This letter gives us another secret to growth and change to those of us who are feeling a
little bit complacent. Maybe we feel a little more bored than blessed when we connect with church … Perhaps we feel a lot more attached to this world than we’d like - (who doesn’t struggle with that?) and looking us straight in the eye Jesus says - “I want you to see your need as you never have before. Then I’d be able to meet your need as I never have before.”
John writes this way to the church in Laodicea - “To the angel of the church of Laodicea write, ‘These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds that you’re neither cold nor hot … I wish that you were one or the other … But you don’t realise you’re wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you get from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness salve to put on your eyes so you can see.”
(Revelation 3:14 ff)
Not easy words from Jesus but they end with his remarkable promise - “Look! I am standing at the door and I’m constantly knocking. If anyone opens the door I will come in and I’ll fellowship with him; I’ll relate to him, I’ll dine with him and he’ll fellowship with me.” (Revelation 3:20 – Message)
Today’s lectionary readings give us some useful signposts for ministry, relevant as we celebrate today the beginning of a partnership in ministry between the congregation of CMP and Rev Peter Chapman. I want specifically to highlight a commitment to voicing uncomfortable truths, a willingness to be personally transparent with God and others, and a focus on introducing people to Jesus.
A new year always brings a sense of hope.
Year 2020 with all its tragedies, problems, disappointments, darkness, and sadness is now behind us, and a new year 2021 lies ahead. As we embark on this new year, embodied so well in the spirit of Epiphany and the reality of life moving on, a fair question for us to ask is, “how can we move on?”.
The prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel to “Arise, shine; for your light has come…” They no longer have to live in darkness – nor do we. Rise and shine, get up, begin again – there is more to come! There are new roads to travel upon in this new year. Each of us has a new road ahead of us in the new year. It’s another road, a different road than any we’ve travelled on before (Genesis 32:22-32).
As we step off down that road, not knowing what we may find, not knowing exactly where we’re going, we can be comforted in knowing that for sure, the light goes with us, leading us, guiding us, showing us the way. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). God will be with us on our journeys down that new road ahead. Even now God is calling to each of us, whoever we are, whatever our circumstance, calling us to get up off our hands and knees, to stop creeping, and rise and shine, and continue on the journey, giving God our praise, and sharing the Good News with others along the way (Matthew 5:13-16).
It’s 2021! It’s a new year, it’s a new start, it’s a new beginning.
2020 proved to be a crazy year, it has been absolutely life changing for so many people. People have died, people have lost their jobs. Businesses have shut down.
But Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever. As we start this year, I encourage all of us to hold fast to the promises of God and to let go and let God.
If you were asked what word or words have been uppermost in your mind this year how would you respond?
Covid-19? Financial stress? Physical stress? Emotional stress?
What is the word or words that best express 2020?
I want to suggest to you that the word is “SHAKEN”.
This week starting with Hebrews 12 v25-29 & Haggai 2 v6&7 we will look at what, who & why things have been & are still being shaken at the end of 2020 and our Christian response.
The message of the Nativity of Jesus has never been one of complete joy. The story, like our own existence, has strains of darkness and of light. It is into this human reality that God becomes incarnate.
Where is your hope this Christmas?
This year has proven to be a difficult time considering the effects of a global pandemic.
Everybody hopes for things at Christmas time. I know I’m hoping for a gift of some sort this year. But more than getting presents, Christmas is about the hope we find in Jesus.
As the Gospel of John tells us, the word became flesh - God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to save us, and restore our relationship with God. We can put our hope and trust in Jesus.
Join us this Christmas as we celebrate hope in this world.
Join us this Sunday as Bob Mendelsohn from Jews for Jesus shares on – Jesus Light of the World.
Join us on Sunday 6th December at 10am as CMP Children’s Church present: Silent Night.
"Silent Night" (German: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht") is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It has since been translated into 300 languages and dialects and was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.
All welcome!
“My days just come and go and at the end of the day; I do not have any hope”.
How is it possible that I am so depressed, filled with anxiety, hopelessness and despair if I claim to be a Christian?
On a scale of 1 – 10 how happy are you? Is happiness even possible?
In the book of Job, he answers the basic questions of life i.e., “Why do the righteous suffer if God is loving and all powerful”?
God is Lord: in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and good. As such, His ways are sometimes incomprehensible to men, but He can always be trusted.
Being a Christian does not mean there will not be suffering in our lives, but there is hope in Christ Jesus.
Heb. 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Christ is the believer’s Life, Redeemer, Mediator, and Advocate.
Over the last few weeks we’ve been talking about the power of God’s Word - alive + active - to help us live in victory over temptation and sin, so that we can each become all that God made us to be.
Amen + Hallelujah!
But … how does that actually happen? We all have our Achilles heel of sin, our entrenched behaviour, that one bad habit that try as we might, seems impossible to break.
Well this week ... this week is when the rubber hits the road. This week is when we lay hold if the truth and the power to break that one bad habit!
