LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” APRIL 2023
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
Sunday 2nd April: 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 9th April: 10:45 am Family Service Val Hulme
Sunday 16th April: 10:45 am Short time of worship led by Rev. Jane Henderson, followed by the Church and Congregation Meeting **
Sunday 23rd April : Communion Service Val Hulme
Sunday 30th April: 10:45 am Open Service
Wednesday 19th April: 11:30 am Deacons' Meeting
Wednesday 26th April: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am
**We will be joined by Rev. Jane Henderson, NWBA Regional Minister and Joint Team Leader for a short time of worship, followed by the Church and Congregation Meeting on Sunday 16th April. Please put this important date in your diary.
Our Pastoral Leader will be on annual leave from Tuesday April 11th - Saturday April 15th (inclusive) and on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th April.
The repairs following the damage caused by a burst water pipe in December are almost complete. The affected areas are being deep cleaned on Saturday April 1st and the carpets and vinyls are due to be fitted on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th April. We are aiming to put everything back in its rightful place on Wednesday 5th April. We need as many people as possible to help, so if you are free, please come along. We aim to start at 10:30 am.
Pastoral Prayers
We were saddened to hear that Brenda Culpin died on March 25th. Her funeral service will be held at Leigh Baptist Church on Monday April 17th at 1:30pm, led by our Pastoral Leader. The service will be followed by interment in Leigh Cemetery at 2:30 pm. Our condolences go to all of Brenda's family.
Kathleen M underwent a hip replacement operation last month. Please pray for continued healing and increased mobility.
We continue to pray for Margaret (David W's partner) following a stroke.
Good Friday walk of Witness.Meeting at St Joseph’s Chapel St for a short service at 11am then walking down Bradshawgate to the Library Square for a service. Refreshments afterwards in St Mary’s Church. Join us for the walk and witness or just for the service outside the Library.
EASTER MESSAGE
In the March Messenger I mentioned the love of God and how sin had entered into the world. Those subjects have come up many times recently in my reading of Bible notes and books and also in various sermons. Now, as we think about celebrating Easter, we can think of so many aspects of that Christian festival. So much took place beginning with the time of Christ’s journey into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday to the sounds of “Hosanna, blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord.” Then there was the Passover Meal on the Thursday, then Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion and finally His rising again on that glorious Resurrection morning. But through it all shines the Love of God. It was because “God so loved the world that he sent His only Son” to earth to enable people to be reconciled to Him as sin and death were defeated by Jesus shedding His blood on the cross of Calvary. 1 John 1:4 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent His Son to be the Sacrifice for our sins.” We used to sing a hymn which said that the Love of God was far greater than we could ever describe.
In the NT book of Revelation we read that John, who was a prisoner on the island of Patmos, sent greetings to the seven churches of Asia Minor which included a Doxology “to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood ---to Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.”
In chapter 5 John had a vision of Heaven and heard a voice saying, “Who is worthy to break the seal and open the scroll?” But, it says that no-one anywhere could open the scroll. Then John was told, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.” John “saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne.” Those standing round the throne fell down before the Lamb and sang a new song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals because you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Who is the one who was worthy? Who was the lamb that was slain and whose blood was shed? None other than God’s own Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, who on the first Good Friday died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins as Romans 5:8 tells us, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” It is through the shedding of Jesus’ blood that we can be cleansed, or washed, from all sin. Because sin had come into the world through Adam and Eve there is now no human being who does not sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jesus is the only one who, although tempted, did not sin. Because of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross we can be reconciled to God and be forgiven. As Jesus died the curtain of the Temple was torn in two, so opening up to the Holy of Holies, representing the bringing down of the barrier between mankind and God. We therefore know that when we repent of our sins and ask to be forgiven, God will grant that because He loves us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
It is because of Jesus’ death that we can bring our prayers to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Name.
The Easter events did not end with the death and burial of Jesus. At the dawn of the first day of the week the women found the stone rolled away from the tomb and no sign of the body of Jesus. But there was an angel who told them that Jesus was risen and that they should go and tell the other disciples. It must have been hard for them to comprehend, and ever since then it has been difficult for many people to accept the truth. The proof is in the accounts in the Gospels of Jesus appearing to the disciples on various occasions after His resurrection, and the change in the disciples from being frightened and fearful to being strong, confident, and unafraid.
As we celebrate Our Saviour’s resurrection on Easter day we know that we also have the promise of Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom of peace and love where there is no sin. But we need to heed the words in 1 John 5:12, “He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” It is said that this life is a preparation for the life to come. This Easter let us celebrate the events of the First Easter by acknowledging afresh that Jesus is the Son of God and our Saviour. Let us rededicate our lives to trusting in Him to help us to do His will and to guide us. We can then worship and praise Him ‘in Spirit and in Truth’ as we say or sing, “Christ is Risen, Halleluiah.” Happy Easter, Kathie . Source NIV