Announcements

Happy Easter

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Happy Easter

During this season we are passing through a global period of illness that has prevented us from joining together with others as is our tradition for Easter. While many are under  quarantine, houses of worship are not meeting so there are many ministry cancellations. Even so, God is true to His promises and all of us as Christians are connected by the Holy Spirit during this coronavirus pandemic. Our lives have been affected as we have faced social distancing, the closure of many businesses, and not being able to gather together to worship the Lord. Yet, God has spoken to us throughout the generations through the prophets of old telling us to take our place in preparation for the coming of the Lord. His message is “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, And the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the people: But the LORD shall arise upon thee, And his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising”. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

This month we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This followed the darkest time the Apostles were yet to face. They had entered triumphantly into Jerusalem with Jesus and days later, everything fell apart when He was taken. He was condemned to death, crucified and buried. That Passover, because the disciples did not believe the words of Jesus, were without hope, direction or plan. As the days went by, they wondered what would happen to them. The Word of God says “Then the same day (the day that Mary had found the empty tomb) at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord”. (John 20:19-20) Finally, they believed because they saw. “…Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Jesus’ appearance brought them new hope. They were about to understand the truths that Jesus had been trying to convey to them during His time on earth.

This was the message, “Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

No one expected the coronavirus. People are fearful, some are panicking, and many are behind closed doors as the best medical minds say we should do. Because of what has come upon the earth, those without Christ have no other recourse but to live in fear. However, as a believer, if you are fearful and panicking, don’t forget what your Father in Heaven has said. In His Word He tells us 365 times “to fear not”. You should rightfully so be concerned and take precautionary measures. Our walk with the Lord is one of faith, hope and trust, not fear, doubt and unbelief. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” (Psalm 46:1-5)

Remember: Not only this month, but at any time: proclaim to others that Jesus is Risen and has a plan and purpose for their lives to bring them hope as He did the disciples.

Devotions

Today If You Hear His Voice

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God has always been speaking and it has always been this message in Hebrews 4:2 “For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as those also did, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who heard it in faith”. The challenge for us is not that we cannot hear God, it is can we believe God? There is then a caution for us in Hebrews 3:12 “Watch out, brothers, lest there be in some of you an evil, unbelieving heart, with the result that you fall away from the living God”. This message is repeated three times in close succession in Hebrews 3:15 ‘while it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” which means, we are to trust God completely and rest in Him and he says, “Therefore, let us make every effort to enter into that rest” in Hebrews 4:11.

Consider Jesus

Hebrews 3:1–6

Today, If You Hear His Voice

Hebrews 3:7–11

God has always been speaking and just as he did in the past, he still speaks today by the Holy Spirit as it says in

Hebrews 3:7 (LEB) “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice” ’

but there is a caution to us and an example of people that missed God’s best because, while the heard the words, they did not believe God would fulfill them in

Hebrews 3:8–10 (LEB) “do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers tested me by trial and saw my works 10 for forty years. Therefore I was angry with this generation, and I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they do not know my ways.’

The example here is that when Moses came to the children of Israel in Egypt, he came with a promise that God was going to free them from their slavery and give them land as their inheritance. God did free them from slavery in Egypt but instead of pressing forward to receive the promise God had for them, the complained and “rebelled” acting on their circumstance rather than on God’s promises. God says of them, “they did not know my ways”. This is instruction for us, that we must learn God’s ways and this isn’t burdensome, in fact, Jesus said it was easy and that if we do, we would find rest in

Matthew 11:29–30 (LEB) “Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light”.

Encourage One Another Day By Day

Hebrews 3:12–19

We Also Have Had The Good News Proclaimed To Us

Hebrews 4:1–5

We have received the gospel that frees us from slavery to sin. Through Jesus Christ, we are made righteous and He delegated to us His authority in

John 16:23–24 (LEB) “And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete”.

and sealed us (gave us) the Holy Spirit with gifts and power to confirm God’s word with signs following so we could live in this age.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (LEB) “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for what is beneficial to all”.

Since we have God’s promises, since we have authority through the name of Jesus, since we have this anointing and power by the Holy Spirit, we now understand this statement in

Hebrews 4:1–2 (LEB) Therefore let us fear, while there remains a promise of entering into his rest, that none of you appear to fall short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as those also did, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who heard it in faith.

All of that great promise and power can fall to the ground unfulfilled unless we united with God and each other in faith.

The Word of God Is Living And Active

Hebrews 4:6–13

The message here is about those that did not “enter in” even though “the good news was proclaimed” in

Hebrews 4:6 (LEB) “Since therefore it remains for some to enter into it, and the ones to whom the good news was proclaimed previously did not enter because of disobedience”

and these are described as hard-hearted, rebellious, not having faith, not knowing God’s ways though, for them, their shoes did not wear out, they were fed quail from heaven and manna from heaven and water poured out from a rock, they still struggled and could not believe that God was doing em what he had promised. For us, he says “Therefore, let us make every effort to enter into that rest” in Hebrews 4:11 and he means, let us trust completely in God to perform His word on our behalf because he knows our thoughts in

Hebrews 4:12 (LEB) “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart”.

Let Us Approach With Confidence To The Throne

Hebrews 4:14–16

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Hebrews 3:1-19
  • Hebrews 4:1-16
Matthew 17:1–5
And after six days Jesus took along Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothing became bright as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. So Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here! If you want, I will make here three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Announcements

St. Patrick’s Day 2020

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

Each month has its own special days, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and events that we want to commemorate or celebrate. This month – March – is a month when we remember the life of a man that had a tremendous impact for good. This man had such a great influence that he changed an entire nation. His life began, as we would hope, with a happy family. According to the genealogy site, GENI, he was born in today’s Scotland to a well-established family and looked forward to a good future with the innocent hope of a child. And if we were writing this story, we would see him mature and succeed as he fulfilled all this potential. But as so often happens, this isn’t his story. At the age of 16 when Maewyn Succat was just beginning to establish himself as a man, he was taken, captured by raiders, and sold into slavery in Ireland. In a moment, life as he had known it, was gone. His future was gone, his family was gone, and he was alone in a foreign land.

Instead of following in his father’s footsteps, he spent six bleak years as a captive herdsman. This might easily have been his end. How many times has this happened as a child’s life has taken a tragic turn through circumstances beyond their control leaving them hopeless? Although he had been robbed of his youth, lost friends and siblings, the love of his mother, and the nurture and guidance of his father, he turned to God. He later writes in Confessio (one of his few surviving documents) that he had begun to offer “up to 100 prayers a day, and in the night, a like number.” He prayed as he “stayed out in the forest and on the mountain” and before daylight in “the snow, in icy coldness, in rain.” He found a personal relationship with God, the Father that he needed, and one that cared for his soul when no one else heard the cry of his heart. Then this young man, now in his early 20’s “heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he ran to a port, 200 miles away, he says, where he found the ship” and persuaded the captain to take him back home along with others.

No one knew he was returning and there was no one to greet him. It is said that after three days’ sailing, they landed, and walking for 28 days in a “wilderness” became faint from hunger. After he urged them to put their faith in God, he prayed for sustenance and they encountered a herd of wild boar which they killed and ate. This miracle caused them to come to Christ. Maewyn experienced the power of God’s deliverance. He was reunited to his family. He then studied in Britain and was ordained to the priesthood. His life had been restored and the time of abduction and slavery was behind him. Yet, the abuse of slavery was still with him and his Confessio tells of a dream in which he was given a letter with the heading “The Voice of the Irish”. As he read it, he seemed to hear a certain company of Irish beseeching him to walk once more among them. “Deeply moved”, he says, “I could read no more”. He had received a call to return to Ireland, but because of the shortcomings of his education, he was reluctant for a long time to respond. How many of us have allowed our shortcomings or the wounds from our past to stand in the way of the work that God has for us. Finally, he responded and returned to Ireland filled with the Spirit of God and confident in the Lord. He journeyed far and wide baptizing and confirming with untiring zeal.

Because of this man and his impact, we celebrate March 17th as Saint Patrick’s Day. It is this man that became a father to the nation of Ireland. Britannica describes Saint Patrick as “patron saint and national apostle of Ireland”. Maewyn Succat seemed to have lost everything but said “Never before did they know of God except to serve idols and unclean things. But now, they have become the people of the Lord, and are called children of God. The sons and daughters of the leaders of the Irish are seen to be monks and virgins of Christ!”

Devotions

So Great A Salvation

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God has been speaking to men through the ages. Yet, men from the time of Adam and Eve have known they are separated from Him so he spoke through a few as he says in Hebrews 1:1 “Although God spoke long ago in many parts and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets” but when Jesus Christ came into the world, he came, the son of God, yet flesh and blood just as we are to destroy death and the accuser, the devil in Hebrews 2:14 (LEB) “Therefore, since the children share in blood and flesh, he also in like manner shared in these same things, in order that through death he could destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil”. He did this through and “purification for sins” in Hebrews 1:2 that opened the way so we are now reconciled to God. This work that Jesus did for us, this great salvation, in Hebrews 2:3–4 (LEB) “had its beginning when it was spoken through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 while God was testifying at the same time by signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will”.

He Has Spoken To Us By A Son

Hebrews 1:1–4

God has spoken through the ages by His prophets in

Hebrews 1:1 (LEB) “Although God spoke long ago in many parts and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets”

In the time before Jesus Christ, God was always separated from the people and in the Holy of Holy behind the veil. People still think of God in this way, separated from them with an intermediary such as a prophet or priest between us and God. At that time, it was only the high priest that could approach God and then only once a year. But now God has spoken through Jesus Christ in

Hebrews 1:2 (LEB) “in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world”

What Jesus said as he walked the earth is the will of the Father and now, Jesus Christ has taken His place at the right hand of the Father and torn the veil so that we can come boldly to the throne where God is in

Hebrews 4:16 (LEB) “Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.

You Are My Son

Hebrews 1:5–14

So Great A Salvation

Hebrews 2:1–4

Here it says “because of this”, because of the great work that God the Father has done in Jesus Christ, the world and “purification for sins” in Hebrews 1:2 through him and establishing Jesus Christ above the angels, “a more excellent name than theirs in Hebrews 1:4. Because of this last promise to “Sit down at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” in Hebrews 1:13 now it is “all the more necessary” in

Hebrews 2:1 (LEB) “Because of this, it is all the more necessary that we pay attention to the things we have heard, lest we drift away”.

It is not just great salvation, but God has testified to its truth, God has confirmed it with “signs and wonders” in

Hebrews 2:3–4 (LEB) “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which had its beginning when it was spoken through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 while God was testifying at the same time by signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will”.

What Is Man That You Remember Him

Hebrews 2:5–9

Bringing Many Sons to Glory

Hebrews 2:10–18

Jesus took on flesh, just like us so that none could ever say that God does not know what this mortal existence was like. He did know, he does know the slavery caused by the fear of death in

Hebrews 2:15 (LEB) “and could set free these who through fear of death were subject to slavery throughout all their lives”.

Jesus experienced living in the world, he experienced death and because he did, he was able to destroy the “power of death” in

Hebrews 2:14 (LEB) “Therefore, since the children share in blood and flesh, he also in like manner shared in these same things, in order that through death he could destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil”

Jesus tasted death for everyone and freed us, saved us from the penalty of sin and death in

Hebrews 2:10 (LEB) “For it was fitting for him for whom are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings”.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Hebrews 1:1-14
  • Hebrews 2:1-18
Luke 9:18–22
And it happened that while he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but others, Elijah, and others, that one of the ancient prophets has risen.” And he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” But he warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “It is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised on the third day.
Devotions

That the Word of the Lord May Progress

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That You May be Considered Worthy of the Calling

2 Thessalonians 1:1–12

They Did Not Accept the Love of the Truth

2 Thessalonians 2:1–12

God Has Chosen You as First Fruits

2 Thessalonians 2:13–17

That the Word of the Lord May Progress

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5

Working with Quietness, Eat Your Own Bread

2 Thessalonians 3:6–15

May the Lord of Peace Grant You Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16–18

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
John 6:35
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty again”.
Devotions

The Day of the Lord is Coming

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I Sent in Order to Know Your Faith

1 Thessalonians 3:1–5

Stand Firm in the Lord

1 Thessalonians 3:6–13

This is the Will of God, Your Sanctification

1 Thessalonians 4:1–8

We Urge You, Brothers, to Progress Even More

1 Thessalonians 4:9–12

The Dead in Christ Will Rise First

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

The Day of the Lord is Coming

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

Always Pursue Good Toward One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:12–28

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”