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News From Pastor Jim

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February 3, 2012



Hello Saints:

In my devotional reading the other day, I was struck by these verses found in Exodus 31 “Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.”

If you have been following along in the bible reading program, you will have noticed how the tabernacle and its furnishing were to be made and used. The detail, the design, the regulations all speak about a God that is creative, relational, and thorough. Notice the qualities of Bezalel, the one chosen to be the lead person in the design of his dwelling place. It is said of Bezalel, he had wisdom, understanding, knowledge and great skill TO MAKE ARTISTIC DESIGNS. Hold it, art is valued by God! We sing about the beauty of his Holiness, often in buildings that are drab and unimaginative. Now I realize that the building is not to be worshipped, but neither was the tabernacle. Everything about the tabernacle was pointing to Christ and the coming redemption. However, we can`t (or shouldn`t) ignore that beauty is very much God himself. Notice also that it was expensive - gold, precious stones and costly materials were to be used. Beauty can be pricey. Maybe that is why we struggle with spending money on “artistic” frills. Could it be that we have the same cavalier attitude as the disciples when the expensive perfume was poured out on the feet of Jesus. They saw this act of worship as a waste of money. Maybe we don`t want to spend money on the “frivolous’ things like art, because “it is just a waste of money”; after all could the money not be better spent on the poor. Jesus` response to the criticism of the disciples, (John 12:1-8) reflects the values in the development of the tabernacle, both were required and neither the poor nor God, should be neglected. In other words, money should be a tool for practical use in helping others, but also as a vehicle to demonstrate the beauty and majesty of the Lord.

I have been reflecting on Haiti, since my return. One of the things I noticed on this our fourth trip is the beauty in the land and the people. Previous trips I saw the rubble, the destruction and the pain and devastation. This time I began to see the potential of what can be, the hope that lives in God, and the splendour of the island and its people.

This weekend our Haiti team and I will be sharing on Haiti. We will be showing pictures and giving a first-hand report. Invite a friend and see what God has done.

Fun to eat together

CCF:
Come early and join us for our montly potluck dinner. We meet at 5pm on Saturday night for food and fellowship and our worship and Haiti presentation will be at 6:30 pm. (1801 Connors Rd, Castlegar)
KCF:
Following our Sunday Worship, join us for our monthly pot luck lunch. We meet at 1 p.m. at KCF hall (812 Stanley St.). Please consider making this a part of your worship as enjoy the fellowship of the saints.

“Not a Fan” small groups!

The hosts and facilitators have been selected, the books have been ordered, and we just need you to sign up to a group you want to join. See Pastor Gordon or email to Gordon@kcfoffice.com Between Castlegar and Nelson more than 80 people have signed up. This is very exciting. We anticipate great things as we go deeper with God and each other. Group meetings will begin in the week of February 12.

Take a night just to worship.

Friday, February 10th at CCF at 7:00 p.m. join us for a Kootenay wide Worship Night. We gather together to worship and seek God’s Face to pray, to share testimonies, and hear words from God. For further information please contact Gordon at the office Gordon@kcfoffice.com. Psalm 133: 1 & 3 says this: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

Get ready for Valentines

Sunday February 12, CCF is having a Valentines ‘Dessert and Games’ night at 1801 Connors Rd in Castlegar. We will have some lovely desserts for you to sample as well as a lot of fun with games. The festivities begin at 5.30, and should conclude around 7 pm. We also hope to run a full children’s program. It would be great to see you there. Please let us know if you are coming, so we don’t run out of desert (I love desert).

Please remember to visit our website for places to donate, for news, bulletins and sermons.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend.

Jim Reimer, Pastor