Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This past Sunday, I preached on Ezekiel 36:16-32. From God’s Word, we saw that God’s primary motivation for his action is his glory. God does love us, yes, but does so for the advancement of his glory. But do you know what the glory of God is?
When we say that something is glorious, we are saying that it has worth, value, weight (not physically, but is substantive nonetheless). We may use the adjective to describe a wonderful evening with friends, a beautiful sunrise, or a piece of art. And we can use the adjective to describe God’s character.
But God’s glory is more than just awe-inspiring. The glory of God showed up in a physical form at different points throughout the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. God’s glory appeared hidden in the form of a cloud or fire.
Other places in the OT note that we are to glory, or rejoice, or make known in God’s marvelous work. Glory is both something that God has and something that we can do. But perhaps this is confusing.
To speak of God’s glory we are speaking of the total of God’s character. One author explains that God’s glory is: “not any one of his perfections but the beauty of all of them, and the perfectly harmonious way they relate to each other, and the way they are expressed in creation and history.” (Piper, Providence, 44)
It is not something we can fully comprehend; nor is it something that we can control or even look upon without dying (cf. Ex. 33). When the prophets of old encountered God’s glory in their visions, they either fainted, or were humbled to the point that they fell down on their faces (Is. 6:5, Dan. 10:7-9; Ezek. 1, etc…).
What would it look like in your life to live for the glory of God? How would your priorities change? How would your speech change? How would your actions change?
Please continue to pray for Ukraine. Here is a suggested prayer if you are at a loss for words in how to pray.
24-7 Prayer – A Prayer for the Crisis in Ukraine (ENG).pdf
Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against tyrannical despotism.
This Week (Mar. 11–Mar. 17, 2022):
1. Tonight, Mar. 11, 2022, we will have Friday Night Bible Study. Join us from 7:30-9:30 as we take time to sing, share, and study the topic of “The Pitfall of Bitterness” from the life of Joseph. You can read Gen. 45 in preparation. Join us in person in Room A- 216 or online.
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 and YAs Sunday School is on Mar. 13.
a. The Young Adults will be meeting at 9:45 am (in-person in Room A-202 and online)! We will be studying the Gospel of John and taking time for Scripture recitation. Info is found on the YAs Teams Chat Channel or the Facebook Messenger chat for the Teams Meeting Link.
b. “Big Survey, Big Screen Perspective” Sunday School is this Sunday in-person (Room A-216) and online via the following link:
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)
3. This Sunday, Mar. 13, 2022, Pastor Raymond Lee will be preaching. Pray for him! Join us for worship at CBCGL! You can also watch the live stream if you wish.
a. Text: Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20
b. Title: Has Science Buried God?
c. Live stream via Youtube: https://www.cbcgl.org/resources/live-stream/
4. This coming Wednesday, Mar. 16, 2022, at 7:45 pm, you are invited, encouraged, and requested to join our weekly prayer meeting. We’ll spend time praying for Ukraine and reflecting on Lenten devotional. The link is found below in the section on prayer.
Administration / Events
5. CBCGL’s COVID-19 guidance is being updated. If you have not completed a waiver, please do so. You can find the most up-to-date waiver at http://bit.ly/cbcgl-covid19-waiver. You must have completed this form and follow its guidance if you plan to participate in any in-person church activities. Note: please find the updated COVID-19 Guidance for CBCGL in the COVID-19 Sidebar Tab in the announcements.
a. For example, lunch service and nursery service are coming back to CBCGL this coming Sunday, March 13.
b. Also, the task force is considering dropping the mask requirement for gatherings at our church, tentatively beginning March 27. Stay tuned for further updates!
6. Lunch service is back at CBCGL! To place an order, please use the following link: https://forms.gle/SJBrwGF4nb5w564DA Orders need to be placed by Friday at 11 pm so that we can prepare the correct amount of food.
7. Did you know that we have updated reports from our missionaries on a regular basis? Please check the missions tab in our bulletin to read through these reports and learn how you can support our missionaries. This week, there is an update about J and J (serving in East Asia).
8. All other announcements can be found here (in our CrossPoint Community bulletin).
For Prayer
1. Our time in prayer shows what we think about God! Do you see your need of Him? Or are you trying to live this life without / apart from Him? 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)
2. Here is our list of prayer and service requests. The service request tab is for brothers and sisters to ask for assistance or announce any give-away items. It is an attempt from EM to reach out and take care of those in need among us. You may also enter yours via the provided link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U64MLIp-EpQ8YKfIpHzBNR_3tceMaOxrchnfbqlkcpU/edit?ts=5e851f21#gid=0
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL