It was good
to celebrate our 3rd birthday last Sunday and to celebrate it in our new venue – the M.E.S. School Hall. What a joy!
We look forward to celebrating again with our fellow CCA churches on the 20th Nov and declaring once more, God’s goodness and faithfulness.
Our message was from John chapter 12, and as we delved a little deeper into the passage, we saw that we were getting to the heart of this gospel: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (John 12:23). We contemplated what it means to behold the Glory of Christ: to meditate, not just on what Jesus has done for us, but on Who He is– the Eternal One who has come to us from the heart of the Father.
A few chapters later (Jn 17), on the night before He died, we see this theme being an important part of Jesus’ prayer: When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…” (John 17:1), “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:4–5), “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24).
Jesus wants us to see His Glory, to see that Jesus is not only the ‘Son of Man’ but also ‘the Son of God’ – He who is before time, before creation, before all – the Eternally Begotten One. What a wonder! But will we take His invitation? Will we make time to contemplate His Glory, to meditate on His person? As we do, we will be changed – we will be made more like Him.
And how was His Glory revealed? Through his death on the cross – by loving us enough to die, by giving up His life that we might be freed of sin, and partake of His eternal life. He told His disciples: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24).
We are His fruit, if we believe and follow Him.
We also contemplated the challenge of what it means to follow in His footsteps: Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him. (John 12:25-26). This is the great challenge Jesus gives us – do we love Him and trust Him enough to give Him our lives?
We remembered Abraham, our great example of faith – who was a nomad, a pilgrim who lived in tents, because he didn’t consider this world his home. Hebrews reminded us: By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9–10). That’s faith! Leaving what you have, to seek God’s promise; not letting the thorns and thistles, (the worries of this life), crowd out and choke God’s word in us. Instead, following God, growing in Him, investing our lives in His will; or as Jesus said it: denying ourselves, picking up our cross, and following Him. (Luke 9:23).
A few verses later Hebrews 11 speaks of others who followed Abraham’s path: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16).
I pray, dear friends, that in these last days God would arm us with the same attitude, the same heart – a heart that looks forward to God, that trusts in Him, that makes room for Him to abide in. A heart whose home is in God – not this world; in short, a heart that knows what it means to:
Adore and Obey Christ our Lord.
Peace be with you,
and Happy Birthday,
Rev Glenn.