Dear friends, We hear a lot these days of self-esteem and self-confidence; people are very conscious of their appearance. This is not always helped by the trend of fashion and the pressure of keeping up appearances. Young people especially feel that pressure, where for many, the standards are just too high to reach. There’s pressure to go on diets, buy expensive face cream, have surgery, colour your hair: the list goes on. And whilst it’s important to look after ourselves, how sad and damaging it is, that we are pressured to think so negatively about our own human body. Psalm 139: “For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In Ephesians 5.27, Paul likens the Church of Christ to a bride without spot or wrinkle. Does that mean that the body of Christ too has an impossible standard of perfection? If that were so, the body would have been written off as a lost cause long ago. What this means is that a beautifying process, which takes a lifetime to complete, is to transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ, and being covered by the washing of the word. As we hear and obey the Word of God, we are being cleansed and sanctified so that in the future we shall be glorified, when we shall see Him as He is. Throughout our lives, as we hear the Word of God, listen, and apply the Word to our lives, we are being refined and sanctified for the glory of that day. May we be encouraged therefore to apply the Word of God to our hearts every day. Yours, Pastor.
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Dear Friends, Whatever your view may be, the Coronation of King Charles III will be an historic moment in the life of our nation. It will be a time to reflect on our history and what it means to our institution. The crowning of the Monarch of our Nation, is based on Christian principles and Christian symbolism. It's an interesting tradition that reminds us of the greater Monarch, the Lord Jesus Christ; that's why I don't believe that the occasion should be ignored nor scorned, but it should be a prayerful time where people around the world would encounter the person of Jesus Christ and his call to serve others. It's also an opportunity to obey the command that the Apostle Paul gives us, that praying for Kings and those in authority is good and pleasing to God ("who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth") 1 Tim. 2:1-4. We don't always like doing this, especially when we don't agree with their views, but Paul insists that it is crucial that we do, in order to live "Peaceful and quiet lives, in all Godliness and Holiness" 1 Tim. 2:2 Yours in Christ, Pastor Dear Friends, A well-known preacher of the last century named William Sangster came down with a disease that caused his vocal chords to be paralysed. On his last Easter on earth his daughter came to visit him on Easter Sunday. Unable to speak, he scribbled on a piece of paper, "How terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice to shout 'He is risen!' But it would be even worse to have a voice and not want to shout 'He is risen!'" As Christians, it means everything to us to declare Christ is risen! Romans 10:9 tells us, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The resurrection of Christ is the key to our salvation. But to be resurrected one has to first die. Jesus did not pretend to die so that he could reappear 3 days later, pretending to have risen. Everyone present knew for certain that he had died. He died as God's sacrificial lamb, to pay the redemptive price of our sins. He died to cancel sin's penalty. Yet to be raised from the dead was proof of God's acceptance of Christ's sacrifice. I love the story of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. The main character. Pilgrim, sets off on his journey towards the Celestial City bearing a heavy burden upon his back. It was the burden of his guilt and sin and it weighed him down. Pilgrim met Evangelist, who pointed him in the right direction, and, arriving at the hill of Calvary, Pilgrim knelt at the cross. The burden fell from his back and rolled down the hill, disappearing forever into the empty tomb. All of us carry a heavy load of sin, until we give it to Christ when we receive Him as our Saviour. If you have not done so already, what better time could there be to turn to Jesus as Saviour than at Easter? Easter gives us everything our hearts need: confirmation of Christ's identity, cancellation of sin's penalty and celebration of life eternally. Wishing you a truly happy and blessed Easter. Pastor Dear Friends, The basis for all fellowship is brotherly love. The deepest kind of fellowship is not based on race or family relationships but on the spiritual life we have in Christ. A church fellowship that is based on anything other than a love for Christ and for one another, simply will not last. The love of Christ demands a ministry from us, where we practice brotherly love. Where there is true Christian love, there will also be hospitality. This was an important ministry in the early Church because persecution drove many believers away from their homes. Also, there were poor travelling ministers who needed places to stay. 3 Jn. 5 - 8. Many poor saints were invited to stay with fellow believers. All visitors were given a warm welcome. I believe visitors are very important to us, and it's our job, to do what the early Christians did, welcome them. This is what the love of Christ demands from us.They are important because they may be unconverted or in need of spiritual help.They may have moved into the area recently and are looking for a new spiritual home for worship. What kind of example is it, when they are left stranded after the service? Does it show the love of Christ in us? Although I believe many of us may be painfully shy, it's our job, not theirs, to take the initiative and welcome them. Whilst we may have friends we wish to speak to, a welcome of some sort to the visitor must be encouraged. In Gen 18, we are told of Abraham showing generous hospitality to the 2nd person of the Trinity and two of His angels. Abraham did not know who they were when he welcomed them; it was only later that he discovered the identities of his guests. You and I may not entertain angels in a literal sense (though it might be possible), but any stranger we meet could turn out to be a messenger of blessing to us. (the word "angel" simply means messenger) Often we have had guests in our homes, and churches, who have turned out to be messengers of God's blessings. May God help us in our ministry in this way, and may our love for Christ be revealed in our love for one another and visitors. Yours in Christ, Pastor Dear Friends, The week of prayer has been a great time of encouragement and blessing. We can never underestimate just how important prayer is in the life of the individual and the local Church. It is as Rowland Hill said, "the breath of a new born soul & there can be no life without it." Prayer is like breathing. Just as breathing needs air, so the soul too needs prayer. It's something that we have to do, for just as we stop breathing, we die, so will our spiritual lives become life less if we don't pray. Remember how the Psalmist puts it in Psalm 84, "My soul longs and even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God." Prayer is an incredible, hidden, powerful ministry, where God gives life to others through our prayers and that in turn brings forth incredible thankfulness to God. Of course as I said last Friday, it's a battle and a struggle, but remember we have the Holy Spirit who makes intercession for us and prays for us and makes things move for us. We have a great high priest, who also prays for us. So let us not lose heart, but be encouraged to pray, because he works in those who pray, and who serve him. I commend this ministry that we may continue to persevere in prayer. In Christ, Pastor. Dear Friends, Happy New Year to you all. As we look to the New Year it's terribly important to commend all things to God's hand in prayer. Prayer is a great privilege; to have fellowship with the Lord is an honour, yet it's also crucial for the soul. Corrie Ten Boom said, "What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so to is prayer to the soul." Our annual Week of Prayer begins on the 29th January until 4th February. I would ask that you set aside this week and join us as this is a great blessing and encouragement. We start at 10am on the 29th before our Morning service. On each weekday I am asking you to pause at 8am and 8pm wherever you happen to be and spend time in prayer, in the knowledge that others are doing so at the same time. On Tuesday 31st January and Thursday 2nd February at 7.30PM and on Saturday Morning, the Church building will be open for those who can meet together to Pray. Let's remind ourselves from the words of Matthew Henry, "When God is preparing to do something great, he sets his people to pray." Every blessing, Pastor |
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