Highlight
Justin (pictured) started coming to St John’s at the end of January, after being invited to church by his family-friend Shirley. While he had attended church as a child, he grew up ignoring Jesus, and focused on living for himself. COVID-19 had been a huge wake-up call for Justin, as he realised that there was more to life than success and riches. So over the four weeks in February, Justin and I attended our church’s evangelistic course named Explore. By God’s grace, I got to see Justin come to recognise Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. The most amazing and humbling part of this journey was the fact that when I asked Justin to pray the sinner’s prayer with me, he told me he had already done it by himself! It has been such a joy to witness God bring people from death to life, and it has also been a great reminder to me that it is God alone who saves. Justin and I now read the bible together, so please pray that I would disciple Justin faithfully, fully recognising it is God’s work, and all glory belongs to Him.
Learning
Firstly, thank you for those of you who have been praying for me throughout this month. Some of you have reached out to me to me personally, and I’ve appreciated your affirmation and encouragements. Slowly but surely, God is growing me to be holy and gentle in my speech, so thank you!
This month I have been preparing to preach at the Hospital Bible Fellowship at Westmead Hospital. Reflecting on Ephesians 1:1-14, I have been reminded once again that in Jesus, I have every blessing for life with Him! One thing God has particularly been teaching me is to count my eternal blessings, and not just my physical ones. God is the giver of all good gifts, and I have been foolish in only counting the ones that are temporary and right in front of me! There have been times where I’ve had been deceived into thinking that God is far away because I’ve had a horrible day, but God’s word reminds me that he shows me his love in his eternal promises. The book of Ephesians reminds me that God’s love and mercy spans from eternity past, to the eternity to come.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. – Ephesians 1:3-4
Prayer
- Thank God that he saved Justin. Please pray that as Nathan and Justin read the bible together, Justin would grow as into a faithful disciple of Jesus
- Ask God that Nathan would learn to count his eternal blessings in Christ over his physical ones. In Christ we have every spiritual blessing!
The Marsden Fund 