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Archive for the ‘Epiphany’ Category

Second Sunday of Epiphany-Jan 14

13 Jan

Many elderly worry about what would happen if they fell and there was no one to help them. Many get no visits except for those that come to deliver groceries or pick up and deliver laundry. They might lie for days before someone came. Others able to get out might become sick suddenly. A couple years ago, an elderly man in lower Michigan became sick and could not get out to the post office. The checks to pay his utility bill lay on his table but he could not get out to mail them. The utility company sent a shutoff notice when they didn’t get any payments and eventually shut off the utilities. The man froze to death without heat. There was a great uproar about how the utility company should have tried to contact him. Yet, it all could have been prevented if someone had called or visited him and mailed his letters for him. Calling and visiting the elderly regularly can prevent such tragedies and ease their minds.  I once visited an elderly lady who told me how thankful she was that God was watching over her. She lived alone and her only outside contact was a young woman who visited her every Thursday and washed her clothes. There was a bad winter storm on that Monday and the young woman felt God urging her to check on the elderly lady. She resisted at first because the roads were bad and it was ten miles away, but she finally decided to go. She knocked on the front door but got no answer so she went around back to knock on the back door in case the elderly lady was in the back part of the house. She found the elderly lady laying on the walk outside the house. The lady had gone out just before the young woman arrived (she didn’t remember why) and had fallen on the ice. Had the young woman not arrived when she did, the elderly lady would have quickly frozen to death. God had told the young woman to go even before the elderly lady went outside. Had the young woman ignored the call, the elderly lady would have died, because no one knew she was there.

 

 

video-Epiphany

07 Jan

BD-Meaning of Epiphany     4.19 min

http://youtu.be/2G6Rq8GhVmI

 

 
 

First Sunday of Epiphany-Jan 7

04 Jan

Loneliness-Jesus came to bring Light into a world filled with darkness. You can bring light into the life of an elderly person. Several years ago, my parents were severely beaten by thieves that broke into their home. After that, they were not able to get out much, yet no one came to visit them. My two brothers and I called and visited when we could, but we lived too far away to visit regularly. There are many elderly people like them that can not get out much and who do not have anyone close to them to call or visit them. They may have workers who come in to clean or the fix their meals and help them bathe but the workers rarely have time to stay and visit. Many elderly who are homebound would welcome regular calls or visits from Christian neighbors. Do you know of any elderly people living on your street? In addition, there are many in nursing homes who do not get visits from anyone and would also welcome regular visits. You may feel it would be difficult visiting because you have children, but if they are well behaved, the elderly person might welcome them. Many have grandchildren they have never seen and would love to have children to spend time with. When all you have to think about is getting old, it is depressing but seeing children lightens the day. Check first, but they will probably welcome the visits of children.

 

Seventh Sunday of Epiphany-Feb 19

15 Feb

 Building Community– When My wife and I first moved into a trailer park, trailers were still small and very mobile. Few people got to know their neighbors because they were basically bedroom communities where people slept, but they worked and shopped elsewhere. Similar conditions existed in many of the cheaper apartment complexes. In addition, people were very mobile. It was easy to hook up a trailer and move it somewhere else, or move out of an apartment, so your neighbors didn’t stay very long. Many of the families had problems with alcoholism and drug abuse, spouse and child abuse, and crime. Very few had any church connection. I began visiting the families there and in nearby apartments to minister to any needs and start Bible studies for those who were interested. Most of those who lived in houses in stable neighborhoods owned their homes and knew many of their neighbors. Stable neighborhoods were much safer. People did not move frequently and home ownership was preferred over renting. Trailers and apartments were for the people who were mobile or those not able to afford to purchase. Since then, people have become very mobile and that includes many who own their own homes. It is not unusual for someone to sell a house and purchase a new one in their new location when they move to another area. In addition, there has been a big shift from owning to renting. In many places, more people live in trailers, apartments, and rental homes than in homes that they own. People are far less likely to live long-term in the same place. As a result, the people are far less likely to get to know each other so the same problems that prevailed in trailer parks and apartment buildings, have moved into more settled communities. In addition, businesses have moved away from residential areas so even stable neighborhoods have become bedroom communities. Christian families can become a catalyst for restoring a sense of community in their neighborhoods as they get to know their neighbors and help them get to know each other.

 

 

Sixth Sunday of Epiphany-Feb. 12

08 Feb

Sixth Sunday of Epiphany– Building Bridges– Today, many neighbors are isolated and do not know each other. In the past, neighborhoods were close knit communities where people worked and shopped nearby and helped each other in times of need.  Increasing mobility has separated housing from office and shopping areas and has made even stable neighborhoods into bedroom communities. People work and shop elsewhere and only come home to have supper and sleep. Family used to provide support but many live a long way from any family members. They have no one to reach out to in an emergency or in time of need. By getting to know your neighbors you can build bridges that help you be there when they need help and opens opportunities to share the Gospel with them.

 

 

Fifth Sunday of Epiphany-Feb 5

01 Feb

Reaching the Children-Neighborhood children often congregate at the homes of Christians who have children because they feel the love that the parents have for their children and they enjoy the peace that reigns in a Christian home. Often their own parents ignore them or may even verbally or physically abuse them. It provides an excellent opportunity to show them through personal example that someone cares about them. It provides an opportunity to show them that God loves them and cares about them through Bible stories and video lessons. Children may be interested in a Children’s Bible Club. The church family may teach it or provide space for someone from the church to teach it. There is no problem with needing transportation like in traditional Vacation Bible Schools since the children live in the neighborhood. As the neighborhood children hear the Gospel and see it demonstrated, they may eventually want to attend church and urge their parents to take them.

 

 

Fourth Sunday of Epiphany-Feb 29

27 Jan

Sharing Christ Most Christians do not talk about church or the Gospel outside of church for fear of offending someone, so most people don’t know whether their neighbors attend church or not. While many Christians assume their neighbors attend a church somewhere, the fact is that most probably do not. If your neighbors attend church, their church may not provide fellowship and support and they may welcome friendship with other Christians, or their church may be too far away for them to participate in many church activities. If they do not attend church, they may be seeking a church but not know anyone who belongs to one providing an opportunity to invite them. Many of their neighbors have not had any contact with a church and do not have any reason to seek one. Those without Christ often live day to day, their only hope is to survive until tomorrow. They will not know that Christ can made a difference in their life until they see that it has made a difference in your life. As you visit your neighbors, you can witness to them about the benefits of attending church and may even get a chance to tell them about Christ.                                                                      

 

Third Sunday of Epiphany-Feb 22

19 Jan

Luke 10:29-37 Get To Know Our Neighbors-One of the greatest problems to spreading the Gospel in America is the lack of contact between Christians and non-Christians. Even in settled neighborhoods where people own their homes, there is often little contact beyond polite waves over the fence and unfortunately, Christians are caught up in it as well. The best way to start is have members visit their neighbors to get to know them. Visiting one a week is not taxing but in five weeks will enable them to get to know the five families around them. We need to make deliberate efforts to spend time with our neighbors and get to know them. Visit them and take them cookies or a cake or invite them over for a backyard Bar B Q to allow time to get to know them. Do they go to church, if so where? Do they have family nearby to help in times of need? Are there needs the church family can help with? We will not know unless we get to know them. Others may have needs and not know who to turn to. Establishing contact enables you to help them find solutions to their needs. Many may not have needs when you visit, but as you maintain contact with the neighbors through periodic visits, the neighbors may experience situations they cannot handle and may turn to you for help. Since many families are isolated today and have no family nearby, a sickness, loss of job, or even death may require more resources than they can muster and provide an opportunity for the church to show Christ’s love. As Christ points out, our neighbors include more than just those who live around us.  They are people we interact with every day at school, at work, and as we shop. We often see them but rarely take the time to get to know them.

 

 

Second Sunday of Epiphany-Jan 15

11 Jan

 

When we read the Gospels, we often see the teachings and miss what Jesus does. If we read them closely, we will notice that He met needs as He went along. He healed the blind man, the crippled man, and the leper. He also fed the people. He did it primarily because He cared about them, but He also did it because He knew those needs distracted those people from hearing what He had to say. Until He broke down the barrier, they could not concentrate on what He was saying. By meeting the need, He not only broke down the barrier, He also built a bridge to that person. Those people passed many people as they traveled but those people were only nameless faces, soon forgotten. Jesus was someone they would not soon forget. He wasn’t a nameless face, He was the one that healed them or fed them. He was the one who cared when no one else did. We have become accustomed to the government providing all those services, but we forget that Christians met those needs first and only later did the government become involved. Now we have all but given up our ministry to the government and people worship the government instead of God. The prevailing feeling among many Christians today, as well as non-Christians is “The government is my shepherd, I shall not want, It maketh me lie down in a nice house, and It provideth me with good food.”  Christ modeled the way we should live, unfortunately, all we like sheep have gone astray.

 

 

First Sunday of Epiphany-Feb 8

04 Jan

Reveal the Reason- When my wife and I were young, we would go out before Christmas to see the light displays. They depicted all kinds of things from Manger scenes to Santa Claus scenes and many others. Today, there are far fewer displays, and most are just lights. They are nice to look at but not nearly as interesting. Christmas is an excellent time to put up a display of the manger scene. Liberals have gotten them banned from a lot of public places, so it is up to churches and individual Christians to remind people why we celebrate Christmas. Children are curious. They may ask you, why do you have a display of people in the front yard? It gives you the opportunity to tell the Christmas story of how God sent Jesus to help us. Start planning now to be a witness for Christ next Christmas. Buy a commercial one or build your own. Christmas cards also give an opportunity to remind people why we celebrate. Now is a good time to get them because stores are getting rid of their Christmas stock at sale prices