A Message

Gen 17:1-7, 15-16; Ps 22:23-31; Rom 4:13-25; Mk 8:31-38 Our Lenten journey with Christ progresses with the continuous reminder to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil.   The purpose is for all who believe in God to follow Christ and become members of his Kingdom. To follow Christ one needs to flee from the devil and draw close to God. Today , we meditate on the theme Election and call to Christian discipleship. Election is the selection of a person for a specific office or position - to be a disciple. Call is an invitation for a specific vocation. The vocation is discipleship. To be precise, a Christian discipleship. Discipleship is a vocation for life. Discipleship is a position you hold in Christ. It is this position that every Christian should persevere, because this is a position of service and witness. Earthly positions are all about authority and dominion over other. Vocation and position carry a responsibility. It is valuable - t...

Based on Mark 8:31-37 As we journey with Jesus, closer to Jerusalem with his cross before us, let us bring our prayers before our God of love, power and faithfulness. The words of Jesus calls us to “take up your cross and follow me”.  We are not sure if it is the crosses of this life or the cross of sacrifice and suffering which leads us to the cross of death. Let us pray that through this call, God will help us chose the cross he wants each and every one to carry and give us strength to journey with him. We pray for those who are living with challenges in their day-to-day life – families, relationships, finances, integrity, justice. The words of Jesus calls us to “deny yourself”. We are not sure which self it is. The self we put on for others, the self-centered self that wants everything for ourselves. We pray for burden this challenge places on the believer. The challenges on the home front, challenges within the body of Christ, in their places of work and outsid...

Theme: Preparation for the Joys of Easter – The Temptations / Noah Gathering Leader                   We meet in the presence of God All                          who knows our needs, hears our cries, feels our pain, and heals our wounds Hymn                     67 Introductory           “The time has come”, he said. “The kingdom of God sentence   is near. Repent and                                   believe the good news”. Mark 1:15                    ...

Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15 We have just begun our 40day period of Lent, journeying through the wilderness with Jesus by our side. As we journey, this morning we are called to reflect on the preparation for the joy of Easter – the Temptations. And so we journey with Jesus, because he himself was tempted yet he did not fall into temptation. Temptation is a test. An exam. Temptation is the test to refuse believing in God or God’s word and live a self-dependent. Temptation is from the devil. The purpose is to cause a fall. But God does test believer. God test with one purpose to prove that the person who is tested is his. We can take two examples one from the OT and one from the NT. In the OT Job stands out. Job 2:3 “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without a...

"Be reconciled to God" Joel 2:2-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-16,16-21 Palm Sunday is the day that we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. People waving their branches and shouting “hosanna”. A week after that the very same people from whose lips hosanah’s were sung, come shouts of “crucify him”. It brings out the double standards of the people that day, and the mindset of going with the crowd, rather than standing out. We in the church make crosses of palms and carry them in processions and clamoring to take so many palm crosses with us home. What of it from Palm Sunday to Ash Wednesday. Lives are no different to those of the crowd. Shouting “hosanna” with our lips, but living lives which will crucify Jesus many times on that victorious cross. In such a background God calls his people to return to him. Joel 2:12. To return is to go back to where you belong. It calls for a change from the wrong direction th...

Mark 9:2 - 9 Today is transfiguration Sunday. The Sunday that connects the season of Epiphany with the season of Lent. The season where Jesus is revealed to the world in many different ways and the season which reveals who we are. Our gospel reading takes us up a mountain, a place of solitude, where Jesus is transformed and his clothes were dazzling white. Even if you bleach it you cant get such a white. A shining, dazzling white. The only witnesses to this are the three close disciples of Jesus. Peter, James and John. At the point of transformation there are two persons who are seen. Moses who represents the law and Elijah the prophets. Then we have Peter the most forward of all, preferring to stay on top of the mountain and then the voice from heaven – This is by beloved son who I love, Listen to him. From what we read in the scriptures this event was seen with worldly eyes by the disciples, especially Peter. In the last section of chapter 8 Peter is not willing to a...