Sun Jan 5, 2025

Okay.

I don't know where to look because you know,

When you're when you want to be encouraged when you're up here yet you look at certain people and I don't know where everybody sitting these days. You know, I got to keep my eye on our way over there.

But what we will figure it out, okay.

Let's sir.

We do have a PowerPoint, right? All right. First of all, thanks for the patients. We are under construction as you can tell and that will not end anytime soon. So it's like Saturday afternoon, there's this rush to kind of get this looking presentable because we have all things moved and junk on the carpet in the you know. So he had a vacuum and all that fun stuff, I think everybody who's been helping.

I'll be praying for sagas because he's putting in a lot of hours. And I know he's not old like me, but I just feel it in my bones, you know, one or two days of moving and lifting and throwing things in the dumpster. I'm okay. But, you know, you get three, four, five in a row. I'm just tired.

Oh yeah.

Oh yeah, yeah, next week we have a, we have a guest speaker, Nathan, right, Nathaniel from Wisconsin. There's a conference going on here for the little denominational conference and we've hoped one of the guys in to come and speak. Okay. So I want to speak about

Being marked by God. There's three times, you are we marked by God, I guess we can see this. There's three specific times that God says he marks his people in the first one, and we find an extra dist 12, Until this talks about the Passover God marks us in a way that he passes over the destruction, so you shall keep it. Okay, let's go on the next verse. So you used to take some blood of the Lamb that you just slaughtered and you put it on the doorpost either side and up top. And then And then you, you eat the lamb and with bitter herbs and don't don't boil it roasted. So it's talk about barbecuing next, and don't leave any of those over. So you got Grace for the day, you can't save up Grace, you need it everyday, okay? And then,

And what's 12? Okay, so this is what is, is it why we have marked our doorways? With the blood of the lamb. For, I will go to the land of Egypt at night and I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Both man and Beast, and I will execute against all the gods of Egypt. I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. Is there a 13 in there?

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you and no play will befall you to destroy you. When I strike the land of Egypt. So God has marked us for our protection. And it's interesting. The first nine plagues. You know, the first for the Jewish people went through with, with the Egyptians the fogs, and I forget the, my side, I don't know the number of the order, but then, but then he made a distinction between his people and in the Egyptians and, and the Israelites didn't have to do anything, they didn't have to mark their doors or anything. But for this one, the last plague, he says, if you don't do this, I will not pass over you, you'll be destroyed. So there was instructions to follow, right? so, what the next point, the next time We have Ezekiel. and what's happening is here, is

God is sending Executioner's to the people of Israel.

And it it says right there drawn year or Executioner's of the city each with his destroying weapon in hand, okay? Then burst to their behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate and one of them was clothed in linen and he had, he had a notepad or writing case and he went in and stood behind the Browns are alter, then the glory of God went up from Cheer been on which then to the threshold of the temple and he called to the man clothed in linen, who's at whose loins with the writing case? Okay. Next one, calf.

Okay, through the Mists of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of The Man Who Saw Diane grown over the Abominations at which are being committed in their midst. So he's marking his people who are grieved by the evil that they see around them. K lyrics ezekiel's writing at the time of an exile, right? And it, but some people have come back in in, in in in in

There's evil, there's Abominations being committed, and some people upset about that and other people aren't. So, he's saying these are the people you should Mark, okay? Then, let's

Battle others. He said in my hearing go through the city after him and strike. Do not let your I have pity and do not spare. And then release way old men young men made and little children and women but do not touch any man on whom is the mark you shall start from the sanctuary and so they started with the elders who before the temple and went through and executed God's judgment. So It's it. If the Mark was put on you again for protection and if you were grieving over the evil, you saw around you.

and so, The last time that I found this in the scripture where God is marking, his people is in Revelations. Revelation 73, and he's he's calling all sorts of Wrath down on on the earth at this point in time, right? But he says, to Angel do not harm the Earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond Servants of our God on their forehead. We always associate the mark of the beast with Revelations but God is the original person who is marking us and then in Revelations 94. It says they were told not to hurt the grass of the Earth in or any green thing or any tree. But only the man who did not have the Seal of God on their foreheads. So, The last one doesn't tell us. Why? Why you? No, it doesn't say what we need to do to get that Mark. And we kind of know what to do. We need to follow Jesus, right? We need to accept Jesus, just like, use your lights were covered with the blood. We need to be covered with Jesus blood. Amen. But I think, you know there's not

yeah, we don't, we don't I wanted a picture of Jelly Roll is he is he the country western star that has a lot of face fat 50s with the tattoos or Dino. Yeah. What you know by Tyson has it that their face tattoo on them?

I've been watching a lot of Star Trek chakotay those who were into Star Trek Voyager and face tattoo but there's nothing we put on our face or our forehead or whatever but dumb I think we do need to be marked. We needed to be marked and how should we be marked? And I think, I think by love So what's what's the next scripture? I have up here?

1st John 4, something. 419. and the reason we can do this, we love because he first loved us, right. Amen. We are being fueled and supplied by the love of Jesus. but when we go to 1st Corinthians 13, it gives us a description of what level should look like in a very practical scripture.

Your love is patient. Love is kind is not jealous. Does not brag is not arrogant and Cyrus likes to say he's very proud of his his humility. You your humbleness. F n a l and end in each of these is a sermon in self. But verse 5, there

I like Bruce 5 and I'm going to focus on that for a while.

It says does not act because I'm becoming. It does not seek its own. Is not provoke, does not take a count or wrong suffered. Now, that's New American Standard and what I read. But I like the and Ivy on that little part because it says,

It does. It keeps no record of wrongs. it keeps no record of wrongs and as I see and looking experience life I think that's the one part of love. That if it's lacking. Your household is in turmoil. Because how often do we have such an excellent memory of wrongs done to us. You know. You know, as a married couple. you know, you you know, in 1984 when you slept up Your your spouse might remember that. We didn't slip up. Well, we did slip up. Yeah, you know but you know you eat, you see that way. I see that, you know, when you have this excellent memory of every wrong done to you. You can't you can't get to the forgiving party. Can't get to the loving part, you can't get to be encouraging part and and I see that in people all the time in general that they have this excellent memory of some wrong done to them 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago. I'm going to pick up and Jenny here.

Ronaldo table in the kitchen, the other day. And his wife is making lasagna and and I don't, I don't think he meant Evil by this, but he did say I miss my grandmother, any like He's not as good as your grandmother's. Do you think Jenny's going to forget that anytime soon? She should have to work at that, right? And that's kind of an innocent, you know, little thing that that I think all married couples have, but When we have this, excellent memory of the wrongs done to us. We are doing ourselves, a disservice. We're doing our family, a disservice and any email, you know, that with kids, right? You raise kids and and and you say I know you can't do that and they say 8 years ago. My other my brother do that they're very young. They have theirs. Excellent memory of anything that might warn them until we have to

We have to forget the wrongs done to us. Don't keep a good record. Don't keep a good record. You know. Rick always says. I don't know if you said this recently and I've been hearing Rick for about 45 years, but he has said in the past, if we love one another, you're going to be taken advantage of because we will it just happens. Yeah, but it is and that's because we don't want to keep a good record. Okay, this person was late again my my spouse Let me see, I got to be careful here because I don't really remember anything bad or he's ever done. So but sometimes sometimes like when my granddaughters and daughters visit there are hair ties like the rubber band hair ties. On the counter where we prepare food. And it drives me crazy because like, I hate hair in my food. I do know some people like it, I guess. But it in Extra seasoning. Yeah, and so you don't have a choice. Can I say all? She does that all the time. Or can I just say, well, you know, it happens. I move the hair tie. Okay. And in animes where they show up though, they hurt ice. It's They do they do, it's amazing. But it's so, you know, I would encourage you. Don't keep a good record of wrongs done to you. Yes, you're setting yourself up to be taken advantage of because I'll well, they'll keep doing it then if I don't bring it up at Jesse's although they're not doing that thing. Or saying that in that tone very often but we just want to keep a good memory. So you always do that. No, they probably don't.

Sew-in in the others. Other one is. It does not seek his own.

I have never really won an argument that was worth it. when I'm seeking my own in any situation, it's it generally is not worth ruining or getting my own way. Because it is.

It it just hurts us it. If it damages the relationship and you really don't enjoy whatever it is and I think a lot of people get into the habit of winning the argument and it's a bad habit to get into an elephant. How often is a stupid stuff? Oh, you know, remember that that blue Geo Metro we had in 1987. Yeah, you see you see that? Then let it go.

Oh no, no, no, that was a red. And that was in 1991. Not 87. And in and you see you see couples have had this type of writing, is he going for the arguing? And it's a habit. You get into. That's a bad habit. It's a bad habit. You don't always have to be right. Let them tell the story wrong.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You know, so we don't have to, we don't have to seek our own way all the time. And in fact, you know, often in and I think the older we get, the more we understand that we're blessed to serve and help others. And we don't even have to seek her own way. You know, I'm I'm very, I'm very pleased about how what we're doing here, cuz there's a lot of different opinions. And there's a lot of, and people are being very gracious and poor Mike, Mike is our electrician. Because I say, we want this, we want that, and in, and he's got, you know, he's, he's Limited in his physicality and stuff. So, he's got to just pick and choose and It has been very gracious to everybody even even when he had us put a hole into the woman's bathroom ceiling. I don't know if you've noticed that, but, you know, it's okay. Isaac the call there is, you know, I have ugly to be selfish. You have been around a selfish person is always seeking his own. There are not people, you want to be around. And, you know, we we want to be marked by love, right? We want to be marked by love so I think the last one is, if we go down a few, I Rejoice is. Okay, Bears, all things believes all things, hopes all things endures, all things are not winning the argument, not seeking our own. you know, they're there is a Tennessee to say, well if I don't stand up for myself, Goodwill. Right. well, God says

That if you love.

It says, believes all things that things will work out in your favor. It says what don't overcome? Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good with love, right? Romans, the eighth talks about, you know, nothing can separate us from the love of God. And so, you know, when we love when we decide, okay, I'm going to lay down my desires. God has a way of one changing that person, right? Love can change people. and some of us are our testimonies to that and also you know, I guess that's that's my my

My call today is is if you love, you don't have to worry about getting yours. You will God will bless you in Greater ways, you don't have to win that argument, and you have to get your own way. and then it says in 11 jurors all things and and I you know, Robert stuff. And it's tough to Love sometimes. End. But, you know, you can get through the tough times, that we know, it happens in this phone world, right? There's all sorts of tragedy the final victory over death has not happened yet for us. So we are all on that scale. you know, in terms of sliding towards deaf.

And in, you know, it's tough to see suffering and pain in this world.

But your love will will conquer all that and you know we have to be tough sometimes we have to know that endureth all things you do. I butter Marcus with us today. Thank God and he's been going through a lot of physical illness problems and make them sure. But Give me the green that he exhibited Christ. Love to Lorain. And to his friends and people comes in contact, he's going to look back on this time and just say you will thank God and and, you know, he got through it and we've all been through a really hard time. Some of us, you know, lots of lots of children or grandchildren or or or, you know, just disappointments out how life is turned out or, or whatever. It might be that, you know, the love of God is going to see us through in the love for each other. Will also

It's tough. Sometimes. Love it. Did all that stuff but

we can do it and even though we live in a fallen world that is desperately sick and we see that all the time but

so, that was my, my Spiel for today is you know, let's Yes.

Yep. Yeah, and you know, we want to reach out to this neighborhood. We want to reach out to, you know, I think there's a

There's a desire for us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And and and that will only come through if we are loving Towards those who reaching out in each other when we see it. Lori was sharing a testimony of a friend of hers told her about how

kind of a downtrodden person. You know came to a Bible study and and and she's so nice. And then she went to another Christian event. Every so nice. And and and then he always was exposed to the gospel. And she's like, why didn't they teach this in school? You know? And maybe it was just because people were loving one another and so, you know, it's it's profoundly affect Jenna's testimony. You know, last week was with you touched us because we say then, I guess we're doing something, right? And we are we are doing something right. And so, I would encourage aside. I think it's just more of an encouragement. I think many of us are are right there and in it, if you got pricked, a little bit just work on those areas. So let's pray. But Jesus, we thank you that you loved us first. And that empowers Us in an energy advises us and enables us through your Holy Spirit to love one another, do not seek your own way. To not to have to win every argument and to be able to love those who are close to us and those who are strangers, that will soon be close to us where Jesus. And we do, pray for this neighborhood. We pray for the Evangelistic Outreach has that are planned. That they are empowered and guided by you, Lord Jesus. And we again, just thank you for your love and I pray a blessing and everybody here. Play min sure.

So, you got about 10 more minutes.

You got, you got 2 minutes?

Janice said with Mike says, and this is all I have to

I have to say that we have this joke in my family, cuz I've been married for 32 years. So, I know how it is. You don't want to ever say anything to your wife, like things like that. All my mom cook better than you or you might G, is better than you, you know, in janaf is a excellent cook and then she's so great. I love her food. The way she cooked and everything, but I do play with her. That every time I did I do that to a list. A lot of times and say Alyssa you know your food is good but it's almost like my grandma's almost like it. So it's just a joke that we have but I was thinking of what what about Mike said? You know, in the world. So Gary there was a verse he read this first thing first, John has said that he loved us first and the Bible also says in love, cast out all fear. So I was just trying to connect everything. When you said about Saga is in all the work you guys put in here and I pie, I came to harvest in 1994. When you guys first got that building over there, and now we're in the new building and do so much work to do here, so many things to do to be done. And this community here, this church is known by the service. You know, how you guys saw each other, you know, this is what we always hear about you and Brazil, we always heard that he now, the Harvest Community Church at is just deep dish. Just do very good with it, you know, their hands are always serving. They always do, you know? And I just want to encourage you, don't sometimes we don't get tapping our backs, like good job, you did this, you did that, I came in this morning, I saw Kathy Keys over there, you know, shoveling the snow then I saw Elaine Elaine Brandon, got the shovel in the start of help and there's so many people in this, you know, I'm building you now that are serving the community and in general we know the church in general do. So many of you I can pick, you know, each one of you and and say, some bad worker, he's always being a servant. You know, Judy always been as of Tammy, always cooking always serving. Mike is always helping with the labor, you know, all of you, you know, maybe you don't get, you know, you don't get your name. Like, you know, he he always talks about his son-in-law because I know, you know, they're connected and a son-in-law. But there's so many people in this place. Not only here, but I was thinking about you and yesterday, we had a meeting yesterday and I hate you in. How many of these meetings have you been to over the years by Jim? How many minutes have you guys been to so so much, you know, and I just wanted to keep you cool as you guys a lot. Like, he talk about love this morning, to continue to love each other to serve each other. You know what, you do, whatever you can, you know, it may be physically, you can do any more, we understand that. But if you can do physical, you don't do it. Help. If you can't do it, anything just do it. You know. It. Maybe you don't think like, you know, I'm not important. So I'm not, you know, special. They don't say my name up front but you know, I don't want. Don't worry about that. The Lord knows you, the Lord knows your heart and he knows what you doing. So I just want to encourage you guys, you know, to continue to gather every time. Kathy.

I love you Kathy. Thank you for your service.

Kathy me she's been so remiss church for so long. You don't see her working sometimes but she's there in the office making the checks getting the money helping out. So all of us, you know, it came to my mind that verse that talks to, you know, all of us I want body with your own different places. You will see what kind of food do without the hat or that you don't Dion do without the nails are so would like that. So I want to cause you guys to continue to do whatever you can and thank you. Thank you. It was a good message. Thank you.