Hosanna: Our Cry, HIS Reply – 2023

Dear BLCF Friends,

Effective April 10, 2022, Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church will reopen by reservation only for Sunday worship under the limitations and guidelines set by Public Health and the Board of BLCF. In order to protect those who are vulnerable at Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship from COVID-19 Virus infection, the BLCF Board mandates that the church will be open by reservation, with the following rules:

• attendees must wear a mask while on the premises
• attendees give their contact information upon arrival
• attendees observe two meters of social distance while seated
• attendees use hand sanitizer as needed
• attendees follow any additional directions given by members of the board, while inside the church

Please be advised that both the BLCF Café Community Dinner and the BLCF Wednesday Prayer Service will continue to remain closed effective March 16, 2020, and until further notice. We pray with the administration of sufficient COVID-19 vaccinations, and following the determination of Health Canada and other Health Authorities, that the danger of the Pandemic will have subsided sufficiently, to allow BLCF to reopen safely more of our worship and outreach activities without any concern of infection to the vulnerable within our community.

– Pastor Steve

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:

 ‘Hosanna: Our Cry, HIS Reply’  

 © April 2, 2023, by Steve Mickelson

Based on a Messages Shared at BLCF on March 28, 2021 and April 13, 2014

BLCF: Bulletin April 13, 2014

Announcements and Call to Worship, Prayer,

Prayer and Tithing Hymn #572: Praise God from Whom All Blessings 

Doxology (Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow) – Instrumental – https://youtu.be/Mk4p3rihONU

Music Special: Cochren and Co. – Church (Take Me Back) – Lyrics – https://youtu.be/3eTOcrWu8mQ

Responsive Reading #625 (The Triumphal Entry – Mark 11 and Matthew 21);  Prayer

Scripture Verses: Zechariah 9:9-10, John 12:12-36, Psalm 92:12-15

Music Special: Hosanna In The Highest – Performed By Vineyard – https://youtu.be/7HmxlETRAOA

Music Special: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am Lord) – Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/5zURbVI3xp0

 

Message by Steve Mickelson: Hosanna: Our Cry, HIS Reply

Let us pray…

Today is Palm Sunday, an important day on the Christian Calendar. For Catholics, who sometimes refer to today as ‘Passion Sunday’, it marks the last week of Lent, a period of self-sacrifice prior to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For all Christians, it marks the start of Holy Week, a time when Jesus, as fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah, triumphantly enters Jerusalem, riding upon a donkey:

 

Zechariah 9:9-10 (ESV)

The Coming King of Zion

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;     

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,     

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

¹⁰ I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim     

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,     

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,     

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

 

We began today’s lesson, with a look at Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem, with a contrast between the expectations of how the Messiah sent by God and how Jesus did arrive. Though the reception given by the people for Jesus’ entry to the city was like that given to a king, the mode of transportation he elected to use was not what the world would expect of arriving royalty. Instead of a noble horse or stately chariot, Christ arrived by means of a donkey, the same humble mode of transportation that his mother Mary used to go to Bethlehem, when she and her husband Joseph travelled to respond to the Census call by Caesar Augustus, as told in Luke, Chapter 2. Jesus’ arrival on the back of a donkey fulfilled prohecy described in  as The Coming King of Zion in Zechariah 9:9b (ESV):

Behold, your king is coming to you;     

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,     

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

The similarity betwwn the crowds expectation for a king arrival and Jesus did arrive differs because our Lord’s journey to Jerusalem was in response to a higher calling from the Father in Heaven, rather than a response toany person or Emperor.

And our Lord intended to do more than what the disciples had expected, which was to go to the city to celebrate Passover. Instead, Jesus intended to glorify God, and restore the separation of the people from Him, which was the result of sin, through his act as the last sacrificial lamb.

.

 

Let us, again review the account given by John, which he authored as an apostle of the Lord, rather than as a disciple. You may be aware that John’s Epistles were authored some 30 years after Passover, where the disciples, following the ascension of the Lord and the Day of Passover, had received God’s Holy Spirit, so that by the Great Commission of Christ, became Apostles of the Lord, no longer Disciples of Christ. That is why I elected to use John’s account of Jesus’ Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. John had the advantage of knowing how, when and why Jesus would glorify the love and compassion of God towards a humanity who were facing the judgement of sin, which is death.

 

John 12:12-16 (ESV): The Triumphal Entry

¹² The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

behold, your king is coming,     

sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 

 

 

John was able to give us a better understanding of the purpose and plan for Christ’s entry into Jerusalem upon a humble donkey. Christ was aware that in order to remove God’s judgement upon the world, Jesus would have to take upon himself the punishment for all of humanity’s collective sin. In order to achieve this sacrifice, the Lord had to step down from his throne, like the seed of grain, and die in order to bear much fruit. Jesus is the grain; his death would be on the cross; and the fruit that he bears would be the gifts of salvation an eternal life. The other gift we see in verse 31, is that that Satan, who is ruler of this world, is cast out. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus simultaneously has conversations with the Father in heaven and with the people gathered around him. It is interesting to note, that some of the crowd thought that when God spoke, they thought it to be thunder, while others thought that an angel was speaking. And let us look again at verse 27 and 28:

²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”  

This brings us to the title of today’s message: ‘Hosanna: Our Cry, HIS Reply’.To understand what is meant by this title, must first understand what we mean when we say, or as we had sung earlier, Hosanna. And for a definition, let us look at the Wiki bits from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Hosanna (/hoʊˈzænə/) is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, it is always used in its original Hebrew form, Hoshana. Christianity: “Hosanna” was the shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” It is used in the same way in Christian praise, especially on Palm Sunday which commemorates that event. Etymology: The word hosanna (Latin osanna, Greek ὡσαννά, hōsanná) is from Hebrew הושיעה־נא, הושיעהנא hôshia-nā’ which is short for hôšî‘â-nā’ from Aramaic הושענא meaning “save, rescue” (possibly “savior”). In the Hebrew Bible it is used only in verses such as “help” or “save, I pray” (Psalms 118:25). It is applied in numerous verses of the New Testament including “Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11.9), “hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:10); “hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). The old interpretation “Save, now!”, based on Psalm 118:25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word in the Gospels as a shout of jubilation, and this has given rise to complex discussions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna

 

 

So it appears that we have Hosanna, according to Wikipedia, described both as a shout of jubilation and a cry for salvation! Our opening hymn was the former, while in John 12:27, Jesus spoke of Hosanna as the latter. In a sense, Hosanna is both. Christ chose not to be saved from his death on the cross, in order to give humanity the celebration of victory over death, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for humanity’s sake. His loss was our gain. I think that it is safe to conclude that the crowd shouted ‘Hosanna’ to celebrate the Messiah’s arrival, while at the same time asking Christ for their salvation. Jesus had yet to die on the cross, and humanity was subject to God’s judgement and punishment for sin. So the Hosannas were a plea to God for His mercy. After Jesus died, the Hosannas that we sing are praises to Him, acknowledging His love and mercy, provided by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The next question we might ask is: Why was the palm branch used to carpet the path of the donkey which carried our Lord? Here is a portion of an article on the subject by André Roosma:

 

 

The Palm Tree in the Bible: Full of Rich Symbolism

André H. Roosma, 28 January 2012 (NL orig.: 11 Jan. 2012)

The Bible presents a lot of symbolism featuring the palm tree. God refers in His Word to a number of characteristic aspects of the palm tree:

• an abundance of especially refreshing fruits;
• its growth: rather fast, and straight up;
• the ever-green leaves at its top;
• with its raised branches/leaves (the official term is: fronds) at its top it seems to worship God the way it was done in Biblical times: with raised arms;
• to that end, those fronds let themselves easily moved by the wind (compare: the Spirit of God);
• by its example and by its fruits it stimulates men to look up and to listen to God.

The most widely used Biblical Hebrew word for ‘palm tree’ is תמר – tamar. In the old pictographic script this is: – literally: ‘the sign of water/abundance of the Other (God). The first time this word tamar appears in the Bible is in Exodus 15: 27 and parallel in Numbers 22: 9. Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the water. On their voyage from Egypt the people of Israel came in Elim, where, it says, there were 70 palm trees. Now 70 is in the Bible the number of great fullness. Did one date palm in the desert already mean good news, a fullness of palm trees was extraordinarily refreshing for the people. Together with the twelve water wells, one for every tribe, this was typically a sign of God’s blessing and care for them. He granted them to be refreshed and to receive new energy.

http://www.hallelu-yah.nl/thepalmtree2.html

 

 

 

And to those familiar with the Scriptures, the palm tree represented those who receive the righteousness of the God, by way of His righteous Son, Jesus. As believers and followers of the resurrected Christ, we may bear the fruits of His Holy Spirit by sharing the Gospel of Jesus unto the ends of the earth, which is the ‘Great Commission’ Christ gave to us. We are reminded of this, by the Psalmist in Psalm 92:

Psalm 92:12-15 (ESV)

¹² The righteous flourish like the palm tree     

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

¹³ They are planted in the house of the Lord;      

they flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴ They still bear fruit in old age;      

they are ever full of sap and green,

¹⁵ to declare that the Lord is upright;     

He is my rock,

and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

 

Let us then consider our Hosanna, as our Palm Sunday prayer of praise to a God Who is merciful and kind, with a great love for us. And as a sinful world cries out for salvation from judgement; God replies by offering a path to salvation by way of his Son, Jesus:

John 3:16 (ESV): For God So Loved the World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

Communion Special – Lauren Daigle – “We Will Not Forget” (Lyric Video) – https://youtu.be/izeZa9wx8wA

Mark 14:22-25 ESV: Institution of the Lord’s Supper 

 

²² And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing, it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” ²³ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. ²⁴ And he said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Let us pray…

Closing Music Special: In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible) – Katy Nichole – Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/R84PqRdZ7_Y

Benediction – (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24):

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.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

 

Honoring HIS Choices 2022

Dear BLCF Friends,

Important Notice: Due to the current explosion of infections of the Omicron Variant of the COVID-19 Virus and in order to minimize exposure to vulnerable members who depend on public transit to get to and from church on Boxing Day, December 26, 2021, we regretfully announce that BLCF Church Sunday Worship Service is suspended for the time being. Please monitor our social media for the date that BLCF will resume our Sunday Worship Services.

 

Please be advised that both the BLCF Café Community Dinner and the BLCF Wednesday Prayer Service will continue to remain closed effective March 16, 2020, and until further notice. We pray with the administration of sufficient COVID-19 vaccinations, and following the determination of Health Canada and other Health Authorities, that the danger of the Pandemic will have subsided sufficiently, to allow BLCF to safely reopen more of our worship and outreach activities without any concern of infection to the vulnerable within our community.

 

God’s Blessings for this Christmas and for the 2022 New Year. May you, your family, and your friends have a safe and blessed Holiday Season and throughout the New Year! Though we will be closed on December 26, I believe you would enjoy the lesson that I have prepared for that Sunday.

 

– Pastor Steve

 

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church, 1307 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON.

Message for Sunday:

‘Honoring HIS Choices’

© February 13, 2022,  by Steve Mickelson

Based on a Message Shared at BLCF on November 13, 2016

BLCF: Bulletin-November-13-2016

Opening Music Special: Cochren & Co – Stained Glass Window (Lyrics) – https://youtu.be/EmckCz1rRGc

Announcements and Call to Worship: Responsive Reading #641 (Christian Assurance – Romans 8); Prayer

 Prayer and Tithing Hymn #572: Praise God from Whom All Blessings  

Scripture Verses:  2 Peter 1:1-14, Romans 8:31-39, John 3:16-18

Music Special: Lauren Daigle – I Am Yours (Acoustic) – https://youtu.be/w9B-81mZV5E

Let us pray…

Welcome to BLCF Church’s Sunday Morning Praise and Worship Service. For today’s lesson, we will talk about three aspects of our relationship with the Lord which some Christians casually use interchangeably: covenants, promises, and contracts relating to God.

To understand the differences between the terms let us briefly look at the definition of each term.

Covenant vs Promise

 

Although some people consider a covenant and a promise as synonymous, it is a wrong assumption because there is a difference between a covenant and a promise. First, let us define the two words. A covenant can be defined as a formal agreement between two or more parties where they agree to do or not to do something. This word is mostly used in religious backgrounds as well. On the other hand, a promise is an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen. The main difference between a covenant and a promise is that while, in a covenant, both parties have clear obligations and responsibilities, in a promise, this characteristic cannot be observed. Instead, in a promise, what we can observe is the active role undertaken by one party while the other remains passive. Through this article let us examine the differences between these two words, covenant, and promise.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-covenant-and-vs-promise/

Difference between Covenant and Contract

A covenant is defined as an agreement or written promise between two or more parties that constitutes a pledge to do or refrain from doing something. Thus, an agreement that requires the performance of some act is termed an “affirmative covenant” while an agreement that restricts or refrains a person from performing something is called a “negative covenant.” In other words, a covenant is a type of contract and falls within the purview of contracts in general. The person making the pledge or promise is called the covenantor while the person to whom such promise is made is known as the covenantee. In addition, covenants are also included in a contract, thereby forming part of the contract. In certain instances, it may constitute a particular condition in a contract.

In simple terms, a contract is an oral or written promise that is enforceable by law. It is defined in law as a voluntary agreement between two or more parties, who intend to create legal obligations, in which there is a promise to do or perform some work or service for a valuable consideration or benefit.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-covenant-and-vs-contract/

Scriptures describe two Covenants; one is described as Old and the other as New:

The Old Covenant

 The content of the Law is spread among the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, and then reiterated and added to in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy is Latinized Greek for “Second reading of the Law”). This includes:

• theTen Commandments
• Moral laws – on murder, theft, honesty, adultery, etc.
• Social laws – on property, inheritance, marriage and divorce,
• Food laws – on what isclean and unclean, on cooking and storing food.
• Purity laws – onmenstruation, seminal emissions, skin disease and mildew, etc.
• Feasts – (eg.Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks )
• Sacrifices and offerings – (eg. sin offering,burnt offering, whole offering, Passover sacrifice, 
• Instructions for thepriesthood and the high priest including tithes.
• Instructions regarding theTabernacle, and which were later applied to the Temple in Jerusalem, including the Holy of Holies containing the Ark of the Covenant ( which housed the Tablets of the Law, Aaron’s rod, the manna), and instructions f for the construction of various altars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Moses

The New Covenant

The New Covenant is a biblical interpretation originally derived from a phrase in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Bible. Generally, Christians believe that the New Covenant was instituted at the Last Supper as part of the Eucharist, which in the Gospel of John includes the New Commandment.

There are several Christian eschatologies that further define the New Covenant. For example, an inaugurated eschatology defines and describes the New Covenant as an ongoing relationship between Christian believers and God that will be in full fruition after the Second Coming of Christ; that is, it will not only be in full fruition in believing hearts, but in the future external world as well. The connection between the blood of Christ and the New Covenant is seen in most modern English translations of the New Testament^[6] with the saying: “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”.^[7]

Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and that the blood of Christ shed at his crucifixion is the required blood of the covenant. As with all covenants between God and man described in the Bible, the New Covenant is considered “a bond in blood sovereignly administered by God.”^[8] It has been theorized that the New Covenant is the Law of Christ as spoken during his Sermon on the Mount.^[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant_(religion)

Believers in the Resurrected Christ should focus on God’s New Covenant. Let us recap the important points of the New Covenant terminology:

 The New Covenant

• A covenant is defined asan agreement or written promise between two or more parties that constitutes a pledge to do or refrain from doing something.
• Covenants are also included in a contract, thereby forming part of the contract. In certain instances, it may constitute a particular condition in a contract.
• In a promise, what we can observe is the active role undertaken by one party while the other remains passive.
• Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and that the blood of Christ shed at his crucifixionis the required blood of the covenant. As with all covenants between God and man described in the Bible, the New Covenant is considered “a bond in blood sovereignly administered by God.

 Now that we understand the differences between

2 Peter 1:1-14 (ESV) Greeting

 1 Simeon^[a] Peter, a servant^[b] and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to^[c] his own glory and excellence,^[d] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,^[e] and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities^[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters,^[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this body,^[h] to stir you up by way of reminder,¹⁴ since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

Footnotes: a. 2 Peter 1:1 Some manuscripts Simon b. 2 Peter 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface c. 2 Peter 1:3 Or by e. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue f. 2 Peter 1:5 Or excellence; twice in this verse g. 2 Peter 1:8 Greek these things; also verses 9, 10, 12 h. 2 Peter 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters i. 2 Peter 1:13 Greek tent; also verse 14

 Romans 8:31-39 (ESV) God’s Everlasting Love

 ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be^[a]against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 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.^[b] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes: a. Romans 8:31 Or who is b. Romans 8:34 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died… for us?

John 3:16-18 (ESV) For God So Loved the World

 ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

If we view Christ who has called us to his glory and excellence and by accepting the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross, we enter a spiritual contract.

Elements of a Contract. The requisite elements that must be established to demonstrate the formation of a legally binding contract are (1) offer; (2) acceptance; (3) consideration (price); (4) mutuality of obligation; (5) competency and capacity; and, in certain circumstances, (6) a written instrument.

https://contracts.uslegal.com/elements-of-a-contract/

So, let us examine the elements of this contract, that as Christians we are bound:

(1) Offer – God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son

(2) Acceptance – Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life

(3) Consideration – God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him

(4) Mutuality of obligation – Whoever believes in him is not condemned, (saved) but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

(5) Competency and capacity; and, in certain circumstances – Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love

  (6) A written instrument – (written by the blood of Christ) As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us pray…

Closing Music Special: Lauren Daigle – Loyal (Lyric Video) – https://youtu.be/xXKG-ooExGs

Benediction – (Psalm 121:7-8):

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep 

                                                    your going out and your coming in                                                           from this time forth and forevermore.

Hosanna: Our Cry; HIS Reply

Dear BLCF Friends,

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church and BLCF Café continue to remain closed effective March 16, 2020, and until further notice. Today we would like to share with you a Lesson in a virtual format. We pray after the advent of a COVID-19 vaccine and following the determination of Health Canada and other Health Authorities the danger of a pandemic has subsided, the Board of BLCF will be able to reopen worship and outreach activities without concern of infection to the vulnerable within our community. In the meantime, please enjoy the following lesson, stay safe, and keep the faith.

– Pastor Steve

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:

 ‘Hosanna: Our Cry; HIS Reply’  

 © March 28, 2021, by Steve Mickelson

Based on a Message Shared at BLCF on April 13, 2014

BLCF: Bulletin April 13, 2014

Announcements and Call to Worship

Responsive Reading #625 (The Triumphal Entry – Mark 11 and Matthew 21);  Prayer

Opening Hymn (See back of Bulletin): Hosanna

Scripture Verses: Zechariah 9:9-10, John 12:12-36, Psalm 92:12-15

Let us pray…

Today is Palm Sunday, an important day on the Christian Calendar. For Catholics, who sometimes refer to today as ‘Passion Sunday’, it marks the last week of Lent, a period of self-sacrifice prior to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For all Christians, it marks the start of Holy Week, a time when Jesus, as fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah, triumphantly enters Jerusalem, riding upon a donkey:

 

Zechariah 9:9-10 (ESV)

The Coming King of Zion

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;     

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,     

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

¹⁰ I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim     

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,     

and he shall speak peace to the nations;

his rule shall be from sea to sea,     

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

 

We began today’s lesson, with a Responsive Reading, which paraphrased the accounts of Christ’s arrival that were recorded by the disciples Mark and Matthew. Though the reception given by the people for Jesus’ entry to the city was like that given to a king, the mode of transportation he elected to use was not what the world would expect of arriving royalty. Instead of a noble horse or stately chariot, Christ arrived by means of a donkey, the same mode of transportation that his mother Mary used to go to Bethlehem, when she and her husband Joseph travelled to respond to the Census call by Caesar Augustus, as told in Luke, Chapter 2. This is where the similarity ends, as our Lord’s journey to Jerusalem was in response to a higher calling, rather than a response to the Emperor of Rome. And our Lord intended to do more than what the disciples had expected, which was to go to the city to celebrate Passover. Jesus intended to glorify God, and restore the separation of the people from Him, which was the result of sin.

.

 

Let us, again review the account given by John, which he authored as an apostle of the Lord, rather than as a disciple. You may be aware that John’s Epistles were authored some 30 years after Passover, where the disciples, following the ascension of the Lord and the Day of Passover, had received God’s Holy Spirit, so that by the Great Commission of Christ, became Apostles of the Lord, no longer Disciples of Christ. That is why I elected to use John’s account of Jesus’ Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. John had the advantage of knowing how, when and why Jesus would glorify the love and compassion of God towards a humanity who were facing the judgement of sin, which is death.

 

John 12:12-36 (ESV): The Triumphal Entry

¹² The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ¹⁵ “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming,      sitting on a donkey’s colt!” ¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. ¹⁷ The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. ¹⁸ The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Some Greeks Seek Jesus ²⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹ So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up ²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

 

John was able to give us a better understanding of the purpose and plan for Christ’s entry into Jerusalem upon a humble donkey. Christ was aware that in order to remove God’s judgement upon the world, Jesus would have to take upon himself the punishment for all of humanity’s collective sin. In order to achieve this sacrifice, the Lord had to step down from his throne, like the seed of grain, and die in order to bear much fruit. Jesus is the grain; his death would be on the cross; and the fruit that he bears would be the gifts of salvation an eternal life. The other gift we see in verse 31, is that that Satan, who is ruler of this world, is cast out. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus simultaneously has conversations with the Father in heaven and with the people gathered around him. It is interesting to note, that some of the crowd thought that when God spoke, they thought it to be thunder, while others thought that an angel was speaking. And let us look again at verse 27 and 28: ²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”  

This brings us to the title of today’s message: ‘Hosanna: Our Cry; HIS Reply’.To understand what is meant by this title, must first understand what we mean when we say, or as we had sung earlier, Hosanna. And for a definition, let us look at the Wiki bits from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Hosanna (/hoʊˈzænə/) is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, it is always used in its original Hebrew form, Hoshana. Christianity: “Hosanna” was the shout of praise or adoration made in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” It is used in the same way in Christian praise, especially on Palm Sunday which commemorates that event. Etymology: The word hosanna (Latin osanna, Greek ὡσαννά, hōsanná) is from Hebrew הושיעה־נא, הושיעהנא hôshia-nā’ which is short for hôšî‘â-nā’ from Aramaic הושענא meaning “save, rescue” (possibly “savior”). In the Hebrew Bible it is used only in verses such as “help” or “save, I pray” (Psalms 118:25). It is applied in numerous verses of the New Testament including “Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mark 11.9), “hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:10); “hosanna to the Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). The old interpretation “Save, now!”, based on Psalm 118:25, does not fully explain the occurrence of the word in the Gospels as a shout of jubilation, and this has given rise to complex discussions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna

 

 

So it appears that we have Hosanna, according to Wikipedia, described both as a shout of jubilation and a cry for salvation! Our opening hymn was the former, while in John 12:27, Jesus spoke of Hosanna as the latter. In a sense, Hosanna is both. Christ chose not to be saved from his death on the cross, in order to give humanity the celebration of victory over death, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for humanity’s sake. His loss was our gain. I think that it is safe to conclude that the crowd shouted ‘Hosanna’ to celebrate the Messiah’s arrival, while at the same time asking Christ for their salvation. Jesus had yet to die on the cross, and humanity was subject to God’s judgement and punishment for sin. So the Hosannas were a plea to God for His mercy. After Jesus died, the Hosannas that we sing are praises to Him, acknowledging His love and mercy, provided by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The next question we might ask is: Why was the palm branch used to carpet the path of the donkey which carried our Lord? Here is a portion of an article on the subject by André Roosma:

 

 

The Palm Tree in the Bible: Full of Rich Symbolism

André H. Roosma, 28 January 2012 (NL orig.: 11 Jan. 2012)

The Bible presents a lot of symbolism featuring the palm tree. God refers in His Word to a number of characteristic aspects of the palm tree:

• an abundance of especially refreshing fruits;
• its growth: rather fast, and straight up;
• the ever-green leaves at its top;
• with its raised branches/leaves (the official term is: fronds) at its top it seems to worship God the way it was done in Biblical times: with raised arms;
• to that end, those fronds let themselves easily moved by the wind (compare: the Spirit of God);
• by its example and by its fruits it stimulates men to look up and to listen to God.

The most widely used Biblical Hebrew word for ‘palm tree’ is תמר – tamar. In the old pictographic script this is: – literally: ‘the sign of water/abundance of the Other (God). The first time this word tamar appears in the Bible is in Exodus 15: 27 and parallel in Numbers 22: 9. Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the water. On their voyage from Egypt the people of Israel came in Elim, where, it says, there were 70 palm trees. Now 70 is in the Bible the number of great fullness. Did one date palm in the desert already mean good news, a fullness of palm trees was extraordinarily refreshing for the people. Together with the twelve water wells, one for every tribe, this was typically a sign of God’s blessing and care for them. He granted them to be refreshed and to receive new energy.

http://www.hallelu-yah.nl/thepalmtree2.html

 

 

 

And to those familiar with the Scriptures, the palm tree represented those who receive the righteousness of the God, by way of His righteous Son, Jesus. As believers and followers of the resurrected Christ, we may bear the fruits of His Holy Spirit by sharing the Gospel of Jesus unto the ends of the earth, which is the ‘Great Commission’ Christ gave to us. We are reminded of this, by the Psalmist in Psalm 92:

Psalm 92:12-15 (ESV)

¹² The righteous flourish like the palm tree     

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

¹³ They are planted in the house of the Lord;      

they flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴ They still bear fruit in old age;      

they are ever full of sap and green,

¹⁵ to declare that the Lord is upright;     

He is my rock,

and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

 

Let us then consider our Hosanna, as our Palm Sunday prayer of praise to a God Who is merciful and kind, with a great love for us. And as a sinful world cries out for salvation from judgement; God replies by offering a path to salvation by way of his Son, Jesus:

John 3:16 (ESV): For God So Loved the World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

 

 

Let us pray…

Closing Hymn #63: ‘All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Benediction – (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24):

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.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

 

Honoring HIS Choices

 

Bloor Lansdowne Christian Fellowship – BLCF Church Message for Sunday:

‘Honoring HIS Choices’

© November 13, 2016, by Steve Mickelson

BLCF: Bulletin-November-13-2016

Announcements and Call to Worship: Responsive Reading #641 (Christian Assurance – Romans 8); Prayer                 

Opening Hymn #317: Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine; Choruses                   

Prayer and Tithing Hymn #572: Praise God from Whom All Blessings  

Scripture Verses:  2 Peter 1:1-14, Romans 8:31-39, John 3:16-18

Let us pray…

Welcome to BLCF Church’s Sunday Morning Praise and Worship Service. For today’s lesson, we will talk about three aspects of our relationship with the Lord which some Christians casually use interchangeably: covenants, promises, and contracts relating to God.

To understand the differences between the terms let us briefly look at the definition of each term.

Covenant vs Promise

 

Although some people consider a covenant and a promise as synonymous, it is a wrong assumption because there is a difference between a covenant and a promise. First, let us define the two words. A covenant can be defined as a formal agreement between two or more parties where they agree to do or not to do something. This word is mostly used in religious backgrounds as well. On the other hand, a promise is an assurance that one will do something or that something will happen. The main difference between a covenant and a promise is that while, in a covenant, both parties have clear obligations and responsibilities, in a promise, this characteristic cannot be observed. Instead, in a promise, what we can observe is the active role undertaken by one party while the other remains passive. Through this article let us examine the differences between these two words, covenant, and promise.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-covenant-and-vs-promise/

Difference between Covenant and Contract

A covenant is defined as an agreement or written promise between two or more parties that constitutes a pledge to do or refrain from doing something. Thus, an agreement that requires the performance of some act is termed an “affirmative covenant” while an agreement that restricts or refrains a person from performing something is called a “negative covenant.” In other words, a covenant is a type of contract and falls within the purview of contracts in general. The person making the pledge or promise is called the covenantor while the person to whom such promise is made is known as the covenantee. In addition, covenants are also included in a contract, thereby forming part of the contract. In certain instances, it may constitute a particular condition in a contract.

In simple terms, a contract is an oral or written promise that is enforceable by law. It is defined in law as a voluntary agreement between two or more parties, who intend to create legal obligations, in which there is a promise to do or perform some work or service for a valuable consideration or benefit.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-covenant-and-vs-contract/

Scriptures describe two Covenants; one is described as Old and the other as New:

The Old Covenant

 The content of the Law is spread among the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, and then reiterated and added to in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy is Latinized Greek for “Second reading of the Law”). This includes:

• theTen Commandments
• Moral laws – on murder, theft, honesty, adultery, etc.
• Social laws – on property, inheritance, marriage and divorce,
• Food laws – on what isclean and unclean, on cooking and storing food.
• Purity laws – onmenstruation, seminal emissions, skin disease and mildew, etc.
• Feasts – (eg.Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks )
• Sacrifices and offerings – (eg. sin offering,burnt offering, whole offering, Passover sacrifice, 
• Instructions for thepriesthood and the high priest including tithes.
• Instructions regarding theTabernacle, and which were later applied to the Temple in Jerusalem, including the Holy of Holies containing the Ark of the Covenant ( which housed the Tablets of the Law, Aaron’s rod, the manna), and instructions f for the construction of various altars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Moses

The New Covenant

The New Covenant is a biblical interpretation originally derived from a phrase in the Book of Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Bible. Generally, Christians believe that the New Covenant was instituted at the Last Supper as part of the Eucharist, which in the Gospel of John includes the New Commandment.

There are several Christian eschatologies that further define the New Covenant. For example, an inaugurated eschatology defines and describes the New Covenant as an ongoing relationship between Christian believers and God that will be in full fruition after the Second Coming of Christ; that is, it will not only be in full fruition in believing hearts, but in the future external world as well. The connection between the blood of Christ and the New Covenant is seen in most modern English translations of the New Testament^[6] with the saying: “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”.^[7]

Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and that the blood of Christ shed at his crucifixion is the required blood of the covenant. As with all covenants between God and man described in the Bible, the New Covenant is considered “a bond in blood sovereignly administered by God.”^[8] It has been theorized that the New Covenant is the Law of Christ as spoken during his Sermon on the Mount.^[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant_(religion)

Believers in the Resurrected Christ should focus on God’s New Covenant. Let us recap the important points of the New Covenant terminology:

 The New Covenant

• A covenant is defined asan agreement or written promise between two or more parties that constitutes a pledge to do or refrain from doing something.
• Covenants are also included in a contract, thereby forming part of the contract. In certain instances, it may constitute a particular condition in a contract.
• In a promise, what we can observe is the active role undertaken by one party while the other remains passive.
• Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and that the blood of Christ shed at his crucifixionis the required blood of the covenant. As with all covenants between God and man described in the Bible, the New Covenant is considered “a bond in blood sovereignly administered by God.

 Now that we understand the differences between

2 Peter 1:1-14 (ESV) Greeting

 1 Simeon^[a] Peter, a servant^[b] and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirm Your Calling and Election

³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to^[c] his own glory and excellence,^[d] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,^[e] and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities^[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters,^[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. ¹¹ For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

¹² Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. ¹³ I think it right, as long as I am in this body,^[h] to stir you up by way of reminder,¹⁴ since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

Footnotes: a. 2 Peter 1:1 Some manuscripts Simon b. 2 Peter 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface c. 2 Peter 1:3 Or by e. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue f. 2 Peter 1:5 Or excellence; twice in this verse g. 2 Peter 1:8 Greek these things; also verses 9, 10, 12 h. 2 Peter 1:10 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters i. 2 Peter 1:13 Greek tent; also verse 14

 Romans 8:31-39 (ESV) God’s Everlasting Love

 ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be^[a]against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 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.^[b] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes: a. Romans 8:31 Or who is b. Romans 8:34 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died… for us?

John 3:16-18 (ESV) For God So Loved the World

 ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

If we view Christ who has called us to his glory and excellence and by accepting the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross, we enter a spiritual contract.

Elements of a Contract. The requisite elements that must be established to demonstrate the formation of a legally binding contract are (1) offer; (2) acceptance; (3) consideration (price); (4) mutuality of obligation; (5) competency and capacity; and, in certain circumstances, (6) a written instrument.

https://contracts.uslegal.com/elements-of-a-contract/

So, let us examine the elements of this contract, that as Christians we are bound:

(1) Offer – God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son

(2) Acceptance – Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life

(3) Consideration – God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him

(4) Mutuality of obligation – Whoever believes in him is not condemned, (saved) but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

(5) Competency and capacity; and, in certain circumstances – Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love

  (6) A written instrument – (written by the blood of Christ) As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us pray…

Closing Hymn #225: Standing on the Promises

Benediction – (Psalm 121:7-8):

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in                                                                                                    from this time forth and forevermore.