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2019
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Pastor’s Blog
November 1st, 2019
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Our culture does not embrace weakness. It seems that this trait will make you appear to be someone who cannot handle life’s problems. Our society thinks that people will walk all over you if you are weak. Where as God says it is in our weakness He will be glorified. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Weakness keeps us from boasting. God’s desire for us is to empty ourselves of pride. Weakness keeps us depending on God. Our insufficiencies keep us at the throne of Grace. “The more we are able to acknowledge our weakness, the greater our opportunity to experience God’s power in our lives.” (Kyle Idleman in the book, Grace is Greater.)
The strategy Jesus used to select His disciples shows that the power of God is best when people he chose were weak. He did not choose the influential and most powerful people of the day for spreading the gospel. The disciples were not the spiritual elite. They were uneducated, common, and from the low class of that time. Seven of the apostles were fisherman, one who wanted to overthrow Rome, a tax collector, who the Jews thought was a traitor, and the rest were tradesman of the time. He chose them because His power was to be made perfect in their weakness so that the outcome of their efforts would be credited to HIM and not to the individuals. They received the best seminary education possible by the master.
Jesus chose them because the power of the Holy Spirit will be seen in their service. They were willing to be open vessels for Jesus to work through. They changed the world. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak
Our culture does not embrace weakness. It seems that this trait will make you appear to be someone who cannot handle life’s problems. Our society thinks that people will walk all over you if you are weak. Where as God says it is in our weakness He will be glorified. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Weakness keeps us from boasting. God’s desire for us is to empty ourselves of pride. Weakness keeps us depending on God. Our insufficiencies keep us at the throne of Grace. “The more we are able to acknowledge our weakness, the greater our opportunity to experience God’s power in our lives.” (Kyle Idleman in the book, Grace is Greater.)
The strategy Jesus used to select His disciples shows that the power of God is best when people he chose were weak. He did not choose the influential and most powerful people of the day for spreading the gospel. The disciples were not the spiritual elite. They were uneducated, common, and from the low class of that time. Seven of the apostles were fisherman, one who wanted to overthrow Rome, a tax collector, who the Jews thought was a traitor, and the rest were tradesman of the time. He chose them because His power was to be made perfect in their weakness so that the outcome of their efforts would be credited to HIM and not to the individuals. They received the best seminary education possible by the master.
Jesus chose them because the power of the Holy Spirit will be seen in their service. They were willing to be open vessels for Jesus to work through. They changed the world. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak
only together with us would they be made perfect.” This exemplifies God’s power by the way men and women of faith have endured. Now they are an encouragement to us in our daily walk.
The ultimate purpose of God in our weakness is to glorify the kind of power that moved Christ to the cross and kept Him there until the work of love was done.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23-25, “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” It is the wisdom of God.
We may not understand why we have weakness, but we know God can use it for His glory and our reward is eternity with Him and share HIS GLORY.
Hope you are looking forward to Thanksgiving and to being grateful for our family in Christ.
In Christ’s steps,
Pastor Shaker
The ultimate purpose of God in our weakness is to glorify the kind of power that moved Christ to the cross and kept Him there until the work of love was done.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:23-25, “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” It is the wisdom of God.
We may not understand why we have weakness, but we know God can use it for His glory and our reward is eternity with Him and share HIS GLORY.
Hope you are looking forward to Thanksgiving and to being grateful for our family in Christ.
In Christ’s steps,
Pastor Shaker
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October 1st, 2019
“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-7
What is the “grace of giving” (2 Cor. 8:7)? Pastor and author Gene Getz points out how the Macedonians exhibited the grace of giving in a way that was spontaneos, eager, and sacrificial. “Nowhere in the Scriptures are Christians commanded to give away what is absolutely necessary for their existence. But the believers in Macedonia gave anyway. There was no coercion… They were eager to help meet other Christian’s material needs … But a more significant reason than human need prompted this sacrificial generosity. They gave “themselves first to the Lord”–which is the larger context in which Christians are to use their material possessions. It involves, first of all presenting our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1)
Getz points out that Paul encouraged the quality of gracious giving as a sign of the believers’ maturity in the body of Christ. When the Corinthians were converted to Christ, they were given abundance of “grace gifts” (see 1 Corinthians 1:4-5,7). However, as Paul enumerated the ways in which this grace was manifested–”in faith, in speech, in knowledge”–he broadened the concept beyond spiritual gifts. He referred to complete earnestness and love (2 Cor. 8:7), qualities that are comprehensive and reflect spiritual maturity among all members of the body of Christ. In other words, Paul wasn’t simply referring to a spiritual gift of giving bestowed on certain acoustical accordion doors. Men’s bathroom update progress: installing new vanity and water heater. New parking lot resurfacing – waiting on weather conditions suitable for oil and chip. Railing on SW entrance is still needed. Purchase of concrete planters for $900 (for two) plus masonry work approved by consensus.
Team is waiting on estimates for the youth house soffit repair. Ed Miller would like to see a “Cleanliness Policy” established for the new bus.
Special Events: 150th Anniversary – commemorative paper fans to place in the pews have been purchased. We need candy donations and a vehicle to pull trailer for the Apple Festival float – announce in bulletin. 150th Commemorative ornaments will be available for purchase for $8-10. Katina LaForge will be the guest speaker for the 150th Saturday evening dinner.
Worship and Ministry Team: Mission Sunday will be on 8/25 with presentations from camps and mission trip.
Nominating Team: We still need 2 more people to serve on the Leadership Council.
Deacon Care Team still needs 3 more people.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Shaker Samuel has been asked to speak at Rainbow Acres in Arizona, an ABC ministries camp, September 6-9.
Baptisms are being planned. Pastor Samuel would like to see the men’s group weekly Bible Study revived.
The next Leadership Council meeting will be 9/17 at 6:00 p.m. individuals in the Corinthian church (see also Romans 12:6-8). He was exhorting the members to grow in the spiritual quality all believers must develop if they’re going to remain in the will of God.
This story from stewardship theologian T. A. Kantonen (1900-1993) illustrates that quality, the grace of giving.
In a seminar on Christian social ethics we were discussing the use of money when Dr. Otto A. Piper, then a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, told us this incident from his post-war work of collecting funds for the relief of the needy in German universities. Dr. Piper described to a group of Princeton students the conditions of abject poverty in which German students were struggling and asked his hearers to do what they could to help. The next morning a young married couple, both graduate students, came into Dr. Piper’s office, placed three hundred dollars on his desk and said, We heard your talk last night. We have talked it over, and this is our answer to your appeal.” He was astonished at the generosity of the gift and said, “are you sure you can afford this much?” They replied … “We have saved this money to buy some things that we need… But … God has been so good to us and we can get along. Those people in Germany need this money more than we do.”
(Taken from the Stewardship Study Bible; pg. 1522; copyright 2009 by Stewardship Council; published by Zondervan)
In Christ’s steps,
Pastor Shaker
Getz points out that Paul encouraged the quality of gracious giving as a sign of the believers’ maturity in the body of Christ. When the Corinthians were converted to Christ, they were given abundance of “grace gifts” (see 1 Corinthians 1:4-5,7). However, as Paul enumerated the ways in which this grace was manifested–”in faith, in speech, in knowledge”–he broadened the concept beyond spiritual gifts. He referred to complete earnestness and love (2 Cor. 8:7), qualities that are comprehensive and reflect spiritual maturity among all members of the body of Christ. In other words, Paul wasn’t simply referring to a spiritual gift of giving bestowed on certain acoustical accordion doors. Men’s bathroom update progress: installing new vanity and water heater. New parking lot resurfacing – waiting on weather conditions suitable for oil and chip. Railing on SW entrance is still needed. Purchase of concrete planters for $900 (for two) plus masonry work approved by consensus.
Team is waiting on estimates for the youth house soffit repair. Ed Miller would like to see a “Cleanliness Policy” established for the new bus.
Special Events: 150th Anniversary – commemorative paper fans to place in the pews have been purchased. We need candy donations and a vehicle to pull trailer for the Apple Festival float – announce in bulletin. 150th Commemorative ornaments will be available for purchase for $8-10. Katina LaForge will be the guest speaker for the 150th Saturday evening dinner.
Worship and Ministry Team: Mission Sunday will be on 8/25 with presentations from camps and mission trip.
Nominating Team: We still need 2 more people to serve on the Leadership Council.
Deacon Care Team still needs 3 more people.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor Shaker Samuel has been asked to speak at Rainbow Acres in Arizona, an ABC ministries camp, September 6-9.
Baptisms are being planned. Pastor Samuel would like to see the men’s group weekly Bible Study revived.
The next Leadership Council meeting will be 9/17 at 6:00 p.m. individuals in the Corinthian church (see also Romans 12:6-8). He was exhorting the members to grow in the spiritual quality all believers must develop if they’re going to remain in the will of God.
This story from stewardship theologian T. A. Kantonen (1900-1993) illustrates that quality, the grace of giving.
In a seminar on Christian social ethics we were discussing the use of money when Dr. Otto A. Piper, then a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, told us this incident from his post-war work of collecting funds for the relief of the needy in German universities. Dr. Piper described to a group of Princeton students the conditions of abject poverty in which German students were struggling and asked his hearers to do what they could to help. The next morning a young married couple, both graduate students, came into Dr. Piper’s office, placed three hundred dollars on his desk and said, We heard your talk last night. We have talked it over, and this is our answer to your appeal.” He was astonished at the generosity of the gift and said, “are you sure you can afford this much?” They replied … “We have saved this money to buy some things that we need… But … God has been so good to us and we can get along. Those people in Germany need this money more than we do.”
(Taken from the Stewardship Study Bible; pg. 1522; copyright 2009 by Stewardship Council; published by Zondervan)
In Christ’s steps,
Pastor Shaker
Read more...
