100 Huntley Street

  • Celebrating Passover & Communion

    Today’s Devotion is talking about the power of celebrating Passover & Communion Together.

    “This day is to be a memorial for you,
    and you must celebrate it
    as a festival to the LORD.
    You are to celebrate it
    throughout your generations
    as a permanent statute.
    ~Exodus 12:14 NIV

    TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF PASSOVER

    Celebrating Passover & Communion

    When you sit down to have lunch today at 12noon Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, April 8, 2020; people in Israel will start their Passover celebrations and continue until Thursday, April 16th. Hebrew people living outside of Jerusalem will start their celebrations the next day.  Every year the Jewish people set aside 12 days to remember how God delivered their nation out of Egyptian bondage and how the angel of death passed-over their homes after the 10 plagues when they applied the blood to the doorframes of their homes.

    This Year Is Monumental

    This year’s Passover celebrations have much more in common with the first Passover experience than most as Jewish people and others join in to pray and ask God to stop the spread of this corona virus and let it pass-over our homes.

    TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF PASSOVER! Learn about joining Passover & Communion.

    When I was growing up in church there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about Jewish traditions.  It wasn’t until I was a late teen that I heard the term Seder meal when our pastor brought in a special speaker in to show and explain this Jewish Passover meal; revealing Christ as the sacrifice of Passover.

    I remember being awed at the parallels of Jesus’ life and the Passover traditions. Jewish people were instructed to take a 1-year old sheep or goat (sorry to my vegan/vegetarian friends) without any blemish.  They had to shelter it for 5 days and then they would roast it in bitter herbs, serving it with bread that has no yeast.

    How Passover Is Celebrated Today

    Today, the Seder meal is most often lamb served with bitter herbs and vegetables dipped in salt-water to remind them of the bitter sufferings they experienced in Egypt or that life brings.

    They eat matzah bread, breaking the middle piece in half to remind them of how God parted the Red Sea for them to crossover. Half of the broken matzah bread is wrapped in a cloth and hidden for children to find later.

    At one point in the meal, the children ask four questions that lead into a retelling of Israel’s history, the difficulties they’ve faced and how God miraculously set them free! They tell the stories in a way that connects them to their ancestors experience.  The Jewish website Chabad.org gives direction that…

    “At the Seder, every person should feel as if he or she were going out of Egypt… We are with them as G‑d sends the ten plagues to punish Pharaoh and his nation, and follow along as they leave Egypt and cross the Sea of Reeds. We witness the miraculous hand of G‑d as the waters part, allowing the Israelites to pass, then return to inundate the Egyptian legions… As we eat bitter foods of affliction and poverty, the Exodus becomes a reality—as real as the festive meal and celebratory toasts that follow.”1

    With thankfulness they drink four glasses of wine to pronounce blessings with (something we might call a toast), that end in pronouncing their faith in a coming Messiah. They end the Seder with songs of worship.

    Passover & Communion Connected

    It’s with the broken bread and glasses of wine where the connection with Jesus work on the cross powerfully connects the celebration of Passover and the observance of Communion. Jesus makes this clear during the last supper with His disciples in Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26 & Luke 22:14-23.Jesus explains how He is the promised Messiah and how Christians are to take communion to remember the freedom He brought us through His shed blood on the cross.

    It’s only in the past few years where I’m coming to understand the importance of commemorating Passover and Communion combined. I feel strongly that this year is more important than ever for us to take part in Passover celebrations and take communion, asking God to have Covid-19 pass-over our homes, our countries, our globe.

    Prayer

    Father… I thank You for your heart that hears your children in their distress. You hear our cries for health and healing in the midst of Covid-19. I join my voice together with believers around the globe in thankfulness for Your saving grace. Jesus I’m so thankful for your willingness to come down to earth and die on a cross for my sin.  I plead the blood of Jesus over my life… my household and the nations… may You cause Covid-19 to pass-over our homes, our countries, our globe. In Jesus Name…Amen

    Joe amaral on 100 huntley street
    Joe Amaral on 100 Huntley Street with Ron & Ann Mainse explaining the Seder Meal
    Joe Amaral Good Friday

    Joe is sharing a special Good Friday message on Facebook Live that you’re all invited to watch. Click HERE

    Drawing from the well

    1. Exodus 12:14
    2. Exodus 12:17
    3. Matthew 26:26-30/Mk 14:22-26/Lk 22:14-23
    4. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

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  • Hungry in Turkana

    On Monday I wrote a devotional called Hungry.  I shared about how I was woken up by my grumbling tummy and one of the things that God spoke to me as I was up.  

    Hungry in TurkanaFeeding the Hungry

    I think I could write about 12 devotionals from all God spoke to me that night!  The message about our duty as Christians to help feed the Hungry has been a call that is very near and dear to my family.  My grandmother instilled in us an eye to look for those in need and DO SOMETHING about it!  Christmas makes me think of her and how she gave.

    Christmas compels us to give.

    Christmas is the time when we remember how God the Father gave His son to the world…when Jesus gave up His heavenly home for a lowly stable.  

    Christmas inspires us to give beyond ourselves.

    For months now I have been partnering with Cheryl Weber,  Dave Shelley and the crew at Crossroads Relief & Development​ on a project in Turkana, Kenya.  If you’ve come to an event where I’ve spoken at you’ve heard this before and thankfully some of you have been compelled to join with us in helping the people of Turkana be able to feed themselves!  

    If I had millions of dollars, I would give Crossroads the money needed to finish this project and stop people from dying of starvation in Turkana!  Since I’m not independently wealthy, I will give what I can and use what I can to help get the word out.  If we all DO SOMETHING the project will reach completion and thousands of families will be saved!

    I can’t express enough how much this project touches my heart!  God is growing gardens in the desert!!! Take time to watch this short video clip that explains the project and lets you see for yourself how they are growing gardens in the desert of Turkana, Kenya!

    Click below to read more on my Outreaches Page.

    #musicpic song

    As I’ve been thinking about writing this post for the past week, Matthew West‘s song keeps going through my head.  I hope it inspires you to DO SOMETHING great and feed a Hungry soul!

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  • Missionaries

    Hello friends!  It’s been a long while since I’ve been able to write a post outside of my weekly devotions.   Since Todd’s surgery, things have been crazy busy with us.  After the months of recovery I was really worn out and just needed some time.  In the past few months so much has changed for us and we have some VERY exciting news that I can’t wait to share with you in the next while!  Until then, I will write whenever I can. Tonight I can’t sleep because I feel so strongly to post this blog about MISSIONARIES!

    On Monday I wrote a devotion blog called ALL OVER THE WORLD.  I shared about how God desired to do great things ALL OVER THE WORLD through every one of us!  I told you about some of my amazing friends who were doing just that.  Today, I want to introduce you to some of them and connect you to see the wonderful things they’re doing ALL OVER THE WORLD!  My hope is that you’ll take some time and check them out to possibly partner with their great organizations!  Maybe God will inspire you through them like He has in my life!

    First I mentioned one of my closest friends, Wendy Pauls.  Wendy is one of those people who unassumingly makes this world a better place just by being in it!  Wherever she goes, she inspires others to become the best they can be through her coaching and friendships.

    Theses are some pictures of Wendy during her most recent trip to Guatemala.  I think she feels at home in Guatemala as she has spent so much time there over the past years.  Her partner in crime (those are good crimes of course), for many years was another friend Sam Welten.

    Until recently, Wendy worked with Sam at his Missions Organization Possibilities International.  Sam desires to inspire a world full of “Everyday Philanthropists” who make a difference ALL OVER THE WORLD!  Their mission tagline and website is: IAM1RU???  So, if you’re wanting to be an “Everyday Philanthropists” and go oversees to help others, you should check out the humanitarian trips Sam leads through Possibilities International.

    Reynold and Kathy Mainse have been friends for years.

    They often travelled to Africa in their leadership at Crossroads Relief and Development years ago, but now have taken a HUGE step of faith into what God has called them to as they left the creature comforts of Canada and moved to Gulu, Uganda to open an office for their organization, World Embrace Ministries.  The way they live out their calling to build unity in the church of Uganda and to facilitate another Heaven’s Rehearsal is so inspiring!

    One of my new friends Cheryl Weber is the current reporter and spokesperson for  Crossroads Relief and Development.  Many of you will have seen riveting footage of Cheryl’s missionary journeys on the 100 Huntley Street show.  I am so blessed to be partnering with Cheryl and the team at Crossroads Relief and Development on their water project in Turkana, Kenya!

    Crossroads Relief and Development  is digging wells in the deserts of Kenya and cultivating the land for the people. Families receive a 1/4 acre plot of land once the soil is ready.   When completed, there will be 12 farms, each providing land for 130 families!  That’s over 1500 families!!!  The first set of farms have just started growing crops!  They are literally growing gardens in the desert!!!  That’s something only God could bring about!!!  This is a link to their webpage that contains a video that shows gardens growing in the desert and a little of what Cheryl does!

    Crossroads Turkana Update Webpage with Video and don’t forget to donate

    Peggy Kennedy is one of the most encouraging Missionaries you can ever meet!  She effortlessly (well it looks that way!) travels the globe and spreads God’s Word to the nations, yet finds time to not only read my weekly devotions via email, but never fails to write me and tell me how God uses them to encourage her or how it ties in with something God is doing somewhere else!  I know that was a long sentence, but it’s almost 4 am and I’m usually sleeping at this time 🙂  Peggy heads up Two Silver Trumpets ministry with her partner in life love and ministry, Jack.  Together they make an impact ALL OVER THE WORLD and right here in Canada!

    In December I wrote a blog called Christmas Giving.  In it I told about my friends Jamie and Michelle Stewart who lost their beautiful daughter Emma to cancer.  I was also able to share about how they have turned this tragedy into something beautiful!  Blooming in the desert!  They have started a fund called Emma’s House and have begun building homes for  orphans in Africa as that was a passionate desire for Emma!  Please read the Christmas Giving blog and hear more of the amazing story!

    I also have friends doing work in Remote Access Nations.  These are countries whose governments are closed to the gospel and their lives are at risk if it is publicly announced that they are doing any form of aid work.  It’s so hard for them to fund their work as they can’t share pictures or talk openly about what they do like other ministries.  These are the Rambo missionaries (without the guns!) who have the most intense calls of God on their lives, in my opinion!

     We need to pray for them and bless them financially whenever we can!  

    If you feel a tug and want to help, please click on the website link below and help out my friends in a Remote Access Nation.  http://www.agreatdoor.com  Please logon and register to make a donation that will make an impact ALL OVER THE WORLD!  Due to the nature of their work and for their safety, they will have to confirm your identity in order to partner with them.  It’s not a hard process like they live out, but a little more difficult than just logging on and donating like with other ministries, but oh the impact!!!

    Thanks for letting me brag about some of my amazing friends!  I really have a ton more, but this blog is getting long and I need some sleep 🙂

    Love you all,
    ~Sherry xoxo

    “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world”                                   Romans 1:8 NIV

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