THE CALL

The call of God came to me at 17 years old. I was living life for myself, which left me very angry, and very empty. After much Italian style coercion, my parents enticed me to attend a weekend Youth convention in Kingston, Ontario. At one service, I re-dedicated my life to Jesus, and heard the call of God to full-time ministry. I remember thinking: “there is no way God could use me to minister, not after the way I have been living, the things I’ve said, the things I’ve done.” Yet, I knew what I had heard so strongly in my spirit. I promised the Lord that if He could use me, in spite of me, I would follow Him all the days of my life. My story is simply one of many, and a testimony to the goodness of God. There are, however, many, that have heard that same call and whose stories remain unwritten.

We can read of it in Luke 9:57-62: “As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

The call of God must come from Him; you cannot call yourself. The first man in this story shows us why. Caught up in the power and awe of the life and teachings of Jesus, a gentleman finds him and tells him, ‘Lord I will go everywhere with you!’ The call of God often challenges our comfort and expectations of life. The reason one cannot call oneself is because the confidence of your calling cannot come from you, but from the One who sounded the called. In some of the most difficult seasons of my life, when I was seemingly alone, hurt, frustrated, and struggling, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that Jesus was the One Who called me. I knew that if He called me, that I could do it, I could work past any struggle, issue, or heartbreak and remain forgiving, and resilient, so that I could accomplish that which He created me to do. In 1 Corinthians 9:7, Paul says that “no soldier ever serves in the army and pays his own salary.” If I needed a place to live while I pursued the call of God on my life, God would honor His Word and provide one for me, because I didn’t enlist myself into His army, He called me. There has never been a moment since I said yes to following Jesus, that the Lord did not take care of me. Had I called myself, it would be difficult to stand confidently on such promises and I likely would have turned back at the first sign of difficulty or discomfort. Knowing without a shadow of doubt that it was the Lord who called me, I was able to stand firm, in faith, confident in God alone. The second gentleman in the story is a different case altogether. He hears Jesus’ call, and it surely came from Jesus, but his response was really an excuse. Albeit a good one, but an excuse, nonetheless. What was truly being said is: Lord, I have things that I need to do first, before I can do what you're asking me to do. Today, it may sound like: “Lord, I need to get married first; I need to buy a house, I need to hit this career milestone or wait until my children grow up and move out’. When these thoughts echo in our hearts and decisions, what we are really doing is making excuses. We are showing the Lord that our plans, our dreams, and our needs are more important. Jesus’ answer to this second gentleman is not to degrade him or even rebuke him. In fact, Jesus validates that what the gentleman desired to do was important and let him know that there are others that could take care of the important tasks that he had yet to settle. Then, Jesus points to the task at hand that He required the gentleman to accomplish. Jesus’ response was one of “don’t worry, everything you're thinking about will get done, the ends will be tied and the ducks will be ordered, but as for you, I need you to go and proclaim the kingdom of God. I need you to go and do what you were called to do and everything else will fall into place.” There really is no priority other than the one the Lord gives you. He would never send you somewhere at a disadvantage to you or your family. When you prioritize and obey what the Lord is calling you to do, the details will sort themselves out. The details can either hinder your advancement or propel your faith.

Why

The third gentleman in this story seemingly piggybacks from his excuse-making brother. But what’s interesting is that we can see both a decision and a hesitation is his simple response. This third gentleman has decided, and set his sights on answering Jesus’ call to follow Him. He heard the Lord, he knew it was the Lord calling Him, and despite his circumstances, he made the decision that “yes, I will follow you, Lord.” The third gentleman’s issue was one of the heart. In him, we see a heart divided. On the one hand, He responds in swift obedience to Jesus’ call, but on the other, we see that his heart lies elsewhere, home with his family. I believe that this speaks to the marriage of willingness and obedience that must be present in everyone who answers the call. There is much teaching and focus on obedience when it comes to the Christian life. Obedience is key to the call of God, and to a life of covenant blessings. Biblical expectations of obedience are as follows: obey immediately. Delayed obedience is disobedience; listening the first time is listening God's way. We see this element of obedience present in this third gentleman’s response. There is a second Biblical expectation of obedience however, which is: obey willingly. God’s standard is not simply to do what He says when He says it; but it is to desire to do what He says when He says it. It raises the standard from action to attitude. God will bless obedience for obedience’s sake because He is bound by His Word to. However, obedience and willingness are the key to abundant life and the supernatural favor of God over you. Isaiah 1:19 says “if you are willing and obedient, You will eat the best of the land.” I do not simply want to eat; I want to eat the best of land. This willingness was missing from the third gentleman’s response. While he was quick to obey, he was slow to do so willingly.

His heart lay elsewhere, home with his family. Many people give God their yes, but they don’t do so wholeheartedly. God wants your heart. God wants all of you. He won’t share you, and nothing else should have your heart. Jesus’ response to this gentleman’s lack of willingness is piercing. He says in Luke 5:62 “no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Considering the declaration of obedience and submission present in the third gentleman, Jesus' answer may at first glance appear striking, and even severe. Yet, when we consider the gentleman's hesitation as a manifestation of his lack of willingness despite his obedience, we understand Jesus’ response all the more. When your desires are still present, consuming your heart, despite your obedience, you have divided your loyalty and compromised your call. When your heart's not in your obedience, you may do the work set out for you, but you will do so constantly looking back at what is really in your heart. While obedience may motivate you, a lack of willingness will prohibit you from seeing the mission through to completion. A heart divided is not fit for service in God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is all in and all consuming.

The gentlemen in this story each have calls that remain unwritten. I believe many people reading this may also. Maybe your reasons are like theirs, but your outcome does not have to be. The choice and chance to answer lies with you. Many people ask me what my role as Dean of Good News U, our in-house school of the Bible and ministry, entails. I always respond the same way. My role is to give every person an opportunity to be obedient to what the Lord is telling them to do. Our mission and vision at GNU is no different. We want to train and equip all our students to obey the call of God on their lives. The training is our commitment to you, but the answering is your commitment to the Lord. I pray that as you read this, the call on your life will sound strongly in your spirit, as it did for me on that Saturday in Kingston when I was 17 years old. I pray that faith would be stirred on the inside of you to take God at His Word, despite your current reality. I pray that there would be a confidence, tenacity, and willingness to follow Jesus on the inside of each of you. I pray that every single person who hears those precious two words that Jesus has been uttering from the beginning of time would inspire you to action, even today.

What do we think about when we hear the word Devotion? Amongst many Christian circles it can make you think of a “devotional” or the common phrase: “I read my devotional for today.” Devotion is more than just reading a short paragraph and a scripture in the morning. The basic meaning of the word Devotion is to love, to be loyal, or show enthusiasm for someone or something. To put it simple, for the believer, devotion is a whole-hearted commitment to God, that lasts forever, it becomes a way of life.

Everything Jesus did during His time on earth until His death on the cross exemplified a life of devotion to God and the things of God. Even though He was the Son of God, He was not exempt from anything when He took on flesh here on earth. He would go to the temple to worship, He read the Holy Scriptures

(Luke 4:16-19) He especially made sure to devote himself to prayer. In fact He even had a separate place for it. “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

(Mark 1:35) Jesus devoted His entire life to The Father, right up until His death. He was completely committed to the Will of the Father. He never wavered in fulfilling His mandate. He was obedient. He was consecrated. We too must follow His example and be one hundred percent devoted to God in every aspect of our lives. Be devoted to reading His Word, be devoted to prayer, be devoted to His house, be devoted to His mandate. Let every part of your life express your consecration to God. Only then will we see His will be done, and His kingdom come.

In this issue, we are highlighting the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Join us for a 7-Day Reading Plan, where we see in the Word of God what Jesus accomplished here on the earth and the benefits of His death and resurrection for the believer. Our hope is that through this reading plan, the joy of your salvation would be renewed to you!

Read: Matthew 27:33-28:20

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:12-58

Read: Hebrews 7:1-28

Read: Colossians 2:6-15

Read: Revelation 5:1-14

Read: Isaiah 53:1-12

Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the passage.

Ask and answer some questions. Questions unlock deeper understanding. Ask questions about the passage using these words: who, what, why, when, where, or how.

Capture the big idea. God’s Word communicates big ideas. Ask yourself what some of the main themes of this passage are.

Personalize the meaning. Ask yourself how you could apply what you’ve read to your faith walk.

2022 was a year full of answered prayers. We prayed in faith that our group would grow and for many teens to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Lord answered this prayer. One of our objectives had been to double our youth group by the end of 2022. On Friday February 11th 2022, there were 17 teens in attendance for youth night. In December 2022, we had over 70 teens. We not only doubled but tripled, and we give God all the glory and honour. We serve a God that answers prayers! Young people across the city of Montreal are in need of a Saviour. The Bible says in John 4:35, “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

What a great start to 2023! For 3 years, we did not have a chance to have our annual youth getaways. However, in February 2023, we were finally able to have a proper youth retreat. For many, it was their first time attending a youth getaway. Let me tell you, with over 60 teens present, we had loads of fun! With activities such as tubing, skating, hockey, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and much more, there was no time for anyone to be bored. Friendships and memories were formed which will last a lifetime. The theme for the weekend gateway was “Draw the Line.” We spoke about the importance of living on the right side of the line. We also spoke about the impact of living in sin and that in order to receive an encounter with God, sin needs to be removed. We had powerful services, where many teens received a first time encounter with God. We are confident that they will never forget this weekend. One teen in particular was set free from demonic oppression and has felt nothing but the joy of the Lord ever since. We also saw 11 teens give their life to Jesus. We are overjoyed of how God moved amongst our young people. Just like Saul on the road to Damascus, all you need is one encounter with the living God for everything to be completely transformed. In Acts 9:1 Saul went from being one who persecuted Christians to one who preached the Gospel with power in Acts 9:20. All it took was one encounter for his life to be changed forever. This is our prayer for the young people of Good News Chapel, that they would be changed not for a little while, but for the rest of their lives. because it's the time we get to celebrate the most selfless act of love ever demonstrated to humanity–which is the death, burial and resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews 12:2 encourages believers to fix their eyes on Jesus: “fixing our eyes on Jesus...for the joy set before Him.”

Normally, when we think about the death of someone we love, it does not immediately bring us joy. Jesus, however, is the exception! When Jesus died for us on the cross, the chains of sin that entangled us were broken. When Jesus died, there was freedom from every evil plan of the enemy.

When Jesus died everything changed. Romans 6:10 says, “when He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God."In the second part of the verse of Hebrews 12:2, the writer states: “He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus is not dead, but alive, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father. For this reason, we can have joy, and we can rejoice with all of Heaven–because our redeemer lives! So this Easter, when you think of what Jesus did for you, I pray that it fills you with unspeakable joy and everlasting peace! I pray that you are reminded of everything Jesus did because of His great love for you. Most importantly, I encourage you to share that joy with everyone around you, so that they might also know the joy and peace that only Jesus can bring.

Pastor Giulia Donnini

Draw and cut out two half circles (one small and one large) for the tomb using two different color sheets of paper. Draw and cut out a circle for the stone that was rolled away, using the same color sheet used for the larger half circle. Glue the smaller half circle onto the larger half circle to create the tomb’s interior and exterior. Attach the circle for the stone with a brad, being able to open and close the tomb. Glue your tomb onto remaining full sheet of construction paper. Decorate your craft with words such as “Jesus is Risen!” or you may write out “He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Matthew 28:6a.” You may also cut out a cross with remaining construction paper and glue on.

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup icing sugar

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 2 Shirriff Lemon pie filling and Dessert mix

• 2 cups whipping cream

• 3-4 tbsp icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FIRST LAYER: Mix flour, butter, and pecans together until crumbly. Press into a 9”x13”. Bake in a 350F oven for 15 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese and icing sugar together well. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture. Spread over cooled crust.

Prepare lemon pie filling according to directions on package. Cool, stirring often. When at room temperature. Pour over the cheese layer.

Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff. Spread over the lemon layer. Refrigerate.

Makes 15 generous portions. The dessert can be refrigerated with the first two layers while waiting for the lemon puddings to cool.

• 4-4 ½ cups bread flour

• 1 (0.25oz) package, 7g or 2 ¼ tsp yeast

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tbsp honey

• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp table salt

• ½ cup water

• ½ cup milk

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp shortening or butter, room temperature

• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp. milk, whisked together (for egg wash)

Optional: You can add raisins, nuts, seeds, chocolate, cream cheese

1. In a stand mixer, combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, lemon zest, honey, and vanilla. Mix well.

2. In a saucepan, heat water, milk, and shortening/butter until warm (120°-130° F). Add to flour mixture. Blend at low speed, slowly adding slightly beaten eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.

3. Switch to dough hook attachment. Gradually add flour if necessary to make a firm dough. Remove dough from mixer. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes.

(Note: For hand mixing, follow above steps, mix ingredients in large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or dough whisk. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic. If dough is too sticky and wet, oil hands lightly)

4. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover. Let rise until indentation remains after poking dough with finger down to knuckle (about 1 hour or more)

5. Punch down on dough. Divide into 3 parts. On lightly floured surface, roll each third to a 15-inch rope. On greased cookie sheet, loosely braid from center to ends. Pinch ends and tuck under to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until indentation remains after lightly touching, about one hour.

6. Preheat oven to 400°F.

7. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

• 4 garlic cloves

• 8 fresh sage leaves

• 4 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 4 tsp olive oil

• 4 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 4-5 lb boneless beef loin New York strip roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch.

Directions:

1. With machine running, drop garlic into food processor; blend until finely chopped. Add sage, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper. Process until paste forms.

2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Rub meat all over with herb paste. Cover, chill at least 3 hours (can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place meat, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast meat 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast meat until instant- read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130°F (for medium rare, about 35 minutes OR 140°F for about 40 minutes for medium).

4. Remove from oven; let rest for 20-30 minutes (important step, don’t leave it out!) Tent aluminium foil on the roast as it sits to rest.

5. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange on platter. Serves 10

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss potatoes, garlic, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again until evenly combined.

3. Heat a cast-iron or oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Add potatoes; cook and toss until evenly coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Put skillet into the preheated oven.

4. Roast in oven until soft (about 15-20 minutes), tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and top with parsley.

• ¾ cup drained oil-packed sundried tomatoes, sliced (reserve 2 tbsp oil)

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed

• 1 can artichokes, drained and each artichoke cut into 6 slices

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 ¾ cup chicken broth

• ½ cup white wine

• 454-500g pasta, gemelli, penne or your favorite pasta

• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish

• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

• ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional:

• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed or bocconcini cubed

1. Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown (about 8 minutes), breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces with a fork. Transfer the sausage to a bowl.

2. Add the artichokes to the same skillet and sauté over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add minced garlic and sauté one more minute.

3. Add the broth, wine, and sundried tomatoes, boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender but still ‘al dente.’ Drain pasta.

5. Add the pasta, sausage, ½ cup parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in mozzarella if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, topping with additional parmesan cheese.