Sermon Summaries

About 3:15 on a cloudy, but warm Sunday afternoon. I spent the past week in Brattleboro with Mike. He arrived last Saturday, the 8th, and planned on attending church with me Sunday morning. But, as I'm learning, Mike's decisions can be very random and last minute. (Not ideal for a "planner" like me, but I love him anyway) So when I got up that morning, he mentioned that he had an idea that I may not like, but it made sense to him. Rather than going to church in a building, with people, he felt a need to connect with God in Nature. Instead of leaving after church, we left shortly after breakfast and stopped briefly at Chesterfield Gorge. We pass by the parking lot every time we go that way, so it's not out of the way literally at all. We would likely have stopped for more than 10 minutes, but the path down to the lower falls was waaay too icy still. It was a peaceful week and good to get away for a bit. And tbh, I really didn't mind going there instead of Church. I enjoy connecting with God in Nature as well, at times. (Thus my frequent walks to nearby parks) In local news, Andrea's husband, Matt, had a rough week. He had been doing well enough the first of the month that they were planning on sending him home. He was alert, joking, helping Andrea edit her book, etc... all looked good last Saturday. At some point on Sunday, going into Monday, it was like someone flipped the "off" switch. They didn't lose him, but all the joking and editing help was suddenly not there. He had nothing for communication other than his distress grunting, which, according to Andrea's FB post, was nearly constant. Until it wasn't. By late Monday or early Tuesday, he was fine again. The latest, as far as I know directly from messaging with her last night, is that Matt should be home today. Continued prayers for his total recovery from the series of strokes he suffered 2 yrs ago last Thanksgiving. <3 (I may be over to help again on Tuesday. She'll let me know.) The saga with my parents continues. I don't have the latest yet, but at this point, no news still equals bad news. If the "extras" had left yet, I feel like Carissa would have told me. In my last post, I mentioned the possibility of my mother and I sharing a 2 bedroom apartment. After talking with Mike about this, he's willing for the 2 of us to share a place with her. He doesn't want to have to wait until "someday" for us to be living in the same space. He needs more of me than random visits and a few video chats every day. While Carissa is definitely looking at getting my father into the Veteran's Home, there are fewer options for my mother. She is showing clear signs of dementia, as is my father, but the question of how far things have to be advanced in order to have her placed in a Memory Care facility and have Medicaid/Medicare pay for it, has yet to be answered.* I have also informed my ex-husband of Mike's and my willingness to share a space with her. He proceeded to remind me that my mother HATES Mike. In return, I reminded him that she would hate anyone I was with if it's not my ex-boyfriend, Rob. I also mentioned about the Care Facility issue and the fact that she may not have a choice but to stay with me and Mike. It could be the option of us or the streets. Time will tell, but prayers are definitely appreciated for wisdom and provision. (As I mentioned previously, the County Nursing Home is not likely to be an option due to expense) Meanwhile, no news is good news from my son, Benjamin. This means that he has no immediate plans to head out to Indiana to help his ex-wife with her health issues. (At the same time, you can view both his and Rich's birthday cards on that page of my site.) And we now return to our regularly scheduled programming -- lol I've been experiencing something the past couple of nights that I don't really talk about on here for fear that it may discredit me to some readers.* The thing is, in briefly reviewing today's message earlier in order to determine the focus of this Intro paragraph, I saw a connection and felt I needed to use it here. On January 4th, 2021, my ex-husband, Rich, moved back to Maine to live with his father after having lost his mother in May of 2020. That was the day our family cat, Kyra, was re-homed to stay with me. She was about 14 1/2 yrs old. Exactly one year later, she died. Early last year, I felt her presence on my bed. I felt her jump up, walk around, and settle down to cuddle at my lower legs or my feet. She did this for several nights in a row. Friday night, and again last night, she showed up again. I try to stay calm about it, knowing that she's not here to harm me, but I've ended up on the couch both nights so far. I don't know if she doesn't bother me out here due to the lack of space on my love seat, (which, even at 5'1", I have to curl up to fit) compared with my king size bed, or if she's restricted somehow to the bedroom. In either case, the connection with today's message is the fact that the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical and it's only to our detriment to ignore or reject that truth.* It was the timing of this message in relation to Kyra's visit that also struck me. It might not simply be the fact that her carrier, toys, and food/water dishes are still in my closet. It may also be that I would have this story at hand to share. Turn with me, if you will, to our Scripture for this series -- Mark 1. Today's passage is verses 21-34. Mark 1:21-34 New International Version Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. Jesus Heals Many 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As we've observed over the past couple of CenterPoint messages, this series focuses on the Kingdom of God and the various aspects of it as connected with our Scripture passage. First, we had the Kingdom Promise. This spoke to the Covenant Promise to David back in 2 Samuel 7. One of many predictions throughout the Old Testament that God would one day send Messiah (Jesus). Secondly, we explored the idea of who we should be as Kingdom People. Today, we will look at the fact, as indicated by my story above, that the spiritual realms, and those who inhabit them, are not only real, but nothing to be trifled with. Being that this was Advent Season, the candle-lighting passage was from Isaiah 66:1-3. This portion of Scripture is entitled "Judgement and Hope". In re-reading it just now, my Catholic readers would do well to focus on the bit in verse 3 about "those who burn memorial incense" and what God had to say about the lot of people, including them, who are listed prior to that. Just to preface this message, it was delivered by both Pastor Matt and Joe. As per usual, when I'm behind like this on a message I attended in person, I don't remember who said what other than the fact that Pastor Matt always opens. (With the exception of personal stories shared, of course) In this message, we come to the point where we see the Kingdom of God breaking into the world in the power of Jesus to exorcize demons. As Pastor Matt opened, he emphasized the point that the Kingdom brings healing, wholeness, and freedom in it's wake.* We see evidence of this as Jesus drives out the impure spirit from the man in the Synagogue. Verse 21 reveals that this incident happened on the Sabbath. Let's pause here and look for the deeper significance in this. Back in Genesis chapter 1, we have the original pattern of God Creating for 6 days and resting. We should be struck by one detail. While the first 6 days begin with evening and go into the next morning, the 7th day DOESN'T END. What!!?? That's right, all it says for Day 7 is "God rested". That's it. Full stop. End of that story. God essentially "settled into His Creation" like we do after we move to a new place. We carry stuff in, unpack it, organize it, and we rest. This is our space now. We pay for it, it's our to do with as we please. (Unless restricted by rental rules, of course) But the point remains. This is where we live from that point on until/unless we move again. We settle in to what belongs to us. We inhabit the space we have invested in. It was brought to light here that God repeats this pattern to various degrees later. We see this during the Exodus, particularly at Mt. Sinai when He presented Moses with the 10 Commandments. While God established the Sabbath, His people were commanded to keep it. This was meant to be a sign of God's renewal as we rest in God's love. In our passage above, Jesus now has authority over the Sabbath and was able to enact/dictate what it meant.* In verse 24, we take notice of the fact that the demons knew Who Jesus was. Back in the book of Isiah, we see the term, "Holy One of God" or "Holy One of Israel" used frequently to refer to Messiah, Who was/is, Jesus. This, along with the Fall of Satan from Heaven (Rev. 12:7-12), makes it clear that the demons have had a long history of knowing Who Jesus was/is. The Greek word Jesus used in telling the demon to "be quiet" is the same one we would use for "muzzle". You want to make sure your dog doesn't bark/bite, you put a muzzle on it. The same word is also used in Mark 4 when Jesus calms the storm. He essentially told the wind to "put a muzzle on it!!"* Skipping back to verse 22, we see that the people recognized Jesus' teaching to hold authority as opposed to the Teachers of the Law who merely interpreted it. As we read down through the rest of the passage, we see that His authority also extended to the healing of physical ailments with Peter's mother-in-law.* It was also mentioned here that, in our Western Culture, observing Sabbath is seen as odd. (although it occurs to me that college professors often take sabbaticals, so there's that...) But the overall view is that "time is money, so there's no time to rest". It's also odd for us Westerners to recognize the demonic as a real thing. (more on this in a few) Turning back, once again, to Genesis 1, we find God's invitation to Adam and Eve to rule and reign with Him. As we read through into chapter 3, it's interesting to note the significance of the serpent in Ancient Cultures. Originally, the snake was seen as a sign of protection and wisdom.* This is why Eve didn't question him when he suggested that God was "holding out" on them.* God's invitation is supported by Gen. 1:26 when He says, "Let us make man in our image..."* The invitation involves "image bearer" language, carrying with it the Authority of God Himself. As it was mentioned here, CS Lewis shows an understanding of this in the Chronicles of Narnia stories. In providing thrones to each child, Aslan was inviting them to help rule His Kingdom. When Adam and Eve sinned, they abdicated the metaphorical thrones God had given them. They gave authority over to Satan and began exhibiting "beastly behavior". They became ruled by their appetites. The example given here was of a bear raiding a bird feeder. The truth is, when we grasp at our own wisdom and desires, we become ruled by them. This is becomes obvious when we think about how Popular Culture treats the supernatural. The 70's movie, The Exorcist, for example. When people see it, they have one of 2 reactions. They either ignore the danger displayed in it because "it's just a movie". Or they take it seriously and get scared. As we saw earlier, in my introductory story, the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical. Jesus has ultimate authority over both. In the interest of time, there was an image shown of verses that prove Jesus' Authority. I'll copy the list down here -- Teaching- Mk. 1:22 Demons - Mk. 1:27 Sickness - Mk. 1:31 Forgive sins - Mk. 2:10 Wind/waves - Mk. 4:41 Miracles - Mk. 11:28-29 His own life - Jn. 10:18 Heaven & Earth Mt. 28:18 The fact is, Jesus has not "passed the torch" to us, He is always with us. Part of our invitation to rule and reign with Him lies in our potential to rest into His Sabbath. This suggests a far deeper relationship than the basic concept of accepting His forgiveness. In Jesus' birth, He brought with Him an opportunity for humanity to return to the abundance, flourishing, and relationship that was lost in Eden. A true taste of the Kingdom. An invitation, not only to return to the state of grace abandoned by Adam and Eve*, but to actively contend for it by obeying Jesus' Commission to "go into all the World..." He extends His Kingdom in His ways, through His people. Looking at the perspective James puts on it in chapters 3 and 4 of his letter, we find his words to be far less overt than Jesus'. He makes no room to argue that the World System, the kingdom of darkness, and human desires are things to be strenuously avoided to the detriment of our eternal souls. He reminds them/us in no uncertain terms that our words matter, and that things like envy and selfish desires bring disorder. Sin will ultimately destroy us. He encourages them/us by suggestion here to pay attention to these things, but don't be afraid because the Holy Spirit will strengthen us through everything if we allow it. Our theme of the spiritual realms being as real as the physical is particularly supported by Paul's words in Ephesians 6:10-14. In this passage, Paul is reminding/informing them/us that their TRUE struggle is not with men, but with powers and principalities. He strongly encourages the metaphorical Armor of God as protection/defense against these things.* Flipping over to Colossians 2:15, we discover the fact that Jesus has disarmed the Enemy. The full destruction will come later, as per Revelation 20:14. Ephesians 1 shows us that the throne abdicated by man is currently filled by Jesus. This gives us the authority to fight adversaries in the spiritual realm with the power of God at our disposal. At this point, Pastor Matt shared a story from Early 2005. He and his wife, Heidi, had recently moved to Ipswich, Mass. to assist in a Church there. For 3 weeks in a row, when Matt was scheduled to speak on a Sunday afternoon, he had severe back pain and sickness first thing in the morning. During this time, a group from the Church met and prayed for him. By the 4th week, he was healed. This proves the effectiveness of the spiritual realm on the physical body. He also shared briefly about a woman they met or saw during a time of ministry in India. She had been cursing for some time, but the presence of God in that meeting stopped it. In Ephesians 3:10-11, we read that the Church communicates to the spiritual realms Who God is. This proves to us that how we live as Christians matters. We should show love to ALL as a sign both to the powers and to other people. It's not that we should expect to be perfect; just that we are empowered by the Holy Ghost in all situations. After the service, there was an invitation for healing/freedom for any who wanted to receive. (This is something that I've never seen them do before, as the general goal of CenterPoint is to maintain a "Non-Dom" environment that is inviting to all Believers.)* -- God Bless!! Footnotes: 1. I have a friend who has experience with Dementia Care Facilities and Medicare/Medicaid, but if anyone has any advice, I would love to hear it. 2. Although mention of my personal experiences with the supernatural gives me some pause here, you'll observe that I have no such hesitation toward calling Catholics, Jews, or other groups out on points where they're unbiblical. The difference is, those other Religions/Denominations include False Teachings; and we all know how vehemently Jesus spoke out against these people. My personal experiences are 100% factual. 3. Other personal experiences I've had include a visit from my great-aunt when I was about 9 yrs old, and the creaking of the floor and movement of the hallway rug at Rich's place the night after we had buried his father in the afternoon. (His services were held 2 yrs to the day after Rich's mother's) 4. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned about discovering a need to edit my Reflections post in light of new insight on Jesus coming through the waters of Baptism. I did that before I started on this post earlier this afternoon. 5. Any of you who may be Seventh Day Adventists will want to pay attention to the fact here that Jesus never suggested a specific day of the week, only that reverence to God be a normal practice in our lives. We see in Mark 2:27, when Jesus said that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath", in Luke 6:5 that Jesus is "Lord of the Sabbath", and in Hebrews 4:9-11, that Jesus IS our Sabbath. This is further supported by Jesus' words in Matt. 11:28-29 where He invites us to rest in Him. The Scriptural context in this is that we need do nothing more to earn Salvation than to Believe, trust, and rest in His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness while extending those qualities to others. The Bible is replete with verses that speak against Legalistic ways of practicing God's Commands. 6. In relation to Jesus' telling the wind to "put a muzzle on it", I can't help admitting here that I've used a bit stronger wording than that when speaking to the wind. "Calm your $#17!!" ;p (I keep it real, what can I say??) 7. Catholics would also do well to take note that Peter was married. While it may be true that the Catholic Church did not make the official decision to only choose priests from men who were voluntarily celibate until the 12th century, an accurate analysis of Matt. 19 and 1 Corinthians 7 is helpful in understanding the contexts and indications here. The bottom line is this, both Jesus and Paul were simply acknowledging the fact that everyone has strengths and weaknesses in terms of their human desires. Neither one is suggesting that as being good or bad in relation to ministry. They are just showing that a celibate person may be less likely to get distracted by other responsibilities than one who is less disciplined in their body. (Besides which, we all know how "celibate" most priests are, now don't we??) SMH... 8. The history of the symbolism of snakes, among other Ancient Beliefs is covered more thoroughly in my Reflections post on Tattoos. I also wanted to say here that nothing about this suggests that Adam and Ever were not the first humans, as some believe. The fact that the span of Adam's life was 930 yrs tells us that there was plenty of time in which these ideas may have developed. We are never told how long Adam and Eve actually spent in the Garden, so the thought that they weren't the first of their kind is inconclusive at best, and an outright lie at worst. (I also have plans for a treatise on Rock Music at some point, which covers other kinds of symbols as opposed to just animals) 9. When Satan was talking to Eve about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he suggested that she and Adam could just as easily ignore God's command and gain the knowledge on their own. 10. Genesis 1:26 is an excellent argument against those who don't embrace the truth of the Trinity. The Father wasn't just talking to Himself there... speaking of which, I recently came up with new insights and a new analogy concerning the Trinity. First of all, the description of marriage (or what has been suggested as such) in Genesis 2:24 gives us a picture of "multiple unity" as a husband and wife "become one". Secondly, someone on Quora brought out the idea that "God" is really a title for the individuals who comprise the Trinity. My previous analogy was of Business Partners, but now I've started suggesting that no one talks about their favorite sports team by listing the individual players. They talk about the team as a whole, using the chosen name given to the group. It's really not as complicated as some think... 11. Don't get it twisted, the fact that Adam and Eve walked in a "state of grace" with God in NO WAY suggests that we can do what we want since Jesus died on the Cross. We are not Saved TO grace, but only BY it. The "state of grace" Adam and Eve walked in with the Father is the same as we have now in our relationship with Him. It acknowledges our humanity while extending love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness into our naturally weaker nature. 12. I actually participated in an excellent Women's Bible Study called "The Armor of God" by Priscilla Shirer back in the Summer of 2016. I highly recommend it!! 13. As one of my former churches was Word of Faith, I miss the Gifts of the Spirit being regularly displayed. In talking with Pastor Matt privately, he revealed that he personally believes in the Gifts, but in light of CenterPoint's continued business relationship with the Conservative Baptist organization, he's limited in how much he can show it. That being said, he HAS shared the fact that he has experienced medically documented miraculous healing at least once. (I have personally been healed 2x and been Baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of other Tongues) Music -- No rights, I promise!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzEX3QMuVPM Chris Tomlin - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Lyric Video),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH7asSGxAxA Paul Baloche - The First Noel/Above All (Official Lyric Video),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmWPKede5BA Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Christmas Lyric Video),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P97yj-f4sc

It's 3:50 on a warm Thursday afternoon. My day started around the usual time (8:15); but in an unusual way. My oldest, Carissa had messaged me late last night about getting a gallon of milk for my parents. She had already tried, but any place close by that was still open only had Hood brand. For whatever reason, that's not what they wanted/needed.* Anyway, I ended up doing it this morning. At the same time, I decided to get a few things for myself so it wouldn't be so awkward walking around with my utility cart for nothing more than a single gallon of milk. I dropped the milk off and came right back home to have something more for breakfast than a cereal bar and sip of my smoothie from the other day. But I know you're not here for all of that so much as for prayer requests/praises, sermon notes, and music. The only other thing I currently know of the ongoing saga with my parents is that their "guests" are still there. Thus, the reason I met my father at the door and left. Carissa was able to order more heating fuel over the past weekend, and I didn't have to help, so that was good. As it is, I may have to help Carissa with another ongoing bill, but that's partly for me anyway, so it could be worse. At the same time, Mike and I have to change our car insurance this month to get a less expensive payment. I'll be discussing that with him more this evening at some point. Now for the latest with Andrea and Matt. There was a major incident during Matt's Liver Dialysis on Wednesday morning. The facility is an hour each way from their home here in Concord. They didn't have time to take him to either Manchester or Concord. He ended up staying in Derry at Parkland Medical Center. Long story short, he stopped breathing for 8-10 minutes. The machine apparently maintained his blood pressure the entire time!! And, after further testing, there was NO FURTHER BRAIN DAMAGE than what the series of strokes he suffered a little over 2 yrs ago had originally caused!! The man is a true miracle of God!! In her FB post that told the full story, she said that "he has been surviving all this time on nothing but prayers and stubbornness." But hey, we'll take it!! Praise God for his continued and complete healing (in due course). Like Matt, we continue to soldier on -- As sometimes happens, I didn't know almost until I sat down to start, just what this paragraph would be about. But then it hit me. The answer was obvious. My ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, has been ranting again lately about the "evils" of Western Women as opposed to his gf in the Philippines.* One thing he always gets into the mix is this mistaken idea he has that, "I have no obligation to be nice to them considering how badly they've treated me." Most of the time, I just ignore his messages until I can see that he's behaving better. This time, however, I didn't. As a fellow Believer in Christ, I reminded him that, due to the fact that we as Christians, and therefore Ambassadors of the Kingdom*, he actually DOES have an obligation to be polite. As we will see in this evening's message, that reminder isn't just for him, but for all of us. Turn with me to our ongoing reading in Mark 1 -- Mark 1:16-20 New International Version Jesus Calls His First Disciples 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This short passage proves out what we observed in our last message. John the Baptist steps back from the spotlight as Jesus' Ministry is ready to begin more fully. We've seen in the past year or so how Pastors Matt and Joe have requested feedback from the congregation on what stood out to them in various passages. This was one of those times. On this occasion, Pastor Matt received the following input -- no hesitation from Simon Peter or Andrew -- Jesus was a Rabbi and called them. (Typically, a student would choose a Teacher) -- curiosity on what Zebedee must have thought -- recognition of authority by all concerned -- fishermen were not highly educated (in relation to this, someone mentioned a few minutes later about how this shows that Jesus chose people other's wouldn't have) -- they had been fishing all day and caught nothing -- their mother effectively lost both sons at the same time Pastor Matt then proceeded to reveal a pattern of God's Work throughout history. He chooses a People by calling out individuals first. The larger group comes into play only after enough individuals have come together. Another aspect of this pattern lies in 3 major points: God calls someone to leave what they know That person joins God's leading There is a journey to great promise, prepared for a great purpose Looking back at Genesis 1:26-28, we see the word "image" to describe God's thought process in the Creation of Mankind. This relates to Roman Emperors who would order statues of themselves to be placed in remote areas of their kingdom. These statues were known as "icons" because they were designed to remind the people of who ruled them. Pastor Matt brought out the point here that, while the rest of Creation was simply an expression of love, humans are the only ones specifically noted to be made in the image of God.* This is because we are expected to trust God vs trusting ourselves. Animals were designed to survive purely on the instincts God put in them. We were designed for greater purpose. We are meant to join God in His Plans and enjoy His Promises. Adam and Eve were meant to spread God's love across the world. Their abysmal failure in chapter 3, and God's response shows that He never gives up on us. Flipping over just a bit to Genesis 12:1-4, we find God calling on Abram (Abraham) to begin the nation of Israel. This was the first example of the "leave, join, journey" pattern mentioned above; ultimately meant to result in fulfilled promises and purposes. God's intention was to bless Abraham for the purpose of blessing the World. (We all know how that turned out... but God has still not given up on them as His Blessed People)* Getting back now to our passage in Mark 1, Pastor Matt reiterated the earlier fact that students would generally choose their Rabbi/Teacher. The fact that Jesus was calling students TO Himself went against traditional Torah views. (not for the last time, right??) ;) In reviewing the earlier list of observations from this passage, we see the following aspects of what Jesus was doing here -- Jesus' request held authority. He wasn't so much asking as demanding.* Regardless, they recognized it and followed. Jesus was not just asking them to give up their careers as fishermen; but to give up on the traditions in which they had been raised.* Following Jesus was going to cost fellowship with family members and friends. They were willing to pay the price because they knew where they belonged. Jesus was calling them further into His image, asking them to identify with Him, and live in His ways. They were being invited into a journey of Great People. Pastor Matt shared the fact here that the phrase "fishing for people" was prophetic. We find evidence of this in Jeremiah 16:16. Other references to "the Day of the Lord" throughout the Old Testament also refer to Jesus' invitation. This involved joining in God's restoration, abundance, and flourishing. Peter and Andrew heard the message that Jesus was bringing. They had grown up learning about the promises of God. This means that they didn't just respond on a whim, but understood that Jesus was there to bring those promises to fruition. (the fact that they didn't understand HOW He would do it is another matter entirely) Another point here is that Jesus ALWAYS meets us where we are at. He used what was familiar in order to draw them in. Some of us may wonder why we're here. The answer, as Pastor Matt so succinctly put it, is this: "Into a world filled with wars, God has broken in and brings peace." He does that in us so that we can share it to others. (This actually relates to the Devotional I read on Feb. 28th. I'll share it in the images below.) Jesus' words in the Great Commission bear this out -- Matt. 28:18-20 -- In this passage, we read that, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go..." He is calling them/us individually here. And, as we've said before, the underlying thought here is not about everyone leaving our homes and going "into all the world". The idea is, "AS YOU GO about your daily lives..." The truth is, we are created to desire love, beauty, belonging, and order. None of these are negative/evil in and of themselves. The question lies in how we choose to pursue and enjoy them. In the words of the Great Commission, we are all called, as Christians, to let go of religious constructs, church traditions*, etc... and join Him, allowing Him to shape us in our journey to Him. As we see throughout the New Testament, God is gentle and gracious with us. In closing, Pastor Matt shared a brief story that many had heard before. (I've mentioned it at least 2x, myself) Early in their marriage, Matt and Heidi were moving into a new apartment. As most of you probably know, there is very little ambient lighting provided by the landlord. Due to this fact, they needed a light in the bedroom. Matt, not being well versed in the ways of the handyman, went to Home Depot. He came back with a work light that could be seen several blocks away!! LOL In Christ, we are meant to shine His light to the World. What are we willing to give up for Him continually?? (not just once)* The Church is "a People" that was started when Jesus began His Ministry. The Apostles were the first individuals chosen to build it. As mentioned earlier, we are Ambassadors of God's Kingdom. As such, we have a responsibility to share His love, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and joy into "all the World". -- God Bless!! Footnotes: 1. It wasn't worth asking why they wanted any other brand. I just let that part lie. 2. There are 2 things to say about Jeremy's rantings. Number one, I am never included in them other than for the purposes of venting. He knows that I'm the best thing that had happened to him up to that point. He continues to recognize and appreciate that. Number two, I shared the thought with him that he seems to feel the need to put women down so that he's less tempted by them. I'm pretty sure he agrees with that assessment. 3. Paul calls us Ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20. In relation to this, we see that, in 1 Peter 2:9, we are called, a "Royal Priesthood". 4. I don't usually mention the Unitarian/Universalist groups on here, but the idea that we are the only ones in the Creation story specifically identified with God's image caught my attention. It should catch yours as well. While I agree that everything in Nature shows PROOF of God, I don't agree that it IS God. When you worship the thing that was created as being the One Who Created it, there's a problem. I mean, just think about it, which do you admire more, the pot or the Potter?? Why?? 5. If God hasn't given up on Israel, neither should we. And that's enough political perspective for today. 6. Not sure what I was going to say about Jesus' asking vs demanding... maybe something about the fact that He didn't say, "Would you like to follow Me and fish for people??" He simply said, "Follow Me." Now, in thinking about it, "request" would actually be a better word here than "demand". 7. The fact that Jesus was asking them to pretty much abandon everything they had ever known or been taught was huge. Judaism, as you may know, was a VERY STRICT lifestyle. There were no fewer than 613 Laws to be observed!! In Jesus' invitation, Peter and Andrew were being asked to think of their relationship with God in a whole new way. (My unbelieving Jewish readers should take note of this) 8. As I have grown up in the Church, and more specifically, over the past 10 yrs or so of doing more study on my own, I have come to realize that not every church has the same beliefs about Church Tradition in relation to Sola Scriptura or versus, as the case may be. I continue to attempt in sharing the Truth in Love with Catholics on Quora, but to no avail. The Devil has simply blinded them to the truth, and God has done the same with the Catholic Church as with non-believing idolaters in Romans 1. He's turned them over to their human desires. That being said, I understand that there are Saved and Unsaved people in every church. I'm speaking of Catholicism as a Denomination, not of every single person. My thought is that those who ARE truly Saved among the Catholics may simply be too afraid to leave, having been indoctrinated with the idea that doing so would cause them to lose their Salvation. (At some point, I will be doing a Reflection post on Eternal Security) 9. To be clear, Salvation itself is a "one and done" deal. The idea of Sanctification, on the other hand, is what requires us to choose God every day over our human desires and distractions. And again, Catholics, it's not about becoming perfect, Jesus already accomplished that status on the Cross. It's about resting in and living out the victory He won at the moment of Resurrection. Music -- No rights, ever!! I'm not a fan of Christmas music apart from the Season, but that's what happens when you get this far behind... ;p ;p Casting Crowns - Gloria/Angels We Have Heard on High (Official Lyric Video),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6wsLm6cZ1E River Valley Worship - Hope Has A Name (Lyrics),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYsapLrOto River Valley Worship - Hope Has A Name (Lyrics),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYsapLrOto Sing We The Song Of Emmanuel Lyric Video • Matt Boswell & Matt Papa,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIGDl32Zhs8 Oh Holy Night (Lyrics) - Best Christmas Songs Of All Time,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QDq1VfWUQ

Okay, so I messed up in thinking there was one more Beatitudes message. I guess I just thought that there should be another one due to the facts that not all of the verses were covered and that there were only 9 sermons in the series. (I like even numbers) The good thing is that the messages were not further interrupted by the latest BCC post that was blogged last Wednesday. And yes, I'm well aware that I suggested my next post may show up as early as Friday night, but my granddaughter, Brandi, didn't get picked up until around 2 pm and I still needed my afternoon walk... life happens, right?? Anyway, here it is Sunday afternoon, about 5 p.m.. I'm eating tilapia and potatoes with a side of water. Meanwhile, Carissa is messaging me about watching Brandi again tomorrow afternoon, meaning I may have to borrow her car and get up early Tuesday... but, it would ensure that Brandi doesn't miss a day of school. We shall see... No other updates other than the fact that Mike isn't feeling well today. He may be coming down with another cold. Prayers appreciated for him and for the ongoing saga with my parents. And, as always, for Andrea and Matt. And we press onward -- In coming up with today's Message Intro paragraph, all I could really think about was how God has kept His promises in my own life. Yesterday on Quora, I saw a post about how we maintain our faith in times of trouble. I didn't bother answering it, but when the I do talk about it, I remember a message one of my former pastors gave. It was from 1 Samuel 7 concerning Ebenezer stones.* The word "Ebenezer" in the Ancient Hebrew, meant "stone of remembrance". Samuel erected one following Israel's victory over the Philistines. Today, we can use key moments in our lives when God has been faithful to encourage our faith in currently challenging circumstances. If you like, you can think of them as "mile markers" or as the late, great, Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale put it, "guide posts".* (I'm sure most of you have heard of the magazine.) There's a worship song we sing fairly regularly called, "I Will Sing of the Goodness of God". That truly resonates with me. I have been in one church or another literally since birth, grew up in a Private Christian School, and at least tried to raise my kids in church as well.* Any of my long-term relationships have been with Christian men, and now, I worship in the same building I attended school in all that time ago. Between returning to the church that originally founded the school I went to and being reunited with Mike, God has brought me full-circle. He is indeed, faithful. This evening's message proves this out in some amazing ways, let's look -- Turn with me to Mark 1 for a unique beginning to the Advent Season. Mark 1:1-13 New International Version John the Baptist Prepares the Way 1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you,    who will prepare your way”[c]—3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,    make straight paths for him.’”[d] 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.” The Baptism and Testing of Jesus 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pastor Matt's opening statement on December 1st was that, "In Jesus, God's promises are both made and kept." He also made the observation that, unlike Matthew and Luke, both of whom start Jesus' Gospel with His genealogy and birth, or the Apostle John, whose treatise looks nothing like the others, Mark gets right down to business. Rather than starting at His birth or expounding on His love, Mark starts at the beginning of Jesus' Ministry. John the Baptist heralded the way ahead of Jesus, just as the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah had said.* In doing so, John was inviting those who were longing for God's "New Thing". We see in our passage above that the concept of being baptized into the forgiveness of sins was a major element of what was to come. Pastor Matt also commented here that this was not a "parade of the elite", but rather "all who could get there". As an aside, he suggested that Taylor Swift had nothing on John the Baptist when it came to crowds. LOL In verse 6, we find something that sounds a bit bizarre if we're being honest. Mark relates here that John the Baptist wore a covering of camel hair with a belt, and ate locusts and wild honey. Huh!!?? (now, the wild honey, I could totally understand, but the rest... not so much) The point here, as Pastor Matt shared, was that John was tying his image into that of the Old Testament prophets.* Israel hadn't had one in about 400 yrs. at this time, but now Jesus was finally here and preparing to start His ministry. The question was posed here as to whether John knew just Who it was that he was getting the people ready for. It was presumed that he did, considering the fact they were cousins. Verse 8 gives us a very important difference that John wants to make sure people understood between himself and Jesus. While John was only baptizing in water, Jesus would baptize in the Spirit of God.* If we skip back for a second to verse 4, we notice that John "appeared in the wilderness". This meant the crowds had to make an effort to see him. He didn't just stop in the Town Square and announce himself. As we read through the entirety of our passage above, we can see that John knew that he would be the final herald. The One coming next was Holy, Worthy, Powerful, and Promised. We also see his humility. He understood his place in God's Story. We notice that, as John baptizes Jesus, he then fades into the background, allowing Jesus "center stage". Pastor Matt continued by bringing out the fact that humanity's greatest rejection of God in the scope of history, happened in Genesis chapter 3 with Adam and Eve. It was then that God first promised to make all things new. Although the Serpent would strike Jesus' heel, Jesus would ultimately crush his head. Satan would eventually get what was coming to him. Matt shared briefly here, a story about when his and Heidi's daughter, Liberty, was little. One of the things she hated most in the world were bees. On this particular day, they were all at a lake, enjoying a Summer day. Liberty went to step in the water and immediately got stung by a yellow jacket!! While it was stinging her on the foot, she was crushing it under her heel, so like Jesus, she won the victory. How cool is that!!?? :D Next, Pastor Matt showed how God had spread seeds of His Eden Promise throughout the Old Testament. The scene of the first one after Eden was during the Exodus. Later, Abraham began a New Nation, beginning with his son Isaac, and continuing with his grandson, Jacob. After a while, we see David ascend the throne of Israel. (Once they gained one under Saul) And as, many of you know, God made a Covenant with David that would see one of his line remaining on the throne of Israel forever. As Pastor Matt said earlier, in Jesus, God's promises are both made and kept. A really cool connection was made here by Pastor Matt. He brought out the fact that in Genesis 1 and 2, Adam and Eve were created to rule and reign over the Earth with God. And for a time, they did. Then, in chapter 3, they effectively "stepped off the throne" God had made for them. That throne remained empty until Jesus came to fill it. It was at that point that God's promise of restoration was fulfilled. There was finally a human once again ruling and reigning with the Father.* This was the One Who would heal, redeem, and bring abundance back into the lives of humanity. He took back the throne. Another observation about our Scripture tonight is that John announced Jesus' arrival (or readiness for ministry) by identifying with those whom Jesus came to save. (I really think Pastor Matt meant to say that Jesus announced Himself here) Anyway, the point was servanthood and baptism in the wilderness. Pastor Matt pointed out at this time Mark's abundant use of words like 'now', and 'next', and 'immediately'. These all indicated that Jesus was, indeed, the One they had long been waiting for. This was REALLY HAPPENING!! This is seen in verse 9 when Mark says, "At that time..." and went on to share the story of Jesus' baptism. The historical connection Pastor Matt showed us here was that Jesus was baptized, not because He required forgiveness of any sin, but because He was relating with the Jews in their escape from Egypt during the Exodus. They came through the water into freedom.* In doing this, He was also identifying Himself with God's Mission of Rescue. The next point was from what we read in verse 10. We see here, that "heaven was being torn open" as Jesus came back out of the water. This meant that there was no longer any barrier between Heaven and Earth, humanity and the divine were once again united. The Father expressed His love and approval of Jesus in that moment, echoing the love and attitude of reconciliation He had originally shown to Adam and Eve after having exiled them from Eden, but nonetheless staying with them in the wilderness. We see this pattern repeated in Exodus when God was with the Israelites in the desert. (more on this momentarily) In verse 12, we find Jesus being sent into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. Pastor Matt brought out that some translations use the word "driven" here.* He was there for 40 days. Pastor Matt then proceeded to "reframe" the word 'wilderness' in relation to the Biblical pattern we've observed. It is a time when the Father is essentially asking the question, "Will they trust Me??" The answers, of course, vary. With the Israelites in the desert, even after 40 yrs., was a resounding "NO!!". Right from the day they left Egypt, Moses heard nothing but complaints and whining about the food, the lack of water, or whatever they found to cry about the next day. The "wilderness", in the Bible always represents a time of testing. Not a "question and answer" test, but rather, one that reveals the heart(s) of those being tested. Knowing their cultural history as they did, no one who saw Jesus walking off into the desert expected it to end well. They thought Jesus would fail. Unlike us, they didn't have the knowledge that was given to Mark after the fact. Verse 13 tells us that while Jesus was spending His 40 days in the wilderness, with the wild animals, He had angels protecting Him. (I know, the word used is "attended", but Pastor Matt brought out the fact that protection was the original intent here) Which brings us to yet another really cool connection with Genesis 3. When God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden, where many of the animals were, He set angels to guard the gate. Mark used the imagery of the animals in this passage to show that, in Jesus, Eden was effectively being restored to mankind. As Jesus passed through the water of baptism, He was leading them back into the Father's presence. (WOW!!) He went into the wilderness to show God's victory. The return of/to "Eden" was the "New Thing" God was doing. In closing, Pastor Matt summed up by encouraging us that, because of Jesus, we can trust God's promises of love, forgiveness, healing, rescue, and redemption. He knows the way through the wilderness. Will you trust Him?? (That a yes from me!! What's your response going to be??) -- God Bless!! Footnotes: 1. As to the "Ebenezer stones", I feel like I may have mis-named them in the past and called them "Ichabod Moments"... oopsy!! My apologies if this is the case. 2. I actually had the honor and privilege of meeting Dr. Peale and Ruth back in 1976. My mother played the organ at South Weare Union Church. (Summer only, when they still met) The pastor there was Rev. Dr. Daniel K. Poling, one of Dr. Peale's Associates at Marble Collegiate Church in NYC. "Grandpa Poling", as he became known to me, invited Dr. Peale to speak at the Bicentennial Celebration. I was almost 7 at the time. 3. I always took the kids with me to Church up until I wasn't going for a few months around the time of Rich's and my divorce in 2010/11. Since then, they've not gone much. 4. In his opening statements, John the Baptist is quoting from Isaiah 40:3-8. 5. The prophet John the Baptist most resembled was Elijah. Now, while I'm well aware of the long-debated question of one being the 'reincarnation' of the other, let me make it easy for you. Jesus' words in Matt. 17 were only intended to speak of John the Baptist as having the same ROLE as Elijah. That of making the way ahead of Messiah. He was NOT saying that John WAS Elijah. I have explained it to others using the analogy of a Cover Band. Although they may look much like the originals, dress like them, and play the same music, they are not the original band. Likewise, the ROLE of the President is filled by a different person most of the time than the person who last filled it. That doesn't make ANY of them the reincarnation of George Washington, now does it?? 6. The point that John baptized in water while Jesus would baptize in the Spirit is one I cover in depth in my Reflections post titled, "2 B or not 2B, Do we really need Water Baptism??" (I may attend an inherently Baptist Church, but it doesn't mean I agree 100% on all points. That's one of several reasons I'm not an official member) 7. Don't get it twisted, I am in no way, shape, form, or manner suggesting that Jesus was ONLY human. The Scriptures offer more than enough evidence to prove that He was equally human and Divine. At some point, I will be doing a Reflections post on this. 8. It occurs to me that I need to edit my post on Baptism in connection to the idea of Jesus coming through the water to freedom. (Not sure if I'll do it tonight or not) 9. In pointing out the different translation wording, Pastor Matt mentioned in passing that that's a subject for another time. That being said, I know from experience that he's open to all "faithful" translations of the Bible. (Not likely the NWT of the JWs or the Book of Mormon) Like me, he understands that different translations and versions are useful to various people for various reasons. He also understands that the wording matters less than the essential message being related because there are inherent differences between languages, and that word usage can (and does) change over time. (I will also being doing an article on this at some point, refuting the whole "KJV only" nonsense.) Music -- Never any rights!! (Sorry for the gap, but it's the closest I can get the thing to cooperate) Goodness Of God (Lyrics) ~ Bethel Music,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4 I was going to include an image here of Ami Sandstrom (Shroyer's) self titled tape with her song, "Wilderness", I've used it on here before, but it's after 8:30 now, so just know that it exists.