Message from the Pastor
I believe we are living at a period of time when the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ is not far away - that
glorious and wonderful time when all the believers who
have already left this world and who are experiencing a
conscious awareness of being in his presence will return
to this earth with him meeting in the air those believers
still alive; what a gathering that will be! Its the prelude to the reign of Jesus
Christ over the whole earth from his capital in
the nations; a time when weapons of war will be turned into farming tools
indicating a peaceful world free of war and famine. This is what the bible
teaches, at least as far as I can see!
I have discovered that more and more people are becoming deeply
concerned about the state of our nation, our world and their life beyond the
grave. There is a new hunger for spiritual reality and a desire to find hope in
this age of decline. Whilst there is prosperity there is apathy towards
spiritual things but now, with the decline of the world’s financial systems,
there is growing sense of insecurity.
God has placed eternity in our hearts the Bible says we come from God and
we return to God; are we ready to face him? Are we ready to face the one
whom we have actively tried to push out of our lives and our society resulting
in his hand of protection being increasingly disengaged? He is the one who
created us out of love and who has a desire to have everlasting friendship
with us? Jesus Christ came to show us the way to the one true God to be, in
fact, the doorway himself through his death on a cross, to finding our full
potential as human beings! Believing in him, having faith in him, trusting in
him, is the key to understanding what life is all about and what the creator
really created us for!
I urge all of you who are experiencing the hand of Jesus knocking on the
door of your lives drawing you to consider your spiritual condition and the
meaning of life again to come back to the churches. They are not perfect but
they do hold the message that leads to the abundant life God wants for you!
I urge you to come back to your creator who gave you life; he alone has the
power to heal you and transform your life, preparing it for living in the life to
come when Jesus returns and later when God creates a new heaven and
earth.
Your coming back to God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will
mean your entry into his kingdom and the security of knowing you will not be
a soul separated from his goodness for all eternity. God is pure in all things
including justice. If he was not he would not be God. He must therefore put
aside all who refuse his love. This love that has been expressed in the life,
death and resurrection back to life of Jesus Christ.
I am excited about the future! I have a very real and deep assurance of better
things to come! Life is hard, but with Jesus living in us by his Spirit, the
moment we believe in him, having God’s power of the kingdom of heaven
working through us and for us, we have nothing to fear! We need not even
fear death, because death means the beginning of life in God’s presence
where there is no suffering, sickness, pain, tears or death anymore! I am up
for that! What does God requires of us while we wait the coming of his Son?
Purity of life, loving others expressed in practical ways, and telling others the
good news about Jesus!
God bless you all!
Pastor Don Attenborough
Ashtead Baptist Church
Ashtead
Surrey
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