I love going to Wellfield Church on Sunday mornings, how could I not love hearing God’s word? This Sunday was an all age service which I always enjoy; great fun with the children but noisier than usual and lots of distractions which you would expect. Not always the easiest to take
things in and it’s based at child level of understanding anyway, so just sit back and enjoy. Well, as usual God’s word and Mark’s preaching pointed a finger right at me again! How does this keep happening I ask, does anyone else feel the same?
Isaiah 49:1:
Listen to me, you island; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
Who is speaking? Well as we foundout during some games at the beginning of our church service, the answer is - JESUS!
And going by this verse, If we live anywhere on this planet that God created we need to listen. The strangest thing is, you hear His voice when and where you would never expect it.
I heard His voice at the cinema! What, I hear you ask? Well, to cut a long testimony very short, it all began with going to see Mel Gibson’s film – The Passion of the Christ. It was released in 2004 and depicted the final hours and crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ.Seeing the film moved me to want to know more and ask, “Who is this man who would die for me?”Back to the Sunday Service: we were told how God’s people enslaved in Babylon wanted to get back to Israel, when in fact they needed to get back to God; Hope in God/Jesus is what matters in life, not where we live or where we want to live. Hearing this made me think of my life before I became a Christian.
A little more testimony: I moved with my husband Andrew down to Chorley in Lancashire from Edinburgh in December 1987. Our son Ross was due to be born the following March. As a Yorkshire lass, moving from Edinburgh to Lancashire, I knew no one other than my husband’s boss! I never really ever settled, even though I found friends, established a good career, and moved to Leyland, still always felt unsettled. I would have given anything to move to Yorkshire or Edinburgh again.I kept telling myself that I would have my life sorted by the time I turned 40 years old in July 2004; perfect house, perfect relationship, perfect figure etc., etc.! Guess what? I did it; I found what I was looking for!
I just didn’t realise what I had been truly missing in life, the answer was – JESUS! You see, I went to the cinema at the Easter, was moved to want to find out more about Jesus. After shopping in Tesco one Saturday, I was waiting for a lift across from St Andrew’s church. Outside the church I saw a poster mentioning ‘the Passion of the Christ’; the next day I went to St Andrew’s church and would you believe it, one month before turning 40 years old, I became a Christian. I finally realised I couldn’t sort anything out for myself, but Jesus could. I’ve never managed to get the perfect figure, but I’m more than happy to swap that worldly goal for salvation! The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways.
Something else big changed in my life, I now love living in Leyland, Lancashire, and I no longer want to move to Yorkshire, Edinburgh or anywhere else. That is until the Lord takes me home, to my true home to be with Jesus!
Oh and even better, in November 2007 my husband Andrew became a Christian also, so now we are praying for our son Ross.
Getting back to Sunday’s sermon on Isaiah 49: Jesus is the answer to all our problems, Jesus is our only hope. He may be hidden to us, but if we listen hard, you never know what may happen.
Isaiah 49:2
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrowand concealed me in his quiver.
Jesus is the hidden hope, God uses strength through weakness. We are weak, but if we take strength from our Lord Jesus and keep witnessing through the way we live our lives every day and tell others of Jesus, others may come to the Lord. We may never be there to witness their change of heart, but you never know, I give thanks every day for my husband finding hope in Jesus. But that’s his testimony; maybe he will share it with you one day!
Thank you Jesus.
(By Jen)
