Pastoral Letter 177
Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,
Grace and Peace to you all.
Our traditional annual Market Morning yesterday, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm was successful and the result was good. I am glad to let you know that we have raised $10,000. Well done! A big thank you to Virginia and the team, who worked tirelessly for the last few weeks and mainly in the last few days. Now we can relax and take time to recover, and I go on my trip tomorrow, Sunday evening, for three-week leave, greatly satisfied that once again we did our best. This is yet another example that we are still working hard to keep up with the work that many years ago we started. We know that as the years go by, we feel less energy, but our driving force and strength is in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Thanks again for everyone.
Please save the date Sunday 10 September 2023, which marks the 100th anniversary of the laying of the Foundation Stone of our beautiful Sanctuary as well as the 121st Anniversary of the start of the Services. We will have a special service at 2:00 pm with many guests, church leaders, families, friends and dignitaries. We are in the process of finalising the details. The invitation letters and the Flyer will go out very soon and we hope many will come and join us on the day.
God willing, I will be on leave 6-31 August and be on a trip in the Middle East with my daughter Lori. While I am away, James Knowles from England will take the service on Sunday 13 August, LCU Chaplain Liam McKenna on Sunday 20 August and Sunday 27 August we will be joining Crows Nest Uniting Church for Sunday Worship. My thanks to James and Liam.
If you will not be able to be with us tomorrow morning Worship Service, please light a candle, have a small roll of bread and a small cup of wine or juice for Communion and join us following the attached Order of Service.
Be safe and well, continue to pray, remembering those who need care, support and love. Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.
Here are some prayer points for this week:
- Pray give thanks to God for our successful Market Morning which we were able to have with God’s help.
- Pray for Artsakh as they go through the toughest time with the dire situation resulting in hunger, starvation, and death. Clearly the people are in a humanitarian crisis as they are under complete siege and even, they can’t find bread to eat.
- Pray for world peace in the world.
- Pray for those who suffer, who are persecuted and abused.
- Pray for the poor, the sick, the struggling and the stressed.
- Pray for those who are facing natural disasters and the global warming.
- Pray for my trip and to have a safe journey.
Best Regards,
Krikor
MESSAGE
“Unless You Bless Us”
Gen. 32:22-32
Are you ready to be blessed? This is a rhetorical question.
Some may want God to bless them with 100 million dollars or win the Jackpot Lotto.
Some may want God to bless them with a big expensive luxury prestigious car or a mansion house.
However, it’s not about the car we drive, it’s not about the clothes we wear, it’s not about the money we have in the bank, but it’s about who God is and what God has done that establishes we are blessed.
The Bible says in Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. We lack the understanding of the word blessed.
But the word blessed is more than wealth, luxury car and a big house.
The word blessed means, to be equipped with power to succeed.
Success is not measured by the position or title we may obtain. Success in the Word of God is to be victorious.
Victorious is being able to overcome obstacles.
We find in our text a man by the name of Jacob; the name Jacob means cheater. While he was in his mother’s womb, he and his brother Esau were at war with each-other, he grabbed the heel of Esau trying to steal the birth right. Later in life you know Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birth right for a bowl of stew, then he tricked his father Isaac and received Esau’s blessing. Later he was tricked by Laban his father-in-law. Jacob worked 7 years for Rachel and was given Leah by deceit. He worked another 7 years for Rachel, and then he worked 6 years for cattle, 20 years altogether. He got more and more wealth making his brothers in law get jealous.
It’s sad but it’s the same today, people are jealous because of stuff. And what is really sad is church members get jealous of other church members because of stuff. So-n-so drives a nicer car or lives in a larger house or because they get a title or position people get jealous of stuff and possessions. They look at the gifts instead of the giver and base the fact that they are blessed because of stuff. They are busy living a fancy life instead of understanding what God has done for them.
So, Jacob the tricker had been tricked and he literally began to fear for his life. He took his family, left Laban at night running for his life.
We come to a place called Jabbok. Jabbok literally means “pouring out”. At Jabbok Jacob had an experience like he never had before. At Jabbok Jacob had a transformation. At Jabbok Jacob was broken. At Jabbok Jacob experienced a change. At Jabbok Jacob went through loneliness. At Jabbok Jacob fought for his life. At Jabbok Jacob was afraid. At Jabbok the pressures of life pressed down upon Jacob, fear began to take control of his mind. At Jabbok his conscience began to remind him of all the stuff he has done in his life. At Jabbok Jacob was left alone. At Jabbok, out of nowhere a man appeared and began to wrestle with Jacob.
At Jabbok Jacob was scared, alone, and fought for what just might be his life, but somewhere during the struggle, in the midst of all he was dealing with, he realized that he had a hold of God and God had a hold of him. They wrestled until daybreak, the angel of the Lord even caused Jacob’s thigh to be out of joint, but Jacob held on right there at Jabbok.
The man said: “Let me go”. Jacob said: “I will not let you go unless you bless me”.
Then the man said: “What is your name”. Jacob said: “My name is Jacob”. Understand the name Jacob means cheater. This showed that Jacob was nothing and that he came to total humiliation and submission. If we want to be blessed, we must humble yourself.
Once he humbled himself his name was changed from Jacob – Cheater to Israel – Prince of God, struggling with God, wrestler with God and one who prevails with God or let God prevail.
Jacob then asked the man his name still holding on. The man asked why he needed to know his name and then he blessed him there. In total submission, dependence, in loneliness, in the midst of his troubles He blessed him.
He didn’t give him material things. He didn’t give him a position. He didn’t give him a financial overflow. He didn’t give him stuff, but he blessed him at Jabbok.
What did He give him – He gave him power to be victorious. Remember victorious means to overcome.
If you go to the 33rd chapter, you find that Jacob overcame his fear of meeting his brother. He overcame the shame of his name.
He overcame his past reputation.
He overcame the Canaanites.
He overcame evil.
Why? – Because at Jabbok – in the midst of all his troubles he humbled himself, he held on to God and didn’t let go. In the midst of his trials God equipped him with power, not with stuff, but with power to overcome. When he humbled himself, God gave him what he needed to be victorious.
Are we ready to be blessed? We might be in our own personal Jabbok. Fear may have gripped our mind, depression may be trying to hold us down, we may feel like we are all alone. We may be troubled on every side, perplexed, and persecuted, but if we humble ourselves, hold on to God’s unchanging hand, seek His face. We may have to go through our personal Jabbok experience, but in the midst of our troubles if we hold on to God, He will bless us, not with stuff, but with the ability to overcome. To overcome the wicked one, to overcome evil, to overcome when we are judged, to overcome the world.
Are we ready to be blessed?
If we are. Then God is happy and willing to do so with His great love, that surpasses all understanding.
Let us ask God to bless us now and say to Him: We will not let you go unless You bless us!
Amen!