Salvation is the call of God into his holy presence which is made possible because Jesus endured the cross for you and for me, for all those who trust in him.
On Sunday, what will be doing? Will we remember how Christ is the only atoning sacrifice for sin, will we recommit our lives to him as we take the bread and the wine, will we earnestly examine our motives, what we really believe as we are challenged by his life, death and resurrection.
The good news of Mark’s gospel story is that because Jesus bore those accusations, we don’t have to. The good news of Mark’s gospel story is that we can be forgiven, more than that; our sins atoned for, paid for, our debt cleared and so there is no longer an accusation to be levelled against us.
Have we denied Jesus, have we been working against him in some way (often a daft way), and we know the result is that we are broken people? Jesus has been struck for us, he has gone ahead of us and if we would simply meet him, allow him to ask us if we love him, the healing, release, and potential that wells up within us will be incredible, because of what he has done for us.
If Jesus is not our passion, then there will come a time when the thing or person we are passionate about will claim our complete devotion, because we cannot be devoted to two things, two people.
Is the future something we simply worry about? Wars and rumours of wars, or is it something we have prepared for by trusting in Christ alone, because we have believed…
It is good when we ask questions about life after death, it is good when we try to find answers to difficult questions about faith and hope and the eternity that we all must face, but are we looking for those answers in the right place?
So many of the changes in our society will not last because they are not from God. Not just changes around social and gender issues, but changes around our lack of kindness, care and concern for the refugee, changes that have promoted a self-centred society with no care, through or concern for our neighbour, all of this will be swept away.
We are not on the wrong side of history, we will not fade into obscurity, we will be raised on the last day to glory in Christ, and we will rule the new heaven and earth in the presence of God and according to the word of God.
Sunday morning service in Portstewart Presbyterian Church focusing on Mark 11: 12-33. During this service we are asking what are the barriers we as Christians and as a church put…