Bits and Pieces – 10th Edition – May 10, 2020

 After eight weeks of self-isolation and lockdown there are some small positive signs that the peak has been reached.  The Canadian Provinces are cautiously and slowly beginning to ease the lockdown restrictions. However, it will be some time before churches can get back to some form of normality.  The Whitefield Christian Schools will not open until June at the earliest, but there is every likelihood no Ontario schools will open until the new School year in September.

Our school classes, however, are continuing on Google Classroom, and our teaching staff is doing an amazing job teaching on-line. Our grateful thanks goes out to them.  

To ease the overload on sermonaudio.com resources at this time, the Toronto church will advance its Sunday services by one hour.  The adult Bible Class will go out on sermonaudio.com at 9.00am, the morning service at 10.00am, and the evening service at 5.30pm, with the pre-service prayer time (on zoom) at 4.30pm. The Wednesday prayer meeting is carried on zoom at 7.30pm.  Anyone can join.  Contact the church for details on how.

The writer’s brother, the Rev. James McClelland, celebrated his 60th. spiritual birthday this past week.  He came to the Lord at a Gospel mission organized by the Youth Fellowship in Murphy’s Loft, Carryduff, Northern Ireland.  The preacher was Dr. Paisley.  The mission, planned for two weeks, lasted five weeks and the presence of the Lord was real every night.  Along with James a number of others came to Christ.  It was a mini revival.  

People often ask about my brother’s health. He was seriously ill a few years ago, but God raised him up in an astounding recovery, and he is rejoicing in good health today.

When a failed store or restaurant is taken over by a new company, one of the first things the new owners do is to alert the public that the shop is under new management, that the otherwise disappointing place is now refurbished and ready to give the best service to its customers.

We were once a failing company.  Our lives were marred by sin, and any religious service we did was barren and dry.  But when we came to Christ a dramatic change became apparent.  We were no longer “our own”  (1 Corinthians 6:20).  We came under new management.  The Lord has taken over our lives and a wonderful change has taken place.  He cleanses out the filth, and installs a new manager of our lives, the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes old premises are bought by someone with limited resources, who can’t afford to put in place the changes needed to make the business successful.  The Christian, however, is bought by the Lord God Almighty whose resources are infinite.  He can make all the changes necessary to make us successful followers of Christ, people who can bear His name before the world.  When He does the work, He places a mark on our lives that proclaims to the whole world that we are no longer Satan’s slaves, but are now under the Lord’s divine management.

God’s ownership of our lives carries a responsibility on our part. It is no longer the egotistical “I” that rules, but the submissive, “Thy will be done.”  Our lives will be greatly greatly blessed if we work in cooperation with our new Manager.  Remember, it is never profitable to fight against God.

“It takes God a long time to get us out of the way of thinking that unless everyone sees as we do, they must be wrong.  That is never God’s view.  There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.  Don’t get impatient, remember how God dealt with you – with patience and with gentleness; but never water down the truth of God.  Let it have its way and never apologize for it.  Jesus said, “Go and make disciples” not “make converts to your opinions.”   [Oswald Chambers. ‘Utmost.’ May 6].

God sent a plague upon Israel in response to David’s sin in numbering the people (He was trusting more in numbers than in God).  Seventy thousand lost their lives until God said to the angel administering the plague, “It is enough,: stay now thine hand.”  (2 Samuel 24:16). Let us pray that soon the Lord will give the same command with regard to the Covid19 pandemic. The Lord God is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering” even unto a sinful people. [Exodus. 34:6].