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Precious Memories

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by John DoyleMaking Scrap books is popular among many people and is lots of fun. Pictures are chosen, edited and placed with lots of pleasing memories incorporated in the pictures. Names, dates, places and events are so precious and bring back awesome memories. Meaningful times and events are captured with Family and friends never to be forgotten. Sometimes those pictures and memories will cause great laughter and sometimes tears too, for those who have perhaps lost loved ones. Last Saturday was our son Keith's 50th birthday and we have so many Precious memories of him as a little boy, teenager and young man and although he lives far away in the USA my wife Barbara and I are so very proud of the him and thankful to God for the man of God he has become over these 50 years.Mary the Mother of Jesus had many specific situations that concerned her family. She had treasured specific events that had happened concerning Jesus as a baby, as a child and as He grew into the teen-age years. She didn't have a Scrapbook or picture album, but she had a mind and heart from where she pulled amazing memories that were joyful, painful, and even heart breaking.Gods Word says Luke 2:51 “and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”Mary must have thought about the many events that had happened in connection with Jesus, before He was born, His birth, the fleeing to Egypt, the day to day happenings at home and then that time in Jerusalem, when Jesus had “˜disappeared”. Mary must have thought about these circumstances, and sometimes pulling them out to think about during the years of her life on earth. How these times must have made sense after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.We can take various events in our lives and remember them from time to time, we can pull out a scrap book and look at the many pictures we have. Many times, by looking back, we are given insight and understanding about God at work in our lives and the lives of our family members.We do need to remember that Jesus was fully God and He was fully man and knew His future from beginning to end on this earth.Look at what Gods Word says: Luke 2:52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.”Jesus continued to increase in wisdom on earth. You and I also need to continue to increase in wisdom, no matter our age. We are to continue to gain understanding of God's Word and God's Ways, knowing when to speak and share the Love of Jesus for others, and at times when to have our quiet times with the Lord and spend time thinking on the goodness and grace of God in each of our lives.Jesus continued to grow physically into manhood, just like we have. He made choices that gave Him favour in the lives of many people and He touched…

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Aiming at the Right Target

https://youtu.be/7BxpvwqCwKk?t=1320 Audio Recording When we learn to truly follow Jesus, we will come to learn that obedience comes from the inside out. Submission to God doesn’t come from Bible bashing, it flows out of conviction rooted in a relationship with the One who chose us first. And it’s not to say that what you do or don’t do doesn’t matter, but what we do and don’t do must result from who we are as followers of Jesus. Sermon by Calven Celliers Download the Summary

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What Are You Worth?

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by Graham MolToday I came across a beautiful, deep lyric from the song My Worth Is Not In What I Own (At The Cross) by Graham Kendrick and Keith and Kristyn Getty.Two wonders here that I confessMy worth and my unworthinessMy value fixed my ransom paid at the cross I love the depth of this verse from the song as it speaks of two incredible truths that we find in Scripture.Firstly, that we are of incredible worth. How much worth? Well, the Apostle Paul speaks about our lives being bought at a price. That price is made clear by the Apostle Peter who says the following:For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.(1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT)Jesus paid for us with His precious blood, His very life, that He gave on the cross. Nothing could speak more about our worth in God's eyes,  that He would give His own Son for our sake. We do not need to look at our wealth, or achievements, skill, wisdom or fame to find out our worth. Jesus died for us all. We are worth THAT MUCH to God. And nothing could ever take this truth away from us.If ever you feel worthless, remember that God considered you worth dying for.The second incredible truth is linked to the first. In that though we are of worth, precious in God's sight, we are at the same time unworthy. We were not deserving of Christ's loving sacrifice. We had not earned the right.6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:6-8 CSB)Though we were unworthy, God showed us just how much we are worth to Him in paying the ransom for our souls. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.The wonder of our worth and unworthiness is a humbling reminder of the lavish grace that God has poured out on us. Though undeserving, we have been saved by Jesus, and so we know that we are precious in His sight. God BlessGraham

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When We All Get to Heaven

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by Calven CelliersEarlier this week a good friend and I were chatting about the effects of the Covid pandemic on the life of the Church going forward, and my friend commented, “I think when Church opens up all together, it will be like going to heaven … you will look for people you know but they won’t be there!” Initially I had a good giggle, but the thought lingered in my mind all day and I found myself eventually feeling quite sad at the thought of (a) people in the New Harvest family who have succumb to Covid and will be sorely missed when we all return to Church, and (b) people who won’t come back to Church at all for whatever reason, and (c) the possibility of people who I love that might not be in heaven one day – that one got me really sad! And it’s that point that I want to spend a bit more time exploring. Can we be sure we’ll go to heaven? In his first epistle the apostle John says: “13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13NIV) In other words, yes you can know! God loves you and He has provided a way that you can be absolutely sure where you will spend eternity.The problem arises when you consider the reality, however, that hell, not heaven, is our default destination. We are all sinners by nature – “…23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23NIV) As a result, we deserve death and hell. Sin has terrible consequences, but God has provided a solution – “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23NIV) We cannot save ourselves – “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 & 9NIV) We cannot pay our own way – “12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12NIV)In his letter to the Church at Rome, the apostle Paul says that “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10: 9 – 13NIV) As He hung upon the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the hell we deserve so…

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