Hopeful Story June 24, 2018

  2B blessing others is, of course, a highlight for me. It is one of the ways in which I delight in the Lord, and I believe He delights in me. But even richer is seeing that God delights in others and he asks me to be involved in delighting in them. This was so very evident on June 10 in our worship service that morning. 
  We had been immersed in a sermon series around our value of Bless Every Neighbour. The series sought to discover the many varied ways in which we do exactly that – 2B blessing others. We looked at BLESS is so many ways:

• we discovered that generosity within ourselves springs from the Gratitude in our hearts (Grace + Attitude); 
• we discovered that Every Life Matters as we looked at the story of Jacob’s family becoming Israel; 
• we learned how God the Father changed his address from the temple to our hearts so that we would bless others; 
• we blessed others as they entered into fellowship with us through transfers of membership, professions of faith, and baptism, we even blessed others as they transferred away to join other families of God; 
• tithing was researched to discover that everything we have belongs to God and in gratitude (there’s that word again) we give back to God in ways that benefits our family of God and beyond our four walls; and lastly, 
• we were challenged to become activists and/or advocates for issues of poverty as God has spoken well over 2000 times in His Word about poverty and justice issues. 

  Within this variety of messages was one other message that spoke volumes, not just to me, but very evidently to the vast majority of people gathered at Hope that morning of June 10. This message encouraged all of us to be carriers of the Very Words of God. We learned that we could speak God words as we pray with others, that we could speak God’s words of blessings into people who need to hear from God, and that we could anoint others as children of God and in so doing dedicate their lives to God. Anointing Oil was used, as over 25% of the adults came forward to be anointed in the seeking of God’s face for one aspect in their lives. Each person that came forward heard that they belong to God and he desired to give them the desires of their heart – for his honour and glory. And I, and others, were used by God to bring that message to them. We all, a family of God, are invited to bring the very words of God to others. Now that’s Hope.
- Pastor Dale