Welcome 2015

Welcome 2015

Recently I received a 'Prayer Letter' from someone I know who serves with the missionary organisation OMF in East Asia. They were explaining how 2015 is a signifcant year for OMF, in that it is 150 years since the China Inland Mission (the forerunner of OMF) was founded by Hudson Taylor.

The story of how Hudson Taylor was moved to begin this work is a story of God calling and equipping an ordinary man (and in turn ordinary people) to step out in faith and to take the good news of Jesus to those who had never had the opportunity to respond to Him. It is a work that continues to this day. When Hudson Taylor began this work he wrote in his journal how he opened an account with a balance of just '£10 and all the promises of God'.

That line caught my eye. Here was a situation of vast spiritual need, here were a small group of individuals with resources that were modest and limited ... but what was it that allowed them to step forward in faith - it was their awareness that they had on deposit 'all the promises of God.'

As we look to 2015 we do so with our own limitations - individually and as a church. Busyness and stresses press in on all of us. Yet in the midst of this the call of God comes afresh to us here in Ballyhenry, to commend God's works to one another and to declare His mighty acts to a lost and needy world (Psalm 145 vs 4).

God has blessed us with many things, but there is no greater blessing in our possession than 'all the promises of God'. May His promises clothe and equip all we seek to do and be for Him in the year ahead. As we look to 2015 please pray that together we as a fellowship will be used of God to play our part in the unfinished task of making disciples of all peoples here in our local parish, and to the furthest corners of the world.