It is always a joy to meet together to worship God, to acknowledge Him and express our love for Him and our appreciation for the life-giving sacrifice of His son, our saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’ve been challenged again as I look at the New Testament and marvel at the way each individual author brings it all back to Jesus and the good news of His life, sacrifice, resurrection and ascension, and the promise that He will return one day. We so easily let it wash over us in a sea of familiarity! The Apostle John writes in his first epistle: ‘I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.’ (See 1 John 2:12.) How powerful is that?! If you’ve been on the Christian journey a little (or long) while, this news may not be a new revelation to you, yet our approach to it can really determine whether it still excites and impacts us. When we allow the Holy Spirit to speak and convey the glory of the Lord (John 16:13,14) that is exciting; when we seek God’s presence, that brings fullness of joy (Psalm 116); and when we accept the challenge of living to serve and love those around us, we too are transformed as we rely on His strength and resolve, rather than our own. The kind of life we choose to live reflects the level of faith we choose to embrace.
Now that’s challenging!