Pater Noster

 Many are familiar with the Latin term “ Pater Noster” ,which means Our Father . Pater Noster is commonly used to designate the set of scripture known as the “Lord’s Prayer”.

In the "Lord's Prayer" Jesus demonstrates that we should approach God as our Father, that is , we have a deep intimate relationship with our God that is secure and that God is approachable, and more so , our Father wants us to approach him with our needs concerns or just to spend time with him.

“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.And forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one."Matt:6:9-13

 The "Lord's Prayer", however, is more than a just "formula" for a successful prayer or just a "liturgical pronouncement" ,but rather,  it is the way that God sees himself toward us and the way we should see him. We should have a fatherly view toward God , because this is his approach toward us, the Great God looks upon us as his Children.

Even, from Jesus' first words of "Our Father" Jesus is declaring his purpose for the incarnation to share his Son-ship relationship with the the Father with us. Even though, from Eternity past Jesus is God's Eternal Son, yet Jesus so willing extends this Holy Son-ship to us and invites us to step into this Holy Relationship and speak our hearts needs unto God.

St. John writing in his Gospel account about the incarnation of the eternal Word of God and the purpose of the incarnation.

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jhn:1:12-14

The "Lord's Prayer " is an invitation for each and all of us to join in Jesus' own Son-ship and relationship that Jesus has eternally had as the second person of the Holy Trinity with his Father.

We , through our Lord Jesus, and his incarnation , that is, Jesus has given us union with himself through assuming our humanity , are brought in to this Son-ship.

Knowing God

Eternal Life is described and defined by Jesus himself in terms of a relationship not just a "condition" , "state" or "duration of existence" but is spoken of by Jesus as knowing God; a relationship. 

"and this is eternal life that they might know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" John:17:3

This knowing God is bound up with knowing Jesus, and this knowing is not just having knowledge of, it is not a mass of complied information, but rather it is the knowing of a person, relating to them and having a deep abiding ongoing personal bound with them. This is what Jesus wants each and all of us to have with his heavenly Father.

This knowing of God the Father cannot be separated from Jesus through whom the Father reveals himself to humanity .This means , we can never truly know the Father apart from a relationship with Jesus.

Jesus referred to God as Father and it is this very one who desires that we come to know him , and that knowing means to fully relate to , and experience him as our Father, to have a relationship with God and see in him all that a Father is intended to be. God wants us to have this relationship with him to be his to look to and trust in him. We can only have this relationship only because He Himself wants to have it with Us

God First loved Us

God took the initial steps. He looked out from eternity and brought us into being. God took the initiative and ordained all the saving acts from the call of Abraham, the freeing Israel , and establishing the Covenant, the conquest of the Promises land , the sending of Prophets and the writings of the Holy word and the incarnation of the Eternal Son of God , Jesus' death and resurrection the ascension of Jesus' and the writing of the word all so that we might call God , Father, and receive fully all that is found in such a relationship.

"We love because he first loved us."1Jhn:4:19

Our Father wants us for all eternity, that is why this is eternal life. That’s how long he wants his relationship with each of us to last if we will but freely receive through Jesus when we hear the Gospel proclaimed.

From the beginning in Eternity past God has desired this relationship with us, it was his doing that all this was decreed. This shows us that God choose not to be God without us. That God willed to be our Father and we His Children.

A Place Prepared

Jesus speaking in the upper room tells his Disciples, and all believers, that he personally will be overseeing our place in Eternity as a member of the household, as an inheritor of all that God has for us through Jesus.

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory"Rm:8:17

  Jesus tells us that "I go to prepare a place for you" this tells us that, this is the intent the full reason of the incarnation , the death of the cross and the glorious resurrection and ascension, all so, that a place in eternity is there for us. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for  you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”Jhn:14:1-4

There is a place for all of us in the Father House. We are all wanted and invited to this place . It is freely offered to us by grace thru the proclamation of the Gospel message about Jesus and the Kingdom of God , if we will but freely receive it, and our God wants us to receive it, none need be excluded except their unwillingness to receive it through Jesus alone.

"do not be afraid , little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."Lk:12:32 

 This blessing of being a child of God, that of sharing in Jesus' own son-ship , is ours' through Jesus alone. There is no other way apart from Jesus.

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”Jhn:14:6-7

 Through Jesus, God the Father is reclaiming that relationship with humanity which he intended, even from the very outset of creation and through Jesus we encounter and come to see the Father in his most perfect revelation possible. 

"If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves".(7-11)

In Jesus God is revealing himself to us all . The Father is revealing himself that we might know him as our own Father just as Jesus prayed that we might come to know the Father.

It is through Jesus that our Father shows his eternal love to us all ,even to those who do not yet believe. That when Jesus is brought to the forefront of our minds that the Father stands forth in his greatest clarity in his Holy Son.

“If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”

A Focus on the person of Jesus is the Focus on the Father.

St. Paul, tells us that through the incarnation all of God is is present within the person of Jesus, in him, that is Jesus, we see all the fullest of the Deity in body form. Col:2:9

The anonymous author of the Hebrews Epistle tells us that it is through Jesus, who is the heir of all things ,that God has spoken to us . Heb:1:1-2

Through Jesus Christ God has spoken to us all so that when we look upon the person of Jesus Christ we can see and hear the Father and his divine love for each of us.

All Are Prodigals

God looks out at all humanity and sees his very loved ones living, struggling, going through life without knowing him. All humanity, at some point to some degree walked in this “Prodigal ignorance” of our loving God, who wants us to return to him and know his love which is gracious and unconditional.

So many still do not yet know the great God as Father, and are in ignorance of His eternal love for them. They are living as a slave in the ignorance of his love and grace. They are living in a state of not knowing the God as Father to the fullness.

Our Father watches as they hurt themselves and others as they live in this ignorance that God is there to embrace them to be their God and Father

God ,like the father in the parable of "Prodigal Son" when the father saw his estranged son a far off the father ran and to embrace him. So God looks, waits and longs and even calls out through the Gospel to and for a relationship with Humanity to be their Father .

Abba, Dear Father

Some , even Christians , feel that they push the limits of God’s love from them. St. Paul, tells us that we are we are his Children he is our Father and we are able to address our God as "Abba" . Rm:8:12-17

In the culture which St. Paul wrote "Abba" was term of great endearment which only members of the family were permitted to call a father. We are our dear Father’s children given the right to address him as “Abba” .

"Abba" is not the cold name of only a progenitor, but the name of one who loves and is loved, one who shares what is theirs' out of love not obligation.

Nothing Can Separate Us

Some will say can God really love us like that? St. Paul tells us nothing can separate us from his love. We can reject his love, but that will never stop God from loving us.

"neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."Rm:8:39

God’s love is so deep that he himself came in the person of his Holy Son Jesus and went to the Cross for each of us and rose from the dead that we might share in Jesus' own son-ship and be co-heirs and that we might call speak the words with all truthfulness "Our Father" .

Benediction: May we each and all ever growing in that deep personal relationship with our Father, let the words "Our Father" ever be upon our lips, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Prayer in the Church

 “All Christians should, when possible, 

meet together regularly in prayer”

 We can see from the example of the Primitive Apostolic Church that after the ascension of Jesus they regularly gathered to pray. Prayer was a large part of the early Church’s collective lives and viewed as indispensable.

  “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts: 1:14

  St. Luke’s account in Acts tells us much about life in the early Church. St. Luke records that they “constantly” were in prayer. That collective prayer was an ongoing discipline found within the Church and that prayer was not an afterthought but was a fixed routine in the lives of each and all.

  Prayer gatherings brought the Church “together “, it built unity and straighten their bounds with one another. This tells us that “they all” were in prayer as well and that prayer was not just the province of the “ordained clergy” alone, but was enjoined in their gathering the prayers of the “laity” of the Church as well, meal and female, young and old.

Seeking Devine Guidance

  We can also see written in the Holy Word of God that Prayer was a part of seeking God’s divine guidance when there were decisions to be made regarding the work which our Lord Jesus entrusted to their participation.

 The Church assembled and through addressing the needs they prayed and then sought the lead of the Holy Spirit in ordaining a new Apostle to take Judas’ place among them.

 After St. Peter reviewed the need for an ordination of a new Apostle among the assembled Church, they then moved forward in seeking divine guidance and after the time of prayer God answered, in this case, through the “casting of lots” which a reminder of the Urim and Thummin which had been kept in the breast plate of the High Priest of the people of Israel and was used to seek God’s will.

 The Urim and Thummin was and is; to remind us that Jesus is the High Priest who truly leads the Church and guides it in all things.

  “So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.  Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”  Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.” Acts: 1:23-26

  The Early Church not only used prayer to seek guidance alone, but was used as a discipline and a component of fellowship among believers. St. Luke again records the use of prayers and its role in the fellowship and worship of the Church.

 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” Acts: 2:42-47

  Prayer is pictured as a matter of everyday discipleship and was associated with even the growth of the Church.

 St. Peter and St. John went to the Temple at Jerusalem and there, through a great healing which could not be ignored by the religious leaders, the two Apostles had been arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin, the governing council of the Jews, to answer for this “disruption” in the Temple courts resulting from the healing of the beggar at the gate. Acts: 3

 After being questioned by the religious leaders, the Apostles were being threaten   and warned not teach in Jesus’ name again or sterner measures would be employed against them.

 “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.  They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.” Acts: 4:1-4

 The Religious leaders could not deny that a great healing of a man known to be crippled had taken place. They saw, and knew that there was power supporting the Apostles and that many persons had responded to their proclamation about Jesus and had come to believe it.

 “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.” (18-22)

  After questing the Apostles and deliberation among themselves the religious leaders determined then to issue threats against the Apostles and their movement then set them loses.

  “After further threats they let them go.” (21)

  St. Peter and St. John retuned to the assembled Church and gave a report about what had occurred. Upon the completion of the repost by the two Apostles there arose a spontaneous prayer service among the assembled believers asking for God’s help in the face of the religious establishment and their threats.

  “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.  When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” (23-24)

The Church raised their voices together united in prayer asking for the power and boldness to take the Gospel boldly go forth and proclaim it even in the face of opposition.

   “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (24b-30)

 After the Church lifted up their voice in agreement, God responded with power shaking the place where the Church had gathered confirming his power would be there to assist them in the mission and commission of the Church.

 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (31)

 God Delivers

 As the message spread around Jerusalem and more people responded to the Gospel and became believers in Jesus that even King Herod moves to arrest St. Peter believing that this will stem the growth of the Jesus movement and dismaying the followers of Jesus and silencing the message.

 It was the intent of the king to put St. Peter on public trial just before the Passover observance to curry favor with the Jews and demoralized the fledgling Jesus movement.

  It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.  When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.  After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be   guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.” Acts: 12:1-4

 The Church’s responds to St. Peter’s arrest by is to connive a prayer meeting in the home of a member of the Church, and there they lift up their combined voices into the Heavens on St. Peter’s behalf.

 As the Church intercede in prayer God dispatched an angel as the Apostle sits chained and guarded by four soldiers. 

  “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (5)

  The angel enters the prison and awakes St. Peter and leads him to freedom.

   “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell from Peter’s wrists.

Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the Iron Gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” (6-11)

 St. Peter arrives at the place of the prayer meeting and after a moment of astonishment and passive disbelief on the part of the those gathered in prayer the Apostle is admitted into the home and recounts God’s divine assistance and his rescue.

  These Scriptures reflect how the Ancient Church dealt with challenges and made decisions which they found themselves confronted with.   The Church would ·Gather for prayer, · Would discuss situation, · Group prayer always brought results.

  The writer of the Hebrews Epistle admonishes Christians to come together for many reasons not just for weekly services but for many reasons.

  Forsake not the assembling of your selves together Heb: 10:25

 Jesus tells us that when Christians come together his presence is manifested and he will guide through the Holy Spirit and will affirm the results.

“Where two or three are gathered together there I am also” Matt: 18:19-20

 This coming assembling now, will as in years past strengthen the assembled Christians and result in God’s purpose being enacted powerful in their lives. As well it strengthens will strengthen our relationship with God and Jesus Christ as we grow together.

 In prayer there are dynamic answers will come. God’s power will strengthen His people to do the work. The Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit will be produced, the character and the tools to do the work which our Lord has commissioned his people to undertake here upon the Erath.

  Benediction: May we each and all ever lift our voices in prayer unto the heavens which were from our Lord will hear and answer today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

Advertising

  

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" Matthew:5:14-16

 Some years ago, before I was in the ministry "full time”, I worked in the field of Adverting. I had the opportunity to handle many different types of accounts, some were large, some small.  Some of our clients understood the value of having a well thought out ad program, others had a less than structured program or clear understanding of how advertising works. Businesses which advertised, in general did, and do, more business.

I helped clients develop   a lot of newspaper advertising schedules over the years which were effective in getting their message out to the public and as a result, their markets and revenues increased. In short adverting really does work.

 Ad Mistakes

I would get calls from clients who wanted to place ads in the paper, they would want a rather large ad, often with color, which they hoped, would attract attention to their goods or services. They would want to place the ad in the paper just one time.  They would have their ad placed, it would appear one time only, and sadly, yet predictably, the results would be minimal.

Others, however would want to insert small ads crammed full of too much information, it would be displayed a few times then stopped, again with minimal results. Too much, too small.

 Some new clients would place a mid-size ad and have it in the paper only a few times "to see what happens”. They would then discontinue the ads only after a short time.

Other business would place an ad only when they had a special event or sale.

These advertisers would hope that their ads would be noticed and bring results, yet they ended up almost always disappointed, and would conclude that advertising was ineffective. Others would declare that the cost was too much, the price too high.

Sometimes the text or copy was not well thought out, other times it was not carefully reviewed, one such ad was for a day care center for children. The ad copy was meant to read "bring us your children and we'll nurture them”, instead it read "bring us your children and we'll neuter them”. Needless to say, these "typos" do not help a business to be profitable.

What Goes Wrong?

Why did the advertisers’ ads fail them? What went wrong? In adverting there are principles that bring results. An ad, regardless of its size and even if it is full color will soon be forgotten by the public it is displayed only once, no matter how well the ad is design.

A small ad with too much information will be ignored by the public, simply due to the public's' limited attention span. or they just do not have time to read it therefore they will not read it to find out how the advertisers can benefit them. This type of ad becomes printed background noise and is ignored.

An ad displayed for a onetime event then drops from view is soon forgotten when the event ends. 

Those who are just trying "to see what will happens” by placing a few ads then discontinue, will find little results because the public has no time to become familiar with them, who they are, where they are, and what they do and public will not know what they have to offer. This occurs when business owners lose patience.

T.O.M.A

What these advertisers failed to do, was to develop Top of Mind Awareness, or T.O.M.A, which means, that when the public becomes so familiar with a business' name after being exposed repeatedly and constantly to their adverting, they begin to have name recognition. That is, when a person has a need they think of a particular business for goods and or services.  Simply, when they have a need they think of  the ads they have seen.

TOMA is developed when an advertiser displays their ads with a balanced size and frequency. When this is done both the advertiser and the public profit. The advertisers discover what they gain, far outweighs the cost.

A Lesson for Christians

Like advertises, Christians can make some of the same mistakes concerning the Christian life and our relationship with the world around us. Part of our calling of being Christians, is to present a message to the world around us of what a relationship with Jesus Christ is about, the benefits which they can have in this relationship in such a way that those around us  too would want to become  Christians.   

Ads

Often Christians, or even churches will do one big thing hoping that this will bring the results of others coming to believe in Jesus. There may be some initial interest, but without reinforcement on a frequent basis, this interest fades and is soon forgotten.

Some Christians like some ads are “too full of information" and are very willing to share it with others, often at the most inopportune moments that become more of a distraction, and in the end a nuisance, they become just so much "background noise”. They are ignored and over looked. A few might take a moment to investigate their claims but most will not.

Some Christians will attempt to advertise their faith "to see what happens" When the results are not what they hoped for they discontinue and give up. Some may even fall back into old patterns and life styles

Some will have a onetime event in their lives, some unique occurrence they will tell others about Jesus, but often they run out of reasons for sharing their faith for it was based on a onetime event.

Spiritual TOMA

What will work, what should a Christian's ad program look like if we are to develop TOMA in the minds of those around us? How can we advertise our relationship with Jesus so that when people think of Christianity, they think of us when they become aware of their need for Jesus will they know that we can help them?

In others words , is there a Spiritual TOMA, that is  Top of Mind Awareness that we are Christians?

We are to be living advertisements of and for Jesus Christ, ads that are noticed with the right placement, size and frequency.

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven"Matthew:5:14-16

Jesus tells us here that we Christians should be in plain view that others might see.

 I might add, the right copy, with no typos, will so that others will see in us the benefits (blessings) of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ all in plain view so the world around us can see. We are to have an accurate and informed message that attracts others to Jesus lived out in each and all Christian’s lives
 

" Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" .2Timothy:2:15

 Jesus tells us that the fruit of this relationship with him should be seen as well.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."John:15:5-8

This fruit is seen by those around us and will lead them to glorify God.
The Apostle St. Peter writing to Christians tells us that others should see our lives properly displaying all that is available in a relationship with Jesus, and that this is a large part of our calling, but to do so in a balance way that is genuine without pretense, and this is to have ongoing frequency, which means it is our life.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light"

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1Peter:2:9, 12

We Christians are to be able to answer the inquiries from those who inquire of  us regarding our faith in Jesus Christ.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"1Peter:3:15

The Best Ad Program

 The best advertisement we can have, is that others see the genuine unselfish love that we have for and toward one another and ours’ for Jesus. This above all things will reflect not just our love for each other’s but God's love for all, this has the greatest power to attract others and is the best advertisement there can be , it will point others to our Lord Jesus who has, and is , everything that any and all could ever need or want.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”John:13:34-35

This Love, when it is seen in our lives, will best the best ad program to develop that TOMA in the minds of others, so that when they think of Christians, they will think of us.

Benediction: May we each and all be living advertisements, showing others what a relationship with the Great God looks like. Today, tomorrow and forevermore ..Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

The Glory of the Latter House

 

"And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are to this day. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD." 1Kings:8:6-11

The Temple of God at Jerusalem was an extremely magnificent building, there has never been anything else like it built by human hands. God gave the overall design and King Salomon commissioned the work. 

Found within was the highest quality building materials. Gold, Silver, Brass, quarried stones, tapestries that went into the Temple. It is nearly impossible to estimate the value of the Temple.

There was a priesthood adorned in beautiful priestly robes, preforming meaningful liturgical   and sacerdotal ceremonies.  Offerings and were placed upon the alter each day as well on the Sabbath and the Holy Days that had been enjoined under the Old Covenant between God and Israel. Prayer and the reading of the Law was conducted in the courts. It was all very powerful and moving.

It's True Value

For all its grandeur as a structure. all the quality of the building materials and the sacrament and ceremony, what is it that gave the Temple at Jerusalem its value?  It was none of the externals, but rather all or any value that was found there came from the God Whose presences was manifested by the very Glory of God, that is the Shekinah, there in the Holy of Holies and represented by the Ark of the Covenant.

 If the Great God had not "dwelt" there then the Temple would have no value other than its material value.

All that was done in the Temple would have been empty ritual. God's presences was the true value of the Temple. If the Lord was not there it would have simply been  valueless.

The Latter House
 

The Church is called by the New Testament writers the Temple of God, Christians are to have, through Jesus, the relationship that the Jerusalem Temple only symbolized. St. Paul speaking to Christians tells us that we are God's Temple, because the Spirit of God, that is the Holy Spirit, dwells in us, the very same Spirit that showed God was in the Temple.

" Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Cor:3:16

 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" 1Cor:6:19

 The Prophets of God saw in part  when they wrote of God's work through His Holy Son Jesus and all that Jesus would accomplish for us all; they knew that what they saw was for a generation to come.

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things."1Pet:1:10-12

The Prophets of God looked to our day and saw the perfect work of Jesus and the presence of God through the Holy Spirit  within the lives of Christians filling our lives ,as did the Glory filled the Temple, that we , as the latter house, would have more glory within us than all that was found in the Temple.

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, said the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, said the LORD of hosts."Hag:2:9

Even the Simplest Thing

That means, even if we, by the lead of the Holy Spirit, preform the simplest act of kindness, it brings more glory to God than all the sacraments and ceremonies of the   Temple because it is birth out of our relationship and with and the presence of the living Jesus in us.

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col:1:27

This hope of glory is not just "someday" in eternity to come, but each day lived out through the guidance of the holy Spirit all to His glory.

Some may feel grand works on a grand scale brings glory to our Lord, but this not always true.

Look at the world around us, there are many "good" people,  all loved and wanted by our Father in Heaven, yet,  they live in either ignorance of , or indifference to,  or even in rebellion of  Jesus Christ, yet these people do "good" works,  their good works can be seen as great and help many for the here and now, but , if a Believer in Jesus does but one small act of kindness Christ can work in that small act to transform the recipients life forever  and bring glory to God, even giving something   as cup of water to one who is thirsty.

Fruit of the Spirit

All humanity is made in the" image and likeness of God "  Genesis:1:26 , so to some degree even nonbelievers show some measure of  Who God is,  yet , they are not experiencing the salvation that is there for them in Christ , so they too can do good works, yet those works will be oriented toward the self.

But, for the believers, that is those who have come to receive the Salvation which  our Lord has accomplished for us ,do good works and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is born out of our relationship with our Lord.

These are not of the flesh but of the Spirit, they are, in truth our Lord's works not our works. St. Paul wrote that the life that he lived was not his own but Jesus' life in him. St. Paul’s life was over the Apostle lived in Jesus' life and lived it out of his relationship with Jesus.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal:2:20

This life of Jesus in the believer is  evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit , Galatians:5:22-26, this is more than just "self-sacrifice" it is rather "sacrifice of the self" . Living to God in a life of worship and service that is lived out of a renewed mind.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" .Rom:12:1-2

Priesthood

This life of worship and living for Jesus supersedes all  the grand sacraments found under the Old Covenant, under the Priesthood of Aaron  for it is the ministry of Jesus in and through the believers life within the Priesthood of all believers all to the glory of God.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."1Pet:2:9
 

The Latter House

The Church, that is Christians, are all a part of that Latter House, the Temple of the Great God which will be filled with His glory not our own. That means whatever value or worth which is found in the Church, that Latter House which is filled with glory, it can only be found thru the abiding presence of God through the Holy Spirit .

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?"1Cor: 3:16

When we Christians place their own lives upon the alter of our Lord, that is, set aside their own wants and agendas, then we can truly live for Jesus and all that he might be glorified and exulted, even the good works of the Christian life are for Him and not we ourselves.

"let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" Matt5:16

Even the very desire to bring glory to Jesus does not find its origins within us but comes through, and by God Himself, but is given to us by Him, for we would humanly want to bring glory or attention to ourselves and receive what only belongs to Jesus.

"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philp: 2:13
 

We can, only through our Lord's presence within each of us through the Spirit of God, seek to glorify our Lord and fill this latter House full of the Glory of God, all for Jesus and for Jesus alone.

Benediction: may we each and all place our whole lives upon the alter of our Lord Jesus that he might be glorified, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

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                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"