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New Life Pentecostal Church
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Pastor's Notes
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Here are some recent short articles by our Pastor:
What’s in a symbol?
Companies
and businesses spend vast sums to establish their logo or symbol. Brand recognition is seen to be vitally important these
days if a product is to be profitable and its market share maintained. These corporate images are jealously guarded and legally
protected. The symbol speak of who they are, the identity they want to project.
God uses symbols and images to express something of Himself to us. In the created
world God uses the variety and splendour of natural things to speak to us of His creativity, order, beauty and power. Throughout
the Old Testament we read of the symbols He used to speak to the Israelites – the Tabernacle and Temple display so many
aspects that cause His people to worship.
This
month we move from Lent to Easter and beyond to resurrection. We reflect on powerful images that God has given us to strengthen
our faith. In Lent we are reminded of Jesus’ humbling of Himself to the purposes of the Father, we are reminded of His
victories over temptation in the wilderness. At Easter we have the image of Jesus as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world. In the resurrection we have the symbol of the empty tomb, death was defeated and Jesus
rose again.
Of course the most powerful symbol of Easter is the Cross.
For many years the early Christians did not use the Cross as a symbol of their faith. It was seen as too holy and precious
to be used. How different it is today when crosses are hung from ears and around the neck, often with little thought as to
what it represents. The jewellery and badges can be powerfully used as a declaration of our faith but for many they have become
a fashion accessory.
For us the Cross symbolises the suffering that Jesus went through
because He loved us so much. It symbolises the result of the awfulness of sin in human life and its consequences. The empty
Cross declares Jesus’ triumph over all that sin, death and hell can do. He is no longer there, He has risen and lives
in the power of an endless life in a position of all authority. The apparent weakness of a man on a cross has been transformed
to a picture of awesome power.
When
you look at a picture of the Cross what goes through your mind, what do you see, what prayer may rise in your heart?
Words
One of the things I like to do from time to time to relax is to attempt to
complete a crossword (and when I don’t manage it there can be quite a few cross words!). Some of the easiest clues tend
to involve anagrams, where you rearrange a word or phrase to make another one. For instance the phrase “slot machines”
becomes “cash lost in me” and “the eyes” can become “they see”.Playing with words can be fun
but there are some words or phrases that we need to leave well alone. Phrases like “God is love” or “Jesus
saves” are not just shorthand theology. They are powerful truths that can become rock like for
our spiritual lives. Don’t despise the simplicity of the phrases, embrace them and share them. Express the truths they
represent in your lives and allow God to use you to share His love and saving message. Spreading the gospel needn’t
mean using technical language, often the simplest things are the best and most powerful. Let’s keep it simple.
Where is there to go when you are down?
"I pour out my problems to Him; I tell Him my
troubles."Ps.142:2 In this Psalm David is hidden in a cave. He has difficult issues in his life and he pours out his heart to God
about them. He cries out to God, he is honest and open with Him, and he looks to Him for the answers. In v 4 David
complains that no one cares, there is no one to the right or to the left. He gives God his feelings of loneliness and
confusion. Yet somehow in the middle of this anguish something changes. In v7 David's heart has done a 180 degree
turn. Instead of saying no one is there, he says in faith, "The righteous will surround me." Pouring
out our hearts in God's presence is like breathing, we breathe out the bad and breathe in His goodness.
Many are afraid that if they admit to having a problem then they are giving it
victory in our life. But by admitting there is a problem we give God an entrance into the situation. In 2 Corinthians
we read that in our weakness He is made strong. How can God move in and show His strength when we don't admit we need
help? The important thing is admitting and not "exalting" it; we "exalt" and "magnify"
the truth of God's Word over the issue. Then just like David, our issues begin to melt away as God’s truth
reigns over them. This is real victory, not "pretend and hope no one finds out" victory. This is the
victory Jesus died to give us, healing and dealing with our issues as we place them in His hands. Give it a try.
Pour out the pain and breathe in His presence.
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Take Time to Grow
Like most other important things, spiritual growth takes time. It doesn't happen while
we sleep, nor does it occur in the background while we're engaged in other pursuits. To grow spiritually, there are some
definite activities that must be engaged in (such as Bible study and prayer), and these activities take time. If we're
not willing to set aside the time that these things require, we should not expect spiritual growth is going to happen.
Growth is essential While we have the option whether to be a faithful Christian or not, if we've chosen to
be a faithful Christian, we don't have the option whether to grow or not. Either we grow -- and keep growing throughout
our lives, or we die. There is no safe plateau we can reach where further growth is unnecessary. Growth is intentional Many of us seem to think that growth in
Christ is something that happens whether we've decided to do that or not. But unlike the process of physical growth, which
can occur with little or no conscious thought on our part, spiritual growth is always the result of deliberate decision. There
is no such thing as unintentional progress in the life of a disciple. Growth
is costly There are only twenty-four hours in the day. Whatever time it takes to do the things
that result in spiritual growth, that will be that much less time available to do other things. As one of our "valuables,"
spiritual growth is like any other thing of value: its cost is in proportion to its value. In the long run, we will have about
as much spiritual growth as we're willing to pay for by the sacrifice of other time-consuming things. As someone has said,
we can have anything in life that we want, but we can't have everything. Some choices have to be made, and the choice
to grow spiritually is a choice not to do some other things.Let’s begin to grow together, make the choices that are necessary and encourage one another to press on.
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