This Easter at a small church in Ireland we will be presenting...

The Lamb – A message and Story (Bilingual - English/Russian)
Charleville Christian Fellowship, Ireland (Easter 2014)

Агнец - сообщение и история
Шарлевиль христианин стипендий Ирландия(Пасха 2014)

Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
Вот Агнец Божий, который берет на грех мира (Ин. 1:29)

The Lamb – is one of the special titles of the Lord Jesus, pointing to His sacrificial character. Beginning like a seed in Genesis and climaxing in splendour in Revelation we see the truth of Jesus as the Lamb throughout scripture. This Easter let us survey this great truth in our Bibles. We see Him,

Агнец - это один из специальных званий Господа Иисуса Христа, указывая на Своей жертвенной характер. Начиная подобно семени в Книге Бытия и достигающий кульминации в великолепии в Откровении мы видим истину Иисуса как у Агнца всем Писании. Этот Пасха дайте нам обследовать эту великую истину в наши Библии. Мы видим Ему

1. In Picture – in the Law (Genesis 3:21; 4:1-4; 22:7,8; Exodus 12)
2. In Poetry – in the Psalms (Psalm 22:1, 12-21)
3. In Prophecy – in the Prophets (Isaiah 53:7)
4. In Person – in the Gospels (John 1:29)
5. In Preaching – in the Acts (Acts 8:35)
6. In People – in the Epistles (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19)
7. In Power – in the Revelation (Revelation 5:6, 12,13; 6:1,16; 7:9,10,14,17 etc.)

1 в картинке - в Законе (Бытие 3:21; 4:1-4; 22:7,8 Исх 12).
2 В поэзии -. В псалмах (Пс. 22:01, 12-21)
3 Пророчество -. У пророков (Исаия 53:7)
4 В Лично -. В Евангелиях (Иоанна 1:29)
5 В проповедования -. В Деяниях (Деян. 8:35)
6 В Люди - в посланиях (1 Коринфянам 5:7; 1 Петра 1:18,19)
7 В Мощность - в Откровении (Откровение 5:6, 12,13; 6:1,16; 7:9,10,14,17 т.д.).



A special story will be posted soon...

Brother, the grass grows on your path

Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
Today in the Word, June 29, 1992.

Missions Pic of the Day - Vera & Sonia, Asamblea Cristiana, Guatemala City, Can You feel the love? I like the "Apagar el celular" (turn off cell phone) sign.

Belize Pic Of The Day

"I knew I was going down" - 78-year-old Boston Marathon runner Bill Iffrig

On April 15, 2013 78-year-old Bill Iffrig, of Lake Stevens, Wash., was competing in his third Boston Marathon (a 26.2-mile race) and only 15 feet from the finish line when a blast knocked him to the ground. He suffered a scraped knee and ringing in his ears.
Iffrig said he was “feeling pretty good” about his time when he saw the finish line in sight about 15 feet away. Then he heard a blast and his body trembled.
“The shock waves must have hit my body, and my legs just started going like noodles," Iffrig later told ESPN, "and I knew I was going down right there.”
“I made an attempt to get up, and one of the assistants came over and gave me a hand,” Iffrig said. “He went over and walked me to the finish line so I can finish.”

Afterwards he refused the use of a wheelchair as he walked six blocks to his hotel room!

Bill’s ordeal that day inspires us not to give up. After all the fatigue and sweat and pain, Bill was hit with a blast that knocked him off his feet just inches from the finish line. You and I are in a race and we are often hit by setbacks that knock us off our feet. We sometimes feel like even quitting. Look at Bill. He didn’t quit. He didn’t give up! He got up, put one foot in front of the other, and finished the race.

Paul the apostle writing to the Corinthians encourages them, and us, by his example. He often was discouraged and probably felt like throwing in the towel. He not only experienced the hardships of being a 1st Century missionary, but he also had to navigate through the minefields and explosions of criticism and attacks from the Judaizers and false teachers. But look at Paul. He did not give up. He did not quit. In 2 Corinthians 4:1 he writes, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.” And again in the same chapter he says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, 17).
Are you tempted to give up? Are there times when you’re so fatigued that you don’t think you’re going to make it? Maybe it’s a job or a course of education or even a marriage. Maybe on top of the expected hardships of such endeavours you’ve suffered a setback, some explosive problem that has knocked you off balance and threatens to take you out of the race. If you’re a Christian you have heaven on your side. There is too much at stake and the Lord will see you through. Don’t give up. Keep running. Look up… yes, that’s the finish line. Get up and go over it! (See also Hebrews 12:1-3; Galatians 6:9; 2 Timothy 4:7 etc.)

Airports

At airports time stands still, is suspended. You are between leaving and arriving, somewhere between coming and going. You feel important. Why else would you be dressed up, rushing around trying not to look conspicuous? Anonymity is another common possession. That makes people watching extra interesting as you wonder what is taking that person from somewhere to somewhere else. Tonight the port is empty, almost. Some of the only patrons are a family of birds that make the architecture their home. The Multi-million $ structure never knew it would house a squadron of chickadees and the cleaning staff never thought it would have to scrub the droppings of God's carefree creatures! Oh look! The clock strikes 3:23 a.m. and the check-in begins... There is no point to this blog entry, other than the fact that people don't live in airports, they just pass through and in the 21st Century, in a wifi world, bloggers post quirky notes.

Psalm 23 - Three Secrets

Introduction: Called The Pearl of the Psalms, the simplest and sweetest song that was ever sung, Psalm 23 is The Shepherd Psalm. With his harp David unfolds the profound yet practical working relationship between himself and the LORD his Shepherd. He takes us from the GLEN, down into the GORGE, and then on up to the GLORY. There are three secrets [1]:

I. The secret of a happy life (vv. 1-3)
Every need supplied [2]

• He gives me Peace
• He Leads me
• He restores my soul

II. The secret of a happy death (vv. 4, 5)
Every fear removed

• “the valley of the shadow of death”
• “I will fear no evil”
• “in the presence of my enemies”

III. The secret of a happy eternity (v. 6)
Every desire fulfilled

• My cup runs over
• Goodness and Mercy
• The House of the LORD

Conclusion: David’s assurance – “I shall dwell…” We too can have assurance – “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13). Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you”. Because David could say “the LORD is my shepherd”, he had the blessed assurance that he was on his way to that wonderful place called heaven. Is the LORD your shepherd? Are you one of His sheep?

[1] John Phillips in his commentary on the Psalms uses this outline. However, I have seen this same outline in much older books. I don't know where it originated, but you can see why it is used and reused by generations of Bible students.

[2]“He makes me to lie down”: Phillip Keller in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, explains how a sheep will not lie down until at least four requirements are met:

1. Free from fear
2. Free from friction (with other sheep, irritation)
3. Free from flies (aggravation)
4. Free from hunger

Psalms - Songs from a Shepherd's Harp

Psalm 2 – Crown him with many crowns

Introduction: Psalm 2 is a royal or coronation psalm. Quoted or aluded to over 18x in NT, Psalm 2 is Messianic
(Acts 4:24-27; 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5; Rev. 2:27; 12:5; 19:15).
We hear four speakers:

I. The voice of the nations - Conspiracy (1-3)

a) The People
b) The Plot
c) The Prophecy

II. The voice of the Father – Mockery (4-6)

a) God Laughs
b) God Speaks
c) God Crowns

III. The voice of the Son – Victory (7-9)

a) His Sonship
• “You are my Son”
• “Today I have begotten you”

b) His Heirship
• Universal Possession
• Unlimited Power

IV. The voice of the Spirit – Opportunity (10-12) (1)

Conclusion: “Repent or perish!”

The Spirit offers rebels conditions of peace:
• “Be wise,…instructed” – Intellect
• “Serve the LORD” – Will
• “Kiss the Son” – Heart

(1) Adapted from The Bible Exposition Commentary, by Warren Wiersbe

Psalms - Songs from a Shepherd's Harp

Psalm 1 - Happiness is...

"He shall be like a tree planted..."

Introduction: "Middle C – everything flows up and down from that mysterious middle C – the dividing line between Treble and Base. But God doesn’t start the music of heaven with middle C. God finds a high note and starts there! Psalms begins with a very high note, “Blessed”, “Happy”! In Hebrew – the plural of magnitude… “happy, happy is the man!” God does not dole out His blessings one at a time, He pours them out in plural! The word ‘blessednesses’ is not found in the singular in Hebrew because there is no such thing as a single blessing; wherever there is one there is another." (1)

OUTLINE

I. The Person God Blesses (verses 1-3)

“Blessed is the man…”

a) He is Separated from the World

b) He is Saturated by the Word

c) He is Situated by the Water



II. The Person God Judges (verses 4-6)

“The ungodly are not so…”

a) He is Driven

b) He is Doomed

c) He is Damned (See Revelation 20:11-15)


Conclusion:

Are you a happy (blessed) person? The answer to that question reveals a lot about your character and destiny.
There are only two ways and two destinies: (see Matthew 7:13, 14)

(1) Exploring the Psalms, John Phillips

Psalms - Songs from a Shepherd's Harp

If the Bible was like a big house, the Psalms would be the music room!
At Northside Bible Chapel in Barrie this month we are spending some time in the Psalms. Winter is a good time to spend some time in the Psalms because it is a season in which we can often get down and the prayers of the Psalms often can echo or reflect many of the human emotions we feel as we seek God.

We are going to post the series outlines along with a few jottings, with the prayer that they may be an encouragement to you:

The Psalms we will be looking at are

Psalm 1 - Happiness is...
Psalm 2 - Crown Him with Many Crowns
Psalm 23 - Three Secrets
Psalm 42&43 - The Soul's Depression


The Book of Psalms has been called The Prayer and Praise Book of Israel. It remains the devotional guide, payer book and hymnal of believers of all ages. Every Human emotion and every spiritual ambition finds expression in the Psalms. As J. Flanigan says, we find
Praise and Prophecy
Duty and Devotion
Grief and Gladness
Joy and Sorrow
Tragedy and Triumph
Tears and Laughter
Trials and Trust

NAME OF THE BOOK

A. The Hebrew is "Praises" or "Songs of Praise" (Heb. Tehillim, cf. Psalm 145).

B. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament, or the LXX) the title is psalmos which means "twagings" or "to pluck." This Greek term is used of the Psalms in Luke 20:42; 24:44 and Acts 1:20. A Psalm then, is a poem to be accompanied by music. See the superscription to Psalm 6 for example.

The Lord Jesus referred to the "Psalms" in Luke 24, along with the other two main sections of the Hebrew Old Testament, "Moses" and "the Prophets". This gives us a key to the Psalms and the most profitable study of this beautiful book. That is, to see Christ in the Psalms. The Messianic Psalms give us a glimpse into the heart and feelings of the Saviour as he went to Calvary and as he died for our sins. If the Gospels give us the facts of the Crucifixion, the Psalms give us the feelings.

HEBREW POETRY

Hebrew Poetry is different than English
But first ask yourself, Why poetry? (poetry versus pros)

Poetry can penetrate parts of the personality that pros would never touch.

Poetry penetrates the mind – more easily remembered, touches the artistic, intuitive part of the brain

Poetry touches the heart – poetry moves the heart (think greeting cards!), touches the emotional part

Read the following poem and think about how it evokes 'feeling':

They walked down the lane together,
The sky was full of stars.
Together they reached the farm yard gate,
He lifted for her the bars.
She neither smiled nor thanked him,
Indeed, she knew not how,
For he was just a farmer’s boy,
And she was a Jersey cow.

Peotry – three features: rhyme, rhythm, repetition
Remember this one?

Jack and Jill went up the hill…

Probably almost all of us could recite the whole thing because of the way poetry lodges itself into our mind and heart.

Hebrew poetry is unique

Rhyme – English poetry rhymes words, whereas Hebrew poetry rhymes ideas
Using parallelism (synonymous, antithetic, synthetic, etc.)

Rhythm – or metre, the beat placed on syllables.
“The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want…” 4/3 metre

AUTHORSHIP AND COLLECTION

David wrote about 73 of the psalms along with Moses, Asaph, Korah, Solomon, Heman and others. They were collected and compiled, some think by Ezra or Asaph or someone closely connected with temple worship.

There are actually five books of Psalms, that correspond with the five books of Moses or like a Poetic Pentateuch. Each book is followed by a doxology or a little 'praise the Lord'. The last Psalm (150) is the doxology to the whole book. Check it and see!

Five books
Book I – Genesis book 1-41; man, creation
Book II – Exodus book 42-72; redemption
Book III – Leviticus book 73-89; sanctuary, worship
Book IV – Numbers book 90-106; wilderness section (Moses 90)
Book V – Deuteronomy book 107-150; Word of God (Ps. 119)

Camp Caleb, Guatemala

!Bievenidos a Campo Caleb! (Welcome to Camp Caleb!)

Missionary mentors Graham and Betty Falconer sent some recent pictures of the camp work about an hour from Guatemala City. It is so encouraging to see the camp being used by the community and for the gospel. For years we helped transport steel and cement and bricks up the mountain to help build the camp. These pictures are of a retreat for the young people of San Miguel, the village below. We are so encouraged to see this fruit - Praise the Lord! (Thank you Graham and Betty for your work, and for sharing these pics!)

New Life Prison Ministry Today's post is dedicated to New Life Prison Ministry. Sean volunteered for about 12 years with New Life, mostly in a medium security facility in Northern Ontario. Reaching behind bars across Canada NL provides vital ministry to inmates. Read about who they are and what they do here: www.nlpm.com This summer Sean had the opportunity to join the local volunteers again for a friendly game of baseball with the inmates. The volunteers won 24 to 19! Here's the team...

Ravi And The Rolex

(Or, Genuine Fakes versus Fake Fakes)

"I had just walked through one of the newest shopping malls in New Delhi. It is one of those globalized reproductions where you see the same stores whether you are in Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, or New York. What's in a name? A lot of money, depending on whose name it is. But you can also walk into shops in Bangkok or Jakarta and find, in popular jargon, a "knockoff version" of the brand name that looks identical to the original. If it is a Rolex you are looking for, the shopkeeper will tell the person who is wearing an original one, "You'd better put yours in your pocket, because when you place it side by side with my fake one you won't be able to tell the difference." The replicas are so identical to the real ones that only an expert can tell the difference. When, out of curiosity, I asked one salesperson how they were even able to manufacture these, he reprimanded me, saying that his fakes were genuine fakes and not the fake fakes that the man around the corner sold."

(Why Jesus?: Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality, by Ravi Zecharias, January, 2012.)

In the New Testament the apostle John puts the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of individual believers to test the spirits behind every teacher. Christians are to subject whatever is taught to the acid test of Scripture (See 1 John 4:1-6; Isaiah 8:20; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 etc.)

The Bereans of Acts 17 are models: “These were ore fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11).

In every age, Satan has been the master counterfeiter. In Moses’ day there were Jannes and Jambres (2 Timothy 3:8,9), who copied the plagues sent my Jehovah to judge Pharoah. In the beginning of the Church age there were false teachers already twisting the scriptures (2 Corinthians 11:14).

In our day there are as many cults as people who want to start a new religion. It can be challenging today with the spiritual buffet offered up by so many branches of Christendom. Like Ravi and the Rolex watches, it can be confusing with all the “genuine fakes” and the “fake fakes”. Much of Christendom today has enough truth to look Christian, but is really a cheap imitation or copy.

Common to all the counterfeits is the denial of the basic and central truth of Christianity – Jesus Christ, His person and work. At the root of every cult is a denial of some aspect of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Either His full deity or his real humanity or some aspect of His work of salvation.

The best, better yet, the only way to avoid false teaching is to immerse yourself in the Word of God, “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Read it – prayerfully, repeatedly, thoughtfully, submissively, and entirely! Become familiar with what it says and teaches and then when the false presents itself you will notice it immediately, instinctively.

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Grace and Mercy

The Slave Trade
John Newton

Reading about Grace, I was directed towards a lovely section from David Jeremiah's book, Captured by Grace. Using the Hymn Amazing Grace he traces the outlines of God's loving kindness towards the hymn's author, John Newton, and the Apostle Paul, the author of much of the New Testament. The following lines show how, as A.W. Tozer explains, in God mercy and grace are one; but as they reach us they are seen as two, related but not identical.As mercy is God’s goodness confronting human misery and guilt, so grace is His goodness directed toward human debt and demerit.


Grace and Mercy

Mercy withholds the knife from the heart of Isaac.
Grace provides a ram in the thicket.

Mercy runs to forgive the Prodigal Son.
Grace throws a party with every extravagance.

Mercy bandages the wounds of the man beaten by the robbers.
Grace covers the cost of his full recovery.

Mercy hears the cry of the thief on the cross.
Grace promises paradise that very day.

Mercy converts Paul on the road to Damascus.
Grace calls him to be an apostle.

Mercy saves John Newton from a life of rebellion and sin.
Grace makes him a pastor and author of a timeless hymn.

Mercy closes the door to hell.
Grace opens the door to heaven.

Mercy withholds what we have earned.
Grace provides blessing we have not earned.

Praise God for His AMAZING GRACE!

High Power Soccer At Northside 2011

5th Annual High Power Soccer and VBS at Northside

Kick off was a blast on our first day of High Power Soccer and SonQuest Rainforest at Northside Bible Chapel in Barrie, Ontario. 56 kids enjoyed a full morning of soccer drills, crafts and a Bible lesson. Seeing Shawna and the others in the Rainforest skit was amazing. The memory verse for today was Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Here are some of the High Power campers enjoying the singing...

The Lesson of Obscurity

Charles Spurgeon preached to thousands in London each Lord’s Day, yet he started his ministry by passing out tracts and teaching a Sunday school class as a teenager. When he began to give short addresses to the Sunday school, God blessed his ministry of the Word. He was invited to preach in obscure places in the country side, and he used every opportunity to honor the Lord. He was faithful in the small things, and God trusted him with the greater things. “I am perfectly sure,” he said, “that, if I had not been willing to preach to those small gatherings of people in obscure country places, I should never have had the privilege of preaching to thousands of men and women in large buildings all over the land.

Remember our Lord’s rule, “whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 221

The King's Speech Therapist

The King’s Speech

I recently saw and enjoyed the film The King's Speech. It was about the special relationship between Albert, Duke of York and his speech therapist Lionel Loguo, who treated his severe stammer. They became lifelong friends and reminded me of another King and His friends. Before his coronation, The King informed the bishop that his therapist Lionel would be attending. The Bishop protested, explaining that it would be virtually impossible to have him included as a guest. “He will be with me in the Kings’ box”, was the monarch’s reply. “But that is reserved only for family”, the bishop responded. “That,” the King said, “is exactly why he will be there”. His therapist was not royalty, just a commoner and not even qualified as a speech therapist, but he was the King’s friend and he was treated as if he were family. Jesus said “You are my friends” (John 15:13). The Bible declares of believers in Christ that they are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). We have no claim to royalty as members of Adam’s fallen race, but being born again into the God’s family, He has “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ”, (Ephesians 2:6). He is the King and we are ‘in the King’s box’!

One tired team takes one day to relax, Beliezean style!

Caye Caulker, Go Slow... so reads the landing as you get off the boat on the little Island off the coast of Belize. But before we get to our last day, please allow me to share how the rest of the mission unfolded.
The combined Canadian/Belize youth enjoyed 4 days of VBS with the children of 8 Miles. There were over 50 in attendance by the end of the week. On Thursday night a special meeting was held for the parents and to award the kids their prizes and awards. The little chapel was packed with some standing outside. After a recap of the week's activities everyone enjoyed a slide show. By the roar of laughter and squeels it was obvious the kids got a real charge out of seeing themselves on the big screen. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights the team joined the saints at in Boom and Belize City again for their midweek prayer meetings. Sean spoke on Psalm 19 and Nico sang a wonderful song. On Wednesday Ed Plett shared a message from Colossians 1 and emphasized the need to pray for one another. After some fellowship and refreshments, the young people all met at the town basketball court for some hoops. The Canadians were schooled! It was way too hot, but enthusiasm and adrenaline took over as half the assembly played until 11 p.m. It was a very special time for the Belizean youth to share 'their game' with us Canadians. I think the score would have been different had we played floor hockey!
Today was our last day and we went to Caye Caulker. The pictures below show the surf and sun, the beauty of a tiny Island just a 50 minute water taxi ride from the city. It was a perfect way to end our two week youth mission to Belize. Our bags are just about packed and already exuberant stories and memories abound. In just a few days the Portal Village team members will share their report. I am confident that they will take their experience home and it will impact them and others for the glory of God.