December 23, 2018

Morning Meeting

• Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18 & 22 
• Hymn 213 - On Calvary we’ve adoring stood
• Scripture: Exodus 19:1-14 - I was thinking of the dispensation of the law here we have God giving the law to Moses. This does not sound like what we read in the passage in Peter. We are thinking of the blessed one. Born of a woman born under the law. He created a deliverance to bring us to God. 
• Hymn 189 - O God of matchless grace, 
• Prayer 
• Hymn 215 - O solemn hour! O hour alone. 
• Scripture: 1 Peter 2:24 
• Breaking of Bread 
• Hymn 146 - We bless our Saviour’s name
• Prayer

Children’s Meeting: Norman Burgess

Acts 9

We hear this story called “Saul’s Conversion.” A conversion is when one gets saved or comes to know Christ as their Saviour. People also like to say that it means that the person turned around. Saul use to be a Jew but he turned around and became Christian.

Currently we are at the part of Saul’s conversion where he is on the way to Damascus and God speaks to him. Saul hears a voice speak out of a bright light as if from heaven. The voice is clearly talking to him. It calls his name twice. It asks Saul why he is persecuting Him. God’s spirit connects us to Him if we are saved. So when Saul was killing Christians he was hurting God. Not only does God’s spirit connect us to Him; but also to other Christians. It’s called the body of Christ. Here Saul is learning that and later he goes on to preach it. 

Saul was a bold man; but now he’s trembling. Trembling he asks God what he wants him to do. He realizes that he works for someone else now. Later in the chapter God calls Saul a chosen vessel. God chose Saul to be an apostle for Him. 

When everything was over and the light was gone, Saul finds out that he’s blind. He stayed blind for three days. Next time we will find out what happens to blind Saul.

Reading Meeting

John 8:12-32

Most of this chapter is a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees didn’t really know the Lord. They were challenging Him because they didn’t understand. How much do we know about the Lord? We are creatures of time, space, and matter, but the Lord isn’t bound by any of those. He did created them, though. Our humanity understands time, space, and matter, but when we look at the Lord, we can’t comprehend eternity, endless space, and spirit. The Pharisees were witnessing the eternal Son of God and they couldn’t figure Him out. They accused Him of lying, but we find in Him the embodiment of truth. They couldn’t understand and they wouldn’t believe.

There is a heaven and an earth and Jesus is the sent One from God. The law said that truth was established by two or three witnesses. Jesus and His Father were witnesses. Hence, His record of Himself is true. To the Pharisees, His father was back in Nazareth. He spoke of the temple as His Father’s house. The treasury was probably the room they had collected all their treasures in, but Jesus was the greatest treasure in that room. He is the treasure of all treasures. The words He spoke were just as valuable. It is comforting to know that this message comes from God - the Most High.

Hymn 323 - There’s a Friend for little children

Prayer