Our visiting pastor from Coconut Creek in Florida, Pastor Bill Hughes, gave us some wonderful messages. We were challenged to be the salt and light God wants us to be and to have GREAT faith. The focus on our Heavenly Father and the home He has for us in heaven gives us perspective while we go through difficulties here on earth.
At times, the "tough times" seem to be everything and all-encompassing in our lives, but as we were reminded again, these are just "light afflictions" and they pale in comparison to what God has prepared for us in glory. We were reminded to keep eternity in perspective and heaven before our eyes..."to have heaven in us now, before we are in heaven." Deep things to meditate on and put into practice.
I'm so thankful for men like this who have such God-given gifts to open up God's words and "thoughts" in a way that our feeble minds can understand and our hearts can be encouraged and built up. It was awesome to sit under the Word again. Isn't it amazing how our Father in heaven always gives us what we need to hear, when we need to hear it!?! We came to church hungry and we went away fed. I believe this weekend was another foretaste of heaven. God is so Good!
We learned a new hymn this weekend and I suppose it was our "theme" song:
O God beyond all praising, we worship you today
and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder at every gift you send,
at blessings without number and mercies without end;
we lift our hearts before you and wait upon your word,
we honour and adore you, our great and mighty Lord.
Then hear, O gracious Saviour, accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favour may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless you still;
to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.
Michael Perry 1942-96
No comments:
Post a Comment