Word from our Pastor

December 2020

Dear Friends,

Greeting in Jesus’ name!

The Pandemic has affected the lives of many including some of us. The economic crisis in many people’s lives as a result of the decisions of our leaders have not helped in anyway. The attitude of the leadership towards the minority faiths makes us feel vulnerable. Some of us have had personal tragedies, we have lost a loved ones while some of us have lost our jobs and our financial securities.

It has been a bad year for those who have had to attend school. Work from home has not been as comfortable as we might have hoped. We have broken relationships, or soured relationship or even wrong relationships due to this Pandemic. Our life seems to be spinning out of control. Everything seems to be bleak. Can we celebrate Christmas under such circumstances?

Despite all this I believe that there is good News, and we can celebrate because our God is Sovereign and has a plan for each of us even if we cannot understand. Think of Mary and Joseph, the decree of Caesar August to take a census would have unsettle them. They were comfortably settled in Nazareth, yet they had to leave and travel to Bethlehem almost 100 kilometers South. It was inconvenient. It was unadvisable for a woman in advanced stage of pregnancy to travel. Yet God’s plan that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem in faithfulness to the promise God made to David was fulfilled. Sometimes though we do not understand God’s plan we can be rest assured that God is working out his plan for our lives. But God is calling us to obedience and submission to his will and plan for our lives.

God is Sovereign and has a plan for each of us even if we cannot understand.

Secondly, we can be sure that God is working out his will even when it seems he is silent. While the voice of prophecy was silent for 400 yrs. God was at work in the world preparing the world for the Messiah. Alexander the Great unified the world through his conquest and promotion of the Greek language. The Romans came next and set up roads and travel became easy from town to town. They brought order as they were superb organizers. They brought security through the Roman Legions which were stationed all over their empire. Because of a common language (Greek) known to most people and good communication and security brought by Rome, the good news of the gospel could spread through the then known world with ease. By 5 BC the world was ready to receive the Messiah and the good news.

So when we don’t understand what is happening to our lives because of our circumstances, although we have been obedient to God, and it seems God is silent let us never forget he is sovereign, and he is in control of all situations. There is assurance in the words of Paul the apostle, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Our Hope and celebrations are not dependent on our circumstances but on a God who is Sovereign and has a plan for each of our lives. A God who is constantly working to fulfill his purposes even in his silences.

Our Hope and celebrations are not dependent on our circumstances but on a God who is Sovereign and has a plan for each of our lives.

Let us celebrate Christmas because of Christ and not because of our circumstances. Let us bring hope of Christmas into the lives of those who are in trouble and turmoil.