My dear friends,

It hardly seems possible that we have begun a new year together in church life here in Hailsham. I am conscious of many changes over the sixteen years that I have ministered here and aware that there are very few now who were worshipping with us when Rachel, and I settled down with the family among you. Most of those dear folk have gone to be with the Lord after long and useful lives in His service. A few have moved on for other reasons while over the years a number have as it were passed through. Others have come and made their home with us and for such we truly thank the Lord. Such things have moved me to prayerful reflection and thought with regard to ourselves and also what has been achieved during those years. Solomon’s well known words in Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 form an appropriate summary. What encourages me as I read those verses again is how Solomon reminds us in v14: I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. We and our works are fleeting things. It is God and His work that endures. Let us encourage one another in the thought that in a changing and fleeting life and world. Three verses come to mind as we do so.

GOD IS PERFECT AND ENDURES

I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. (Malachi 3:6) What precious and wonderful words these are. In all the changes we have passed through in our lives; amid all the changes that have brought us to where we are today; our God has not changed at all. That, Malachi tells us, is why we have not been consumed and destroyed. Our God has a perfect plan for us and His church here in which we are all involved. The thrice holy God who is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2) is on His throne. He who has placed us where we are has sustained us and will sustain us according to His divine purpose and plan. All the changes we have known have been under His sovereign superintendence and as the hymn writer sings As Thou hast been Thou for ever wilt be. Praise God that He who has been with us is still with us and will always be with us. The great omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent God is still on the throne. We encourage each other with these words and, looking unto Him, we will persevere by His grace until He, and He alone, bids us otherwise. He knows what He is doing; He knows when He will bring things to a conclusion and until then He will enable us. However we rejoice not only in our perfect and enduring God but also that He has not left us without His Word.

GOD’S WORD IS PERFECT AND ENDURES

The word of the LORD endures forever (1Peter 1:25) Over the years there have been many occasions when we have said with King Jehoshaphat we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You (2Chronicles 20:12). How we have thanked the Lord that we can turn our eyes upon Him both in prayer and in His Word. We are living witnesses that our God both hears and answers the prayers of His people and one of the encouraging things to me is that the prayer meeting continues and especially that there is a sense of the Lord’s presence when we meet in that way. Our longing is that many others would join with us. However what strength has been drawn from the Scriptures. The sacred call to the preaching of the Gospel has been heard and we praise God that He has maintained it amongst us and also given a real hunger for it. Blessed are those who hunger for the Word for they will be satisfied and fed thereby. I praise God that I do not have to bring my words and thoughts to you week by week. What a useless exercise that would be. No I have the Word of God to bring to you and by His grace I will seek to bring no other. Pray for me brothers and sisters for this is what we all need. Seek no tasty morsel of man’s devising but encourage one another to persevere in the Word of the Lord. It is perfect which means, as Solomon writes, Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it. There are solemn warnings to those who attempt to do so, notably in Revelation 22:18-19. David was so confident that he could sing of its power to convert the soul, make the simple wise, cause the heart to rejoice and enlighten the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8). Pray brethren that God would be pleased to use His Word in this way amongst us still. It endures forever and will never fail to accomplish its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). God grant we may see conversions as a result of proclaiming the Gospel as the future unfolds. This truth also encourages us to keep going in our evangelism. What a privilege we have to have a number of outreach ministries. Brothers encourage one another in them and press on for we are about one thing and one thing only in this ministry; the spread of God’s Word which has the power inherent in it to accomplish God’s will. We encourage ourselves finally that:

GOD’S WORK IS PERFECT AND ENDURES

As for God, His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30) When God begins a work He will always complete it and do so in a manner that brings glory to Himself. Nothing can be added to His work and nothing taken away from it. It will always be perfectly and completely accomplished. It must be because it is the work of a perfect God. When a perfect work that cannot be added to or taken from is done it must by definition be a work that will endure. It must last for ever according to the purpose of the master craftsman. That is why Paul could write with confidence that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). God’s plan and purpose will come to completion and then what a perfect work of redemption will have been accomplished; what a perfect work of creation will be entered into! What is so amazing is that this great and glorious God sees fit to use such fallen, unskilled labourers like us. But so it is and all for His greater glory for God uses the foolish things… the weak things… the base things… the despised things… the no-things to do His work (1Corinthians 1:27-28). Beloved such are Rachel and I among you and we both earnestly seek for your continued prayers as we try to lead the work of the Gospel forward in Market Street. May God bless you all and our ongoing labours among you for His glory and your good.

With my love in the Lord, Pastor