Good Friday morning from the LPD!
Hello friends – I trust that you have had a good week.
My week, like that of many of you has been a full one. This weekend, Karen and I plan to travel to the Island, where I have the opportunity to preach at Wildwood Community Church in Bowser on Sunday AM. We are thankful for the ministry of Pastor Rick and Sandy McAllister there. Sunday afternoon, we will travel down to Ladysmith, where I will have the opportunity to meet with the leadership team of The Rock Christian Fellowship, where Pastor Steve and Gillian Sharpe serve as church planting pastor. I will then preach at their service on Sunday evening.
Many of you have also had full weeks and are also looking ahead to full weekends. Are you ready for Sunday? Many of us will have the opportunity to speak from the Word of God. Our sermon may be “prepared,” but are you – am I? In a recent article, Guarding Your Heart in the Pulpit, H.B. Charles Jr. gives honest counsel to all who have the honour of speaking/preaching to God’s people.
I observe that it is often in our busiest and seemingly “most out of control” weeks, that we are most used of God, even in our preaching. I believe that it is due the fact that it is in weeks like this that we are most humbly and prayerfully dependent on God.
In this morning’s reading, Oswald Chambers reminds us of our dependence upon God in his writing, “The Ministry of the Unnoticed.”
Blessed are the poor in spirit… —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
Wisdom From Oswald Chambers
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
May God minister through each of us through the weekend!
Have you had the chance to view the new LPD website? Please take a moment to do so. We have recently redone this, and there are resources for you and your church, information on sister churches and LPD Churches of the Week. We also have introduced the PayPal option for giving to the ministry of our Lower Pacific District. Please see our new LPD website.
Please also see the attached Five Minutes on Friday, with news and prayer items from the LPD, and also see info on Grace Evangelical Free Church, our LPD Church of the Week.
Please note the following dates:
May God bless and keep you as you look to the Lord, trust him for his good work through the week ahead.
In Jesus,
Rob
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This year, as our Lower Pacific District assists 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 for more info.
