great stories

October 19, 2012 at 7:04 am (Great Stories)

Rev. E.Anderson

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

by Tom Anderson

A partnership is reinvented on holiday.

I made the vow to myself on the drive down to the beach cottage we’d rented for our holiday on the JerseyShore. For two weeks I would try to be the loving husband and father Evelyn had always wanted me to be. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

The idea for this drastic experiment had come to me as 1 listened to the voice of a marriage counsellor on the car’s tape player. ‘You husbands must be careful of your wives, being thoughtful of their needs,’ the voice said. I knew that I had often been a selfish kind of husband, probably much too self-centred, but as a partner in a “Wall Street investment firm, I worked hard. So, after all, surely I deserved’ a bit of coddling?

‘Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love,’ said the voice on the tape. Ashamedly, I had to admit that with Evelyn 1 often failed to choose love. In petty ways, really. Chiding her for her tardiness; insisting on the TV channel /wanted to watch; in my attitude that yesterday’s news is worthless, throwing out day-old newspapers that I knew Evelyn still wanted to read. ‘Well, for two weeks all that would change.

And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, ‘That new yellow sweater looks great on you, darling.’

‘Oh, Tom, you noticed,’ she said, obviously surprised and pleased. Maybe a little perplexed. After the long drive down, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought; Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me. We walked on the beach, while the kids flew their kites.

So it went. Two weeks of not calling the office; a visit to the shell museum, though I usually hate museums; holding my tongue while Evelyn’s getting ready made us late for a dinner date with friends. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole holiday passed, so much so that I made a new vow to keep on remembering what the counsellor had said. Even when we went home again. I would continue to choose love.

There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. It’s something Evelyn and I laugh about today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, I saw Evelyn staring at me with the saddest expression.

‘What’s the matter, honey?’ I asked.

‘Tom,’ she said, sniffling, then looking pleadingly into my eyes. ‘Do you know something I don’t?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well … that check-up I had several weeks ago … our doctor … did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me. Am I dying, Tom?’

It took a minute for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.

‘No, love,’ I said, wrapping her in my arms, ‘you’re not dying, but I’m just starting to live!’

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gospel nuggets

October 19, 2012 at 7:01 am (Gospel Nuggets)

Rev. E. Anderson

THE MEANING OF THE COMMUNION SERVICE

Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. It was during this celebration that Jesus washed His disciples feet (John 13:1-16); teaching that our lives are to be lived in service. It was also during this celebration that Jesus announced that one of the twelve would betray Him (John 13:21-27). It was also during this celebration that Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion.

During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples: Take, eat. This is my body. Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them: Drink this, all of you. This is my blood, God’s new covenant poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28 MSG)

This “Last Supper” was a major turning point. Everything was about to change and the change was going to happen immediately. The institution of the New Covenant was about to take place. Jesus was about to fulfill the prophecies concerning redemption. The main purpose for His incarnation was about to be realized. Jesus, the miracle working Rabbi, was preparing to lay His life down and be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

The perfect Son of God was not only about to experience the torturous death of crucifixion but God the Father was about to lay upon Him all of our sins (Isaiah 53:6). The righteousness of God cried out for justice. The holiness of God demanded that sin be punished. In response the love of God had been virgin born in a Bethlehem manger for the express purpose of satisfying the demands of divine righteousness and divine holiness. The price of our freedom was to be the price of blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

After the Passover meal Jesus and His disciples made their way to the Mount of Olives and into the Garden of Gethsemane. The suffering of our Saviour was about to begin. He was about to betrayed, arrested, tortured, tried, condemned and crucified.

He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. (Luke 22:41-44 NLT)

We know that Jesus spent that evening and the next morning in trials and torture before finally being led outside of the city of Jerusalem where He was nailed to a cross. This was the cost that my sin demanded as payment for forgiveness. This was the cost that your sin demanded as payment for forgiveness. Our sin demanded the price of blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption was made that day for all of humanity. As our suffering Saviour laid His life down for each of us the righteous demands of God’s justice concerning sins were satisfied. The price had been paid, paid in blood. As believers in Christ we have been “Redeemed”.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13-14 NIV)

The word “redeemed” in this verse is translated from the Greek word exagorazō (ἐξαγοράζω) is defined as , “by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off”. Jesus paid the price demanded by the law of God for each one of us. The price of our forgiveness was the price of blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT)

The price that Jesus paid was full payment for you and me. There is no other sacrifice required to be forgiven. There is no religious ceremony to perform. There are no special garments to wear. The work has been done. God asks that we receive His gift of salvation. He asks that we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus paid the price of His own blood that price allows every person who repents and believes in Him to be forgiven of their sins. The price of Jesus’ blood ransomed and redeemed us from the power of Satan. The price of Jesus’ blood justifies us in the sight of God when we believe in Him.

The price of Jesus’ blood opens the door beyond forgiveness of sins, allowing us to experience the new birth. We are not only forgiven but the Spirit of God comes to make His home in each of us. We become a new creation, our consciences are cleansed from sin’s guilt and we experience a real relationship with God.

If you already have experienced this life changing relationship with the God who has redeemed you with His own blood I encourage you to share your faith and the love of God with everyone you can find.

If Jesus is just a name to you from Christian religion I encourage you to seek Him as your Saviour, to make Him your Lord and to follow Him with all of your heart. There are no words that can accurately describe the power of God’s love for you. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. The only barrier to experiencing His love and knowing Him is an unwillingness to repent and believe the gospel.  

The price of blood has been paid for each of us. Let us live our lives in praise and thanksgiving for this awesome gift; loving God and loving each other.

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a time to laugh

October 19, 2012 at 6:57 am (Time to Laugh)

 Rev. E. Anderson

A SAMARITAN FUNNY

My friend thinks he knows everything. He said that onions were the only food that makes you cry. So I threw a coconut at his head.

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan.

She asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?”

A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence: “I think I’d throw up.”

HUSBAND FUNNY

The wife heard her husband come back into the house not too long after he had left.

She said, “Hon, I thought you were going to your lodge meeting.”

“It was postponed,” he replied. “The Grand Exalted Invincible Supreme Potentate’s wife wouldn’t let him attend tonight.”

PRAYER FUNNY

Little Johnny and his family were having a Sunday dinner at his grandmother’s house.

Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started to eat right away.

“Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer,” said his mother.

“I don’t need to,” the boy replied.

“Of course, you do,” his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.”

“That’s at our house.” Johnny explained. “But this is Grandma’s house, and she knows how to cook.”

A STEAK FUNNY

One day, Bill and Tom went to a restaurant for dinner. As soon as the waiter took out two steaks, Bill quickly picked out the bigger steak for himself.

Tom wasn’t happy about that: “When are you going to learn to be polite?”

Bill: “If you had the chance to pick first, which one would you pick?”

Tom: “The smaller piece, of course.”

Bill: “What are you whining about then? That’s what you got!” 

today’sTHOTS

Help someone when they are in trouble and he will remember you when he’s in trouble again.

A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.

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