SEARCHLIGHT

  JULY 4, 2024 Psalm 25:14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. “Fear” and “friendship.” Those words normally don’t go together. How can the “friendship of the Lord” be for those who “fear him”? Doesn’t fear cause us to run away or avoid something or someone? Isn’t friendship for those who we hold close to us?Let us remind ourselves of the Bible’s meaning of the “fear of the Lord.” This type of fear does not necessarily mean to be frightened of something. Rather, it is a reverent awe of God, a respect for His power and glory. In other words, the fear of the Lord is a total acknowledgement of all that God is, which comes through “friendship and knowledge” of His character. So, the Fear of the Lord brings with it many blessings and benefits. It is the beginning of wisdom and leads to good understanding (Psalm 111:10). The fear of the Lord leads to life, rest, peace, and contentment (Proverbs 19:23). It is the fountain of life

  JULY 3, 2024 Psalm 8  Lord , our Lord,      how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory      in the heavens. 2  Through the praise of children and infants      you have established a stronghold against your enemies,      to silence the foe and the avenger. 3  When I consider your heavens,      the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,      which you have set in place, 4  what is mankind that you are mindful of them,      human beings that you care for them? 5  You have made them a little lower than the angels      and crowned them with glory and honor. 6  You made them rulers over the works of your hands;      you put everything under their feet: 7  all flocks and herds,      and the animals of the wild, 8  the birds in the sky,      and the fish in the sea,      all that swim the paths of the seas. 9  Lord , our Lord,      how majestic is your name in all the earth! In this Psalm, David expresses wonder at how God displays His power through the most

  JULY 1, 2024 Prayer for Canada (based on  Psalm 72 ) God, give us your love of justice and righteousness. Help our government to rule in the right way. Let the poor always be treated fairly. May our mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help us to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to bring a final end to all oppression. May we love and respect you God as long as the sun shines, and the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! May our country be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May those who love God flourish, and may our country experience abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May we be united from sea to shining sea, and may our influence go out from here to the ends of the earth. May our enemies never overtake us, and may we have the respect of the nations. Empower us to rescue the poor who cry to us, and help the oppressed who have no one to defend them. Show us how

  June 28, 2024 Psalm 25:14   “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” We are at our week ’ s end and preparing for the Canada day weekend. What are your plans?  I was thinking how this long weekend has become a time to appreciate our Country, while it is far from perfect, it is an awesome country. Canada Day weekend has become also a time of gathering with family and friends and celebrating the people in our lives and the blessing they are to us. These thoughts led me to think about “friendhip” in the Bible and in keeping with this week's theme, today I would like us to think about our Friendship with the Holy Spirit. In friendship with the Holy Spirit we experience a sense of wholeness and joy that is beyond our reach i

  June 27, 2024 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,  brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.     God’s desire for you and me is that we would be informed about the incredible gifts of his Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. Bottom line is that God longs for us to receive all he has to give.  God seeks to teach us about the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we may live with a deeper purpose and greater affection for Him and for others. The first aspect of spiritual gifts to note is that they are indeed a gift . 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good . For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge accordin

  JUNE 26, 2024 Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”   The fruit of the Spirit reading in Galatians 5:22-23 offers us tremendous hope for our lives. We read that " the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ...."   Don't you long to be a person full of love, joy, and peace? Don't you long to have patience, kindness, and goodness? Don't we all long to be known by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Of course we do! These characteristics are the marks of a fully abundant life that Jesus promised to us. I see Jesus in these, do you?  I find it is one thing to want something in my life, like these characteristics, but it is quite another thing to see these as a reality expressed in my actions and words. Truth is I all to aware of the fact that my lif