Volume 4, Issue 2
February 2008

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Pastor's Notes
I am so blessed to be coming to you on this wintry February day to share with you the warmth in my heart and the good news that Crossroads World Christian Center Church has moved into a larger building this week. Our dream of a larger facility is a dream no more! Below is a photo of the new church building located at 1084 Brentnell Avenue, where we are now holding services. God is good, to Him be the glory! Please join us!

Thank you! We couldn't have done this without you having allowed the Almighty God to move and work through you. In His grace, He has seen fit to use your love, prayers, support and dedication to help bring so much joy and many needed services to our community and to Crossroads World Christian Center Church over this past year, and now, to the purpose of this new facility as well. We feel so very blessed that He did...His mercy and grace truly astounds us.

The budget for this move is extremely tight, but we continue to move forward on faith in the blessings of God and the support of His children, as He gives us signs, wonders and positive proofs every single day that His church is moving and growing on His glorious Word and promise. Hallelujah! If you can help, we could surely use it. May you be blessed in helping to nurture the bodies and spirits of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and for planting your seeds of faith that God is moving among us here at Crossroads World Christian Center Church with amazing speed and power.

This is a new neighborhood for us, so we'll need to meet soon to make plans on getting the word out to the neighbors, invite them to join us and introduce them to our many ministries and services. Please watch the events page of this site for the date of this meeting. We really need you there and hope to see you! In the meantime, if you have any good ideas on how we can effectively (and warmly!) introduce ourselves during this cold weather, and at a minimal expense, we'd love to hear from you. Once we discuss some ideas, we'll be asking for volunteers to help implement those plans.

Opening Dedication Service to be Announced
Although our first service in the new building is Thursday, February 21st, we will be having an opening dedication and celebration in March or April, exact date to be announced on this site soon, so please check the events page to keep on top of that. Please join us at any service, and if possible, make plans to come to the opening celebration!

Prayers Requested
I'd like to make a special request for your prayers for the church as we begin life in our new home. Please pray that God strengthen us and keep us moving forward in His grace and love with knowledge, discernment and all humility, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would have us to do. Pray that every one of us associated with this church be strengthened to let our lights so shine among humans that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father, which is in Heaven.

Events
Grants: An Orientation for Nonprofit Organizations
February 21, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
Pastor Pariseau highly recommends attending this amazing free resource if you have started or would like to start a nonprofit organization! Learn how to identify prospective funders. Find out how the Grants Resource Center at the Columbus Metropolitan Library can help you become a more effective grant researcher. This is hosted at the Main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus (96 Grant Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215).  If you are interested but are unable to make this date, you can call 645-2ASK for information on monthly meeting dates or even individual and group appointments to be scheduled outside the normal meeting times.

1st CrossWords and CrossKidz Bible Studies at our New Church Home
February 21, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
Join us Thursday evening to feed your spirit and study The Word! We hope to see you for the very first services in the new building that is now home to our Crossroads WCC family. The CrossKidz will also have a lesson, prayer, snacks and a great time studying the Word together. See you there!

OPEC Conference
February 29, 2008
Pastor Pariseau and Parenting Pathways will be speaking at the OPEC Conference.

A Word from the Pastor
Faith In Action

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
~Hebrews 11:1

This week's Word from the Pastor comes to you courtesy of the Apostle Paul via Hebrews Chapter 11 . Following is the King James Version, with personal commentary marked between this type of brackets: "< >", and bolded and italic type has been added to emphasize certain words that represent a high ideal or action...because if we truly have faith, we prove it by acting on it.

Our extended church family has shown great faith in action this past year by giving spiritually , physically, financially , and materially, helping to move us into our Phaze 2 building, serve our brothers and sisters and so much more. Halleluiah! Brothers and sisters, the new building is the evidence, the substance of what we have hoped for, materialized as a touchable reward to our faithful actions. Let us not forget to continue planting the seeds of faith today, and always.

Hebrews, Chapter 11 (with Bold Emphasis and Notes)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

For by it the elders obtained a good report. <In other words, because they were faithful, it allowed them to have experiences that would build a good testimony.>

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.  <Or, things that we see were made with things we can't see>

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. <Abel's sacrifice was more excellent because it was offered in faith, and it asks us to make note of the fact that even though Abel is now what we humans know as 'dead', his faith still lives in that his story teaches us something even today.>

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. <Because of his faith Enoch did not have to suffer physical death, but was instead taken directly to heaven by God>

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear <motivated by fear, showing if he feared it, he must have believed>, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. 

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither <where> he went.  By faith he sojourned <lived in a way that would be considered temporary> in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles <tents> with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. <In other words, an uncountable number of humans were made possible through the seed of this one man, who we now consider to be 'dead', because of faith in a promised son that wouldn't normally have seemed possible under the circumstances of Sara's age.>

These all died in faith, not having received the promises <as far as they could tell!>, but having seen them afar off <believed they'd be coming in the future>, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. <Or, that this earthly life is temporary> For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.  <belief to the point of saying it out loud and with conviction that it will be.>

And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. <You can tell they had faith because if they had really wanted to go back to the more solid, comfortable place they had lived before, they could have tried to turn and go back.> But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly : wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises <the promise that Isaac would be born in spite of Sara's old age> offered up his only begotten [son] <symbolic of Jesus Christ, who was to come>, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  Accounting <believing> that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.  <In other words, in figurative a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead when God called off the otherwise intended sacrifice of Isaac.>

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 

By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.  <Leaning on his staff implies a directive to us to lean on God - by having faith in Him - when going through troubles, and to endure.>

By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. 

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;  <Did Moses want to suffer? Most likely not, but he had to know it would be inevitable one he began living the life of a Jew in Egypt, as opposed to choosing the life of royalty; therefore, an important aspect to consider here is that he made a conscious choice, one that he knew would cause him to suffer in ways he wouldn't have had to otherwise.>

Esteeming <having respect for> the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto <or showed respect by believing in> the recompense <the receiving> of the reward.  <In other words, he expected and believed that he would receive.> By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured , as seeing him who is invisible. <as if he had seen God himself> Through faith he kept <observed> the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.  By faith they passed through the Red sea <overcame a seemingly insurmountable barrier> as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying <trying> to do were drowned. 

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about <surrounded for> seven days.  <In other words, this is a direction to you to surround every fear, obstacle, frustration, or any negativity with faith!>

By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. 

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought <produced> righteousness, obtained <received> promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong <were strengthened as a result of lessons learned in hard times>, waxed valiant <acted bravely> in fight, turned to flight <scared off> the armies of the aliens <foreign enemies>.

Women received <accepted, believed> their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance <enduring their troubles>; that they might obtain <receive> a better resurrection: <of eternal life> And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. <endured, endured, and endured some more! >

And these all, having obtained <received> a good report through faith, received not the promise <as far as they could tell>: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.  <In other words, sometimes it takes generations for the promise to fully come to pass in a way that one would expect, but God has that better thing, that bigger picture which is always for our good, in the plan and in the works right now.>

May God richly bless you and yours always,
Pastor Cory P. Pariseau