Crucified, Buried, Risen!

We want to welcome you to our special Weekend of Thanksgiving and Celebration.  This season in which we remember the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus in a special way is one of the highlights of the Christian Calendar.

During the course of this weekend we will enjoying ministry from the Holiday Choir, and a special Good Friday dramatic presentation based on the story of Simeon, who carried Christ’s cross.  We will also have special worship and prayerfully some good preaching about the Cross and the Resurrection.  We trust this weekend will be a tremendous encouragement to you in your Christian walk.

Worship is this evening at 7:00 pm for Good Friday Communion; and Resurrection Sunday at 10:00 am.

We welcome you to join with us for an evening of Worship- remembering Christ’s Sacrifice – this Friday (March 29)  at 7:00 pm in our Sanctuary at Zion Christian Church.  This is always one of the most meaningful Services of the year.  Why not take time to come along and get a fresh appreciation for the price Christ paid for our forgiveness, and the wonderful life we can live because of that?  Love to see you here.  More importantly, HE would love to see you here!

 Aaron and Moses lived during days when a Plague was consuming their friends and neighbors.  Thousands were dying from this Plague.  Actually, everyone would have died; but Aaron took some fire and ran.  At 100 years of age, Aaron ran into the midst of the suffering people with fire from God’s Altar.  He could have come up with all kinds of excuses, like “Oh, I will let someone younger and faster do that”.  But he didn’t.  He said “yes”.  God doesn’t always use the best qualified, He uses the most surrendered and available!  The plague is the effects of sin, and the answer is Christ!

Aaron found some fire.  Fire represents God’s cleansing and His love for the guilty.  Aaron ran to proclaim God’s answer.  Where he stood the plague stopped, and he stood between the living and the dead.  Aaron made a huge difference in the lives of those who could not help themselves.

So often we fail to see the importance of 1.) Our Message, 2.) Our Presence, 3.) Our fire.   Our message is life-changing , but without our presence among those who need it , there are no lives that can change.   Our fire is our willingness to involve ourselves, and the life of the local church is the prime place we can and should!  Will you get some fire?   Will you run?  It may be that where you stand the plague may stop!   Join us in Worship to this Sunday to let God’s fire touch your life in a powerful, new way!  Then take it where people need it!

Numbers 16:46–48 (NLT)

And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord. The Lord’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”  Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people.   He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped.

Can we even begin to imagine how rewarding our Christian experience would be if we could learn to recognise and avoid the distractions that drain our time and energy from following hard after Christ and His purposes?  Distractions are those “life-events” that seem to occur when we are getting serious about spending time with God, or coming to Church, or sharing our faith, or reading His Word, or Praying.  The dog needs put out, or the telephone rings, or you suddenly have this irresistible urge to check your Facebook Messages.  Distractions -so often they keep us from enjoying God’s best because we let them dictate our path of actions instead of keeping them in their place.   Distractions so often take our attention from what is important and divert it to what is merely interesting.  I love the words of  Psalm 86:11 – “Teach me Your way, O Lord.  I will walk in Your truth.   Unite my heart to fear Your Name”.  Can we ask God for – and then pursue a united heart – bringing our thoughts, impulses, and will together to keep God first in our lives and decisions? Scripture tells us we will find Him when we seek Him with all of our heart.  Oh the joy of living an undistracted life!

Have you ever needed a “Breakthrough”?  This Sunday morning we will talk about the fact that God’s Ultimate Breakthrough is the basis of every other Breakthrough we may experience.  The Ultimate Breakthrough is the Resurrection of Jesus!  He broke through sickness, sin, death, and Hell for us!  All of our Breakthroughs are based on His.  This morning we will begin to see how that Breakthrough applies to our lives, and we will begin to exercise faith in His Breakthrough as the source for ours!  If you cannot be with us this Sunday, why not check it out under our Resources button?  Clicking on ‘Audio’ under the Resource button will take you to the message.  Let’s trust God for your breakthrough!  People are experiencing Breakthroughs of all kinds as we look to God in faith.  The first minute or so is barely audible, then the sound kicks in.  Sorry!

Have you ever needed a “Breakthrough”?  Breakthrough’s in the Christian Life occur when God empowers us to “break through” the restrictions and possibly the forces of darkness that at times seem to absolutely surround us and limit our progress.  God is the God of the Breakthrough!  There are times when God gives breakthroughs in one powerful surge.  That was David’s experience, when suddenly God gave victory against overwhelming odds.  This Sunday we will talk about God as the God of the breakthrough.  Come along and join us!  Come expecting great things from God

2 Samuel 5:20

So David came to Baal-perazim and defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters.” Therefore he named that place Baal-perazim.

This Christmas season at Zion we have been looking at how various people in the Bible account responded to the birth of Christ.  Some people who should have cared (Priests & Townspeople) were apathetic, some people you would not expect to care came with genuine devotion (Wise men and shepherds).  Some people were set in total opposition to His birth (Herod), and some people treasured these things in their hearts (Mary). 

In the world we live in, all of these responses are still what God finds.  Draw near to God with us, and enjoy His glory.  The truth is, that those who understood and made their way to the stable enjoyed His Glory in an unimaginable way.  Heaven and earth interacted, and lives were forever changed.  Come enjoy the Glory of Jesus with us!  The Holy Spirit still fills hearts and lives with the wonder of His birth!

I am so thankful for the Couple’s Ministry we have twice a month at the Oasis.  Last night at the Oasis, Tom and Patti led an awesome discussion on how married couples apply “love is not rude, not irritable, and believes the best”.  (1 Cor 13). 

What a great time encouraging one another to excel in our marriages!  Life would be better for struggling Couples if they would come along and find keys to peace!  Join us in January!

We have been slowly going through the “Love Dare” book from “Courageous”, and it fun and helpful!

Well, what a great time we have had this weekend already with our Christmas celebrations!  The Women’s Christmas dinner and Party went so well.  What a blessing, and the ladies had an awesome time as always.  Today we distributed Christmas gifts and winter coats to many children from the Church and the Community during our Sunday Service.  People were so generous, and Christ was exalted!  The choir and the musicians were awesome.  We have a great group of people, and I thank the Lord.  God’s greatest gifts are always people – starting with Jesus and extending to those we serve with!