Good morning everyone,
Here are a few beautiful images of Fall here in New England…
1 Chronicles 29:11
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victor and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”
GIVING THANKS:
* Karen Ohrenberger is home from the hospital. Kevin shared that the Neurosurgeon was top of the line and that he confirmed the surgery went flawlessly, but she went through a lot. Continued prayers for Karen to heal without any impairment and for the severe pain and headaches to subside, and for Kevin as he is in caregiving mode. They remove the 18 staples on the 17th.
* Mary Likely is doing much better & Ashley is home safely! And Eric did a great job with the girls while she was away!
CONGRATULATIONS to Emille and Jenna Jones who are expecting a baby girl! Prayers for all!
And Praise God with these new little blessings who will soon be filling up our cradle roll class! God is working and He is to be Praised!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
* Mick McCreanor asked for prayers for Kelly Kasarous who has terminal cancer and is sick with pneumonia as well. Our prayers are with Mick as well as he awaits results from a brain MRI and job search.
* Joanna Ordunna's husband is still in the ICU. They removed his kidney and he also has cancer. Praying for him during this time of recovery.
* Gina Porto's husband Ralph has dementia and is regressing. Prayers for Gina and Ralph at this difficult time.
* Kristen's C-section is scheduled for 10AM on Monday. Thanks to all for your prayers. Anyone who might be interested in helping them out with a meal, there is a sign-up sheet posted.
COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES
This is the last Sunday we will be collecting for the college care bags.
Snacks, candy, gum, school supplies, gluten free cookies, chips, etc. will be put together for our college and Senior High students next Saturday. Thanks for encouraging them! For those who would like to write notes of encouragement and including scriptures, etc. please get them to the building by this Sunday as well.
SPOONER HOUSE
Reminder to bring in a few non-perishable foods each week if possible. The Spooner House continues to be in desperate need. Thanks to everyone for supporting this food pantry ministry.
OCTOBER EVENTS:
* The next Tuesday morning Bible study will be on October 17th at 9:30 a.m. watch for the zoom link. Thanks to Lisa and Mary Lou for leading this study on the book of James.
* The next Saturday Ladies Bible study will be on Saturday October 14th at 10:00 a.m. at JoAnne Discala's home at 175 Hilltop Circle, Trumbull, CT. JoAnne will be leading the lesson on our study of the book of Exodus – Remember who you are. We will also assemble the students care packages that morning.
* Men's Breakfast – October 21st at 9:00 a.m. at the church building- See Jay, Ron or Bruce for what you can bring. There will be a sign up list posted.
* Trunk or Treating – Saturday October 28th at 6:30 at the church building. Thanks to Derin & Kristen for hosting this event. Stay tuned for more details.
* Next Pot Luck meal – Sunday October 29th
MANCHESTER CHURCH OF CHRIST IS HAVING THIS SEMINAR:
The Senior Saints invite you!
Program: Know the signs and symptoms of stroke
Speaker:Guest speaker will be Mary and Charlie Brown’s daughter Dr. Kelly (Brown) Matmati, Chair of Neurology and Stroke Program Director for Hartford Healthcare Fairfield region. She will be accompanied by Dawn Beland, RN, Stroke Center Coordinator for Hartford Hospital in Hartford.
Kelly will talk about the signs and symptoms of stroke, what to do if you experience a symptom, the various treatments for strokes, the rehabilitation, and more. Dawn will discuss what Hartford Hospital has available.
Date:SundayOctober 22, 2023
Time: 12:00 PM
Place: Fellowship hall at the Manchester Church of Christ, 595 Tolland Turnpike, Manchester.
Light Lunch first: Sandwiches and finger foods. To register to attend and/or bring a food item, click on this link: https://bit.ly/3rdhKOZ or call Mary Brown at 860-463-1351.
This event is free and open to all who are interested in this life-saving topic. Please invite your friends who are interested in this topic. We just ask that you register through the link or a phone call to me, Mary Brown.
Mary and Charlie Brown
Please see the attached flyer to print out and share.
Please contact Mary Brown for more details.
NOVEMBER EVENTS:
* LADIES NIGHT OUT – Friday November 10th at 6:00 p.m.. Old Towne Restaurant in Trumbull. Please RSVP to Lisa Saracino if you are able to come. So far there are 15 ladies coming which is great news!
Psalm 139 :13-16
“For you formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.“
Our Father in Heaven, created each of us magnificently. The Psalmist David clearly defines God's Omnipotence, Omnipresence and Omnipresence in this Psalm.
At the moment of conception, a new little life has a complete genetic blueprint, which contains the fingerprint, our blood type, our sex, our DNA and So much more! All mind-boggling.
God's love for us is wider and deeper than we can grasp. The Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus saying in Ephesians 3:14-18
“For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure
of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 1:4-5
“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will“
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
We are His masterpiece…
Created in Christ Jesus…
For good works….
which God prepared in advance, for us to do!
God chose us “in Him” – In Christ – not because of our own perfection, but we are chosen in and through his Son who became the sacrifice for all sin. John 15:16
Jumping over to 1st Peter 2:9 He goes on to say
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness, into his wonderful light.”
God has chosen us because we follow Jesus Christ. He chose us out of His love and mercy, for His glory! Not based on our merit, or deeds, but by our obedience of Jesus's commands.
God is the Parent that every child longs to have, always loving, always guiding, always teaching, always forgiving, always patient, always there for us. We just need to remain close to Him and not drift far from Him.
Can we imagine not speaking with our own children as they grow? Zero communication. It would be a dead relationship without interaction.
The Apostle Paul shares in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that God is jealous when we seek something other than Him. Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord Your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.“
God is jealous for us!
Just as a Parent loves and nurtures their child's relationship, He desires our hearts. He wants a relationship with us. He wants to hear from us. He requires it for salvation. 2 Thessalonians 1:8
In this cellular age, we are all connected by texting and phone all day long. But, are we as connected to the Father as frequently as we are by texting?
The world doesn't necessarily understand why this relationship with the Father, or our prayer to God, or worship is so important.
Jesus came to be the living example of Love, pointing us to the Father. The maker of heaven and earth longs to have a relationship with us!
In the Old Testament, God spoke these words to Moses
Exodus 20:4-6
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments”.
God is jealous for us because of His great LOVE for us! He created us, he knows us, he LOVES us. He also knows that serving only HIM is best for us!
Worship, praise, honor, and adoration all belong to God alone, for He is truly worthy of it all.
As the apostle Paul shared with the church in Corinth, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy..”
2 Corinthians 11:2
A jealousy not defined by worldly jealousy, but by a Godly, loving, holy, and sacrificial jealousy. One where he LONGS to have a relationship with each of us! No one is excluded. He loves and welcomes everyone!
He loves us SO….
John 3:17 goes on…”For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“
Jesus showed sorrow for Jerusalem when they were misguided and spiritually lost. He used the example of a Mother Hen who loves and protects her chicks.
What a beautiful analogy. The Mother Hen, holding her chicks under her wings, loving and protecting them. Doesn't He do that for us? Protecting us physically, emotionally and spiritually from the evil one.
Love in its purest form was poured forth from God, through Jesus Christ, to US and for US!
Jesus came to fulfill all prophecy, and who demonstrated unconditional love for all mankind. John 3:16
In John 15:15 Jesus refers to us as “friends”… “for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”
Our relationship with Christ is a relationship of intimacy and complete security. To be totally and unconditionally loved and accepted. Jesus is fully God, He is Lord of heaven and Earth and he LOVES us! “Jesus loves ME, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
We have a glorious opportunity to return that love, through Prayer, Worship, serving others, and glorifying the Great I AM.
The book of James is a book about living the faith. In James 4:8 he says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Sadly, once our life is over, that's it, our opportunity to worship God is gone. Our fate is then sealed by the choices we've made in this life.
Let's continue to promote the GOOD NEWS to all and KEEP SINGING:
These lyrics were written by Joe Nuzzo
God's Eyes
Lord I got your love always
And there’s never loneliness in my heart,
I will never run from you I’d never get to far,
For wherever I would go,
I’d return to the place you are.
And as I worship in return,
Your Grace alone,
my heart does yearn,
In all my choice , to sin I died,
Yes, your church is now your bride.
In Gods eyes,
The truth, the life (in Gods eyes),
I am discreet (in Gods eyes),
I see the true way (in Gods eyes),
There’s a thousand searches (in Gods eyes),
The restoration (in Gods eyes),
Of all the fruitful searches (in Gods eyes),
Yes, I see the truth and the life (in Gods eyes),
Yes, I now know there is no strife,
I now can know the truth,
the life I see in Gods eyes,
Lord, I won’t have to feel no more pain,
I am waiting for this moment that’s coming one day,
I’m never tired working so hard for your arrival,
I look forward when with you I will be awake and alive,
And as I worship in return ,
Your grace alone my heart does yearn ,
Yes , I now know there is no strife ,
Yes your church is now your bride,
In Gods eyes (Gods eyes, Gods eyes),
In Gods eyes,
In Gods eyes,
The truth , the life (in Gods eyes),
I am discreet (in Gods eyes),
I see the true way (in Gods eyes),
There’s a thousand searches (in Gods eyes),
The restoration (in Gods eyes),
Of all the fruitful searches
Yes, I see the truth and the life (in Gods eyes),
Oh, yes I will be that discreet (in Gods eyes),
I now can know the truth, the life I see in Gods eyes,
In Gods eyes,
In Gods eyes,
In Gods eyes,
In Gods eyes (in your eyes),
(In Gods eyes),
In Gods eyes (in Gods eyes),
In Gods eyes (in Gods eyes),
HE IS JEALOUS FOR ME
He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane,
I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me.
And Oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How he loves us so.
He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how Great your affections are for me…
Oh, How He loves us so,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us so.
Yes, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how he loves…
And we are his portion and
He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking!
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
when I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves….
He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves….
How blessed we are to be recipients of God's love, through Christ.
How blessed we are to be heirs to His throne, through Christ.
How blessed we are that we have a Father who covets our love, and desires a relationship with us through His One and only Son.
How blessed we are to be able to have a personal and purposeful relationship with Him, and worship Him freely in this country.
How blessed we are to be able to PRAY freely to Yahweh, anytime, anywhere.
Join us for bible classes and worship on Sunday mornings and bible study on Wednesday evenings at 7pm via zoom. Invite families with young children to our children's bible classes. Now is the time for them to build a foundation of faith and learn about their CREATOR, who loves them beyond measure.
Pass the Love of GOD on to those who need the saving message of the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ and find JOY along the way!
We close with this post from Casandra Martin about Knowing God…..