Lesson study time starts at 10 a.m. and goes through to 10:40 a.m.
Join us for this discussion time on the study of " Jesus Opens the Way Through the Veil".
Last Sabbath was another full Sabbath at OCC.
Praise Time was led by Denise, Todd and Joel K along with Tammy and Vicki. We missed Heidi and Keith and girls.
So nice to to have a happy team leading us in singing.
Photos of lions taken by Tammy M.
Thank you for sharing for our viewing pleasure.
Before starting the sermon Pastor Josue asked us how we were feeling this morning. Answers were varied... great, doing well, glad to be here, concerned...
We were feeling a sense of shock that Ukraine was under attack and Pastor invited three people to offer prayer, as we knelt, to tell Jesus how much we want Him to be with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and Russia, Poland and Romania during this worrisome time. It was a very special time in prayer.
Guesses were salt, sugar, etc until someone said yeast, which was correct.
Yeast is a leavening agent for raised doughs.
In the Bible it is also used to be likened to sin. It was not in the bread made before the children of Israel left Egypt.
Leaven from the Pharisees. It is the symbol of sin or evil or sinful life.
Jesus was preaching or story-telling to the multitude on the mountainside and when they were hungry after hours and hours of listening a young boy shared his simple lunch. 5 loaves and 2 fish.
In His hands that little lunch turned into enough to feed about 20,000 people WITH 12 basketsful left over.
It was awesome.
It was not a lot of food to start with.
Jesus had compassion on the people as they had been with Him for three days.
Not long later another crowd was listening to Jesus When hunger was evident the disciples seemed to have forgotten the short time ago when Jesus fed so many.
This time He again blessed the bread and a group of about 14,000 were satisfied with a small amount of food eaten by all.
Mark says there were two events.
The disciples needed to make a decision.
Jesus being aware of it asked them why they saw the miracles but still did not understand?
"How do you not understand?"
They experienced the miracles.
You don't forget.
There are special things God has done for you that you don't quickly forget.
But when the crowd was hungry their reaction was, "Oops, I forgot the food."
There were two things happening... the awareness of what was happening and the faith involved.
They saw Him healing people - why did they not understand.
The pandemic, the war in Ukraine... various things in life... where are our minds?
"I have things to tell you, but you are not ready for them, "Jesus said.
He has things for us to do, but we might not be ready yet.
He wants our minds and hearts to be ready.
Sometimes the mind or attention is not in the right place. Pastors might be doing so many things, busy doing that they might not be aware of just what it is that God intends for them to do.
"I was going through getting ready etc for next week classes, but the invasion was on my mind, so I started to pray. As I prayed passionately for other my thinking was changed.
Normal things like getting gas and groceries were on my mind but when God grips us now I start feeling for others more Christ like thoughts. I got an impression to go and pray for a person. This person was in great emotional need and Somebody was already looking out for them. He has their back."
The Bible says He will go through the valley of the shadow of death with us and not leave us there.
When Gehazi was Elijah's servant and he was concerned but then Elijah prayed and Gehazi's eyes were opened he saw not the army all surrounding them but a vast amount of angels all around.
Misinformation is not correct.
Don't listen to it.
"When there was war in El Salvador I was a kid and it was pretty exciting for me." It was not exciting for his mum at all. She was in the closet afraid. Our family of ten was pretty scared mostly except for his Dad. His dad was calm. He was so at peace with God that he did not care what happened.
In the end all of his family were ok but he remembers the peace his Dad had.
Pray for Ukraine and Russia... for peace of their hearts and minds.
Give us trust and peace!!
Joel and Todd play music along with Vicki on the piano for the closing hymn to end the service.
What fun we enjoyed for a few minutes smiling together...
Looks just fine to me... her smiling face is best.
Please keep on praying for Joe T and Shirley and so many more we have in our hearts and minds who needs healing from illness and emotional hurts and also our need of Christ leading our lives.
Please keep Pastor Ed in your prayers as Ukraine is very very special to him.
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