Newsletter 2016/6/26

Lord’s Day Message:

Basic Lessons for Christians (7) – God’s complete salvation: justification, sanctification, transformation and glorification

It is a wonderful experience and testimony for Christians to receive peace, joy and blessing from the Lord. However, God has a deeper salvation and a higher plan for His people: from the beginning of justification, to sanctification and transformation in our human life, and in the end He will bring us into glory.

• Beginning of salvation – Justification

1. Received from the redemptive work of Christ Jesus and our faith, nothing from human effort (Rom.3:23-26)
2. A firm foundation for our salvation (Rom. 8:33-34)

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  (Rom.3:23-26)

³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Rom.8:33-34)

• Experience of our human life: Sanctification (become holy), transformation and renewing

1. Sanctification is God’s will and work that we can partake His nature (1Pet.1:16; 1Th.4:3; 5:23; 1Pet.1:2a; 2Pet.1:4)

Since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  (1Pet.1:16)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; (1Th.4:3)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Th.5:23)

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: … (1Pet.1:2a)

2. Transformation and renewing make us a new self with the image and stature of Christ (2Cor.3:18; Eph.4:13)

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2Cor.3:18)

Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Eph.4:13)

3. It also depends on our obedience and cooperation

a. Pursuing of truth (John17:17; Eph.4:13)

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John17:17)

b. Fleeing from corruption, lawlessness and dishonorable  things (2Pet.1:4; Rom.6:19; 2Tim.2:21)

I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (Rom.6:19)

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (2Tim.2:21)

c.  Transformation and renewing of our mind (Rom.12:1-2; Eph.4:22-24)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  (Rom.12:1-2)

²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph.4:22-24)

• The completion of salvation – Glorification (Rom.8:29-30)

1. The body transfigured (Phil.3:20-21)
2. Entering into glory with God’s children (Heb.2:10)

²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  (Rom.8:29-30)

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.  (Phil.3:20-21)

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.  (Heb.2:10)

Church Meetings/Time/Place

Home Meeting: 27/6 Mon., 7:30pm,  (7:00 dinner)

Richard & Flora’s

Pursuing of Uni Students: 28/6 Tue. 4:00pm, Yulin’s

Sisters Meeting: 29/6 Wed. 10:00am, Anne’s

Prayer Meeting: 29/6 Wed. 7:30pm, Meeting Hall

Pursuing of Words: 1/7  Fri., 8:00pm, David’s

Young People Meeting/Home meeting for Adults：2/7 Sat. 7:30pm, Bill & Christine’s

Announcements:

1. We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today and hope that you can leave your information for us to contact you in the future. After meeting please stay for lunch and enjoy the love feast together with us.
2. Regarding the Basic Lessons for Christians, we encourage all the brothers and sisters to faithfully apply the messages being covered every week. Let us be like a wise man building his house on the rock, hearing God’s word and practicing them.
3. Next week will be the combined meeting with breakfast served from 9:00-9:45. We welcome all to come and enjoy.

The Lord ’s Day message will be shared by 6 brothers and sisters who have visited Cleveland in the US for a conference and training. They will testify what they has seen and gained in their trip.

Next week Sister Jessica Li will be baptized into the Lord’s name after the meeting. If any gospel friend is considering to be baptized, please contact Brother Yulin Wang.

<Reminder>

1. Brothers and sisters, please bring your own bible to the meeting.
2. Please come on time for the meeting. During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence and not to walk around or to wonder in the kitchen.
3. When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts as someone may have food allergy.

Please refrain from bringing uncooked food for the love feast so we may lighten the work for the serving ones in the kitchen.
Recently many more have been joining us for lunch, so we ask that everyone could help to prepare and bring more food.

After the love feast, please remember to bring back your plates.

Intercession:

1. Pray for the Basic Lessons for Christians in the coming Lord’s Day meetings that every brother and sister can receive the life supply and grow stably in the Lord.
2. Pray for the gospel work of the church and may the Lord keep us fervent in spirit to preach the gospel. Pray that the Lord will bless the gospel friends to believe into the Lord and to be baptized into God’s family.
3. Pray for those who are baptized this year (Brothers David Hu, Gerald Huang, Bangde Liu and Peter Zhang, and sisters, Li Li, Mandy Zhou, Leonie, and Berry Fei) May the Lord establish them in the church life and bless their growth in life.
4. Pray for the brothers and sisters or their relatives (Richard Chen’s Father) who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them sufficient grace. Pray especially for the health of Brothers HinSang Woon and Brother Shanwon Chow.
5. Pray for those year 12 students among us. May the Lord give them wisdom to meet the needs of the exam and help them to know His presence as their encouragement and timely help.

Serving This Week: (June 26)

1. Message: Richard Chen & Yulin Wang
2. Breaking the Bread: Yulin Wang & Richard Cui
3. Serving Bread and Cup:  Benchu Guo, Sam Li, Jason Wang & Chuan Ma
4. Cleaning:  Raymond & Lucy Family, Thomas & Lina, Chris & Joyce, Michael & Mandy Family, Margaret
5. Kitchen: Julie & Christine
6. Children: Singing – Jono/Pris, Teachers – Jerry/Jono

Serving Next Week: (July 3)

1. Message: Testimonies
2. Breaking the Bread: Raymond Young & Thomas Wu
3. Serving Bread and Cup:  Sam Li, Jason Wang, Richard Cui & Sean Dong
4. Cleaning:  Sam & Hannah Family, Tina & Fiona Jiang, Patrick & Lily Family, Margaret Yang
5. Kitchen: Lily & Baoling
6. Children: Singing – Chris/David, Teachers – Holly/Fiona