22 Mar 2020

Be Filled With The Spirit

Be Filled With The Spirit

Ephesians 5:1-20

Pastor Barry Kerner

This morning I want to read a passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 5, verses 1-20. I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation

Ephesians 5:1-20 NLT

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Imagine you had a glass that was half filled with water. Now suppose someone asked you how much water was in your glass. It would be pretty easy to answer them wouldn’t it. You’d just look at your glass and being either an optimist or a pessimist would answer them either, “my glass is half full,” or “my glass is half empty.”

Suppose though someone asked you, “Are you filled with the Spirit?” what would you say? It’s not such an easy question to answer. If you examined yourself, would you be able to hazard a guess as to how much of the Holy Spirit you have in your life? Would you be able to say your life is filled with the Spirit? Maybe you’d answer that you don’t have much and that you need more of Him. Or, maybe you could answer that a lot of the Holy Spirit is evident in your life but you could stand to be topped off. The question may make us uneasy as we think about it.

In these days of uncertainty it may seem that our world is spiraling out of control. And as we struggle to hold on to what we’ve known and have felt comfortable with it may feel like that control is slipping though our fingers. In this hour of all-but-universal darkness one cheering sliver of light appears: within the fold of conservative Christianity there are to be increasingly found believers whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God Himself. They are eager for spiritual realities. They will no longer stand for truth as defined by a world blinded by sin. They seek the perfect truth which can be found only through His Holy Word and His Holy Spirit. As A. W. Tozer wrote in his book, The Pursuit of God, “They are athirst for God, and they will not be satisfied till they have drunk deep at the Fountain of Living Water and filled with the Holy Spirit of God.”

One of the greatest preachers of the 19th century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, said, “The grand thing the church needs in this time is God’s Holy Spirit.” The same holds true today. More than anything else, we need to rediscover the Holy Spirit and learn anew to depend on him.

In John 4 Jesus and a Samaritan woman were at a well discussing thirst and that it may be quenched with water. In response to a question she asked, Jesus contrasted the water of the well with God’s Living water as He answered, “Everyone who drinks this well water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Back to our question. Would you be able to say that you are filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Are you full of the Living Water which Jesus offers? Is the state of your soul empty or full.? Is your life one of carnality or spirituality?

In 1 Corinthians 2:9 through 3:4 the Scriptures distinguish between the “spiritual” man and the “carnal” man; 2 Corinthians 10:2 and Galatians 5:16 contrast those who “walk in the Spirit,” and those who walk “according to the flesh.” Romans 6:4 compares those who walk “in newness of life,” and those who do not; John 15;1-11 those who “abide in Christ,” and those who do not; and 1 Corinthians 3:3 and Colossians 1:10 those who walk “worthy of the Lord,” and those who “walk as men.”

God wants us to live a Holy Spirit filled life and to walk in that life.

Notice Ephesians 5:14: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead.” This verse is often spoken to sinners, but it was not written to sinners. It was a call to one of the best churches in the New Testament at Ephesus. Some of the Ephesians were in a spiritual slumber. They were morally good but spiritually unenlightened. They were religious but un-anointed. It is perfectly possible for a good, faithful, loyal church member to be spiritually asleep.

When you go to sleep tonight, the fact that you are unconscious and out of the running for a while is not bothering you. You know that normally you will wake up again. You are not dead, but you are cut off from your environment, all but that which is reflex—breathing and a few other things. Likewise it is possible to be a Christian, to be in the church and yet be asleep spiritually.

Paul contrasted between being filled with wine and being filled with the Spirit.

A person under the influence of wine experiences altered behavior. He may say or do things he would not ordinarily do. Emotions may be heightened for a brief period, causing the person to experience anger followed quickly by elation followed quickly by depression. If the person drinks enough wine, his mental processes will be affected and his decision making ability will be radically altered—almost always with a negative result.

Likewise, the filling of the Holy Spirit produces a change in behavior. In the Book of Acts, once timid disciples became flaming evangelists for Jesus Christ.

They were accused of being drunk.

Peter told the crowd. “These men are not drunk as you suppose. ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.”

They weren’t under the influence of wine. They were under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 5:15-21 Paul mentions a number of practical things related to the filling of the Spirit:

Wisdom for living in this evil age (vv. 15-16).

Understanding of God’s will (v. 17).

A joyful heart filled with singing to the Lord (v. 19)

A heart filled with thanksgiving (v. 20).

An attitude of mutual submission (v. 21).

True submission is vitally important because it touches our need to be in control in every situation. When we submit from the heart, we are saying, “I don’t have to have my way all the time.” Only a heart touched by the Holy Spirit can maintain such an attitude in every relationship of life.

Fifteen times the New Testament refers to someone being “filled with” or “full of” the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:18 Paul used the verb plerousthe translated as filled.

In the Greek language this verb is in the imperative mode. This means the filling of the Spirit isn’t an optional part of the Christian life. Every Christian is commanded to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. If you aren’t, you are not walking in God’s will.

Plerousthe is in the present tense meaning being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time event. It’s something we keep on doing. We could legitimately translate this verse this way: “Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.” Wuest translates it as “Be constantly controlled by the Spirit.” The filling of the Spirit is supposed to be the normal way of life for the Christian.

The verb is also in the passive voice. This is a nuance many people miss. In Greek as in English commands can be either active or passive. However, we’re much more used to active commands: “Go to the store and pick up some milk, please.” That’s an active command. If I say, “Fill that hole with dirt”, that’s also in the active voice. But Ephesians 5:18 is in the passive voice. He doesn’t say, “Fill yourself with the Spirit” but rather “Be filled with the Spirit.” To be “be filled” means that the filling of the Spirit is a work of God, not man.

The Holy Spirit is within us and willing to fill us at any moment we must get out of the way.

In John 3 verses 29–30, John the Baptist said, “Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” As we become conformed to the Image of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit becomes greater in our lives and our natural self our carnal tendencies become less evident. This is the purpose and plan of of God in sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Finally, Plerousthe is a plural command. Being filled with the Spirit is not just for Pastors, or evangelists or Sunday school teachers, or those serving in ministry. Paul is saying, “Let each and every one of you be filled with the Spirit.” On one hand, that means the command is for every Christian. God intends—and desires—that all his children be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It’s also a corporate command. The church as a church is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is, the filling of the Spirit is not something for my own personal edification. God’s Spirit imparts life-giving power that transforms the church from a social club or a religious gathering into a living body of Christ. We can see that clearly in the verses that follow:

Being led by the Holy Spirit we are to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (v. 19). Being led by the Holy Spirit, we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (v. 21).

I am to be filled with the Spirit—but I am not to be filled alone. As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us one by one, our corporate life will be forever transformed. Perhaps this one factor accounts for the difference between a church that is “alive” and a church that is “dead.” Both churches have the same Bible, they may have the same rites and rituals, they may sing the same songs, they may even have the same programs and the same schedule of services. Outwardly they may look very much alike.

But one is alive.

The other is dead.

What makes the difference is that one is filled with The Holy Spirit and the other is filled with the world.

We need the filling of the Spirit not simply for ourselves but for the reformation and revival of local churches everywhere.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an issue of control.

Go back to the contrast between wine and the Spirit. Drunken and Spirit-filled people have one thing in common. They are both controlled people. Their lives and their behavior are radically changed by that which fills them.

–If a person is filled with anger, then anger controls his life.

–If a person is filled with greed, then greed dominates his life.

–If a person is filled with love, then love influences all he does.

When the Holy Spirit fills you, he will have the controlling interest in your life.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean I have more of the Spirit, it means the Spirit has more of me.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an issue of Cooperation

Every Christian is filled with the Spirit from the moment of the new birth. The Holy Spirit indwells us from the moment we are saved. New believers often have so much joy and walk so closely with the Lord. For them, it’s the natural thing to do.

That means the central issue is one of cooperation. Am I going to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and let him lead me or I am going to keep on trying to do things my own way?

So many of us struggle at precisely this point. We fight the Lord because we want to do things our way.

Recall Paul on the Road to Damascus.

Jesus’ words to Saul on the road to Damascus: “It is hard for you to kick against the pricks.”

“It is hard for you to kick against the pricks” was a Greek proverb, but it was also familiar to the Jews and anyone who made a living in agriculture. An ox goad was a stick with a pointed piece of iron on its tip used to prod the oxen when plowing. The farmer would prick the animal to steer it in the right direction. Sometimes the animal would rebel by kicking out at the prick, and this would result in the prick being driven even further into its flesh. In essence, the more an ox rebelled, the more it suffered.

The conversion of Saul is quite significant as it was the turning point in his life. Paul later wrote nearly half of the books of the New Testament.

Jesus took control of Paul and let him know his rebellion against God was a losing battle. Paul’s actions were as senseless as an ox kicking “against the goads.” Paul had passion and sincerity in his fight against Christianity, but he was not heading in the direction God wanted him to go. Jesus was going to goad (“direct” or “steer”) Paul in the right direction.

There is a powerful lesson in the ancient Greek proverb. We, too, find it hard to kick against the goads. Solomon wrote, “Stern discipline awaits him who leaves the path” (Proverbs 15:10). When we choose to disobey God, we become like the rebellious ox—driving the goad deeper and deeper. Proverbs 13:15 says, “The way of the unfaithful is hard.” How much better to heed God’s voice, to listen to the pangs of conscience! By resisting God’s authority we are only punishing ourselves.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit we must become open and empty.

Emptiness and Openness

Imagine trying to fill up a jar that is already full of something else. You can’t fill what is already full. Or imagine an empty jar with the lid screwed on tight. You can’t fill that jar either.

Some Christians are so full of themselves, they have no room for the Holy Spirit.

Some Christians have simply closed their heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.

The weather has warmed and soon the grass will turn green. In many lawns though the weeds and dandelions will sprout along side of the new blades of grass. If they are not controlled soon they will choke the grass and the lawn will become filled with that which is not desired.

Similarly if we allow the things of this would to gain a foothold in our lives soon the Holy Spirit will have no place to grow and that which is not desired will take the place of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Some Christians are so full of themselves that they are closed to anything that God might want to do in their lives. In a sense being filled with the Spirit is an impossibility—at least as far as it depends on us. Only God’s Spirit can fill us. We need two things—emptiness and openness. You can’t fill a jar that’s already full, and you can’t fill a jar that is not open.

There must be a sense of need—“Lord, I’m empty and I need to be filled by your Spirit.”

There must be a willingness—“Lord, I’m open to you. Let your Spirit fill me now.”

Let me end by putting this matter in a larger perspective. The Holy Spirit is never given merely for our own personal enjoyment. God sends his Spirit to enable us to live for Christ in the world.

It’s not the people “out there” that need to be revived by God’s Spirit. It’s you and it’s me.

The Christian life is not difficult; it is impossible without the Holy Spirit. The human spirit fails unless the Holy Spirit fills. We are commanded to be awake and to continually yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, both as individual persons and as the Body of Christ.

Let us close with this prayer that Paul wrote to the Ephesians but which is appropriate for us here this morning.

Ephesians 3:14-21

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

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21 Mar 2020

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Pastor Barry Kerner Sermon For March 22nd 2020

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18 Mar 2020

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Have Faith And Wash Your Hands

Have Faith And Wash Your Hands

Pastor Barry Kerner

I went to shake hands with someone at church this weekend, and he jokingly held up his elbow and with a smile, said, “I’m doing elbow bumps today, okay?” He then grasped my hand and pumped it up and down. In light of what’s going on in the world and in our communities it’s heartening to continue to find a bit of humor.

In an effort to control the spread of the Coronavirus, governments have ordered quarantines and lock downs. Schools have closed and businesses have shuttered to wait out the pandemic in an effort to “flatten the curve.” Guidelines have been issued to help individuals fight the virus: Wash your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer, wash and disinfect surfaces often, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Local and state governments are promoting social distancing and the White House, to limit the transmission of the Coronavirus, has directed, no more than 10 people in one place.

Although things may appear to be spiraling out-of-control I find they’re not. When facing out-of-control situations that may cause anxiety, I have found it helpful to sort my concerns into two categories: First, what I can control and second, what I cannot control

There are many things we can control when it comes to the Coronavirus? We can wash our hands. We can use sanitizers and disinfectants. We can boost our immune systems with vitamins and extra sleep. We can stay home when we’re feeling sick and seek the help of medical professionals if our symptoms persist. We can practice social distancing and comply with any regulations our governments see fit to put in place. Those are some of the things we can control.

What about that second category? Can we control the Coronavirus? Can we control its outbreaks? Do we—as individuals—have ultimate control over what happens or how far this virus spreads? Can we control whether we or our families get sick? No, we can’t.

Here’s what we must remember. Just because we’re not personally in control of a situation, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t. Just because we feel like control is slipping out of our hands, it doesn’t mean that even one detail has slipped through the fingers of our all-powerful God.

Do you find yourself watching the news obsessively? Have you been vigilantly tracking the proximity of the outbreak? Do you have enough toilet paper to last you into the next year? Have you bought gallons of sanitizer or washed your hands till they are chapped and bleeding? Have you been spritzing your spray bottle of disinfectant on every surface of your home rather than attending to your spiritual well being? If so, perhaps it’s time to ask. Who are you trusting in? Who do you truly believe is in control of the situation? Where does your security lie? In God, or in yourself?

Only one word can adequately describe the feeling of despair we feel when life spirals out of control—fear. Even those of us who find our hope in Jesus can face overwhelming anxiety, especially when it comes to those things that are out of our control.

The good news is that God offers hope for us when we are afraid. In Scripture Jesus uses the imperative to tell us “Do not be afraid,” but it’s not always easy to take Him at his word. If we turn to God’s promises throughout the Bible, it becomes easier to face the future and know God is in control, He cares for his people, and He will not forsake us.

In Hebrews 13:6 the writer quoted the Psalms by saying, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” It was Jesus who taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” and to acknowledge that He does. (Matthew 6:11) It was the apostle Paul who wrote, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) And then, the apostle Peter told us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

If the Coronavirus continues to spread and become more devastating, it will be easy, in the coming weeks and months, for many to lose hope and allow fear to control their lives. “For over 2,000 years, through plagues, wars, and natural disasters the Church of Jesus Christ has been a source of hope and compassion. Faith, not fear, should be our animating principle. Calm, not conspiracies, should be our societal contribution. Prayer, not panic, should be our spiritual practice.”

Whether this gets better or worse, I encourage you to turn to God’s Word and learn more about how believers can overcome anxiety in an uncertain world. To this end, stop back next Monday, March 23, when we will be discovering Biblical Truths For Losing Fear which will help you find true rest and hope in Christ and his promises.

“Yes, wash your hands and protect yourself, but put your faith in God and your trust in Him.”

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10 Mar 2020

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Spring Has Sprung!

Spring Has Sprung!

Pastor Barry Kerner

This morning I saw a true harbinger of spring. My children were wearing shorts to school! The last few months of winter found me shoveling snow and salting walkways. Before venturing outside each time I went through the ritual of finding a hat, scarf and a pair of matching gloves in the hat and glove basket on the bench by the back door. The basket is full to overflowing with winter apparel but seldom contains two gloves that match. Often I was struggling to grasp the snow shovel with two left handed gloves or making a new fashion statement with one black glove and one blue glove. The temperature is expected to rise to the sixties today and soon the basket and its cold weather accessories will be carried up to the attic to spend the warmer months out of sight and out of mind. Spring has sprung!!!

Spring is a season of warming weather and nature coming back to life. As the brown grasses slowly turn to verdant green, flowers begin to poke their way out of the muddy ground and animals are born. We, like the Earth are refreshed as we are reminded of the innocence and beauty that exists in this world. We are renewed as we experience the new life emerging all around us. As a Christian, we are given new life and new mercies every morning. Now, having begun to relegate the memories of the darkness of the short days of winter and their accompanying cold to the recesses of our minds, Spring provides a wonderful reminder to us that we should be living a full life and leaving the old dead parts of life behind. There has always been hope during the coldest, darkest winters of life that Spring will come and new life will come forth!

Just last week, we were starring out the kitchen morning waiting to see the first robin, or the first bud, or the first hint of green. We knew it’ was coming, but it just wasn’t here yet. Our hope was that Spring will soon arrive bringing light rain showers, pink flowers, chirping birds and the sound of buzzing bees.

And so we waited. We waited and hoped for spring because there is nothing we can do to hurry it along. The coming of spring is out of our control. In February we jokingly looked to Northwest Pennsylvania where a slumbering groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, proceeded to predict how soon Spring and it’s warmer weather would be upon us. But we knew it’s really the God of the universe who brings each new season.

In Psalm 104:30 the author credits God with the newness of life. “You send forth your spirit, they are created: and you renew the face of the earth.” After the darkness of winter, new life is breathed into our dreary lives. Spring is the perfect metaphor for the gospel. It is God’s nature to make something new. In Spring we can observe many attributes of God and find His gospel plan throughout creation.

When was the last time you really took a good look at the intricacies of a spring flower? What about a budding tree branch soon to unfurl its leaves to redress the tree whose leaves died and fell to the ground last fall? Or one of the heralds of Spring, a red breasted robin? Romans 1:20 tells us, “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” All creation tells of the innovative and unique works of God’s hand.

God is also creative in story telling. His word speaks of the relationship between the Creator and us, His creation. Each story- including your story- is part of the whole but stands alone as a chapter in His book. No one else has a testimony just like yours. God draws people to Himself in different ways. You stand alone, wonderfully and fearfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Who would have thought that through death would come life more abundantly? (John 10:10) Through the blood and death of Jesus comes eternal life. How creative! The old is gone, a new life is emerging. Spring reminds us of the new life available through Jesus Christ

Winter, while beautiful in its own way, can be dreary and cold. After a long winter, when the snow has melted away and that first green leaf appears, joy explodes. All of a sudden, before you realize it, you can see green in other places along with yellow, pink…and smiles. Have you noticed that people begin to smile more when Spring arrives? God created us to be that way. The combination of increased light and warmth invigorates us. When it’s dark outside, our melatonin levels rise and cause us to feel sleepy. That means we have to work harder to stay alert during the long periods of darkness each day. The arrival of spring brings more daylight, so we can enjoy the energy that is no longer needed to fight off drowsiness. The increased light also triggers the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps us feel happier. The rising temperature means we’re more likely to be active, and as a result we release endorphin, the hormone that minimizes pain and boosts our good mood.

Before becoming a new creation we lived in a world of darkness-sin. Once a habitual life of sin is given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the Light of the World enters one’s heart. Salvation brings with it an altered mood-the Joy of the Lord. (Psalm 35:9) It’s indescribable! Believers in Jesus see the world differently and with more joy. The mood altering gospel of good news transfers a soul from the dreariness of sin into the newness of life and brings unimaginable peace and joy.

Even without a calendar, we know without a doubt that spring will arrive to the land around us. The seasons, after all, are cyclical. Just as we know the sun will rise every morning and set each evening, we know that every 3 months a new season will come forth in its time. Spring has come and after the seasons of summer, fall, and winter have passed away, Spring will come again. Our God who created all of these nature cycles is faithful to bring them about.

If we confess our sins, our God is also faithful and just to forgive those sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) But many times we seem to forget this. We try to fix our lives on our own and everything becomes out of sync and out of the cycle of life. Just as spring is “right around the corner,” God is “right there” when we stumble. He is ready to give us a new beginning and another chance.

In the Fall we ohh and ahh as the leaves turn from shades of green to shades of orange and reds. As winter sends it arctic blasts to strip the final leaves from the trees we may wonder why they had to die. Why did a living thing fall to the ground only to turn into dust?

It had to. The leaf had to fall and die. If it didn’t then the new leaves would not be able to bud forth the next Spring. In the same way, we must die to ourselves if we expect to live a new life. If we don’t, then the new life God wants for us will never be nourished and will not grow. We will never be able to serve God as He desires if we aren’t willing to surrender it all. The good news of the gospel is that those who are found in Christ Jesus may die but with the death of our lives comes the spring of eternal life.

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5 Mar 2020

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Man’s Chief End – Enjoying God Forever

Man’s Chief End – Enjoying God Forever

Pastor Barry Kerner

In 1965, 20^th Century Fox produced the movie The Sound of Music. Based on the memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp, the film is about a young Austrian woman in Salzburg, Austria. The novice had applied for admission to religious monastery and in 1938 she finds herself sent to the villa of a retired naval officer and widower to be governess to his seven children. After bringing love and music into the lives of the family, she marries the officer and together with the children find a way to survive the loss of their homeland to the Nazis.

Julie Andrews played the starring role of the young novice and sang many memorable songs throughout the musical. One of my favorite has always been, My Favorite Things. Maria sings of some of her favorite things, such as “crisp apple strudels, warm woolen mittens, and wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings “. These are the things she selects to fill her mind with, bringing her gladness, when times are bad. Those are some things which Maria enjoys and which bring a smile to her face and a warm fuzzy feeling to her heart.

Everyone has their own “Favorite Things” which they enjoy and which can lift their spirits. Watching my children play sports is one of my favorite things. I especially enjoy it when the play goes to them or they have the ball. Another of my favorite things is hunting in the fall. I enjoy the crisp cool air, the smell of the woods and especially enjoy it when I catch a glimpse of an animal. I only hunt deer but whether it’s a pheasant or turkey, deer or fox or even a small squirrel or chipmunk just seeing them causes my heart to race and brings enjoyment to my day. I am blessed that there are many other times in my life when I can also honestly say, “I really enjoyed that!”

Last week I talked about the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The WSC is a series of 107 questions and answers to help children learn about God and His relationship with man. The first question and answer is:

1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

As I discussed last week, we can’t bring glory to God or increase His glory in any way. We can however, reflect and magnify His glory by our lives. I like the second part of the answer which says that our chief end, one of our reasons for being, is to enjoy God forever. The second question and answer of the WSC gives us the guide to achieve our end of enjoying God forever:

2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

God so wants us to enjoy Him that it is not an option, He commands it. Philippians 4:4 tells us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice”. But can we really be ordered to enjoy something?

Scripture shows that well-instructed, faithful believers develop a habit of rejoicing. Rejoicing in the Lord has become second nature to them. Habakkuk 3:17-18 exemplifies this determination to rejoice:

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior, this in difficult days”

Habakkuk exercised “acting faith”—an energetic determination to experience whatever the Lord commands, including joy, and to use the God-given means to do so. Just as Maria von Trapp thought of her favorite things when times were bad, we too can focus on our favorite things: God’s goodness and blessings when dire situations arise.

To the unbeliever, joy is entirely dependent on circumstances which are superficial and ever changing. On the other hand the Christian’s joy comes from a source which cannot be touched by the world. This joy stems from a perspective centered in the eternal and not the temporal. While it would be foolish for the Christian to forget his earthly responsibilities, it is at the same time impossible for him who has been born again and has become a new creation filled with the Holy Spirit to lose sight of his eternal destiny.

There are four areas in which the Spirit of the Lord is the causal agent of the Joy of the Lord becoming as second nature in the life of every believer.

Joy in Salvation

Just as God takes joy in our salvation (Luke 15:6–7, 9–10, 32), enjoying God means savoring the salvation He gives us in Jesus Christ. “I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18) “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10-11)

While we are commanded to have joy, the resources to do so are outside of ourselves. They are known only to the believer through union with Jesus Christ. With salvation comes the indwelling Spirit of God and the fruit produced. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22) “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:7) Joy therefore is the result of the Holy Spirit working within the life of a believer.

Joy in Revelation

Joy results from ingesting God’s written revelation and allowing it to transform us and to become a very part of us. In Psalm 119, the psalmist declares, “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalm 119:14) That joy is to be found in God’s word is also evident in Psalms 119:35, 47, 70, 77, 103, 162, 174. Jesus told His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). The journey to experiencing joy in the Lord, then, is to give ourselves every opportunity to be exposed to His Word and to let it dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). Jesus told His followers, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) God’s Word, which is sweeter than honey, (Psalm 19:10) is joy-food for the joy-hungry soul.

Joy in Communion

The joy of the Lord is to be found in the worship we enjoy in church communion. The psalmist declares that God’s holy city, His church which is the New Jerusalem, is, “Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.” (Psalm 48:2). When the Holy Spirit draws us together and leads us in a communion of worship, praise and prayer, abundant joy is to be found. When we gather together in His name, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) When the Lord sings over us with joy, our hearts sing for joy all the more in return.

Joy in Tribulation

Many struggle with the divine paradox of how a loving God could allow pain and suffering. This seeming contradiction can be resolved when we realize that there is joy to be found in the midst of and through affliction. Careful reading of the scriptures leads us to understand that tribulation is the Father’s chastising hand using life’s pain and darkness to mold us into the image of the One who endured for the sake of the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:1–2, 5–11, Romans 8:29).

Peter and James echo the same principle of the trials we endure producing good fruit in our lives(1 Peter 1:3–8; James 1:2–4). The knowledge of the sure hand of God in providence not only brings stability; it is also a joy-producer.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, “we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:2-5) We exult and rejoice in our sufferings, Paul says, because “suffering produces . . . hope” in us (Romans 5:3–4) and we find we can glory and find joy in our sufferings because of God’s love for us.

What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

And we know that God is glorified when the joy of the Lord is ours: “Those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11)

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29 Feb 2020

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Man’s Chief End – Glorifying God

Man’s Chief End – Glorifying God

Pastor Barry Kerner

While studying at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, one of our assignments was to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The WSC was written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a group of 17^th century English and Scottish theologians. The catechism is in a question and answer format, which had been popularized by Martin Luther as a way to help children learn the meaning of the material.

The catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers. The first 12 questions concern God as Creator. Questions 13-20 deal with original sin and the fallen state of man’s nature. Questions 21-38 concern Christ the Redeemer and the benefits that flow from redemption. The next set of questions, 39-84, discuss the Ten Commandments. Questions 85-97 teach concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. The final set of questions, 98-107, teach and explain the Lord’s prayer. The Free Church of Scotland still gives a Bible to any child who can answer all 107 questions in one sitting.

After 20 years I struggle to remember many of the 107 questions and answers. The first question and answer though has burned itself into my memory and I am surprised at how often I find myself thinking about it. The most famous of the questions (known to a great many Presbyterian children) is the first:

What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

We were created that God might be glorified in us. The redeemed of the Lord yearn to live out this purpose. This week we’ll examine what it means to glorify God?

It might be well to first take a stab at defining God’s glory. In Isaiah 6:3 two angels were heard proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy is the lord almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.” I think of the glory of God as His unequaled beauty and essence on display in our world. His glory can be evidenced in His creation and through His relationship with His people. We cannot add to God’s glory but we can reflect and magnify His glory in our lives. Paul told the Corinthians, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). But how do we do this in our daily lives?

A biblical and helpful answer for children to grasp is found in the Baptist Catechism for Girls and Boys:

How can you glorify God?
By loving him and doing what he commands.

In his sermon, “Man’s Chief End,” 17^th century Puritan, preacher, Thomas Watson, examined some ways by which we may glorify God.

We glorify God through:

Appreciation. Watson first explained that to glorify God is to “set God highest in our thoughts, and, to have a venerable esteem of him.” We glorify Him when He is exalted in our mind and heart; when we find Him to be greater than all things created or imagined. God is glorified in us when we admire Him for His person, work, and promises (Psalm 92:8; 97:9).
Adoration. Watson then goes on to speak to the worship of God. He is glorified in us when we attribute worth and praise to Him; when we worship Him in spirit and truth, according to His prescribed methods. “Divine worship must be such as God himself has appointed… Surely here every thing must be according to the pattern prescribed in his word.” Gathering with the church on the Lord’s Day is one of the primary ways we glorify God but true worship includes both private and family worship as well (Psalm 29:1, 2).
Affection. We glorify God when we love Him. The love a Christian has for God is born of the Spirit and flourishes in our faith. Our love for God and others is only small when our faith is small. God is glorified in us when our love for Him and for others is sincere. “This love is overflowing, not a few drops, but a stream.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Subjection. We glorify God when we seek to do his will out of a sense of love. “This is when we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand dressed and ready to be pressed into His service.” God is glorified in us through good works resulting from our faith in Him. He is pleased with such works, not because they are prefect, but because they are the fruit of faith and are perfected by His Son (1 Corinthians 10:31; John 15:8-10).

I believe we also glorify God when we proclaim His goodness and acknowledge that which He has done in our lives.

Proclamation. Throughout the Psalms David and his fellow authors couldn’t say enough about the beauty and essence of God and how He had repeatedly delivered them from their trials. God is glorified in us when we testify to his person, work, and goodness in our own words. In sharing the gospel, we bear witness to His grace in our lives in all its forms, and confessing his sufficiency in our afflictions all reflect God’s greatness. (1 Peter 2:9)

Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us, “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.” Whether it is through our labor or our leisure, our thoughts or our words we are created, called and set apart to glorify and enjoy God. Our lives should forever be proclaiming, “My God, how great thou art.”

Next week we’ll look at the second part of the answer to the first WSC question and find out what it means to, “enjoy Him forever.”

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17 Feb 2020

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Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie

Playing The Game Of Hide And Go Seek

By Pastor Barry Kerner

When I was younger, I absolutely loved playing hide and go seek on summer nights! After dinner most of the kids in our neighborhood would be out playing in their front yards or catching ball in the street. As it began to get dark we would run around chasing the lightning bugs that had come out of the shadows. They were hard to see in the dark but their flash of light would soon give them away. With a swoop we would try to snatch them out of the air with our hands. Then we would slowly open our clutched fists to see if we had been quick enough. Invariably we would tire of this and someone would suggest we play hide and seek.

Simple rules would be laid out: No backyards, no hiding underneath cars, etc. There was a telephone pole at the end of our driveway which we always used for base. After choosing who would be “it” the rest of us would run off to hide as the seeker turned to face the telephone pole, closed their eyes, and began to count. Some of us knew where we would hide and quickly ran to where we hoped we would not be found. Others couldn’t make a quick decision and ran back and forth trying to decide where they would hide. After reaching the end of their count, the seeker would give those still deciding one last chance to find the perfect sport. They would call out, “Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie. Who’s not ready holler aye.” If a cry was heard, from someone still running about, the seekers would count again to ten. If no one responded, the seeker would yell, “Ready or not, here I come.” After searching and seeking there were times when some had hid themselves so well that they could not be found. To call them home the seeker would yell, “Olly, Olly, Oxen Free.” The remaining hiders would emerge from the shadows of their secret hiding places and make their way home.

According to the Encyclopedia of Play In Today’s Society, the game of hide and go seek can be traced back as far as 2nd Century BC Greece. Julius Pollux apparently described a game called Apodidraskinda, which involved choosing one player who would keep their eyes shut for a set time, and then try to find the other players. Although, if we incorporate biblical reference (Genesis 3:8) didn’t God “seek” Adam and Eve when they tried to “hide” from Him in the garden, after eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge? This would mean that the children’s game of hide-and-go-seek is as old as…sin?

Once in a while I’ll play a similar game with my children. They call it Man Hunt. The rules are reversed in that the larger group hunts (seeks) to find a single person or a very small group of hiders. In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul wrote, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” For most adults, the outdoor games are no longer played as they too have, put the ways of childhood behind them. Sadly though, many continue to “hide” in the shadows in other ways. Closeting their feelings and emotions they attempt to hide them from their family and friends. With a forced smile on their face and fake cheer in their voice, their half-hearted, “I’m fine” tries to hide what’s truly in their heart.

Have you ever felt that way? Like you couldn’t let anyone know how you really felt.

Maybe you’ve felt hurt, furious or as mad as can be, because of a circumstance or a person? But, when someone asked, “How are you?” you grinned and said “I’m fine.” Many Christians believe that being “Christ-like” means suppressing our emotions. We think “As long as I don’t let my feelings show, I’m being a good Christian.” Unfortunately, holding it in isn’t handling it. The Christian life isn’t a matter of improving your acting ability. It’s a matter of yielding yourself to God’s Spirit, in whatever circumstances you might find yourself.

The key is, as Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us, to“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Often though, instead of us yielding to the Holy Spirit, we pray for our circumstances or the other person to change. We struggle then because knowing that God is sovereign, and can arrange or rearrange what He chooses, we we ask the question, “God, why don’t you stop it?” “Why don’t you change their heart?”

God has never given us an easy answer as to why He permits us to struggle or to suffer as we do. But what we do know about God, not just from the Bible but from our relationship with Him, is that He always has our ultimate best in mind.

From others who have gone through deep suffering and pain, we hear He permits these things in our life, for our good. In Philippians, the Apostle Paul states, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him.”

That’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s difficult to consider suffering, a gift? Especially when you’ve been praying for the life of a loved one or to be delivered from a disastrous situation. But the Bible assures us that God uses all human evil and calamity for His own eternal purposes. He restrains them to keep the world from becoming as bad as it could be and He can restore to His people what they’ve lost because of them.

Instead of yielding to the Spirit we often try to hide our emotions as Adam and Eve tried to hide their shame in the Garden. Like them, when we try to hide our burdens from others we also try to hide them from God. We hide them in the attic or basement of our conscious. An out of sight out of mind mentality helps us to grin and bear it. The world has clouded our minds and we so often forget that we serve a loving and caring God. A God who shares in our suffering as we share in the suffering of His Son.
God hears the one who calls and will respond. God assures the one who is heavy burdened and cries out from their despair that, “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15

God’s word tells us to, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

That, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17

And to, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

God doesn’t tell us to take our feelings and run far away, He tells us to take our feelings and to cast them upon Him. God lovingly tells those who seek respite, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When playing hide and go seek in the dark, there were times that what we thought was a great hiding place was far from that. Such as the bushes we ran to hide behind but where we soon smelled the fresh manure that had been applied that afternoon and in which we were now standing. Or, under the neighbor’s side porch where the local skunk or raccoon was also now hiding. The world also has many attractive hiding places (money, drugs, relationships, pornography, bitterness, etc.). But we need to be thinking long and hard about the consequences of our hiding place before we leap into the sin that those places grow out of. There are always consequences.

No matter how smart or clever that I think I am, the only safe place to hide is within the arms of God. “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalms 32:7

We need to not hide in the shadows of the world but believe that, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 That, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm18:2 And declare that, “You are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.” Psalm 3:3

Olly, olly, oxen free, the hide and go seek phrase that called in those who had hidden themselves in the shadows, is said to come from the German phrase, “alle alle auch sind frei,” which loosely translates to “everyone, everyone is free.” Another side says it was “all ye all ye outs in free,” essentially saying, “it’s safe to come in.” If you’ve been hiding in one of the world’s destructive hiding places now is the time, like the prodigal son to come to your senses, to repent and to return to God. Don’t try to justify where you are or hang onto it by pretending it is a good hiding place. Come out of it and face the reality of it. And, contrary to what Satan might be telling you, God is calling out, “Olly, olly, oxen free.” It’s safe to come home. God is not waiting to condemn you. Instead, like the father of the Prodigal son in Luke 15:20-24, He is looking to forgive and embrace you.

David had cried out to God and God had answered his prayer. Therefore he was able to declare, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:2 No matter what your situation, no matter what your circumstance the Holy Spirit tells us that, “after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10

Today, if you find yourself struggling or suffering call out to God. If you’ve been hiding in the shadows of the world cry out and the Spirit will respond, “Olly, olly, oxen free – It’s safe to come home.”

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10 Feb 2020

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Faith That Lives

Pastor Barry Kerner

In my family we constantly seem to be separating things and placing them into categories. When the mail comes in, I separate it into three piles. One pile for pieces I need to open and address, one pile for my wife, and one pile destined for the recycling bin. Every spring and fall we drag totes of past seasons’ clothing down from the attic and separate them into a pile which we’ll keep and hopefully wear or into a pile of things that are no longer fashionable or will no longer fit and which will be donated to the thrift store.

When I was much younger my dad, needing more room for a growing family, built an addition on the back of our brick house outside of Pittsburgh. Being as he called himself, “A Jack-Of-All-Trades but Master-Of-None,” he did most of the work himself with the help of some friends and my two brothers and me. One of the first things he did was to remove two stories of orange bricks from the back of the house so that he would be able to attach the new beams and trusses to the existing house. It fell to my brothers and I to sort the bricks into a pile of ones which were in “good” enough shape to reuse or bricks that were broken or damaged and were to be discarded into the “bad” pile. Because chiseling the old mortar off to clean the good bricks was next on the chore list for my brothers and me, it seemed that our criteria for a brick being worthless was low and the discarded pile grew tall.

The Bible shows us that we serve a God who separate things. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2) Scripture tells us that God then said, “Let there be light“, (1:3) and, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” (1:4)

As that this light was separated from the darkness prior to the creation of the sun, stars and moon on the fourth day some hold that the light of the first day was the manifestation of Jesus: “The true light, which enlightens everyone” John 1:9, “The light of the world” John 8:12; 9:5 or of God’s Shekinah Glory which is often said to shine and equated with light (see Exodus 40:34; 2 Chronicles 7:1-2; Ezekiel 43:2; Psalm 27:1; 1 John 1:5)

Seeing the light was good and separating it from the darkness God set up the concept of dualism wherein light is equated with goodness and darkness is equated with evil. That these two are opposed is evident in Christ, “The light of the world” (John 8:12) and Satan, who rules the domain of darkness (Ephesians 6:12; Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:13)

God advances this concept of dualism when He separates Israel, His chosen people (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalm 135:4; Hebrews 8:8-13) from the other nations of the world. Scripture equates believers, those called out of the world, with righteousness and opposed to those still living in darkness, unbelievers, with unrighteousness. This contrast of the righteous and unrighteous is brought to the forefront in the Psalms, Proverbs and several of Jesus Kingdom Parables (Wheat and Tares; Dragnet; Sheep and Goats.) The final judgment will mark the time when the two, good and evil, are finally separated.

In the three Kingdom Parables the separate destinies of the righteous and the unrighteous, at the end of the age judgment, is distinct. In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30) , at the harvest (End of the Age) the two are judged. The tares (Unrighteous) being found lacking are bundled and burned destined for Hell while the Wheat (Righteous) are destined to be brought into the barn (Heaven). Likewise in the Parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50), the fish that are caught when the net is drawn in (End of the Age) are judged and separated. The good fish (Righteous) are kept and placed into containers (Heaven) and the bad fish (Unrighteous) are discarded (Hell). And, in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) , “when the Son of Man” (Jesus) “comes in his glory” (End of the Age) the sheep and the goats are judged and separated. Those who, by virtue of their righteousness, were compassionate and caring, loved their neighbor, and so loved Jesus. These of “his sheep” inherit, “the kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world.” Contrasting these are those whose character was unrighteous. They lacked the compassion towards their neighbor and failed to exhibit the care and love commanded for their neighbor. Their lack of love for their neighbor is considered as a lack of love for Jesus. Jesus was clear as to their destiny, “Depart from me,you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) In verse 46, Jesus reinforces this stark degree of separation destined for the two groups, “Then they [ the unrighteous] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

As a result of their love for their neighbor, the righteous of the parable, “his sheep”, showed their love for Christ. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me,I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36-36)

Although, God’s gift of eternal life is obtained not by works but, “that we are saved by grace through faith alone,” (Ephesians 2:8-9) James makes it clear that, like the unrighteous goats of the Parable, a faith that does not exhibit good works (love for our neighbors)) is dead. (James 2:17) We would do well to do as Paul wrote the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Though these three Kingdom Parables paint a bleak picture for the unrighteous, the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats gives us a standard by which to “test ourselves.” Through God;’s Word, we can gauge whether ours is a dead faith void of love for our neighbors or if Christ’s love is indeed within us and our faith is alive.

Although we live in a world of darkness the redeemed of the Lord have been called out to be separate from the world. Our calling is to be a light to that would. The way for believers to illuminate the world of darkness is to love our God, whom we cannot see, by loving our neighbors, whom we can see, through a faith that lives. (1 John 4 20)

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31 Jan 2020

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It’s With Sad Hearts that the Family Shares the News of Doris Morris, a longtime member of the Delphi Falls community passing away on January 26, 2020.

Doris was a member of the Delphi Falls United Church, she sang in the choir, and attended Church Bible Studies and she would often witness for Jesus. She Enjoyed working on her computer and doing genealogy research. She Is Survived by her Husband of 62 Years Donald Morris, Son Art Morris(Wendy), Daughter Pearl Fuller(Donald). Doris will be buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Cazenovia.

On Sunday, February 9, 2020 the Family will hold a Celebration Of Life Gathering at the Delphi Falls Fire Dept. from 12:30 to 4:30 where friends and family can stop by and Visit and remember Doris. Donations In Memory Of Doris can be made to the Delphi Falls Fire Department or Delphi Falls United Church.

Any One Wishing To Help Out with Contributing to the small reception can contact me on what is needed at 315-243-0573

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31 Jan 2020

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Here I Am

By Pastor Barry Kerner

Having come from suburban Pittsburgh to rural Central New York, we were struck by many of the differences. It seemed that here everybody knew everybody, once in a while livestock could be seen in neighbors yards and our village’s streets and there were cornfields everywhere. Soon after moving we were invited to an outdoor picnic. Acres of cornfields surrounded our new friend’s large yard. Our oldest son was only about six then. Every so often we would glance up from our chairs on the front porch to keep an eye on him as he played with the other children. As dusk approached, I must have been deeply engaged in the conversation because when I glance up again he and several of his new friends were gone. Calling out, we asked the other children still in the yard where they had gone. We were told that they were playing hide and seek in the cornfield.

Our uneasiness grew as the sun sunk lower and there was no sight of our son or the other children. After a bit longer I walked to the edge of the cornfield and called out, “Nicholai, where are you?” I was soon joined by a few other parents calling out to their children. With the light fading we made our way into the cornfield repeatedly calling out our childrens’ names and, “Where are you?” It wasn’t until the light was almost gone that we heard,”Here I am” from Nicholai and the others. We continued to call out and made our way to them in the middle of the cornfield by following the “Here I am”s from the kids. It was pitch black by the time we all made our way back to our friend’s front yard.

Full of apprehension, it had been comforting when I first heard Nicholai respond, “Here I am.” The repeated, “Here I am”s were music to my and the other parents’ ears and lightened our heavy hearts.

In Acts chapter 9, Saul, the lead Pharisee who had been actively seeking out and persecuting Jesus’ followers in Israel and the surrounding region is in Damascus. But, Paul is blind from his encounter with Christ on the road leading to Damascus. In Acts 9:10 we are told that, “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,“Ananias!” Ananias responded “Here I am, Lord.” God sent Ananias to minister to Saul, to help restore his sight and so begin the mission to which God had called Paul.

“Here I am, Lord,” tells the Lord that we’re available to do what he says. Often though, we hear the call but don’t respond. Sometimes He tells us to simply stop and help a stranded motorist, visit an old friend or pray for someone. We want to think we’re saying “Here I am, Lord,” but so often we do not. At times we may question the ideas God gives us and come up with a myriad of excuses as to why we’re not readily available. At other times we may have tuned God out completely and are focused instead on what the world has to say.

Including Ananias, the Bible tells us of six people who answered God’s call by saying, “Here I am.”

Abraham said it when sacrificing his son Isaac in the wilderness Genesis 22.
Jacob said it twice. In Genesis 31:11 when the angel of the Lord told him to leave Laban and in Genesis 46:2 when God told him that it was alright to go to Egypt.
Moses said it in Exodus 3:4 when God called to him from the burning bush.
Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:4-8 answered when God commissioned Samuel as a prophet.
Isaiah says “Here am I” in Isaiah 6:8 when God asked, “Who shall we send.”.
Ananias, called to minister to Saul, says it in Acts 9:10.

There is another instance where David, in 2 Samuel 15:26 says he will submit to God’s will and will tell the Lord “Here I am” if the Lord intends to kill him as he is running from Absalom.

The list consists of people who made themselves available to God and submitted themselves to His purpose for them. God then used each of them to minister to others. Notice Adam isn’t on this list. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God called to Adam with the question, “Where are you?” God knew where Adam was. But, God was giving Adam a chance to step up. But having just sinned, Adam said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

God has a purpose and we have a choice. Psalm 37:23 tells us that, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16), God establishes our steps every day. What a blessing that is for those who choose to follow. God has a purpose but we have a choice.

Tune out the world and focus on what God is saying to you. Is God asking you to do something? Will you answer “Here I am, Lord?” or will you hem and haw trying to avoid taking the call. Today as you enter your workplace or any other place the Spirit leads you, know that God is actively calling for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). We worship God by doing what He says. God has a purpose and we have a choice. We can say “Here I am, Lord” as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and Ananias did and God will use us to minister to others. Or we can repeat Adam’s reaction and run from God.

Here I am is a two-way street. A “draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8) type of thing. When we step up and step out in faith, it’s as if the Divine steps up, too. Our faith and our relationship with Him are strengthened. God is calling to each one of us — not in the same way, not to the same thing — but He is calling. When you hear or are reminded He is calling, will you — can you — say “Here I am?”

The harvest is ready and the laborers are few. God is calling each of us today to some task big or small to be done in His holy name. Answering His call, we will know the joy of walking and working hand in hand with God.

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