Are You a Good Christian?

Pastor Lorne started his message on Sunday, Nov 23rd by talking about the apostle Paul. He said Paul had travelled all over and had seen many things and yet, of all the things he’d seen, he only wanted to know Christ.

He said we are members of the Pentecostal Assembly of Canada. But, are we good Pentecostals or Christians? Is he, as our pastor a good Pentecostal? Are you a good Pentecostal?

What is the actual requirement to be a good Pentecostal or Christian?

Rose called out ‘a good steward’. (laughter)

Pastor Lorne said, ‘Rose has been to bible Study!’ (more laughter)

But, he continued, what does it require to be a good Christian or a good child of God?

John 14:15-17 says, 15’If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’ So, we have to be a person of God’s Holy Spirit.

Rom 8:9 9’You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.’ And so, again, it emphasizes the Son of God lives in us. That’s what makes the difference in our lives. We aren’t controlled by our sinful nature but by God’s Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 Before Jesus was taken into heaven, He instructed his disciples to wait and this is the statement He made: 8‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

We know being a Pentecostal or a good Christian means the Son of God has come into your life to be a power of strength and witness to Him. The Son of God is a big part of our Christian life. He leads and directs us. You might be in a situation where you’re drawing a blank. You can’t think of any appropriate words to say to someone. And then a certain scripture or certain words come into your mind. Do you believe it’s the Son of God?

The Holy Spirit can be there to direct you and lead you and give you the knowledge you need at that certain time. The disciples were called to give a reason for their faith. You don’t have to worry about it because the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say when you need to say them. As a good Pentecostal, as a good Christian – when you are confronted in a situation you don’t have the resources for, the Holy Spirit will be there to give you the right words to say.

Pastor Lorne said he believes the Holy Spirit will come into our lives at the time we need him.

It is so important for people of God who desire to be ‘a good Christian’ to know that God and His Son and the Holy Spirit are there to live with you, to direct your life and lead your life.

A good Christian or a good Pentecostal – is also a person of faith. We’ve heard testimonies of faith.

Heb 11:6 says 6‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ We, as children of God, need to have that trust. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

1 John 5:4 says 4‘For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.’ And so again, the scripture talks about how we can overcome the things of this world. It gives us the power and strength to stand above these things. It says we can experience victory that overcomes the world. To be a good Christian, we need to be people of faith.

Romans 5: 1-2 says, ‘1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.’ Grace is received from God. We don’t buy it. We don’t earn it. We can’t work for it. But, by faith, we receive it.

To be the person God wants us to be, we need to step out in faith.

Because of faith, things have happened. People have been healed. People have been helped. A person who is a good Christian is saved by grace. By grace alone. Pastor Lorne said he’s so thankful for that. He said you’ve all experienced it before. He said everything he’s talking about here today, you’re already doing it and he knows you’ll continue to do it.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says 4‘But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.’ Grace is a gift of God. Our salvation and to be a good Christian, we need to be saved by grace.

Titus 3: 5 5‘He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.’ Because of His mercy. Because of his grace.

So, to be a good Pentecostal or a good Christian, we need to be people of the Holy Spirit and people of faith - totally trusting Him above all else. We also need to realize that we are saved by grace through faith.

Pastor Lorne said he believes someday you are going to hear the words - ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant' - when you stand before the Lord.

We don’t know when it is. He’s coming back a lot sooner than we might think and he’s coming back for those who trust in Him. Are you ready?

If you would like to speak to Pastor Lorne about this, please email .

Who is Jesus? Find answers at: http://www.who-jesus-is.com/

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Youth Report - Wrecked

Last Sunday, Pastor Lorne invited 3 members of the Youth Group to give a report on what they were up to the week before when they attended Wrecked at the Regina Youth Retreat. (Jason, a 4th mbr also went but wasn’t at church on Sunday.)

This was going to just be a small part at the top of the blog but as I transcribed it, I realized Jessica’s report was enough for a post alone, so this will be the Youth Report and the next post will be Pastor Lorne’s message.

Nick said he was involved with the Evangelism workshop. He said the leader told them how they go to different houses sharing their faith. He also showed them videos and a commercial. Nick said they watched a Daffy Duck cartoon. It showed that things don’t always go your way. Another video he remembered was something about Germans (I believe he meant Hitler) and how things aren’t always what they appeared to be. Apparently, the video showed a normal vehicle but it had springs underneath. Boing.

Next, Samantha spoke about attending a workshop on art. She was told to draw what God put on her heart to draw and then to interpret it in a ‘God’ way. She showed us a picture with what looked like a dark frame around the outside. Sam said we are like that when we try not to let God in. The middle of the picture was a collage of colors. Sam said God wants us to be happy when we believe in Him.

Finally, Jessica spoke about ‘A Glimpse of Street Invaders’ which is a micro-version of the Youth Missions program, Street Invaders based out of Eston where our youth group attend a retreat each Spring. For the actual Street Invaders program, youth attend a one week training session before hitting the streets, in communities across Canada and share their faith.

For this micro-version, however, they condensed a three week program into a 4 hr workshop. The first hour on Fri night was spent getting to know about Street Invaders, listening to the leaders share their faith, and taking part in practical exercises. The leaders stressed you had to keep praying for each other.

On Sat, the youth broke into 5 teams and went out to work the Street Invaders program.

Jessica said:

One team went to Sobey’s, the grocery store, to bag and carry people’s groceries and they also handed out free hotdogs. They said this was really interesting because they were aiming people who weren’t really that poor and everyone was saying, ‘Well, why are you giving me free food? I don’t need it’ and stuff. And they (the team) were working that way.

There was one team that went to Victoria Park and they had a sign that said, ‘Free Hot Chocolate, Free Donuts, Free Prayer’. So, they were handing out free hot chocolate, free donuts, and they had a really good opportunity—there was one man who was drunk and he was talking to them about God and how he used to be a Christian but then his son died. They (the team) were really ministering to him.

The 3rd team went to the University and they had a survey. The guy who was leading this team goes to the University a lot and really has a heart for the University ministry and he uses the surveys to get people talking about God and aware of their faith.

The 4th team was the one Jason was a part of and they went to a church in North Central Regina where they have a youth program where every Sat. The youth come and they give them a free meal and play all these games with them. After, the leader of that team said Jason was really shy at first but in the end, he was the one going to the other kids and getting them to participate and was building friendships with them. And he (Jason) was really excited about them and was telling me after, that he was playing basketball and competing with them and how they were asking him about God, and he seemed to enjoy that.

My team was called The Love Bus. I don’t remember the name of the church, but they have a program every Sat (* see below) where they take the bus and go to all these different houses in Regina where these kids live. These kids are living under impoverished conditions and are really poor. They pick them up and bring them to a park in Regina, give them all a free lunch, play with them for an hour, pray with them, then they go back.

But, because this was on the Sat of the Rider game, they didn’t have enough volunteers to do what they usually do, because they all had season tickets. This jived with our schedule so it ended up working really well. So, we did what they call house visits. We took the van because we didn’t have enough people for the Love Bus, and we went to the church first and we helped them make these lunches. We made 48 lunches and each one had a sandwich, a juice box and cookies and candy. So, we made all these lunches and then went out to all these different houses. We’d go there and Donna, the woman running it, would get these kids to come out. We’d stand in the yard because their parents were in the house and they didn’t really feel comfortable with us going in. So, we’d stand in the yard and just play games with them and get to know them. One girl loved to sing so she was telling us about all these songs she’d written about God. We played tag with them, and catch with one kid and this one guy was showing us his stuff and we really got to know them. We’d give them their lunch and pray with them before going on to the next house.

And, it was really crazy because I was with 5 other girls on my team. We were with out leader, Craig. It was really funny because every single girl on my team absolutely loved to sing so, in the vehicle between the houses, we were all singing these songs and Craig was laughing because he doesn’t really like to sing at all, but he enjoyed listening to us. And we’d go to these houses and the kids like to sing, too and we were singing songs with them.

The Love Bus program doesn’t always have enough volunteers to pick up the kids every Sat, but they make sure that every Sunday, they use the bus to pick up all the kids and bring them to church for Sunday School. So, they (the kids) know all these children’s church songs we were singing with them.

Craig is a Bible school student and he’s been on mission trips to Africa and all over the world and he was saying these kids in Regina were in the worst condition he’s ever seen. Even worse than Africa. Like, you’d go to their houses and there was garbage all over the yard and the windows were boarded up because they didn’t have any glass in them. In this one house, they were missing a pane of glass in the middle of the door and the kids didn’t open the door, they’d just run through the pane of glass because there was nothing there. Every house we’d go to, the kids would be bursting out the door as soon as we got there and they didn’t have shoes or proper coats or whatever, so, they’d be bursting out the door and they’d be so excited to see us and just wanted to get to know us.

And, it was really awesome and really encouraging because these people in the program make sure—every time they’re there—they tell them about the word of God and pray for them and these kids were really growing. And, some of them—like there were two 12 yr olds we went to and they are set to become leaders in their church and they grew up in horrible conditions—their mothers are prostitutes or on drugs and these kids are growing up and learning about God.

So yup, that’s what I did.

Pastor Lorne thanked the youth for their reports and we showed our appreciation by applause to these kids who are young ambassadors for our church. Lori led us in a prayer for the youth and teenagers who serve God and witness for Him.

* Just Kidding - This outreach is for inner city children who are picked up on a bus on Saturdays. They are treated to snacks, singing, games and the gospel. They need volunteers to drive the bus (class 2 license), donations of treats and Christmas gifts. For more info, go here http://www.loveliveshereregina.com/

If you’d like more info on Street Invaders, go here http://www.streetinvaders.ca/index.html

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Words for Life: My Times are in Your Hands

Dianne Bonk is guest blogging today with her Words for Life column :

This past month we have been given the opportunity to vote. We are fortunate enough to live in a democracy where we have the right to choose our government. Sometimes we feel that we are inundated with all kinds of political views and promises, trying to persuade us to their way of thinking. We have just had our Federal election, and this week we are listening to the results of the American election. We can get caught up in the debate, become strongly emotional over specific issues, or become nonchalant and not give any care to the event. We can have our own opinions, but ultimately the persuasion of political preference we choose will deal with the issues.

So, why bother to vote? It is our right and responsibility to voice our choice. But how can we know whom to choose? And how does my faith in God apply to my vote?

David said in Psalms 31 that he had put his trust in God. He affirmed that God was indeed His God, and that his times are in His hands. When David become King of Israel, he reaffirmed that commitment, and even though he stumbled along the way, God was always near, ready to help him in times of trouble.

Now, how does this apply to us? Well, individually, we can commit our times into God’s hands. And we can choose to pray for the leaders of our governments. In fact, we are encouraged to pray for the leaders of our country. All the complaining in the world will not have as much effect on conditions around us as will a quarter hour of prayer! God is mindful that we are men, that we need his care, and his wisdom.

Religion and Politics? Some say they don’t mix. But, yes they do if we commit our times into God’s hands, pray for our leaders, live lives that are exemplify good values, and affirm that God is in control.

Your Father is Waiting With Open Arms

Scripture: Luke 15

Sunday, Nov 9th was Pastor Appreciation Day.

On behalf of the congregation, Murray thanked Pastor Lorne and Dianne for their faithful service.

Maurice Giroux delivered the message so Pastor Lorne could sit in the pew, relax and enjoy a much deserved day off.

Maurice started by thanking Pastor Lorne for giving him the opportunity to spread his wings. He said we were sort of his guinea pigs. (laughter)
He said we may have guessed from the Scripture reading that today’s message was on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here is Maurice’s message:

Luke chapter 15 has a theme of lost things. There’s the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, more commonly known as the Prodigal Son.

Luke 15:1 and 2 says, ‘Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

That really bothered the Pharisees. As far as they were concerned, they could tell a lot from an individual from the company that person kept. The Pharisees considered tax collectors to be religiously unclean, disloyal, dishonest and disreputable. As agents working for the Roman Emperor, they were equal to pariah. But the Pharisees considered themselves to be very diligent observers of the law. As religious leaders, they claimed to know God and were offended by the kind of people Jesus attracted.

It is precisely these types of people Jesus wants to address. He tells these 3 parables in an attempt for the Pharisees to see themselves in these stories by metaphorically putting a mirror before them.

The Pharisees, in fact, know far less about themselves and God than they really think they do. I want to focus mainly on the 3rd story Jesus tells the Pharisees: The Story of the Prodigal Son. The previous 2 stories of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin cannot even be compared to the anguish of a parent’s heart when a child goes missing. And a very different yet real panic when a grown child wanders morally or spiritually.

So, we get back to the story of the prodigal son asking his father for his share of his inheritance. Some experts in Middle Eastern culture said the young man is really expressing a wish for his father to die. A father could initiate a discussion about inheritance, but never a son. No doubt a tense discussion would have taken place—each one producing reasons and arguments to back up his wishes. The father finally relented and agreed to divide his estate. Two thirds going to the older brother and one third to the younger one, as was required of Jewish law up to that date.

And so, the younger son leaves home determined to be totally independent. His intention at that point was to cut all ties with his family and past. When the reference to a distant country is made, it can only mean Gentile country characterized by pagan values. The story goes on to say that he squandered his wealth on wild living. He might have been living a fairytale life but his real life choices brought consequences. Furthermore, bad choices usually bring bad consequences. His money runs out and the reality of real life drives him to desperation. By now he’s hungry and he’s willing to hire himself out to work on a hog farm.

Can you see the irony here? Jewish law forbids him to eat pork, yet here he is willing to eat anything put out for the pigs and even compete with them for something to eat.

As far as the Pharisees were concerned, the story could have ended right there. They would’ve said, ‘Well, that’s what happens to a sinner’. Or, they might have said, ‘He’s getting what he deserves’. Or, they might also have said, ‘He should’ve stayed there until he comes to his senses.

But Jesus is the one telling the story and he’s only half done telling it. He tells the second half of the story in such a way because he wants the Pharisees to see themselves in the older son who stayed home. And to see the parallel that the father represents Almighty God – The Father.

So, we pick up the story of the young man competing with the pigs for some food to put in his empty stomach. The story says the son does come to his senses. He was beginning to understand the glories of his father’s house. He desperately wanted to be back home even if he had to be a hired servant. In his heart of hearts, he knew he could claim nothing more. And, he was okay with that. He knew he was going to be talked about, criticized, and made fun of by the local community. But, if that was the price, he was more than willing to pay it.

But, we know from the story that this father is no ordinary figure who disowned his son and shoved him out of his heart because when the boy is a long way off, the father sees him coming home. This is where the story takes a sharp turn. The Pharisees are not ready for this part – nor do they agree with it.

Here is a father who is not only willing to receive his son, he has been looking for him. He runs down the road to greet him: he has a special robe for him, a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. ‘Bring the fattened calf’ he said for this is indeed a special occasion ‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' (v23,24)

The Pharisees really had a problem with this part of the story. This boy should not win his father’s approval so easily. And it would be reasonable for this boy to do a period of penance before any celebration should take place. But as Jesus tells the story, the father is God the Father and he just painted a word picture describing grace. God celebrates over the child who has come to life. He doesn’t just accept the prodigal son, he rejoices with him. This is a god the Pharisees do not know.

Quite often, the story ends here, but there’s another character in the story you don’t often hear too much about and that’s the older son. He’s out working in the field and when his workday comes to an end and he heads back home, he hears music and dancing. After asking a servant, he finds out his younger brother is back home, safe and sound. He becomes quite angered. His father comes out to plead with him to join in the celebration, but he absolutely refuses. This older son has a duty here as a special occasion and that is to act as his father’s special assistant as a co-host but he has no intention of playing such a role. He makes it quite clear he disapproves of his father’s actions. In a nutshell, this son would rather not have the fellowship with his father than accept his father’s treatment of his younger brother.

This is how it’s revealed in the story: The Pharisees would not have fellowship with Jesus because of his treatment to people the Pharisees considered to be lowlife. By taking this approach, they were putting themselves outside the Father’s house.

I just want to read to you a brief passage from a book that really gave a lot of insights to this whole story. It’s by Gary Inrig:

'But there was a fascinating omission in the story – there is no ending. Did the older brother enter or not? We are not told because that is precisely the issue the Lord set before the Pharisees. And, before us. To reject the Father’s gracious treatment of the most unworthy of Him is to deceive ourselves about our need for grace and to forfeit the fellowship with God that is based on grace alone.

As long as the Pharisees stayed angry at the grace shown to sinners, they stood outside the Father’s house.

The awful possibility is that we too can be in the Father’s field as servants but not really in His house as sons or that we daughters. We may be moral and respectable, but because we have never truly known the Father, who is loving, gracious and welcoming, we are like the older brother. To such, the Father’s appeal is, ‘Come in’.

Or, we may be in a far country, scattering the resources to which He is ultimately the giver. Perhaps the money has run out, the famine has come in, and we have reached the pig pen. We despair of ever being accepted in the Father’s house. To all such, the Lord’s story shouts, ‘Come home’.

The bottom line is this – what we know of God is seeing in how we view ourselves as lost and how we view others as lost.

God’s heart aches over those who are lost. God’s heart rejoices over those who are found. How well you know Him is revealed by whether or not we ache and rejoice as He does.'

If you'd like to speak to Maurice about this topic, please email.

Who is Jesus? Find answers at: http://www.who-jesus-is.com/
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Are You a Good Samaritan?

Scripture: Luke 30:25-37

Next Sunday – Nov 12th, is Pastor Appreciation Day and Pastor Lorne said he wanted us to know it was his privilege to be our Pastor. He said there are challenges but it’s his and Dianne’s privilege to be able to walk through those times with us.

He also said the church is blessed to have people willing to lead worship and teach Sunday School and to step in whenever there’s a need. He said when you listen to the words in the songs of praise and worship, you realize what a privilege it is to be able to live for and serve Him.

He said the message was meant to encourage you and he wanted to start by telling a little story. It’s about a minister who told his congregation his topic for the next week’s sermon was going to be ‘lying’. In preparation, he wanted everyone to read the 14th chapter of Hebrews. So the next Sunday, he asked who read Hebrews 14 and a lot of people put up their hands. That set up his message on ‘Liars’ real good because Hebrews only has 13 chapters. (chuckles)

Pastor Lorne said in Luke 10 we find the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’. Verse 25 says, ‘On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself’." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Pastor Lorne said we might ask that question, too.

Then, Jesus went into the story of The Good Samaritan.

Pastor Lorne said you know this story: This man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho – he imagined him to be a Jewish man – and along the way, some thieves—robbers—jumped out, knocked him down, beat him up, took everything he had and the Bible says, left him half dead on the side of the road.

Pastor Lorne said he’s just paraphrasing it but a priest came along and the Bible says he walked around the man and kept going. And then a Levite did the same thing: walked around the man and kept going. And then a Samaritan came. Now, the Samaritans and the Jews didn’t get along very well. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews. He said this happens in many countries where aboriginals are sometimes treated as second class citizens. That’s what was happening here but the Bible says the Samaritan stopped and picked him up.

He said we’ll pick it up here in v33: ‘But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.’ So, the Samaritan say the man, saw the need, and felt pity for him. He felt like he had to do something for him.

Have you ever had that happen? Pastor Lorne reminded us of the time he was having coffee and saw a man who looked like he might be in need and out of nowhere, a pastor (whom PL new) stepped forward and offered the man help, said he’d get him a room for the night and a ride in the morning. This pastor was being a Good Samaritan – he looked after the man’s needs. That’s important.

Pastor Lorne said a man went into a town, much the size of Glenavon, and drove around and there were 4 churches in that town. And you could tell the churches were having a hard time; the buildings weren’t been kept up and there weren’t that many cars in the parking lot on Sunday morning. So, he asked a lady from one of the churches, ‘How’s your church doing?’ And the lady replied, ‘Not very good...but thank God not of the other churches are either.’ (Groans)

But, he continued, this wasn’t the Good Samaritan’s idea. He stopped, had pity on the man, then did something about it. Even though it cost him, he poured oil and wine on the man, tied us his wounds, put him on his donkey and took him to an inn. Overnight, he cared for this man. Probably brought him water, changed his dressing, made him comfortable, did whatever he needed. Pastor Lorne said, “If you’ve looked after someone who was sick, you know what I’m talking about.”

When morning came, the Good Samaritan had to leave. So, he went to the innkeeper, gave him 2 silver coins and told him to look after the wounded man. He said when he returned, he would reimburse him for any extra expense he may have had.

Pastor Lorne said this is really going the extra mile. He could’ve just got the bleeding stopped, bandaged him up, and left him on the side of the road to wait for someone else to come along - maybe with a wagon to take him in. But no, he didn’t say, I’ve done my part now someone else can take over. Instead, he looked after him all night, and did what he could the next day even.

Pastor Lorne said he read that passge over and over and it struck him that this man really new what it was to give. He didn’t just throw a cheque out because he had a big bank account and it wouldn’t make much difference to him. Instead, he became involved and gave of his time as well as his money.

Pastor Lorne said he had a chance to meet the new General Superintendant of our church and his big thing is relationships. He doesn’t look at the Fellowship as a big blanket, but he looks at you as individuals and how we need to make relationships with people and be there to bless and to help and in cases, to lead to the Lord.

And, that’s what this Samaritan was all about. It was a relationship with him. It wasn’t throwing money at the problem, or going to tell someone else about the problem. It was becoming involved and developing a relationship with this wounded man. We don’t know if the man was unconscious or could communicate, but the Samaritan did all those things to help this man who most likely, if the tide was turned the other way around, wouldn’t have helped him because he was a despised Samaritan. Pastor Lorne said that, to him, was real giving and real generosity.

In v36, Jesus asks, ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Pastor Lorne says there are people in our own congregation who do things like that. People who will stop and help someone... become involved in their life for a little while. He said it’s a great thing to have people giving and showing the love of Christ.

He mentioned a man he knew who’d sit in his living room and watch the highway, about a quarter of a mile away. If he saw a hitchhiker, he’d go pick him up, bring him home, give him a meal. More often than not, he’d buy him a bus ticket, put him on the bus and send him to where he was going.

Acts of generosity and kindness that make a big difference in people’s lives. Maybe talk to them about the Lord. Maybe pray with them. And, it would make such a big difference in lives of people to know that this person has a real relationship with God

Pastor Lorne said he just wanted to leave you with this because he knows you are already doing it and not to be afraid to become involved in being a Good Samaritan because he knows God will bless you and what you’ll receive will be a lot more than what you give out.

He said he knows some people whose whole purpose is to get whatever they can out of live. They are like octopuses with their hands out and they’re just taking and taking. And the more they take, it seems, the more they have to take. And it’s because there’s no satisfaction. There’s this big hole and they keep sucking and sucking. He said he actually feels sorry for these people. There whole lives are spent seeing how much money they can make. If they need to run over somebody to do it, they will. They’ll just grab and take yet there’s no satisfaction there.

The Bible talks about putting money in a bag with holes. Or the wind just blowing it away.

Pastor Lorne said when we realize the goodness of God and know that He has everything—Scripture says he has cattle on a thousand hills—that our acts of generosity aren’t going to be bleak. We’re His resource, His children. And, He can just pour down His blessings upon you until you can’t contain them – until they’re almost too much.

Pastor Lorne said awhile back, a lady from the spa in Moose Jaw phoned him and said he and Dianne had a room all paid for whenever they wanted. Pastor Lorne said that was pretty nice. He asked if she could tell him who paid for it and she said she’d better not. (chuckles) He said it was Dianne’s birthday in a couple days, so he brought her down and they were given one of the nice, new rooms – a huge room with a balcony. He said they had a great time but he still has no idea who paid for it. He said he even tried to ask at the front desk who did it but the clerk wouldn’t tell him, either. Pastor Lorne said it was a blessing from God and it was just great.

He said the blessings from God are great...how he works in our lives and does things. He said the other day he was trying to break up clumps of hay and he turned a corner and a wheel fell off the cultivator. He said he was so close to being done...so he went up and picked the wheel up and there lying beside the wheel was this long pry bar that he’d lost about 6 yrs ago. He said he’d thought he’d broke the axle, but just a nut had fallen off – not a hard thing to fix but because of it, he found his tool.

Pastor Lorne said God has a way of blessing us and making things happen in our lives. He said he doesn’t think we can ever ‘out-gift’ God and that if you open up your heart and show God that you can be a witness for Him, He’ll give you the opportunity to show His goodness to others...that Jesus died for you – loved you so much that He gave his life for you.

The cross was the ultimate sacrifice. God couldn’t have given any more. He sent heaven’s best to this earth. Not only to live among us, teach us and heal our sick, but to give His life so that you and I could have a personal relationship with God. And one day, spend eternity with Him.

If you would like to speak to Pastor Lorne about this, please email .
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