Announcements

MEMBER ALERT:

Congregational meeting after morning worship service, next Sunday March 18th to discuss options for new monitors/screens for the church building.

Scott Tope, who dedicated his life to spreading the love and message of Christ, passed away on January 15th. Please send letters of condolence and encouragement to his wife, Shara, at P.O. Box 671, Livingston TX 77351-0671, or email her at scottbotswana@gmail.com.

The church directory is available see Marian Phair for your copy! One copy per family!

Mark your calendar for June 18 – 22, 2025, the dates for our Vacation Bible School (VBS)! There’s a work day at the building on March 22nd starting at 11 a.m. for planning and collaborating on ideals. Come out to support VBS so our yearly success is continued!

Bible study for ladies on the Spanish-speaking side: Saturday, April 12th at 5 p.m. at the church building.

Bible study for the ladies on the English-speaking side: Saturday, April 12th at 10 a.m. via Zoom. For additional information, contact Winnie Sylvester or Rosemary Dayie.

Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board for hall monitors, Sunday morning greeters, meal contact persons and Bible class substitutes and assistants on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Bible class teachers and assistants are needed, see Arnoldo Velásquez or one of the elders if you desire to serve in this capacity

Spanish men evangelization and coffee with Christ - Saturday, April 12th at 8:30 a.m. and monthly every 2nd Saturday at Panera Bread, 6633 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 This is a Bible study to strengthen and encourage men spiritually as men, as husbands, and to prepare them as servants of God. Rubén Davila and Arnoldo Velásquez are organizers of the activities.

Men’s Bible study: April 18th, 7 p.m. at the church building facilitated by Riley Lewis. Subject: “The Narrow Way” Too Much For Us To Bear?” Read ahead Matthew 7:13-14. Zoom will also be available. Volunteers are needed to lead/facilitate future Bible studies. Contact Bob Greene!

Spanish men, “Looking for Workers”- Saturday, April 19th at 8:30 a.m. and monthly every 3rd Saturday at the church building. This meeting is designed to prepare and encourage men to work and be ready to work in the ministries of the church and the needs that exist. See Rubén Davila and Arnoldo Velásquez for additional information.

Bilingual Youth Activity Night: For youth and young adults at 7 p.m. every 3rd Friday of the month. Organized by Rubén Davila and Arnoldo Velásquez.

Pray for our shepherds and the flock (our congregation): that we may all submit to the Lord's will and His design for His Church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28, 31; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:1-21; Titus 1:6-15; 1 Peter 5:1-11).

Pray for the congregation in Ecuador, for the security of that country and for all people who are suffering through no fault of their own.

MEMORY VERSES

Deuteronomy 28:9  The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.NASB1995

Kingdom of Priests, Holy Nation

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5,6).

IN THIS AGE OF THE WORLD, “KINGDOM” AND “PRIEST” ARE NOT EVERYDAY CONCEPTS, LET ALONE “HOLY NATION.” But what did God mean by these terms in speaking to Israel at Sinai, and what relevance do they have to us in thinking about the gospel of Christ?

My treasured possession. This is what physical Israel was then, and it is what spiritual Israel is today. Those who have been reconciled to God are uniquely His people, His “special property” (BBE).

A kingdom of priests. In the Law of Moses, the priests were to represent Israel to God, but they were also to represent God to Israel. By extension, then, Israel was to be “a kingdom of priests” — that is, they were to represent God to the rest of the world. Today, it is Christians, coming from both the Jewish and Gentile races, who represent God before the watching eyes (and listening ears) of the world. So, for example, the Book of Revelation begins with this doxology: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1:5,6).

A holy nation. God wanted Israel to be what His people in Jesus Christ would later be: a group of people who were “holy.” In other words, they would be devoted exclusively to Him, set apart for His use and reserved for the accomplishment of His purposes.

Writing to Christians, Peter used all of these ideas: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Much more could be said about being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, but I want to end with the most important way in which those who are God’s people represent Him to the world: we are to be those who speak God’s truth to the world. And the ultimate goal is always the same: people who, based on God’s truth, come to share His likeness and enjoy His presence in eternity.

“We are called to be God’s transmitters, to be completely separated from all thoughts which are contrary to his thinking, so that we may transmit his thoughts to others” (Hannah Hurnard).

1. English worship services and Bible study:

https://zoom.us/j/99914262031?pwd=STZLR3dUcEl3QW1uSTUzWjBqZXdB QT09

Meeting ID: 999 1426 203

Passcode: 139492

2. Ladies on the English-speaking side Bible Study:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84044172346?pwd=MEIzeTEvY3dRTmtYZjFWUH JaVll4UT09

Meeting ID: 840 4417 234

Passcode: 547209

3. Spanish Bible Study:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87486845973?pwd=bXdkY2Mwc25SWCtYaVVyR WVxdkRuUT09

Meeting ID: 874 8684 5973

Passcode: Iglesia.