Calvin Synod Herald, 2016 (117. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2016-01-01 / 1-2. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 I wanted them to turn around and look at the future, to look at their children and their grandchildren as future blessings from the Lord. All of the young people in the church were facing forwards, not backwards, so they felt like there was no place in the Hungarian church for them. They felt shut out of the life of the church and its ministry. Eventually, many of my students left Hungary, going to England, or South Africa, or Germany, or America, all of them looking for a place where they could have a hope and a future, where the Lord would bless them and their children. It would be easy for me to look back at my childhood, fifty years ago, and lament all that I have lost, the American way of life where families and churches were more important than getting rich, the Sunday afternoons at my grandparents’ house where I knew for sure that somebody loved me. But the Lord has called me, and you, to face forwards, not backwards, and to build families and churches that give our children a hope and a future, a place of their own to serve the Lord and to serve everyone that loves Him. We can do this by listening to the Spirit of the Lord as He speaks to our hearts. The Lord loves the Hungarian people and their language and their culture. He speaks words of blessing and encouragement to them in their mother tongue. Our Hungarian churches are not supposed to be like museums that we visit once a week, filled with memories from an old way of life that can never be revived. The pastor is not supposed to be like a caretaker of the museum, protecting all the old paintings that show us what life was like long ago. Our roots as Reformed Christians go deep into the past, but the roots support the tree and the tree is meant to bear fruit. The Lord is looking for the fruit of His Spirit in His church. He is looking for Christians who, when He asks, “Who will go for us?” will say in their hearts, “Here I am. Lord. Send me.” As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. He has abundantly fulfilled his promise to bless us, not simply with material blessings but also with spiritual blessings, with love, and forgiveness, and faith, and joy. He has given us a hope and a future that no man can take away, and a ministry of life to the Hungarian nation and the family of God. He is our Lord and He can surely give the same blessings to you. Joel Shigo From Two Culture Proverbs - Két kultúra közmondásaiból • Knowledge is power. - A tudás hatalom. • Better brain than brawn. - Többet ésszel, mint erővel. • Birds of a feather flock together. - Madarat tollával, embert barátjáról. • Better late than never. - Jobb későn, mint soha. • Silent waters run deep. - Lassú víz partot mos. Let us start the New Year with hopes and expectation Scripture reading: Luke 4:14-19. Text: "He (that is Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me TO PREACH GOOD NEWS to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD ’S FA VOR. Luke 4:16-19. We enter each New Year with the expectation that the trend will turn around, namely, instead of just hanging on we will get ahead. We hope and pray that the church will grow spiritually, numerically, and socially. We wish to become a motivating, stabilizing, and reconciling force in the world. How can we reach this goal? There are several ways to do it; however, one of our first and most important obligations is to preach the gospel. The word "gospel" means good news in the original Greek language. We feel that the world is "hungry" for the "good news" but the problem is, the good news the Bible offers and what people expect to hear, are not the same. How wonderful would it be if we could preach that "good news" what Jesus had done in the synagogue? Please see our text. We should call the people to repent, turn around, follow our Lord and become believers that is have faith. Let us remember one of the most important requirements: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6. WHAT ARE THE ROLES OR DUTIES OF THE CHURCH TO HELP PEOPLE TO BECOME FAITHFUL? HELPING PEOPLE TO OBTAIN FAITH. For this there are the sermons, religious literature and broadcast, as well as to witness personally. Apostle Paul had made it clear: "Consequently, FAITH COMES FROM HEARING the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17. Also the same apostle had encouraged Timothy in this way: "I give you this charge: Preach the Word ..." 2 Timothy 4:1 -2. Apostle Peter had the same to say: "He (Jesus) commanded us (the disciples) to PREACH TO THE PEOPLE and to testify that he (Christ) is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." Acts of Apostles 10:42. NURTURING AND STRENGTHENING THE FAITH. Even the apostles had asked the Master: "The Continued on page 8
