Worship

Sing or say the words of this wonderful song as an expression of your love for and worship to God

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk by Your side.
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When Your face is before me,
I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing, ‘Hallelujah?’
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine,
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine
When that day comes,
And I find myself
Standing in the Son.
I can only imagine
When all I do
Is for ever, for ever worship You.
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your glory ……

I can only imagine
When all I do
Is for ever, for ever worship You.
I can only imagine.

Sermon on the Mat: It’s Your Move!

“My Father’s house has many rooms. It that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3.

Like the old adage says, ‘There’s no place quite like home, is there?’ Nothing quite as reassuring as being able to return to the cosy confines of the known and familiar, when the day’s work is done or the long awaited holiday, (very much in short supply at present), is finally at an end. Wouldn’t you agree? God certainly would! Which is why, in the first of these farewell speeches of Jesus, He speaks so passionately about the reality of our heavenly home. It’s matchless beauty. It’s sure fire certainty. Nb. The place where those who love & trust Him, already are! Hence Paul’s reference to the church at Ephesus to us, even now, being – ‘seated with Christ in the heavenly places.’ Ephesians 2:6.

How’s that for advanced planning? God, our forward thinking provider, making it His business to secure our eternal future, even before we realised there was an eternal future in need of securing?! A future which is not only about the breathtakingly glorious setting in which we will one day safely & securely dwell but also, more importantly, who we will get to see the very moment that we get there?!

Cherished loved ones who’ve gone before us. Instantly recognisable & fully rejuvenated? Many of whom God has saved at the eleventh hour?! Yes, absolutely! All the characters we’ve come to know & appreciate through the blessed pages of Holy Scripture? Including Obadiah, whose prophetic writings I hope by now, we’ve long since absorbed & committed to memory? Most definitely! Complete strangers we’ve never previously met or known, with whom we discover we’ve got an instant rapport? For sure!

The very point at which we pass through Heaven’s gates will indeed be the very point at which the party to eclipse all parties will truly begin but not before the most important encounter of them all. The person we’ve yearned, all our lives, to see! The One who goes by the name of Jesus. Our forever Friend, our precious Saviour, our great & mighty Lord!!

Here’s how Pastor Max Lucado puts it – ‘We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God.’

Prayer.

Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the Power,
And the Glory are Yours
Now & for ever.
Amen.

Please continue to pray for –

• The health workers tending the seriously ill.
• The scientists working on vaccination.
• The researchers analysing data & identifying trends.
• Media outlets working to communicate reality.
• Good news stories of recoveries & effective planning.
• The awakened appreciation of what is truly important.