tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43867391780138200822024-02-19T00:33:08.436-08:00IndyHopeCRCAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-76227303431079960782017-01-24T07:47:00.003-08:002017-01-24T07:56:25.987-08:00God, King or Servant<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>So Samuel
delivered<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">God</span></span>’s warning to the people who
were asking him to give them a king. He said, “This is the way the kind of king
you’re talking about operates. He’ll take your sons and make soldiers of
them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons.
He’ll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others
to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury.
He’ll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He’ll
conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his
special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive
bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use.
He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day
will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much
want for yourselves. But don’t expect<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">God</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to answer.”</i> [</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">1 Samuel
8: 10-18]</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This week we held the
inauguration of our 45<sup>th</sup> President here in the United States. It was
an unhealthy campaign and produced unhappy results on both sides of the party lines
that led to this moment in history. It
was our first president that, remembering scripture, refused to be named king
of America and instead, pushed for appointed terms of service to the people. He
remembered the warnings of the evil, self-serving ways that could be exacted by
rulers and wanted this country to establish a new path for those who rule over
others. He wanted to make sure that those who rule are there to serve the
people and not the other way around. Washington invoked the name of God so the
people of America would not forget God’s leadership. Like the people of Israel
in the time of Samuel, the people however, got in the leaders they desired and
deserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If only we had listened to
Washington, chosen a different path than Israel in the time of Samuel and acknowledged
our service to God as our King. Though the names change and the offices are
titled differently, the story remains the same. History has a habit of
repeating itself because we as broken and flawed human beings are, if nothing
else, predictable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Thankfully, God is always ready
to forgive and welcome us back, but we first need to come to Him and ask, live
repentant lives, again pledge our service to Him and live loving and service
filled lives. Is it time yet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Rev. Michael VandenBerg</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Pastor, HOPE Community Church @
the YMCA</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-41192513965475259852016-12-07T09:00:00.001-08:002016-12-07T09:24:58.703-08:00MUSIC<div class="MsoNormal">
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This time of year is filled with the familiar melodies of
our favorite Christmas Carols. We joyously sing them over and over at the top
of our lungs until their words become engrained in our consciousness. Music is
a reflection of who we are, what our concerns are and where our hopes lie.
Someone once described music as the deepest reflection of our souls. Music
teaches, soothes, calls us to action, heals our grief, grieves our parents and
revives our childhood. Music is the quiet white space against the back drop of
our lives written in ink, never to be changed. Music is our worship in the
temple of creative grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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King David used music to express his deepest needs, greatest
praise, most solemn remorse and his longing cries to God for his constant help.
He wrote his music in the Psalms or sacred songs of the older testament of the
Bible. He wrote of his emotions of despair after committing murder, his elation
after winning in battle, his joy in finding in God a friend he could always
trust and so much more. The Psalms down through the centuries have been one of
the most loved books, not only of the Bible but as literature. Its popularity
is I am sure due to the way it not only presented King David’s emotions but
ours in such clarity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It use to be that the church worldwide had a repertoire of
songs that everyone knew and sang with gusto. Now it seems each congregation
has its own songs, own favorites and we have lost some of the unity with which
we once sang. While I miss this unity in song, I love the fact that music is
still a primary expression of our worship experience and is present in each and
every congregation, reflecting for most part the messages of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Advent progresses and Christmas approaches, I find great
joy and comfort in once again being reminded of an enduring faith that spans
time and generations. With the Carols of the season, comes the joy of
childhood, the pensive reflections of youth, the exuberance of young adulthood
and the security of middle age, all projected into the expanse of life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Hallelujah Chorus breaking into the finality of both
Christmas and Easter, the Angelic voices of that first Christmas in Hark the
Herald Angels Sing and the resounding chorus of Joy to the World, bring
flooding in a lifetime of Christmas’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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May you prepare for the message of hope for the world, in
the Carols of the season, as you prepare your heart, even in song, for the
coming of the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rev. Michael VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></div>
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HOPE Church @ the YMCA <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-38155435791277771942016-11-28T08:57:00.000-08:002016-12-07T09:17:32.331-08:00Giving or Getting<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Giving or Getting<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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We have just passed through some of the most shopping filled
days that we can experience here in North America, Black Friday and Cyber
Monday. In between we have Small business Saturday. Of course each of these,
like any good sale, stretches out for days if not weeks, so as not to lose a
sale and turn our bottom line from being in the red to being in the black. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We as faithful capitalist are more than happy to oblige and
continue to shop, fill the ever growing list of wants that over shadow the
needs. Like any faithful follower, we American Capitalist will look for ever
great methods to find the bargain, even if we don’t really need it. Apps,
online, in store, discount, retail, coupons, you name it, we pursue it in the
hopes of simply finding that one thing that will ultimately meet our need, our
longing, our emptiness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The problem is that our emptiness, longing and needs can’t
be satisfied with drawing resources to us. We can’t shop our way out of
loneliness, despair and feelings of anxiety. We can’t buy our solutions, or
bargain our way to satisfied living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I am not one of those who is opposed to the gift giving,
and Christmas traditions of our past, but let’s pause for just a moment and
take a look at what it is that we are trying to accomplish, where that desire
comes from and how we can make it more meaningful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The God who created us is a generous and giving God, one
that desires for us, like a parent, the best for their children. We only have
to look at the roots of the season we are celebrating to see that “God so loved
the world that he GAVE His only son”. The beginnings of Christmas celebrations
is God’s giving His son to share with us the way to live satisfied, healthful,
and full lives by living them the way they were created to be. Part of our desire
to give comes from the God who created us in His image, to reflect His very
nature as a giver. It is the outward direction of our desires that fills the
holes in our spirit. Outward toward God and outward toward those around us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyone who has ever seen the smile in a child’s face as they
open an unexpected gift knows the joy of giving. But have you ever seen the
face of someone whom you may not even know that well, come alive as you offer
them a gift? It might be an item they need just to make it through the day, it
might be time spent with them by their bedside as they struggle for life, or it
might even be just giving your companionship, friendship and care to another
who is in need of hope. Perhaps that is the best gift giving we can do, to
offer ourselves to another, to listen, really listen to them in their need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy the gift giving as reflections of your love but never
let it become a substitute for your actual love. With it, you will discover
that it truly is better to give than to receive. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“For God so loved the world that he gave His only son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but instead have eternal life. God
sent His son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might
be saved through Him.” Jn. 3:16-17<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rev. Michael VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></div>
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HOPE Church @ the YMCA<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-15516060854969212492016-11-21T12:39:00.001-08:002016-11-21T13:02:35.649-08:00NOW IS THE TIME<a href="http://www.indyhopecrc.org/" target="_blank">www.indyhopecrc.org</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0y-7iY-jqLNTM4RN8PRiOeQ8iURYCMsHuhyCHBw9NVVHqL1pBwuyZ80OAHeFA2gjG7ykff5ZlR-o2YnB55yUNvzEiOSkwuBZoStpYyQ1m_J6jKF7ExxNwGO1SQaNoNeuM49STsFToJfQ/s1600/NowIsTheTime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0y-7iY-jqLNTM4RN8PRiOeQ8iURYCMsHuhyCHBw9NVVHqL1pBwuyZ80OAHeFA2gjG7ykff5ZlR-o2YnB55yUNvzEiOSkwuBZoStpYyQ1m_J6jKF7ExxNwGO1SQaNoNeuM49STsFToJfQ/s320/NowIsTheTime.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now is the Time<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>“But make sure that you don’t get
so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations
that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is
about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God
is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first
believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious
daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation,
in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed!
Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves
in Christ, and be up and about!” </i></span>Rm. 13:11-14 (MSG)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How much of every day do you squander doing things that don’t
last, working for things that don’t satisfy, and living for things that won’t
bring about eternal satisfaction? If we are all truly honest with one another,
we would have to admit that much of our day, every day, is spent on things that
in the end, just don’t matter. We focus on the trivial so we don’t have to look
at the things that really matter, but are difficult. We spend our lives
pursuing things that never satisfy but seem always so important. In the end,
what is it that we have to show for our efforts?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As a pastor, I get the opportunity to spend time with those in
the last days of life, listening to their joys and their regrets. I get to
listen to how either they have taken great joy in how they spent their lives or
how foolish they have been and wish they could have a “Do Over”. Life doesn’t give do overs, so the best we
can hope for is to do our best to get it right the first time around. In the
letter to the Roman Church, the Apostle Paul tells them that it is time for
them to wake up and get going on the things of God, and if not now, when? He
tells them to stop burning daylight for things that don’t matter and instead,
focus on the things that can make an eternal difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What lessons do you want to be remembered for? What do you
want your children and grandchildren to know about how you spent your life?
Perhaps now, TODAY, is the time to make the break and leave the foolish
pursuits of the past in the dust heap and start working diligently for the
things that touch the lives of others, build up those around you, make your
family, your neighborhood, your business, your world, a better place to live
in, just by you having been a part of it. I, in all my years have never heard
anyone at the end of life say, I wish I would have spent more time at work and
less with my family, more time making money and less time with God. I usually
hear just the opposite. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So don’t spend the bulk of your time, however much you have
left, writing more schedules, pursuing bigger fortunes, arranging more
meetings, but instead, pour yourself into others, build lasting relationships,
enjoy the beauty that is all around you even in the worst of days and most of
all, come to know your creator. He loves you and want you to come home again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rev. Michael VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pastor, HOPE Community Church @ the YMCA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-85929296262003821082016-11-19T04:20:00.002-08:002016-11-21T13:02:20.999-08:00A Season of Thanks<a href="http://www.indyhopecrc.org/" target="_blank">www.indyhopecrc.org</a><div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqdUu_Ovipngx3K-yK3lQPJB6YQZc03LaUrXbi3TfparMleVEyU8sz6DP7zHf1XCJOLl62B83L3DypREFSSaduIhyGpEzaFgLqAZzxu2uW4qaW2X6EtHVWVXMHQSTXCZ74rezQKxd5hE/s1600/A+Season+of+Thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqdUu_Ovipngx3K-yK3lQPJB6YQZc03LaUrXbi3TfparMleVEyU8sz6DP7zHf1XCJOLl62B83L3DypREFSSaduIhyGpEzaFgLqAZzxu2uW4qaW2X6EtHVWVXMHQSTXCZ74rezQKxd5hE/s320/A+Season+of+Thanks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>A Season of Thanks</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the time of the year when we pause for a moment and
reflect on the good things we have experienced over the past year. It is a time
when we look to envision what the new year may hold and it is a time of year
when we give thanks for what we have.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Past, present and future. For those with insight they are
all held together by the commonality of thanks. For the mistakes of the past
and for our successes we give thanks for what we have learned from them. For
the present difficulties and our joys, we give thanks for being alive and
engaged to experience them. And for the possibilities and the insecurities of
the future that go with them we give you thanks for the past and the present
that have brought us to this point and given us the tools we possess to move
forward. <o:p></o:p><br />
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We live in a blessed country, one where we are free to make
our own choices, choose our own alliances, make our own mistakes and suffer,
but not permanently, our own setbacks. We live in one of the few countries on
the face of the earth that has elevated the value of Life, the character of
Liberty and the freedom to pursue our own happiness. So why then are so many of
us unhappy, unfulfilled, and feeling as though freedom is out of our reach.
Perhaps it is a matter of perspective. Do we look for and expect that all these
things are within our reach? Do we celebrate our failures as much as we
celebrate our successes? Do we accept the responsibility to stand on our own,
but not alone?<o:p></o:p><br />
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If you are struggling with the past, avoiding the present
and not welcoming the future, then perhaps this would be a good time to take in
some wisdom from the past that like the proverbial north star, will allow us to
re-compass our course and set a new path into our future.<o:p></o:p><br />
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King David of Israel, encouraged his people to follow his
lead when the times get difficult or fears press in by saying, “Come let us
worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our
God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that
TODAY you would listen to His voice!”
Worship is intended to make holy the life we are given and to bring us
into the presence of God. It is intended to help us hear with clarity, the
voice of God above the rumble and noise of the world around us. It is intended
to bring us into an attitude of gratitude for the God who has given us all
things, including life itself, and promises to be with us, in good times and in
difficult, in failure and success, in health and in illness, even until time
itself ends. No promises of a life without care, but only of a God who will
care for you, even in the most difficult of times. Why walk alone though life,
why not walk with God and start by walking into worship this holy season.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Rev. Michael VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></div>
HOPE Church @ the YMCA<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-4301798365895567472016-11-07T12:12:00.000-08:002016-11-21T13:02:08.090-08:00We Remember<a href="http://www.indyhopecrc.org/" target="_blank">www.indyhopecrc.org</a><div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>We Remember<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
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This week is Veterans Day and on Monday of this week I had
the privilege of honoring the men and women who have served in the various
branches of the military with a breakfast provided by the Benjamin Harrison
YMCA. I heard Brigadier General (Ret.) J. Stewart Goodwin of the USAF and
currently the Executive Director of the Indiana War Memorials Commission speak.
He told the largely active and veteran military audience that they needed to
stop answering the question of what they did in the military with the phrase,
<b>“I was only a…….”</b>. He rightly pointed out that there are no, “only...”
positions, in that it takes the efforts of every last soldier to complete the
job the military is given to carry out. Without the cooks, the military would
starve. Without the laundry the men and women would constantly march with dirty
uniforms. Without the supply units, the “beans and bullets” would never get to
the front lines where they needed them.<o:p></o:p><br />
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A friend of mine, Major (Ret.) Walter Giffen served during
World War II in Europe. He was part of the Quartermaster Corp that kept the
supply lines flowing so that our soldiers could and would win the battles at
places like Normandy, Omaha Beach, Paris, London, Berlin, etc. At 98 years old,
I simply can’t imagine Walter as ever having been an “only” anything. He is the
picture of the perfect soldier, ready to give his all in whatever task he is
given and never look for the praise or honor, but only the service. Walter will
always come to mind when I think of those men and women who give their all,
without being mindful of, “what’s in it for me”. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Jesus told his followers that they too were to serve others,
sacrificially if need be, without expectation that it would somehow benefit
them. They were to give their lives in the service of the Lord, simply out of
the honor there came in serving Christ. Hundreds of thousands, men and women,
do just that today, not looking for the glory, but just to carry out the
master’s orders, to “love one another, as I have loved you”. For these servants
of Christ, I stand in honor, even as I did for the soldiers we honored in
service to our country. I too have heard
servants of Christ answer the question as to what they do for Christ saying
simply, “I am only…”. I concur with General Goodwin, STOP! Christ has given
each of us a purpose and a calling and we should honor that calling by standing
proud of the job we are doing in His name.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I hope you took the opportunity to honor those you know who
have served our country, fought to secure our freedoms and gave their lives for
their love of all of us. As well, I hope you will take the opportunity to thank
those who serve Christ faithfully with their service to you and the community.
I suspect that in many cases, you will be thanking the same persons.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i><span class="woj"><b><sup><span style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">12 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><b><sup><span style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">13 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">Greater love has no one than this: to lay down
one’s life for one’s friends.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><b><sup><span style="background: white; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;">14 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">You are my friends</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span></i><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;"><i>if you do what I command.</i> (John 15)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">Rev. Michael
VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;">Pastor: HOPE
Church @ the YMCA</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-14214558284928352472016-11-02T08:42:00.000-07:002016-11-21T13:01:44.006-08:00GOD OF THE LIVING NOT THE DEAD<a href="http://www.indyhopecrc.org/" target="_blank">www.indyhopecrc.org</a><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">He is not
the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive</span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">.” [Luke 20:38]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><u>God of the Living not the Dead</u></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As I write this, I am awaiting the onslaught of young
children, all dressed in costumes, from Superman, to Dracula, Princess Ariel to
a dragon. It is Halloween, or the Day of the Dead in other cultures, or as it
was centuries ago, All Souls Day Eve (all Hallows-een). Each originally paid
respect to</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">departed ancestors
as well as to the souls of loved ones who died over the past year.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This time of year,
when the seasons change, darkness becomes much more of our norm and the world
around us is filled with signs of death in leafless trees, dying plants and
bitter cold, become reminders of our own mortality. These holidays were each
attempts to acknowledge and pay respect to the dead before us and were our tip
of the hat to our death, whenever that may come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the Gospel of Luke,
we read of the prophet and law giver Moses, encountering God in a burning bush
that is not consumed by the fire. But Luke makes a grammatical observation,
that the God of Moses, as well as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in not the God of
the dead, but instead, the God of the LIVING. In it he notes that the text
says, “I AM” the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not I was the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. All of these saints of God are still alive with Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This gives us
great hope as we can anticipate, not an eternity of darkness and gloom,
illumined only by our fears, but in God, an eternity of light, hope, laughter,
love, peace, and joy. God tells us in His revelation to the Apostle John that
there will be a new heaven and a new earth that will recover the perfected
glory of the original creation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Halloween in eternity
will become an unnecessary and unwelcomed holiday as we will see no more dying,
no more tears, no more illness, no more darkness, no more fear. We will face
the future with hope and love and will walk with God in person, not merely in
memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Halloween, Day of
the Dead, All Saints Day, All Souls day, until redemption comes, will remind us
of our own mortality and honor those who have gone before us, but when God
brings about His new creation, we will no longer have any need of these
holidays. So I hope you enjoyed the night of ghosts and goblins, super heroes
and super villains and the sweet treats that the night brings. But I also hope
that you will look for the new life to come in the God of the living, not the
dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rev. Michael
VandenBerg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pastor, HOPE
Church @ the YMCA </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">October 30, 2016</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386739178013820082.post-20738110773018962552014-04-16T11:50:00.000-07:002016-11-21T12:58:05.394-08:00Stories of Faith<a href="http://www.indyhopecrc.org/" target="_blank">www.indyhopecrc.org</a><br />
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<h2>
Stories of Faith</h2>
Over the past several months, HOPE Church has been hosting a series of Faith Stories, delivered by people we know, either as members of HOPE Church, notable people in our community or by video, those who are known nationally. The common thread is that each has a driving faith in Jesus Christ and has seen how faith in Christ has changed their life in some significant way. <br />
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<strong>Christina Kirby (HOPE Member)</strong> - talked about her childhood without God except in minimal ways and how every thing changed with the birth of her son who has Asperger, a form of autism. Surrounded by a community of faith at HOPE Church she has found a strong Christian family to support, encourage and help her on her faith journey. While she talked about how HOPE had strengthened her, all of us were affirming how much she has changed and strengthened us with her faithfulness, optimism and determination.<br />
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<strong>Pamela Gardner (WISH TV Meteorologist</strong>) - Pamela shared with us her upbringing in the Catholic Church and her strong commitment to Christ, even in an industry that is not always known for its Christian perspective. She commented on how she had found a friend in fellow Christian Randy Ollis and how they are able to share faith values with one another as they approach each day. She also shared how she found her husband and being united in the church, and he growing into his newly found Christian values with her help.<br />
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<strong>Jessica Joy (Singer-Songwriter from Alpena Michigan)</strong> - We viewed the video on Singer Jessica Joy who was tragically killed in a car accident one clear day in Alpena as she rounded the bend and ran head long into an on coming garbage truck. The surprising thing about her testimony of faith is that the song she shared on video, written only days before, was one of complete reliance on Christ and his redeeming work, one that she intended to share with her parents only days later, but never got the chance. This heart wrenching story was also one of great inspiration how even at a young age with most of life ahead of you, life has it's own time schedule so we need to be ready. "Seek the Lord while he may be found..."<br />
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<strong>Mayor Dean Jessup (City of Lawrence, IN)</strong> - Mayor Jessup shared how his faith had grown from meager beginnings in his youth to one that is the driving force in his life and even his decisions as Mayor of Lawrence. As an investigator for city attorneys, he is use to digging for the truth and searching for clues, and all of this carried over to his search for Christ. Mayor Jessup is often an outspoken advocate for his Christian worldview in and out of office and brings an air of authenticity to his faith.<br />
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<strong>Melanie Scott (Cancer Survivor - The Rock Church, Indianapolis)</strong> - The daughter of a Pastor, (Bishop Leonard Scott) Melanie has always known the Lord and knew he was in her life. But it wasn't until she was diagnosed with Leukemia and unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor, that she found that leaning on the Lord was more than just a position but had to be a way of life. Melanie gave HOPE Church perhaps one of the most moving testaments of faith that we had heard so far and one we will certainly not forget. You can she and hear her Faith Story on our website listed at the top of this blog.<br />
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<strong>Wayne Waite (Gideon's Ministry and HOPE attendee)</strong> - Wayne, shared with us his developing faith and how as a young man, fully giving his life to Christ after reading of his great love for us in a Gideon Bible, became a member of the Gideon's. He also talked about how God had brought this pastor and he together through a Gideon dinner and how our friendship and counsel for one another has blessed each of us over the years.<br />
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<strong>Candace Cameron Bure' (actress and author)</strong> - Candace, by video, shared with the congregation how her insecurities through her early acting years on "Full House", lead to her developing an eating disorder that nearly took her life. It was through a book that her brother Kirk gave her about God's love and provisions through Jesus Christ, that turned her life around and brought her faith, health and Christ's redemption. She with her husband Pavel Bure' (hockey star) and children, live a family life that reflects her Christian values. You can watch her right now on Dancing with the Stars. God Speed Candace.<br />
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<strong>This Easter</strong> we are going to Experience Christ, as we view dramas on the testimony's of several of the people who followed Jesus, even to Golgotha that last week of his life and how Jesus changed their lives all future direction of history that first Good Friday and Easter. It is my hope that you will join us some Sunday soon to witness first hand in the life's of these people of Faith, how Christ is changing us and making all things new. You are invited to attend HOPE Church on Easter at 8:30 am for a free breakfast and at 10:00 for five witness' of God's love.<br />
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<em>God loves you and so do I.</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16055811830905838537noreply@blogger.com0Indianapolis, IN 46256, USA39.9029533 -86.02236110000001239.8055058 -86.18372260000001 40.0004008 -85.860999600000014