May 4, 2008 by admin.

Israel Independence Day

(Yom Ha’atzma’ut)

Happy 60th Birthday, Israel! After nearly 2,000 years of yet another exile, on [3 Iyar] May 14, 1948, under the mighty hand of God, the Jews once again had a homeland! It is amazing! The Land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was reborn and officially became the present State of Israel on that date. It is celebrated there as a national holiday each year on the 3rd of the Jewish calendar month of Iyar, which this year is May 8 on our calendar.

God did not forget His promises to the Jewish people. In His Word, He prophesied that there would be a re-gathering of His Chosen Ones in the Promised Land and that they would never again be uprooted (Amos 9:14-15; Jeremiah 16:14-15). The Word of God is being revealed right before our eyes! The Jews have returned to their home and to their ancient language. Since 1948, over five million Jewish people have returned to Israel from all over the globe! Surely something supernatural is getting ready to happen.

Now that the Chosen People have re-gathered in Israel, the stage is set for the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), to return to earth soon. He will come to Jerusalem where the believing Jews will be proclaiming, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 13:35).

As Gentiles and Jews in Messiah, let us bless Israel and thus receive the promised blessing of the Lord (Genesis 12:3). Let us pray for the land of Israel and for Jews everywhere to come to know that the Messiah and God himself are One (John 14:9).

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May 4, 2008 by PastorMark.

#308, How’s Your Vision, Pastor Mark Boucher, Sunday 05-04-2008

Text: John 4:27-38
Theme: There are great opportunities right in front of us, if we see them.

INTRODUCTION:

1. The eyes – you see through them without seeing them.
   1. This is like our world view … We have a world view, but we’re often not aware of our “bias”, slant.
   2. We all wear glasses, a lens through which we perceive the world.
   3. We are wearing “blinders” and we need to admit our need …
   4. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:41
2. After being born again, did I see everything perfectly?
   1. A baby’s vision is blurry
   2. After years of walking with Jesus, I still stumble. I miss opportunities and reflect back, “why didn’t I see that?”
3. Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Galilee.
   1. They went thru Samaria and came to a well at Sychar. (John 4:5)
   2. The disciples went to town to buy food.

Text: John 4:27-38
How Jesus sees this event at the well and how the disciples see it are very different.
Are we open to corrective vision?
Are we willing to see present circumstances the way Jesus sees them?
Theme: There are great opportunities right in front of us, if we see them.

LET’S LOOK AT THESE “VISION OPPORTUNITIES”

1. The opportunity for sowing (vv27-30)
   1. Sowing is an agricultural action which Jesus uses for spiritual insight.
   2. How we live each day is like sowing seeds.
   3. We often miss opportunities because we don’t see them.
   4. The disciples came back and noticed Jesus and this woman talking.
   5. The disciples saw a woman. (strike one)
   6. The disciples saw a Samaritan. (strike two)
   7. The disciples didn’t know her past issues (or it would have been strike three)
   8. Jesus saw through the eyes of God.
   9. He saw her as a person loved by God.
   10. He saw her as thirsting for truth, life.
   11. How do you see people?
   12. *example: do you see people with dark glasses, or with yellow glasses?
2. The opportunity for growing (vv31-34)
   1. The disciples had their “mission”: go get food, go back to Jesus, eat.
   2. To the disciples the time talking to the woman was irrelevant.
   3. The disciples urged Jesus to eat.
   4. His response: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
   5. Jesus saw satisfaction and fulfillment in doing God’s will.
   6. “‘My food,’ said Jesus ‘is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.’” John 4:34
   7. *What do you see as the most important things in life?
   8. *Biological necessities are trumped by spiritual obedience.
3. The opportunities for harvesting. (vv35-38)
   1. A crowd was coming back to the well.
   2. The woman had gone around witnessing.
   3. They were coming across the field.
   4. Jesus said, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35
   5. The disciples only saw the physical harvest.
   6. Four more months before the harvest.
   7. They saw later, Jesus saw now.
   8. See the opportunities right in front of you.
   9. There are hurting, lonely, disillusioned people.
   10. There are people who have everything but purpose and true joy.
   11. The Lord will send them across your path and send you to them. Will you see them?

CONCLUSION:

1. Because of the woman, many came to believe in Jesus. (John 4:41-42)
   1. Do you see through the lens of Jesus?
   2. Are you keeping your glasses clean?

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May 4, 2008 by PastorMark.

Good parents know how to adjust their parenting skills according to the attitude and receptivity of each child. For example, some children can be corrected with just a word, whereas another may need a privilege taken away. Much depends on the response and sensitivity of the child to the parents. God our Father knows all about this. He deals with each person according to their heart and actions. David the Psalmist revealed this when he wrote, “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty” (Psalm 18:25-27).

Pastor Mark Boucher

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