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BLOOR LANSDOWNE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP BLCF CHURCH
MINISTERING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS IN THE HEART OF TORONTO SINCE 1938
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* Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Cafe Community Dinner – 1307
Bloor Street, West, Toronto, ON. – Last Evening’s Dinner
* Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church – 1307 Bloor Street, West,
Toronto, ON. – Ministering the Gospel of Christ in the Heart of Toronto –
Est. 1938
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Cafe Community Dinner Est. 2008 – 1307 Bloor Street, West, Toronto, ON.
* Q&A – About Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church – 1307 Bloor
Street West, Toronto, ON
* Treating homeless and marginalized people with dignity and respect at BLCF
Cafe – 1307 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON
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STANDING ON GOD’S PROMISES: THE RAINBOW COVENANT – 2022
Jun11
Dear BLCF Friends,
Effective April 10, 2022, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church
will reopen by reservation only for Sunday worship under the limitations and
guidelines set by Public Health and the Board of BLCF. In order to protect those
who are vulnerable at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship from COVID-19 Virus
infection, the BLCF Board mandates that the church will be open by reservation,
with the following rules:
* attendees must wear a mask while on the premises
* attendees give their contact information upon arrival
* attendees observe two meters social distance while seated
* attendees use hand sanitizer as needed
* attendees follow any additional directions given by members of the board,
while inside the church
Please be advised that both the BLCF Café Community Dinner and the BLCF
Wednesday Prayer Service will continue to remain closed effective March 16,
2020, and until further notice. We pray with the administration of sufficient
COVID-19 vaccinations, and following the determination of Health Canada and
other Health Authorities, that the danger of the Pandemic will have subsided
sufficiently, to allow BLCF to reopen safely more of our worship and outreach
activities without any concern of infection to the vulnerable within our
community.
– Pastor Steve
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:
‘Standing on God’s Promises: The Rainbow Covenant’
© June 12, 2022, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared with BLCF on February 21, 2021, September 29, 2019,
August 10, 2014,
and June 13, 2010
BLCF Bulletin September 29, 2019
BLCF: Bulletin August 10, 2014
June 20_2010 BLCF Bulletin
Opening Music Special:
Days of Elijah with Robin Mark – (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/ca9LnzJnpjQ
In Christ Alone (small choir a capella with lyrics) – Keith Getty / Stuart
Townend –
https://youtu.be/-INp_ylhJkY
Announcements and Call to Worship;
Prayer
Prayers and Tithing – Hymn #572: Praise God; Prayer Requests
Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) Instrumental –
https://youtu.be/Mk4p3rihONU
Great Is Thy Faithfulness | Maranatha! Music (Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/ErwiBz1QA4o
Responsive Reading #668 (The New Life of Prayer – Colossians 3)
Message by Steve Mickelson: Standing on God’s Promises: The Rainbow Covenant’
Let us pray…
The story of Noah, God’s judgment, the ark full of animals, the great flood, and
the rainbow found in the Book of Genesis is one of the best known to believers
and non-believers, alike. The story has been retold in recent movies, where
God’s truth is sometimes replaced by science or the imagination of Hollywood
Screen Writers.
For this morning’s lesson at BLCF, we will focus our study on “The Rainbow
Covenant”. You may ask the question: “What is meant by the term covenant?”
Webster’s Online gives us a couple of definitions which may help us understand.
Webster’s definition is as follows:
Cov´e`nant Pronunciation: k?v´?-n?nt noun
(Theology) The promises of God as revealed in the Scriptures, conditioned on
certain terms on the part of man, as obedience, repentance, faith, etc.I will
establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed
after thee.- Genenesis xvii. 7. A solemn compact between members of a church
to maintain its faith, discipline, etc. (Law) An undertaking, on sufficient
consideration, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or
thing; a contract; a stipulation; also, the document or writing containing the
terms of agreement.
http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/Covenant
The Biblical use of covenant describes an agreement between God and either an
individual or people. Scholars generally agree that the Scriptures contain about
ten covenants. These ten can be divided into one of two types: either
unilaterally coming from God or bilaterally between God and the individuals or
people.
Looking at the chart inside the bulletin, near the bottom left (shown here,
above), you can get a brief overview of God’s Covenants found in the Holy
Scriptures. Six of the Unilateral Covenants are concerned with obedience, sin,
the Flood, the descendants of Abraham, and the Ten Commandments. The three
Bilateral Covenants are referred to as Blood Covenants, involving the
patriarchs, Israel, and all believers’ salvation. The final covenant is
unilateral, which we refer to as the New Covenant between God and believers in
the Gospel of Christ.
Let us continue with the story of Noah and God’s Rainbow Covenant, which begins
in Genesis 6:1, and ends in Genesis 9:17.
Noah’s Ark and the Flood – Story Summary (from about.com):
God saw how great wickedness had become and decided to wipe mankind from the
face of the earth. However, one righteous man among all the people of that time,
Noah, found favor in God’s eyes. With very specific instructions, God told Noah
to build an ark for him and his family in preparation for a catastrophic flood
that would destroy every living thing on earth.
God also instructed Noah to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male
and female, along with every kind of food to be stored as food for the animals
and his family while on the ark. Noah obeyed everything God commanded him to do.
After they entered the ark, rain fell on the earth for a period of forty days
and nights. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days, and every
living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out. As the waters receded, the
ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah and his family continued to
wait for almost eight more months while the surface of the earth dried out.
Finally after an entire year, God invited Noah to come out of the ark.
Immediately, he built an altar and worshiped the Lord with burnt offerings from
some of the clean animals. God was pleased with the offerings and promised never
again to destroy all the living creatures as he had just done. Later God
established a covenant with Noah: “Never again will there be a flood to destroy
the earth.” As a sign of this everlasting covenant God set a rainbow in the
clouds.
Points of Interest from the Story:
* God’s purpose in the flood was not to destroy people, but to destroy
wickedness and sin. • With more detail, God instructed Noah to take seven of
every kind of clean animal, and two of every kind of unclean animal. Bible
scholars have calculated that approximately 45,000 animals might have fit on
the ark. • Genesis 7:16 interestingly points out that God shut them in the
ark, or “closed the door,” so to speak.
* The ark was exactly six times longer than it was wide. According to the Life
Application Bible study notes, this is the same ratio used by modern ship
builders. • In modern times researchers continue to look for evidence of
Noah’s Ark.
* Noah was righteous and blameless, but he was not sinless (see Genesis 9:20).
Noah pleased God and found favor because he loved and obeyed God with his
whole heart. As a result, Noah’s life was an example to his entire
generation. Although everyone around him followed the evil in their hearts,
Noah followed God.
http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/p/noahsarkflood.htm
Noah’s Ark was huge! Genesis 6:15 in the Bible tells us the Ark’s dimensions
were at least 135 meters long (300 cubits), 22.5 meters wide (50 cubits), and
13.5 meters high (30 cubits). That’s 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet
high! It could have been larger, because several larger-sized cubits were used.
But the 45-centimeter (18-inch) cubit is long enough to show the enormous size
of the Ark. A cubit was the length of a man’s arm from fingertips to elbow.
Noah’s Ark was three stories high (Genesis 6:16). Its total deck area was
equivalent to the area of about 20 standard college basketball courts or 36 lawn
tennis courts. The world had to wait until AD 1884 before the Ark’s size was
exceeded, when the Italian liner Eturia was built.
The rectangular dimensions of the Ark show an advanced design in ship-building.
Its length of six times its width and 10 times its height would have made it
amazingly stable on the ocean. Remember it was made more for floating than
sailing because it wasn’t headed anywhere. The Ark was made to withstand a
turbulent ocean voyage, not to be at a certain place at a certain time.
Recent thought on the Ark’s design is that it could have had a slightly tapered
top at the front and back, instead of being squared off. But the famous rock
formation near Mount Ararat with pointed ends, which some think is Noah’s Ark,
is definitely not!
Interestingly, British civil and mechanical engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
built a steamship (the Great Britain) in 1843 that had almost the same
proportions as the Ark, although it was smaller. This was regarded as a
remarkable feat of Victorian and maritime engineering. The Great Britain was the
first large vessel to be propelled by a screw propeller.
In summary, Noah’s Ark was taller than a 3-story building and had a deck area
the size of 36 lawn tennis courts. Its length was 300 cubits (450 feet, or 135
meters); its width was 50 cubits (75 feet, or 22.5 meters); it had three stories
and its height was 30 cubits (45 feet, or 13.5 meters).
http://www.creationtips.com/arksize.html
Questions and Answers, from: biblia.com
Question: “How long did it take Noah to build the ark? How long was Noah on the
ark?”
Answer: The Bible does not specifically say how long it took Noah to build the
ark. When Noah is first mentioned in Genesis 5:32, he was 500 years old. When
Noah entered the ark, he was 600 years old. The time it took to build the ark
would depend on how much time had passed between Genesis 5:32 and the time that
God commanded Noah to build the ark (Genesis 6:14-21). At the absolute most, it
took 100 years.
Question: How long was Noah on the ark?
Answer: Noah entered the ark in the 600th year of his life, on the 17th day of
the 2nd month (Genesis 7:11-13). Noah left the ark on the 27th day of the 2nd
month of the following year (Genesis 8:14-15). Therefore, assuming a lunar
calendar of 360 days, Noah was on the ark for approximately 370 days, the flood
lasting for 150 days. Genesis 7:11-13 (ESV):
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the
seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep
burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon
the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his
sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons
with them entered the ark…
Genesis 8:14-15 (ESV):
14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had
dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah…
Question: How many of each type of animal did Noah take on the ark? Seven pairs
of each kind of clean animal and two pairs of each kind of other animals were
taken on the ark (Genesis 6:19-20; 7:2-3). By “clean” the Bible means animals
that were “acceptable for sacrifice.” That is why seven pairs of the clean
animals were taken – so some of them could be sacrificed after the Flood was
over without endangering the species. Genesis 6:19-20 (ESV):
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort
into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of
the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds,
of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort
shall come in to you to keep them alive.
Genesis 7:2-3 (ESV):
2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals,[a] the male and his mate, and
a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven
pairs[b] of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their
offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
Footnotes: a. Genesis 7:2 Or seven of each kind of clean animal b. Genesis 7:3
Or seven of each kind
Regarding the Bible’s account of Noah, the Ark, and the Flood, let me point out
the following liberties taken in the movie, Noah which featured Russell Crowe in
the title role:
Question: How many people were on Noah’s ark?
Answer: According to Genesis 7:13, Noah, his wife, Noah’s three sons (Shem, Ham,
and Japheth), and their wives were on the ark. Therefore, there were eight
people on the ark.
13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s
wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark,
Question: Who was Noah’s wife?
Answer: The Bible nowhere specifically gives us the name or identity of Noah’s
wife. There is a tradition that she was Naamah (Genesis 4:22). While possible,
this is not explicitly taught in the Bible, Genesis 4:11 (ESV):
22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze
and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
http://biblia.com
It must have been quite a curiosity to others seeing Noah, spending decades
building the ark. The dedication of Noah to the task is undeniable. Others
continued to offend God and ultimately their fate was sealed by the waters of
the Great Flood.
Now let me make a few observations about both God’s judgment and His covenant.
Actually, there are two covenants from God; the first was the judgment by God,
the penalty of death. We observe that God decides to do a reset and bring the
earth back to Day two of creation as told in Genesis 1:6-8, where there are only
the waters, with no land. The land came on the third day of creation.
While the judgment may seem harsh, God did not destroy all life by the flood,
but He had in the ark, a means to preserve animal life and the human race, both
precious to Him. The waters cleansed the world of evil.
It is interesting that Noah sent a dove to determine whether the world was safe
in Genesis 8:6-12 (ESV) we read:
6At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made
7and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from
the earth. 8Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had
subsided from the face of the ground. 9But the dove found no place to set her
foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face
of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the
ark with him. 10He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove
out of the ark. 11And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in
her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had
subsided from the earth. 12Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the
dove and she did not return to him anymore.
The dove is an interesting choice. Though it is mentioned over fifty times in
the scriptures, that the dove is significant in appearance and what it
represents in two passages:
Immediately after Jesus was baptized in water by John, we read the Holy Spirit
descended upon Christ: Mark’s Gospel 1:10 (ESV): 10And when he came up out of
the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit
descending on him like a dove.
So as Jesus was baptized and reborn with the Spirit, the earth is cleansed by
water and a dove descends with an olive leaf. I would like to point out that the
olive branch has been used as a universal symbol of peace and reconciliation.
The city-states of ancient Greece sought to end wars between its states,
replacing competition and conflict with the Olympic Games. Wars and battles were
suspended for the duration of the competition. The winner of a specific event
was rewarded not with the medallions of the modern Olympics, but instead a
garland of olive branches woven into a crown, the Olympian being crowned as a
king of that event. That crown of olive branches brings to mind the crown of
thorns Christ wore, as he suffered and died to atone for our sins. In the times
of Christ, the oil from olives was used to fuel the lamps of the empire. And the
dove carrying the olive leaf to Noah after the flood could be viewed to
symbolize the Spirit bringing life, hope, and light to the world.
God made a promise never to destroy human or animal life by flood, again.
Genesis 9:8-17 (ESV)
8Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“Behold, I establish my
covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10and with every living creature
that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with
you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11I
establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by
the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the
earth.” 12And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me
and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in
the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every
living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to
destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that
is on the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I
have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
The rainbow is significant in several ways. Like a prism, water mist can
diffract or break a beam of light into a spectrum or rainbow of component
colours. But you need the presence of water vapour and sunlight, under the right
conditions, invisible light becomes visible as a rainbow of colours. Not only
does the rainbow symbolize God’s covenant not to kill man or beast by flood, but
the rainbow is also an example of the world of the invisible becoming visible.
For many people God does not exist, he is invisible. Through faith, as with
Noah’s obedience by building the ark and gathering the animals and his family,
he was rewarded by being saved from the flood and given the rainbow as a symbol
never to bring this judgment upon the people or beasts again.
A few years ago, Sophie and I took a trip to Niagara Falls. Every time we go to
the falls, I am always humbled by the beauty and splendor of God’s natural
creation. Looking at the millions of liters of water cascading over the
waterfall creating the sound of thunder and clouds of mist, you cannot but
marvel at the site. I remember as I was walking ahead towards the more
spectacular Horseshoe Falls, I saw many in the crowd turning their backs on this
natural wonder, looking across to the relatively less spectacular American
Falls. Some were taking pictures. As I approached these people, I looked in the
same direction and saw nothing. I could not figure out why they were taking
pictures of the ordinary downstream gorge when the full power and beauty of the
falls were just behind them?
It wasn’t until I continued 20 or 30 meters upstream, along the walkway, towards
the falls did I have a glimpse of the object of the crowd’s attention. As I
walked toward the falls, the mist of the falls mingled with the sunlight to
reveal a beautiful rainbow. A few meters down, away from the falls, the rainbow
disappeared from view.
It was then that I reflected that this rainbow is truly like God’s presence. For
those who believe, who pray, and honour Him, we are rewarded by the rainbow of
His presence. But for those unfortunate who reject Him and do not accept Him,
there is no rainbow. And like those who cannot see the rainbow, because they
lack faith or refuse to accept His gift of love and salvation, the unbelievers
believe God does not exist. While they may look at the light, they do not see
the hidden beauty of the rainbow that signifies God’s presence. Belief in God is
like seeing the beauty hidden within. Faith is rewarded through confessing our
sins, reading the scriptures, praying to God, and practicing brotherly love to
our neighbors, as well as helping the least of our brothers and sisters. Only
then are the conditions correct to see God’s rainbow of faith.
As followers of Christ, we are admonished by Him, to use our intelligence and
integrity of faith to meet the challenges and persecution that we face in our
Christian walk.
Matthew 10:16 (ESV) tells us that persecution will come:
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as
serpents and innocent as doves.”
The Holy Spirit helps us to preserve what is Godly in ourselves. We must
maintain the innocence of the dove and bring the good news to others as the dove
had to Noah, in spite of being persecuted for our faith.
My brother-in-law, Chuck is an avid flier, having obtained his pilot’s license
before his license for a car. He spent several years building his open cockpit
airplane. My sister Penny told me of the occasion on one of their trips, they
passed through a deck of clouds, only to witness what is called a flier’s or
pilot’s rainbow, which tradition has to indicate good fortune, as they are
leaving turbulent weather. The pilot’s rainbow is distinctive in that instead of
being an arch of colour, the rainbow is a perfect circle surrounding the entire
aircraft. I like to think that this might be the heavenly view of the rainbow.
The rainbow God sees is a perfect circle, like a wedding band, the circle is
continuous, unending, and just like God’s love for us is perfect and without
end.
God made another covenant; this one is bilateral but just as perfect, as
beautiful, and as unending as the rainbow. Instead of the rainbow, God gave us
Jesus Christ, to fulfill His promise, which states that we shall not perish or
be destroyed. As Noah had shown by building the ark, filling it with the
animals, and his family, we are expected to confess our sins and follow His
directions by accepting that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for our
sins, this sacrifice is God’s gift to us. If we accept the gift of Christ, the
lamb, we are saved and we are given the Holy Spirit as a comforter, plus the
promise that as Christ overcame death and was resurrected, we too have the
promise of overcoming death and eternal life. Jesus Christ is both our ark and
rainbow. He provides for us the only way to forgiveness and the promise of life
eternal.
In conclusion, anytime you want to witness to others who have yet to accept the
sacrifice of Christ, or at times when you find that your own faith falters,
remember the Rainbow, it is always there waiting to be revealed to us, when we
provide the right conditions by our reading the scriptures, praying for others
and ourselves, by showing the love of Christ in all that we think, all that we
say, all that we do to all whom we encounter. And remember, it took Noah nearly
a century of practicing faith before he saw the fulfillment of God’s promises.
But Noah’s legacy was not only a covenant to Noah and his descendants and to us
as well. The rainbow is a reminder to Noah, to us, and to God, that our God is
just and faithful, and that our faith will be rewarded so long as we allow him
to pilot us through life’s troubled waters.
Let us pray…
Closing Hymn #225 – Standing on the Promises – with Neil & Lisa Rondina (with
lyrics) – https://youtu.be/QvBlrooUszQ
Benediction – (Romans 15:13):
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the
power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged BLCF Church, Bloor Lansdowne
Christian Fellowship, Colossians 3, flier's rainbow, Genesis 8:6-12, Genesis
9:8-17, God's bow, God's Covenant, God's Rainbow Covenant, John 11:25-26,
Matthew 26:26-28, Noah's Ark, pilot's rainbow, Steve Mickelson, Symbol of the
Dove, The New Life
BLCF CAFE COMMUNITY DINNER REPORTS FEEDING A RECORD NUMBER OF HOMELESS AND
MARGINALIZED IN THE HEART OF TORONTO
Oct19
Dear BLCF Friends, Effective April 10, 2022, Bloor Lansdowne Christian
Fellowship – BLCF Church will reopen by reservation only for Sunday worship
under the limitations and guidelines set by Public Health and the Board of BLCF.
In order to protect those who are vulnerable at Bloor Lansdowne Christian
Fellowship from COVID-19 Virus infection, the BLCF Board mandates that the
church will be open by reservation, with the following rules:
* attendees must wear a mask while on the premises
* attendees give their contact information upon arrival
* attendees observe two meters social distance while seated
* attendees use hand sanitizer as needed
* attendees follow any additional directions given by members of the board,
while inside the church
Please be advised that both the BLCF Café Community Dinner and the BLCF
Wednesday Prayer Service will continue to remain closed effective March 16,
2020, and until further notice. We pray with the administration of sufficient
COVID-19 vaccinations, and following the determination of Health Canada and
other Health Authorities, that the danger of the Pandemic will have subsided
sufficiently, to allow BLCF to reopen safely more of our worship and outreach
activities without any concern of infection to the vulnerable within our
community. – Pastor Steve
Q: When is a church more than just brick and mortar? A: When the people of the
church decide to provide for those who are homeless and disadvantaged in the
heart of Toronto with a warm meal in an environment that is safe and friendly:
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner, Est. 2008.
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Reports Feeding A Record Number of Homeless and
Marginalized in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Est. 2008
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner, operated under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne
Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, serves dinner to upwards of 150 homeless and
marginalized guests weekly, (that’s over 7,500 annually). Located right in the
heart of Toronto, BLCF Cafe reported serving a record 250 guests Thanksgiving
Turkey Dinner 2013 and served meals on both Christmas Dinner (2013) and New
Years Day (2014). BLCF Cafe receives neither government funding nor corporate
sponsorship. BLCF Café depends solely on a core of dedicated volunteers to get
the job done and private donations and fund-raising to finance the community
dinners. Volunteers (individuals and groups) are welcome, contact Sophie at
416-535-9578 or blcfcafe@yahoo.ca.
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Reports Feeding A Record Number of Homeless and
Marginalized in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Reports Feeding A Record Number of Homeless and
Marginalized in the heart of Toronto If you or your group are interested in
volunteering to help feed the homeless and marginalized in the heart of Toronto,
please contact Sophie at BLCF Cafe: Phone 416-535-9578 or email
blcfcafe@yahoo.ca. You can make a difference in the life of Toronto’s
disenfranchised as a BLCF Cafe volunteer!
Note: All photographic images, documents, web-designs, and graphic images may be
subject to (c) copyright and are the property of Bloor Lansdowne Christian
Fellowship or the author, and may not be duplicated or reproduced by any means
without written permission from Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship. Violators
of said (c) copyright may be subject to penalties and legal remedies under
Canadian and International Copyright Laws.
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Reports Feeding A Record Number of Homeless and
Marginalized in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe Community Dinner Serving the Homeless in the Heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
BLCF Cafe: Feeding homeless people i the heart of Toronto
43.658022 -79.443539
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24 Comments Posted in Uncategorized Tagged BLCF, BLCF Cafe, BLCF Church, Bloor
Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, community dinner, disenfranchised, heart of
Toronto, homeless, marginalized, Toronto, volunteer, youth
LEST WE FORGET THE SACRIFICE
Jun9
On the Anniversary of D-Day, lest we forget the sacrifices of what today is
often referred to as ‘The Greatest Generation’:
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WATER FROM A ROCK, BLOOD FROM A STONE – 2024
Jun2
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON.
Message for Sunday: Water from a Rock, Blood from a Stone
© June 2, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared with BLCF on July 23, 2023, July 25, 2021,
September 2, 2018, and October 9, 2011
BLCF Bulletin September 2, 2018
BLCF Bulletin October 9, 2011 Bulletin
Water from a Rock, Blood from a Stone
Announcements and Call to Worship; Prayer
Prayers and Tithing Hymn #572: Praise God from Whom All Blessings
Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings
Flow) – Instrumental – https://youtu.be/Mk4p3rihONU
Music Special: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am Lord ) – Lyrics – Chris
Bray – https://youtu.be/4t6mz8yoocY
Music Special: Laura Story – Mighty To Save (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/W1jmqVU4RDo
Responsive Reading #606: (Blessings from God – Psalm 103)
Message by Steve Mickelson: Water from a Rock, Blood from a Stone
Let us pray…
Welcome to Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship’s Sunday Praise and Worship
Service for the first Sunday of June, which means that it is a Communion Sunday
here at BLCF.
Our lesson this week is entitled Water from a Rock, Blood from a Stone, where we
will examine ways in which people choose to acknowledge and sometimes forget to
acknowledge the love and sacrifice the Lord has made on our behalf.
One way we have an opportunity here at BLCF Church, to acknowledge the Lord is
by way of participating in Communion. On the first Sunday of every month, we
give thanks to the Lord’s gifts of Salvation, Sanctification, and the Holy
Spirit by partaking in the elements of communion. This leads us to the following
questions:
What does the Bible indicate about the importance of giving thanks to God? And
how do we as believers in the Resurrected Christ deal with discord from within
the body? The following Scripture is taken from the 12th Book of the New
Testament, which is Colossians 3:15-17 (ESV):
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called
in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do,
in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through him.
The above scripture is attributed to have been authored by Paul, formerly known
as Saul of Tarsus, to the church in Colossians, so named for being located
within Colossae. Colossae is in the region of the seven churches of Revelation
1-3. In Colossians 4:13 there is mention of local brethren in Colossae,
Laodicea, and Hierapolis. Colossae was approximately 12 miles from Laodicea and
14 miles from Hierapolis. Members of the congregation at Colossae had
incorporated pagan elements into their practice, including the worship of
elemental spirits.
The Epistle to the Colossians declares Christ’s supremacy over the entire
created universe and exhorts Christians to lead godly lives. The letter consists
of two parts: first a doctrinal section, then a second regarding our conduct. In
both sections, false teachers who have been spreading terror in the congregation
are opposed. But just we find in Biblical times, as today, some people conduct
their worship or faith practices incorporating pagan beliefs. In time the
worship ignores and forsakes our Lord.
And what is the Lord’s view of such pagan observances? We read in Nehemiah
9:1-3; 15-17: (ESV):
The People of Israel Confess Their Sin
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the people of Israel were assembled
with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the
Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed
their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their
place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of
the day
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out
of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land
that you had sworn to give them.
“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did
not obey your commandments. 17They refused to obey and were not mindful of the
wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and
appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready
to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love, and did not forsake them.
The key part about this scripture is that despite their sins, that some refused
to obey God’s Laws or even to acknowledge what the Lord had provided for his
people, God’s love remained steadfast. He is a God ready to forgive, gracious
and merciful, and slow to anger, despite our sinful, ungrateful tendencies.
Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Many in today’s society seem to have found themselves wandering in the
wilderness, stiffening their necks to their Lord as had happened in the time of
Moses, in Exodus 17:1-7 (ESV):
Water from the Rock
All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin
by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but
there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with
Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you
quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” But the people thirsted there for
water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up
out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost
ready to stone me.” And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people,
taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff
with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on
the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of
it, and the people will drink.”
And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name
of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of
Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or
not?”
It is sad to see that as a reminder of the people’s ungrateful attitude, Moses
saw fit to name this spring of water created by the Lord as Massah and Meribah,
which are translated as Testing and Quarreling.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:1 – WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY
10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers
were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were
baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the
same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank
from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was
Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were
overthrown in the wilderness.
We often find ourselves in a place where instead of counting our blessings, we
end up creating a litany of complaints and criticisms.
I remember some years ago, as a young man, new to the Christian faith, I
attended a church meeting. The associate Church Pastor had taken great pains to
prepare coffee for those in attendance. When offered a cup, I not only said no
thank you, saying that “I am all ‘coffeed-out’ and that I should not be drinking
so much coffee”, to which several others in attendance acknowledged the same. By
adding those remarks, I had made the Pastor’s efforts appear to be something
worthy of complaint, instead of just an act of love and kindness to others.
It was only some years later that I had the opportunity to really understand how
we can harm others with our casual comments.
Steve Mickelson, President, and Newsletter Editor for the 9T9 Users Group,
Toronto
For several years, as President of a local computer club, (9T9 Users Group for
the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Home Computer), I also edited the club’s
newsletter which consisted of 20 pages per issue, with ten issues a year. In
those days, computer technology lacked high-resolution scanners and word
recognition software. Since many of the articles we printed came from printed
articles from other clubs with whom we exchanged newsletters, and the
newsletters were not in electronic form, we either had to transcribe articles, a
difficult task for this two-finger typist, or photocopy, cut and paste master
copies for the local photocopy shop. Needless to say, I chose the latter. Still,
the process of producing 20 pages of a newsletter, which included a page or two
outlining the club’s activities in my own bi-line translated into 8-10 hours of
labour effort every month.
You can imagine my feelings when I proudly presented the new issue of the
newsletter, in which one or two members, instead of acknowledging many hours of
effort, seemed to take delight in obvious typos or spelling errors. Needless to
say, after four years of what seemed to be a thankless job, I decided to step
down as president and newsletter editor. But I have a good idea of how that
Associate Pastor felt, as, after my remarks, he stopped making coffee for our
church meetings. Yet, despite all our bickering and complaints, God still loves
us. He has not given up on us. Now that is something for which we may be
thankful.
With a little faith, Moses produced water from a rock and was grateful for God’s
work, which is for some people, like getting blood from a stone. That is why we
all should obey God’s law as described in Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV):
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind. This is the great first commandment. And a second is like it: You
shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the
Law and the Prophets.”
And as far as the internal bickering and strife, which can still occur amongst
Christians, the Apostle Paul minds how two members of the Church of Phillipi
should deal with a mutual disagreement, in Philippians 4:1-9 (ESV):
Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer for Euodia and Syntyche
4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy
and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you
also, true companion,[a] help these women, who have labored side by side with me
in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose
names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your
reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about
these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in
me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
The true companion or helper described by Paul is most likely the Holy Spirit,
as described in John 14:
John 14:25-26 ESV)
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But
the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach
you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
At this time, let us acknowledge what the Lord has given us, by partaking in the
elements of Communion.
Communion
Communion Music Special – Lauren Daigle – “We Will Not Forget” (Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/izeZa9wx8wA?si=oNXu2rGTLWiZ_NwL
Have you ever wondered why we partake in communion?
Communion celebrates the Gospel: Jesus was broken for us so that we can be fixed
by Him.
Celebrating communion marks the story of Jesus, how He gave Himself completely
to give us a better life, a new start, and a fresh relationship with God (1
Peter 3:18). It’s not about a ritual to revere, but a person to worship. Jesus
is less concerned about the method of celebrating communion and more concerned
that we celebrate it.
As often as we remember Jesus, we should celebrate Jesus.
Communion is important because it’s a command to remember. Jesus wants us to
remember every time we taste bread and wine, and even when we sit at the tables
in our own homes, that He is the one who provides all we need. He gives us the
physical food that we need to survive and the spiritual nourishment we need to
keep taking our next steps with Him.
https://newspring.cc/articles/what-is-communion-and-why-do-we-do-it
Communion – An Act of Fellowship and Demonstration of Our Faith:
1 John 1:3 (ESV): Fellowship
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too
may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son Jesus Christ.
Communion began on the annual celebration of Passover Supper when Jesus told his
disciples to remember his sacrifice as they ate the bread and drank the wine.
Just as Israel celebrates the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, when the angel of
death passed over their homes, so believers in Jesus celebrate and remember his
sacrifice for the judgment of all of our sins when he died on the cross.
Communion uses bread as a symbol of his body and juice as a symbol of his blood.
The act of taking communion does not save us, it is an act of worship and
remembrance of our Lord, who instructed his followers to continue, until the day
he returns.
Luke 22:14-20 (ESV): Institution of the Lord’s Supper
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15
And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it[a] until it is fulfilled in
the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said,
“Take this, and divide it among yourselves.18 For I tell you that from now on I
will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And
he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them,
saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured
out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Let us conclude today’s lesson by taking to heart a demonstration of our
gratitude to both our Lord, as well as our neighbours as expressed by David in 1
Chronicles 16:8-12:
David’s Song of Thanks
8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
Let us pray…
Music Special: I Will Sing to the Lord (Song of Moses and Miriam, Horse & Rider)
– Exodus 15 Music by Danette Granger – https://youtu.be/4ZeJQGzm230
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (Philippians 4:8-9): Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God
of peace will be with you.
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Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged 1Chronicles 16:8-12, 1Corinthians
11:23-26, 1Corinthians 11:27-31, 1John 1:3, 9T9 Users Group, Acts 2:42-46,
Bible, BLCF Church, Blessings from God, Blood from a Stone, Bloor Lansdowne
Christian Fellowship, christianity, Colossians 3:15, Colossians 3:15-17,
Colossians 3:17, Colossians 4:13, Communion, Daniella Mickelson, David's Song of
Thanks, Encouragement, Euodia and Syntyche, Exodus 17:1-7, god, Jesus, John
6:35, John 6:48-51, Massah and Meribah, Matthew 22:36-40, Nehemiah 9:1-3, People
Confess Their Sin, Philippians 4:1-9, Psalm 103, Raise the Roof Fundraiser,
Reasons Not To Do Communion, Revelations 1-3, Terry Sywanyk, TI-99/4A Home
Computer, Water from a Rock, Water from the Rock, Where Did Communion Come From
GOD’S INVITATION TO HIS WEDDING FEAST – RSVP – 2024
May26
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for
Sunday:
God’s Invitation to His Wedding Feast – RSVP
© May 26, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared at BLCF on February 20, 2022, February 4, 2018, and
January 8, 2012
BLCF Bulletin February 4, 2018
BLCF_Bulletin_January_8_2012
Announcements & Call to Worship of Prayer, Opening Prayer
Tithing and Prayers; Hymn #572: Praise God
Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) Instrumental –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4p3rihONU
Music Special Let us sing it in memory of our friend, Rosalie White: Lauren
Daigle – To Know Me (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/cWQGJAhjFRc?si=vCRKdndXueX6lBDB
Music Special: Only By Grace – Fr. Rob Galea (with Lyrics) –
https://youtu.be/e0AbftEuvkM?si=8bdEv665g-KPGQKR
Responsive Reading #655: The Final Word (Revelation 22)
Message by Steve Mickelson: God’s Invitation to His Wedding Feast – RSVP
Let us pray…
The focus of our lesson today will be what we may learn from the Lord’s parable
which Jesus described as the “king who gave a wedding feast for his son.”
A week ago, yesterday, my daughter Daniella married her fiancée, Sam, here at
BLCF Church. The wedding consisted of a memorable service, followed by a joyful
banquet celebration. The wedding was the culmination of many months of planning
and preparation for the blessed event.
Not long ago, if you were to turn on the television, or YouTube you may see any
of several reality shows about various aspects of the wedding, including such
aspects as choosing a wedding planner, selecting the right wedding dress, the
venue of the wedding, and the location for the reception. or four the brides who
attend each other’s wedding and then rate various aspects of the weddings.
Millions of viewers also have watched one or all of the streaming royal weddings
that have taken place in recent years from the UK. Only those with invitations
were privy to the reception and the post-marital celebrations, which included a
wedding banquet. It is appropriate that only those familiar with the wedding’s
hosts and who appreciate the significance of the celebration to the bride and
groom would be given an RSVP invitation to attend.
Most people enjoy attending and observing moments of nuptial bliss, where a
bride and groom embark upon the journey of a new life together, not expecting to
see reality show dramatics or royal pomp and circumstance in the event. We all
can imagine the various elements involved in a wedding ceremony and the
celebration that follows the exchange of vows, where a couple embarks upon a new
life, united in both heart and spirit. The expectation of the invited is to
witness a happy, joyful wedding, and a celebration afterward, which makes it not
surprising to see that Jesus used a wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14, as a
parable to illustrate God`s covenant for dealing with our sinful nature through
Jesus and to illustrate the gospel of Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV):
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants
to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have
prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and
everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and
went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his
servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he
sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he
said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not
worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many
as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom
they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no
wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants,
‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are
chosen.”
The parables of our Lord Jesus are earthly stories meant to explain heavenly
truths. Each person or object is symbolic of someone or something else.
Understanding the symbolism is crucial to discovering the lesson of the parable.
The Scriptures have many examples of lessons expressed by parables, an example
is found in Isaiah 25:6 (ESV): On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for
all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full
of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
Another example of the use of a parable that is entirely consistent with
literal, historical, and grammatical interpretation since the passage is clearly
described as a parable, and in fact, gaining the theological impact of this
parable requires such an understanding. In fact, Jesus best explains His purpose
for using the parable in Matthew 13:10-17 (ESV): Then the disciples came and
said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To
you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them
it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will
have abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see,
and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the
prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never
understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely
hear,
and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal
them.’
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For
truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you
see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Back to the lessons from The Parable of the Wedding Feast, the servants sent out
to announce the wedding are ignored by some, as were the first disciples who
share the good news about Jesus who have been ignored. But the Lord is patient
and does not want us to rashly reject the gift of salvation, so he sends out
more servants, or more disciples, with His invitation. But we see that some
choose not only to reject the invitation but choose to kill those bearing His
message. This represents those who have imprisoned, humiliated, or even killed
God`s disciples. But, the King, will kill the murderers and destroy their city.
In the Wedding Feast Parable, the King represents God the Father; His Son is our
Lord Jesus. The Invited guests represent Israel and the servants He sent
symbolize the prophets and disciples. The city king had his troops burn because
the people invited not only refused to attend but killed the king’s servants,
representing a defiant Jerusalem.
We find further clarification of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Mark`s
gospel, in Chapter 2:18-20 (ESV): Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were
fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the
disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said
to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long
as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come
when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that
day.
God has prepared a banquet with His son Jesus the bridegroom and His bride is
the church, being the body of believers, not the mortar and brick. Some say
those He then sent His servants out to invite represent the church, which can
contain both good and bad believers. However, the symbolism and timing are
wrong. The Church is the Bride of Christ, not a group of last-minute substitute
guests. Since Israel had already refused their invitation, and the Church (being
the bride) would not need an invitation, who are the guests in the parable, and
what else are we to take from the lesson?
The wedding garment, worn by the guests represents His righteousness. This is a
concept explained on numerous occasions in both Old and New Testaments.
The fact that a guest is thrown out into the darkness for not wearing proper
wedding attire indicates these last-minute guests have to be clothed in
“garments of salvation” to publicly identify themselves as believers.
`The parable makes it clear that there is no reason, none at all, for people to
reject a gracious invitation from the King to come to the wedding feast and
enjoy all good things. The only reason they reject the invitation is that they
do not believe in the King, or they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Since this is a call from the King or from God, the people are not free to take
it or leave it, even if they think they can be non-committal. To reject the
invitation from God to share in His Kingdom is folly, it is choosing death, as
it not only constitutes a rejection of God’s offer of grace, but it is a
rejection of His only provision for eternal life.
The poorly dressed guest might also be considered one of those who profess to be
followers of Christ when in the company of other believers, but who hide their
light under a bushel when in the presence of non-believers. This brings us to
the next Scripture verse for this morning`s message, Romans 1:16 (ESV):
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The wedding garment not worn by the guest who is removed from the banquet in Our
Wedding Banquet Parable has another interesting aspect, which is represented by
what the guest chooses to wear to the banquet.
First-century Jewish wedding customs held that the father of the groom was in
charge of the event and bore all the expenses associated with the wedding and
reception. In the case of royalty or the very wealthy, this often included
providing a specially made garment to be worn over a guest’s regular clothing.
This wedding garment was presented to the guest upon arrival and donned
immediately. Wearing it wasn’t mandatory, but was considered a great insult to
the Father of the groom if refused and could get a guest ejected from the
festivities. In the case of large gatherings, it also served as identification
to discourage uninvited guests from crashing the party.
The guests gathered by the servants for the wedding represent both the good and
the bad. That is they represent either those who repent their sins or those who
have not. The guests accepted the invitation, calling themselves righteous,
while claiming to be entitled to His mercy. However, it takes more than just
words to claim redemption.
The wedding guest not properly dressed for the banquet is like the person who
claims to be a child of God, but his thoughts and actions reveal whether or not
his actions match the words. This is like the expression: you may talk the talk,
but did you walk the walk. There are many so-called Christians whose focus and
service are performed in the name of the Lord, but their true focus is
self-promotion. While they may fool some into believing that they are serving
the Lord, God knows that they are only seeking to benefit themselves.
Unfortunately, for them, at the Lord`s Banquet, their actions and our motives
become visible, like their outer garments. Those who are not servants of the
Lord will be judged. Those who were not sincere in their faith practices will be
bound and ejected from Heaven. Not all who have been invited will be allowed to
stay.
From the beginning of time, God has given humanity a choice. The rags worn by
the guests are not unlike those worn by all humanity because of sin. Adam and
Eve in an attempt to conceal their sin of disobeying God in the garden felt
ashamed and chose to wear fig leaves and loincloths in an attempt to conceal
their guilt from Him. Let us read about this in Genesis 3:7-10 (ESV): 7 Then the
eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig
leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the
cool[a] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the Lord God among the trees of the garden.9 But the Lord God called to the man
and said to him, “Where are you?”[b]10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in
the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
FOOTNOTES: A. GENESIS 3:8 HEBREW WIND B. GENESIS 3:9 IN HEBREW YOU IS SINGULAR
IN VERSES 9 AND 11
God saw Adam and Eve had known sin because they had eaten the forbidden fruit,
which caused them to want to hide their nakedness, so God made them garments to
wear, not to conceal their sin, but as a reminder of their sin, as described in
Genesis 3:21 (ESV): 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments
of skins and clothed them.
When the Day of Judgement comes, and no one knows the day, only those clothed in
righteousness will not have their sins exposed, Revelation 16:15 (ESV):
15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake,
keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)
What do we mean when we talk about keeping the garments righteous? Where do
these garments come from? We may find our answer in Galatians 3:27 (ESV): 27 For
as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Like the Wedding Banquet Parable, those who accept God’s gift of salvation, by
believing His Son, Jesus died for our sins, so that we may accept the Holy
Spirit, and wear new garments of righteousness, discarding filthy garments of
sin that we inherited from Adam and Eve, and exchange them for pure vestments,
free of iniquity, Zechariah 3:3-4 (ESV): 3 Now Joshua was standing before the
angel, clothed with filthy garments.4 And the angel said to those who were
standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said,
“Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with
pure vestments.”
Let us discard our rags of sin, accept the gift of the new wedding garment, and
wear it to celebrate the fact that we were not only called by Him but to
celebrate that He chose us as guests to His banquet. We only need to RSVP to His
invitation.
Let us pray…
Closing Music Special: Lauren Daigle – NOW IS FOREVER LYRIC VIDEO –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kMNKtsEkoc
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (1 John 1:6-7): If we say we have fellowship with him while we
walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. – Amen
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Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged 1 Corinthians 11, 1 John 1:6-7,
BLCF Church, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, faith, Galatians 3:27,
Genesis 3:21, Genesis 3:7-10, God’s Invitation - RSVP, Here I See Thee, Here O
My Lord, His Wedding Feast, Isaiah 25:6, Jesus, Mark 2:18-20, Matthew 13:10-17,
Matthew 22:1-14, Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Parable of the Wedding Feast,
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 22, Righteous Shall
Live by Faith, Romans 1:16, The Final Word, There’s A Quiet Understanding,
Zechariah 3:3-4
THE PASSING OF ROSALIE WHITE
May8
* FROM TIM HACKBORN:
WITH HEAVY HEARTS, WE ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF ROSALIE WHITE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON,
(MAY 3, 2024), SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY. MOM HAD A GIFT FOR STORYTELLING AND
LOVED HER FAMILY FIERCELY. SHE FOUND JOY IN HEARING ABOUT HER GRANDCHILDREN’S
DAILY LIVES. AS SHE MOVES ON TO THE SPIRIT WORLD, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE
PRAYERS AND WELL WISHES FROM THOSE WHOSE LIVES SHE TOUCHED. WE WILL CELEBRATE
HER LIFE ONCE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
* FROM PASTOR STEVE:
GOOD FRIEND, DEDICATED VOLUNTEER, SISTER-IN-CHRIST, CHURCH BOARD MEMBER, CHURCH
ELDER, AND CARING MEMBER OF HER FAMILY, ROSALIE WORE MANY HATS WELL, BUT HER
FRIENDSHIP. GOOD HUMOUR, AND FIERCE DEDICATION TO HER FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS,
AND THE PRINCIPLES SHE LOVED WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY US ALL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
THE DAY CHRIST JESUS RETURNS AND WE WILL BE UNITED AGAIN IN HIS KINGDOM.
ROSALIE’S FUNERAL DETAILS: RHB FUNERAL HOMES LTD.
GONE TO BE WITH THE CREATOR WHILE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY ON FRIDAY MAY 3RD AT
1:15PM. ROSALIE WHITE (HACKBORN) IN HER 69TH YEAR, ORIGINALLY FROM SIX NATIONS
OF THE GRAND RIVER COMPLETED HER JOURNEY IN TORONTO. WIDOW OF THE LATE DOUGLAS
HACKBORN, LOVING MOTHER OF ADAM (KIMBERLY), TIMOTHY (MEAGAN) AND TRAVIS. A
LOVING GRANDMOTHER TO SAMANTHA, COLTON, THEODORE, CAOIMHE AND NORAH. ALSO
SURVIVED BY HER SISTER CHARLENE (TERRY), HER NIECES CHLOE, RANDEELEE, HORACE AND
LOBELIA. ALSO SURVIVED BY SEVERAL GREAT NEPHEWS AND NIECES. PREDECEASED BY
PARENTS THEODORE WHITE AND PAULINE (LICKERS), HER BROTHERS TED AND PERRY.
Everyone is invited to attend the Memorial Service at Grand River United Church
located at 1585 Mohawk Rd, Ohsweken on May 17th at 1pm followed by reception.
After Cremation, Rosalie will be placed with her Parents at the Pentecostal
Cemetery.
INSTEAD OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY REQUEST DONATIONS TO BE OFFERED TO TORONTO URBAN
NATIVE MINISTRY OF WHICH ROSALIE GAVE MUCH OF HER
TIME. HTTPS://WWW.CANADAHELPS.ORG/EN/CHARITIES/TUNM/ OR BY MAIL: TORONTO URBAN
NATIVE MINISTRY, C/O R. HILLYER , 80 FRONT STREET EAST, SUITE 726, TORONTO, ON
M5E 1T4 . ARRANGEMENTS BY STYRES FUNERAL HOME, OHSWEKEN.
HTTP://WWW.RHBANDERSON.COM
HTTPS://WWW.RHBANDERSONFUNERALHOMES.COM/CMS/OBITUARIES/
AS THE FATHER HAS LOVED ME, SO HAVE I LOVED YOU. ABIDE IN MY LOVE. – JOHN 15:9
(ESV)
Lauren Daigle – To Know Me (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/cWQGJAhjFRc?si=44DTd1zYaHBNSlyu
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Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, Roaslie Hackborn, Rosalie White
NOT CASTING THE FIRST STONE AND OTHER LESSONS OF LOVE – 2024
May5
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON.
Message for Sunday:
Not Casting the First Stone and Other Lessons of Love
© May 5, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared at BLCF on November 18,2023,
September 11, 2022, October 3, 2021, and November 4, 2018
BLCF Bulletin November 4, 2018
Announcements and Call to Worship; Prayer
* from Tim Hackborn:
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Rosalie White on Friday afternoon,
(May 3, 2024), surrounded by her family. Mom had a gift for storytelling and
loved her family fiercely. She found joy in hearing about her grandchildren’s
daily lives. As she moves on to the spirit world, we are grateful for the
prayers and well wishes from those whose lives she touched. We will celebrate
her life once arrangements have been made.
* from Pastor Steve:
Good Friend, Dedicated Volunteer, Sister-in-Christ, Church Board Member, Church
Elder, and Caring Member of Her Family, Rosalie wore many hats well, but her
friendship. good humour, and fierce dedication to her faith, family, friends,
and the principles she loved will be sorely missed by us all. We look forward to
the day Christ Jesus returns and we will be united again in His Kingdom.
Tithing and Prayers; Hymn #572: Praise God
Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) Instrumental –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4p3rihONU
Lauren Daigle – Love Like This (Lyrics) – https://youtu.be/U7eyU9EPGWo
Hymn #248: And Can It Be That I Should Gain – (Lyrics) – The Village Chapel
Worship Team – https://youtu.be/JNzGNU5_yGU?t=5
Responsive Reading #662: Freedom from Sin (Romans 5 and 6)
This Sunday’s Message by Steve Mickelson:
‘Not Casting the First Stone and Other Lessons of Love’
Let us pray…
Welcome to BLCF Church, on this beautiful Sunday morning, May 5, 2024. Today is
the first Sunday of the month, which means that it is Communion Sunday at BLCF,
and for some Christians marks the arrival of their Easter.
I want to wish a Happy Orthodox Easter to Christians in Europe, Africa, the
Middle East, and the rest of the world, who celebrate Easter according to the
Julian calendar which places Easter at a later date than that observed by most
Christians in the Western world. Our Easter and Orthodox Easter both
occasionally fall on the same Sunday. In past years, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2017,
both Easters happened to fall on the same year, with 2034 being the next year
they coincide. The preparations for the celebration of the Resurrection start on
Holy Thursday, a day that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with the
Apostles, followed by Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
Jesus’ death on the cross is considered by all Christians to be a demonstration
of both love and compassion to all of humanity by God’s Son, who was also
identified in the Scriptures as the Prince of Peace. The Lord’s death and
resurrection removed humanity’s judgment for sin, if they were willing to accept
the gift of salvation, confess their sins, and by faith follow the guidance
given by the Bible, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and be willing to share the
Gospel of Jesus unto the ends of the earth.
While Jesus’ sacrifice removed judgment for sin, which is death, from humanity,
it did not remove sin. Today sin is any thought, word, or deed demonstrating the
absence of love towards either God or a neighbour.
Some speculate that all the sadness, fear, anger, hurt, and death generated by
the acts of war are examples of God’s anger, of His judgment. The answer to this
speculation may be found in the Apostle Paul’s letter written to members of the
Church in Rome:
Romans 5:1-11: Peace with God Through Faith
5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by
faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of
God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character
produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a
good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we
have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him
from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be
saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The above letter begs the question: If God is an angry God, who wants to inflict
His judgment on humanity by ways of war, violence, and other such horrific
events, then why send His Son to die for our sins, and why send us the Holy
Spirit of God to comfort us for all eternity?
If the disaster of wars and violence is not the judgment of God, then who is
responsible for all the death and destruction we are witnessing throughout the
world today? Probably the same one tempted Jesus for forty days as we read in
Chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel:
Luke 4:1-13 (ESV): The Temptation of Jesus
4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by
the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And
he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The
devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become
bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread
alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this
authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to
whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus
answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and
said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for
it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11 and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to
the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
him until an opportune time.
The devil likes to tempt any who believe in the Resurrected Christ, but just as
the Lord resisted temptation with the aid of the Holy Spirit, believers may rely
on the Spirit to deny the devil any success in times of opportunity, where
people act out against others because of a sinful nature.
In John 8, verses 1-11, we have an account of how the scribes and Pharisees
brought a woman, caught in the act of adultery, asking Jesus how they should
deal with her crime, as the Law stipulated death by stoning. This was intended
to be not only a test of Jesus’ knowledge of Hebrew Law and the consequences one
may expect for violating it. Let us begin today’s lesson by reading this passage
from Chapter 8 of John’s Gospel:
John 8:1-11 (ESV)
8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again
to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught
them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in
adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman
has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to
stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they
might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his
finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said
to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at
her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.9 But when they heard
it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left
alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to
her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one,
Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no
more.”
These eleven verses, from the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel, provide us with a
wealth of knowledge and understanding of how the violation of the Law, in this
case, the seventh of the ten itemized in Exodus 20. In this case Exodus 20:14,
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
The woman had broken the Law and the scribes, Pharisees, and others gathered
expected a pronouncement of death to the woman. This was the same judgment that
the people of Israel expected when Moses brought the Laws from God down from the
mountain, Exodus 20:18-21 (ESV):
18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the
sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid[a] and
trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we
will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the
people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be
before you, that you may not sin.”21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew
near to the thick darkness where God was.
Footnotes: a. Exodus 20:18 Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic
Text the people saw
These Laws came from God to instill a respect for God’s ordinances, and an
avoidance of sin by the people, so as to not have Him render judgment upon them.
But the people feared that if they heard God speak to them, they would surely
die. The Law was intended to guide the people on a righteous path of behaviour,
to demonstrate their love for God and for others.
In the case of Jesus and the adulteress, Jesus indicated that no man or woman is
innocent of sin, and therefore none are qualified to act as judge and
executioner. That is God’s privy, and as such, He alone has the authority to
render judgment or its consequences upon sinners. This does not mean that there
won’t be any judgment for violation of the Law, which will be rendered by God,
alone.
Did scribes and Pharisees take the words of our Lord to heart? Apparently not,
as we see the actions taken against the Apostle Stephen, whom Christian scholars
considered to be the first Christian martyr, as we see in this account taken
from Chapter 7 of the Acts of the Apostles:
Acts 7:54-60 (ESV): The Stoning of Stephen
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their
teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the
glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said,
“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand
of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and
rushed together[a] at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named
Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,
do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Footnotes: a. Acts 7:57 Or rushed with one mind
Though Jesus had been sent to pay the penalty for sin, the human tendency to sin
had not been eliminated. Though Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, in that he
saw Jesus standing at the right-hand side of God, the Father, the lord did not
intervene. Stephen’s last words before he died were a plea to the Lord not to
hold the sin of murder against them. You may note that watching the garments of
the murderous mob was a young man named Saul, better known as Saul of Tarsus.
Saul’s testimony on the matter is recorded in Acts 22:1-21:
Acts 22:1-21 (ESV)
22 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”
2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew
language,[a] they became even more quiet. And he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city,
educated at the feet of Gamaliel[b] according to the strict manner of the law of
our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I
persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and
women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness.
From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to
take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be
punished.
6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from
heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice
saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who
are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are
persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not
understand[c] the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What
shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and
there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I
could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by
those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all
the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother
Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw
him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to
see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a
witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do
you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell
into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem
quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said,
‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned
and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your
witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over
the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will
send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
Footnotes: a. Acts 22:2 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic) b.Acts
22:3 Or city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated c. Acts 22:9 Or hear with
understanding
We see that before his conversion Saul had busied himself by rounding up and
persecuting Christians. In the process of one of the first persecutions, Saul
witnessed Stephen’s death by stoning while he stood by watching over the
garments of the members of the crowd who killed the Apostle.
But why was there no judgment from God against Saul or the mob who had murdered
Stephen? God had no plans for members of the mob in general, but he did have
plans for Saul, whose name would be changed to Paul, after his conversion. We
see the degree of conviction demonstrated in Paul’s testimony, expressed in the
following Epistle addressed by the Apostle to members of the Church in Rome, see
Romans 10:9-10:
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the
heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is
saved.
Paul said that salvation comes to those who confess that Jesus is Lord, whom God
raised from the dead. This confession comes not from a fear of judgment by God,
but a belief in the heart that Jesus died and was raised from the dead. We know
from last week’s lesson, that the heart is associated with the intangible aspect
of our beliefs, such as love, faith, and hope. With this belief, comes the
tangible response of confession of our belief that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for our sins. And from that expression of faith, God will respond to
the tangible sacrifice made by His Son on the cross with the intangible actions
of our own justification and salvation through Christ, which in turn leads to
the tangible actions of our own resurrection and granted eternal life.
All of God’s actions come as an expression of God’s love for us and our love for
Him. For only He is able to make manifest the tangible from the intangible,
merely by His own Word. But what does the Bible say should be the focus of our
time and attention? We find the answer in Paul’s Epistle to the people in the
church of Philippi, Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV):
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.5 Let your gentleness be
known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;6 do not be anxious about anything, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Prayer and supplication described in the letter in Philippians 6 is
explained further in another Epistle
written by Paul to members of the Church of Ephesus which the Apostle describes
as a Prayer for
Spiritual Strength, found in Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV):
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every
family[a] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of
his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in
your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to
know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with
all the fullness of God.
Let us pray…
Communion:
Communion Music Special – Lauren Daigle – “We Will Not Forget” (Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/izeZa9wx8wA?si=oNXu2rGTLWiZ_NwL
Matthew 26:26-29 ESV – Institution of the Lord’s Supper
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and
gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took
a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it,
all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of
this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father’s kingdom.”
FOOTNOTES: MATTHEW 26:28 SOME MANUSCRIPTS INSERT NEW
Music Special: I Won’t Let Go – (Lyrics With Bible Verse) Rascal Flatts-
https://youtu.be/qA0YKJ0_Ivk
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (1 Timothy 1:17):
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen
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Acts 22:1-21, Acts 7:54-60, BLCF Church, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship,
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WHO IS JESUS? WHAT IS SIN? WHAT DO THEY MEAN TO ME? – 2024
Apr28
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON.
Message for Sunday:
Who is Jesus? What is Sin? What Do They Mean to Me?
© April 28, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared at BLCF on July 2, 2023, September 19, 2021,
October 16, 2016, and September 14, 2014
BLCF-bulletin-october-16-2016
BLCF: Bulletin September 14, 2014
Announcements and Call to Worship; Prayer
Prayers and Tithing Hymn #572: Praise God from Whom All Blessings
Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings
Flow) – Instrumental – https://youtu.be/Mk4p3rihONU
Music Special: HERE I AM, LORD – Collin Raye – https://youtu.be/X_v9JKi4Ajo
Lauren Daigle – Hold On To Me – (Lyrics) – https://youtu.be/qBl2rPMP49Q
Responsive Reading #633 (The Good Shepherd – John 10)
Message by Steve Mickelson: Who is Jesus? What is Sin? What Do They Mean to Me?
Let us pray…
Welcome to our Praise and Worship Service here at BLC Church, for the last
Sunday of April 2024.
For the lesson today, I would like to pose a few questions: Who is Jesus? What
is sin? What do they mean to me?
To answer these questions, we must first understand their relevance to each
other and their mutual context, as found in the Scriptures. Jesus came to
propitiate God for sin by his crucifixion on the cross. And what is meant by
sin? Romans 3:23 indicates all humanity have “sinned and fall short of the glory
of God.” Is sin the act By Adam and Eve of disobedience to God’s ordinance,
which was the command not to eat fruit from the “Tree of Knowledge”, as
described in Genesis 3?
The Apostle Paul describes manifestations of sin as “works of flesh” in
Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV):
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger,
rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like
these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God.
Our hope comes from the blood that Christ shed on our behalf to cleanse us from
the unrighteousness of sins which we confess or admit, as described in 1 John
1:7-9 (ESV):
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we
say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
And with salvation, by faith in Jesus, comes the promise of the resurrection
from death and life immortal, as described in our next Scripture passage, from 1
Corinthians 15:50-58 (ESV), entitled:
Mystery and Victory:
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a
mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and
the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this
perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on
immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal
puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be
to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Footnotes: a. 1 Corinthians 15:45 Greek a living soul b. 1 Corinthians 15:49
Some manuscripts let us
But some might ask: “Who is Jesus, that he might be capable of removing sin’s
stain from each and every believer’s life?”
For Jesus is more than a Saviour, as even Christ describes himself using more
than a dozen distinct terms in the Scriptures. The passages, taken from various
passages in John’s Gospel, are a set of descriptors, theologians refer to today
as the “I Am’s of Jesus”:
John 6:51 (ESV) 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone
eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the
life of the world is my flesh.”
John 8:23 (ESV) 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You
are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:12 (ESV) 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.”
John 8:58 (ESV) 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before
Abraham was, I am.”
John 10:9 (ESV) 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and
will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:11 (ESV) 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep.
John 10:36 (ESV) 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into
the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
John 11:25 (ESV) 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
John 14:6 (ESV) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 15:1 (ESV) 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
And what does Christ mean when repeatedly exclaims that “I am”’? let us check an
online dictionary:
Am – verb – 1st person singular present indicative of be.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/am?s=t
In other words, Jesus states that he describes himself as living bread; not of
this world; the light of the world; before Abraham (he existed before Abraham);
the door; the good shepherd; one with the Father (God); Son of God; the
resurrection; the life; the way; the truth; the true vine.
Jesus’ existence is multifaceted and multidimensional concerning our needs.
If the verses above, containing a descriptor that is preceded by “I am” sounds
familiar, you may recall Moses’ encounter with God, the latter appearing as a
“burning bush” in Exodus 3:13-15 (ESV):
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his
name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”[a] And
he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God
also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord,[b] the God of
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has
sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered
throughout all generations.
Footnotes: a. Exodus 3:14 Or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be
b.Exodus 3:15 The word Lord, when spelled with capital letters, stands for the
divine name, YHWH, which is here connected with the verb hayah, “to be” in verse
14
It is totally fitting that Jesus describes himself in the same manner in John’s
Gospel as God described Himself in Exodus 3. After all, Jesus tells us in John
10:30 (ESV):
I and the Father are one
Both Christ and the Father are part of the Godhead, commonly called the Holy
Trinity, with the third part being the Holy Spirit.
So far we have answered the first two questions I raised at the beginning of
today’s lesson: “Who is Jesus?” and “What is sin?” But what about the third
question, referring to the previous two: “What do they mean to me?”
This question was answered within some of the verses that we studied today. Each
of us is guilty of sin, as indicated in Romans 3:23 (ESV):
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We only need to believe that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for our
sins, as we see in John 11:25 (ESV):
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in
me, though he die, yet shall he live,
As followers of the Resurrected Christ, we walk in the light, cleansed from all
of our sins and unrighteousness, remember the Scripture passage from, 1 John
1:7-9 (ESV):
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we
say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
As Christians, we are familiar with the account of how Adam and Eve sinned
against God by eating forbidden fruit as described in Genesis 3. We are also
familiar with the account of how God gave His Laws for the Children of Israel to
Moses inscribed as the Ten Commandments. But which of the Ten is most important
to God? For an answer to this question, let us look at the 12 Chapter of Mark’s
Gospel, beginning with verse 28.
Mark 12:28-34 – The Great Commandment
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and
seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most
important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to
him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is
no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the
understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as
oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And
when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from
the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
We are talking about loving God and then your neighbor, as the two most
important Commandments. You will note that Jesus did not say anything about
loving only neighbours that you are friends with or whom you like. You must love
those whom you despise and dislike. But remember, if that neighbor dislikes or
despises you while claiming to be a follower of the Lord, he too must show only
love to you otherwise he is likely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
As followers of the Resurrected Christ, to be obedient to the Lord, anything we
do, think or say must be an expression of love for God and for other people who
are our neighbors. If it fails either of these two requirements, then it is a
violation of God’s Commandments, and therefore a sin.
Let us pray…
Music Special: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms – Chris Rice – (Lyrics) –
https://youtu.be/EJ5cLiCCOao
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (Hebrews 13:20-21):
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you
with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is
pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
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1:7-9, Bible, BLCF Church, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, Communion
Sunday, Exodus 3:13-15, Galatians 5:19-21, god, Happy Canada Day, Hebrews
13:20-21, I Am’s of Jesus, I Serve a Risen Savior, Jesus, John 10, John 10:11,
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Jesus mean to me, What does sin mean to me, What is Sin, Who is Jesus
WHAT IS ‘GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE?’ – 2024
Apr21
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:
What Is ‘God’s Mercy and Grace?’
© April 21, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages shared at BLCF on January 17, 2016, and July 11, 2010
BLCF Bulletin January 17, 2016
Announcements & Call to Worship;
Prayer
Prayers and Tithing; Hymn #572: Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings) –
Instrumental – https://youtu.be/VFQ_H4c8WW0
Opening Hymn #286: Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride (At Calvary) – Gospel hymn
by William R. Newell. Music: Bird Youmans – Lyrics –
https://youtu.be/eqYXDj7TP8I?si=wtguS_2qsc7XE40o
Music Special: Here I Am, Lord (Lyrics) – Collin Raye –
https://youtu.be/X_v9JKi4Ajo?si=EzYVhIUZL0wlX7gm
Responsive Reading #616 – Second Part Only (Living Psalms – Psalm 23 –
Paraphrased)
Scriptures Verses: Psalm 23, Romans 5:20-21, Ephesians 1:3-9
Psalm 23 (ESV) The Lord Is My Shepherd
– A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
FOOTNOTES: A. PSALM 23:2 HEBREW BESIDE WATERS OF REST B. PSALM 23:3 OR IN RIGHT
PATHS C. PSALM 23:4 OR THE VALLEY OF DEEP DARKNESS D. PSALM 23:6 OR ONLY E.
PSALM 23:6 OR STEADFAST LOVE F. PSALM 23:6 OR SHALL RETURN TO DWELL G. PSALM
23:6 HEBREW FOR LENGTH OF DAYS
Message by Steve Mickelson: What Is ‘God’s Mercy and Grace?’
Let us pray…
Welcome to Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church’s Sunday Praise
and Worship Service for April 21, 2024. We thank you for your prayers and
concern for the family emergency that caused us to suspend last Sunday’s Service
on short notice.
Today’s lesson, we will look at ‘What is ‘God’s Mercy and Grace?’ Mercy and
Grace, when referenced to God are usually used interchangeably by both believers
and non-believers alike. We often speak of God‘s Mercy being involved when we
avoid a catastrophe or disastrous circumstance. Mercy may be used to describe a
situation where we experience events that have good or positive outcomes when
the anticipated outcome should be bad or negative, where no one can explain why
this has occurred.
So what do we mean when we talk about grace? Let’s check our Wikibits:
Spiros Zodhiates, author of The Complete Word Study Dictionary:
New Testament defines Grace is the word most frequently used in modern Bible
translations for the original Greek word charis. There is no simple
English-language equivalent. Charis means “that which causes joy, pleasure,
gratification, favor [and] acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired . . .
[and] a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression
of the loving kindness of God to men in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver
Charis is also translated as “favor,” “thanks” and “pleasure.” It comes from the
Greek verb chairo, which means “to rejoice” (same source). A simple way to
define grace would be to think of it as God’s unearned, undeserved favor toward
us—motivated by His love and concern for us, especially those of us who accept
His invitation to enter into a relationship with Him. It encompasses all of the
wonderful gifts God so graciously offers us.
Similar to the above scenario, when we see another who has fallen into
circumstances, we use the expression, “There, but for the Grace of God, go I”
There is a problem in using the two terms, Grace and Mercy, interchangeably.
While God’s Grace and Mercy, in some ways are not mutually exclusive of each
other, that does not mean one is synonymous with the other.
Mercy is what grace offers. The grace of God comes to us in our poor sinful
condition and it offers us the mercy of God when we deserve His wrath. So grace
comes to us giving us mercy.
Grace is most commonly called “unmerited favor”. Grace is what God offers to
fallen sinners through the salvation obtained by the atonement of Jesus Christ.
We call it grace because it is undeserved.
The forgiveness we receive in Christ is through no work we do, it is, for this
reason, we call it “unmerited favor”. (Romans 3:24, Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10,
Titus 2:11)
Rolfe Barnard defines the relationship between the two as:
“Mercy is God’s favor that holds back from us what we deserve. Grace is God’s
favour that gives us what we do not deserve.”
Thomas Goodwin puts it this way:
” ‘Grace’ is more than mercy and love, it super adds to them. It denotes, not
simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendently superior, one that may
do what he will, that may wholly choose whether he will love or no. There may be
love between equals, and an inferior may love a superior; but love in a
superior, and so superior as he may do what he will, in such a one love is
called grace: and therefore grace is attributed to princes; they are said to be
gracious to their subjects, whereas subjects cannot be gracious to princes. Now
God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would
love us or no, for Him to love us, this is grace.”
Another way of describing God’s grace is by calling it Divine grace. is found in
the Wikipedia Encyclopedia:
Devine Grace is a theological term that is present in many and varied spiritual
traditions. It is God’s gift of salvation granted to sinners for their
salvation. However, there are significant differences between the ways people of
different traditions use the word.
Within Christianity, there are differing conceptions of grace. In particular,
Catholics and Protestants use the word in substantially different ways. It has
been termed “the watershed that divides Catholicism from Protestantism,
Calvinism from Arminianism, and modern liberalism from conservatism”. Catholic
doctrine teaches God may use the sacraments to facilitate the reception of His
grace. Protestants generally do not hold that view.
Grace in this context is something that is God-given, made possible only by
Jesus Christ and none other.
Romans 5:1-2 (King James Version) “1Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by
faith into this grace wherein we stand…”
Galatians 5:4 (King James Version) “4Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
The view that Christians have on grace is that it is undeserved mercy that God
gave to us by sending his son to die on the cross to give us a way to be with
him for the balance of eternity.
However, the Greek word used in the Bible is Charis pronounced share-ece, in
which Strong’s Concordance gives this interesting definition:
“The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.”[2] The
Greek word charis is related to two other Greek/English words, which are
charisma (a special spiritual endowment or influence) and character (an
engraving, stamp or mark indicating the genuineness of something)[3] Therefore,
grace is given by God in reference to developing characteristics in harmony with
God’s character.
Non-Christians hold a markedly different definition of grace:
Hindu philosopher Madhvacharya held that grace was not a gift from God, but
rather must be earned.
From a nontheistic, naturalist, and rationalist perspective, the concept of
divine grace appears to be the same nonexistent concept as luck.
By contrast, Christian believers hold the belief that grace comes from God, as
an expression of His love, and is manifested by His mercy to those who confess
their sins and accept Jesus Christ as savior and redeemer.
Grace reigns through righteousness. An excellent verse regarding God’s grace and
which also addresses man’s role is Romans 5:20-21 (ESV):
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign
through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The expression “grace reigns through righteousness” (charis basileuon dia
dikaiosunes) reveals the climate in which grace is successful. “Righteousness”
is an atmosphere of the presence of God’s commandments and man’s humble
acquiescence to all that God had required of him (Psalms 119: 172, Acts 10:
34, 35).
The apostle John summarizes God’s motivation and character in three simple
words:
“God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16).
His dealings with us are motivated by His love – His care, His concern, and even
His correction—so we can receive His gift of eternal life as members of His
family.
Several of the apostles summarize God’s attitude and approach of loving care and
concern for us with the term grace. Paul, Peter, and John use the word quite
often. What do they mean by it, and how can it help us better understand our
Creator?
Paul typically starts his letters to the churches with the phrase:
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
In doing so he wanted to impress upon his audience God’s favor toward those who
accept His calling.
If you look at the back of today’s Bulletin, you will see a list of Scripture
Verses giving the many ways as:
How does God express His love for us through grace?
– Through grace, God reveals Himself and helps us come to know Him and Jesus
Christ His Son (John 1:14-16).
– God calls us through His grace (Galatians 1:15).
– Through grace, God pronounces us “justified”, righteous, and free of sin
– as a result of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7).
– God offers us salvation, His gift of eternal life through grace (Romans
5:15-18; Titus 2:11; 3:5; Acts 15:11).
– Through grace God allows us to enjoy a relationship with Him (Romans 5:1-2).
– God saves us through His grace (Ephesians 2:5, 8).
-Because of God’s grace, God offered Jesus Christ, and Jesus offered Himself, as
a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind (John 3:16; Hebrews 2:9).
– Through grace, God gives us mercy and “help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
-Through grace, God gives us not only what we need but enough for us to share
with others (2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 9:8).
– God forgives us through His grace (Ephesians 1:7).
-Through grace, Jesus Christ came in the flesh in the role of a servant so we
could have a Savior and receive eternal life (2 Corinthians 8:9; compare
Philippians 2:5-11).
-God gives us consolation and hope through grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
-Through grace, God grants spiritual gifts to His people for the benefit of
those in His Church (Ephesians 4:7-16; 1 Peter 4:10).
-God’s grace: His dealings with humanity motivated by love are part of the true
gospel (Acts 20:24). The gospel —the good news — is the message of God’s plan to
offer eternal life in the Kingdom of God to all who have ever lived and will yet
live. This is made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in taking on
Himself the penalty for our sins.
The Gospel of Jesus is the message of God’s plan to offer eternal life in the
Kingdom of God to all who have ever lived and will yet live. This is made
possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in taking on Himself the penalty
for our sins.
Jesus’ Gospel includes the wonderful news that God will intervene in human
affairs to save us from ourselves and send Jesus to establish the Kingdom of God
on earth.
What is the lesson, we as believers in the risen Christ, need to take home from
so many expressions of God’s mercy and grace?
Grace is when you receive a good reward that you do not deserve. Mercy is when
you are spared from a bad judgment that you do deserve. God expresses His love
by being generous with both His Grace and Mercy.
The lesson to us should be that of tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
We need to show tolerance to the words and actions of others which we find
offensive to both God and to ourselves. If God is just to forgive us despite our
sins, then who are we to condemn such behavior? Throughout His ministry on
earth, Christ demonstrated tolerance to those who would commonly held in
contempt by so-called elders of the faith. Judge not lest ye be judged.
We need to forgive others who have wronged us. The Scripture passages found in
both Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4, commonly called the ‘The Lord’s Prayer’,
where Jesus teaches how to pray, indicate that if we expect forgiveness from
God, we need to forgive others first.
In the Bible, we are asked the question: “How can we claim to love our Father in
Heaven whom we do not know, when we hate our brother whom we do know? In other
words, if we really know God, that is know Him in our heart, we would not have
room there for contempt or resentment, to seek retribution or revenge.
I find it interesting that some people are more tolerant towards strangers than
they are to those whom they know.
Finally, we should not only just show tolerance and forgiveness, which are
aspects of mercy; we need to demonstrate grace by reconciling ourselves to
others by working to reestablish our relationships with those from whom we have
distanced ourselves. For just as God has reconciled us through the sacrifice
Jesus made on our behalf at the cross at Calvary, we must be reconciled to those
guilty of doing or saying the unforgivable against us. It is an un-godly
self-indulgence to hold a grudge or express contempt towards those who have
wronged us.
Grace should not be considered a form of mercy from God, but rather the state of
tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation, granted by God’s grace, an
expression of love which gives us His mercy, despite our sins. It is manifest
when we confess our sins to Him and accept Jesus as our personal Savior. We may
not and should not assume that while God grants us grace freely by His own will,
and because of His love for us; we are automatically entitled to the Lord’s
grace. There is a prerequisite, which has been mentioned several times
throughout this sermon, which I would like to repeat differently:
God does not grant us grace to make us faithful and believe in Him. God gives us
grace because we have faith and believe in Him.
And we demonstrate our faith by our words and deeds, particularly towards our
enemies and those we do not hold in high regard. We show that we believe in Him
when we place our concerns in His hands and trust that He would grant us the
grace to endure those challenges in life we must endure and mercy and
forgiveness for those things that we have done that are not of His liking.
For our closing prayer, let me read the third of today’s Scripture Verses,
Ephesians 1:3-9 (ESV), which is entitled: Spiritual Blessings in Christ.
Let us pray…
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose
us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us[a] for adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of
his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according
to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and
insight 9 making known[b] to us the mystery of his will, according to his
purpose, which he set forth in Christ
.
Footnotes: a. Ephesians 1:5 Or before him in love, having predestined us b.
Ephesians 1:9 Or he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known…
Music Special: Lauren Daigle – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Lyrics) –
https://youtu.be/5X85txs60yY?si=QCpgobQJm_Ia5erL
Closing Hymn #49: Surely Goodness and Mercy – Instrumental lower key –
https://youtu.be/0OpEzms6Rf4?si=Vmv-oQjoAS7tA17s
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction: O God in Heaven, we thank you for your Mercy and Grace. We thank
you for your love. We confess our sins and pray that the Holy Spirit guide our
hearts so that they may be only for Him; to accept Him, to believe in Him, to
praise and to worship Him for Who He is, the One who redeemed us by the
sacrifice of Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ who is God. – Amen
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Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged BLCF Church, Bloor Lansdowne
Christian Fellowship, Ephesians 1:3-9, God's mercy, God's Mercy and Grace, God;s
grace, Psalm 23, Romans 5:20-21, Steve Mickelson
TRUST AND FAITH IN THE LORD: OUR KEYS TO HOPE, JOY, AND PEACE – 2024
Apr7
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:
Trust and Faith in the Lord: Our Keys to Hope, Joy, and Peace
© April 7, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on a Message shared at BLCF on May 17, 2015
BLCF Bulletin May 17, 2015
Announcements & Call to Worship;
Prayer
Prayers and Tithing; Hymn #572: Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings) –
Instrumental – https://youtu.be/VFQ_H4c8WW0
Music Special: 10000 Reasons ( Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul ) – Lyrical Video –
Christian Music songs – https://youtu.be/78waaPRfml0?si=Fs-r4zkuBcLxYXZ5
Music Special: Here I Am, Lord (Lyrics) – Collin Raye –
https://youtu.be/X_v9JKi4Ajo?si=EzYVhIUZL0wlX7gm
Today’s Scriptures: Psalm 91:1-6, Matthew 13:53-58, John 20:19-29
Responsive Reading #601 (Faith and Confidence – Psalm 27)
Message by Steve Mickelson: Trust and Faith in the Lord: Our Keys to Hope, Joy,
and Peace
Let us pray…
Welcome to Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church’s Praise and
Worship Service for April 7, 2024, the first Sunday of April, which makes today
a Communion Sunday.
Last Sunday, our lesson examined the reaction of the various disciples and
followers of Jesus to the revelation that their Lord was resurrected from death.
However, we missed the account of one disciple’s reaction to this miracle, the
disciple of Jesus who, thanks to a short passage of the Scriptures, has been
tagged with the unfortunate moniker of a doubter or skeptic. As you have likely
guessed, I am talking about Thomas or Didymus, which means “the twin”, who is
the subject of our lesson today.
This disciple is frequently referred to today as: “Doubting Thomas.” The name
Thomas comes from the Hebrew or Aramaic root which means “the twin.” Didymus is
from the Greek and also means “the twin.” Thomas was likely born as a twin hence
the unusual nickname.
But the skeptical response by Thomas to his fellow disciples, as described in
the following Scripture in John 20, verses 19-29, helped to earn him the
unfortunate title of doubter:
John 20:19-29 (ESV) Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked
where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,[a] Jesus came and stood among
them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed
them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the
Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent
me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them
and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin,[b] was not with them when
Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he
said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my
finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never
believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace
be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my
hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but
believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him,
“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.”
Footnotes: a. John 20:19 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious
leaders, and others under their influence, in that time b. John 20:24 Greek
Didymus
To be clear in our terminology, I will refer to what I commonly “Wikibits.” So
what is meant by the term “skeptic,” often applied to Thomas?
Dictionary.com: skeptic – noun
1. A person who questions the validity or authenticity of something purporting
to be factual.
2. A person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, plans,
statements, or the character of others.
3. A person who doubts the truth of a religion, especially Christianity, or of
important elements of it.
Both the secular and Christian communities, make frequent use of the term
“Doubting Thomas,” about Jesus’ disciples. Another idiom associated with Thomas
is “Seeing is believing.”
Wikibits: Seeing is Believing
Seeing is believing is an idiom first recorded in this form in 1639 that means
“only physical or concrete evidence is convincing”. It is the essence of St.
Thomas‘s claim to Jesus Christ, to which the latter responded that there were
those who had not seen but believed. It leads to a sophistry that “seen
evidence” can be easily and correctly interpreted, when in fact, interpretation
may be difficult.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeing_Is_Believing
The Scripture Verses, featured in today’s lesson and printed in this morning’s
bulletin, talk about how important belief, trust, and faith are, in our faith
walk, as believers in the Resurrected Christ.
In the first Scripture, taken from Psalm 91, verses 1-6, we see that trust and
faithfulness are used interchangeably, describing a mutual regard between a
believer and God. Just as we are faithful to God, He is faithful to us:
Psalm 91:1-6 (ESV) My Refuge and My Fortress
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Footnotes: a. Psalm 91:2 Septuagint He will say
The next Scripture passage in the bulletin is Matthew 13, verses 53-58, which
describes how our Lord was rejected, despite his wisdom and miracles, because of
the “unbelief” among many of the people in his hometown of Nazareth:
Matthew 13:53-58 (ESV) Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and
coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were
astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty
works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And
are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all
his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they
took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor
except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many
mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
While John 20:19-29 does describe the doubts of Thomas, who was absent when
Jesus first appeared to the other disciples in the Upper room on the day of his
resurrection, the Lord did show the disciples the very same wounds that Thomas
asked to see, as well as breathing the Spirit into the disciples, to help them
understand the significance of what they were witnessing.
While Thomas was skeptical of the Lord, when he first encountered Jesus, he was
by no means the only disciple to have doubts on that day. Let us look at a
passage of Scripture, not found in some of the earlier manuscripts:
Mark 16:9-20 (ESV) Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
[Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.][a]
9 [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told
those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard
that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did
not believe them.
The Great Commission
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at
table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because
they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to
them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe
will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my
name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will
pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will
not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven
and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached
everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by
accompanying signs.]]
Footnotes: a. Mark 16:9 Some manuscripts end the book with 16:8; others include
verses 9–20 immediately after verse 8. At least one manuscript inserts
additional material after verse 14; some manuscripts include after verse 8 the
following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they
had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out using them, from east to
west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. These
manuscripts then continue with verses 9–20
In Mark 16, verses 9-20, the remaining eleven disciples demonstrated the same
level of doubt and skepticism towards Mary and the two disciples on the Emmaus
Road, when they had reported seeing Jesus on the day of his resurrection. And
like, Thomas, the eleven were rebuked for their unbelief.
Our previous Upper Room account of the Resurrected Jesus appearing before
the Eleven Disciples in John 20:19-29 does not give a reason why Thomas was
absent. The disciples had cloistered themselves in the Upper Room because they
feared that the angry mob would crucify them as they had the Lord. Whatever the
reason for Thomas’ absence, whether it was to get food for the disciples or to
attend to the needs of others, it was important enough for him to risk his own
personal safety while the other disciples chose to stay behind a bolted door. We
do know that the reason Thomas left the safety of the Upper Room, it was not for
doing something nefarious, as was the case of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus
for thirty pieces of silver. The Mark 16 account has the Lord returning
specifically for the assurance of Thomas so that the disciple would believe. In
the John 20 account, Jesus gave a mini-Pentecost, breathing upon the eleven the
Holy Spirit which gave them the power of the Spirit and to understand the Lord’s
purpose. Thomas being absent did not receive the Spirit at that time. The Lord’s
prerequisite to receive the Holy Spirit is that a convert demonstrates faith in
Jesus, which Christ ensured by his returning to the Upper Room to reveal himself
to Thomas. This was an act of both compassion and faith by the Lord and shows us
that he would not leave any of his sheep behind.
Unfortunately, Thomas bears the brunt of the blame for his skepticism towards
the others’ news of the Lord’s resurrection, which overshadows the ministry that
Thomas performed in spreading the Gospel of Christ, which is the “Great
Commission” given by Jesus to all the disciples. In the sharing of the Gospel,
the disciples became apostles or messengers of Christ. Here is a brief summary
of the work of the Apostle Thomas, which is really germane to his work:
Thomas the Apostle (called Didymus which means “the twin”) was one of the Twelve
Apostles of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament. He is informally
called doubting Thomas because he doubted Jesus’ resurrection when first told,
(in the Gospel of John), followed later by his confession of faith, “My Lord and
my God”, on seeing Jesus’ wounded body.
Traditionally, he is said to have traveled outside the Roman Empire to preach
the Gospel, traveling as far as India.[2][5][6][7] According to tradition, the
Apostle reached Muziris, India in AD 52 and baptized several people, founding
what today are known as Saint Thomas Christians or Nasranis. After his death,
the reputed relics of Saint Thomas the Apostle were enshrined as far as
Mesopotamia in the 3rd century, and later moved to various places.[citation
needed] In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Abruzzo in Ortona, Italy,
where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle.[8] He is
often regarded as the Patron Saint of India,[9][10] and the name Thoma remains
quite popular among Saint Thomas Christians of India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Apostle
I feel that by focusing on an account that describes Thomas as having some
doubts, which were no more severe than those exhibited by the other disciples,
instead of his service in spreading the Gospel as far east as India, we do the
apostle a disservice.
The New Testament is full of accounts describing the disciples as having doubts
or lapses of faith, particularly before receiving the Holy Spirit. But the work
that the disciples, now as apostles or messengers of the Gospel, accomplished by
them, even to the point of their own deaths, is far more significant to the
Christian Church of believers, The Apostle Thomas is included as an important
contributor to the Great Commission given to all believers in Jesus, as Lord and
Savior.
Let us pray…
Communion:
Lauren Daigle – “We Will Not Forget” (Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/izeZa9wx8wA?si=oNXu2rGTLWiZ_NwL
Matthew 26:26-29 ESV – Institution of the Lord’s Supper
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and
gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took
a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it,
all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of
this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father’s kingdom.”
FOOTNOTES: MATTHEW 26:28 SOME MANUSCRIPTS INSERT NEW
Music Special: CCF songs – LORD I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH –
https://youtu.be/2peqjozTTt4
Benediction Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (Romans 15:13): May the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in
hope.
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Leave a comment Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Apostle Thomas, BLCF Church,
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, doubt, doubting Thomas, faith, hope,
Jesus, Jesus and Thomas, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene, Jesus Rejected at
Nazareth, John 20:19-29, Joy, Mark 16:9-20, Matthew 13:53-58, My Refuge and My
Fortress, peace, Psalm 91:1-6, Resurrection, Romans 15:13, Seeing is Believing,
Steve Mickelson, The Great Commission, trust
EASTER SUNDAY: GREAT EXPECTATIONS, GREATER REVELATIONS – 2024
Mar31
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Easter Sunday Message:
Easter Sunday: Great Expectations, Greater Revelations
© March 31, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on a Message shared at BLCF on April 1, 2018
BLCF Bulletin April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday
Announcements & Call to Worship;
Prayer
Prayers and Tithing; Hymn #572: Doxology (Praise God from Whom All Blessings) –
Instrumental – https://youtu.be/VFQ_H4c8WW0
Musical Prelude – He Is Not Here, He Is Risen – Now We Are Free –
https://youtu.be/svGrySsQi4I
Opening Hymn #163: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today – (Hymn Charts with Lyrics,
Contemporary) – https://youtu.be/1lchVdAqCWk?si=RCk9BwwIBPI8z5oZ
Music Special: Casting Crowns – Scars in Heaven (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/BCc7TCmKcwQ?si=UW14BX5G1UG5Zxai
Responsive Reading #644: Christ and Immortality ( from 1 Corinthians 15)
Message by Stephen Mickelson: Easter Sunday: Great Expectations, Greater
Revelations
Let us pray…
“He is Risen!” (Congregation responds: “He is Risen, Indeed!“) Welcome to Bloor
Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church’s Easter Sunday Celebration
Service.
Today’s lesson is entitled: Easter Sunday: Great Expectations, Greater
Revelations, where we will examine the difference between the expectations of
the disciples and the actual events that transpired on that Easter Day that
Christ, Jesus rose from the dead. Let us start our lesson with the Scripture
passage of Luke 24:1-12 (ESV):
The Resurrection
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the
tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled
away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the
Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by
them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to
the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the
dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was
still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of
sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered
his words,9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven
and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother
of James and the other women with them who told these things to the
apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not
believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he
saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had
happened.
Verse 10 of Luke 24, identifies several women, namely Mary Magdalene and Joanna
and Mary the mother of James, and the other women arrived at the tomb of Jesus,
expecting to embalm the body of their Lord.
In Matthew 27:62-66, we see that the chief priests and the Pharisees, in
conjunction with Pilate had the large stone at the entrance of Jesus sealed and
secured by guards. So it was not surprising that the women who traveled to the
tomb speculated on whom they would ask to help move the stone so that they could
prepare the body of Jesus, Mark 16:1-4 (ESV):
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James,
and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early
on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the
tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for
us from the entrance of the tomb?”4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had
been rolled back – it was very large.
Several revelations surprised the group. Not only was Pilate’s seal broken, but
the large tombstone had been rolled back, the body of Jesus was nowhere to be
found, and two angels, who looked much like men in dazzling attire, waited
inside. But the most surprising revelation came when the two told the women what
had happened to the Lord, Luke 24:5-7 (ESV):
5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said
to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has
risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son
of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and
on the third day rise.”
With the stone removed from the tomb of Jesus, Luke’s account does not mention
where the guards assigned to guard the tomb were.
The disciples had forgotten that Jesus had prophesied both his crucifixion and
his resurrection on the third day. The women remembered the Lord’s prediction
and rushed to bring the good news to the apostles, Luke 24:8-11 (ESV):
8 And they remembered his words,9 and returning from the tomb they told all
these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene
and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told
these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale,
and they did not believe them.
You will note in Verse 10, Luke describes the followers as apostles or
messengers of Jesus, no longer are they identified as disciples or students of
the Lord. Sadly the apostles are skeptical of the news of Joanna and the two
Marys’ treat the account of the women as a contrived story. It seems that
disbelief and lack of faith were unique to the apostle Thomas. At least Peter
followed up upon the news of Jesus’ resurrection by running to the tomb to
investigate the report, Luke 24:12 (ESV):
12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen
cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
Another account of the resurrection, from Mark’s Gospel, continues to contrast
how greatly the disciples’ expectations differed from the reality of events,
Mark 16:9-12 (ESV):
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary
Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.10 She went and told those who
had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was
alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did
not believe them.
Remember how Jesus would choose to minister first and foremost to the people
considered to be the outcasts of the day, including criminals, adulterers, the
disabled, tax collectors, lepers, and so on. It is not surprising that Jesus
chose to reveal himself as the Resurrected Christ to those not generally
respected in the day, first to the women, next to two minor disciples, and later
to a man who was responsible for the arrest and murder of many Christians, Saul
of Tarsus, known after his faith conversion as the Paul the apostle of Jesus.
Again, Jesus sought to teach humility as he had when he washed the feet of his
disciples.
You will note that the women first ventured out from the locked Upper Room, to
face the guards of the tomb and at potential personal risks to their own safety,
to take care of the body of Jesus. And we find two Jews, who were also followers
of Jesus encounter Jesus while they walking on the road from Jerusalem to
Emmaus, lamenting their Lord’s death, even after hearing that the women had
encountered their resurrected Lord, earlier that very day an account told in
Luke 24:13-35 (ESV):
On the Road to Emmaus
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven
miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all
these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing
together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were
kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation
that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking
sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor
to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these
days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to
be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the
one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since
these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They
were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body,
they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that
he was alive.24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to
them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and
enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he
interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he
were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for
it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with
them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke
it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our
hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us
the Scriptures?”33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And
they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,34 saying,
“The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”35 Then they told what
had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the
bread.
It seems that Jesus had encountered more doubt and skepticism from Cleopas and
the other disciples about the women had witnessed at the tomb. Jesus had to
reiterate the prophecies concerning himself, as the Christ and Messiah, that he
is not a prophet of God, but the living Christ. It was only at the breaking of
bread that the Lord revealed himself to the two disciples. Unfortunately, like
the disciples cloistered in that Upper Chamber, they disbelieved the two
disciples in the same way they had doubted the women.
It seemed the only way for Jesus to convince the disciples in the Upper Room of
his resurrection, Lord would have to reveal himself to the disciples in person,
Luke 24:36-49 (ESV):
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and
said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened
and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled,
and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is
I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you
see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his
feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to
them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled
fish,[b] 43 and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the
Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the
Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and
that repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his
name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these
things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay
in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
As happened on numerous occasions before his crucifixion, Jesus called out the
disciples for their lack of faith, Luke 24:38-39 (ESV):
38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For
a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Jesus was expected, as God the Son, to ascend into heave to sit beside God the
Father, as an advocate for the sinners, and to send God the Holy Spirit to
admonish his believers in the truth of his Gospel, and the Spirit would help to
convict those with little or no faith. We see the Lord’s ascension described
in Luke 24:50-53 (ESV):
The Ascension
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed
them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into
heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great
joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
FOOTNOTES: A. LUKE 24:13 GREEK SIXTY STADIA; A STADION WAS ABOUT 607 FEET OR 185
METERS B.LUKE 24:42 SOME MANUSCRIPTS ADD AND SOME HONEYCOMB C.LUKE 24:47 SOME
MANUSCRIPTS AND
If the disciples had remembered Jesus’ had told them that he would be first
crucified; only to be resurrected three days later, the women would not have
gone to the grave to anoint a body that was not there. Further, the two
disciples would not have embarked on a journey to Emmaus but would have remained
in Jerusalem. Finally, the remaining disciples would have unlocked the door to
the Upper Room, anticipating with confidence, the return of Jesus, as their
resurrected Christ. The disciples no longer need to fear the penalty of death,
which is God’s judgment for humanity’s sins, as Christ, Jesus has paid the price
for us all. This is summarized in our final Scripture verse, from Corinthians
15:20-26 (ESV):
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also
the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall
all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at
his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he
delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every
authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under
his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Last Palm Sunday, our lesson examined how many had mistakenly believed that the
Christ, the Messiah would arrive commanding an army of soldiers to vanquish the
opponents to God’s chosen. Instead, God’s plan was revealed by the arrival of
Jesus, born in a modest stable in Bethlehem, who rode to Jerusalem on the back
of a donkey. Later the Lord taught his disciples to minister humbly when he
washed their feet before the Passover Meal, before being arrested, tried, and
crucified.
Jesus again defied the expectations of his disciples who arrived to find the
tomb empty. And then two other disciples walking along the road to Emmaus had
the Lord reveal himself as resurrected from the grave, contrary to their belief
that he died. Lastly, we have the disciples who had locked themselves in the
Upper Room, visited by Jesus proving that he could not be bound by locks or the
grave in his quest to remove the death sentence for sin for all who believe and
accept the gift of salvation.
On his return, as the Resurrected Christ, Jesus revealed the good news that the
judgment for sin that was unleashed upon Adam and Eve, and their descendants,
was expunged for all generations. The proof of the truth of the Gospel lay not
in an empty, open tomb, but in Christ’s resurrection from death, his ascension
to the Father in heaven, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. He Is Risen Indeed!
Let us pray…
Music Special: Laura Story – Mighty To Save (Official Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/W1jmqVU4RDo?si=K0mP9LCS8rsHc1LK
Closing Hymn #284: Yesterday He Died for Me – Simple Piano Instrumental Lyric
Video – https://youtu.be/oEKFCVHySyw?si=ns3vSvUXufkOZS4W
Music Benediction Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – 2 Corinthians 13:14: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
.
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BLCF Church Easter Sunday Message, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, Christ
the Lord Risen Today, Cleopas, Corinthians 15:20-26, Easter, Easter Day, Easter
Sunday - Great Expectations, Easter Sunday -Greater Revelations, Easter Sunday
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24:38-39, Luke 24:5-7, Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:8-11, Mark 14, Mark 16:1-4, Mark
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Yesterday He Died For Me
THE TRIUMPH OF A HUMBLE KING: TO WASH AWAY THE REMNANTS OF THE WORLD – 2024
Mar24
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Palm Sunday:
The Triumph of a Humble King: To Wash Away the Remnants of the World
© March 24, 2024, by Steve Mickelson
Based on Messages Shared with BLCF on April 10, 2022, and April 9, 2017
BLCF Bulletin April 9, 2017
Responsive Reading for Palm Sunday (Psalm 118:1-2 and 19-29):
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now proclaim, “His mercy endures forever.”
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them; I will offer thanks
to the Lord.
“This is the gate of the Lord; he who is righteous may enter.”
I will give thanks to you, for you answered me and have become my salvation.
The same stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! Lord, send us now success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of
the Lord.
God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; form a procession with branches up to
the horns of the altar.
“You are my God, and I will thank you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.”
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.
HTTPS://LECTIONARY.ANGLICAN.CA/SUNDAY-OF-THE-PASSION-PALM-SUNDAY-YEAR-C/
Announcements and Call to Worship;
Prayer
Prayers Offering & Prayer
Hymn #572: Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) – Instrumental –
https://youtu.be/VFQ_H4c8WW0
Music Special: Hosanna – Vineyard [lyrics] – https://youtu.be/dAiBntMtViY
Music Special: Here I Am To Worship | Maranatha! Music (Lyric Video) –
https://youtu.be/03G52K9X2hQ
Let us pray…
Good morning and welcome back to Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship’s Praise
and Worship Service. Due to the Omicron Variant of the COVID-19 Virus, BLCF
closed its doors on Sunday, December 26, 2021, and by God’s Grace, we have
reopened on April 10, 2022. No matter how long we remain open is not just up to
the COVID-19 Virus, but also the steps people take to protect themselves and
others. Some politicians believe it is time to discard masks and other
precautions, for the sake of the economy, while many health professionals
indicate that the Pandemic is not over and recommend that we should continue
with the best practices of getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, washing hands,
and keeping social distance for the protection of ourselves and others. We have
the choice to either follow the politicians who are motivated by getting elected
or health officials who are motivated by an oath to”Do No Harm“? I have a couple
of verses from the Bible which may help us in deciding what to do:
Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
24No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and money.
Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first
commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.
And some may say, “Why should I worry about masks, sanitizers, or vaccines? I
will just trust God to keep me from harm!”
And I say that just as Jesus was tempted by Satan to have God protect Him from
deadly harm, Jesus responded as we read in Luke 4:9-12 (ESV):
9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and
said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for
it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11 and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to
the test.’”
Let us get back to today’s lesson.
Today is Palm Sunday, where Christians observe the launch of Holy Week, leading
to Good Friday, and culminating at Easter Sunday.
Our lesson today, which bears the somewhat long, but self-explanatory title of
‘The Triumph of a Humble King: To Wash Away the Remnants of the World’, will
examine some of the significance and symbolism of the actions of Jesus, the
disciples, and those gathered at two of the significant events recorded in the
days of Easter Week, just before the arrest and crucifixion of our Lord.
Those two events are the account of Jesus riding to Jerusalem, on a colt or
donkey, and later the account of the Lord electing to wash the feet of his
disciples just before the Passover meal.
In the Christian church, the Holy Week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday, a day
where we observe the triumphal arrival of Jesus to Jerusalem just before his
crucifixion, which we find in John 12:12-19 (ESV):
The Triumphal Entry
12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was
coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet
him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just
as it is written,
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was
glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and
had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus
out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The
reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this
sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining
nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Many of the actions of the Lord, including riding a donkey into Jerusalem, are
the fulfillment of prophecies found in the Old Testament, including 2 Kings 9:13
(ESV):
13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the
bare[a] steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
FOOTNOTES: A. 2 KINGS 9:13 THE MEANING OF THE HEBREW WORD IS UNCERTAIN
Another example is found in Zechariah 9:9 (ESV):
The Coming King of Zion
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
We see in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ arrival, that people in the crowd placed
cloaks and tree branches upon the road in the path of Jesus, as he rode upon the
donkey.
Let us look at the significance of elements of this account, beginning with the
use of the palm branch, which we find described at the site,
jewishencyclopedia.com:
The Palm Branch
HOSANNA – …The cry which the people of Jerusalem were accustomed to raise while
marching in procession and waving branches of palm, myrtle, and willow in the
joyous Sukkot festival, especially on the seventh day, when …the willow-branches
of the “lulab” procession were piled up and beaten against the altar (Suk. iii.
9, iv. 5). The willow-branch thus received the name “hosha’na” (Suk. 30b, 31a,
34a, 37a, b, 46b); and the …carrying of the palm branches as described in I
Macc. xiii. 51 and II Macc. x. 7.According to John xii. 13 (in the Sinaitic
codex), which has the story preserved in its original form, the same cry was
raised by… ATTAH HORE’TA – …Tabernacles; and it appears also in the melody sung
by the cantor while waving the palm-branch (Lulab) during the Ḥallel on the
first days (LULAB – …Name given to the festive palm-branch which with the Etrog
is carried and waved on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The three
constituents of the lulab are: (1) a shoot …twigs and willow-branches are tied
to the lower end of the palm-branch—the former on the right, and the latter on
the left—by means of three rings of palm-strips. These branches constitute with
the etrog the “four …the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook: and ye
shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” Aside from the palm-branch
and the willows the passage does not specify what shall be used; and the…
HALLEL – …is given out separately.On Sukkot the palm-branch is shaken in all
directions while the first hemistich is chanted (“Hoshiahna”).Hallel is closed
with this benediction: “O Lord, our God, may all …In the case of the Feast of
Tabernacles the wavingof the palm-branch (see Lulab) is the most characteristic
feature of the celebration of the festival; and consequently the…
HTTP://WWW.JEWISHENCYCLOPEDIA.COM/SEARCH?UTF8=%E2%9C%93&KEYWORDS=PALM+BRANCH&COMMIT=SEARCH
Some secular sources reference that, in the time of Christ, the Greeks awarded a
palm branch to the victorious athlete, while the Romans used either a palm frond
or the palm tree to signify a military victory.
Since the arrival of Jesus was not associated with athletic or military
achievement, I think it is safe to discard associating his arrival with either
of the two. This conclusion is supported by the fact that in addition to the
laying of palm branches, the crowd also cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
But what is meant when they say ‘Hosanna’? Let us again look at our online
reference source, jewishencyclopedia.com:
Hosanna
HOSANNA – …the multitude on the occasion of Jesus’ arrival at Jerusalem. They
“took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”—that is, the …verse following
“Anna Adonai hoshi’ah-nna” in the Hallel psalm— and then called him “the King of
Israel.” Luke (xix. 38), writing for the Gentiles, omits the palm-branches and
the Hosanna cry, and changes the …combines the two versions, and changes the
words of Luke into “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh. . .
. Hosanna in the highest,” the closing words of which no longer give any sense
The same is… SALVATION – …to release.”Hosanna. The underlying idea of all these
words, save the last two, is help extended and made effective in …passionate
appeal “Hoshi’ah-nna” (ib. verse 25; = “Hosanna”) ought to be rendered “Give
victory,” a translation all the more assured by the certainty that the psalm is
Maccabean. He who leads to victory in battle …the head of the army was greeted
with the salutation “Hoshi’ah” = “Hosanna,” corresponding to (II Kings x. 19;
Neh. ii. 3). This would appear from II Kings vi. 26, the… HOSHA’NA RABBAH –
…recited once in each Hosha’na service (the Hebrew for “save now” is here
“Hoshi’ah-na,” which has come into English through Christian sources as
“hosanna”>Hosanna”).
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=hosanna&commit=search
It seems that the crowd recognized that Jesus had arrived to bring victory and
salvation to the Jews. But why did Jesus choose to arrive on a donkey? We get
part of the answer from the following excerpts, taken from an article authored
by Rebekah L. Holt:
Donkeys in the Bible
Rebekah L. Holt
Christ as the King of Kings to enter in Jerusalem on a donkey was a lowly
action. In today’s terms, to select a donkey instead of a horse could be
compared to a prince selecting a furniture delivery truck over a rare luxury
sports car! Historically, horses are the equine thrones of victorious Kings
and Princes. Haman in the book of Esther considered riding the king’s horse in
fine clothes, to be attended by noblemen and to have personal praise heralded to
a crowd to be a great honor. Even today, we would expect such a procession of
royalty. Yet, in Jerusalem, to be astride a donkey was commonplace. Donkeys
typically served as everyday transportation, a long-eared daily sight to be seen
in the streets.
In following Christ’s example, when serving the Lord, our focus should be on
obeying Him with lowliness and humility.
http://www.equest4truth.com/equus-in-the-bible/123-donkeys-in-the-bible
In addition to a degree of humility, the arrival of a king riding a donkey,
rather than a horse or in a chariot signifies the peaceful intentions of our
Lord, an idea contrary to some who expected Jesus to lead an army against those
who oppressed and persecuted the faithful.
One advantage to reading the historical account of the Lord’s arrival on that
Psalm Sunday is the fact we may fast forward a few days in that Passion or
Easter week and read an account that describes where Jesus taught his disciples
an important lesson about the way they should minister his Gospel to others,
This account is found in John 13:1-20 (ESV):
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had
come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in
the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already
put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus,
knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had
come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his
outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured
water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with
the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to
him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do
not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”8 Peter said to him, “You
shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have
no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also
my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not
need to wash, except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And you[b] are
clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was
why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his
place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call
me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s
feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have
done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his
master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know
these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of
you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,[d] ‘He who
ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now,
before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am
he.20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent
me.”
Footnotes: a. John 13:10 Some manuscripts omit except for his feet b. John
13:10 The Greek words for you in this verse are plural c. John
13:16 Or bondservant, or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek
word doulos, see Preface) d. John 13:18 Greek But in order that the Scripture
may be fulfilled
We may find an understanding of why Jesus sought to humble Himself as a servant
by washing the feet of his disciples in the following article found at
jewishencyclopedia.com:
Washing Of Feet
By: Emil G. Hirsch, Wilhelm Nowack, Solomon Schechter
Since the Israelites, like all other Oriental peoples, wore sandals instead of
shoes, and as they usually went barefoot in the house, frequent washing of the
feet was a necessity. Hence among the Israelites it was the first duty of the
host to give his guest water for the washing of his feet (Gen. xviii. 4, xix. 2,
xxiv. 32, xliii. 24; Judges xix. 21); to omit this was a sign of marked
unfriendliness. It was also customary to wash the feet before meals and before
going to bed (comp. Cant. V. 3); to abstain for a long time from washing them
was a sign of deep mourning (II Sam. Xix. 24). Though there are no extant laws
for laymen in regard to washing the feet, such laws for priests are given in Ex.
Xxx. 19-21. There mention is made of brazen vessels, placed between the
Tabernacle and the altar of burnt offering, in which the priests had to wash
their hands and feet on entering the Tabernacle or before approaching the altar
of burnt offerings: hence at all their priestly functions. Just as no one is
allowed to approach a king or prince without due preparation, which includes the
washing of the hands and feet, so the Israelite, and especially the priest, is
forbidden in his unclean condition to approach Yhwh, for he who comes defiled
will surely die.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6051-feet-washing-of
Jesus while literally washing the dust, that is the remnants of the world, from
the feet of the disciples, will soon go to the cross to wash away all remnants
of sin from humanity.
Let us talk about the “elephant in the room” which is humanity’s sin if you
excuse the pun as a segue.
Christ sought to teach his disciples a ministry of humility by riding to
Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and by washing the feet of the disciples. But
these lessons also foreshadow our Lord’s impending death, where Jesus would pay
the price for our sins by forfeiting his life to a brutal death on the cross, as
the Apostle Paul described in Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV):
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a]6 who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being
born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
FOOTNOTES: A. PHILIPPIANS 2:5 OR WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS B. PHILIPPIANS
2:6 OR A THING TO BE HELD ON TO FOR ADVANTAGE C. PHILIPPIANS 2:7 OR SLAVE (FOR
THE CONTEXTUAL RENDERING OF THE GREEK WORD DOULOS, SEE PREFACE)
Another translation of Philippians 2:5-8 goes as follows:
Let us pray…
Breathe – Michael W Smith | Lyrics – https://youtu.be/W__o2FbO84o
Music Benediction Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole –
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y
Benediction – (Revelation
1:5b-6):
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a
kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen.
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Lansdowne Christian Fellowship, Hosanna, Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet, John
12:12-19, John 13:1-20, Philippians 2:5-8, Revelation 1:5b-6, Steve Mickelson,
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BLOOR LANSDOWNE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP – BLCF CHURCH
BLCF CHURCH – EST. 1938
BLOOR LANSDOWNE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP - BLCF CHURCH
Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship - BLCF Church A Church with a Vision in the
Heart of Toronto In 1938, a group of believers embarked on a mission to bring
the message of the Gospel of Jesus to the Bloor Lansdowne area in a relevant and
meaningful ways. The membership moved into a converted truck garage on Bloor
Street near Lansdowne Avenue, establishing the Church of the Crusaders. Now over
eight decades later the church, now known as Bloor Lansdowne Christian
Fellowship - BLCF Church, continues to meet the challenges of actively preaching
and practicing the message of the gospel in relevant and meaningful ways to the
local community, such as Bloor Lansdowne Community Dinner, renamed December 2009
as BLCF Cafe, a weekly Community Dinner feeding upwards of 150 homeless and
marginalized guests weekly, over 7,500 annually. BLCF Cafe was established in
January 2008 by and is run solely under the auspices of Bloor Lansdowne
Christian Fellowship - BLCF Church with the help of a dedicated core of
volunteers. The Bible says that a church is not mortar, brick and wood, but the
body of believers who gather together to worship, pray, sing, teach and
celebrate God’s path of salvation, through accepting Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on
the cross at Calvary. Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307
Bloor Street, Toronto, ON, M6H 1P1 or 416-535-9578. www.blcfchurch.ca -
blcfchurch@yahoo.ca - blcfcafe@yahoo.ca - twitter: @blcfca
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BLCF CHURCH PRAISE & WORSHIP SUNDAY 11 AM
PAGES
* Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Cafe Community Dinner – 1307
Bloor Street, West, Toronto, ON. – Last Evening’s Dinner
* Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church – 1307 Bloor Street, West,
Toronto, ON. – Ministering the Gospel of Christ in the Heart of Toronto –
Est. 1938
* Help Feed Toronto’s Homeless At Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship’s BLCF
Cafe Community Dinner Est. 2008 – 1307 Bloor Street, West, Toronto, ON.
* Q&A – About Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church – 1307 Bloor
Street West, Toronto, ON
* Treating homeless and marginalized people with dignity and respect at BLCF
Cafe – 1307 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON
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