Minister's Archive

March 2008

I have never really followed the tradition of ‘giving something up’ for Lent. I always thought of it as more of a conscience salve than achieving much else. However, I was hearing at school that the various classes had considered giving something up for Lent, so I was challenged to do likewise. I agreed that for the period of Lent I would give up chocolate. For those of you who have done such a thing for Lent or for diet purposes you will know that as soon as you make such a commitment you are immediately surrounded everywhere you go by the very thing you are denying yourself. It takes on gargantuan dimensions. Suddenly my whole world became made of chocolate. So far I have been successful in self-deprivation but am still thinking that the Lord is probably not too bothered about it all.

I also shared recently concerning the verse I had chosen to challenge people with for the year ahead, ‘Love God, love your neighbour as yourself.’ I had not realised how that would also be such a test. However, on that front I know the Lord is particularly bothered by my reaction. On a number of issues which I had been praying about I kept getting the same answer from the Lord and that was, ‘Love my people.’ I confess it was not always the answer I wanted to hear.

I do not know on what grounds the Lord judges us but I do believe that the main consideration on which He judges His leaders is on how much we have loved His people. God’s love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is that same love which took our Lord to the cross. It is that love which caused our Lord to take our sins upon Himself. It is that love which spoke words of forgiveness as He suffered and died for us. That love is the only love which will allow us to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, and give without counting the cost.

As we celebrate Easter we are reminded that Jesus rose from the dead and has conquered sin and death and has promised to us life eternal. The bible tells us that one day Jesus Christ is returning to gather His people to Himself when He will also separate the sheep from the goats and will also judge our works.

Have we been faithful in our calling to love God and love our neighbour?

How selective are we on deciding who we will love and who we will help?

How will our works square up with our words on the day of judgement?

Will we be proved faithful in much or in little?

We will not know till the great day when the Book of Life is opened. Until that time when the Lord returns we have an opportunity to do what is asked of us and that is to love God and love our neighbour, to put into practice what the Lord teaches and mirror Him to others.

Sincerely in Christ,

Billy Kelly