2hrs one day a week is what we need. To know there are that many churches involved -Thank you God.
Jesus' first act after the resurection was to make breakfast. What a ministry!
When we look at Christ, his Mercy was extravagant and tangible for everyone.
What does it mean for me to be merciful?

Good Friday

www.EastView.org

Won't YOU touch the edge of His robe and be healed?

Lord, let your light shine on us. That we may be saved and find our way in the darkest night.

Last Sunday the people welcomed Jesus into the city with a great hosanna procession.

Jesus and the disciples met for a meal. They expected Jesus to announce his kingdom. Then Jesus assumed the role of a servant washing his disciples' feet setting an example of servanthood.

Brother, sister, let me serve you, and be as Christ to you. Let me weep when you are weeping.

Let us celebrate the Lord's Supper this morning. Jesus knows what we are going through. There is no where you can go and not find Jesus waiting for you. Jesus invites you to Come and touch his love today.

He breaks the bread He lifts the cup He kneels to make them clean.

How deep the Father's love for us that he should give his only Son. How great the pain of searing loss. His dying breath has brought me life his wounds have paid my ransom.

Jesus become the king of suffering. We put a crown of thorns on his head and mocked him as king of the Jews. Then we crucified him. Jesus responded: "Father forgive them, they know not what they do". the centurion was changed by what he saw.

Behold your King

You see the thorns. Stripes. Do you believe? Let the doubters stop their doubting and Behold your King.

This morning is not to dwell on the tragedy of death but to remind us Sunday is coming

Amen. Amen. Amen.

It's a New Day Interview

Mennville EMC

Presentation by Mike Petkof CEF missionary to the gypsies of Greece.
Gypsies have no rights in Greece, and get their squatter's camps destroyed from time to time. Renee worked at one of the camps when she and Karyn went to Greece in 2004. Ministry in the camps is effective and appreciated in a country that protects the Greek Orthodox Church with anti-proselytizing laws.

Dwight Plett pastor: Lorna has been suffering pain and not sure why. Thanks for your prayers and support. It's good to be part of the Mennville family.

Palm Sunday.

Jesus did some house cleaning at the temple. For the 2nd time.

Zeal for God's house will consume me.

As a 12 year old, Jesus spent 3 days discussing theology with the priests. No wonder he got upset when the Gentiles got displaced by the merchants. Who are we blocking or excluding from worship?

Jesus was not always meek and mild.

It is important:

1. Not to hinder others from worshipping.

2. Sometimes there is a place for righteous anger. It may be wrong not to get angry sometimes.

That last week Jesus spent every day at the temple.

He prophesied the destruction of the temple by the Romans.

Adam and Eve had a perfect life but then they sinned. God promised restoration.

Why did it take so long for restoration? Not sure.

Leviticus - God described the ideal new world. "To be my people."

Israel rejected God's leading and asked for a king.

What if Jesus had been accepted by Israel and he had become king?

Jesus promised us his Comfort - Counselor.

We are now the temple of the living God.

There is a new age coming. There will be no temple there for the lamb is the light and God will be our friend.

Fishing off Matlock

What's the most comfortable way to fish on the ice? Out in the open? In a tent? In a heated car? Doesn't really matter as long as you catch something!

Dr Gus Konkel Paul Saul

Presentation at www.Eastview.org
Who were the movers and shakers of Paul's time?
Pharisees
Saducees
Esseneres

Who was Saul? (Paul)
Pharisee
Circumcised
Hebrew
Benjamin
Keeper of the law
Zealous
Faultless. Willing to kill people who disagreed with him and his interpretation of the Bible.

Something happened to him so now he says it is all waste.
Phil 3:2 Beware of dogs -Paul used the Pharisee term for Gentiles in referring to the Pharisees. Mutilators.

The difference between Saul and Paul is how he reads the Bible.
Saul felt entitled to the racial claims of superiority. Paul the Christian has a different view of his connection to Abraham

What began the transformation? He was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians when he encountered Christ. Not Jesus.

Gal 1:11 Jesus walked the shores of Galilee. Christ is the risen anointed one.
Ps 2:1-2 the nations rage against the Lord and his Messiah Christ.
Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah of Psalm 2

Paul says his Gospel comes from direct revelation. Not from eyewitnesses of Jesus.
Paul knew the Bible - he had to learn to understand it. For that he needed direct revelation from God.
He made it clear that he encountered the resurrected living Christ. Not through Peter. Peter knew the old way of reading the Bible was wrong. But he sided with the Jewish ethnic church.
To prove that Paul was preaching the pure gospel, separated from the ethic components, he needed to make it clear that their ethnicity and customs are not part of the gospel.

Galatia was a long way from Jerusalem and most people had never heard of circumcision. Some people read the Bible and felt it was required. Paul did not read it that way.

There is a Chistian way of reading the Bible.

Rom 1:16-17 the gospel - the power of God - for all who believe.
Belief is a Cognitative act - with faith.
The just shall live by faith. Quote from Hab 2:4
You become a child of Abraham strictly by faith and trust - not pride or puffed up relying on ethnicity.
The gospel is submission and trusting the Christ the anointed risen one.
Gal 3:6

Do Christians and Muslims worship the some God? God - Identity (God of Abraham) vs. Understanding who God is. I am President of Providence but at home I'm dad. Different understanding of who I am.
Christians Muslims and Jews all worship the God of Abraham but they have different understandings of what God does. Some think God heals them every time they pray.
We all have a partial understanding of God.

Dr. Stephen Hawking was in Sudbury Ontario Researching neutrinos. When asked if he believes in God he said he did not know the meaning of question.

I believe in the God as revealed in Scripture.

Lamin Sanneh, Professor at Yale, a Muslim became a Christian by reading the Koran. He reached the Christian understanding of God. The church took 300 years to reach a clear understanding of God. We need to be patient with each other

Genesis- how did Saul Paul read it?
Ch 12:1-3 All the nations CAN be blessed through Abraham
Ch 11: when Creation was made there was nothing. The flood reversed it back to water. God said-Replenish the earth. Babel said No. We will build our name. The sin that never stops. Racism and nationalism. God intervenes a 2nd time.

Gen 9:1-7 fill the earth. Creation starts over. Human government is established to control violence.

The Tower. Our City our name.
Abraham- God's Nation -God's name. God reverses the ambitions of the Tower builders. All the nations MAY be blessed.
Paul the Christian understands the promise -Abraham is going be the father origin of redemption. All who understand the promise.
Paul's My Gospel is the good news that God is bringing the whole world to himself.
How does Abraham's family come about? not by natural means -not by ethnicity. By God's doing.

Gen 15:1 revelation vision. A vision takes place in your mind. We dream often. Visions happen only periodically. Mysticism is what happens to Muslims who see Jesus.
Wife had a vision of a visit of Jesus calling someone home before her brother died.

Abraham had a vision. Gen 15:5-6 he believed and God counted it as righteousness. Paul quotes this over and over again.

The smoking POT is how God is revealed as in sensory terms.

Sara was 99 - quite a while after the hot flashes. The point is God creates his family. Learn to TRUST is the point of Abraham's life. Trust is faith.

Gen 17:7 is another important part of Paul's understanding of the Bible.
Circumcision becomes a sign- what is sign? What kinds of signs do we have?
Communion Baptism
A sign is a Confession
Can you be a Christian and not be baptized? Not take Communion? Not be a Christian?
Circumcision is a sign that God's family does not need the ability for human reproduction.
God's family is for all the nations.

The promise is for all the world. Isaiah 51:3 all the islands and coastlands.

Paul understood the underlying meanings of the promises by revelation.

The promise goes beyond this world.

The epistles are letters vs. the stories of Jesus in the gospels.
Matt 18:15-18 take i-hedi sprite to the church.
16:18 On Petra cliffs I will build my church.
Paul does not focus on Jesus as much as on the fulfillment of the promises of Abraham.
Gal 3:9 Works of the law vs. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To belong to Jesus is to be a child of Abraham.

Scriptures are not about rules on becoming Christians but a way of helping us understand how to walk.
You can't force someone to love or to have the joy of the Lord.
There is a transforming power that is not a list of rules to make God happy

Blessed are the meek

Change the world? Has your life changed? Change is part of everyone's life. Sometimes that is a threat.
Some of us need to have 5 things going on at the same time.
For some of us life is boring. Some of us may want change for the sake of excitement.
What is loyalty?
We have a changing world since Adam and Eve.
We are all about me. Why do we chase the ME? We always want to change our environment for my way or the highway.
Matth 5:1-5 Blessed are... The Meek...
Jesus reveals the blueprint exemplified on how to be free of selfish ambition
Blessed are those who consider themselves nothing. Lost. The worst sense of poverty for a soul is when thy have no sense of the need for God.
Meek: Deficient in courage Or the Greek meaning: strength under control. Like a stallion under control. Not to hurt a fly.
Not weak - lay down your pride, and agree with what God want to have done in your life.
People in Jesus' time were waiting for release from the terrors of Rome.
Some are waiting for a Brad Pitt to sweep them into lala land.
Along comes Jesus of Nazareth and says Blessed are the Meek.
People don't want to walk that second mile.
In our culture meekness has been rejected and replaced with a vacuum of barbaric behavior.
Gal 5:22 Holy Spirit creates gentleness...
Meekness speaks the truth with love. Not just niceness.
Num 12:3 Moses was the most meek person on earth. But he stood up to Pharaoh in the power of God.
Abraham the father of our faith. Gen 13:8 he could have pulled rank on his hitchhiking relative. He did not, but took what was left.
Rom 12:10 the Meek will inherit the land.
the God who promised to give me strength helps me to relax. Forgive restore. Because Jesus forgives and restores me. He is in Control of the Meek.
He came as a baby- he is coming as Lord sitting on his throne of ultimate power.

Beatitudes: blessed are those who mourn

Delbert Enns pastor
www.Eastview.org
Matthew 5:1-14 God blesses those... They will be comforted.

Mission report; Manitoba house builds relationships in the north end. Free breakfast Saturday. Witnesses for Jesus.

There is a song in the dessert. Maybe today is when you will hear that song.

Blessed = speak well of - eulogy.
Say it now: "I bless you and wish you well."

Malachi 4:1 has words of judgement and then there are 400 years of silence from God. Silence treatment is the worst treatment you can hand out.

Now Jesus brought words of comfort and creates a paradigm shift. The beginning of a new era where the weak inherit the world.
Those who weep will laugh now. Mother Teresa said the worst form of poverty is to think we don't need God.
During the Olympics Canada became the Nation of Canada.
Bored people are not excited. James 4:3 worldly pleasure seeking is not blessed.
Stories of disappointment - Henry had a chosen son Ted. Darcy and Ted got killed at the railway crossing.
Laurie's daughter has hyperthyroidism. An ongoing burden of health issues.
How do you deal with the pain? Get involved in church and community. Have time alone with God. Open God's Word. There is no one else but Jesus.
Friday Laurie's daughter went back to doctor with pain. Tests showed everything is "frightfully normal".
There is a sorrow only Jesus can deal with.

Psalm 32:1-5 joy for those .... forgiven. I confess my rebellion... You forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Lieutenant John Blanchard

Alliance Church, Edgewater, FL
Lieutenant Blanchard bought a used book and corresponded with the previous owner of the book. They agreed he would meet her at Grand Central Station. She would wear a green dress and a red rose on her lapel. The woman he saw that met that description was frumpy and old. When he approached her she re -directed him to a restaurant across the street where his beloved was waiting.
Jesus, the new high priest is sitting down because he paid the ultimate sacrifice. No more sacrifices are needed. I cannot live the Christian life on my own. A glove can't move on its own. Only when it is filled with the power of a hand can it move. Only when Jesus fills us are we empowered to move.
Jesus said, "the power of the Holy Spirit will come on you and you will be my witnesses."
Jesus left the message in the hands of eleven men who kept failing him. They were transformed.
I've seen all kinds of church problems. God's plan keeps moving forward in spite of that. The church will never be perfect. A marriage should be a safe place and so should the church. It's Community. 35,000 denominations in north America.
Emperors are trying to demolish the church but it is still here.
Jesus is coming back. Let's not get the journey mixed up with the destination. This is not my home. The cross was done for you. To live the Christian life can only be done with Christ in me.
Jesus knew that there would be horrible problems in the church.
He is coming back in power.
Do something great. Get lost in something bigger than you.

At The Oceania Beach Club

The wake-up view this morning.

Now we are off to church with Carlin and Marcia.

Florida Trip

Yesterday afternoon we decided to go to Florida after we found out our meeting in London ON was off. Turns out it might be on after all. Oh, well that's how it goes. I'll sign when I sign.
So far the trip has been waiting. Waiting for 2 hours in Winnipeg for the plane to arrive from MSP - then 2 hours more while they tried to fix the plane at G18. They couldn't fix it at the gate so they put us on the plane originally scheduled to go to Pheonix at 5:25. That meant they had to put the Pheonix people to another plane somewhere else. So we were 2 hours late leaving MSP and we'll be late getting to Orlando. Rent a car and drive to new Smyrna Beach where we rented a Condo right on the beach.
Tomorrow we go to church with Carlin and Marcia and lunch with them afterwards. I sure am looking forward to a few days of fellowship with them and some R&R on the beach.
We are planning to go home on Thursday and then to Ontario on Friday, if I still need to go.
Martha is reading the book ''Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of love" by Sue Johnson. My guess is that this is the best book ever written on the subject of marriage and the building of loving relationships. I highly recommend it for everyone.
I took a bunch of books along so I'll have lots to read while doing nothing.
They are showing the film "Smart Mr Fox" (something like that) on the flight. There are a few kids on board but not as many as usual. I suppose they are watching it.
I am writing this at 35,000 ft up, way above the silky clouds, with the sun painting the sky a hue of colors. I guess Renee gets a View a million times nicer than this every day. I miss her so much.

Relationships: restoring hope

Dave Ens www.Eastview.org

Relationship happens. celebrate the times you do agree. Stress happens. Conflicts happen. Things blow up. We expect too much sometimes from each other without giving anything back.
Assume I love you until further notice is a dumb policy. We need to nurture each other.
A personal encounter with Jesus brings a fullness into life that cannot be found elsewhere.
Hope comes from knowing agape love. When someone is pouring love into you, you can do anything.
How do you fill your loved ones? 5 love languages Gary Chapman talks about filling your love tank.
What is my love language? What is it for my loved ones?
Quality time - meaningful
Speak affirmations
Gifts of caring
Acts of service - freeing your loved one
Physical touch - holding hands, hugging, kissing
How and how often am I speaking that into my loved ones?
If you do this regularly you can walk through the tough times.
Build hope today.

It is TWO YEARS Today

It is TWO YEARS today, since we said farewell to Renee. I miss her incredibly. It truly is a pain that never goes away. It ebbs and flows and today is one of the never-ending excruciating pain days. Martha and I are going out for lunch in St Boniface and supper at her mom's. Justin and Alayna are working, so we'll have our family memorial time Saturday and Sunday.

Emotions are so mixed up today that I hardly know what to say. I guess this is my journaling outlet so here goes.

I wake up every morning with dry eyes so I have to put in eye-drops. When I do that, I think of Renee. During her last hospitalization with the chemo she got, her eyes were dry and she needed eye-drops. She had a tough time keeping her eyes open to let the drops fall in. I tried to teach her to look at the ceiling, ignore the eye dropper and let the drops fall in. She just could not do it, so I tried to coach her. That worked a little better, but mostly she ended up holding one eye open with one hand while squirting eye drops all over her eyes.

Martha had a depressing Dr appointment

Ten years ago we took our whole family to Europe and to Oberammergau for the Passion Play that happens every 10 years. We now have tickets for 6 (because they did not have a single room option) for May 17-19 and Renee will not be there. We will miss her. But that brings up the option of inviting someone to join us for those days in Germany. Any volunteers?

We are heading to Martha's mom for supper. She is always such a cheerer upper.