Friday, March 18, 2022

Pastor Josue At OCC

 Alex had the Sabbath School lesson discussion.

It is almost the last Sabbath of the quarter. 

If you remember 13th Sabbath offering please turn it in in an envelope or online. The need is great all over the globe. 

It is our privilege to share for these special projects. 



Saturday, March 12, 2022

Sabbath March 5th 2022 at OCC

 The lesson study was Jesus Opens A Way Through the Veil. 

Hebrews is about assurance of salvation. How, though, must we be careful not to mistake presumption for assurance?

One thoughtful question in last weeks study. 
Thank you all for coming for the discussion time and for all who took part in it. 


Alex was our platform person for this service.

Bonnie was part of the mornings Praise Team  



Karen lead the singing for our Praise Time


Joel as a deacon collecting offering.


Lori-Anne shared a very interesting story for the story time. It was a personal story from years ago when she went snowboarding for the first time.  On the bunny hill all day she got a bit frustrated by her heading to the orange plastic fencing to keep people away from the drop off at the side of the hill. 
Finally she asked a board instructor how she can steer herself properly to keep from going that direction and his answer was simple and profound.  "Look where you want to go",  he told her. 
She tried that advice and it worked.  Now she tells her family and herself often that in life we tend to go where we are looking towards. 
Let's look to Jesus!
Thank you Lori-Anne. 




Loretta had the scripture verse for the service. 


What a nice treat to have Oliver sing for the special music.  We were impressed with his low voice now as he sang, "Lady's and Gentlemen, may I have your attention.... Champion of Love. 


We enjoyed hearing his mum Lori-Anne play the accompaniment for Oliver. 

The speaker for the morning was Frank McMiller from Rock Creek area.  His wife and youngest son were with him.



Frank spoke to us about miracles of Jesus and how we can learn from them. 
Here is a little recap of his talk. 


I am fascinated by expressions.
Some are similes using like or as...
Happy as a pig in mud.  Or happy as a lark or happy as a clam. 
Our backs against the wall.
You are in trouble...
Between a rock and a hard place.
At your wits end. 
Being in circumstances  out of your own choice. 
There is a way that seems right unto a man...
Tina and her husband are coming home from a gathering in Alberta.  She hits some slush and it pulled her in and the van rolled 4 times. 
The infant and two boys along with the  mum and dad were in the van. 
Not a scratch. 
Every airbag deployed. 
We say isn't that a miracle. 

Example 2 is very different. 
It is embarrassing  but I need to humble myself so... 
We need to depend on God and not ourselves. 

..Anarchist mountain. 
Can't see the snow covered lane lines and can't see the truck turning left but thought I could make passing the truck.  Then he knew he would hit him. 
Tried to hit a snowbank to slow me down
And I hit his rear tire and blow out my tire.  Motor is still running fine.  Dusted the glass off of ourselves and we're perfectly fine.

He must have had something more to do. 

The Bible is riddled with people whose backs against the wall.

Our extremities are God's opportunities. 

Times of helplessness are times of great hope. 
God please get us out of this. 
I can't see a way out.

No place in scripture  is in Elijah and Elisha.  
A powerful display was at mount Carmel.
1 kings 18: 21. 
It was so amazing that even the water was dried up and the stones were gone. 
Elijah went from a very high high to a very low low. 
We probably have all gone up and down like Elijah did. 
We need to master staying one to God and trusting him completely. 

Give me a double portion of God's blessing.
24 oxen pulling the wagon Elisha has Elijah s mantle on his back. 
He immediately  know God's will for him. 
He goes to say goodbye to his parents and off he goes. 

Make haste is stepping up right away for God. 

There is great value in looking at these miracles God gave the Bible people. 

Have we learned anything at all from the Israelites ?  

We can not lose the opportunities to speak up for Jesus. 

What is the source of happiness and security you have when others are confused.

Why did God have these stories in the Bible? 
We will need the faith of Elijah and Elisha. 
He smites the water and goes across.

Do you have those miracles in your life?
To encourage you.  Sure. 

2 kings.  Salt in a vessel and pours in the salt and the water is purified. 
There is no limit to the restoring  power of our living God. 

Naaman a commander and is reluctant to dip in the muddy river. 
The little slave girl mentions to Naamans wife
How he can get well. 
He finally aquessiences...reluctantly  gives in. 

Then he was clean. 

God is no respect ror of person. All are precious in his sight. 

2 king 5: 26 and 27
Gives as gifts for Elijah  a talent is 75 lbs...16 I6 inch beach ball  300, 000.00 dollars. 

He would never take those gifts but Gehazi thought it was not right to refuse the gifts and then he got the leprosy.   Greed never pays. 
We may think we are on the inside circle with God but if we lose our faith and trust we can lose God's protection.

The oil ended.  One more meal.  Elisha embarks you a plan  to get all the vessels.. He tells the family to get all the vessels  you can find and then they were  filled with oil they could then  sell it so pay off the debt. 
We may think we have little talent or funds  but that limits God and what he can do for other through you. 

The lad borrows an axe 🪓.   The ax floated to the surface.  A miracle of God. 
God will do whatever it takes to protect His reputation. 
What will I do to protect God's reputation. 



Are you willing to stand out in a crowd?
If not us who?
You keep it best by giving it away. 

Life up to the light you have. 
Share what He has done for you in your life. 

Sing like a red winged black bird and share His love. 

On a bit of a snowy hour in Kelowna on Friday March 11th. 

Enjoy your Sabbath day. 

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Thank you for joining us...

 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. 


Vicki as part of the Praise Team this Sabbath. 


 Beverly co ordinated the service this morning. 


Tammy had the story before the message from the Pastor... it was about the King of the jungle and from her time spent in Tanzania, Africa. 
 




Photos of lions taken by Tammy M. 

Thank you for sharing for our viewing pleasure. 

Thank you for taking part in this portion of the service.  

Ruby had the Bible reading before the sermon started. 



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. 


Pastor got a plastic bag and then brought out this little container and invited us to tell what it might be in there. 
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. 







Prayer in the pews... kneeling in earnest prayer for our family of God's children in Eastern Europe. 

Are you observant?  I had no idea Ruby had two different boots on until she told me outside at the parking lot.... did you notice? 
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. 


A gift from Ukraine. 

Showing us around the university at Bucha near Kiev.  Such beautiful grounds and wonderful people. 


The large church in Kiev - such a beautiful place for worship.  So well thought out with places for various people to stay and either this place or Bucha is where Hope Channel Ukraine has a home. 

Pastor Ed Teranski with Hope Channel 2016. 
Please keep Pastor Ed in your prayers as Ukraine is very very special to him.