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Remembrance Day Address to the Alberni Valley 2019

Psalm 116:3-4, 2 Samuel 18:6-8, Isaiah 2:4: Remembrance Day Address to the Port Alberni Community by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293 padre, Captain Michael Ramsay, 11 November 2019. This year we mark the 80 th  anniversary of our Nation’s entry into the 2 nd  World War and this, just 21 years after the conclusion of the 1 st  World War. We remember the veterans of those wars and other conflicts today. We remember the peace that soldiers and others died still longing for. We remember. We remember: at 11:00 on this day 101 years ago church bells rang out celebrating peace after 4 horrible years of war in which 888 246 fatalities were suffered by the military of the British Empire of which Canada was an integral part. When World War One broke out Canada was a country of just over 7 million people. Many left their family and work here to serve in the war there. 619 000 Canadians served in WWI and 66 976 never returned. That was almost 1-out-of-every-5 boys aged ...

Matthew 5: Jesus' Election Speech and Moore

We have just had a general election in this country. The incumbent won our riding. We wish him all the best in the next term: May it be as productive as the previous one. I really appreciate having an MP in this riding who supports the Army and comes out to our events – the day before the election even, he came out to the   Bread of Life   dinner. Before that he was at our   Pillow fight: Fight against Hunger , and Christmas kick-off last year and he did a number of kettle shifts. We also joined him for a carol sing last year at the arena and more. I mention all of this political stuff because we are continuing our look at Matthew 5 and Jesus’ speech that is often referred to as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. This is a very political text and it is not dissimilar to many political speeches we have heard over the last 40 days and nights. In the spirit of election night reporting, I will play the part of the pundit today, analyzing Jesus’ address to the crowds. 1. The ...

Fight like a Christian (2 Corinthians 10:1-8)

Today’s offering is entitled ‘Fight like a Christian’ or ‘War like a Christian’. If one is going to speak of such things, it seems appropriate to speak about this at The Salvation Army with soldiers and officers and others associated with the Army present. The Salvation Army has long recognized that our war is not a battle of flesh and blood but a battle with powers and principalities (Ephesians 6:12) and this is a key thought influencing our passage in 2 Corinthians 10 today. At the Army when we become soldiers, full members of The Salvation Army we sign a covenant with God; keeping with our military theme, do you know what that covenant is called? – The Articles of War: Soldier's Covenant. Our text in 2 Corinthians 10:2 says that, because we are Christians we do not live by the standards of this world. The word 'world' here refers to 'society’. Our Articles of War talks about a number of ways that our standards – not as Christians but as Salvation Soldiers – a...

Summer Camp (Matthew 24:36-44)

My daughter has been working at camp all Summer; she has had a great time meeting new friends, reuniting with friends from the previous years and across the province. She doesn't really want to come home; she doesn't want the Summer to end. She knows it has to and she knows that we, her family, are coming to get her. The rest of the family, as the time was nearing to pick Rebecca up, we have taken our holidays near the camp. One night, while everyone else was asleep, Sarah-Grace (Rebecca's closest sister in age) and I decided to go and surprise Rebecca. Sarah-Grace and I drove to the camp, found out where her cabin was and Sarah-Grace went inside to see her. Rebecca's was glad to see us but her first response was one of fear and surprise. "What are you doing here?" "It's not time to go yet?" "I am not ready to go!" "We're not going!" Sarah-Grace calmed her down. We were just visiting. We went to the dining hall and v...

The Good News of Salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

It can continue The Good News of Salvation As we walk with God All of these analogies are true and more. Jesus gives us many metaphors of Salvation in the Gospels. There are some key things that we should probably know and realize in our lives: 1) Salvation is not merely a final destination; it is a relationship, a journey with our Lord and Saviour. Salvation is us living with and serving our Lord, starting now and with the option to continue forever. 2) Salvation, Christianity and Holiness are not distinct from each other. They are all based on the same word - Hagios; they are one in the same. If you are saved, you are a Christian (Saint), and if you are a Christian (Saint) you are holy. The Bible is very clear that as we spend more time with God, the Holy Spirit makes us more like Him. God changes us; the world doesn't change, we do. 3) When we are experiencing the Lord's salvation in our life it does not mean that we will have the perfect life in that nothin...

A Walk with a Friend (2 Corinthians 6:1-2 )

A walk with a friend This is true Salvation A means not an end Salvation is not merely a state to be obtained. It is a relationship. When we are in relationship with our Lord we experience the joy of Salvation. When one is not in relationship with our Lord one does not experience the joys of Salvation. As we continue to walk with the Lord we continue to experience Salvation through all the joys, trials, tribulations, and exhilaration of life. True Salvation is not merely a heaven that you walk to with your Lord and Saviour. True Salvation is the heaven that you experience while walking with Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour both now and forever. https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis/ www.sheepspeak.com

Marriage (Matthew 7:21-23)

Not just a wedding and big party, but a life A real marriage Salvation is not just saying some words. Salvation is not just uttering a prayer. Salvation is not just getting baptized or taking communion. Salvation is a life that one spends with the Lord for Eternity. It is like the difference between a wedding and a marriage. A wedding is an event. If the last time that you saw your spouse was on the day you said, ‘I do’ than you may be wed but you certainly never experienced the joys of life with your spouse: you do not have a marriage. But when you and your partner grow together through all of life’s struggles, trials, and celebrations; you become more like your spouse and even know their thoughts. This is like Salvation, our life with the Lord. The more time we spend with Him the more we experience Him in our life, the more we turn to and rely on him, the more we love Him, the more we experience our salvation. https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis/ www.sheepspea...