Better: Hosea

Where were you on 9-11-2001? How did the events that transpired impact you? How did they make you feel?

Now, think of May 2, 2011. That's the day Osama bin Laden was killed. How did you feel about that? Relief? Joy? Pity? Around the world, millions rejoiced at his death, but what we often forget to consider is that Jesus love him. It broke God's heart that bin Laden would do what he did, but it also broke his heart that he would not turn from his sins--his wrongdoings and rejection of Jesus--and accept the gift of life Jesus purchased for him.

We all have different ways of looking at the world. Maybe you think you're not good enough for Jesus to love you or to forgive you. Maybe you think you're too good (oops, that's pride. Guess what? Yep, sin.). Maybe you looked down at someone today or yesterday and assigned them a lower value than you, or you believe Jesus won't save them. Or maybe you don't think about others at all, 'cause they're just not that important to you.

You need to know: Jesus loves you. Jesus loves them. His greatest desire is to see you run into his loving arms.

We're going to look at Hosea and what we can discover about Jesus from it. Hosea was a prophet who lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (as opposed to the Southern Kingdom of Judah). Israel and Judah both had problems with turning to other gods than the One True God, and to lifestyles God had told them were wrong.

Hosea 1:2-3 (NIV)
"When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son."

Basically, God told Hosea to go out and marry a prostitute. This being told to a godly man living in a culture that put a premium on marrying a virgin!

Hosea 3:1-5 (NIV)
The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Hosea brought his wife home. And he paid a bride price for her...even though he didn't have to. Likewise, Jesus paid a price he didn't have to pay to bring you to him; however, the price that Jesus paid was much greater and was the only possible way to open the door for us to come back to him.

Everyone is guilty of rejecting God, but Jesus will never stop trying to bring you home.

When you cling to sin you reject God.

That's not to say that any time you sin you're leaving God behind. Sin is what broke the relationship with God you were meant to have, but when you place your trust in Jesus as Master and Saviour he forgives you of all your sins. No, but when you say that your sin is more important than serving God, that is a rejection of him.

Hosea 14:1-2 (NIV)
Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

Jesus’ love is bigger than all your sin.

Hosea 14:4 (NIV)
“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Maybe you see your sin as a big pile or mountain or wall that you can't forgive yourself for, your friends and family won't forgive you for, so surely Jesus won't forgive you for it either. But his love is bigger than all your sin, and if you'll let him, he'll take care of it for you.

Romans 5:8 (ESV)
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Imagine what Pincher Creek would look like if people understood they have worth in Jesus' eyes--he loves them and he wants them to accept his gift of forgiveness and eternal life!

Action Steps:

• Have confidence in Jesus' love and grace.
• Share it with at least one of the people he has placed around you this week!

Would you like to accept Jesus' gift of life, or want more information? Send us an email or contact us on Facebook!

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Better than Adam

People like to think humanity is good at its core, but then there are news reports like this one:
 PEZ Candy hosts an annual Easter egg hunt in its hometown of Orange, Connecticut, but had to abruptly cancel the event in 2016 because of the adults.  The child-focused tradition turned into chaos on March 26 when parents stormed the egg-covered fields before the event even started.  Over 9,000 eggs were placed on three separate fields with each designed for certain age groups.  Before the PEZ staff was ready to begin, parents rushed onto the first field to get a head start.  Then like swarming locusts, they hurried their children from the first field to the second and third fields. Before the posted start time arrived, everything was gone (USA Today, March 28, 2016).

Humanity has a problem called a sinful nature. No matter how good you are, you've experienced that pull to do things that you know are wrong, and you've failed to prevent yourself from falling prey to those desires--at the very least every once in a while.

This message begins a new series where we will be looking at a few places in the Old Testament of the Bible where we can see Jesus and learn about him. In this message, we'll be looking at Adam and we're going to see that, even in humanity's darkest hour, God gave us a glimmer of hope.

Suggested Bible Reading: Genesis 2:4-3:24 (NLT).

Look again at Genesis 3:15: "And I will cause hostility between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offsprings and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." Here is a glimmer of hope as Jesus enters the scene.

God created the world, already knowing the sacrifice he would make for you.

The sacrifice he made was sending Jesus for us. Here's what Paul says that accomplished:

Romans 5:12-21 (NLT) "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

What Paul is saying is that:

Adam's sin brought death and defeat; Jesus' death brings life and victory!

Because of what Jesus has done, you're no longer stuck with the consequences of Adam's decision. Instead:

You have a choice to make: will you accept Christ's life, or will you continue on the path toward death?

Whichever path you get on, there will be consequences. But at the end, will you look back and be proud of the decision you have made, or disappointed in it?

Action Step: Share the hope we have with those struggling to find it.

If you would like to accept Jesus' gift of new life, send us an email or contact us via phone or Facebook Messenger!

Listen to the entire message:

Holding on to Intimacy

Whether you are married, engaged, dating, or single, it does not change the fact that you have been designed for intimacy. It also does not change the fact that intimacy can be slippery: here one moment and gone the next. Yet, intimacy in our human relationships and in our relationship with God is something that we can fight for and grow.

Intimacy is Fleeting

Song of Solomon 5:2-6 uses poetic language to describe a scene in which a recently married woman has a dream about her husband. But what starts out a desire-filled scene breaks down and suddenly there is emptiness. No matter the relationship--with your spouse or with God--intimacy will wax and wane.

Holding on to intimacy requires self-sacrifice.

in Song of Solomon 5:7, the woman runs out into the streets at night to find her beloved, but the streets are not safe and she is violated by the nigh watchmen for her troubles. Still, she does not give up on finding the intimacy she once had with her husband.

What are you willing to give up to hold on to intimacy? What is crowding out the space you need to dedicate to pursuing your relationship with your spouse and/or with God?

Holding on to intimacy may require outside help--before it is too late.

Song of Solomon 5:8. If you need help, get it NOW. Too many people wait until things are really bad before finding outside help. Too many couples come to their pastor or counsellor for help as a last-ditch effort and usually it will fail. If they would just come earlier, they might actually be able to turn the relationship around.

Intimacy requires seeing the other as a singular individual worthy of your devoted attention.

Song of Solomon 6:2-9. The beloved has access to all kinds of women to fulfill his sexual desires if that is what he had wished; however, he desires this singular woman: his wife. She is worthy of his attention. Likewise, God is worthy of your attention.

Holding on to intimacy requires letting go of something else.

What will you give up to hold on to intimacy in your relationships?

Fight to hold on to intimacy!

Listen to the whole message here: