Pastoral Message (Page 98)

By Not Known The Temple precincts at Jerusalem were brightly lighted up by four great candelabra to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles. It was against this backdrop that Jesus proclaimed: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8: 12) Earlier in John 7: 37-38, Jesus had barely…

By Not Known If you have an opportunity to travel to Israel, you would not miss the sight of the orthodox Jews at the Western (Wailing) Wall. Their constant rocking motion, the incessant chanting of the Talmud (Law) or from the book of Lamentations, their donning of the prayer shawls over their heads, the leather bands around their arms, the small wooden boxes on their…

By Not Known Are you a wine person? If you are you will certainly not risked serving your guests cheap wine at important functions such as a wedding banquet. Good meat with poor wine will spoil the overall combination and produce many unsatisfied diners. But if you are not a wine person, consider this bad combination with similar effect – delicious Tiramisu cake…

By Not Known Lamentations 5 is a plea to God – Who has brought grief and judgement to His people, but will also restore them to Himself when their sufferings have led them to cast themselves under His mercy (vv 21- 22). It reiterates the hope that God will again be gracious to His people, now purified in the furnace of affliction. Very often our first response when…

By Not Known A sense of hope is important to our inner well-being. On the one hand, good memories and present joys lose their pleasure if we have a sense that they will soon end and not be repeated. On the other hand, we can endure present unpleasantness and difficulty if we have a sense that things will be better tomorrow. Hope lifts our spirits and motivates us. The…

By Not Known Our morning congregation is working through the Old Testament book of Lamentations this month. The book is well named, for it is a series of poetic laments for Jerusalem after its sacking by the Babylonians army in 587BC. The details are gruesome and the poetry is heart-wrenching.…

By Not Known Despair is a common human condition. Sometimes we feel miserable for no apparent reason. At other times we are troubled by internal or external problems. Whatever the cause, dispare can rob us of joy, sap our energy and leave us even less able to cope with life’s problems. left untreated, despair can damaged the depths of our being. People of faith can…

By Not Known We are doing something strange today. In our two church services, we hope to persuade people who are presently non-Christians to become Christians, or at least to consider seriously the Christian message. This is a remarkable goal. It is remarkable because it is unusual. Most religions in the world are identified with a particular tribe, people, culture or…

By Not Known Being single can be hard. Everyone else seems to be happily married and aunties and uncles keep asking the over 30s when they are getting married. Singles can feel out of place in a church that is mostly programmed around family activities. Against this background it is refreshing to read 1 Cor 7. Paul, like Jesus, was single and he cheerfully prizes the life…

By Not Known No one wants their marriage to be troubled. But, it is a reality that all marriages will have troubles at one time or another. Several factors may combine to trouble a marriage including: financial problems, long working hours, physical separation, ill-health, infertility, difficulties with children and wider family, personal incompatibilities, unrealistic…