by George | Apr 11, 2022 | Community News, Newsletter
April Community Church Ministry Newsletter
Recently, we did an Easter egg hunt at Park Homes Apartments in Rome. We had not been there in a few years, as it had been closed for remodeling.
To tell the story of Christ, I use a set of 12 plastic eggs. Inside each one is a little item which illustrates the story of Jesus in His last week on earth. (Actually, the twelfth one is empty, symbolizing the resurrection!)
When I came to the part about Jesus’ suffering, particularly the whip and crown of thorns, one or two of the children looked astonished and asked: “Why did Jesus have to suffer?”
Good question! I felt led to explain it this way…
“Suppose you had done something wrong, and you were about to get a spanking. Just then, someone stepped up and volunteered to take your place, and they took the punishment for you.”
Jesus took our place… He suffered and died for our sins.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
An old hymn proclaims:
“Man of Sorrows,” what a name
For the Son of God who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah! what a Savior!”
Community Church Ministry is in the process of doing 12 Easter egg hunts this month, by God’s grace and power. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Happy Easter! Christ is risen indeed!!!
by George | Apr 9, 2022 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Abraham: Satisfied With Life
“Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.”
Genesis 25:8
No regrets…. That’s what we want.
When we come to the end of our days, we hope to have no regrets.
Like Abraham, we want to be “satisfied with life.”
Abraham died a rich man, but I don’t think that’s what satisfied him.
Even though Abraham had wealth, he dwelled in tents.
“By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;”
Hebrews 11:9
Abraham died before God fulfilled His promise to give him the land. That didn’t bother him. He knew God would keep His word. After all, he waited until he was over 100 years old before God gave him his first child.
So what was Abraham’s secret to being satisfied with life?
It was his faith!
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8
It was a faith that was so strong that he was ok with the unknown. He went “not knowing where he was going.”
Abraham’s walk with God was so close that he was called a “friend of God.”
James 2:23 says:
“And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God and it wasaccounted to him for righteousness.’And he was called the friend of God. “
Isaiah 41:8
“ But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.”
Abraham worshipped God, hearing His voice, and setting up altars as he traveled.
“The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants, I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.”
Genesis 12:7
Frank Sinatra famously sang “I did it my way.”
I don’t think Abraham would have sang or said that. Rather, he could say: “I did it God’s way.”
by George | Apr 6, 2022 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Endurance
“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
James 5:11
The news reported yesterday that a lost ship had been found. It had been missing 106 years!
NPR explains:
“An expedition that set out in search of the lost ship of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton has found it — 106 years after the vessel sank off Antarctica.”
The amount of time it has been missing amazes us, but even more amazing is the fact that it pretty much is intact!
“Mensun Bound, a maritime archaeologist and the director of exploration on the expedition, called Endurance22 said:
“This is by far the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen. It is upright, well proud of the seabed, intact and in a brilliant state of preservation. You can even see ‘Endurance’ arced across the stern,” Bound said.”
The ship Endurance ENDURED the deep waters and the sands of time…
As Christians, we need endurance. The writer of Hebrews explains:
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”
Hebrews 10:36
I’ve heard it said that life is a marathon and not a sprint. We run in the strength and encouragement of the Lord.
Sometimes when things get tough, we want to give up.
Endurance helps keep us moving forward.
Job and our Lord Jesus are great examples:
“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” James 5:11
Job endured suffering, didn’t lose faith, and came out victorious.
Jesus kept His eye on the goal as He endured the cross:
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
As we run this race, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the ultimate example of endurance!
