I was much encouraged to read this devotional comment from 'Days Of Praise' this morning .... plus it dovetails with the theme of our Campaign – 'Consider Christ.'It Is Christ
June 18, 2009
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34).
In our text, Paul asks if there is anyone who can issue a guilty sentence against believers.
In light of all Christ has done, and the fact that the Father "hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22), only Christ has the authority to condemn. Will Christ condemn those for whom He died?
Obviously not, and Paul gives four reasons why the very suggestion is absurd.1. First: "It is Christ that died."
He is the very one who left heaven to die as a substitute for us. True, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), but "Christ died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Certainly, the one who bore condemnation for us will not turn and condemn us.
2. Second: He "is risen again."
He did not stay in the grave, but He rose victorious, proving that God the Father had accepted His sacrifice. Certainly "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18) who desires "that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29) will not turn and thwart His own work and plan.
3. Third: He is even now "at the right hand of God" where He is, among other things, preparing a place for us (John 14:2-3).
He intends for us to join Him and will not condemn us. One would think He had done enough for us, but no.
4. Fourth: He "also maketh intercession for us."
As long as we, His "brethren," still live, He is interceding to God on our behalf. He asks the Father for our acceptance, not for our condemnation.
If the only one with authority to condemn will not condemn, then we have the assurance that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). JDM
I was extremely happy to receive a phone call from Lisneal College, Londonderry, this morning, confirming that we are welcome to use their School Assembly Hall for one of the regional rallies in our 'Consider Christ' Campaign, on Friday, 25 September 2009.
This is an excellent venue, with very good facilities for parking. Lisneal College is the largest school ever constructed in the North West, occupying a 22-acre site on Crescent Link, Londonderry, and costing £12m. This state-of-the-art building was opened in September 2007 and caters for nearly 1000 pupils.
Photos of this venue may be accessed at:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95933061204
No charge has been set for the hire of this venue; we are simply invited to make a donation to school funds.
We hope to be able to give further updates this week re other venues for the Regional Rallies.
The worst weather I can remember in the month of June for many a year arrived during our sub-Committee meeting in Magherafelt today. Even when we had concluded some lengthy discussions and were ready for a late lunch, no-one was volunteering to be the first to break rank and cover and race to the car!
By the time we were driving through Magherafelt town, the rain had been joined by thunder and lightning, then by a rapid shower of hailstones, turning the centre of the road white and flooding the sides of the road.
This reminds us of the phrase used by many to describe the work of God the Holy Spirit in revival blessing – a real "gully-washer."
In a spiritual sense, how our land needs this!
I plucked a very challenging sentence from a Blog tonight (written by 'Pastor Don'):
"We need to move revival off the emotion meter and place it on the commitment measuring stick. For so long, we have waited for God to send a gully-washer of a Holy Ghost visitation, thinking somehow He won't notice our lack of dedication and honour."
Please keep praying as we plan for our Evangelistic Outreach in the Autumn of this year. May God answer prayer by sending a "gully-washer of a Holy Ghost visitation"!
8 Billboards are already booked for Belfast during the advertising cycle (#19 in the business), 7-20 September 2009.We are now sifting through reams of data, assisted by a few pictures, in an effort to secure other billboard sites that will carry our Campaign across the Province of Ulster.The intention is to book 2 billboards in each town where we plan to hold a Regional Rally:LondonderryArmaghEnniskillenBallymenaNewryLisburnDungannon.A further 20+ centres have been selected as potential locations for Billboards (These will be listed when confirmed. A meeting is booked with a representative of 'Decaux / CBS' Billboards for the middle of this week).
Another meeting of the sub-Committee that is organising the 'Doing Something More For God' Campaign took place this morning/afternoon in Magherafelt FPC.
Each member of the sub-Committee (Revs. Ormerod, Smith, McLaughlin and Brown) had been assigned the task of sourcing and booking appropriate venues for our 8 Regional Rallies that are planned for 25 September and 2 October.
September 25:
Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh, Enniskillen
October 2:
Ballymena, Newry, Lisburn, Dungannon
We have been trying to book 'neutral' venues for each of the rallies, with our top preference being School Assembly Halls. It's rather amazing how much planning is necessary to secure just one venue. (Some schools operate under a PPI Initiative, which means that the final decision re the granting of a request to use a school after its regular opening hours comes from Scotland! Some schools are already booked; others have shown little or no enthusiasm to co-operate).
However, we remain positive, and were buoyed today by the confirmation of two locations as definite venues for our rallies:
• Ballymena North (Sports Complex), Cushendall Road, Ballymena;
• Drumglass High School, Dungannon.
At least one of these has come in at an astonishingly inexpensive price!!
News re others is expected this week.
