2011 - Time To Build An ARK

On Sunday, January 16th, 2011 we will kick off our “Time to build an ARK” campaign. We've ordered 250 ARK cards for our church to distribute throughout the community! How does it work? You do an anonymous Act of Random Kindness and leave your ARK card behind to let them know how much you care! The card encourages the receiver of your kindness to "pay it forward" and do an act of kindness for someone else in the community.

Here are some ideas on how you can use your ARK cards: pay for the meal of the person behind you in a drive through and ask the cashier to give them your ARK card, tape the exact change for a snack or soda on a vending machine along with your ARK card, leave some baked goods on your co-workers desk along with the ARK card, send some money to someone you know who really needs it, etc.

The possibilities are endless! You can post your ARK adventure on our blog.

If You Have A Prayer Request

Please e-mail your prayer request to Jan at dewarjm@hotmail.com

THE DOORS

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos

Pulpit Series Volume 20 Issue 6 April 11, 2010

The “I ams” of Christ. 

John 8:12             I am the light of the world:

John 6:35             I am the bread of life:

John 10:11            I am the good shepherd:

John 14:6               I am the way, the truth, the life:

John 15:1               I am the true vine

Then there is John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in,he shall be saved.

Jesus compares Himself to a door….. Even a child knows what a door is. 

Privacy Doors, Security Doors, Safety Doors and Fire Control Doors.  There are Trap Doors, Garden Doors, Doggy Doors, re Dutch, French and Australian Doors.  There are Stable Doors, Saloon Doors, Blind Doors as well as Disguised Doors, Barn Doors, Garage Doors, Single and Double Doors,. Some doors are Louvered, Flush or Molded.  There are Wicket Doors, Bypass and Bi-fold Doors, Glass Doors, Wooden Doors, Hinged Doors, Sliding, Swing and Pocket Doors.  There are Folding Doors aka Accordion Doors, Rotating Doors or Revolving Doors. Not to be confused with The Doors led by Jim Morrison selling over 75 million albums worldwide.  There are Butterfly Doors, and Up-and-over Doors  There are Car Doors, House Doors, Store Doors and Door Stores.  Door Knobs, Door Hinges, Door Locks, Door Stops, and Door Latches. There are Exterior and Interior Doors, Patio Doors, Pocket Doors and the very useful Refrigerator Door. 

A door can be open or closed, let us in or keep us out.  It is said that behind closed doors we find shelter, security and rest. 

When Jesus says, “I am the Door” He means an entrance. 

An entrance to what?  The Kingdom of God.  By going through Him, we are brought into shelter, security and rest. 

Lets look at few important doors in scripture. 

· Door on the ark.  This was a door of judgement.   A door that God Himself shut.  Revelation 3:7 ... Jesus opens and no man can shut, He closes and no man can open....

The ark Noah was commanded to build is a type of salvation and shelter.  It is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The way into the ark was a door; there was only one door. 

To be saved people had to enter through that door. There was no other way!   Impossible to pull a B&E

That door was kept open along time

I Peter 3:20

While God kept the door open, Noah preached  II Peter 2:5

Those who believed and entered were kept safe (8).

The Lord God shut the door!  They also were spared seeing the judgement scene, one window far above eye level.

Those who didn’t enter were shut out, no amount of weeping, begging, pleading or knocking could open the Door. 

So God provided a place of salvation in the ark, all they had to do was go in through the one door!  It was their choice.

Only those who have entered in through Christ will be saved.

There is also a door of deliverance.  The death angel was to pass through Eygpt, slaying every first born.  Exodus 12

God however provided a plan of redemption; the Children of God were required to kill a spotless lamb. The head of the family took the blood of that lamb and marked the top and two side posts of that door.

The door was to be blood marked!

The night came, death was everywhere, the horror and the wailing must have been incredible!  But behind each blood marked door was deliverance! 

He who said He is the Door died for our sins and it is His blood that marks the door of our redemtion!

The Door of the Tabernacle: The place of Israel’s worship was enclosed in fine white linen.  The white linen wall shut the people out, however there was a door in that white linen wall.  It was a hanging of blue, purple scarlet and fine twined linen.   This door too speaks of Christ...

When hanging on the cross Jesus cried “It is finished!”  that heavy veil was ripped in two...an entrance was made! 

Christ being the door now became the veil through which we must pass into the holy of holies! 

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

“By me if any man enter in he shall be saved!”  Did you hear that?  “Anyone” 

That’s you; that’s me!   “Anyone!”   

The door will not always remain open.  

Matthew 25:1-13...they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: the door was shut.  

Then came the other bridesmaids, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he said, I don’t know you.

The Bridegroom is coming sooner than you think.  Only those having entered in by the blood marked door will be ready.

Luke 13:23-28 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When the master has shut the door.  You begin  knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he will say, I do not know you.. Then you will say, We ate and drank in your presence, you taught in our streets. But he will say, I tell you, I don’t know you....

The word “Know” here refers to intimatcy. 

BE WARNED

Don’t waste your oppurtunity to enter!  

How awful to know that you could’ve gone in but neglected to enter.. dare you neglect so great a salvation!

Jesus according to Ephesians 2:18 is our only means of access!   

Those in Noah’s day must have knocked - they must have cried, “Open up, save us!”  

Think of the near future when thousands will again find themselves shut out!  Having neglected the only Door which for such a long time has stood open to them.

Then it will be shut, they will be forever outside, lost!

If you have not yet done so - enter while the Door is still open before you..... who knows how soon for you that door will be shut?

John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.



It Is Our Time

Everything to do with the Church must be up-to-date and living, meeting the present needs of the hour. David ministered to his Generation, Mosses ministered to his generation - and we must do the same - David is dead, Mosses is dead, Gideon, Samson, the three Hebrews—they are gone, silent and still—but we live - it is our hour to minister! It is our hour to proclaim the Gospel!

Sing With Me

THE SPLENDER OF THE KINGS
CLOTHED IN MAJESTY
LET ALL THE EARTH REJOICE
ALL THE EARTH REJOICE
 
HE WRAPS HIMSELF IN LIGHT
AND DARKNESS TRIES TO HIDE
AND TREMBLES AT HIS VOICE
TREMBLES AT HIS VOICE
 
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD
SING WITH ME
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD
AND ALL WILL SEE HOW GREAT
HOW GREAT, IS OUR GOD 

Radical

As transformed followers of Jesus, we can offer hope and help to a needy world. We can speak to issues of society, we can lift the state of the poor, we can penetrate our world with light and salt, and we can transform society.

We believe that radically transformed followers of Jesus can make a significant impact on society and bring life-giving hope and wholeness where there is despair and brokenness.

Food for thought

One of the reasons churches in North America have trouble guiding people about money is that the church’s economy is built on consumerism. If churches see themselves as suppliers of religious goods and services and their congregants as consumers, then offerings are ‘payment.’

Unity in the forecast...

I just returned from our second meeting concerning the upcoming joint churches celebration May 16th at 10:30 at the Sonora Community Centre.... Go God!

What If Today Was The Day?

I just feel like something good is about to happen,
I just feel like something good is on its way;
He has promised that He'd open all of Heaven,
And brother, it could happen any day.

When God's people humble themselves to call on Jesus,
And they look to heaven, expecting as they pray;
I just feel like something good is about to happen,
And brother, it could be this very day.

I have learned in all that happens, just to praise Him,
For I know He's working all things for my good;
Every tear I shed is worth all the investment,
For I know He'll see me through, He said He would.

Yes I've noticed all the bad news in the paper,
And it seems like things get bleaker everyday;
But for this child of God it makes no difference,
Because it's bound to get better either way.

I just feel like something good is about to happen,
I just feel like something good is on its way;
He has promised that He'd open all of Heaven,
And brother, it could happen any day.

I have never been more thrilled about tomorrow,
Sunshine's always bursting through skies of gray;
I just feel like something good is about to happen,
And, brother, it could be;
Better watch and pray,
What if it could be this very day!

O Happy Day

I am writing to you from the Shores in Canada's only desert. It is plus 2o in the shade and the sky is clear from here to the gates of heaven. I am in one of my many offices in Osoyoos. Today it is the Shores restaurant. A great cup of coffee and delicious home made pie - mmmmmm! I'd tell you it was lemon morange but I can't spell morange. I am working on Sunday's message, while hoping for an opportunity to witness for our precious Savior. I love where the Lord has planted us. There are many incredible people here... one of them is Pat.

I just dropped into his ranch about an hour ago. I was with him and his wife just days before she passed away.... she had called for the "cowboy preacher" to come and read out of the good book for her. I was pleased to do so and was rewarded by being able to pray with her. A week later I was doing her service up in Rock Creek at the Fair Grounds. That was last year and today Pat and I talked about what cowboys love to talk about - cattle - good horses and ranching. As I listened to my old friend I was pleased to see the light in his eyes sparkle as he told me the secrets of ranching in our desert land. As always with these type of guys I gleaned a little more knowledge about how things are to be done.

To whosoever reads this - have a great day - and please give the heavens more than just a pass'n glance.

Ed (whosoever) Brouwer

Bible Junkie

I have a confession to make…. I’m a junkie …. A bible junkie
It all started—I was sitting in the park and I saw a little black book under the bench I picked it up and thumbed through it — it was a pocket size New Testament I thumbed through it some more and then I did it I read a verse

Don’t ask me why though because Lord knows I didn’t want to.

I read a verse it was in Matthew … within a couple of days I was through Mark and Luke and heading toward John. It was just the start though—I went on to bigger things I read a full King James with concordance. I went out and got about 8 different bibles I stashed them every where, my drawers, my car and the water cooler at work. I couldn’t go thru the day without the Word….. that’s addict slang for the Bible.

Well I was doing ok….. but then one weekend I went to the mountains and I forgot my bible…. Its hard to talk about now, I got the shakes and broke out in a cold sweat I might not have made if I hadn’t found a boy scout who read me John 3:16 for 4 hours straight.

Well pretty soon my so called friends found out about it…. I was reading a lot but I wasn’t blind…. all of a sudden I didn't get invited to those kinds of parties anymore. The college newspaper voted me most likely to be come a nun.

It didn’t bother me though…. it really didn’t bother me until a couple of months ago this girl I liked her dad said he didn’t want his daughter hanging around with my kind of guy … my kind of guy like I had a disease or something … I don’t know how he found out about — he must of seen my tracks.

Didn’t stop me though I just got deeper I started pushing … I started getting other people hooked. Yea I know what your thinking…. I’m a real sico…. a real scum But Hey I’ve been to doctors and they couldn’t help they put me on dosages of awake and it just put me to sleep

I didn’t know where to turn ,my friends couldn’t help, my girl left me... then one day I slowed down and instead of just reading the Bible I started believing it and as if believing wasn’t enough I started living it all of a sudden I realized I didn’t have a problem anymore because it didn’t matter what my friends or my girl’s dad or the doctors thought of me... alls that matters is that Jesus loves me and that right there is so neat.

I’m proud not to be just a bible junkie but a Jesus junkie I’m hooked but I’m hooked on the real thing. thank you.