Memory Verse(s)

April 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

Our memory passage for our *Real* Last Words message series is Matthew 28:18-20:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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.” (TNIV)

We’ve been regularly memorizing passages of Scripture with each of message series’ and I’m looking forward to what happens as we become more engaged with the Word!

The first message of our series isn’t yet online–it should be on our website by tomorrow evening; my apologies for the delay.

Thailand

April 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

The anti-government protests have apparently come to an end; you can learn more by CLICKING HERE.  Thanks for praying for the situation and the Blaikies!

Good morning on ‘Easter Monday!’

Yesterday was a very full but incredibly exciting day: it was nice to see a healthy crowd in church for Easter Sunday, but that’s really a small reason to celebrate.  We had a number of new faces–exciting, but still a relatively small thing.  I love preaching about the power of the Resurrection (a HUGE reason to celebrate–not my preaching but the truth of the Resurrection, I mean).  But best of all, we had someone indicate their desire to begin following Jesus.  Hearts are being made new, lives are being changed, and eternities are being altered.  Can you think of a better time to have your life invaded by Christ than on the Day of days??  I’m very excited about what God will continue to do as we trust and follow him.

From the Mission Field:
I have received the following communications from two of the missionaries who have been to CWC to share recently–while we currently do not support either the Blaikies I urge you to pray for them and the needs shared here:

Blaikies (Thailand): Bangkok has been the site of rioting again for the last 2 months (this is a different riot from the ones previously reported.) It has until this week been peaceful. The rioters who call themselves the Red Shirts have changed this drastically. Over the last week the Red Shirts have closed down many roads and many transportation systems. This weekend they broke into the Asian Summit which held the leaders of 8 Asian countries and have attempted two assassinations on the prime minister of Thailand. This has caused the government to declare a state of emergency. The streets are now littered with military troops and tanks to help keep off the rioters. Last night the troops were forced to fire towards the rioters and use tear gas to disperse them. They only fired over there heads but 70 people were injured due to the tear gas.

We ask that you pray for Thailand. Pray that peace will come quickly. Pray for our safety and those who are innocent bystanders. This is currently only happening in Bangkok and in a couple cities to the North. If you would like to look at more info click on this website
and if you would like to know more about former Prime minister Taskin who is heading up these riots in an effort to regain control of the office please go to [this site].

Yesterday, we launched our new message series on the discussions Jesus had with his disciples before ascending into heaven.  I think we’ll continue to discover incredible truth and power for us in these *Real* Last Words.  On an important note, you’ll find the memory verse we’ll be working through for this series posted to this blog later today.  The audio from yesterday’s message will be posted on the church’s website later this afternoon–CLICK HERE to go to the recent sermons page.

There are some other things you should know…
You likely recall that not long ago, a pastoral vote was taken.  During our LBA meeting this evening, I will officially accept the new call by presenting a letter to our vice chairman, Kenn Tuckey.  The contents of that letter will be available soon.  Once again, I’m excited about being part of what God is going to do in the life and ministry of Carlisle Wesleyan!
Also during tonight’s meeting we’ll be finalizing preparations for the end of our current fiscal year and working through the details of a new budget and Leadership Team structure to be approved at our Local Church Conference.  If you think of us around 7PM today, please pray for those on the Leadership Team.  Thanks in advance!

That Local Church Conference is scheduled for Sunday, May 3 at 4:00PM–join us for the business portion of our conference, as well as a time of celebration and food/fellowship together… plan now on being there!

Please note, the office/Roaming schedule is adjusted for this week:
The office will be closed on both Tuesday and Thursday of this week–Tomorrow will be a personal day for me and I will leave for Clearfield very early Thursday morning to participate in a District event and a meeting of the task force that I’m honored to be a part of.  This will also mean there’s no ‘roaming’ for me tomorrow afternoon, but you should still be able to find me on Wednesday morning at Carlisle Coffee.

There are two new Learning Group opportunities coming your way this week:
You Matter More Than You Think, for ladies, will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 6PM at the Gomez residence.  If you need directions, contact either Sarah or myself and we’ll be sure to give you.
On Sunday morning (9AM), Denver Tuckey will be launching a new discussion on how to be men and women after God’s heart.

As we continue the journey toward being a local church which is Loving, Learning, and Living Jesus Christ, we’ll discover what it means to have each aspect of our lives mastered by Jesus.  Be looking for opportunities to grow–to experience Christ in worship; to fall more in love with him and learn about him; and to live as him wherever we are.

Have a great week!
Loving…Learning…Living…,
Pastor Jeremiah

Sunday.

April 12, 2009 — Leave a comment

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; he has risen!

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  Then they remembered his words.
(Luke 24:1-8, TNIV)

From Theodore the Studite:

How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: it is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return.

This was the tree on which Christ, like a king on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death, and freed the human race from his tyranny. This was the tree upon which the Lord, like a brave warrior wounded in his hands, feet and side, healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. A tree once caused our death, but now a tree brings life. Once deceived by a tree, we have now repelled the cunning serpent by a tree. What an astonishing transformation! That death should become life, that decay should become immortality, that shame should become glory! Well might the holy Apostle exclaim: Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! The supreme wisdom that flowered on the cross has shown the folly of worldly wisdom’s pride. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the cross, has cut away the shoots of wickedness.