Bulletin Announcements – 2 August 2015
- Faith Promise Giving 2015/16: Praise God that a total of $176,395 has been promised for this financial year. Along with the amount received ($200,473.05) from 2014/15 Faith Promise target ($170,000) puts us in a good position to financially provide for our missionaries in the coming year. Give thanks to our God who provides for all that we need.
- SALT Forums 2015: A Block of Salt: At no time in history has there been so much discussion, confusion and debate about gender roles and the nature of human sexuality. Therefore, this year’s August Salt topic will be: ‘Gender Issues’. Not only is Salt one of Jesus’ symbols that describes the positive impact that his followers are to have on the world, it is also our acronym for Speaking, Acting, Living and Thinking like Christ. These Q&A style forums will be held on the four Wednesday evenings in August (7:30pm) at CP10, 49A Boyle Street, Croydon Park. RSVP to Chadd at chaddhafercp10@gmail.com.
- The Ladies Fellowship will meeting again today 10:30am at Alice Cheng’s home! Please join us for an encouraging and fun morning where there will be lots of opportunities to meet and fellowship with other women from our congregation. Morning tea included. For more information, please talk to Solan Chiu or Betty Wong.
- The church will be broadcasting a number of talks from the 87th Hong Kong Bible Conference in August/September. Please refer to the insert for the Broadcasting Timetable at WSCCC. Please also note that we have particularly chosen some talks given by Dr. Chris Wright on Deuteronomy, and these talks will be presented in English and translated into Cantonese.
Ariel writes – a weekly Scriptural devotion:
“When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:11 NIV)
In Joshua 2:8-10 Rahab the prostitute recounts to the Jewish spies the gospel of how God saved Israel out of Egypt and given them the land of Canaan. In doing so she describes the miracles, depicts the destruction, even smells the fear. And now in this verse above she acknowledges that the LORD is God over all! Rahab the prostitute becomes a believer. What a great testimony of a complete social wreck being changed by God. In fact, so much so, she’s mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews and James) as an example of a sinner being saved faith alone. And the depth of her testimony is beautifully sprinkled with God’s grace too. Firstly, she is someone whom no one would have dreamed of being saved. A sleeping around, performing all sorts of sordid acts, prostitute?! Secondly, the spies turn up and they don’t even have to share the gospel with her, she retells it to them instead. Talk about easy evangelism! You see, God alone is the orchestrator of her salvation. A good reminder, maybe even rebuke, of just how powerful God’s grace truly is, don’t you think?
from Pastor Ariel