“This is that!”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 31, October 19, 2008

ACTS 2:12 What does this mean?
ACTS 2:37 This is that!
ACTS 2:12 What will we do?
Over 5,000 kilometers wide, Canada’s 10 provinces and three
territories are home to 31 million residents. This is a typical Sunday morning in Anytown, Canada. Our local churches are having a morning service as per usual of most of the 20,000 Christian church services across this great land. The people respectfully listen to earnest preachers. They may not be particularly stirred, but they don’t fall asleep. Soon every one will leave the church building with a sense, a comfortable sense of having done their duty.

I can’t help wonder, if we really believe the glorious things men and women of God preach about, those wonderful truths we’ve gathered here to talk about. If we really believed would we go out so lifelessly?
Erhard said something Tuesday morning that hit me…. “People need to stop acting like Christians and just be Christians”.
After all, if 2000 years ago there lived on this earth a Man who was also God, if He was all He claimed to be and if He did all the record says He did, shouldn’t we be excited about it?
So how do we get back the lost radiance of Christian faith? Strange thing about Christians, we’re afraid not to give something to the cause of Christ, yet we’re equally afraid to give it everything. Yet, if it is worth anything, isn’t worth everything.
If we’re not going to live out our faith, let’s take down our sign.
The Early Church met the same kinds of problems we face today, the same combination of opportunity and opposition.
One big difference - then the church was in conflict with outside forces; now she is in a compromise with them.
Sadduceeism: The Sadducees denied the resurrection. We call them modernists, but modernism is not modern; it is older than dirt. We’ve had it ever since men first doubted God's Word.
But the Church today is not meeting Sadduceeism as the Early Church met it. Then it was outside the Church; now it is inside, even in pulpits, where we are told that the Bible merely contains God's Word.
Pharisaism: The Early Church met pharisaism. That was ritualism, form without force. Once again, what was outside the Church then is inside now. “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.”
The Drop Dead Couple: The Early Church encountered Ananias and Sapphira. Their sin didn’t lie in giving part or in keeping part but in pretending that they gave the whole. The Church was at such a height of rightness, that liars couldn’t stand it. If we had spiritual purity like that in our fellowships there’d be corpses everywhere.
Sadly today, men with fingers crossed, one hand behind their backs, sing, “I surrender all.”
Although we’ve had many courses in stewardship and have been told countless times that we are not our own but are bought with a price, we still withhold from God our time, talents and money.
Above all we hold back ourselves.
Persecution: The Early Church met persecution. Peter and John forbidden to preach in the Name of Jesus, had the church pray for more boldness, the thing that got them into trouble in the first place.
From then on, the path of the church was a path of blood and fire, but “the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church”. The church always has prospered in persecution but suffered in prosperity.
Vance Havnar speaking of the church said, “She is secure in danger but endangered by security. She has always been rich when poor, and poor when rich. She has had least treasure in heaven when she has had most money in the bank.”
Idolatry: The Early Church met idolatry. In Athens Paul saw only a city given to idolatry. They listened until he came to the resurrection and repentance and then, like many in the 20th century, they smiled him away. Paul left Athens, never to return.
He went back to places where he was persecuted, but he had no time to waste on the mild, intellectual curiosity which we court so fervently today.
Demonism: The Early Church met demonism in Philippi and Ephesus. Paul, as usual, had a head-on collision. If you think our cities are any better today you don't know our cities.
But the church today is not meeting it as Paul met it; we try to handle it with psychiatry instead of preaching. Have we forgotten that “Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.”
There are congregations a plenty of whom it can be said, as far as experience goes, “We’ve not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit.”
No matter what the Early Church met, she met it triumphantly.
What is wrong with us that we don’t follow her example?
How do we recapture the lost radiance?
We too often dismiss these things by saying, “there's nothing we can do about it."
Is that true? Is there nothing we can do about it?
Are we supposed to accept conditions as they are, fold our hands, and say, “Let well enough alone; it could be worse?”
There was a reason for the radiance of the Early Church, that reason was Pentecost.
Two questions were asked by the people who looked on that day: “What does this mean?” and “What shall we do?”
Today we try to reverse the order. We are trying to make men ask, “What must I do to be saved?” before they have seen enough in our churches to make them inquire: “What does this mean?”
We are pushing for evangelism without revival. When people are once again amazed by a church filled with the Spirit, then we may expect them to ask further as to the way of salvation.
“What does this mean?” they asked. Peter said, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.” Joel was a revivalist. He called first for A SWEEPING REVIVAL.
It was a call to all ages. Preachers were included in Joel's call: “Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep . . .”
What is needed today is a stirring of God's Spirit among all ages, all groups, in pulpit and pew. We need to weep not just for the lost, but that God’s reputation has been slammed!
God wants a broken and contrite heart. Nehemiah wept. Paul warned men night and day with tears. Jesus wept.
People are by-passing the Church today and saying, “Where is this Holy Spirit you talk about?”
May we seek revival, for the right reason, not for growth of our programs or more dollars in the offering. but for God's sake. For the honor of His Name, that the world may no longer pass by and jeer.
After the Church has her lost joy restored and is upheld afresh by the Spirit, transgressors will be taught God's ways and sinners be converted. Psalm 51
The Church will not get on its feet, until it first gets on its knees.

Ezekiel said, “The Spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet.”

After we have repented and are Spirit-filled, we shall stand on our feet in testimony and men shall first ask, “What does this mean?” and then, “What shall we do?”

“Thanks!”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 30, October 12, 2008

Psalm 100:4 Enter His Gates With ThanksgivingWe are gathered together today to count our God blessings. We are gathered together to give thanks to our God Who has provided us with life itself!Listen to what the psalmist says: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs… Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
A little boy went to a birthday party. On his return, his mother queried, "Bobby, did you thank the lady for the party?" "Well, I was going to. But a girl ahead of me said, 'Thank you,' and the lady told her not to mention it. So I didn't."
Of course we should always say thanks to our host or hostess. This is true for God too. When it comes to thanking God, we can't remain silent and we must not remain silent.The psalmist tells us to rejoice in the Lord. We are to shout for joy to the Lord. We are called to serve Him with gladness. We are urged to come before Him with joyful songs. We’re to be filled with an enthusiastic, overflowing joy.In the Hebrew, joy or rejoicing is an inward emotion that simply has to express itself as praise to and for God!
The Old Testament shows God’s people were filled with joy they couldn’t help but come into God's presence with clapping, singing, shouting, and dancing.
Joy, all joy, expresses itself in praise!
Though joyful thanks is to be given in all of life, it is especially worship that the psalmist has in mind: Serve the Lord ... come before him ... Enter his gates ... and his courts.
Our life is to be a time of joyful thanks. Thanks Living!
Why? The psalmist tell us: For the Lord is good ... Good is a word so common we use it without thinking. "How was work?" Good "How you doing?" Good “How’s supper?” Good We use the word a lot, but what does it mean?God is good, says Scripture. God is good; He wants to share Himself, His life, His love, with others.
When we read through the first chapter of Genesis we come across that word good 7 times. Not only is God good; God saw all that he had made, and it was very good Genesis 1:31On this Thanksgiving Day we rejoice in our God Who has shared His goodness with us by giving us life itself.
God is good. He satisfies us, fills us to the brim, and meets our God created needs.
God is good. He satisfies the needs of all His creatures. We all can testify that God satisfies our need for shelter, food, drink, clothing, fellowship.God is good. He satisfies our biggest and greatest need.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1,2
God Himself is our biggest and greatest need. That is why the Psalmist can say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing Psalm 23:1
David probably wrote this while out in the wilderness. He may have lacked food, drink, clothing, shelter, safety, and or protection. Yet, he said he lacked nothing. Why?
Because he had the Lord and in that he had the most important thing in life. Having the Lord, nothing else is really needed.
He who has the Lord, lacks nothing.God is good. He satisfies our need for Himself.To satisfy this need, our need for Him, God had to come to us in Christ.
There was a time that man could come to God without Christ. In fact, there was a time when he lived, talked and walked with God. He was so completely in God that he had no knowledge of life without God.
This wasn’t a religious thing - it was completely natural!
But then came man’s fall into sin and man became incapable of coming to God on his own. Man was incapable of satisfying the deepest need of his heart – fellowship with and in God.
So God sent His son Christ Jesus. Christ took on human form, He died on the cross and rose from the grave so that we could once again have fellowship with God, satisfying the deepest need of our heart.
On this Thanksgiving Day we rejoice in our God Who shared His goodness with us by satisfying our need for Himself in and through Jesus.God is good. He is so good. God is loving and faithful in His goodness. His love endures forever; his faithfulness through all generations, says the Psalmist.
This means that God continues to share Himself with us, He continues to satisfy all our needs. He is always good.
Our God is good. He is so good. That is why the Psalmist says, Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Our God is good. He is so good. That is why the Psalmist says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
The Lord is good. He is so good.
Only one response is possible: we must now give Him our joyful thanks, by thanks living!

“Caught In The Act!”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 29, October 5, 2008

This is one of the most contested texts, one of the most beloved texts and one of the most misunderstood texts in the Bible. It is a contested text because it doesn’t show up in any of the earliest and best manuscripts. Look at your footnotes. On top of that, it’s language and style doesn’t fit the book of John. Fact is, you can skip this story, and jump from John 7:52 to John 8:12 with perfect coherence. Actually, it’s more like Luke’s style and one ancient Bible version has this story at Luke 21:38 (check it out and see how it works there).

Normally modern scholars would simply throw it out as an early church invention. But it’s not the sort of story the church would invent. So, most everyone agrees, whether it’s at the beginning of John 8, or in Luke, or in a footnote, this story belongs in the Bible.

In eleven compact verses, we have a story of unsurpassed drama, wisdom, grace, and beauty.

Jesus is teaching in the temple area. There’s suddenly a ruckus as a group of prominent men, scribes and Pharisees, drag in a woman and stand her before Jesus. Imagine her, tear-streaked face, eyes cast down, absolutely terrified. Pointing at her, the sneering men make their charge, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. What do you say?” Now this is an interesting for several reasons. First, being “caught in the act” was absolutely necessary. The law stated that in order to bring this charge there had to be at least two witnesses, which, when you think of it is hard to do without some kind of sting operation. There’s a smell of a set up. But even more interesting is the fact that only the woman gets convicted here. Leviticus 20 states: “If a man (note the emphasis) commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death.” So my question is “Where is the man?”

Now folks, I may not be the smartest guy on the block but far as I can tell, adultery is not something one does in splendid isolation.
Did he somehow manage to escape? Or was this another case of the double standard? In fact, then and now, women endure severe social consequences for their sexual sins, while men get away with a permissive wink; boys being boys and all of that crap.

Of course, if this was a sting, the Pharisees may have let the guy off with a handshake, thanking him for his assistance, the woman being no more than a pawn in their plan to get Jesus. Bottom line was, they wanted to get Jesus into a no-win situation. If Jesus let’s her off the hook, he’s soft on sin and adultery, playing fast and loose with the law of Moses. If Jesus condemns her, he risks offending the Roman authorities who have to give their own permission for any capital punishment, as the Sanhedrin had to do with Jesus. But as many others find out, when you set a trap for Jesus, you risk falling into it yourself. The crowd leaning in listens with great interest.

They glare at the woman apparently pulled straight from her bed. They watch for a reaction from Jesus. What Jesus does has been analyzed in depth. He writes with his finger on the ground. Believe it or not, someone actually figured out what He wrote.

One ingenious scholar has figured out how many Hebrew letters one could write within an average arm reach, and came up with 19 characters, which happens to fit exactly a relevant passage from Exodus 23:1 Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Isn’t it amazing what you can discover when you let someone loose with a text and a PhD? I also think that it is important, that He wrote with His finger. As you may remember the law was carved in stone with God’s very finger. Here is God incarnate, carving a new law into human history. Perhaps He was just doodling, buying time, cooling off what could well be described as a lynch mob.

You must admit it sure raises the tension level in the story. They all wait, the woman, the accusers, and the crowd standing by, while the question hangs heavy in the air, “Now, what do you say?”
Jesus looks up from his writing and speaks. He goes with the law. “Go ahead and stone her.” But he adds one conscience-shattering provision that turns everything upside down: “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” This is where the misunderstanding I mentioned in the beginning comes in. This saying of Jesus has been both well used and abused. Jesus is not saying that we sinners can’t form judgments about the actions of others. That would make the administration of human justice impossible, because not one of us is without sin. None of us can ever “throw the first stone” in judgment of someone else.

How can we, who have entertained lustful thoughts, judge the sin of adultery. How can we, who have hated others, judge the sin of murder? From the mouth of Jesus, it makes perfect sense, but when some corrupt politician or some caught-with-his-pants-down preacher comes up with this as a defense, it doesn’t ring true, does it. Sinners though we are, we sometimes have to make difficult judgments about our own and other people’s behavior. But Jesus wants to make sure we face our own soul in the process. When Jesus says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin throw the first stone,” he tilts us in the direction of mercy rather than prideful judgment. Suddenly we see the beam in our own eye. In making our judgments, we must do so mercifully, deeply mindful that our own sins stand under God’s judgment as well. The woman’s accusers resurface today… we want longer prison sentences for first offenders. We want ‘three strikes and you're out,’ a ‘throw-away-the-key’ approach to smalltime repeaters whose harm has been only to themselves. We want the rebels reduced to nothing. We want law and order.”Go ahead, there are lots of people out there, struggling trying hurting, failing. Feel free to hunt them down. Grind them under. Count them out. Throw them away. Go ahead. Throw the first stone. After his startling words, Jesus bent down for some more writing on the ground, while his words land like a pebble in a pond, sending a ripple of reality through the crowd. One by one they drop their rocks and go home; interestingly, from the oldest to the youngest.

I would hope that the older we get, the more we would sense our own need for mercy, because then we will be more likely to offer it to others. Finally, Jesus looks up, and they’re all gone. It’s just Jesus and the woman: the sinful woman and the sinless one, or as St. Augustine put it so wonderfully, misery and mercy. He straightened up. Where are your accusers?
They’re all gone, Lord. “Neither do I condemn you.”

Jesus, the only one in the whole world who, according to his own criterion, had the perfect moral standing to throw the first stone, refuses. While this is unbelievably good news for the woman, I wonder about her betrayed husband and family.

Adultery has incredible fallout. The anger and hurt. Worlds are totally upended, trust is devastated. How can Jesus forgive him or her so freely?” Because that’s what Jesus came to do. As it says earlier in John, “God sent his son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

Or as Paul puts it so wonderfully in Romans 8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The only one who could be our perfect accuser has become our perfect savior, by taking the condemnation on his own soul. Notice something else here. She says nothing.
There’s no, “I’m sorry.” No, “I’ll never do it again.”
Not even, “I’ve made a mess of things.” Not a word of remorse. Which reminds us again; our repentance, isn’t the condition for forgiveness, it’s the consequence. It is all grace-- wonderful, free grace. But it is not cheap. It wasn’t cheap for Jesus to win, nor is it cheap for us to live. “Go and don’t sin any more.” Yeah, and that’s going to happen. No, we’ll be back again, standing in front of Jesus, condemned by self, or condemned by others. And again, he will say, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.

Many of us struggle in one-way or another with the nagging voice of guilt. It’s as though a band of scribes and Pharisees lurk in the corners of our soul ready to remind us of those actions or thoughts for which we are ashamed.

But if you listen to the gentle voice of Jesus you will hear, “I do not condemn you.” This is the voice of God’s mercy in Jesus Christ.
If you listen to that voice coming from the center of your soul, and if you trust in it, you will find peace. And when the other voices fight for your attention again, as they will, just return to that gentle, powerful, voice from the center until the other voices stop, and the rocks drop.

Having faced the real misery of your sin, and its effects in your life and others, the next words will sound more and more like grace too, “Go and sin no more.”

Jesus will be right there with you by the power of his Spirit on that sometimes long and winding road to spiritual wholeness.

“Is Jesus Your Everything!”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 28, September 28, 2008

I want to declare to you as the Apostle Paul declared in the Colossians that "Christ is all and in all.” Christ was everything to Paul. To the Corinthians he had written, I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. To the Galatians he wrote: God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to the Philippians he declared, To me to live is Christ.

Today’s Christians seem to put Jesus in a box, either in Palestine a long time ago or now at the Father's right hand. We need Paul's vision - to see Christ past, present, and future. If Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and Ending, Author and Finisher of our faith, if by Him all things consist, it would follow that everything centers and converges in Him. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by him and for him Colossians 1:16
How many Christians ever think of Christ as the One by whom all things are created, as C0lossians puts it; by whom all things were made: as John puts it; by whom God made the worlds, as Hebrews put it?

By Him redemption consists. In order to conform men to the image of His Son, God gave His Son. There is no salvation in any other.

By Him the Gospel consists. The Gospel is simply the good news about Jesus, that He came, died, and rose again. It is not a program, plan, or philosophy that saves, but a Person.

By Him the church consists. God gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all Ephesians 1:22,23

By Him true doctrine consists. Some Christians become disciples of a phrase, playing a one string banjo. For example, Some get off on a tangent on sanctification. But sanctification, strictly speaking, is not just a doctrine it is Christ Himself. I Corinthians 1:30

Spurgeon said, "Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness."
Better still, Christ is our holiness.

Some make the Holy Spirit the figurehead of movements, but the Spirit testifies not of Himself but of Christ John 15:26 In that classic passage regarding the Holy Spirit, John 7:37-39, it is Jesus who is at the center of the stage: If any man thirst, let him come to ME and drink. He that believes on ME, as the scripture has said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. This spoke HE of the Spirit which they that believe on HIM should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that JESUS was not yet glorified.

Any supposed experience of the Spirit that draws attention to itself and not to Christ is not to be trusted.

By Him the resurrection consists. Jesus said to Martha, Your brother shall rise again. She said, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Martha was orthodox, but she needed to move from the doctrinal to the personal. So Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

The resurrection is not something to believe, but Someone to believe.

By Him faith consists. It is not the quantity or the quality but the object of our faith that matters. Saving faith is faith in Christ, not just things about Christ. It is not faith in our faith, but a faith in our Christ.

By Him all Christian experience consist. The Christian life is simply Christ, the indwelling and outliving Christ. To me to live is Christ The victorious life is just more of Christ and less of self. He is our Life, not just a teacher of how to live.

By Him separation consists. He is the Great Divider, who came not to send peace, but a sword, and He in fact must separate us. Separation is not just quitting things, it is going to HIM, outside the camp bearing HIS reproach. When He was on earth, there was often a division of the people on account of Him, and He still divides men today. But this should not be confused with those who cause division among us. They are to be watched out for and avoided.

Let me ask you a question; What is the main thing about the Lord's return?
It is the Lord. Some are merely looking for an event, rather than for a person.

By Him Christian fellowship consists. Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ I John 1:3 The mark of true fellowship is love to all the saints, which springs from faith in Jesus Colossians 1:4 By Him our testimony consists. We are His witnesses, not His lawyers. We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. Simon Peter comes to Jesus because Andrew goes after him with a testimony.

By Him our fruitfulness consists. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing John 15:5

It is not what is done for Him, but, by Him that counts.

I wonder how much church activity really comes from Him? We need to get our eyes off our efficiency and on His sufficiency.

By Him the answer to every situation or need consists. God has promised to supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Jesus. If we need victory we can reign in life through Christ. If we need peace, the peace of God will garrison our hearts through Christ Jesus. If we need wisdom, He is our wisdom. If we need strength, we can do all things through Christ.

By Him the future consists. It is not just about going to heaven, it is about being WITH CHRIST. It is His presence that makes heaven so glorious. And it is separation from Him that is hell's worst feature. My dear friends - I wish I could convey this incredible message to you in such a clear and simple way that we all would get it all!

Jesus is to be our everything. It is in our looking to Him - not in a backward over the shoulder glance or in a futuristic hope so - it is in our looking to Him right now as He is here this very moment in time, that life itself will make sense.

A little girl was struggling to put together a ripped torn up map of the United States, discovered that on the reverse side was a picture of George Washington and that by putting his picture together she also assembled the map, illustrates a profounder truth.

Nothing can be assembled, either one's life or the universe, apart from Christ. But when we know Him everything else will find its place….. for by Him all things consist!

"The Mary And Martha Story"

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 27, September 21, 2008

Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Lets look into this a bit.

Martha is not faulted for her service. Many feel a secret sympathy for Martha. I mean, Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home. Martha gave the invitation of hospitality knowing full well it would mean work.

Being hospitable is hard work. But she seemed ok with it.

Let’s be honest, if not for the Martha's of this world, not much would get done. Interestingly this story comes right after the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Now why would that be? Wasn’t Martha being a neighbor to Jesus and the Disciples? Jesus doesn’t fault Martha for her service. I believe what he does pick up on is her attitude.

The “Resentful Good Samaritan”.
Good service with a bad spirit is bad service.
Jesus finds a problem with the spirit of her service.

That Martha was irritated is an understatement. Her outburst ruins the party for her, for Mary, and for their special company.

Martha was like many type “A” personalities; she may have thought, “Someone’s got to do it and well, I’ll do it if there is no one else. It has to be done - one way or the other.”Martha must have been shocked when Jesus cut across her huffing and puffing and corrected her attitude.

Jesus said, Mary had chosen the better part. Think about that.

It seems ministry to our spirit must precede ministry to others. In effect he said to Martha - Don’t just do something - sit there! Learn from me, let me serve your soul.Service motivated and energized by God’s Spirit and done with the right attitude will last and bring glory to God.

I believe there are times when God says, "Don't just do something, sit there." There are times God wants us to be quiet, to be still and seek Him.

Am I seeing this right? You don’t tell people just to sit there!

Most churches have enough pew sitters, some having sat for years. Most organizations struggle to get people to volunteer.

Rather than telling people to sit there they are running around trying to find people to fill the gaps. Sometimes the methods they use manipulate us through guilt.

Service because of guilt causes burn out and all too often, bitterness.
We are a family, a new community that is meant to model in our life the purposes of God.

This is meant to be a healthy incubator for people to grow in Christ and die to God’s glory. So there are times when we have to say to each other —“Don’t just Do something - Sit there!” Refresh. Renew. Receive.God must do something in us before we do something for Him.

Take the example of Nehemiah. He was involved in the most radical and successful building project Israel had ever seen. For 90 years they had tried to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and had failed. Then along came Nehemiah and in 90 days, walking in God’s will, they had the job virtually completed.But what is often missed in the account of Nehemiah is before he was engaged in exhausting activity he sat still. He prayed and sought the Lord. First, he allowed God to do something in him. While he was waiting he developed a plan and was ready for action.
Often we tend to develop a plan, then ask God to bless it and head off on our merry way. To this Jesus says, “Don’t just do something - sit there.” Seek Me, think it through, plan carefully and consider the options.Let the Lord do something in you before you do something for Him. Then you’ll maintain your vision and your passion for the task. You’ll have the fortitude and stick ability to see it through.
You will have the conviction that this is God’s will and although there may be obstacles, you’ll see it through.

Some years ago a young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. "That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." The young man stepped forward and skilfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "Start Monday!" Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your pay cheque on the way out today." Startled, he replied, "I thought you paid on Friday." "Normally we do," answered the foreman, "but we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday." "But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"

The foreman, sensing the boy's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your axe?"

The young man replied, "I've been working too hard to take the time."

How often do we work harder and harder spiritually only to find we are less and less fruitful.

It time to hear the words, “Don’t just do something. Sit there and let the Lord minister to you.”

Sharpen your axe. Sharpen yourself spiritually; rekindle that edge, renew your strength.
Please note, there is certainly a time and place for diving in with both feet, for taking on whatever task is in front of us.

We continue to appreciate firefighters who storm headlong into buildings, rescue workers who dive into raging waters, trained military who without thinking about it, answer the call.

Many of us have a voice in our heads screaming at us, "Don't just stand there, do something." But we who care about caring for others can lose more than ourselves in “our doing”, we can lose the ability to give ourselves away for the necessary long haul, for a world of pain and need beyond today’s headlines.

Friends when the rescue workers go home, when the funeral flowers fade, when the get well-visits get missed in the third round of chemo, some of us will still be called to be there.

The daily grind of caring takes its toll. If you find yourself pulling away from the needs of people. If you shut off the TV news, if you let the answering machine pick up phone calls from a friend, let me suggest that you find some stillness, even solitude.

"Don't just do something, stand there."
Pause to listen and pause to feel. Pause to pray and take stock of yourself and your resources. Do only what really needs doing.

In our much doing, we lose perspective, lose our energy, and more importantly, lose our creativity and sense of humor.

We thus begin to carry the world on our shoulders and soon become overwhelmed or disillusioned. Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

We after being renewed spiritually can again enter our world to “do it right”.

"Unchurched Dick and Jane"

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 27 September 14, 2008

Unchurched Dick and Jane are like most other Canadians. Fighting traffic, paying rent or mortgages, desperately trying to scratch out a living in today’s uncertain economy. They are "nice" people but probably haven’t been to a church for a few years, except to attend weddings and funerals. They are the basically unchurched.

As Christians, we are expected, sometime, somehow, somewhere, to share our faith with people like Dick and Jane.

Truth be told if Jesus lives inside us, we have little choice.
The apostle Paul shows us to be part of God’s plan. II Corinthians 5:17-19

God has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
Committed: - to give in trust or charge, consign, to entrust

God has reconciled the world in Christ, but the task of proclaiming that reconciliation goes to us!
Paul gives our spiritual job description: We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. II Corinthians 5:20

God makes His appeal to this hurting world through us, in our circle of influence ….. a humbling assignment!

Although the skeptic may blow off your doctrine or argue your theology, they cannot honestly ignore your life story. You walking out your new life in Christ is a powerful undeniable message! There is great power in personal testimony!

The atheist may stop his ears to the words of a preacher or the pleadings of an evangelist, but they are somehow attracted to the human-interest story of how you found peace within.
What do you think about “Friendship Evangelism,” what I mean by that is, forming close friendships with non-Christians.

Do you know what they accused Jesus of? They accused Him of being a friend of sinners. I think that we ought to have friendships with sinners. How else are we going to win them to Christ?

The greatest soil for Evangelism is friendship.

Jesus came healing, meeting people at their deepest point of need with mercy and love. He built relationships. I mean, standing on a corner screaming at a bunch of strangers isn't nearly as effective as a friendship. The good-news according to you, is one of the best ways to reach the lost.

Friendship evangelism works long after the hit and run evangelists have come and gone. blows in, blows up, blows out! We are best able to influence those closest to us, mainly because we have more credibility than with complete strangers.

Share about your heart transplant. Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you.. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Share your life enthusiastically, passionately and consistently.

The results are not up to you, but the presentation sure is!

You may not win everyone you share with over to the Lord’s side, and that is ok. Consider, Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One responded, one didn’t. Usually, it is a bad personal experience that turns unchurched Dick and Jane off of Christianity. An abusive minister, legalism or worse yet conflict with someone in the church.

Here is where your personal example comes into play. Most people you share your faith with will listen to the gospel according to you. You don’t even need to know how to read or write to be an effective ambassador for Christ.

Your credentials are: how you live your Christian life as employees, neighbors and family members.

Real-life events can bring great witness opportunities.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. I Peter 3:15

The best evangelism is intimate, up-close, one-on-one and face to face!

Perhaps Mary, the receptionist, will tearfully confide to you that her husband is leaving her for another woman. Or maybe, your neighbor Ted, leaning over the fence, breaks the news that his father has cancer.

These are real issues of life. They are opportunities to reflect Jesus.
WWJHMD? (What would Jesus have me do)

Verbalize your feelings
Communicate heart-to-heart as well as head-to-head
Tell them you’ll pray for them and be sure to do so

In some situations, it may be appropriate to pray then and there, asking God for wisdom, healing, strength, faith or peace.

You may want to share a favorite verse. You may share a personal experience but be careful not to “one-up” them.

As much as possible use THE WORD. You look it up and get them to read it. God’s Word can calm people. Sometimes that’s all that people in crisis need.

· Be Discerning. (Personal Space) Go only as deep as the person allows. Unchurched people are not really expecting you to be a theologian. Tell in your own words what God has done.

· Be Christ-like. Be the kind of person people can respect and confide in. Be known for going the extra mile at work and elsewhere. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be consistently open, honest and concerned.

· Be Bold. Don’t be afraid to tell people: you’ll be praying for them. Offer to pray with them right then and there.

· Be Real. Don’t pretend to know what they are going through or feeling. Above all, don’t treat people like some project - be their friend, get involved in their life.

· Follow up. This shows you really are interested. A card or a gift is a concrete way of letting people know you care. Our world is starving for spiritual connection. With God’s help we can be ambassadors of healing.

John 4:6-30 Jesus meets with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He talks of living water, the woman asks, Sir, give me this water. The woman then leaves her water pot, runs into the city, inviting people to come, meet the Christ... And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.”

John 4:39-42 When the Samaritans came to him, they asked if he would stay with them: and he stayed two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your words: for we’ve heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

“A Thousand Words Worth”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 25 September 7, 2008

Did you know that there are 591 pictures taken every second? That's 51.1 million every day. We take 3 billion photographs just during the Christmas holiday season. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, that’d be a big book. We do all this to help our memory. We need things to strengthen or jar our memory.
The Bible makes an interesting statement in Proverbs 10:7 (NIV) "The memory of the Righteous will be a blessing!"
If you store good things in your mind, that's going to be a great blessing to you. II Timothy 2:8 "Remember Jesus Christ..."
Never forget what Jesus did for you on the cross. Keep Jesus fresh in the photo album of your mind.
At one time in London, there was a Christian restaurant owner named Emil Mettler, (a close friend of Albert Schweitzer). Mettler would never allow a Christian worker to pay for a meal in his restaurant. One day he opened his cash register and a British Secretary was astonished to see among the bills and coins a six-inch nail. What was it doing there? Mettler explained, "I keep this nail with my money to remind me of the price that Christ paid for my salvation and of what I owe Him in return."
We need to do every thing we can to remember Jesus. So today we celebrate communion.
I Corinthians 11:24-26 (NIV) it says: And when He had given thanks he broke it and said: 'This is my body, which is for you, do this in Remembrance of Me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (REMEMBER) the Lord's death until he comes.
I pray this service will be a turning point in your life.. like the nail in the cash register. As you enter in today think on Jesus.
Think on what Jesus did for you, stir up your memory. Stir the depths of your heart. "This do in remembrance of me"
If you can lets kneel together as we thank God for the blessing of the bread and the cup.
Today we have the advantage of reading about what took place on Calvary. We can picture in our mind's eye how it must have been. Yet, we have a disadvantage...we weren’t there!
Had we been there, I think the impact on our minds would’ve been even greater. I wish we had a picture of that.
We need to pray that God will paint a picture on our minds of what actually did happen, perhaps then we’d respond to that.
"You hold in your hand the symbols of the body and the blood of our Savoir. He spent those two things for us.
The first symbol is the symbol of His body which is the bread. Jesus is the Bread of life.
Jesus told His disciples, Take and eat. This is My body which is broken for you.'
In this same manner, He took the cup. The cup contains the pure juice of the grape.
Jesus said to His disciples, Drink ye all of it.

Dr. Thomas Welch (1825-1903) was the communion steward of the Methodist church in Vineland, New Jersey. The son of a Methodist minister, he himself studied to be a minister.

However, due to voice problems, Welch decided to become a medical doctor and later a dentist. At the time, unfermented wine (grape juice) was not available year round for use in communion.
(From history we know that unfermented wine was widely used and preserved in ancient times. William Patton in his classic book, Bible Wines and the Laws of Fermentation (c.1870), documents four methods of preserving grape juice in The Bible times. Apparently, these methods had fallen into disuse.)

In 1869, Dr. Welch began to experiment in his kitchen with concord grape juice, using the pasteurization techniques developed by Louis Pasteur just four years earlier. He soon perfected a process for preserving grape juice and began marketing it with the label Dr. Welch‟s Unfermented Wine.

He produced it with the thought of providing churches with an alternative to alcoholic wine, never envisioning a beverage for the general public. His son, Dr. Charles Welch, envisioned greater things and bought the business in 1873. Charles said that the company was born, out of a passion to serve God by helping His church to give communion as the fruit of the vine instead of the cup of devils.

In 1893, the grape juice business really took off when samples were given out at the Chicago World‟s Fair and the name was changed to “Welch’s Grape Juice.”

Today, Welch’s is a $650 million a year business. Welch’s Grape Juice made worldwide headlines in 1913 when Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, gave a formal state dinner honoring the retiring British ambassador. He served Welch’s Grape Juice instead of fermented wine. Bryan was a dedicated Christian who once ran for U.S. President.

Worldwide headlines were made again in 1914 when Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the U.S. Navy, forbade the use of alcoholic beverages aboard navy ships and substituted Welch’s Grape Juice in their place. Thomas B. Welch proved the truth that, I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me Philippians 4:13
His son, Charles, demonstrated the Truth, where there is no vision, the people perish Proverbs 29:13.

The next time you see “since 1869” on the Welch’s Grape Juice label you can remember this service… and now you know the rest of the story!

“A Point To Prove”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 24 August 31, 2008

I hope to prove to you that God over answers prayer!

According to Romans 8:37 .. we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

According to I Peter 1:8 we can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

According to II Peter 1:4 .. we are given exceeding great and precious promises: ....

According to I Timothy 1:14 the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

According to Ephesians 3:20 ... He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…

According to John 10:10 life and that more abundantly.

According to Judges 10:9-33 we are given power to subdue the enemy of our soul!

God has so much more for you then the victory in one battle... He wants you to subdue your enemy so you will have the total victory! He makes you more than conqueror!

Not only forgiven, but revived! Think for a moment.... God has done that for you!

You asked God for a clean heart... He gave you a new one! He gave you a heart that hungers after Him, a heart that thirsts after Jesus! He gave you eyes to see and ears to hear ...

You asked for forgiveness - He not only forgave He wiped out the record! He put a hatred for sin in you, and flooded your soul with hope and confidence in Jesus!

You asked for peace - Jesus became your morning dew. He refreshes your soul daily.

You are not dead or dying - you are alive and growing in Him! He waters your soul with His word...

You only asked to be saved, and God poured it on in abundant measure!

Our God is a generous God!

David said of the Lord in Psalms 130:7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD [there is] mercy, and with him [is] plenteous redemption.

God delights in being plenteous and He loves to over-flow with blessings! Even when we go astray at times..

Isaiah 55:7 .. return to the LORD, and he’ll have mercy, return to God, for he will abundantly pardon.

I believe I’ve proven that our God is not a stingy God!

Yet, we so often act as if we have to with great agonizing pull things from Him!

Yet, Matthew 7:11 says, If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,... yet so many pray ... “Just heal, just deliver!”... The word “Just” limits God!

Not only is God able to answer prayer, He wants to do for us exceedingly above all we can even imagine!

He wants to answer us way beyond our punny requests!

He wants to answer according to His infinite riches in glory!

I Corinthians 2:9-10 Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.....

II Peter 1:4 We are given exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you may be partakers of the divine nature

I Timothy 6:17... trust in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;

God virtually begs us to ask for great things!

May we ask of the Lord things that are worthy of His wealth and His ability to give! Is any request to big or too small for our God?

Could it be that we embarrass God with our puny requests?

Malachi 3:10 prove me now says the LORD if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
Some how we have come to think it spiritual not to ask Him for anything yet, Jesus invites us to ask.

Luke 11:9 Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; knock and it shall be opened Some never ask God for anything afraid to test a faith they may not have!

I wonder if God doesn’t ask questions like…

How long before you stand on My word?

Why are you so afraid to trust Me?

When will you learn that I’m the great I AM?

When will you believe that I have all that you will ever need?

Pray, believing that He delights to answer you in His own way and time...
trust Him for your financial situation,
trust Him for those unsaved loved ones.. trust Him for that healing!

I remind you that If you abide in Jesus and His words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done.

May you stretch the tent pegs of your faith and ask big!

Be blessed

“Just As I Am”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 23 August 17, 2008

Hebrews 9:11-15 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

In the early to mid seventies many people came to the altar to pray or to receive Jesus for the first time. It was a season that has often been referred to as “The Jesus Movement”.

Throughout this wonderful time it was the words of one song in particular that accompanied sinners as they responded to the altar call. It was a hymn that has touched literally thousands of us. The hymn was “Just as I Am”. It was written by Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871

As we look at the first verse of “Just As I Am” there are 4 words I’d like you to think about. The first word is, ACCEPTANCE (“Just as I am, without one plea”)

I think one of the reasons this hymn has had such a powerful impact is that it expresses a common human longing. That being the desire to be accepted – to be accepted “just as we are, warts and all.” Who among us hasn’t felt that longing?

We often make desperate attempts, consciously or unconsciously” to make ourselves acceptable.

All God really wants and all we really need is to come before the Lord “just as we are.” Because when we really get right down to it, it is the only way we can come before God – “as I am, without one plea”.

Coming before Him with no plea other than being a desperate sinner in need of His grace.

“Just as I am, without one plea” That first line of our hymn strikes at one of our core longings – the good news is that God accepts us as we are and we need come before God with no plea accept that we are all desperate sinners in need of grace.

The second word for consideration is, ATONEMENT (“But that Thy blood was shed for me”)

Christians should know that we don’t have to do something to be acceptable to the Lord.

Something has already been done.
And as the writer of Hebrews says it was a “once of all” atonement (9:12).

Not like under the old covenant where animal sacrifices were made constantly; it was a new covenant that brought “eternal redemption” with “his own blood.”

This is the good news of the Gospel!

Christ “offered Himself without blemish to God” (v.14), so now we can come into the presence of God “just as we are,” with all of our blemishes.
For when God looks at us, all he sees is the blood of his Son who gave his life for you and for me.

We have no other plea, “but that Thy blood was shed for me.”

We’ve been accepted and we’ve been atoned for once for all time. And because Christ has given his life for us to redeem us, he offers us an invitation, which leads to our third word which is…APPEAL (“And that Thou bidst me come to Thee”)

I heard a story of a minister who worked on the streets of a major city sharing the gospel with hookers, trying to get them to stop turning tricks. Her words to them weren’t scolding or judgmental. She didn’t walk up to these women and say, “How dare you do this to your body!”

No, what she did was approach them with grace, got to know them and then asked, “Don’t you think you were made for more than this?”

When I think back to November 28th, 1972 it seems that is exactly what Jesus said to me.

I believe if you listen carefully you will hear Jesus say to you, “Don’t you think you were made for more than this?”

I remember a young man coming to the altar after one of my services. As he walked that centre isle towards the saving power of Christ, being encouraged by the Holy Ghost with words like, “Its all good son, come as you are.” This young man was responding to the simple invitation to come to him.

It was awesome, but as he walked slowly down the isle, Sister Sandpaper noticed the package of cigs in his back pocket. She figured he had to quit smoking before coming to Jesus.

I am so grateful that Jesus isn’t related to her. Jesus welcomes us, we can come just as we are, with all our sins, all of our shortcomings, and with all defenses down. Even with a pack of cigs in our back pocket!

Why? Because the blood of Christ was shed for us! Jesus kindly and gracious appeals to us, “Come to me.”

The great preacher Samuel Shoemaker once offered the appeal of Christ in a Palm Sunday sermon with these words: “Not to the gates of Jerusalem alone does Jesus ride today, but to the gates of our hearts. There he waits knocking, knocking. His knuckles must be raw by now. The gentle rap has been so long smothered by contemporary rivals that some of us can barely hear it. But he goes on standing there.”

Can you hear him today?

If so, join with me in the final word from the hymn, APPROACH

(“O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”)

Hebrews 9:14, (The Message) We have been freed from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.” We’ve been set free.

Now before I close you need to know that today’s hymn was written by a bed ridden invalid who felt useless to do anything except express her feelings of devotion to God. Yet Charlotte’s simply worded text has influenced more people for Christ than any other hymn or sermon ever written.

As a young person in Brighton England Miss Elliott was known as “carefree Charlotte”. She was a popular portrait artist and writer of humorous verse. At the age of 30 however, a serious ailment made her an invalid for life. She became listless and depressed. A Swiss evangelist visiting her noticed her spiritual distress and exclaimed, “Charlotte you must come just as you are - a sinner - to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Immediately placing her complete trust in Christ’s redemptive sacrifice for her, Charlotte experienced inner peace and joy in spite of her physical affliction until her death at the age of 82.

Charlotte wrote approximately 150 hymns, she is considered to be one of the finest of all English hymn writers.

“God sees, God guards, God guides me”, she said. “His grace surrounds me His voice continually bids me to be happy and holy in His service—just where I am.”

And the question I leave you with today is…will you approach now, will you come to the Lamb of God and live all out for him?
Will you give God thanks for His acceptance of you just as you are?

As you respond in simple faith to Him you will find “all that you need” not only for our personal salvation but also for the particular place of service that He has for you.

“Jesus Only”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 22 August 10, 2008

It is a privilege to speak to you my friends in the name of Him who has called us His friends if we do the things which He commands us.
I've found a Friend, O such a Friend! He loved me ere I knew Him; He drew me with the cords of love, And thus He bound me to Him."
There are many things about which I am too ignorant to speak wisely and, I hope, too wise to speak ignorantly but I can speak of Jesus with freedom. I'd rather know a few things for certain than be sure of a lot of things that ain't so! In a day when men are chasing after a thousand things that "ain't so" I rejoice in "Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever."
I have found in Christ a life that is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.
In Him I find, PARDON. "God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I owed a debt I could not pay, he paid a debt he did not owe! Jesus, with His blood at Calvary, wrote, "your sins be forgiven you." All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow."
Because Christ means Pardon, He also means PEACE to me. Through Him I have peace with God, and as I make my requests known to God with thanksgiving, the peace of God which passes all understanding — and as someone once said, all misunderstanding too! — garrisons my heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
This world has no peace: "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." We are all so crazy these days that it has been reported that monkeys have been known to go insane watching people on the outside of their cages!
Someone has spelled modern life in three words, "Hurry, Worry, Bury." The world has insomnia of the soul.
"My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives."
Then Christ gives me a purpose: "To live is Christ."
A philosopher once said, "One reason why some folks never get anywhere is because they weren't going anywhere in the first place." But Christ gives us a purpose, and that purpose is just Himself. To know Christ and to make Him known.
Christ also means POWER, the power to see the purpose through. "All power is given unto me," He said, and Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ." Jesus is not only our Savior, He is our sustenance, He is "the power of God." His power is made real to us by the Holy Spirit, not that we may brag about it but that we may be His witnesses.
And then He means PLENTY, spiritual abundance. "All things are yours," says Paul to the Christian. Again he speaks of "having nothing, yet possessing all things."
It is the Christian's paradox. He doesn't have to get rich, he is rich, for "the Lord is rich unto all that call upon Him" Romans 10:12
Most of us appreciate but do not appropriate what we have in Christ. We carry checks on the bank of heaven and never cash them at the window of prayer. We are Bible window-shoppers: we stroll up and down through the show-windows of God's Word and never possess what we perceive.
God, who spared not His Son, shall with Him also freely give us all things.
Finally, Christ gives me an eternal PROSPECT. "Where I am, there ye may be also."
Someone has said, with reference to the life to come, that in the Old Testament they were willing to go but wanting to stay, while in the New they were wanting to go but willing to stay.
Jesus had made the difference. And what a difference it makes to be with Christ!
A mother whose little son had died, told her little daughter, "Your brother has gone to be with Jesus." Later, in conversation with a friend, she spoke of having lost her little boy. The daughter spoke up and said, "But, mother, you said he was with Jesus. How can he be lost if you know where he is!"
Truly, the Christian can say of his departed loved ones in Christ: "Death can hide but not divide; Thou art but on Christ's other side. Thou art with Christ and Christ with me; In Christ united still are we."
These are some things Christ means to me.
All I need is found in Him. He is Alpha and Omega and all the letters between.
He is the same yesterday, the historic Christ; the same today, the indwelling Christ; the same tomorrow, the coming Christ.
I am of Paul's persuasion: persuaded that nothing can separate me from God's love in Christ; persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed against that day; and, knowing the terror of the Lord, constrained by the love of Christ, I would persuade men.
The church of God may have many faults and failings but I would rather take Bible believing Christians at their worst than this world at its best. I thank God for the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.

Out of all this I have come to a fixed conclusion: the issue is simply Jesus Christ. Spurgeon said: "In the days of Paul the sum and substance of theology was Jesus Christ. I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has made a change in me. In my earlier years I may have sought after this experience or that, but now I can say, “Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord."
I’m embarrassed to think that I have at times made a Santa Claus of the Lord, seeking only His gifts! Happy are we when we seek the Giver rather than the gift.

My message therefore is simply Jesus Christ. He is enough.

There is only one safe and sure center of Christian experience, doctrine and testimony and that is Jesus Christ. Stand at any other point, no matter how good, and you will become lopsided. Stand with Him and you keep your balance, for by Him all things consist.

“Freedom!”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 21 July 27, 2008

FREEDOM! Many see Christian freedom as freedom from sin, death, law, and the need to earn God’s favor by works.

However, Christian freedom is not just freedom “from” it is also freedom “for”, freedom for doing what’s right and honoring to God.

When we were still caught in sin, we weren’t able to please God, no matter how hard we tried. But now, in Christ, we are free to do what God desires, even what His law dictates.

Yet, we do this, not in order to earn God’s favor, rather in a response to the favor already given in Christ.

Here’s the good news of your freedom in a nutshell: You are now free to do the right thing.

You are free to live your life for God. You are now free to live the best possible life there is.

In Christ you have freedom from and freedom for.

Paul is quite specific in Galatians about what our Christian freedom is for.

Galatians 5:13-14 For you have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Did you catch that?

Don’t use your freedom for your sinful nature (“the flesh” in Greek). Rather use it “to serve one another in love.”

The English misses the shocking irony of the Greek, which literally reads, “You were called to freedom . . . .
So use your freedom by becoming slaves to each other in love.”

Paul says that we should use our freedom in Christ to choose to act as if we were slaves to each other.

We’re not just talking about casual and convenient serving here, but committed and consistent and self-sacrificial servant-hood – exactly the sort of thing we see in Christ himself.

The last supper; What a picture we have here - Jesus kneeling as a slave / washing the dirt from feet of sinful men, who were utterly indifferent to His impending death!

The basin was there, the towel was there.. But they were obscured by the arguement about who would be the greatest... no one was about to move and wash someone else’s feet.

Yet in spite of what awaited our Lord, He still revealed clearly His personal love for the twelve. Jesus selflessly humbled Himself to meet the needs of others.

Paul calls us to mutual servanthood, not a one-way street of slavery and domination. If I am committed to serving you sacrificially, and you are committed to serving me in the same way, then there’s no danger of abuse or domination.

Moreover, we are to serve as slaves to one another “through love.” Love not only enables me to serve you and you to serve me, but it controls the nature of our servanthood.

We have been set free, not only to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, but to live as servants of Christ in and for the world.

Christ has set us free so that we might give our lives away in his service, loving one another and reaching out to love our neighbors, no matter where they might live.

It is the nature of love to be selfless!

I Corinthians 13:5 seeks not her own... The greatest virtue of love is its humility, for it is the humility of love that proves it and makes it visible.

The desire to be noticed kills love, humility and service.

Jesus was teaching His disciples: They needed to begin to operate on the basis of humility. If the Lord of Glory was willing to gird Himself with a towel, take upon himself the form of a servant, act like a slave and wash the dirty feet of sinful disciples it was a reasonable that the disciples should be willing to wash each others feet.

Many believe that in John 13 Jesus was instituteing an ordinance for the church. Some churches practice foot washing in a ritual similar to baptism and Communion.

I have no problem with that, but I don’t believe that is what is being taught here.

Jesus says I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

The word “as” is a translation of the Greek word kathos which means “according as”.

If Jesus was establishing footwashing as a pattern of ritual to be practiced in the church, He would have used the Greek word “ho”, which means “that which”. He would have been saying “I have given you an example that you should do that which I have done to you.”

But He was not saying “Do the same thing I have done.” He was saying “Behave in the same manner as I have behaved.”

In other words the example we are to follow is not the foot washing, it is the humility.

The lesson of John 13 is a pratical humility that should govern every area of life.

The result of that kind of humility is always loving service - doing the menial and humbling tasls for the glory of the Lord.

This utterly destroys most of the popular ideas of modern-day spirituality. Some seem to think that the nearer you get to God the further you must be from people, not so!

Actual proximity to God is to serve some-one else.

Jesus willingly served - we should be the same!
Do you want to be blessed fulfilled and happy? Develop a servants heart!

Matthew 20:26-27 whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Instead of grabbing for the crown - take the towel

Philippians 2:3-5 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

The more we do this, the more our neighbors will see Christ in us and be drawn to him.

Before I conclude this message, I must mention that we do not have to try to earn God’s favor by doing the right things and avoiding the wrong ones.

His favor – which we call grace – has already been given to us in Christ.

“Our Threefold Commission”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 20 July 20, 2008

I love to read the story of Jesus’ appearances during the 40 days after His resurrection. Think of being one of those whom He appeared to!

Interesting that He only appeared to believers. Why didn't He go to Herod or Pilate and say, “Look! I'm back!” However, that isn’t like Him. He made Himself known only to His own, and if others are to hear about Him today, you and I must tell them.

Jesus died and rose again! It is true, He really did it! They buried Him dead and He came back alive! It is the greatest news flash in history, but I wonder if we Christians have gotten used to it?

When is the last time you said or heard someone say, “tell me the story one more time”? Did you know that we are actually commissioned (a threefold commission) by God to tell the “good-news”?

To the women at the sepulcher the angel said,
1. “Go tell his disciples”. Mark 16:7
WE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR A BEWILDERED CHURCH

The disciples were bewildered. Jesus had died; their dreams had faded; their hopes had vanished. They didn't know what to think. Some had gone back to their old ways. They were trying to live on the memory of a dead Christ. Were they any more bewildered than the church today?

Many Christians are confused, so taken up with their own problems they cannot help others. Others are so busy chasing after experiences. Growth is seen as numbers rather than maturity and much of what we see is merely swapping members, moving corpses from one morgue to another. It has been said, some freeze and some fry!

But we have a message for bewildered church:
“Go tell His disciples that He is going on before you!”
The message is simply Christ is risen!
We need a new experience of the living Christ.

Think about the appearance of Jesus to Mary in the garden.
First there is MISERY: “Woman, why do you weep?” Mary didn't know where to find her Lord. So many people are out of touch with the Lord today. However, praise God for her persistent “seeking”. When she recognized Him, she called Him MASTER. That’s the cure for the MISERY - seek the Lord and acknowledge Him as Master.

MISSION: “Go to your brothers and sisters and say…” When we really see the Master, He commissions us. Listen to the result, Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord,

Is He really in our buildings? He is if He is in us! And if He is in us let us never be content with leaving our gathering together as if we been to a funeral - instead may we as the disciples were when they saw Jesus, “be glad”. Jesus Christ - victorious conqueror!

We have a second commission:
“Go tell his disciples AND PETER.”

WE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR BACK-SLIDDEN CHRISTIANS

Peter was a backslider and the Lord singled him out as though he were marked “special”. Jesus wished to restore Peter. Unfortunately, many congregations miss the fact that Jesus can fire up the lost with new love and zeal.

What a field day for the gossips who heard about Peter denying the Lord! Can't you imagine them whispering, “Have you heard the low down about Simon Peter?” Ever wonder why they call it the “Low” down?

If you are backsliden, the Lord is looking for you, not to put you “down” but to pick you up. When Peter heard that Jesus was looking for him he ran to meet him. Jesus only had one question for him, “do you love me?” Not, “Aren't you ashamed of yourself?” He only asked, “Do you love me?”

The issue is Christ. “Do you love ME?” Backslider, you have an appointment with Jesus and the sooner you two get together, the better.

Our third commission: to go into all the world and make disciples.
WE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THOSE IN DARKNESS
And that message is Christ. He is the Center: “All power is given to me; Lo, I am with you always.” When Jesus spoke with Peter, He was the Center: “Do you love ME?” But there was also the circumference: “Feed my sheep.” In geometry we use a compass. One prong is stationary, fixed. With the other we scribe our circle.

Folks, Christ is the fixed Center, the same yesterday, today and forever. From that Center we make the sweep of the whole world as our circumference. Once we admit to loving Jesus, He sends us out to feed His Sheep. “We've a story to tell to the nations”.

Our story is not centered about “a way of life” “our church” or even “Christianity”, it must be centered around Jesus.

All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Jesus makes His callings against the background of His resources. He is the center that is why He says, “Come to me” Matthew 11:27-28

The Great Commission is all of this put together; “All things are mine: Come, Believe, Go.” That is the full Christian experience.

We are to let our light shine and that light is Christ. It is a glow, not a glare, and we do not shine it, we let it shine. “Go tell the disciples; go tell Peter; go tell the world.” Tell them about Jesus, dead, risen, and alive forevermore!

Before you start thinking of how hard this is consider the fact that, the disciples did not have any special advantage over us!

It wasn’t any easier for them to believe the miracles than it is for us. True, they were eyewitnesses, but being an eyewitness to an extraordinary event doesn’t make it any easier to believe.

There are always those ‘helpful’ people with their ‘logical’ explanations. So if you have a problem believing in the Lord’s resurrection, take heart because even some of the disciples had a problem with it.

But Jesus didn’t care about their doubts! He gave the Great Commission to every one of them, even the doubters. The doubting disciples were loyal and obedient, and that is all that really mattered.

So that means that our doubts don’t matter to Him either.

Even if your not a Bible whiz and you couldn’t preach your way out of a paper bag, the Great Commission still applies to you.

You don’t have to have it all figured out before you start your career as a Christian, simply trust and obey the Lord Jesus.
As Paul said, “we know in part”. We will always have loose ends, difficult scriptures we don’t understand, and we’ll even have issues we don’t or can’t agree on.

It might help us to understand that Faith and Knowledge are two different things. Faith makes us into obedient servants (Pleases God) but knowledge only makes us trivia experts (Puffs us up).

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Hold your questions to the end. Right now your primary task is loyalty and obedience.”

Go ye therefore…… Before you imagine having to leave Osoyoos to do this understand that “Go” could mean next door or across the street. But make no mistake about it “Go” is an action word.

Mark 5:18-20 And when Jesus got to the boat, the man who had been possessed with the devil asked Jesus to take him with him.

However, Jesus said, no, GO home to your friends and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you. Tell them how the Lord had compassion on you. And he WENT, and began to testify about the great things Jesus had done for him: and all the people marveled.

Commission: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts: charge: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another: a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another

“NO COMPROMISE”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 19 July 13, 2008

The television series “24” features an agent (played by Kiefer Sutherland) from the Los Angeles Counter-Terrorist Unit. The series is comprised of twenty-four one-hour episodes, all in real time, together making up the events of an entire day. The series is really intense and well-written. The language isn’t too bad and there isn’t too much gore or hard-to-watch scenes in the first season.This particular clip is in the very first episode in the first season of “24”. The clip itself is a little over a minute and a half, so it’s pretty quick. It features Jack Bauer talking to one of his colleagues, Agent Nina Myers. Jack is trying to get information on possible terrorist activity, and he has been forced to detain and interrogate his own superior. He knows that he can go to jail for what he is doing, but he knows that what he is doing is right. Nina is pleading with Jack to just “look the other way” so that Jack won’t have to leave his family alone by going to jail.

JACK: (on phone) Richard, it’s Jack. Call me back. It’s important.
NINA: (NINA enters) I thought you wanted to get your life back together.
Make things right with your family. You think this is helping? JACK: He’s got information that I need. NINA: What information? Never mind. You can’t tell me, fine. But, Jack, if Tony doesn’t find anything, you could end up in jail. JACK: Probably. NINA: Then what are you doing? Jack. Answer me. JACK: Nina, you can look the other way once and it’s no big deal. Except it makes it easier for you to compromise the next time and pretty soon that’s all you’re doing is compromising because that’s how you think things are done. You know those guys I blew the whistle on? You think they were the bad guys? ‘Cause they weren’t. They weren’t bad guys. They were just like you and me… except they compromised once. NINA: I’ll see how Tony’s coming along. JACK: Thank you.

According to Jack Bauer, only compromising once was what separated him from the men he had sent to prison. It wasn’t the great crimes they had committed that made them different from Jack, it was the little compromise in the beginning.
I Corinthians 10:13 (NLT) “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

If we allow ourselves to compromise in even the smallest ways, it makes it easier to compromise again later. Remember that every step we take is a step on a certain path. Either we take a step on a path of compromise that ultimately ends up where you do not want to be, or you take a step on the path of doing what’s right, which gives you power to do what’s right in the future. God has given us power to stay true. We read in Philippians 3, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

As long as we understand where we are going and who we are serving, we have already taken the first step on the right path.

It’s time to begin living our lives without compromise.

In 1848, Dr. John Geddie was the first Presbyterian missionary to be established on the Aneityum Island, in the South Pacific. His work of 24 years was instrumental in the building of the 1000 seat stone church for the 3500 islanders. On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed: “When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians. When he left, in 1872, there were no heathens.” No compromise.

In Daniel 1:8-9; 3:16-18, we see Daniel, his friends and thousands of his fellow country citizens being deported to the heathen land of Babylon. Then the King commanded that these captives be educated in every way, including literature and language. Once educated “they’d be stationed in the king’s court”.
Daniel 1:4

The king changed their Hebrew names. Daniel’s new Babylonian name became Beltshazar, however the king soon learned that you can change a person’s name but you can’t change a person’s soul.

From the very start, Daniel refused to compromise. Daniel knowing that some of the food had been previously offered to idols, refused to accept his daily rations.

Daniel had company in this. His three close friends were Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. They also stood firm in their belief not to defile their bodies with the food offered to idols.

God honored and blessed their backbone.

We each must continually be working on our belief foundation so that our faith backbone for Christ becomes stronger. We may never find ourselves in the same situations as Daniel and the others - like in a lions den or a fiery furnace. We face our own places where we will be tempted to compromise.

The result of Daniel standing firm on his standards was that he prospered and grew stronger. God blessed Daniel for his stand.

Now, King Nebuchadnezzar was an arrogant and egocentric ruler. An idol was built depicting him. Everyone in the kingdom was to bow down and worship it.

Refusing to bow to this golden image meant being thrown into the middle of a fiery furnace. Daniel 3:6

Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused to bow. Their blatant disregard of the king’s decree sent the king into such a rage that he called for them to be brought to him immediately.

When they were brought before him, he offered them a second chance, to bow down and worship the idol. However, these three did not compromise.
I believe Daniel’s lack of compromise encouraged these three young men to stand.

They did not even shrink from the prospect of a swift and horrible death in the terrible furnace. They were certain that their God was able to save them from perishing.

Their unwillingness to compromise (3:18) is a great testimony of faith in God’s power. No longer just Daniel’s God, but now firmly their Almighty God will see them through.

They are absolutely convinced that God can and will deliver them from the king’s intent of death. It seems they also know this deliverance could take different forms.

God could deliver them from or through the fire. Yet, even if He didn’t physically save them - they still refused to compromise.

They make no effort to tell God how their deliverance should come about. They simply trusted that God’s sovereign purpose would be served.

Their faith and trust did not faltered. They stood up alone, against a nation, with such calm assurance that God would deliver them - one way or another.

This must of infuriated the king, because he has the three bound and thrown into the blazing fire. Now this fire was so hot - seven times hotter than normal. So hot that it killed the guards who were tossing in our three friends. That is when the king saw them in the furnace - no longer bound with rope - but walking in the middle of the fire and not hurt. Plus, he saw a fourth among them. Nebuchadnezzar said the fourth appeared as “son of God.”

We have heard this before, at the foot of the Cross, from the Centurion. The Centurion had seen and heard what had taken place on the cross. He then praised God and said, “Certainly this man was the Son of God.”

Through their pagan eyes, the Centurion and King Nebuchadnezzar saw what looked like a son of God. And they were right!

You and I have the reality of knowing that it was the Son of God who saved the three from the fiery furnace and the same Son who died on the cross to save you and I.

Look at the ripple affect....
Daniel 3:28-30 “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

Daniel’s non-compromising faith was so evident and real, that the impact his belief had on these three was truly life producing.

What kind of impact can our non-compromising faith have on our families, our neighbors or our community?
Pray that we may have backbone and be found faithful in every circumstance.

May our belief in God, through Jesus Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, have personal impact on us, as well as impact our friends, relatives, and close associates.

May those who come behind us find that we were faithful.

A Christianity That Works

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 18, Issue 18 June 29, 2008

Part 15 “How To Pray About Your Problems”

James 5:13-20

James had a reputation for being a man of prayer. His nickname was James, the Camel Knees, because he had such big knots on his knees from spending hours and hours in prayer. What a privilege, being able to talk to God.

James says there are three specific times when we really need to pray.

1. When I am hurting emotionally
Verse 13 “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”
The word in Greek literally means “to suffer misfortune, to be in distress” to be under stress, under tension. Internal distress caused by external circumstances.

Psalm 18:4 “In my distress I call unto the Lord.”

James says, “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.”

I want people who come to our church to say, “Their joy is contagious”. I think it ought to be fun to go to church. “I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.”

2. When I'm hurting physically
Verse 14-15 “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he’ll be forgiven.”

The word “sick” in Greek, literally means “without strength”. He's talking about a serious illness here.

The Scripture teaches that there are three different kinds of sickness.

First there is the sickness for death.
I John 5:16 and John 11:4

Second there is a sickness for discipline.
I Corinthians 11:28-32

The third kind is sickness for the glory of God. This is a sickness that God has allowed in your life because He wants to heal you of it and let it be a testimony to the world. In John 11:4 Jesus said, “This is a sickness for the glory of God.”

There are several different lines of thoughts regarding healing.

Sensationalism
Jesus never manipulated people and never used them for show. He always cared about their needs more than He did about making an impression on the crowds. He healed people quietly.

Name It - Claim It
They say that it is always God's will for everybody to be healed. All you need to do is claim your healing and God will heal. If you're not healed you lack faith. This can lead to a lot of guilt. “Maybe I just didn't believe enough.”

But what about “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,” or I Peter 5:19 “Those who suffer according to the will of God.” It seems sometimes suffering is the will of God.

Dispensationalists
The gifts of healing were only for New Testament times. But Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Rationalists
These are those who say it's all in your mind. You are ill because you think you're ill. Just deny it and you'll be OK.

I think James would be a Realist. When you are sick, call the elders of the church. James says call the spiritual leaders of your church to pray for you. “Call for the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil.”

Oil is a symbol of the Holy spirit. “...in the name of the Lord.” God is the healer, not any person.

The results: “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

Here at the Gathering Place we try to do what the Bible says.

We have been called on to anoint with oil and pray for healing; mostly in private. In private people know they are loved, not used or put on display in any way.

The prayer may be in private but the testimony goes public!

When I'm hurting spiritually
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Jesus taught that a lot of sickness we bring upon ourselves. If I don't take care of my body, eat right, sleep right, exercise right, then all kinds of ailments can come my way.
If I worry, fret, or get anxious I could get an ulcer.

Doctors say it's not so much what you eat but what's eating you. Resentment can take its toll in your life.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

When the spiritual is out of kilter it
affects your emotions.
When your emotions are out of kilter it affects your body.

Why isn't everybody healed? I don't know.

It is always in God's power to heal, but it is not always in God's purpose to heal.

“Confess to each other” Does that mean I get up and confess to the whole church?

Only confess as widely as it involves other people.

· If I've got a private sin, just between me and the Lord, then I ought to just confess it to the Lord.

· If it's a personal sin, between me and you, then I need to come to you.

· If it's a public sin, then I need to apologize to the whole church.

The Bible says, “By this shall all men know that you're my disciples, that you love each other.” That's what counts!
WHO CAN PRAY?
James uses Elijah as an illustration. “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain and it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years. He prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops.”

In I Kings 19 it is after the big god contest on Mt. Carmel and Elijah runs to the other side of the desert and goes through a fit of depression and prays, “God, kill me.”

Elijah demonstrated fear, resentment, guilt, anger, loneliness and worry. Now you know why it says, “Elijah was a man just like us.”

We have anger, fear, resentment, worry and loneliness. The lesson of Elijah's life is you don't have to be perfect to pray. It says he prayed seven times. He was persistent. He wouldn’t give up.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things through prayer.

HOW CAN I PRAY EFFECTIVELY?
I want to review four conditions for praying effectively that James mentions in his book.

1. I must ask
The more specific your prayers are the greater you're going to be blessed in the answer. James 4:2 “You do not have because you do not ask.” Be specific.

2. Have the right motive
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

3. Live a Clean life
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16
Righteousness is your standing before God when you became a believer. It has nothing to do with your perfection.

4. Ask in faith
Expect an answer. James 1:6 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.”

When you come to God, believe that He wants to answer your prayer. Trust Him…..I want our church to be a miracle.

I want it only to be explained by the fact that…..God did it.