From the Desk of the Pastor
In person worship Services continue to be temporarily cancelled as we abide by the policies of the State and local authorities. We have begun to work on a plan for the church reopening which will lessen the likelihood of exposure during services. Information will be coming soon.
Please note that on the Holy Light MBC Facebook account there is a live service at 9:00am every Sunday morning.
HIRING EVENT
INFORMATION ON FREE MEALS
True Friendship MBC Dr. James Perkins, One Lord Ministries, Pastor Leroy MatthewsTHE, LIFT/Assante Farms Dr. S. Scuffy Shigg In partnership with National Action Network Jonathan Mosley & World Central Kitchen McKenzie Richerson is distributing Meals.
WHEN: Monday-Friday 11AM-1:00PM (or until meals run out). Please share with anyone who are in need.
WHERE: True Friendship MBC: 7901 Van Ness Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90305
PANEL DISCUSSION
Finally what can we do as a body of Christ during this time that we are experiencing this physical distancing from each other.
Continue Reaching Out to One Another – Calls, Emails, texting messages
Continue praying for one another
Certainly an Opportune Time to Read Scripture and Christian literature
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU!! BE SAFE! BE WELL!
Sermon on John 6:65-69
Can You Handle The Truth?
NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH
The fact of the matter is that while not everyone walks away from the Lord, some do. Why is that? If we take this passage as the answer to that question, it becomes clear that Not Everyone Can Handle The Truth.)
As this chapter unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that doubt, suspicion and hostility are mounting against the Lord Jesus. These people who wanted to make Him king after He fed them, v. 15, want nothing more to do with Him after they hear His message, v. 26-65.
Why the change? Jesus told them the truth and they could not handle it! Notice His claims:
To Be The Way Of Salvation - v. 29
To Be The Son of God - v. 32
That He Is Superior to Moses and the Manna - v. 35; 49-58
That Salvation was a matter of faith alone - v. 35-40; 63
That apart from God's intervention, they could not believe - v. 44; 65
When truth is revealed to us, there are only two possible reactions to it: It can be received, or it can be rejected. People receive the truth when they see it for what it is: Truth! People reject the truth for many reasons. Here are just a few:
Some People Misunderstand It - Nicodemus thought Jesus was talking about gynecology, when He was actually speaking of the new birth. The woman at the well thought Jesus was talking about plumbing, when He was actually talking about Himself, the Water of Life. The man at the pool of Bethesda thought Jesus was talking about a rescue mission, when He was actually talking placing faith in Jesus. This trend continues today! That is why people join the church and are baptized without ever being saved. That is why the Word of God is so offensive many people. They misunderstand the truth and, as a result, they reject it.
Some People Are Opposed To It - As Jesus revealed Himself and His demands in this passage, the Jews were in constant and increasing opposition, v. 41-42; 52; 60. The Jews were not able to accept His Deity, His impending Death or His claims of Lordship. They opposed Him at every turn! So it is today, many are opposed to the truths of the Bible and the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ. His call to commitment goes against their desire to live for self, and as a result, they find themselves in opposition to the Lord.
Some People Are Blind To It - All the way through this passage, the Jews had this approach to Jesus: "Show us and we will believe." They had already seen Him feed five thousand with five loaves of bread and 2 fish, v. 5-13. They had already surmised that He had somehow, miraculously, crossed the lake, v. 22-25, yet they were blind to Who He was and what He was doing. When He made His claims and issued His call to commitment, they were unable to see the truth because they were blind! The sad fact of the matter is this: all men are blind to the truth until their eyes are supernaturally opened by the intervention of God, 2 Cor. 4:4; John 6:44; 65. That is why so many people reject the truth and embrace the lie, they are simply blind to the truth!
Some People Want The Experience But Not The Expectation - These people were following Jesus because He had satisfied their fleshly appetites, v. 1-15. They wanted more of the same, v. 34. In fact, they wanted Jesus to prove that He was greater than Moses, v. 22-31. They were looking for something that satisfied their flesh and that made them feel good about themselves. They wanted an experience! They wanted to be following the next king. They wanted the miracles and the sensational. But, when Jesus began to talk about His expectations and issued a call for commitment, they turned away from Him and walked away. Why? They wanted to be carried away in the excitement of the moment with no commitment.
The same mentality has developed within the church! There are many today who want a religious experience, but without and expectations. They want to serve God for what they can get out it, without any concern for His glory of His will. They want entertainment and excitement without the commitment that comes along with the proclamation of the truth. The churches that are growing the fastest today are those who minimize biblical doctrine the requirements of the faith and emphasize entertainment and experience. All you need to succeed today as a church is a contemporary band, a message that challenges no one's life, a youth program that will babysit the children while the parents are lulled to sleep by a "touchy feely" religion that is devoid of the truth!
Not everyone can handle the truth! Sometimes, the truth is tough! Sometimes the truth makes demands upon our lives. Sometimes the truth is brutal and seems unfeeling. But, the truth is always true! It is always right and it is always perfect. Not everyone can handle the truth! Can you?
SUNDAY SCHOOL PUZZLE SOLUTION
CENSUS RESPONSE
I was contacted by the census specialist, please see below and if you haven’t responded please do so as it is important for our community
As I mentioned in the initial email, the response rate in the area where your church is located is below the State’s and county’s average.
We need to reach as many more households as possible so that these areas don’t miss out on their portion of the 675 billion dollars of yearly federal funding.
The response rate in your area as of 5/20/20 is only 43.4% (Final 2010 Self-Response was 56.2%) while the national average is 59.8% (74%), California 61% (68.2%), LA County 56.2% (69%), LA City is 49.6% (68%).
That’s why we need your help as a Census partner to encourage your community members to self-respond to 2020 Census.
We would like to take this opportunity to ask you to remind your members of multiple ways to self-respond to 2020 Census.
There are three ways that people can participate in the Census :
Online at www.2020Census.gov
Toll-free number
English, 844.330.2020
Spanish, 844.468.2020
Other language lines are available.
Return paper questionnaire (a small number of households will receive a paper form)