Preperation

We decided we would have another lady’s weekend this year, on Saturday June 1^st the theme being ‘There is a Message’. And so, we spent the afternoon talking about preparation, and choosing some songs. There will be much to do over the coming weeks to prepare for this event, which made me think about the Christian and preparation, how did I prepare to become a Christian? And of course, the answer is, I didn’t, when I look back over the years even before I was a Christian, I can see how God prepared my heart to receive the gospel.

The Bible tells us we have all sinned, that our righteousness before God is as filthy rags. Of course, we don’t realise at the time, we think that what we are doing by going to church, and being kind, and giving money to the church will all be of some credit to us when we finally leave this earth, but it won’t and it isn’t.

There is a parable in the Bible about a man who sowed seed, and he sowed it everywhere, some of it fell on hard rocky ground so it couldn’t take root, some of it fell among thorn and thistles and got choked, but some fell on good soil, it was watered, and the sun shone on it, and up it came and bore fruit, it yielded a harvest. You may be wondering what that has to do with preparation, well, I don’t believe the good soil just happened, if you know anything about gardening, then you know that if you want a good crop of veg or flowers you will have to prepare the soil, dig it over, fertilise it, and make it ready to receive the seed.

Even when we don’t realise it, God is preparing our hearts and minds to hear and respond to the gospel, the good news. What is the gospel you may ask, it is good news for every sinner, there is not a person on the planet who has not violated God’s laws. When we violate the law of the land then we are taken before a judge, pronounced guilty and punished. So, it is with God’s laws, everyone has violated them, and one day must stand before God to be judged, condemned, and punished. What a fearful prospect you exclaim, yes, it is, but, here comes the good news, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins. He took the punishment by being hung on a cross, but, and here is more good news, on the third day He rose from the grave, and one day we will all be resurrected, we will have new bodies and live eternally with God and His Son, Jesus.

God has brought you to this website today to hear the good news of the gospel, He has been preparing your heart to hear this and receive it. God has done a lot of preparation for your salvation, it doesn’t just happen overnight. Will you repent of your sins, turn away from your sins, and receive Jesus as your Saviour? God will then continue to prepare you to be with Him eternally.

We won’t stop preparing for our event until all is in place and the day arrives when we can all enjoy it.

God will continue to help you grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, by prayer and study of God's Word, the Holy bible. Preparing you not only to share this good news yourself with others, but also for the time when you will be with Him eternally. Praise the Lord

Thank you for Saving Me

Time, a Precious Gift

Ecclesiastes 3

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

How do you spend your time? Zsofi asked us today what was the most important hour of our day, and if we had managed over the last week to share an hour of our time with someone. The ladies shared some of the things they had done with people. The most important time was when we sat alone with our Father, reading His Word, meditating on His Word and talking with Him, but of course what we learn from Him through His Word, we should put into practice. We can waste a lot of time doing things that are of no use to us or anyone else, what we do on the internet, what we watch on television, what we read, all has an impact on us. The time we have is a gift. I am sure that if we gave a gift to someone, we wouldn’t like to see it misused, so why do we misuse our time?

Zsofi certainly challenged us to stop and think what we do with our time, is it used with God, for God, or our own amusement? We are told in scripture to build one another up in the faith, and to encourage one another, to help one another. What we do for God is for eternity, what we do for ourselves is but for a moment.

What Family do you Belong to?

17.04.18

Dean Cotes from family ministries came to share with us today. He asked the question "What family do I belong to" and he talked for a while about how families have changed over the past few decades and what a vast difference there is today from sixty years ago. He also talked about family resemblance, and how if we know the family we can see the family likeness but even so everyone is unique with their own character and needs. A loving family will support each other, be there for one another in times of trouble and cheer each other on in their accomplishments, families are important.

If we are a Christian then we belong to the family of God, and we may all be different but we all should have a family resemblance to the Father and to Jesus. And this is portrayed in how we treat one another, how we help one another, how we share in each other’s joys and sorrows. God’s Word makes it clear that if we do not love our brothers and sisters in Christ, then we don’t love God.

1 John 3

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

This love also extends beyond the family to those who are lost, and by the way we act, by the compassion and care we show to them, they will see the love of Christ in us. Dean shared with us what the Helping Hand Appeal will be doing this year. They have called it, Waves of Transformation, transforming lives by the simple act of supplying clean water to those who are without. Every minute, everyday, people suffer and lives are lost needlessly because of a lack of safe water and sanitation. so when we give each week to Helping Hands we will be helping others in other countries, people who we could not normally reach. 

Colossians 3:12

Let us go out into the world with love in our hearts, 

Let us go our into the world with love in our hearts,

Love is patient love is king,

And leaves selfishness behind,

Let us go our into the world with love in our hearts.

Let us go out into the world with Christ in our hearts,

Let us go out into the world with Christ in our hearts,

He will take away our sin,

and new life will then begin.

Let us go out into the world with Christ in our hearts,