A Precious Gift

Oh what a precious gift it is to be a part of the church!

A body of believers in Jesus Christ united under the authority and sufficiency of scripture.

The church is made up of sinners saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.

Our Saviour has started a great work in us but it won’t be complete until the day we see Jesus face to face.

Until then we all still stumble in many ways.

Sin is always crouching at our door, waiting to destroy us.

Selfish ambition and bitter envy always too easily creep up.

Yet despite our many sins and struggles, Jesus still chose to give Himself up for us.

He took our condemnation so that we could become His beautiful bride,

clothed in His righteousness and not our own.

This marvellous truth gives us very great and precious promises.

The gates of Hell will never destroy the church of Christ.

Our  Father in heaven will never forsake us,

bcause Jesus was forsaken on our behalf on the cross.

The Word of God is the source of our great hope.

It is alive and active, unchanging with the power to change the hardest of hearts.

Through it we learn how to love God with our heart, mind, strength and soul,

and how to love our neighbour as ourselves.

God gives us His Spirit who convicts us of sin and reminds us of the truth, leading us to repentance.

God blesses us with leaders and teachers who help to guide us in the Word and ways of God,

Who help us stay on the narrow path.

When life gets hard, there is safety in being a part of the family of God.

Brothers and sisters all striving together towards the highest prize- to know Jesus Christ;

Gazing upon the beauty of the Lord together and proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us out of the darkness.

Love is costly and hard.

We will hurt each other and let each other down.

Our love will be proven not only in the good times, but especially in times of hurt and conflict.

Oh what a joy it is to extend the same forgiveness and grace we have so lavishly received.

Reconciliation with God and with each other is the ultimate gift.

May God give us the humility and strength we need to confess our sins to one another.

May He give us pure hearts and the ability to love as Christ has loved us.

When we endure tough times, there are treasures in the mess.

God is able to bring beauty from ashes.

Our battle isn’t against flesh and blood, but rather the dark and evil powers of this world.

Let us pray at all times, clinging to the One who will always be our faithful shield.

It is so sweet to trust in Jesus, believing we are still secure because of Him.

Christ must be the foundation, the cornerstone that holds us all together in all the ups and downs of the journey.

He is the first and the last and in Him we live and have our being.

Find a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching local church to commit to.

It can become a place of immense blessing and growth.

Don’t be too quick to leave when difficulties come.

Fix your eyes on Jesus

He is strong in our weaknesses and He will continue to transform us to be more like Him

There is a joy in serving God and His people with the gifts He has given.

Working side-by-side to tell the world about the great hope and salvation found in Jesus.

Someday so soon, Christ will return to earth and take His Church to live with Him eternally.

We will bow at His throne, confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We cannot imagine what He has prepared for those who love Him.

Until that day, may the cry of our hearts be “Father, not My will, but Yours be done”,

Desiring above all else to live for the glory of our Father in heaven,

Who graciously gives precious gifts!