December 2024
Joy to the World – The Lord has come! The wonderful message of Christmas.
Each year in December, we celebrate the birth of Jesus as a human into this world. Of course, this is not really the beginning of the story of Jesus.
John chapter 1 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. The Word was the creator of all things.
John also writes that this same Word became flesh and lived with us. Christmas is celebrating when the eternal Word was born as a human and given the name Jesus.
It is a wonderful blessing that Jesus was in this world as one of us. The gospels record the teachings, ministry and miracles that Jesus gave. But far more amazing is that only 33 years after his arrival, the Word of God was hung on a cross to suffer a cruel death. And then to rise again to life on the third day.
That was always God’s plan.
This Christmas, we rightly should celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. But we should always keep our eye on why Jesus came and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation for us.
Jesus is the true Joy in our world.
Pastor Murray
November 2024
What makes a big decision big?
We make hundreds of decisions every day. What time should I set the alarm for? What do I chose to have for breakfast? What am I going to wear today? Medium or large coffee?
And that is only in the first 30 minutes of the day. Some of these decisions are simple – you might do the same thing everyday.
But most days there are some tougher decisions to be made as well. Should I pay my power bill or my vet bill? – because I don’t have enough money for both this week.
Some decisions we only face a few times in our lives – what car should I buy, or which house is right for me? Is this the right person to marry?
I think it is fair to say that in the big turning points of life, we usually turn to God to help us make the decision. Sometimes we have already made up our mind and are only looking for Him to give His endorsement to what we want.
Other times we really have no idea which way we should turn, and are really looking for His guidance.
How big should a decision be, before we ask God to show us His will?
I would suggest that there is no instance in our lives when we could expect to make a wiser decision than God would. I know it may sound trivial to ask God whether you should buy a black cover for your mobile phone or a silver one.
Walking daily in step with Jesus is the best that we can do. If we are listening to God’s voice through His Holy Spirit, then even the small decisions will be made according to His will.
As we prepare for our Members’ Meeting on 24 November, we know we need God’s wisdom. Pray for His leading and guidance. But we should also develop the habit of constantly relying on Him to guide us in every step of our lives.
Pastor Murray