Great Start To 2011

I just want to say we have been having some precious prayer gatherings this week here in the Comox Valley. The Holy Spirit is stirring the church, preparing His bride for a greater work.

• The presence of the Lord has been strong...
• There is an increasing hunger for more of His presence.....
• Pastors and people from various congregations have been praying together....
• The posture has been beautiful......shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, heart to heart................All in a spirit of humility and interdependence....
• There is a desire to bless and honour one another.....
• There is an increase in love and pursuit of greater unity......
• There is a rising tide of the Holy Spirit that our whole community will benefit from.....
• There's much more than this....

We some how believe God is up to something and the best is yet to come!!!!

'For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.' 1 Peter 3:12

Where ever you are.....Keep pressing on...and into God's best for 2011.

Blessings
Pastor Dave

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Inspired By McDonalds Christmas Marketing

Yesterday I shared how my sermon was inspired by the current McDonalds Christmas marketing slogans…..’Indulge In Joy’ & ‘Share The Joy’.

Great slogans………but we know that real joy, indescribable joy is found only in Jesus, not triple thick eggnog milk shakes nor sharing our chicken nuggets. (Although the milk shake does sound good.)

It is with great joy, the joy of the Lord, we begin another week here in the Comox Valley. Another week where we can be difference makers in someone’s life.

I have been so challenged by the example of the Macedonian churches (2 Corinthians 8:1,2) who even in their severe trial and extreme poverty, experienced overflowing joy that welled up in rich generosity. (Check it out.) During this Christmas season I want to encourage all of you as ‘joy filled’ followers of Jesus to allow generosity and compassion to rise up in your life.

Keep your eyes and heart open to the many needs around you. Be willing to share the joy.

How Can I Share The Joy? Here are just a few things to get you started.
• Brain storm with your family / children some things you can do be a blessing to someone. (Get your kids involved in the conversation.)
• Offer to provide child care free of charge for a young couple / single parent so they can go Christmas shopping.
• Buy grocery gift cards to give away as you are directed by the Lord.
• Encourage the Salvation Army kettle people with a donation, at least a smile, eye contact and a kind word.
• Call or visit a senior or a shut in. Offer to take them shopping, or go on a twinkle tour.
• Invite a newcomer to the valley, an international student or someone who is away from their family - home for a meal.
• Prepare a Christmas ‘gift bag’ with your kids that a homeless or needy person could benefit from. (Practical Items)

Community Christmas Partnerships
• Help pack 100’s of Christmas Hampers – This Thursday & Friday (More Details: 250-897-3999)
• Team up with friends & deliver Coast Realty hampers Wednesday December 22nd (Morning)
• Salvation Army also needs people to help serve & pray with people who receive their hampers.
• Many great community opportunities where you can make a difference.

CPC Ministries
• Give to our Benevolent / Blessing Ministry – We have many ongoing needs.
• Bring groceries into our CPC food bank. (Accessed every week)
• As a small group – adopt someone in need that you could serve / bless in some way.
• Invite friends to our children’s Christmas pageant this Sunday. (Bring your Christmas Baking)
• Invite people to our Christmas Eve services.

Joy filled people are generous people.

Have a great week everyone…......Go Share the Joy !!!!!

Love in Jesus
Pastor Dave

PS. Yesterday I gave out a few hugs following the service and realized how good it felt: to give a hug rather than withhold a hug.

Top Three Contributors To Church Unity

It was so great yesterday watching the multiple generations of our church family praying together. Little circles of prayer that formed at the end of the service that led us into communion...........Teens praying with senior adults, young adults praying with pre-teens......you get the picture. But what made it extra special was the fact we were praying the same prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17:20-23. The same prayer where Jesus prayed.......that we would be 'one' just as He and His Father are one and that we would be brought into complete unity.

It was the two teenage girls that came up to me after the service and said....'this is so great Pastor Dave. The seniors we prayed with were so kind to us. We felt so happy praying with them.'

The kids get it......there is a desire for unity........we are better together. There is a commanded blessing of life and favour upon all who choose to dwell together in unity. Check out Psalm 133 .

The fact is, unity is very important to Jesus. Since it is important to Jesus, it needs to be important to us. Where there is unity in the church, a family, a marriage there will be greater strength. The Bible says that 'a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.' Ecclesiasties 4:12

The opposite is true.......Matthew 12:25 'Every kingdom divided itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'

The question is, how can we have greater unity? As I look back over 35 years of being a pastor, experiencing every aspect of church and family life immaginable, I asked my self the question: From my experience, what would be the top three contributers to unity? There were a quite a few on my list but here's my top three. If you would like to add to the list or give me your top three go ahead. Post your thoughts at the bottom.

Top Three Contributors To Unity

1. When We Pray For One Another
I remember hearing the story of one pastor / counselor who insisted that couples coming to him for counseling spend a half hour in prayer together in the prayer room before coming into his office. Inevitabley the counseling sessions were cut short. Barriers and obstacles were overcome. Faith for a united future was re-established.

There is something wonderful that happens in the Spirit when God's people will humble themselves and pray for one another. If there is someone you are struggling with, let me encourage you to begin praying for them and when possible, with them. Give it a try.

2. When We Forgive One Another
Getting hurt, happens. It happens all the time in relationships, including in the church. Unfortunatly I have watched too many people hold onto their hurts, nurse their hurts, justify their hurts to the point unity is destroyed. There is only one way to get it back and that is to do what Paul teaches here in........

Colossians 3:12 - 15 'Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.'

3. When We Celebrate Our Diversity
What makes the Body of Christ so special is the value and the contribution that each one brings to the church. We're not all the same. How many of you are glad about that? At the same time, while we are all so different, we really do need each other. We are interdependent on each other and therefore need to love and honour one another including all parts of the body. The Apostle Paul describes it this way.......

1 Corinthians 12:12, 24-27 'The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all it's parts are many they form one body........24 God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.'

When it comes to our diversity and having love for one another......I think St Augustine in the fourth century was on to something when he said: 'In essentials unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.' We need to be careful when it comes to the things we allow to divide us.

The last thing I want to say is that unity takes effort. We have to work at unity because it goes so against our human and sinful nature. Paul said in Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’

Jesus made the effort for us so we could come into union and have a relationship with our Father God in Heaven. He died on a cross!!!!!

What about the relationships in your life, in our church, in the Body of Christ that need extra effort? Are you willing to make the effort. The blessing that comes with unity is worth it.

The kids get it. So should we.

Love in Christ
Pastor Dave

The One That Got Away

Let me tell you about the one that got away. I was fishing in the Puntledge River with my son and landed my first ever prize Coho salmon. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. Did what every fisherman does, knocked it on the head, gutted and cleaned the fish right on the side of the river. It was what happened next that I am almost embarrased to tell you. I layed the fish beside another fish we had caught earlier and with only a few minutes left before we had to head home, went back to fishing. A guy who had observed the whole thing wandered over to where we were, wanting to see the fish. My son said the fish was lying over by the rock next to another fish. The guy said...."There is only one fish." When we walked over to have a look, my heart sank with shock and disbelief. I couldn't believe it. What happened, even though we thought the fish was dead, there was still enough life in it's nervous system that caused it to flip a few times and with enough momentum it slid down the bank and back into the river. I can't tell you how terribly disappointed I was.

I thought there has to be a lesson in all of this. Well I came up with a few. One is just how easy it is for our old sinful nature to rise up within us from time to time. Just when we think we have died to sin and temptation is under control we find ourselves falling back into old habits and ways of thinking we thought we had left behind. It's like there is an attraction to get back into that old river again. How many of you can relate?

I am reminded of the words of Paul when he said: 'I die daily.' 1 Corinthians 15:31

Paul himself described his struggle with the sinful nature in Romans 7. .......But he also understood the grace of God at work in his life. He knew that his only hope was to continue to die daily, to crucify the old nature and allow the power of Christ to live and reign in his life. We can draw strength from his words when he said......Vs 24,25...... 'What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!' .......Who also gives us the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:57

I was also reminded how I need to help keep others from falling. The harvest needs to be protected.

I will be more careful next time I catch that Coho.

Happy Fishing
Dave