Today I want to share with you a report from this past Sunday morning’s worship service at Beausejour Community Church. I am so blessed by our wonderful church family, and by the amazing team of volunteers that works hard to make every weekly gathering a success. From the ushers and greeters and sound ministry, to the worship team, children’s church and nursery workers, we have anywhere from 25-35 people serving in any given service. Love and blessings to all of you today!

The morning started out with Colin and Laura’s team leading worship, bringing us into the presence of the Lord. I was so blessed seeing so many young people on the stage participating on the worship team! I’ve heard some people say that children are the church of tomorrow, but I disagree with that statement – they are a part of the church of today! After worship, the children were dismissed to their classes, where Liza combined the older classes (Kindergarten to Grade 6 students) for a praise party. During that time, six of the children gave their hearts to Jesus – praise the Lord! I’m really looking forward to our first Sunday morning in March when our youth worship team is going to lead worship for the first time with our adult congregation.

After worship, Janet – our church’s mission coordinator – gave her monthly report on what’s been happening in Costa Rica (our mission field). Since we returned from last year’s mission trip to Costa Rica, our church has been partnering together with a new church in Filadelphia, sending them money to help cover their rent for their first year in their new building.

After Janet shared, I invited Heather and Dianna to come up and share with our church family about the Home with a Heart program that we’ve been hosting in our church on Saturdays for the past couple of months. This program provided single parents an opportunity to learn valuable skills such as managing the home, parenting, handling finances, employment and more. During our service, we had a special graduation ceremony for the nine participants who completed this inaugural class.

For more information on Hope Now Family Concepts or Home With a Heart, or to register for future classes, please go to their website at www.impregnant-now.org and follow the links.

After our graduation ceremony, I continued a message in our Revelation 2012 series. This week, we looked at the letter Jesus wrote to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22. If you missed the message, you can download it from our church’s website HERE. This week, we took a look at the three seats – the cold seat, the lukewarm seat, and the hot seat. It was a challenging message from Jesus to be hot or be cold, not lukewarm. Next Sunday, February 26th, we are going to continue the series by looking at Revelation 4-5, A Glimpse of Heaven.

After church, we invited people to stay for a soup luncheon, our first fundraiser for this year’s Costa Rica Mission Trip. We have a team of 16 people that are going on this year’s trip from July 20-28, led by my beloved wife Liza. Would you join with me in prayer for them, for God’s wisdom, direction, guidance, favour, provision and protection? Thank you! Blessings…

Hope you’ve enjoyed the report from this past Sunday morning. Praying God’s richest blessings on you and your family today!

Pastor Chris Jordan

www.beausejourchurch.ca

REVELATION 2012 #1: A REVELATION OF JESUS
(February 2012 –Beausejour Church– Pastor Chris Jordan)

• This is the outline to a recent sermon I shared with our church family at Beausejour Community Church.
• To read my booklet, “Unlocking the Mysteries of Revelation” – an introduction to the Book of Revelation – click HERE.
• To listen to the audio message online or download the MP3, click HERE.

INTRO TO TOPIC: Is this the end of the world as we know it? Discuss Y2K (2000), last year’s prediction that Jesus was coming back, and the fervor surrounding 2012. There’s a lot of confusion around this topic!

• Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matt. 24:36).
• No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, but we can recognize the season:

OPENING TEXT:

“1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thess. 5:1-6).

• As Christians, Jesus said that we would recognize the season of His soon coming!

REVELATION CHAPTER ONE: 

IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS:

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place.

• “Revelation” = the Greek word apokalypsis = an uncovering of a truth, revealing Jesus!
• It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Riddle of Jesus Christ!
• The first five words of the first verse tell us who Revelation is all about: JESUS.
  • It’s not about the devil, the beast, or the antichrist.
  • Like the other 65 books of the Bible, it is about Jesus!
  • If you forget this, you’ll end up being a weird person. “Don’t use the barcodes…”

1b And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

• The Revelation is ‘signified’ – in other words, signs = prophetic symbols.
• Jesus gave this to an angel to give to John. 

THE BLESSING:

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

• There is a blessing to those who will read, hear and OBEY this prophecy. Read this book! 

A REVELATION OF GOD:

4 John, to the seven churches which are inAsia: Grace to you and peace…

• v.4a: Revelation is about grace and PEACE, not wrath, gloom, despair and agony!

4b Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

• The Bible is designed to teach us something about the NATURE of God.
• v.4b: Here we see a picture of the Trinity:
  • The Eternal Father, Perfect Holy Spirit (seven = perfection), and the Faithful Son.
• v.5: We also learn some things about Jesus, too:
  • Jesus is the one who loved us and washed us from our sins.

A REVELATION OF GOD’S CHILDREN:

5b To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father,

• the Bible also teaches us something about who we are in Christ:
  • We are LOVED by God, FORGIVEN, and we are KINGS and PRIESTS
  • Kings = royal authority (children of God) and Priests = access to God

MAIN THEME IN REVELATION #1 = WORSHIP:

6b to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• one of the main themes of Revelation = WORSHIP. Why do we worship Him?
• Because of His grace – because He loves us and rescued us from our sins!

MAIN THEME IN REVELATION #2 = THE SECOND COMING:

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

• v.7: Another main theme in Revelation = the SECOND COMING of Jesus.
• There’s a lot of debate about how it will take place but the important thing = get ready!

BACKGROUND TO THE AUTHOR:

9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is calledPatmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

• Background info: The Beloved Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation.
  • John also wrote: The Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John & 3 John
• Location: TheIslandofPatmos, where John was exiled.
• John was the only faithful disciple not martyred
• Three more themes in Revelation = TRIBULATION, KINGDOM & PATIENCE.

THE VISION OF JESUS:

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

• Background to receiving the revelation = John was “in the Spirit”
• It is often when we are ‘in the Spirit’ (in worship, prayer, etc.) when we receive prophetic revelation in our lives, too.

Colours and numbers in Revelation are symbolic and prophetic:

• v.13     – golden band = ROYALTY
• v.14     – hair white like wool = AUTHORITY & DIGNITY
• - eyes like a flame of fire  = WISDOM
• v.15     – feet like refined brass = JUDGMENT
• - voice like many waters = POWER
• v.16     – seven stars in hand = see v.20 below…
• - sharp two-edged sword = THE WORD
• - face like the sun = GLORY

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

• Jesus encourages John with the words, “Do not be afraid!” As we are discussing the end times, we don’t have to be afraid. God’s Word is designed to comfort us!
• More revelation about Jesus here: First & Last, died on the Cross, raised from the dead…

19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

In many places in Revelation, the prophetic symbols are interpreted for us:

• The Seven Stars = the ANGELS of the seven churches
• The Seven Lampstands = the seven CHURCHES
• Jesus is found in the midst of His church – church is very important to Jesus!
• Note – the word angel comes from the Greek word angelos which simply means messenger. Some believe the ‘angel’ of the church refers to the PASTOR.

CHALLENGE: Read through the entire book of Revelation on your own this month.

CLOSING BENEDICTION:

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5:23).

Pastor Chris Jordan

www.beausejourchurch.ca

But perhaps a simpler, easier to answer question to kick things off: What is Valentine’s Day?

Wikipedia says: “Saint Valentine’s Day, often simply Valentine’s Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentinus… The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines“).”

As I was facebooking (yes, I used facebook as a verb!) during my lunch break today, I saw dozens of warm and loving sentiments from husbands and wives to each other, such as “The best Valentine’s gift is knowing that __ __ is my Valentine!” Reposts of wedding photos and wishes of “Happy Valentine’s Day!” were aplenty as people took advantage of this day to tell the world how much they love their special significant other. But not all posts were pro-Valentine’s Day. One photo post that stood out was an image of a tweet by Adam Sandler:

And that’s not all! Another article on the above-quoted on-line encyclopedia reveals that there is a whole movement called “Antivalentinism.” Apparently these groups of people fall into two main categories – either the anticonsumerists who think the holiday is just a way for Hallmark and chocolate factories to make money, or those who object to the forced observation of romantic love.

Which leaves us with the dillema – do we celebrate Valentine’s Day or not? Is this holiday simply a day to celebrate loving relationships such as marriage and family, or is it something more sinister – a conspiracy begun by card companies and chocolateers to profit from?

I have a number of writing buddies who are also bloggers, who wrote about Valentine’s Day…

First of all, my friend Wendy Neudorf blogged “A Day of Hearts” today and wrote about the card she received from her husband of 37 years, and reminisced about their love story. Some of the insights she shared included: “It isn’t always perfect or romantic or easy. It’s not all about walks in the park and candlelight dinners. Love is commitment. It’s putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own. It is sticking out the rough spots regardless of how uncomfortable it gets, and agreeing between you that there is no other option. Love is strengthened through struggles won. Love deepens when you give of yourself expecting nothing in return.” Wise words! My wife Liza and I are celebrating 17 years of marriage next month, and those words definitely resonate with me.

Secondly, my wife’s cousin Nichole Forbes blogged “Family Love Day: Revisited” today and made the bold statement that “today has been made a day to celebrate love yet way too many people are left feeling less than on days like this. That’s not okay.”`She observes that if you are not part of a twosome you depress yourself by pondering your aloneness while you eat copious amounts of heart shaped chocolate. She says that she has never been a fan of Valentine`s Day because it seemed that for this one day if you were not part of a couple you were no one. Now whether this is true or not, I cannot say, but I do like the approach that she has taken in celebrating this day with her family. She writes: “This year as we prepared for today I began to think about what this day means for our kids now and what it could mean to them in the future. Right now they are all pretty young and they see Family Love Day as a day to get some chocolate and a little gift. A day when we make a point of saying ‘I love you’ to each other and spend time just being together. Its not about being a couple, its about being a family.”

So what is the conclusion of the matter? Well, from a Christian or Biblical perspective, I don’t think that it matters how you choose to celebrate the day – if you even do at all. Romans 14:6 says, “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;  and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” So I think it is a matter of personal conviction how you celebrate the day – if at all.

Having said that, let me share with you how I choose to celebrate the day.

First of all, every year I choose to take this day to remind my wife how special and precious she is to me. I have already today reposted a picture from our wedding day on facebook. I always get her a card, and usually get her flowers, chocolates and/or a gift. This doesn’t mean that I don’t do those things throughout the year, especially on days like our anniversary or her birthday, but Valentine’s Day to me is a yet another special day to remind her how much I love her. Every year, she and I take turns planning how we are going to spend our date night. Sometimes we go out for dinner and a movie. Usually, we just plan a special dinner at home, and have the kids get involved.

The day always starts off when we wake the kids up in the morning, and Liza has decorated the house with tacky silver and red and pink hearts and table cloths, and we have special gifts for the kids on the table. Usually a small gift and some chocolates, and a reminder to them how much we love them, and how special they are to us.

And so, Valentine’s Day to us is both a celebration of romantic love and marriage, and also family love. Because the value and importance of marriage is diminishing in today’s ungodly culture that celebrates casual sex, hooking up, friends with benefits, and multitudes of other immoral sexual relationships not worth mentioning here, I don’t want to give up a day that is designed to celebrate the romantic love between a husband and a wife. It is not meant to make a single person feel less important or special, but rather to recognize and celebrate the very first human institution God created – the marriage between one man and one woman for life.

So, whatever else you do today, whether you are single or married, make sure you take the time to tell those closest to you how much you love them.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lots of love,

Chris Jordan

Check out Wendy’s blog, Inside the Writer, here: http://insidethewriter.wordpress.com/

Check out Nichole’s blog, Some Random Mother, here: http://somerandommother.blogspot.com/

People have always had a curiosity about the future, and when the world will end. But with all of the mystery surrounding the Mayan calendar and its supposed end this year, there has been more anxiety and confusion than ever. One of the biggest questions I have heard from people lately – both inside and outside of the church – is: will the world end in 2012?

Those who are familiar with the Bible know that Jesus Himself taught a lot about the signs of the times that would take place before the end of the world. He declared that in the last days, there would be political unrest, wars and rumors of wars, and an increase of natural disasters – including famines, earthquakes, and even tsunamis.

One of the most telling signs of the times is the breakdown in relationships between people. Jesus said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Is the second coming of Jesus close at hand? Although God’s Word says no one knows the exact day or hour, it does tell us that we can recognize the season. The Book of Revelation – the last book of the Bible – holds many answers concerning the end of days, and that’s why we are currently studying through this book of the Bible. Are you ready for the end of the world?

To listen to our current series “Revelation 2012”, please go to www.beausejourchurch.ca and click on downloads, or come and join us Sunday mornings at Beausejour Community Church.

Pastor Chris Jordan

www.beausejourchurch.ca

Jan. 2012 –BeausejourChurch– Pastor Chris Jordan)

• This is the outline of my sermon notes from a message I shared with our church family two Sundays ago.
• To download a printable version of these notes, click HERE.
• To listen to the audio message, click HERE.

OPEN – TIM TEBOW:

Until the BCS national championship in 2009, Philippians 4:13 was the Scripture verse Tebow kept on his undereye strips. But he said he felt God prompting him to change it two days before big game to John 3:16, He recalled that when he told his coach, Urban Meyer responded, “Timmy, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you talking about? Phil. 4:13 is an awesome verse and it got us to the national championship!” All the players too said, “Are you sure?” But Tebow followed his spiritual intuition, and within the first 24 hours after the game aired, the new verse was the most-Googled item of the day with more than 92 million searches.

It would have been more than enough for the polarizing Denver Broncos quarterback to simply lead his underdog team to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in the AFC wild-card game. And Tim Tebow did, thanks to his 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime that left the Steelers and the watching world simply stunned.

But then the facts and figures emerged, and the Internet verily exploded: Tebow threw for exactly 316 yards in the 29-23 upset win, presenting an eerie allusion to the Bible’s John 3: 16 passage — whose number Tebow famously wore in the black under his eyes when he led the Florida Gators to victory in the 2009 collegiate national championship game. What’s more, that event took place exactly three years ago on the same day as his latest miracle comeback. And that wasn’t it for the coincidences: Tebow set an NFL playoff record with, you guessed it, 31.6 yards per completion and the TV rating on CBS peaked between 8.00-8.15pm ET with a rating of, say it ain’t so, 31.6.

A cursory glance at Google Trends hot searches Monday morning presented three of a kind: the top trio were, in order, the 3: 16 passage, followed by Tebow and Tim Tebow. So Tebowmania is somehow getting bigger. We’ve been down this road before, of course, but surely nothing can match these twin events, right?

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/09/tim-tebows-316-passing-yards-evoke-biblical-number/

VISION FOR 2012: Go Deep, Grow Strong and Bear Fruit

OPENING TEXT:

Jesus said: “Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!” (John 4:35-36, NLT).

• God wants us to bear fruit – the fruit of the harvest – people coming to know Jesus.

“Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

THE BIG IDEA: God has given to all believers the Great Commission – to preach the good news and make disciples. It’s time to respond to this call from Jesus.

KEY TEXT: (Luke 10:1-9).

“1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘Thekingdom ofGod has come near to you.’”

JESUS’ KEYS TO EFFECTIVE OUTREACH:

1. Take a travelling buddy. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two.
2. Expect persecution. Jesus sends us out as lambs among wolves.
3. Travel light. In today’s world, we have become so busy and sophisticated!
4. Spend time building relationships with people. Go to people’s homes and share meals together. The most effective ministry is that which flows out of relationship.
5. Be a blessing to them! Bring “Peace” to people’s homes and “Heal the sick there.”

ILLUSTRATION: Imagine if someone found the cure for cancer but didn’t share it with anyone:

• That’s what it’s like when we don’t tell people the Gospel.
• It’s time to get a compassion for the lost, hurting and broken people in our world!
• All sincere followers of Jesus will be enthusiastic fishers of men! 

STORY:  Dwight Moody

One day DL Moody was walking down the street and approached a man and asked if he would like to meet Jesus. The man was irritated and said, “Sir, mind your own business.” Moody’s response was, “But sir, this is my business!” The man said, “Then you must be Dwight Moody!”

CLOSING TEXT:

“But when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38).

“The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives.” (Matthew 10:1, The Message).

• Would you be more zealous reaching out if someone gave you $1,000 for every person you witnessed to?
• We would do it for the love of money, but not the love of God?

ILLUSTRATION:

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out day or night to save the lost. Because so many lives were saved by that station, it became famous. Consequently, many people wanted to join the station to give their time, talent, and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, a formal training session was offered. As the membership grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and the equipment outdated. They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building.

Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members. They met regularly and it was apparent how they loved one another. They hugged each other, and shared with one another the events of their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions; so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off of the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick, and half-drowned people. The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The carpets got dirty. So the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the house where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting there was rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. And that’s what they did.

As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few went out to the drowning people. History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that seacoast today, you will find many meeting places with ample parking and plush carpeting. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown. 

CLOSING CHALLENGE: Let’s go into all the world and share the Good News!

Beausejour Community Church Website:       www.beausejourchurch.ca

Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog:                            http://pastorchrisjordan.wordpress.com/

(an article I submitted to our local newspaper, The Beausejour Review).

Beausejour resident Pastor Chris Jordan is excited to announce the launch of his second book, The Beausejour Pulpit.

The book will be available for purchase at Serenity’s Cottage in Beausejour on Sat. Feb. 4, where Pastor Chris will be signing copies from 2-4 pm. Serenity’s Cottage, an inspirational book store and coffee shop, is located at 318 Fourth Street North.

In the book, Pastor Chris declares that for generations, the pulpit has stood at center stage in most Protestant churches. More than just a podium to hold the pastor’s notes, this wooden instrument symbolizes the proclamation of the Word of God. This collection of sermons is designed to help you encounter the living Word so that your life can be transformed.

In this book, you will discover how to stir up a hunger for more of God in your life; grow spiritually and become more like Jesus; pray powerful prayers and get more out of your Bible study; get more joy and satisfaction in your life; discover scientific evidence that supports the Biblical account of creation; gain keys to understanding the Book of Revelation and more!

This book is a collection of ten sermons that were preached by Pastor Chris at Beausejour Community Church over the past five years. It also includes Faith in Focus, a collection of twenty bi-weekly columns that appeared in the Clipper in 2011, and Proverbs: Wisdom for Daily Living, a 31 day devotional journey through the book of Proverbs.

For more info, check out the book’s webpage thebeausejourpulpit.com.

There will be a second book signing on Sat. Feb. 11 from 1-3 pm at the Brokenhead River Regional Library at 427 Park Ave. in Beausejour.

The book retails for $15 and is also available for purchase at Beausejour Community Church at 748 Park Avenue.

A pastor?

A pastor.

What a job, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want a job where you only work one day a week? At least, that’s the joke I hear often.

People don’t realize that because of the nature of the job, a pastor doesn’t ‘clock out’ at the end of the day. A pastor is on duty 24-7, and receives calls at home from morning to evening, sometimes even in the middle of the night.

So how many hours does a pastor spend a week doing his job? Obviously, every pastor and church is different, but allow me to give you a little insight into my ministry schedule.

One of my primary jobs of course is preaching the Word. Contrary to popular belief (or what may be practiced in some other churches), I don’t just pull a sermon-of-the-week out of a book. Sermon preparation for me usually begins right after the Sunday morning service as I begin seeking God’s wisdom and direction for the next week’s message. I take the time throughout the week to pray for God’s anointing to be upon the message, study Scriptures, research commentaries and other books, and search for interesting illustrations or stories to illuminate the Bible truth. It is not unusual for me to spend several hours a week praying over and preparing one sermon, often right up until late Saturday night. Although I’ve never timed it myself, researcher George Barna says that it takes the average pastor ten hours to prepare one sermon or teaching. However, preparing a message is only one small part of my ministry activities.

Every week, I spend varying amounts of time doing visitation – meeting people in their homes or restaurants for fellowship or counselling. Phone calls, text messages and e-mails with prayer requests, Bible questions, or simple requests for information about upcoming events are frequent. Church administration takes up several hours a week as well, with everything from producing our weekly church bulletin and updating our church website, to using e-mails and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with our church family about upcoming events and activities.

Here is a quick look at my regular weekly and monthly scheduled meetings:

• our Christian club at the high school every Wednesday at noon hour
• home groups that I host and lead every Wednesday night (preparing and facilitating the Bible study discussion)
• youth group meetings every Friday night (everything from worship nights or Bible studies to games and activities)
• a bi-weekly chapel for seniors at South Haven Lodge every second Tuesday (includes singing hymns and preparing a Bible message)
• a monthly chapel at Eastgate Lodge (Personal Care Home) one Wednesday a month (also includes singing hymns and preparing a Bible message)
• a council meeting one Tuesday night a month to deal with church finances, budget issues, building and property considerations
• an elder’s meeting one Sunday night a month (where we pray together and seek’s God’s wisdom and vision for our church family)
• a ministerial meeting for all of the pastors in Beausejour and area that I host and lead at our church one Thursday a month

This is not to mention occasional weddings, funerals, business meetings or community or social functions that I as the pastor am ‘expected’ to attend. Even if the pastor isn’t leading every meeting he’s at, he is always ‘on-duty’ wherever he goes. Add to this the fact that I often am involved in various other aspects of taking care of the church during the week including janitorial duties, and you will see that I have a very full schedule.

So how many hours would that translate into? Well, if there are 168 hours in a week, and I am sleeping for 49 of those hours (roughly 7 hours a night), then that leaves 119 waking hours in a typical week. At least half of those hours – 60 – are spent in activities either directly or indirectly related to church ministry.

Needless to say, it is not true that a pastor works only one day a week!

That however is not the point of today’s blog.

Even though my job is a busy one - filled with stresses, pressures and burdens – there’s nothing I would rather be or do.

I am a pastor, and I have the best job in the world!

Pastor Chris Jordan

“Having been called to preach the Gospel, God forbid that I should stoop to be king.” (anonymous).

Check out the webpage for my new book: www.thebeausejourpulpit.com

Today’s post is borrowed from my other blog, http://chris-jordan.blogspot.com/. Check it out if you want to sign up for daily devotionals in God’s Word!

It‘s Time to Grow Up.:

“So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don’t just pretend to be good. Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing. You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” (1 Peter 2:1-3).

I love the Bible. When I first became a Christian, I was so hungry to learn more about the wonderful God who had saved me, so I read through the whole Bible from cover to cover in three months. The Apostle Paul told a young man named Timothy that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)  Let’s take a look at what the above three little verses in First Peter have to say to encourage and challenge us.

1.         TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD.

The first key to spiritual growth is to know and believe the love that God has for you. If you have never “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” then I can’t challenge you with the next two points.  First John 3:1 says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” In other words, stop and think about how awesome God’s love is – that to all who believe in Jesus and accept him, God gives the right to become His children (John 1:12). What an awesome truth. Meditate on it today, and never forget the wonderful privilege of being called one of God’s children. Because once you know and believe the love that God has for you, you will have a desire to get to know Him more and go deeper in His Word.

2.         GET RID OF ALL SIN.

The second key to spiritual growth is to make a commitment to obey the Bible – to walk in holiness and purity. First John 2:4 says, “If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth.” If you want to grow spiritually, then make a commitment to become more and more like Jesus every day. First John 2:6 goes on to say, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.” In other words, if you’re going to call yourself a Christian, don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk – and the walk is the Christ walk – to be like Jesus. Someone said once that sin will keep you from the Bible, or the Bible will keep you from sin. If you hide God’s Word into your heart, it will help you to say no to sin (Psalm 119:11).

3.         CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK SO THAT YOU CAN GROW.

The third key to spiritual growth is to crave the pure spiritual milk of the Word of God. The Bible is our spiritual food, and if we fail to feed ourselves this pure spiritual milk, then we will fail to grow. Colossians 2:7 exhorts us to “Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.” So let’s make a commitment to spiritual growth – by tasting the goodness of God, getting rid of our sin, and craving the pure milk of the Word.  It’s time to grow up – to become more like Jesus.

Pastor Chris Jordan

www.beausejourchurch.ca

I am very excited to announce the publication of my second book – The Beausejour Pulpit. This book will be released on Jan. 30th. Give me your feedback!

The Beausejour Pulpit:

One Word From God Can Change Your Life Forever!

For generations, the pulpit has stood at center stage in most Protestant churches. More than just a podium to hold the pastor’s notes, this wooden instrument symbolizes the proclamation of the Word of God. This collection of sermons preached in Beausejour, Manitoba is designed to help you encounter the living Word so that your life can be transformed. In this book, you will discover how to:

• ~ stir up a hunger for more of God in your life
• ~ grow spiritually and become more like Jesus
• ~ pray powerful prayers and get more out of your Bible study
• ~ get more joy and satisfaction in your life
• ~ discover scientific evidence that supports the Biblical account of creation
• ~ gain keys to understanding the Book of Revelation
• ~ and more!

The Preface to The Beausejour Pulpit

It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who inspired The Beausejour Pulpit, my latest book project. Anyone who has heard me preach before has no doubt heard of Spurgeon, for I quote him often. This old Baptist pastor is affectionately referred to by many as The Prince of Preachers. Allow me to share with you a brief introduction to his life.

“C. H. Spurgeon was to nineteenth-century Englandwhat D. L. Moody was to America. Although Spurgeon never attended theological school, by the age of twenty-one he was the most popular preacher in London. He preached to crowds of ten thousand at Exeter Hall and the Surrey Music Hall. Then when the Metropolitan Tabernacle was built, thousands gathered every Sunday for over forty years to hear his lively sermons. In addition to his regular pastoral duties, he founded Sunday schools, churches, an orphanage, and the Pastor’s College. He edited a monthly church magazine and promoted literature distribution.” (W.Y. Fullerton, Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography, quoted from www.spurgeon.org).

There are many things about Spurgeon’s life that inspire me. He was a pastor who was dedicated to faithfully preaching the Word of God, and I too am a Bible preacher. One of the things that most inspires me about Spurgeon was his Penny Pulpit series. Influenced by another preacher, he decided to publish transcripts of his sermons every week, and in January of 1855, The New Park Street Pulpit was born. For seven years, he published these eight-page, small print sermons. Once a tax on paper was abolished, he began publishing twelve page sermons in larger type and changed the title of them to the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.

More than hundreds of millions of his weekly sermons were sold, and since then, they have been reproduced in numerous other ways. I have in my personal library several collections containing hundreds of Spurgeon’s sermons, and they still inspire me today. This is how The Beausejour Pulpit was born.

In this little book, you will find a collection of transcripts of ten of the sermons that I preached at BeausejourCommunity Churchover the past five years. In addition to these ten sermons you will find Foursquare Foundations, an examination of our church’s statement of faith; Faith in Focus, a collection of twenty bi-weekly columns I wrote for our local community newspaper, and Proverbs: Wisdom for Daily Living, a 31 day devotional journey through the book of Proverbs.

Be forewarned: None of the messages in this book will win any kinds of literary awards. They are raw and relatively unedited, but they are records of some of the messages that I have shared with our church family in the first five years of pastoral ministry in Beausejour.

The first four messages will challenge you to seek after God in prayer and Bible reading. The next two messages will encourage you to contend for joy in your life. The three-part Origins series will answer some of the questions you may have about the creation versus evolution debate including a consideration of dinosaurs. The tenth message will introduce you to one of my favorite books of the Bible: Revelation.

Although my words are nowhere near as eloquent as Spurgeon’s, I pray that God would breathe upon these messages and use them to inspire and encourage you in the Lord, just as Spurgeon’s sermons have blessed me.

* * *

To download an order form, click here:

http://sermonplayer.com/c/chrisjordan/pdf/119757758_3793.pdf

Book Release Date: January 30, 2012.

Retail Cost: $15

Please make cheques payable to Chris Jordan Publications.

For more info, contact:

Chris Jordan Publications, Box 1823, Beausejour, MB. R0E 0C0.

204-266-1930. www.chrisjordanpublications.ca