Dear Friends
I wonder if you are familiar with the following tall story...
As the flood waters rose, a man was on the porch of his house and prayed that God would save him from drowning in the flood. Just then, another man came by in a row boat. The man in the boat invited the other man to get in, and he'd save him. The man on the porch said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
The water kept rising and the man had to go to the second floor of his house. As he looked out the window, he saw a man in a motor boat come by. The man in the boat invited him to get in because he had come to rescue him. The man in the house said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
The waters kept on rising. Soon the man was forced to climb up onto his roof. A helicopter flew by, and a man inside lowered a rope and shouted down for the stranded man to climb up the rope. But the man still wouldn't get in. He just said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
Well, eventually, the flood waters rose above the house rooftop, and the man drowned. When he got to Heaven, he asked God why He didn't rescue him from drowning when he had had perfect faith. "What more do you want from me?" asked God. "I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"
Last Sunday in different ways we were think about being rescued. In the morning service, we studied the "helmet of salvation”, where Judith our preacher, helped us reflect on recent rescue acts that had made the international news. For in both the lad’s football team trapped in the Tham Luang caves in Thailand, and earlier the miners trapped in the Chilean coal mine, their rescue was in part dependant on the actions of others who entered into that dangerous situation, which indeed cost the life of one of these brave volunteers.
Such acts, help us appreciate the work and sacrifice of Jesus our ultimate saviour and rescuer who entered into our world, taking on and overcoming the powers of sin and death, even though it cost him his life on the cross. The impact of that act of rescue; the new life won for us, was suitably displayed in the baptism of Didi and Alicia earlier when we celebrated their new life in Christ.
For a number of us, our Sunday closed with our “Engage” discussion and sharing group, where we reflected as to how we as individuals, both picture God, and appreciate His hope for the world. Again, His desire to reach out, save and rescue, were themes that a number of us identified in our time together.
So if in the midst of this week we find ourselves bogged down or stuck (I love the image of “miry clay” that the Psalmist uses in Psalm 40), let’s look to Jesus our rescuer to put us back on solid ground, or indeed be open to the ministry of other angels (or indeed agents, as our story above points to) that He might be sending our way.
God Bless
Simon
I wonder if you are familiar with the following tall story...
As the flood waters rose, a man was on the porch of his house and prayed that God would save him from drowning in the flood. Just then, another man came by in a row boat. The man in the boat invited the other man to get in, and he'd save him. The man on the porch said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
The water kept rising and the man had to go to the second floor of his house. As he looked out the window, he saw a man in a motor boat come by. The man in the boat invited him to get in because he had come to rescue him. The man in the house said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
The waters kept on rising. Soon the man was forced to climb up onto his roof. A helicopter flew by, and a man inside lowered a rope and shouted down for the stranded man to climb up the rope. But the man still wouldn't get in. He just said, "No, thanks, I'm waiting for God to rescue me."
Well, eventually, the flood waters rose above the house rooftop, and the man drowned. When he got to Heaven, he asked God why He didn't rescue him from drowning when he had had perfect faith. "What more do you want from me?" asked God. "I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"
Last Sunday in different ways we were think about being rescued. In the morning service, we studied the "helmet of salvation”, where Judith our preacher, helped us reflect on recent rescue acts that had made the international news. For in both the lad’s football team trapped in the Tham Luang caves in Thailand, and earlier the miners trapped in the Chilean coal mine, their rescue was in part dependant on the actions of others who entered into that dangerous situation, which indeed cost the life of one of these brave volunteers.
Such acts, help us appreciate the work and sacrifice of Jesus our ultimate saviour and rescuer who entered into our world, taking on and overcoming the powers of sin and death, even though it cost him his life on the cross. The impact of that act of rescue; the new life won for us, was suitably displayed in the baptism of Didi and Alicia earlier when we celebrated their new life in Christ.
For a number of us, our Sunday closed with our “Engage” discussion and sharing group, where we reflected as to how we as individuals, both picture God, and appreciate His hope for the world. Again, His desire to reach out, save and rescue, were themes that a number of us identified in our time together.
So if in the midst of this week we find ourselves bogged down or stuck (I love the image of “miry clay” that the Psalmist uses in Psalm 40), let’s look to Jesus our rescuer to put us back on solid ground, or indeed be open to the ministry of other angels (or indeed agents, as our story above points to) that He might be sending our way.
God Bless
Simon
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