Good morning friends,
Welcome to 2016!
As you begin another year of both life and ministry, as always, it is good to be alongside. We are praying for you and for your and your church, and we hope to see you soon.
As I awoke on Christmas morning this year, God brought to my mind the familiar words of Romans 12:1,2.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In light of God’s wonderful gift to us, my response can be nothing less; indeed, my only appropriate response can be to surrender the title of my life to God. These verses have shaped both my thinking and celebration of Christmas through this season.
As we now begin a New Year, may it be with a humble and renewed commitment to live for our Lord. Lest, this sound like hollow determination, living for God can only come through living in fellowship with Him and abiding in Him – for without Him we can do nothing. Before we think of ministry, may we first be both in fellowship with God and resolved to honour Him.
Oswald Chamber reminds us of this in this morning’s reading
January 1, 2016
Let Us Keep to the Point
“…my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” —Philippians 1:20
My Utmost for His Highest. “…my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed….” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” (see Philippians 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus. Facing Reality, 34 R
Adel believes that the Centre is well situated and equipped to reach out to the coming refugees, and welcomes our partnership with them. There are both ministry opportunities and financial needs. Adel invites us to join them in ministering to the refugees already coming to our region. There are opportunities for donations, for volunteers and for those who will step forward to minister to these people from afar.
Please see their website for more information, or call Adel at (604) 288-5588.
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Upcoming Events:
May God bless and keep you as you look to the Lord, and trust him for his good work through the year ahead.
In Jesus,
Rob
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In this New Year, our Lower Pacific District trust to continue assisting in the birth and revitalization of churches, we also step out in faith with local churches through providing financial support and seed money. To this end, we appreciate the gifts of many district churches and also of individuals. You can participate through both cheques and online through PayPal at our website. See LPD website at for more info.
