The
Messiah’s Secret – Showers of Blessings
In this morning’s service a short poem before we said sorry to the Lord our God for our wrongdoings. Two members of congregation involved: one saying slowly the poem while the other mimed it with the boxes.
Two Boxes
I
have in my hands two boxes which God gave me to hold.
He
said, “Put all your sorrows in the black and all your joys in the gold.”I heeded His words, and in the two boxes both my joys and my sorrows I store.
But
though the gold became heavier each day, the black was as light as before. With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why and I saw
in the base of the box, a hole which my
sorrows had fallen out by,
I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, “I
wonder where my sorrows could be.”
God
smiled a gentle smile at me. “My child, they’re all hear with me.”
I
asked, “God, why give me the boxes, why the gold, and the black with the
hole?”
“My
child, the gold is for you to count your blessings and the black is for you to
let go.”
After the readings a Christmas Quiz followed by my short talk
The adverts on TV before Christmas do not tell us why we give gifts to each other. As Christians we recognise that the giving of gifts is to bless one another, it is in
recognition of God giving his Son as a precious gift to the world and it is Jesus' birthday.
Mary and Joseph had been blessed by the visit of the shepherds bringing the message from the angels “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”
Jesus as we know was the shepherd that Jeremiah had spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures reading. Jeremiah prophesied great joy and peace as the Lord, the shepherd, came to redeem his people, gathering them from far and wide. Blessing them like a well watered garden, flourishing in the presence of their Saviour.
When Jesus grew up he declared God's message of peace and a new beginning, he showered blessings on all the people who came to him from far and wide they received healing and miracles took place.
Even though these signs were evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, however, John records that the leaders of Israel did not recognise him.
But John wrote in verse 12 "Yet to all who receive him. To those who believe on his name he gave the right to become children of God."
Mary and Joseph had been blessed by the visit of the shepherds bringing the message from the angels “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”
Jesus as we know was the shepherd that Jeremiah had spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures reading. Jeremiah prophesied great joy and peace as the Lord, the shepherd, came to redeem his people, gathering them from far and wide. Blessing them like a well watered garden, flourishing in the presence of their Saviour.
When Jesus grew up he declared God's message of peace and a new beginning, he showered blessings on all the people who came to him from far and wide they received healing and miracles took place.
Even though these signs were evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, however, John records that the leaders of Israel did not recognise him.
But John wrote in verse 12 "Yet to all who receive him. To those who believe on his name he gave the right to become children of God."
Yet all who
receive Jesus become children of God,
That
means for anyone today, who is seeking God will find him in Jesus. In faith we
simply ask him into our heart, and he will come in. Jesus has promised that
those who ask in faith and love, he and his Father will come and make their
home within them. John 14: 23.
In John 1 verse 14 ‘The word made flesh,’ Jesus the living word, established Jeremiah’s
new covenant in himself. Jesus had the very nature of God, grace and truth.
Further on in Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 33, 34. The New Covenant.
Further on in Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 33, 34. The New Covenant.
“But this is the covenant which I will make with
the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon
their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbour and each his
brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all. know me, from the least of them to the
greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no
more.”
The law was written in Jesus’ heart, we recognise this when he
healed people on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees and Sadducees suggested he was
engaging in sin by healing on the Sabbath Day. But Jesus said that it was right to do
good on the Sabbath Day. Matthew 12: 12.
Love has no boundaries in doing good, and feels how God feels about
sin.
We have entered into new covenant where God has written his law into
our heart so we can discern what God would have us do in a situation. When we get things wrong, we say sorry to God and he remembers our sin no more.
Having received Jesus we are being blessed by him.
John
1:16 “ From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after
another.”
Personal
blessings that follow coming into the Lord’s family, we receive kindness,
helping one another and sharing God’s love.
Ezekiel
prophesied “And I will make them and the places about my holy hill a blessing;
and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of
blessing.”
Expounded in a well known hymn by Daniel W Whittle
1. “There shall be showers of
blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Chorus:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops
round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
Every Christian experiences mercy drops personal blessings from God in both living out our lives in the world and in the church. The showers in the hymn are a prayer in song in order to bring revival. Our prayer is for the Lord to send prolonged showers to bring many people to faith.
But for the showers we plead.
Every Christian experiences mercy drops personal blessings from God in both living out our lives in the world and in the church. The showers in the hymn are a prayer in song in order to bring revival. Our prayer is for the Lord to send prolonged showers to bring many people to faith.
Visual Aid Weather Report for week.
In our region of Lancashire we have a high rainfall.
The 5 day weather forecast for 4th – 9th January 2015.
‘Each day there will be showers especially in the North West of England, the showers will be prolonged later on in the week.
We have had showers of blessing from the Lord in the 1800’s there was a mini revival at Stacksteads and over the last twelve years there has been a mini revival among the Church youth in bringing young people to Christ.
2. There shall be showers of blessing .
Precious reviving again;
over the hills and valleys, the sound of abundant rain.
How we long for people in our community to seek God like the shepherds and the wise men went to find the Christ-child, for them to know that God really does exist and has shown us his love for us all in Jesus.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honour Thy Word.
We have a Saviour who is able to do exceedingly more abundantly than we ask or think, through his very great and precious promises”
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians 1: 20 “For all promises find their “Yes,” in Jesus.” And in his letter to the church at Ephesus 1:3 “Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” The Lord Jesus keeps his word to us and will fulfil his promises to us.
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians 1: 20 “For all promises find their “Yes,” in Jesus.” And in his letter to the church at Ephesus 1:3 “Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” The Lord Jesus keeps his word to us and will fulfil his promises to us.
5 There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
As we confess our faith to those who don’t know God, we call on Jesus to confirm his promise to them that all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10: 9.10.
6. There shall be showers of
blessing,
If
we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons
refreshing,
If
we let God have His way.
The response to this verse is personal to each of us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the New Covenant in Jesus and for the gift of Jesus and your Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The shepherds went to Bethlehem to find the babe and as the wise men sought to find Jesus by following a star. Our earnest desire is for your blessings showered upon our community as you put on people’s hearts to seek you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Following talk we sang Daniel W Whittle's Hymn 'Showers of Blessings.' and the service continued with Creed and prayers. Invitation offered for prayer at conclusion of service.
Peom taken rom ‘A Barrel of Fun’ by J John and Mark Stibbe, Monarch Books.
(For a more expounding of the word go to: my blog www.messiahs-secret-revealed.co.uk)
Following talk we sang Daniel W Whittle's Hymn 'Showers of Blessings.' and the service continued with Creed and prayers. Invitation offered for prayer at conclusion of service.
Peom taken rom ‘A Barrel of Fun’ by J John and Mark Stibbe, Monarch Books.
(For a more expounding of the word go to: my blog www.messiahs-secret-revealed.co.uk)
