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

You Can Do It

12.09.17

Our brother in the Lord, David, took our meeting today, at over eighty years old he has found himself a new hobby, Decopatch. He explained that his daughter had introduced him to it. David loves elephants so the first Decopatch he did was an elephant. 

He showed us quite a few things he had done 

and invited anyone to have a go. 

The simplicity of it struck most of us, and yet it was transforming, it changed a quite ordinary object into something quite beautiful. A Horlicks jar had been transformed into a very pretty and useful container for all kinds of things. Showing that it had not outlived its usefulness when it was empty of Horlicks.

David explained that it had reminded him of how we can all feel at times that we can’t do anything, that we have outlived our usefulness, we may believe we are too old, or too infirmed. But God has promised to supply all our needs, and especially when our work is for Him. It is when we try in our own strength and provisions that we are apt to fail. God may ask us to do something we have never done before, but if it is God’s will for us to serve Him in something then He will supply what we need.

David explained how years previous had had visited a widow who asked him to do the funeral, he tried to evade it, he didn’t think he could do it, he didn’t believe he was up to the job, but the lady insisted, and so he did it, how did he do it? By prayer and trusting in the Lord to help and guide him. God supplied all that was necessary for David to take that funeral and many others afterwards. We all have talents God has given us, and if we are willing to use them for His service, then He will help us by His Holy Spirit.

David found that when he made a mistake with the Decopatch, he could easily cover it up. Many people in their lives try to cover up their mistakes and sins, but it does not make them feel any better. There is only one way to deal with sin, and that is to repent and turn away from your sinful life and put your trust in Jesus. Scripture tells us that we are all guilty of breaking God’s laws, and because of that we will be judged and condemned. But it doesn’t have to be that way because God has provided a way for us to be forgiven and that way is Jesus, God’s son. He took the punishment for our sin so that we don’t have to. They are not just covered over but they are put on Jesus, on the cross. They are gone for good.

Naaman, was a man in the Bible who had leprosy, he was advised to go to a prophet to be healed. The prophet sent a message to him, telling him to bathe seven times in a certain river. 

2 Kings 5 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 

Naaman was furious, why hadn’t the prophet come out himself to speak to him, and why couldn’t he go to a better river, this was too simple, Naaman was expecting something grand. At first he refused, but after a while he was persuaded and he did as he was instructed, Naaman was healed of his leprosy.

People can respond that way to the gospel, they think it is too simple, surely they must have to do something, no, you don’t. Everything needful for your forgiveness and new life was done by Jesus. You will find that the sacrifice that Jesus made for you on the cross was the greatest thing ever done in the whole of human history. There is nothing greater can be done for your salvation.

Don’t walk about patched up, receive forgiveness and new life in Christ. Then use your God given talents for His service and glory. You will be surprised at what you can do with God enabling you.