Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Donald Hilbourn at the passing of his mother, Martha Hilbourn, on Monday, May 29. Visitation will take place at Pritts Funeral Home on Monday, June 5, at 12:00 p.m., followed by a Service at 1:00 p.m.
SYMPATHY: to the family and friends of Randy Kenny who passed away on Thursday, May 25. Visitation will take place at Myers-Durboraw in Westminster, on Wednesday, June 21, at 11:30 a.m., followed by a Service at 12:30 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Donald & Robin Frazier on the birth of their grandson, Paxton Warren Myers, born on Thursday, May 25, weighing 8lbs, 9oz. and 20.5 inches long. The proud parents are Clayton & Hannah Frazier Myers.
CONGRATULATIONS: to Josh & Kristen Duvall on the birth of their son, Brody James Duvall, born on Tuesday, May 30, weighing 8lbs, 13oz. and 20.5 inches long. The proud Grandparents are Rob & Terri Ward and Josh & Kim Duvall.
SUPER SIXTIES: will honor fathers along with an old-fashioned strawberry and ice cream festival on Thursday, June 15, at 10:00 a.m. in the Great Room. Please call the church with your reservation by Monday, June 12, at 410-876-3838, ext. 307.
RED ENVELOPES: are out on the table in the foyer to help the Teens with their mission trip to Grenada. Each envelope has a number on it to represent the gift amount that you are giving. Your red envelope(s) with your gift may be placed in the offering plate or turned in at the Welcome Desk.
From My Heart
In Matthew 16:1-4, the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to the Lord Jesus to test Him, which means they were trying to trip Him up so they could find a reason to accuse Him of some evil. They asked Him to show them a sign which would convince them He was who He claimed to be, the Messiah.
Jesus said to them (and I summarize), “When it is evening and the sky is red, you say it is going to be a nice day tomorrow! But, in the morning, when you see the sky is red you say the weather is going to be bad today because the sky is red and lowering (which means threatening).”
And Jesus called them “hypocrites” and told them they could discern the sky but could not discern the signs of the times. The signs these religionists missed were the signs that the Old Testament Scriptures prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. Even though these “hypocrites” boasted of their knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament Scriptures, they refused to believe when the Bible was fulfilled right before their eyes.
Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Jonah, don’t forget, was an Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by a whale when he was thrown over the side of the boat that was about to perish in a terrible storm in the Mediterranean Sea.
So, what did Jonah signify? The Lord Jesus told them the only sign they would get from Him was the sign of Jonah - so what did Jonah show them? Well, if you remember, Jonah was dead for three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, and then on day three the whale regurgitated Jonah, alive, and he took off running towards Nineveh as fast as he could go!
Jonah was an Old Testament picture of the Lord Jesus! When those religionists saw the Lord Jesus die on the Cross of Calvary, then saw Him buried, and then saw Him resurrected on the THIRD day (just like Jonah) alive and well, that was the sign they were supposed to see and then believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be! They said, “Show us a sign…” and the implication was if He did show them a sign, they would believe! But they were an adulterous and wicked generation who had no intention of believing, even in spite of the evidence.
The signs all point to the truth that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God, our Redeemer, God in the flesh, and is returning to the clouds to call His Bride up to be with Him in Heaven! This could be the day when Jesus comes again!
Pastor Norris