Questa volta si è meditato su Matteo 5,4. Gesù ci dice di avere un cuore addolorato riguardo al peccato dentro di noi e dentro il mondo. Il vero pentimento può nascere quando confessiamo umilmente i nostri peccati con cuore contrito. Dio consola coloro che piangono e seguono la via della croce con una gioia che nessuno potrà togliere.

Il sermone è stato tenuto dal pastore Andrew e ha esaminato il significato del giorno di Pentecoste e come il perfetto tempismo di Dio ha adempiuto tutto in modo che la Sua storia potesse entrare in questa nuova era luminosa dello Spirito Santo. Guardarono le feste ebraiche di Pentecoste, la Festa delle Primizie e la Festa delle Settimane, e arrivarono a comprendere più profondamente il significato di quelle feste ebraiche annuali. Sono venuti a vedere la loro relazione con la croce dell’agnello di Dio, la sua risurrezione come primizia di tutti coloro che saranno risuscitati alla vita eterna, e il giorno di Pentecoste in cui i seguaci di Cristo furono battezzati dallo Spirito Santo e uniti in uno corpo della chiesa.

Il messaggio ha esaminato il significato degli eventi straordinari del giorno di Pentecoste e il loro significato, nonché la profezia del profeta Gioele a cui si riferisce Pietro all’inizio del suo sermone. Attraverso il messaggio, i membri sono stati in grado di ottenere una panoramica della storia di Dio dalla caduta in Genesi 3 e attraverso la storia della salvezza e della redenzione che ha portato a questo straordinario giorno di restaurazione nel giorno di Pentecoste.

Il pastore Andrew ha esortato i membri a stabilire la fede, a far entrare la verità nei loro cuori ea lasciare che lo Spirito Santo entri e dimori in loro. In questa nuova era lo Spirito Santo non ci lascerà, ed è a disposizione di tutti coloro che invocano il nome del Signore. Pregò che la chiesa sorgesse con forza e partecipasse grandemente a questa nuova era dello Spirito Santo.

Andando verso la Pasqua, la congregazione continua a guardare al vangelo di Giovanni. Dopo aver spiegato l’inizio dell’era dello Spirito Santo, Gesù insegna come portare frutti. Ci sono due punti importanti per portare frutto. Uno è il seme e l’altro è la potatura.

Fondamentalmente tutti nella genealogia di Adamo non porteranno alcun frutto buono. Gesù ci chiama ad unirci a lui. È necessario che ci sia l’esperienza della rinascita, che è il processo di cambiamento del seme. I tralci selvatici vengono innestati nella vite che produrrà buoni frutti.

Una volta cambiato il seme, avviene il processo di pulizia. Dio pota ogni tralcio che porta frutto affinché il raccolto sia ancora più abbondante. La congregazione è stata esortata a rimanere “in Cristo”, cercando quotidianamente la potenza dello Spirito Santo per superare i desideri peccaminosi.

Possano i membri della Chiesa di Berlino partecipare quest’anno alla morte e risurrezione del Signore e dimostrarsi discepoli del Signore portando il frutto dell’amore.

The message looked at the heartbreaking scene of the Last Supper, and in particular the betrayal of Judas.

At the start of John 13 we can see that Judas already has it in his mind to betray Jesus, yet Jesus’ response to Judas, knowing that the time for Him to leave this world and return to the Father was near, was to wash His disciples feet. Facing His betrayer, Jesus showed even more love, and even took the image of a servant to wash their feet – including Judas.

Judas had been following Jesus for a long time now, and had seen so many miracles, and received so many teachings from the Lord, yet He still was not able to see the love of Christ. Even until the last moments before the cross, he could not recognize Jesus’ love – Judas was blind to the truth.

We can contrast the image of this stubborn Judas to the woman with the alabaster jar – a story that is recorded just before the Last Supper. Mary had been so touched by the love of the Lord, that her life had changed fundamentally. Whereas before, she would have considered the expensive alabaster jar to be her most precious thing, now she considered it incomparable to the love of Jesus.

Love must be a two-way relationship; so when someone experiences love truly, then they will respond to that love, and they will move to return that love. So Mary breaks the alabaster jar to honor Jesus, and to return love back. She had been touched by the world of true love, revealed by Christ, and she was now moved to participate in this world of love. Jesus complimented her actions, and said wherever the Gospel will be preached then the story of what she had done should be told as well.

However, Judas was blind to this revelation of love, and could not see the truth of what was happening before his eyes. So he rebuked her, and he judged her actions. With his own worldly thoughts, calculating and analytical, he judged Mary, and he also judged Jesus with the same mind.

As we see Judas, we must meditate on ourselves. Do we have this same heart of Judas? Are we so stubborn and stuck in our old ways of thinking? Are we blind to the love of the Lord even though He reveals it to us again and again?

Haven’t we also experienced so many miracles in our lives? And hasn’t God blessed us and shown us love beyond comprehension in our lives too?

In Luke 15, Jesus tells a number of beautiful parables that reveal the love of God. The world of love is even where 1 is greater than 99 – like the good shepherd who would leave the 99 sheep to go searching for the 1 lost lamb. God’s love cannot be analysed or calculated with our limited thoughts and ways. Love is a level beyond the knowledge of this world.

We are able to see that Judas was not truly reborn in the world’s love. He had been blind to the love, and had not experienced it deep in his heart, and so he had not been changed fundamentally by it. He could not recognize the love of Jesus, and did not truly know the love of God.

All the disciples deserted Jesus before the cross, and even Peter who spoke so boldly that he would follow Jesus even to death betrayed Christ and denied Him 3 times. However, Peter and the other disciples all returned to the Lord later – but not Judas. Even though the 11 disciples stumbled so badly, and must have experienced so much shame and regret, they returned to the Lord after He resurrected. But Judas did not, instead he regretted, felt shame and then caused even more pain to the Father by committing suicide. Did God not love Judas? Did Jesus not love Judas so much when He called him to be a disciple? Imagine the heartbreak of the betrayal and even the suicide as well. It is such a devastating story.

How could Peter and the other disciples all return unlike Judas? It is that they had been reborn in the Lord’s love. They had seen and experienced and felt the Lord’s love deeply, and it had changed them forever. Evidence of being reborn is not that we are perfect. It is not that we will not sin, or will not stumble. Look how badly the disciples stumbled here. No, the evidence of rebirth is that you change fundamentally to the depths of your heart. The love has electrified you to your core and you are forever changed.

So no matter how badly you stumble, or feel shame and want to hide away, you know the love of God – how amazing His grace is, how wide and immense His love is. His love is faithful beyond comprehension, and His love never fails. Our sin can never be bigger than the Lord’s love. The person who has come to know this love, no matter how shameful, no matter how badly they have stumbled, they will repent and come running back to the Father until the end, because they know the Lord’s love is greater, and He will embrace and love them still.

So only the one who has truly experienced and seen this amazing love of God can return, because you have faith and trust in His love.

Jesus tried to show this love to Judas until the end. He washed his feet, taking the position of a servant before Judas. He sat Judas next to Him at the Last Supper. If we know someone who has betrayed us badly, we often will push them as far away as possible. But the Lord held Him even closer. However, this amazing love of Jesus was unknown to Judas until the end. So he turned his back on the Lord – the light of the world – and went out into the darkness. The path of the cross had begun, and the Lord’s heart must have been so overwhelmed with sorry and pain.

Let us continue to meditate on this path of the cross more deeply through this time of Lent, so that we can see and experience His great love. Pastor Andrew prayed that all members would be absolutely changed fundamentally through the love of God, so that they could experience a true rebirth and permanent change in life.

Nel brano Gesù rimprovera 3 città; Cafarnao, dove Gesù condusse gran parte del Suo ministero e compì molti miracoli, così come le vicine città di Corazin e Betsaida. Le paragona ad altre 3 città ben note per la loro perversione, peccato e immoralità; Sodoma, Tiro e Sidone. Gesù rimprovera Cafarnao poiché alle persone lì era stato concesso un grande accesso al Figlio. Avevano visto miracoli e ascoltato la Parola, ma tuttavia avevano rifiutato Cristo. Luca 12:48 insegna che da coloro a cui è stato dato di più ci si aspetterà molto di più da loro. Quindi, da coloro ai quali Gesù si è rivolto, che hanno ascoltato la Parola e visto i Suoi miracoli, ci si aspetta molto di più. Dovrebbero riconoscere Gesù come Signore e rinascere nel Suo amore e nella Sua grazia.

Tuttavia, i leader ebrei di quelle città rifiutarono Cristo. Ogni insegnamento che dava, anche ogni guarigione e ogni miracolo che compiva, Lo odiavano ancora di più; erano ciechi a Gesù e le loro orecchie erano sorde a Lui.

Dobbiamo capire perché i leader religiosi dell’epoca rifiutarono Gesù e perché erano sordi e ciechi nei suoi confronti. Gesù passa poi a lodare Dio, perché Egli ha nascosto la Verità del Regno di Dio ai “saggi e ai dotti”, ma l’ha rivelata ai “piccoli bambini”. Cosa significa questo? Loda il Padre perché ha aperto la salvezza e la Verità a tutta l’umanità. Quando gli esseri umani sono bambini, sono molto deboli. Fanno assolutamente affidamento sui loro genitori per tutto. Non possono nemmeno alzare la testa o fare nulla per se stessi. Tra tutte le creature sulla terra, i neonati umani sono i più deboli e vulnerabili. Quindi, anche alla più debole di tutte le cose deboli su questa terra, Gesù sta dicendo che il Regno di Dio è stato dato anche a loro.

Come può essere? È perché la salvezza non viene dalla nostra conoscenza mondana o dalla saggezza che impariamo da questo mondo. Non avviene a causa delle nostre azioni o di quanto possiamo essere utili a Dio, o perché abbiamo nobili origini o autorità. Avviene solo attraverso ciò che Dio ha fatto per noi. Non per quello che abbiamo fatto o possiamo fare, ma per quello che Gesù ha fatto per noi. E così, anche se abbiamo un’immagine inutile e debole davanti a Dio, come un piccolo bambino assolutamente dipendente da sua madre, possiamo ricevere la Verità e possiamo ricevere il Signore della salvezza.

Quindi la salvezza è al 100% da Gesù, ed è per ogni uomo. L’unica cosa che può ostacolare la nostra salvezza e impedirci di ricevere Gesù è il nostro orgoglio e la nostra arroganza. Gesù dice che Dio ha nascosto queste cose ai “saggi e ai dotti”. Gesù sta parlando della saggezza e dell’intelligenza mondana che distrarrebbero i nostri occhi, le nostre menti e prenderebbero il controllo dei nostri cuori. Quindi coloro che cercano solo la saggezza mondana e hanno gli occhi fissi sulle cose mondane, non cercheranno più Dio. Sono diventati ciechi nel vedere Dio e sono diventati sordi alla Parola del Signore. Come dice Romani 1:22, anche se affermavano di essere saggi, diventano stolti.

I leader ebrei dell’epoca rifiutarono Gesù. Avevano arroganza e orgoglio nel loro cuore e pensavano di sapere già tutto. I loro occhi erano fissi sulla loro posizione e autorità. Avevano studiato e imparato tutte le leggi dell’Antico Testamento e mantenevano tutte le norme spirituali per vantarsi davanti alla gente. Tuttavia, poiché la loro comprensione era frustrata a livello della saggezza mondana, la loro fede era falsa. Crearono più di 600 leggi dai Comandamenti e le legarono al collo di tutti i credenti; dicendo loro che dovevano mantenere tutto per la loro rettitudine, altrimenti sarebbero stati condannati e rimproverati. Pensavano di potersi guadagnare la giustizia con le loro azioni; accumulando le loro azioni contro Dio e rendendolo debitore nei loro confronti. Quindi, anche quando Gesù venne da loro, non potevano riconoscerlo, i loro occhi erano ciechi al Suo amore e le loro orecchie erano sorde al Suo messaggio di grazia.

Non potevano vedere il mondo dell’amore di cui parlava Gesù, che non può essere compreso dalla saggezza e dall’analisi mondana. Il mondo dell’amore è dove il pastore amorevole lascerebbe i 99 per trovare l’agnello smarrito. Non può essere compreso dalla logica e dal calcolo di questo mondo.

E questo è l’amore di Dio per noi. Che anche se siamo inutili per Lui, e così deboli e pieni di peccato, la nostra immagine è davvero come quella di un bambino che fa affidamento sulla madre per il cibo, i vestiti e tutto nella vita. Eppure Dio ci ha mandato Suo Figlio: questa è grazia!

Allora Gesù dice a tutti coloro che sono gravati e stanchi da questa fede che potete guadagnarvi la giustizia con le opere, dice: “Venite a me”. Ci chiama con urgenza a Sé, dicendo che se Lo riceviamo per fede, troveremo riposo per le nostre anime.

Dobbiamo ricevere Cristo nei nostri cuori, sapendo che non è con le nostre opere che siamo salvati,

To Bildad and Job’s friends, God is so powerful that it’s impossible that anyone could rebel and oppose him. Even though Job provided many examples from life, how bad things happen to good people and good things happen to evil people. Bildad is focused on this one attribute of God, his majesty and power in heaven and for him its impossible that God wouldn’t establish and keep the same order on earth, so Job cannot be an exception. But we know that even though there is no chaos and evil in God, and his order is absolute in heaven – the fallen angels are cast out, right? – he allows evil on earth for certain time; Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This doesn’t mean that God has no control, the opposite, we will see later how Job affirms God’s absolute sovereignty over his creation, but God is not only sovereign, there is much more to God and how he accomplishes his purpose for the earth.

25:3-6 A human being, who is only a worm

So Bildad in his high view of God considers a human being as a worm. Job deserves the suffering, because humans doesn’t deserve any better. But this is not God’s view of humanity, Bildad is wrong here. God created humans in his own image and he gave them the capacity and responsibility to rule over the earth in Genesis 1. God doesn’t look at us as maggots, he doesn’t look at us with disgust, even when we sin and we fall low and our appearance is that of a worm, God loves the humanity and offers salvation to anyone who will accept it.

It is true that God is fundamentally different from humans, we are nothing like God and we cannot compare ourselves to him, we were made out of dust, Genesis teaches us that. God is uncreated, self-existent, sovereign, infinite, etc. and he cannot share these attributes with another. There is no one like God. But there are other attributes that he imparts on his creatures in some measure, and he shares his likeness in a special way with humanity – our reason, love, goodness, holiness, faithfulness, compassion – there are many ways where we see the likeness of God in man. And in this way, we experience the mystery of the friendship between God and humanity, it is the greatest privilege we have and it’s what makes us human.

Job 26

In contrast to Bildad, for whom God’s greatness lead him to see humans as worthless, Job looks at God’s greatness and he feels and sees wonder, not disgust. Job realizes that God is great and there is much more to God and how he rules his creation and the history than man is able to perceive and understand. God sees and knows all things because he is the creator, he is not limited in his knowledge and his wisdom goes far far beyond what we humans are able to understand. Whatever question we might have, God has the answer, he made all things. What are the implications of that? God is infinite in his knowledge. Humans can know in part but not fully as God knows. And because our understanding is limited, we are limited in our power. And Job realizes that the right attitude is to humble ourselves before God and to trust Him, to have faith in the God who knows all and who is sovereign over his world.

So in the first four verses, he points out the limit of the wisdom Job’s three friends claimed they had. Even though they say they have knowledge of God’s ways, their knowledge hasn’t accomplished anything for Job, it hasn’t helped him at all.

27:1-6 As surely as God lives.

By using the name of God, Job says he is serious and he puts his fate in God’s hands, if he is wrong and his oath is false, God’s judgement will be upon him. With this intense language, Job appeals to God to vindicate him and defend him against those who have accused him. Job dares God to do what is just toward him. With that he maintains his integrity. People who have something to hide don’t dare to speak this way, so Job is saying his conscience is pure and he will not sin against his own conscience by confessing sins that he didn’t commit and he will not speak insincerely just to buy God’s blessing back.

27:7-23 May my enemy be like the wicked!

Job is upset by the wrong accusations and calls on God’s justice to be revealed against them if they are wrong. Overall, Job agrees with the friends that the wicked will be punished in the end because of God’s holy nature, God cannot be unjust. But Job has the long view of God’s justice, eventually God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked, but we cannot look at a specific situation in life and judge the person based on that. Zophar and Bildad’s view leaves no room for God’s mercy and that’s a mistake. To understand the meaning of suffering and to be able to comfort others, we need to have to whole view of God’s plan for this world and His nature.

28:1-5 Mortals put an end to darkness.

Humans go to dangerous places in search of valuable things, they go to places no other creation is able to go 28:7-11.

28:12 But where can wisdom be found?

We know how to find gold and precious stones, but no one knows how to find wisdom. We can study and get diplomas in rocket science and what not, but we can’t get a diploma in wisdom.

28:13-14 it cannot be found in the land of the living.

Wisdom cannot be discerned in the human realm or even in the world of nature. Job’s point here is that true wisdom is beyond our reach. The creation points to wisdom, but wisdom itself resides in God the Creator. So, to find wisdom, we must look beyond ourselves and beyond the material world as they lift our eyes to God. As long as we try to find wisdom apart from God, we will be frustrated. Ecc 1:2-3 “Everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?”

28:15-19 It cannot be bought with the finest gold.

People in the ancient times valued gold even more highly than we do today, but there is no money that can purchase true wisdom.

28:21-22 Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”

No person, living or dead, has grasped this wisdom.

28:23-28 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells.

Here we find answer to the question “Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?”

We are pointed to the traditional definition of wisdom found in Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Wisdom is not discovered by knowing everything about the world, because that is beyond the reach of human understanding. Rather, wisdom resides in God, and it is found in relationship with him as a person loves and obeys God in reverence.

Wisdom is a gift given by God to those who ask him for it James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Wisdom resides in God, who is the creator and sovereign of all. And if we want to attain it, we must come to God to receive it. We learn that true wisdom is found in the fear of the Lord. By revering the Lord, we choose a life that honors God, and that leads to skill in living according to God’s will, it’s something that comes from experience and practice. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge but it is a way of life that begins with humbling ourselves before God.

Colosians 2:1-3

Congregants were encouraged and strengthened by the sermon and shared the grace with everyone. They could feel truly becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.

After the service, members continued to share the grace more and more. Lastly, they celebrated Sunday service with a fellowship food.

May members in Kyiv church would feed on lamb as they confess that they love the Lord.

Church congregants were thankful for moving to the new place which is very central.

Pastor Daisy preached a message from John chapter 2, the wedding banquet at Cana. She emphasized that the life focused on Jesus will bring them better and better wine as time passes by. In order for that to happen they need to repent of not offering their hearts fully to God.

Afterwards there was a short prayer meeting where congregants prayed for each other. Zagreb Church wishes that all members can experience this miracle in their lives as they focus on the word of God.

The message focused on the prayer of Daniel as he pleads with God to fulfill His word given nearly 70 years before to the Prophet Jeremiah. Our prayers should be like Daniel’s prayer, which was earnest, humble and sincere.

As wretched sinners we have no right to come before God and ask anything of Him. None of us are righteous, not even one of us. However, the fact that we can even make requests to God, and that we can have hope that He would hear and answer us is only because of His great mercy and grace. Because He is the God of mercy, and because He is faithful to us and to His promise, we can pray to Him with confidence that He will listen, and He will answer.

Daniel prays that God fulfills His promise, not for any selfish desire for himself, but for the Lord’s “own sake”. Daniel’s heart is that God’s name and glory be restored in the land. Let us inherit this earnest heart of Daniel as we pray and work, so that our will and the will of God can become one, and all that we do and desire be for the Kingdom of God, and to glorify His name in this land.

They broke the first two commandments, and while this was the most common sin among all nations, Moses calls it a ‘great sin’ (Ex 32:21, 30-31), because Israel was God’s precious possession, the chosen people of God called the serve him and declare his glory to the world. Just a few weeks ago, this nation, unlike any other in history, heard the voice of God, saw his glory and received his word. They were people who experienced the power of God’s mercy, saw the works of God in Egypt, the power of God’s deliverance at the Red Sea, the provision of food and water in the wilderness and saw God’s presence with in them in the pillar of cloud and fire. They were people who experienced underserved goodness and love of God, but they rebelled against him willfully.

They were impatient, unwilling to trust God and wait on his servant to return. Faith means to trust God that he will fulfil his promise, but just like Abraham and Sarah grew impatient and took it in their own hands to seek God’s promise, we might feel like God’s promise is delayed, but unlike Israel, we must be people who are quick to pray instead of being quick to sin. We all have our weaknesses and temptations but those who trust the Lord until the end will see his promise fulfilled. Aaron, the first priest, was to lead his people to the Lord, to lead them in faithfulness and holiness and give them what God has prepared for them, instead gave them what their sinful hearts desired. So many churches make the same mistake today, trying to gratify people’s desires and enabling idolatry, worshiping created things instead of the creator.

God, speaking to Moses, calls Israel “your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt” (Ex 32:7), for how could people who willfully rebel against God be still called his people? God’s people must “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” for he can raise up his children even out of stones (Mt 3:8-9). So Moses, seeing God’s wrath, he knows this sin is great, there is no excuse for it and God would be right to destroy them. But at the same time, Moses sees God’s mercy, for it is God who first loved this stiff-necked people (Ex 32:9), they were not good people and he didn’t love them because of who they were, but because of who God was. God forbid that such great love and mercy of God given to them should be laughed at by the world (vs 11-12). Here we see the greatness of Moses, who saw that our sin is great, but the love of God is greater, and its power is able to transform even the worst sinners and fulfil his will through them. Moses knew God’s character doesn’t change, his love and promises don’t waver and when we repent and call on him, he will show mercy.

However, God’s forgiveness doesn’t mean to be free from the consequences of our sin. God doesn’t destroy Israel, but he disciplines them because those who are stiffed-necked wouldn’t obey his word. God’s righteous judgement is revealed against those who sin against him. As C. Spurgeon said, “God never permits His people to sin successfully,” all sin is costly. God’s forgiveness is not a free ticket to continue to sin, rather it is our chance to turn away from the wicked path and walk in righteousness so that we may receive God’s blessings and his promises. God brought a plague against his people (vs 35); instead of God being in their midst, dwelling with his people, they had to go out of the camp to meet him (Ex 33:1-11); and the generation of Moses was unable to enter the Promised Land. Let us remember that sin always comes with a cost, so let us be people who are humble before God and obey his good Word and be blessed.