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The Earth Will Be Filled

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by Calven CelliersI have a book on my shelf, that I open on a fairly regular basis, for the simple reason that the content is so gripping, so inspiring. In the opening lines of the introductory chapter, the author, Jeff Van der Stelt communicates the truth that God’s vision, for every man, woman, and child in every place is to have a daily encounter with Jesus through words spoken and deeds done through His people.“14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”(Habakkuk 2:14NIV) God accomplishes this vision through His Son, who works through His body, the Church. As the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Church at Ephesus, “22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1: 22 & 23NIV) This is Jesus saturation. Jesus is the head of His body, the Church, through which He intends to fill every place with His presence.“Can you imagine every city, every neighbourhood, every street, and every house saturated with Jesus’ presence through His people? What if, in every school, every classroom, and every extracurricular activity, students daily experienced the person and work of Jesus? Can you dream with me a day when no business office, retail center, or industrial hub can get away from the good news of Jesus proclaimed in words and expressed in gracious deeds? A day when every café, pub, restaurant, or bakery smells of the aroma of Christ? This is God’s intention for his world. And his plan is to do it through his people. He wants you to be part of it.” (Jeff Van der Stelt – Saturate)Many Christians have unwittingly embraced the idea that “church” is a once-a-week event rather than a 24/7 calling of all believers. Being part of God’s vision is not for the spiritually elite. If you know, trust, love, and follow Jesus you are part of it.“To every true Christian these two things may be said: You have need of Christ and Christ has need of you.” (William Arnot)What is it that God left you on earth to do? What is it that we can do on earth that we can’t do in heaven? Just before He returned to heaven, Jesus explained to His disciples what they were to do after His ascension. What He said to them, He also says to us. He left us on the earth that we might be His witnesses. Listen to the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8 as he imparts this truth to his followers: “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8NIV) These words emphasize two things that we as believers need to know: 1) The Holy Spirit empowers disciples, and 2) Spirit-filled disciples witness…

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I Love to Tell the Story

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by John Doyle“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.” - Psalm 66:16Although she came from a wealthy family, Katherine Hankey who wrote the poem "The Old, Old Story" that became a great Hymn of the Faith had a great concern for the poor and needy. She not only was concerned about their need for food and care, but also their soul and their relationship with the Lord. She was the daughter of a wealthy banker in 19th century England. Katherine taught the Bible, particularly among girls and ladies who worked in factories. Yet, after becoming ill, she needed a lengthy time for recovery.In 1866, while recovering from her sickness, she thought of all that Jesus had done for her. She wrote, “God’s remedy for sin is something I really want to understand, and I want to hear it often, lest I forget it.” She needed the story told to her in simple terms as if explained to a little child.To deal with these needs that she had, she decided to write a poem. and wrote “I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.”Katherine wrote of the many reasons why she loved to tell this story including these words to the song “it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.”She said in her introductory to the poem "that the story of Jesus did so much for me” and it was “pleasant to repeat those words to others she would meet up with”. And it pained her heart that “some have never heard the message of salvation from God’s Holy Word.She knew that, in eternity, none of the world’s pleasures would last, but that this story would “BE MY THEME IN GLORY”If God so loved you that He gave His Only begotten son, should we also not LOVE Him and demonstrate that LOVE by telling the story of Jesus to others?Katherine clearly was confident about what her theme in glory would be. What about us? Do we know what our theme will be in eternity? Are we living for Jesus? Are we investing some of our time to tell the story of Jesus to others because we know this earth is not our final home and people need to know that God has prepared a place for all those who know and Love the Lord?People all around us need to know the Good News of Jesus. Dedicate yourself that they might know Him. Tell them what He has done for you, because what He has done for ________ __________ (put your name in here) He will do for you.I have noticed that people love to tell the stories about the things they LOVE. So let's take opportunities to tell others of our greatest Love. To Love the LORD our God should be the heartbeat of our mission and to share this Love with others.Lets pray this prayer…

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The Body of Christ

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by Graham Mol"The Body of Christ," I'm sure you have heard this term used before and many of you likely understand its meaning. Yet for the sake of all of us being on the same page let me give a brief explanation. The Body of Christ is a metaphor that is used in the Bible to describe the Church. That's not Church as in the building, but rather all the people who follow Jesus. It is everyone who has received salvation through Jesus, both past and present. The Bible makes it clear that all who believe are not isolated individuals but are all connected to one another. The following passage sums up quite nicely why and how we believers are called "The Body of Christ":The Church is called “one body in Christ” in Romans 12:5, “one body” in 1 Corinthians 10:17, “the body of Christ” in 1 Corinthians 12:27 and Ephesians 4:12, and “the body” in Hebrews 13:3. The Church is clearly equated with “the body” of Christ in Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:24.When Christ entered our world, He took on a physical body “prepared” for Him (Hebrews 10:5; Philippians 2:7). Through His physical body, Jesus demonstrated the love of God clearly, tangibly, and boldly—especially through His sacrificial death on the cross (Romans 5:8). After His bodily ascension, Christ continues His work in the world through those He has redeemed—the Church now demonstrates the love of God clearly, tangibly, and boldly. In this way, the Church functions as “the Body of Christ.”~ from Got QuestionsWe, the Church, are the body while Jesus is the head. As we follow Him together we function as a whole. Yes there are many different and diverse congregations, just as there are many different and diverse people within each of those congregations. Yet despite these differences we are all united. However, because of the fallen nature of this world and that we are imperfect people who are on a journey of being sanctified (that is, becoming more like Jesus), this unity is not always as it should be. Nevertheless, how wonderful it is when we as believers love one another and work together as one body.For this to happen, we all have a role to play:From [Jesus] the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part. (Ephesians 4:16)What this means is that when we each play our part, when we fulfil the unique task given to us, the Body of Christ grows and strengthens. We will be more effective in doing Jesus' work in the world as we embody His love.What this means is that YOU have a role to play. God has created you with unique character traits, talents and abilities that will bless the Body of Christ. No one is irrelevant, no one is too unimportant to contribute. We cannot just be passive hearers of the Word, we need to be doers.What is God calling you to do or be next for…

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Spiritual Health

https://youtu.be/uSirVjVJ8Ec?t=1186 Audio Recording We understand what it means to be healthy: to be without sickness, to have strength and wellness, to be fit. We also have a better understanding of mental health, the importance of healthy emotions and a sense of peace and wellness. Just as these are important even more so is our spiritual health. Sermon by Graham Mol Download the Summary

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