Bits and Pieces – 115th Edition – May 22, 2022

“Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds” [Acts 7:22].

      Such was the description that was written of Moses the man of God.  One can well understand this of the man who was drawn from the water by Pharaoh’s daughter, nursed by his own mother, and then brought up and educated in all the wisdom of that great dynasty of the Pharaohs.  It is no wonder that it is recorded of him that he was a man mighty in wisdom.  Moses is a type of Christ in his wisdom and mighty deeds.

     What shall I say of the Lord Jesus Christ?  His enemies asked, “Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” [Matthew 13:54].  Ah, but the Lord Jesus Christ is  Himself the Wisdom of God, and he Himself is the Power of God.

     “Never man spake like this man” [John 7:46].  Moses had to unlearn the wisdom of Egypt, because it was worldly wisdom, but the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God, the wisdom of the Lord of Glory.  And never man worked like this man.  He, like Moses, was mighty in deeds.  Those who receive His Word will experience His favour.  If men had been wise, not with the wisdom of this world, but with the wisdom of the other world, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory and put Him to an open shame. [Dr. Ian R. K. Paisley].

     A very encouraging AGM was held on Wednesday night past, led by Pastor Saunders, in the church and on Zoom.  Reports of the various departments were given.  The Session report was given by James Fraser and the Financial report by George Robinson. The latter report was excellent showing a considerable increase over last year.  This will be George’s last report.  He retired from his task as Business Manager some weeks ago.

     Concurrent with the AGM was the election for the Church Board to serve for the next three years.  Current board members Dan Browett, Maher Louis, Joaquim Rodrigues, Ed Santos and Daniel Vautour were re-elected. New members to the board are Peter Pao and Daniel Sima’an.  Do pray for all the board members that the Lord will bless them with wisdom to lead the congregation wisely.

     “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies.  Yet the distance makes no difference; He is praying for me!”  [Robert Murray McCheyne].

“Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”  [Philippians 1:23].

     Paul the tentmaker here resorts to the language of his trade.  The Greek word translated “depart” had various usages in ancient times.  It could refer to the freeing of a slave, to the sailing of a ship, to the solving of a problem, and often to the breaking of camp by one of the Roman legions.

     Whenever a party of Roman soldiers reached the end of a long day’s march, they set up an elaborate camp and settled down for an evening meal and for rest. In the morning the soldiers moved on, taking with them their weapons and baggage.  Behind lay the camp with all its fortifications, like a discarded chrysalis.

     The camping metaphor used by the apostle serves to remind us that death for the Christian is the exchange of what was at best a transitory ‘tent-life’ for the “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” [2 Corinthians 5:1].  Death held no terrors for Paul.  It simply meant ‘departing’.  What a picture of the believer’s home going!

     The “tent” we live in is taken down at death [2 Corinthians 5:1-8], and the soul goes home to Christ in heaven. We depart to be with Christ.

[Rev. David Creane].

     The months of May and June are very pleasant in Toronto.  The winter snow and ice are gone, and thousands of gardens are coming alive once more.  Solomon described it well, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come” [Song 2:12].

     For those who are not fussy about gardening, remember that the Lord placed our first parents in a garden.  In a poem entitled, God’s Garden, Dorothy Frances Gurney wrote these true words; “You’re nearer to God in a garden, than anywhere else on earth.”