2nd June 2019

The night before he died, Jesus told his disciples that he was going away, and that they could not follow him.  They were both perplexed and saddened.  Jesus then began to unfold to them his wondrous plan to continue being with them (and now us) through his Holy Spirit.  Jesus explained that even after he had gone, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).

The Holy Spirit is not a mere concept, or feeling, but the very presence of God with his people.  He lives in the heart of every Christian person, reassuring us that we are God’s children, empowering us to obey God’s good commands, enabling us to pray, and even praying on our behalf when we do not know what to pray for (Romans 8:26).  If you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you can be sure that you have the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3), as a guarantee of your eternal inheritance.

The next two weeks in the church calendar, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, remind us that God is Three-in-One.  Only because of this, God is able through his Spirit to be truly with us now, as we wait for Jesus’ return.

At the time of writing I was prayerfully hoping that Fireworks would be possible last night in the face of a dubious weather forecast.  If it happened, then thanks to everyone who helped and who attended.  If not, then a new date will be announced today!

In brief:

–          Our Restoration Fund appeal is underway.  May I encourage you to give generously to the ongoing work of restoring our wonderful heritage site.

–          This is my last Sunday until 21st July, as we depart on long service leave.  Until then, every blessing to you, through our Lord Jesus Christ.