I trust you will enjoy this sweet little Christmas story by Pat Leonard.
"John was almost five years old that Christmas. He did not have a part in the school Christmas pageant, but was just one of the many children in the Kindergarten class choir. As the children gathered in the assembly room at school for the program, the teachers were busy with preparations and the costumes of those chosen to be Mary and Joseph and the angels, shepherds, and wise men. No one noticed a little boy go out the door into the hall.
John had heard the Baby! There was to be a Baby -- he knew that. And he had heard him. Down the dark hall was the way he had to go. As he walked, John wondered why God didn't send the star, and then he remembered. The star wasn't for him. It was really for the shepherds and the wise men, and he wasn't anybody important like that. He'd have to be very brave and go alone to find the Baby. He turned the corner cautiously.
At the far end of the hall, John saw a light coming from a doorway. Then he heard the Baby's cry more clearly. He knew then where to go.
Mary Meadowcraft knelt beside the brown beanbag chair her husband, Joe, had brought to school for his sixth-grade reading corner as she put young Jeffrey down to rest. He was normally a contented baby. Had she known he would cry like this, she would have stayed at home with him instead of coming to school with Joe to see the pageant.
The sudden presence of so many eager children must have frightened Jeffrey, for he began crying almost immediately and would not be stilled. At least the program would not be long. Mary had decided to wait here in Joe's classroom with the baby so his crying would not disturb anyone.
Suddenly Mary was startled to hear a little voice questioning, 'Are you Mary'?
'Why, yes, I am,' she answered with amazement! 'Do I know you'?
'I came to see your Baby', said John, 'I didn't know He ever cried like that', he added softly.
'Jeffrey is just frightened to be in a strange place,'
'Hi', John said as he too knelt down beside the baby. 'I'm John. I'm not a wise man or anything, but they couldn't come.
The baby stopped crying immediately and turned to look at John. Mary remained perfectly still, her mouth drawn into an astonished 'Oh'!
'I forgot to bring you something, little Jeffrey Jesus.' Then John smiled. 'I know what I can give you. I'll sing you a song that we've been practicing. I know all the words'
By now John's parents had come searching for him. They were stopped in the doorway, however, by the sight of Mary and her Baby listening to John's gift of song:
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.
The Baby beamed at the singing child, while the three adults, their hearts full of wonder, saw a glimpse of a very young angel that night."
Jesus said ...Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Monday, December 18, 2017
Oh, Come . . .
"Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" is one of my very favorite Christmas carols.
"Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exaltation.
Oh, sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above.
Glory to God, all glory in the highest!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning.
O Jesus, to Thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."
The words are so beautiful, and the verses just seem to keep building in praise and adoration until the hymn writer is compelled to give the thrilling invitation --
"Oh, come, let us adore Him. Oh, come, let us adore Him.
Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord"!
It makes me think of the beautiful scripture in the 5th chapter of Revelation where the angels are exalting the Lamb, and then every creature joins in the universal adoration of the Lamb who is King!
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands:
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
I cannot begin to comprehend the miracle of that holy night so long ago when God laid a Baby on the doorstep of our world and angels filled the heavens announcing His birth! But I am so thankful that God's love reaches clear down to Christmas, 2017, and whosoever will may come!
"Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exaltation.
Oh, sing, all ye bright hosts of heaven above.
Glory to God, all glory in the highest!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning.
O Jesus, to Thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."
The words are so beautiful, and the verses just seem to keep building in praise and adoration until the hymn writer is compelled to give the thrilling invitation --
"Oh, come, let us adore Him. Oh, come, let us adore Him.
Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord"!
It makes me think of the beautiful scripture in the 5th chapter of Revelation where the angels are exalting the Lamb, and then every creature joins in the universal adoration of the Lamb who is King!
"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands:
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
I cannot begin to comprehend the miracle of that holy night so long ago when God laid a Baby on the doorstep of our world and angels filled the heavens announcing His birth! But I am so thankful that God's love reaches clear down to Christmas, 2017, and whosoever will may come!
Friday, December 15, 2017
It's Time Again!
As we lay aside the cares of the work week, and look forward to Christmas events this week end, may we take some time to meditate on the beautiful words of this lovely Christmas poem by Vera Hoffman.
"The hills are bright with soft new snow;
And in the glen a space below,
The Church stands glowing in the light
That creeps across the land tonight.
The footsteps through the fallen snow
Wind down a hill, and on they go
To stop before the great Church door
While organ music starts to pour
Out o'er the twilight soft and clear --
Another Christmastime is here.
The steeple's gold is like a sign
Aflame to welcome Christmastime;
Its windows gleam in orange and blue,
Recalling ancient scenes we knew.
The people come from near and far,
As years ago a shining Star
Shone from the heavens, guiding men
To the small town of Bethlehem.
Now church bells ring out clear and call
To others as the shadows fall.
'Tis time to kneel and praise and sing
Hosannas to the newborn King!"
"Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ, the newborn King!"
"The hills are bright with soft new snow;
And in the glen a space below,
The Church stands glowing in the light
That creeps across the land tonight.
The footsteps through the fallen snow
Wind down a hill, and on they go
To stop before the great Church door
While organ music starts to pour
Out o'er the twilight soft and clear --
Another Christmastime is here.
The steeple's gold is like a sign
Aflame to welcome Christmastime;
Its windows gleam in orange and blue,
Recalling ancient scenes we knew.
The people come from near and far,
As years ago a shining Star
Shone from the heavens, guiding men
To the small town of Bethlehem.
Now church bells ring out clear and call
To others as the shadows fall.
'Tis time to kneel and praise and sing
Hosannas to the newborn King!"
"Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ, the newborn King!"
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
The Messiah!
For me, Christmas and Handel's Messiah are bound together. It seems to me that God, Himself, wrote this masterpiece over 200 years ago through His servant, and it is still blessing and inspiring thousands of hearts every Christmas!
May Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, minister to your heart as you read this condensed story of The Messiah -- the King of Glory!!
"George Frederick Handel was struggling against creditors and hunger in 1741. People were too poor and too cold to interest themselves in music that winter. He paced the floor, wondering why musicians and composers had to struggle so hard to make a living. Suddenly there was a crash -- then silence.
Handel's servant heard the strange crash and ran upstairs. There in the hall lay Handel, the genius, his mouth open and a vacant stare in his eyes. When the Dr. arrived, he shook his head. After his diagnosis, he turned to go. The servant fearfully asked, "Dr., is he goiug to die"? "A miracle might save his life, but his left side is paralyzed."
Weeks wore on. The great composer revived some, but was unable to use his left hand to play, and his mind seemed dull. The Dr. advised a trip to the hot springs in France. Handel went to France with a great desire to live and compose again. He spent hours in the hot baths. Within a few weeks he had largely recovered his health.
Back in London, Handel began to play again and to compose some. Then hard times struck again. The Spanish wars were raging. His pension had been cut off. People were hungry for bread. Winter came on, and at times Handel had to pace the streets to keep warm and to evade his creditors. Inspiration had left him. He was despondent, and seemed to be losing his strength, his mind, his belief in God and his desire to live.
"Oh God, why has all this come"? he cried in despair. He dragged himself to his study before retiring. On his table was a large envelope. He tore it open and on the title page were the words, The Messiah. Seeing that it was another oratorio, he tore the manuscript in half and threw it on the floor. His last oratorios had not met with approval. That night, the heavy-hearted composer turned and tossed, unable to get the torn manuscript off his mind. Should he get up and look at it?
The first few words were "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" The words seemed to soothe him. As he read on, he felt a strange fire surge through his frame. Surely it was a message from the Lord directly to him! The great musician was himself again! God had spoken to his soul! He heard and felt music again as never before!! The words, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" seemed to move every fibre of his body. How they thrilled him. Even the final words, "Amen! Amen! Amen!" seemed to thrill him again and he exclaimed -- "I cannot slight one word. Every word must play its part."
He began to compose like a man obsessed. He rarely left his room and rarely touched his meals. In only 24 days, he composed 260 pages -- an immense physical feat == and the world's greatest oratorio was finished. After finishing the Hallelujah Chorus, he said -- "I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God Himself"!
The Messiah met with overwhelming success wherever it was presented. People wept for joy as they heard its moving music. It seemed to breathe of a heavenly land. On one occasion the whole audience, including King George, stood to their feet as the Hallelujah Chorus was sung. It was as if they were standing reverently in the presence of the Divine. Years later on a Good Friday, George Frederick Handel attended a presentation of his Messiah (of which he said --"it was written by Another, not me") and joined in singing the Hallelujah Chorus! With the closing notes he sank to the floor and was carried out. He lingered only a short time before he went to join the heavenly choir to sing the Hallelujah Chorus around the throne of God!!"
May Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, minister to your heart as you read this condensed story of The Messiah -- the King of Glory!!
"George Frederick Handel was struggling against creditors and hunger in 1741. People were too poor and too cold to interest themselves in music that winter. He paced the floor, wondering why musicians and composers had to struggle so hard to make a living. Suddenly there was a crash -- then silence.
Handel's servant heard the strange crash and ran upstairs. There in the hall lay Handel, the genius, his mouth open and a vacant stare in his eyes. When the Dr. arrived, he shook his head. After his diagnosis, he turned to go. The servant fearfully asked, "Dr., is he goiug to die"? "A miracle might save his life, but his left side is paralyzed."
Weeks wore on. The great composer revived some, but was unable to use his left hand to play, and his mind seemed dull. The Dr. advised a trip to the hot springs in France. Handel went to France with a great desire to live and compose again. He spent hours in the hot baths. Within a few weeks he had largely recovered his health.
Back in London, Handel began to play again and to compose some. Then hard times struck again. The Spanish wars were raging. His pension had been cut off. People were hungry for bread. Winter came on, and at times Handel had to pace the streets to keep warm and to evade his creditors. Inspiration had left him. He was despondent, and seemed to be losing his strength, his mind, his belief in God and his desire to live.
"Oh God, why has all this come"? he cried in despair. He dragged himself to his study before retiring. On his table was a large envelope. He tore it open and on the title page were the words, The Messiah. Seeing that it was another oratorio, he tore the manuscript in half and threw it on the floor. His last oratorios had not met with approval. That night, the heavy-hearted composer turned and tossed, unable to get the torn manuscript off his mind. Should he get up and look at it?
The first few words were "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people" The words seemed to soothe him. As he read on, he felt a strange fire surge through his frame. Surely it was a message from the Lord directly to him! The great musician was himself again! God had spoken to his soul! He heard and felt music again as never before!! The words, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" seemed to move every fibre of his body. How they thrilled him. Even the final words, "Amen! Amen! Amen!" seemed to thrill him again and he exclaimed -- "I cannot slight one word. Every word must play its part."
He began to compose like a man obsessed. He rarely left his room and rarely touched his meals. In only 24 days, he composed 260 pages -- an immense physical feat == and the world's greatest oratorio was finished. After finishing the Hallelujah Chorus, he said -- "I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God Himself"!
The Messiah met with overwhelming success wherever it was presented. People wept for joy as they heard its moving music. It seemed to breathe of a heavenly land. On one occasion the whole audience, including King George, stood to their feet as the Hallelujah Chorus was sung. It was as if they were standing reverently in the presence of the Divine. Years later on a Good Friday, George Frederick Handel attended a presentation of his Messiah (of which he said --"it was written by Another, not me") and joined in singing the Hallelujah Chorus! With the closing notes he sank to the floor and was carried out. He lingered only a short time before he went to join the heavenly choir to sing the Hallelujah Chorus around the throne of God!!"
Monday, December 11, 2017
Christmas Commandments!
It is Monday again, and I trust your household is filled with love and peace as you prepare for the Birthday of the King! The Christmas carols are so beautiful -- let us keep them ringing in our hearts and homes throughout this blessed season!
I read these "Ten Commandments for Christmas" in a Sunday School paper I had kept from 11 years ago. Perhaps it would be good for us to meditate on them again this Christmas.
1. Thou shalt not leave "Christ" out of Christmas, making it "Xmas." To most minds, "X" does not stand for Christ, but for the algebraic unknown.
2. Thou shalt not value thy gifts by their cost, for many shall signify love that is more blessed and beautiful than silver and gold.
3. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gifts. Thy love, thy personality, and thy service shall increase the value of thy gifts an hundredfold, and he that receiveth it shall treasure it forever.
4. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus take the place of Christ, lest Christmas become a fairy tale rather than a sublime reality in the spiritual realm.
5. Thou shalt not burden thy servant. The shop girl, the mail carrier, and the merchant shall have thy consideration.
6. Thou shalt not neglect thy church. Its Christmas services are planned to help spiritualize the Christmas season for thee, thy family, and thy friends.
7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Let thy bountiful blessings be shared with the many who will go hungry and cold unless thou art generous at Christmas.
8. Thou shalt be as a little child. Christmas is the day of the Christ Child; not until thou hast become in spirit as a little child art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
9. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Verily most of us spend much time and money getting gifts ready, but few seconds in preparing our souls.
10. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let thy Christmas list have Christ at the top and thy heart as the gift. In so doing thou art as the wise men of old, and verily thou shalt find thyself born again on Christmas Day!
I read these "Ten Commandments for Christmas" in a Sunday School paper I had kept from 11 years ago. Perhaps it would be good for us to meditate on them again this Christmas.
1. Thou shalt not leave "Christ" out of Christmas, making it "Xmas." To most minds, "X" does not stand for Christ, but for the algebraic unknown.
2. Thou shalt not value thy gifts by their cost, for many shall signify love that is more blessed and beautiful than silver and gold.
3. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gifts. Thy love, thy personality, and thy service shall increase the value of thy gifts an hundredfold, and he that receiveth it shall treasure it forever.
4. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus take the place of Christ, lest Christmas become a fairy tale rather than a sublime reality in the spiritual realm.
5. Thou shalt not burden thy servant. The shop girl, the mail carrier, and the merchant shall have thy consideration.
6. Thou shalt not neglect thy church. Its Christmas services are planned to help spiritualize the Christmas season for thee, thy family, and thy friends.
7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Let thy bountiful blessings be shared with the many who will go hungry and cold unless thou art generous at Christmas.
8. Thou shalt be as a little child. Christmas is the day of the Christ Child; not until thou hast become in spirit as a little child art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
9. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Verily most of us spend much time and money getting gifts ready, but few seconds in preparing our souls.
10. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let thy Christmas list have Christ at the top and thy heart as the gift. In so doing thou art as the wise men of old, and verily thou shalt find thyself born again on Christmas Day!
Friday, December 8, 2017
Amazing Love!
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
--Luke 2:8-16
"With their ears, the shepherds heard
the glorious proclamation that the Saviour was born ...
With their eyes, they looked upon the Word
who became flesh and dwelt among them...
With their hearts, they rejoiced
in the gift of God's amazing love."
--Roy Lessin
And now, it's Christmas time again, and we celebrate --
"A little Child -- A shining star --
A stable rude -- The door ajar.
Yet, in that place -- so crude, forlorn --
The Hope of all the world was born."
"Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord"!
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
--Luke 2:8-16
"With their ears, the shepherds heard
the glorious proclamation that the Saviour was born ...
With their eyes, they looked upon the Word
who became flesh and dwelt among them...
With their hearts, they rejoiced
in the gift of God's amazing love."
--Roy Lessin
And now, it's Christmas time again, and we celebrate --
"A little Child -- A shining star --
A stable rude -- The door ajar.
Yet, in that place -- so crude, forlorn --
The Hope of all the world was born."
"Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord"!
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
My Gift!
Most everyone is rushing about, searching here and there -- counting again to see if they have left out anyone on their seemingly endless Christmas list! But have we given much thought to the real reason we are celebrating? Have we taken any time to contemplate the miracle of Christmas -- the Birthday of the King?
What gift are we going to give to the One whose name is called "Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." The One "that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it; and spirit to them that walk therein."?
There is only one gift we can give to Jesus, and I trust that you will open your heart in humble submission as you read and contemplate the message of this sweet song.
"Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be. I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!
What I have to give to You cannot be bought or sold;
It can't be wrapped up in a box or tied with strings of gold.
It isn't perfect, and You'll see -- it isn't even new,
But Jesus -- it's the only treasure I can give to You!
Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be. I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!
Jesus, you're the greatest gift the world will ever know,
Coming down from heaven just to live your love below;
With all that You have done for me, the least that I can do,
Is give all that I know of me to all I know of You!
Of all the gifts men could give --
It's nice to know that I can give His favorite gift --
The one that thrills Him so -- Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be.
I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!!
"Not just a part--or half of my heart--I will give ALL to Thee"!
What gift are we going to give to the One whose name is called "Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." The One "that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it; and spirit to them that walk therein."?
There is only one gift we can give to Jesus, and I trust that you will open your heart in humble submission as you read and contemplate the message of this sweet song.
"Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be. I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!
What I have to give to You cannot be bought or sold;
It can't be wrapped up in a box or tied with strings of gold.
It isn't perfect, and You'll see -- it isn't even new,
But Jesus -- it's the only treasure I can give to You!
Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be. I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!
Jesus, you're the greatest gift the world will ever know,
Coming down from heaven just to live your love below;
With all that You have done for me, the least that I can do,
Is give all that I know of me to all I know of You!
Of all the gifts men could give --
It's nice to know that I can give His favorite gift --
The one that thrills Him so -- Me! My gift is me! All I am and all I'll ever be.
I'm not ashamed for the world to see that it's me, my gift is me!!
"Not just a part--or half of my heart--I will give ALL to Thee"!
Monday, December 4, 2017
I Believe In Miracles!
My good friends, Brother and Sister Brock, were missionaries in Papua New Guinea for many years. She recently shared with me a thrilling and amazing miracle that God has wrought. It was such a blessing to me -- I wanted to share it with you today!
Sis. Brock sent me an article from the PNG newspaper which said: "For the first time in the history of the Jewish community , a gentile (non-Jewish) church has been invited to take part in a church opening ceremony in Galilee district, Israel, next week. Rev. Berry Tina of the Papua New Guinea Bible Church, based in Warakum in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province, was proud to announce this historic achievement last Friday.
We are privileged to be part of the significant change, and the Jewish community has offered to plant 42 tree seedlings for the 42 PNG Bible church members that will be traveling. Rev. Tina said the trip was not a coincidence, but he believes it was God's plan. This is because the founder of Bible Church, American missionary G. T. Bustin, went to Israel five months after the birth of Israel as a nation, and God called him to go to New Guinea (now PNG). And now, after 70 years, it was God's call for me to lead my people back to Israel."
Bro. and Sis. Brock are still greatly loved and revered by the New Guinea people, and the person sending this information to Sis. Brock said:
"Rev. Beri wants me to send a few pictures to you both in honour of your teachings and upbringing that impacted his life. He is the black Brock preaching Sanctification and Holiness here! And we, his Hagen congregation and District are so privileged to have such a leader.
He was blessed awesomely by God for Tour Leader for his commitment to God in 1996 to bring his congregation to witness the Mt. of Olives where he took two bags of red and black soil from Hagen. The colors represented the growth of the holiness message, and minerals/businesses in the country to spread the message of Holiness.
Today, Dec. 2nd, was awesome. Many memorable things happened with big surprises! We sang as we sailed on the sea of Galilee. God visited us! There were testimonies, songs and worship.Then another BIG surprise! The Israeli family gave an olive tree to Rev. Beri to plant for PNG Bible church. He planted in a big area. We thank God for opening doors for Missions in Israel. Tomorrow will be the church opening!
Apo and Toto (Bro. & Sis. Brock), this is your work! Rev. Beri told me to relay the message to you! So happy to be part of this. This olive tree is planted in a location where a vast of empty land is situated. Akex Barrack, from the tribe of Naphtali gave the best! Last night we, the 42, stayed for hours at their Jewish home after Rev. Beri planted the olive tree as a new covenant with PNG Bible Church.
Today, the 42 of us were met at the Israel Airport with a bus painted Welcome to Israel and the places we met with these writings.
On Sunday, he will open and dedicate a church in Galilee called, PNG Bible Church Hagen Synagogue."
Sis. Brock adds: "Bro. Beri (that led the group) is an outstanding pastor and very respected in the town and among government leaders. The soil he took to Israel he somehow poured out on the Mt. of Olives. He said when Jesus returns, he was hoping one of Jesus' feet would land on the PNG soil and the other foot on Israel!!"
Praise the Lord!!! Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever!! Perhaps God wants to use you to be part of a miracle? Will you be a vessel for Him?
Sis. Brock sent me an article from the PNG newspaper which said: "For the first time in the history of the Jewish community , a gentile (non-Jewish) church has been invited to take part in a church opening ceremony in Galilee district, Israel, next week. Rev. Berry Tina of the Papua New Guinea Bible Church, based in Warakum in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province, was proud to announce this historic achievement last Friday.
We are privileged to be part of the significant change, and the Jewish community has offered to plant 42 tree seedlings for the 42 PNG Bible church members that will be traveling. Rev. Tina said the trip was not a coincidence, but he believes it was God's plan. This is because the founder of Bible Church, American missionary G. T. Bustin, went to Israel five months after the birth of Israel as a nation, and God called him to go to New Guinea (now PNG). And now, after 70 years, it was God's call for me to lead my people back to Israel."
Bro. and Sis. Brock are still greatly loved and revered by the New Guinea people, and the person sending this information to Sis. Brock said:
"Rev. Beri wants me to send a few pictures to you both in honour of your teachings and upbringing that impacted his life. He is the black Brock preaching Sanctification and Holiness here! And we, his Hagen congregation and District are so privileged to have such a leader.
He was blessed awesomely by God for Tour Leader for his commitment to God in 1996 to bring his congregation to witness the Mt. of Olives where he took two bags of red and black soil from Hagen. The colors represented the growth of the holiness message, and minerals/businesses in the country to spread the message of Holiness.
Today, Dec. 2nd, was awesome. Many memorable things happened with big surprises! We sang as we sailed on the sea of Galilee. God visited us! There were testimonies, songs and worship.Then another BIG surprise! The Israeli family gave an olive tree to Rev. Beri to plant for PNG Bible church. He planted in a big area. We thank God for opening doors for Missions in Israel. Tomorrow will be the church opening!
Apo and Toto (Bro. & Sis. Brock), this is your work! Rev. Beri told me to relay the message to you! So happy to be part of this. This olive tree is planted in a location where a vast of empty land is situated. Akex Barrack, from the tribe of Naphtali gave the best! Last night we, the 42, stayed for hours at their Jewish home after Rev. Beri planted the olive tree as a new covenant with PNG Bible Church.
Today, the 42 of us were met at the Israel Airport with a bus painted Welcome to Israel and the places we met with these writings.
On Sunday, he will open and dedicate a church in Galilee called, PNG Bible Church Hagen Synagogue."
Sis. Brock adds: "Bro. Beri (that led the group) is an outstanding pastor and very respected in the town and among government leaders. The soil he took to Israel he somehow poured out on the Mt. of Olives. He said when Jesus returns, he was hoping one of Jesus' feet would land on the PNG soil and the other foot on Israel!!"
Praise the Lord!!! Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever!! Perhaps God wants to use you to be part of a miracle? Will you be a vessel for Him?
Friday, December 1, 2017
Emmanuel !
Today is the first day of December, and Matthew tells us in the first chapter of his gospel:
"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
I really like this devotional thought from Oswald Chambers:
"Jesus Christ is not man becoming God, but God incarnate -- God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God?"
"Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in."
"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
I really like this devotional thought from Oswald Chambers:
"Jesus Christ is not man becoming God, but God incarnate -- God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God?"
"Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)