Perfect in Christ
Perfect in Christ |
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Do you not feel in your own soul that perfection is not in you?.
Does not every day teach you that?.
Every tear which trickles from your eye, weep "imperfection" every harsh word which proceeds from your lip, mutters "imperfection". You have too frequently had a view of your own heart to dream for a moment of any perfection in yourself. But amidst this sad consciousness of imperfection, here is comfort for you - you are "perfect in Christ Jesus". In God's sight, you are "complete in him;" even now you are "accepted in the Beloved." But there is a second perfection, yet to be realized, which is sure to all the seed. Is it not delightful to look forward to the time when every stain of sin shall be removed from the be removed from the believer and he shall be presented faultless before the throne, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing?. The Church of Chirst then will be so pure, that not even the eye of Omniscience will see or blemish in her, so the holy and so glorious, that Hart did not go beyond the truth when he said-
Then shall we know and taste and feel the happiness of this vast but short, sentence,"Complete in Christ". Not till then we fully comprehend the heights and depths of the salvation of Jesus. Doth not thy heart leap for joy at the thought of it?. Black as thou art, thou shalt be white one day; filthy as thou art, thou shall be clean. Oh, it is a marvellous salvation this Christ takes a worm and transforms it into an angle; Christ takes a black and deformed thing and makes it clean and matchless in his glory' peerless in his beauty and fit to be the compansion of seraphs. O my soul, stand and admire this blessed truth of perfection in Christ.
Proverbs 8:35
For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
What ever wisdom exists finds its identity in the person and being of Christ himself. Seek this wisdom and thereby seek out the Lord of our rest. In Him alone lies all life, love, joy and meaning. Turn to him and embrace true wisdom! Turn to him and be comforted with the promise of enternal Sabbath in Christ alone stands our hope!.
Reflections
on Joint Mission
We are all aware that our
Joint Mission has just come to an end and it
gives us the opportunity for reflect.
Attendances in both Drumhillery and 2nd
Keady were very encouraging over the fortnight, and it was evident that members
from each congregation were 'travelling' and strongly supportive of what was
taking place in both venues.
A special word of thanks must go to our two Mission
Strategy Conveners, Caroline Hopps in Drumhillery and Iris McBride in 2nd
Keady and the faithful members of their committees (a number of the meetings
were held jointly, emphasising the nature of what we were doing), together with
all those who supported the Mission through 'meeting and greeting,
organising the car parking, making tea for the
speakers, singers and those giving testimonies etc. , arranging the printing of
invitations etc., operating the 'technical' equipment each night, and being
involved in the distribution of literature around the doors both in Drumhillery
and (with the help of the BCM workers) in Keady. We were challenged by both
George Ferguson and William Cowan in their Addresses on the theme 'A faithful
God in a fearful world' and inspired by the testimonies and items of praise.
Our special 'Youth Events' on the Saturdays, were
equally inspiring, with challenging presentations of the Gospel directed at the
younger generation. Thanks also to our organists, Ashley and Audrey, who chose
the praise with the Speakers, and to the members of the Joint Choir who led the
worship each evening and attended consistently night after night.
All in all, I think we can look back on a successful
mission which, inter alia, marked the the 40th anniversary of the
union of the two congregations in 1971.