Partnership

In the 19th century William Carey felt a call to travel to India as a worker in the harvest field of the Lord. Pastors around him scoffed at his idea: “young man, if God had wanted to save the heathen in India, he could certainly do it without the likes of you or us.”

They missed the point of partnership. God does very little here on earth without the likes of you and us.

2 Corinthians 5:19,20 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” NLT

Advent 2007

Advent letter 2007

It’s hard to believe that we are so quickly approaching another Christmas.

I know that we will be busy getting things together and ready for the holy day, “too much shopping and not enough rest time” we’ll complain.

I hope we won’t forget the reason which we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord.
God came in the likeness of sinful flesh (me and you) to deal with sin in that flesh.
The Babe of the Manger is the Man of the Cross. The purpose of His coming was the Cross. He came to reconcile us to the Father by His atoning death on the Cross.

He came to conquer death and the grave by His resurrection.

Let us try to keep that the focus of our celebration of Christmas this year!

Try not to go in debt this year--leave your credit cards at home--if we are honest with ourselves we know we already have more than we need.

Remember the poor.

Advent is a time of expectation—“Behold I stand at the door and knock” said Jesus. Be ready for His appearing.

Love, Pastor Jim