Perseverance

Life has many ups and downs. There are times when we all feel like giving up, but it is at those times that it is important to keep going - to persevere no matter how difficult it may be.

We are in the period of Lent when we remember Jesu’s sufferings on the cross. It is interesting to note that a few months before his crucifixion it was said of him, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem”. Luke 9 v 51. His main focus was in fulfilling his God-ordained mission and nothing was going to deter him from accomplishing that task. During those ’few months’ - he stayed at Zacchaeus house; healed blind Bartimaeus; raised Lazarus from the dead; told some of his best loved parables like The Good Samaritan, The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost Son. Yet his focus was clear, – “We are going up to Jerusalem and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of man will be fulfilled. He will be turned over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again”. Luke 18 v 31 – 33. Jesus clearly understood what was ahead for him. He never tried to shirk his responsibility and because He loved us so much he willingly allowed himself to be crucified. Even when his closest disciples ran away he still persevered to the very end.

As Holy Week approaches, let us be even more thankful for the great sacrifice that Jesus made. He did it so that our own rebellion and selfishness could be forgiven.

Remember whatever you are facing, He said, ”I will be with you always”. That promise is for you and me, but we have a choice. We can believe Him or push him away and go it alone. Personally, in my life sometimes I have believed and at other times I’ve pushed him away. The lesson I have learned is that things turn out much better when I follow Him.

May you all know His great love surrounding you and your family during the Easter season.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year. Here we are at the start of another new year! We all hope for a change for the better(!); but apart from a seven changing into an eight it seems like everything else is the same. Even the weather! Yet each year we hope for better.

Hope is a good thing. It helps us through the tough times. The Bible is filled with hope, which is just as well as much of it was written during tough times, whether it was slavery in Egypt, war in Canaan, exile in Babylon or occupation by the Romans.

The greatest hope of all is that Jesus Christ has overcome death and paid the penalty for our rebellion. We will only see that full extent of the victory when He comes again and completely annihilates the source of evil.

The following promise was originally given to Israel when it was on the verge of complete defeat and exile, “For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you’. Jeremiah 29 v 11-12.

My prayer for us all is that we may fulfil the purposes that God has for us in 2018; that we may find a way, with His help, to overcome the things that pull us down; that we may experience more of His love and power in our lives and those around us; that church will be a place where we experience more of His love and power in our lives and those around us; that church will be a place where we experience a meaningful relationship with God and one another.

Abundant Life. Living life to the full!!

Rain, rain, rain!

I don’t know about you, but I have been known to moan about the amount of rainy days we have had over the past few months! I do miss the sun and hope that by the time you are reading this that we will be in an Indian summer. How can I moan when in many parts of the world the weather conditions have been much worse? We have seen so much devastation – mud slides in Sierra Leone, floods in

Bangladesh, Nepal and India; hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States. We are truly lucky living in a country which very rarely experiences extreme weather.

Once again it is harvest time and we see the farmers gathering in the crops in spite of the weather, making the most of every opportunity. Years ago, one of the most popular Sundays of the year was harvest festival when most of the rural community would gather to give thanks for the harvest and enjoy a good old harvest supper. Sadly, this doesn’t seem to happen as much now.

One of the Bible readings quoted at harvest time was Genesis chapter 8 verse 22, ‘As long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease’. This promise was given by God after a catastrophic flood which engulfed the known world. In spite of all of the pollution, misuse of the planet’s resources and massive population growth, the promise is still true. So often we worry about the future and what will happen to the planet and it is right that we are concerned and do our best to care for all that God has given to us, but remember this: He is the Lord and He will look after us. Jesus said, “the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full”.

Pastor Martin