Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I want to share some of a prayer I used yesterday morning as part of my devotions. It is from “The Valley of Vision” (a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions). I am updating the language so it is more readable.
“God, you have taught me that Christ has all fullness and so complete fullness of the Spirit, and that all fullness I lack in myself is in him…
You have taught me that it is my duty, out of a sense of my emptiness, to go to Christ, possess and enjoy his fullness as my own, as if I had it in myself, because his fullness is for me in him; that when I go to Christ to possess and enjoy his fullness, I am full of the Spirit. I am full of the Spirit the way that a fish is the ocean would have all the fullness of water to move in. Because when faith fills me, then I am full (holding him fast) and that this is the way to be filled with the Spirit…
Help me to delight more in what I receive from Christ, delight more in that fullness which is in him, which is the fountain of all his glory.
Let me not think that I can receive the Spirit from Christ as a “thing” apart from finding, drinking, being filled with him.
To this end, Oh God, please do establish me in Christ. Settle me in him. Give me being there. Assure me, giving me certainty, that all is mind, for this only will fill my heart with joy and peace.”
Please continue to pray for the nations of Israel and Ukraine and South Sudan. Pray that the wars would end. Here is a suggested list of prayers if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: https://send.org/story/hh_pray_for_ukraine. And https://worldrelief.org/blog-prayer-for-israel-and-gaza/ Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Gaza and Lebanon, Sudan and South Sudan, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against the forces of darkness in this present age.
This Week (Jan. 10-16, 2025):
1. Tonight, Jan. 10, 2025, the Living Stones Friday Night Bible Study is meeting from 7:30-9:30 to study “Looking Forward to Joy”. You can read Luke 2:1-20 to prepare. Join in person in Room A-218 or online via the following link at 7:30 pm:
https://zoom.us/j/685376249?pwd=cWtyUk1pckJiRHJxZVZCSGdJZWw2UT09
Meeting ID: 685 376 249
Password: 840840
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
2. CrossPoint Community Sunday School meets this Sunday – Jan. 12 in the Koinonia Room (A-216). We are continuing our study of Church History in the 19th Century, led by Marina Lam. We will use the following link for those who wish to join online this Sunday:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/491248585?pwd=RnpLcnpjQ01nTGZLSmhaZ3l4L3dKQT09
Meeting ID: 491 248 585
Password: 403767
Join by phone: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
There will also be a connection hour, a time for conversation and prayer, in A-202. And the Empower Fellowship will meet as well for Sunday School!
3. This Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at 11:25 am, our CrossPoint Community Worship Service will start and Minister Charles Wang will be preaching. Pray for him! Join us for worship at CBCGL!
Text: John 14:1-14
Title: Prayer Focused
Live stream via Youtube: https://www.cbcgl.org/live-stream/
4. Each Wednesday, such as this coming week (Jan. 15) at 7:45 pm, you are invited, encouraged, and requested to join our weekly prayer meeting. We will not grow in Christ without growing in our dependence on God through prayer. In January, we will be praying beginning with praising God each week. The link is found below in the section on prayer.
Administration / Events
1. We have a missions update (so check out the missions tab in the bulletin)! You can provide support for James Liang (at UConn), and pray for him in the work that he is doing there. If you’d like to help with providing mission updates – let Pastor Nathan know!
2. CPCM has reserved the Multi-Purpose Room on Saturday’s from 1:30 to 4PM for sports. ***But it is cancelled this Saturday, due to a funeral*** We hope to see you there this year! We can play any game: Ping-pong, badminton, pickleball, volleyball, basketball; we can do it all. The room is reserved only for CPCM members and their guests, so it is highly likely you will have lots of space and time to play whatever you want. The goal is to build deeper bonds through shared interest and activity. The contact person is Joshua Zhang.
3. Sunday Lunch Service is available at CBCGL with $5 lunches that are first-come, first-served. Pizza is $2 per slice and Ramen is available (priced variously according to size).
4. Women’s Bible Study – “KEEPING IT VERTICAL” meets the first and third Tuesday of each month to learn, share and grow in the Lord. We are studying the Fruit of the Spirit. Come join us and meet new friends and bring more friends along! Contact jeannemic50 (at) icloud.com
5. All other announcements can be found here (in our CrossPoint Community bulletin).
For Prayer:
1. From Bishop J.C. Ryle – “To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction…It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small.” Please join our Wednesday night prayer meeting (7:45 – 9:15 pm) even if you can’t participate the whole time.
https://zoom.us/j/758587937?pwd=aS9sZUdxcm1janNNM2I2aXJ6Smx2QT09
Meeting ID: 758 587 937
Password: 030086
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
We’d be glad to pray for you. If you need prayer, you can submit your prayer request via the following link: https://www.cbcgl.org/pray/
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Rev. Dr. Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL