SCAPEGOAT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH – JANUARY 2024 NEWSLETTER

Wishing you all a very blessed and happy new year, may 2024 be a year full of God’s grace and blessing

So, how has your Christmas been?  I guess it has been different for each of us.  Some have been away to relatives or had relatives with them and sadly, some folk have really been poorly, everyone has a different experience. But the gift to be unwrapped afresh each Christmas is where we find the start of our redemption package, God’s rescue plan for His lost people.

There were no Royal proclamations announcing Jesus birth (no world press pack ensconced outside a little house in Bethlehem). To start with it was just the angels bringing the news to the shepherds.  Craig mentioned on Christmas Day that we have an invitation to join in singing “Gloria” with those angels. We might not all be up to singing the Alleluia Chorus, but we can surely give some heartfelt volume to ‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ as we think of Jesus’ birth.

It doesn’t really matter what season of the year we are in, as there is not a moment when God’s heart is not set towards His Creation. Yes, we get the first glimpse of God’s own answer to reach mankind in the fields around Bethlehem and see it fulfilled absolutely on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Then, having seen Jesus ascend to Heaven, the Holy Spirit came down from there to reach people, to open their eyes and draw them into a living relationship with Jesus.

And for all of those who have realised that Jesus died for them, they become children of God and the Holy Spirit gently takes his place in our spirit to help us live – abundant life!

There couldn’t be a more encouraging thing to arrange at the beginning of a new year than a baptism.  So if you feel the time could be right for you or someone you know, please come and talk to us!

Every blessing, Liz