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OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL MINISTRY

Highland Laker Kids are discovering this summer all the fun involved with being one of "God's Secret Agents". Please join us as we discover interesting people from the bible, learn some great, positive values and enjoy making creative crafts. Most of all -- the kids just have a lot of fun and get to hang out with other kids!

Summer Sermon Series
ON HOLY GROUNDS:
Examining Controversial Issues Biblically
Starting Sunday, July 4


PASTOR'S VACATION

Pastor Ron and his family will be away July 26 to August 10. Pastor Ron is a native of Nova Scotia and will be visiting there for the first time in 20 years. Please keep the Mahlers in prayer as they travel, and that the family would have a great time seeing all the sights (and eating lots of fish!)

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A Message from our pastor




"A Journey Into Joy"
An excerpt from the Sunday morning Sermon Series at Highland Lakes on Paul's letter to the Philippians - by Rev. R. Mahler

Have you ever wanted to discover a happiness that circumstances simply cannot alter? Have you ever longed to meet and know people of authenticity? If you have, you’re not alone. There are other people out there like you who have that same desire. I am one of them! I also believe the apostle Paul was one of them. It was that desire that lead Paul to write a letter to the first century church in the city of Philippi. The city was named by the father of Alexander the Great (Phillip) who conquered it in 357 B.C. It became a Roman colony a few hundred years later, and as a result, Philippi became quite populated and acquired great wealth. Philippi was also home to a plethora of ancient religions due to the fact that people from all regions to the west and to the east, moved into the area. If you are familiar with the complexion of a city like Toronto - at the present time, that is the kind of cosmopolitan-like environment Philippi resembled in its day. Cultural life in the city took on a distinct “Hellenistic” flavour, where one could enjoy every aspect of Greek culture and what it had to offer. But then the Gospel of Christ came to Philippi through Paul and others, and that caused an uproar in the city. Not only were Paul and Silas put in prison, they were “severely flogged” for having shared about their faith in Christ to the locals. (Acts 16:23)

However, the end product was nothing short of amazing. A church was established there, and one of the most encouraging letters in all of the NT, (Philippians), was born out of Paul’s affection and burden for the spiritual vitality of the young church. Philippians is known as a letter that doesn’t really address any dominant, glaring ecclesiastical or theological issue. With that said, it would appear from the letter that the church was experiencing some degree of disunity. In addition to that, the Christians in Philippi faced a daily barrage of societal demands and temptations placed upon them by their pagan culture. And so Philippians is a caveat of sorts - or a warning from Paul that the church needed to remain Christ-like despite all that impressed upon it - within its pagan context and culture. In spite of that historical setting and reality, Philippians has become known as a letter of “joy.” Paul was concerned mostly that the believers in the city of Philippi live lives worthy of their calling. That in both, profession and practice, the gospel they believed in - would be lived out – and - with joy. For it would be as a result of their unique “joy,” that their fellow city dwellers would take notice.

When you read the letter to the Philippians you see in words - how much Paul had changed from the days when he was a militant, anti-Christian Pharisee - who zealously sought to keep the Jewish law. In the letter we witness a man who was totally transformed by Jesus Christ, to the point where he had become a model for the church in Philippi - to be influenced and encouraged by. Also, we see a man communicating that despite one’s circumstances, it is still possible to reflect a steadfast Christ-likeness, marked by an unshakable “joy.” Paul would know, for he was writing to the Philippians from a prison cell. The apostle suffered much in his attempts to evangelize a great portion of what is now modern-day Asia and Europe. In the wake of his ministry though, many house churches were started, and an innumerable amount of people became disciples of Jesus. And as was the case with the Philippian believers, we today, live in a less than ideal world where our faith is often broadsided and side-swiped by the harsh and challenging realities of life around us. How do we get through? As humans, we naturally yearn for the latest recipe that promises a long-lasting, bullet-proof joy. As well, we like to reserve our right to avoid having that joy taken from us!

This pursuit can be time-consuming, financially strapping, as well as emotionally draining. It is an elusive and deceiving task. Instead of all that - let’s exhort each other in the true manner of Paul. That being, to embrace the things in life that impress upon and challenge our faith in Christ, in order that we might discover how circumstances can actually chisel our faith, and reveal a joy we never thought existed. In that - we may well discover and experience what true Christian joy can be like. The kind of joy Paul speaks of in Philippians – a supernatural, unshakeable joy. That is the true challenge and message of Philippians. I hope you will learn much from this marvellous, joyous letter, as I aim to – in studying and preaching from it - over the coming weeks at Highland Lakes. Please join us – especially - if you need some joy! I know you do!!