Salt

Last Sunday morning, I spoke about Jesus’ prayer that God protects believers from the evil one. I believe we need to be wiser than we have been. Scripture tells us “8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9.
In the USA, Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions, Catholic women - 31.3%, Jewish women - 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% . 18% of abortions are performed on women who are"Born-again/Evangelical".
Among married born again Christians, 35% have experienced a divorce. That figure is identical to married adults who are not born again.
Proverbs 24:16 (NIV) 16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
Matthew 5:13 (NIV) 13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Love – Pastor Don

Japan - Setsubun - Mame Maki

February 3rd, which is one day before Risshun (the first day of spring on the lunar calendar), is called Setsubun in Japan. It's not a national holiday, but mame maki (bean throwing) ceremonies are performed on Setsubun. Traditionally, people throw roasted soy beans at home, shouting 'oni wa so to' (get out demons) and 'fu ku wa uchi' (come in happiness.) These beans are called fuku mame (fortune beans.) It is believed that people can be healthy and happy if they pick up and eat fuku mame the number equal to their ages. Eating fortune sushi rolls is a Japanese custom on Setsubun.

Bean throwing ceremonies are held at many temples and shrines around the country. It's common for people who were born under the same Chinese zodiac sign as the year to throw beans. People visit shrines and temples to pick up beans to receive good fortune. At major temples and shrines, Japanese celebrities, such as sumo wrestlers perform mame maki.

Andi and I, February 28th

Mat Scheer and Josh Sharp will open the concert at 7:30pm, followed by Andi and I as they give a concert and the “From The Streets” performance, coming straight from Emmaus House, a ministry to male prostitutes in Chicago. Doors will open at 6pm and a love offering will be taken.
The Gathering Place is at 8428 Halls Ferry Road. I hope you all show up.

Homeless Report

There were several people who fed homeless this week. In addition to Ron and Trish, Anthony McKeown, Iris Merrit, Billy Beck and a person new to the ministry, named Denis. Denis contacted us through our website and spent the evening with us. We fed at least twenty people and gave away almost all of our blankets and gloves. I would also like to thank Jim and Mary Buchanan and Angel Bowling for providing the food.

I hope to see everyone in the church involved in each of our outreach ministries. There are still several ministries needing your help. - Pastor Don

January 8th - John 17: 6 - He Revealed His Name

John 17:6 (NIV) "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

The King James translation says, “manifested Your name”.

Jesus made God’s name known to the disciples. I find it interesting that they were already His, yet did not know Him. Israel understood that God was their father, but it was usually as a nation, not personally. Jesus made it personal. He made God known to them. After his death, his disciples took on his name.

Acts 11:26 (NIV) and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

So glorious was it to be known, disciples rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer for the Name.

Acts 5:41 (NIV) The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Could this be because we have become one?

Matthew 19:4-6 (NIV) 4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

We will receive a new name when Jesus returns.

Revelation 2:17 (NIV) 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Revelation 3:11-12 (NIV) 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.

With this in mind, we should do everything we can to make God’s name known. After all, there is no other name by which a person can be saved.

Acts 4:12 (NIV) 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Pastor Don

January 7th - John 17: 5 - He Became A Servant

John 17:5 (NIV) 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

He left heaven

He dwelt among us

He became nothing

He became a servant

He became human

He was tempted in every way

He was without sin

He exchanged his glory in heaven with these things. He didn’t have to, but he did. What would you give up to have these things? Who would you give it up for? We have a very loving God. Glory to His name.

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

Pastor Don

January 6th - John 17: 5 - Before The World Began

John 17:5 (NIV) And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

It is a humbling thing to me, to know that the one who created everything, did so with me in mind. It is hard to imagine that with everything humans have done against God, his plan was to love and die for us. I know the sins of my life, and so does he. Multiply that by billions of people throughout all history. Then to grasp the fact that our creator never gave up on us, even while we were his enemies. Shouldn’t we all pray that God gives us more love for one another?
John 13:34 (NIV) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Micah 5:2 (NIV)
2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

John 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Completing The Work

John 17:4 (NIV) I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

I got out of bed at 5:45 this morning. I had been laying there, watching the clock for a half hour, waiting to start my day. I had work to do, and I always have some anxiety about being able to complete it. Five days a week, I pick up children, take them to our daycare, take children to the school bus, take other children to school, and then pick up more children to take to the daycare. Completing the morning schedule without a hitch is so satisfying to me., and I get to do it five days a week.

Jesus completed his work. While I have to worry about something going wrong, he had to be concerned about everything going correctly. Job well done for me is making sure that all the children arrive safely to their various destinations. Job well done for Jesus, meant his death.

I drive a van, he was arrested. I picked up children, he was beaten. I get along well with my clients, his yelled “crucify Him”. My work is complete when I deliver the last child. His was completed when he was delivered to the cross and crucified.

Of course, we all have more work to complete;

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Have a good day— Pastor Don

Us Protestants

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to talk with a friend of mine about a couple of problems that many Protestants have. The first on is that we are Protestants. That may be why I find John 17 to be a comfort to me. Jesus tells us to live in unity. We claim to live by faith and yet our faith is often threatened when other Christians believe differently. It is no wonder that the world is lost in confusion. Jesus said to let the wheat and tares grow together, and He will take care of them.
Another Protestant problem is that we are often “closet legalists”. We do not live by the faith we claim, but by a set of rules that we deem appropriate in order for God to love us. You may not be aware that you have any such rules, but you know what they are when someone else breaks them. “You can’t be a Christian because ___ ___ ___”.
Luke 6:37 “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
John 8:15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.
Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same ..things.