Fruitfulinsuffering

God Has Made Me Fruitful in the Land of My Suffering

In the sermon, Pastor Walker spoke about the story of Joseph through Genesis 41. Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and a favored son who was sold into slavery in Egypt but eventually rose to prominence as the interpreter of Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph’s trials, temptations, and sufferings, including being in jail, showed his determination to stay pure and true to God. Despite the difficulties, God used Joseph’s circumstances to deliver his messages and Joseph was able to remain faithful, pure, and persevere, allowing him to be in the right place at the right time to fulfill God’s purposes. This serves as an example for us to learn from, reminding us to remain faithful, pure, and persevere, so that we can better understand the messages God is trying to convey in our lives.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream about 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine, and guidance to prepare for the famine. Joseph was able to interpret God’s Will because he was pure, not asleep in sin, and in tune with God and the message and guidance. Joseph’s deep relationship and understanding of God’s will allow him to accurately interpret the dream and gain wisdom from God. By being faithful to God’s will and surrendering to Him like clay to a potter, Joseph was carried through all his experiences, both good and bad, and God was able to fulfill His purpose.

Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt and he solved the famine problem during 7 years of abundance by storing grain. God used Joseph’s difficult circumstances to further His purposes and bless others. Joseph’s name choice for his children shows that God can help us forget our past troubles and make us fruitful in a way that blesses others. To be like Joseph and have victory, we need to remain pure and faithful, store up spiritual food (the Word), and trust in God’s power. The victory of Joseph resonates with the victory of Jesus on the cross and can be experienced by us now.

May we always remain faithful to God and become victors like Joseph, no matter the circumstances of joy and hardship, as God is the one who overturns everything and gives us victory.

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Gratia Sunday Service: I Have Seen the Lord

On April 23, 2023, Gratia Church held a graceful Sunday service, full of God’s word, praise, worship, and fellowship. The sermon delivered by Pastor Peter Tzeng, was on John 20:1-18 entitled “I have seen the Lord”.

In the sermon, Pastor Walker spoke about Mary, one of the women recorded visiting Jesus’ tomb after His crucifixion. Interestingly, each Gospel records a different number of women at the tomb, with John focusing on Mary alone, emphasizing her great love for Jesus. Mary goes to the sealed tomb with a longing heart filled with sadness, but even in death, her love for the Lord remains strong. When she discovers the stone has been rolled away, she informs Peter and John, both of whom also loved Jesus deeply. John’s account emphasizes the love these individuals had for Jesus, and how that love compelled them to honor one another. The Bible captures real people with strengths and weaknesses, and it is through their love that they bear witness to the empty tomb, a testament to Jesus’ victory over death.

Despite their love, Mary and the disciples did not initially understand the meaning of the empty tomb. Love brings them to the tomb, allowing them to overcome the power of death, but something is still missing. In their faith, they have love for God and for their fellow believers, but they need to go further and witness the resurrected Jesus Christ. It is through understanding the Scriptures and meditating on the meaning of the cross that believers can move beyond the tomb and embrace the fullness of resurrection.

Mary encounters the resurrected Jesus but fails to recognize Him at first, as her sorrow prevents her from seeing the truth. As she converses with Jesus, her tears are wiped away, allowing her to recognize her Lord and exclaim “Rabonni!” This moment symbolizes the true meaning of Easter – not just the crucifixion, but the resurrection that follows. Jesus’ resurrection transcends the limits of earthly understanding, as it involves the transformation of the perishable into the imperishable. This resurrection is not only a future promise but a present reality, as believers can become witnesses to the resurrected Lord through the proclamation of the Word and the sacraments. 

As Mary testifies, “I have seen the Lord!”, let us also strive to be witnesses to the resurrected Jesus Christ, embracing the transformative power of the cross and resurrection in our lives.

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Be strong and Courageous

In the sermon, Pastor Walker explained how the book of Joshua begins with the passing of leadership from Moses to Joshua, after 40 years in the desert following the Red Sea crossing. The Israelites were unable to enter the Promised Land due to their disobedience and lack of faith. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who had faith, but the other ten leaders with their bad report caused the Israelites to fall into despair. The lesson is that anger, disobedience, and lack of faith won’t get us to the finish line and prevent us from receiving God’s glory.

God gives encouragement to Joshua as he becomes the new leader of the Israelites. He commands him to be strong and courageous, keep the Law, and not turn to the right or left. God’s presence is with Joshua, guiding him straight. The Israelites wandered aimlessly for 40 years, but God was always with them, providing for their needs and giving them guidance. This reminds us that we need God in our walk of faith and should trust in His Word as our foundation, which provides guidance and wisdom in times of uncertainty.

Joshua’s firm faith can be understood in light of the parable of the two sons, helping us understand the importance of authentic faith in leadership. It is not enough to simply obey outwardly while having doubts inwardly. Rather, leaders must have genuine faith and show positivity even in difficult situations. The parable in Matthew emphasizes the importance of following through on one’s commitments, even if the path seems hard. Ultimately, Jesus provides an example of true strength and courage in faith through his obedient walk towards the Kingdom of God.

The faith of Joshua reminds us to have strength and courage to finish the task as God is guiding us towards Kingdom of God.

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He Has Risen

In the sermon, pastor Walker spoke about the resurrection of the Jesus. Comparing the recording in Matthew with Paul’s explanation on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Walker exhorted the members to live with faith and power of resurrection in their lives.

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Gratia concludes Easter Retreat with Full Grace

On Easter Sunday April 9, Gratia concluded their Easter Retreat with a full day of service, bible study, testimony, and fellowship. Easter Service was led by Pastor Walker, who spoke about the resurrection of the Jesus. Comparing the recording in Matthew with Paul’s explanation on the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor Walker exhorted retreat attendees to live with faith and the power of resurrection in their lives. Easter Service also featured a communion celebration.

The last Bible Study in the afternoon was led by Pastor Esther, who spoke about the road to Emmaus and helped retreat attendees burn with passion for the Word to see the resurrected Lord. After a full day of retreat, members shared fellowship meal, activities, and prayer. Easter Retreat was a graceful time, please pray for all retreat attendees to hold onto the grace that they received. 

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