eNews | Fri 30th April '21

Dear e-News friends & church members,Keep The FaithMost of us have heard this saying. Perhaps from the Bon Jovi album of the same name, perhaps from the Michael Jackson track, or perhaps from fellow football fans as they stand by their struggling team.The truth is, it’s straight out of the Bible, and is said by the Apostle Paul to Timothy as he approaches the end of his life.We read:"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing."- 2 Timothy 4:7-8Keeping the faith is not ‘an end-of-life decision’, but the start of life commitment.Keeping the faith will mean:

• Staying true to Christ no matter what.

I remember once meeting a Chinese pastor of an underground church who was visiting from mainland China. He gave me his calling card, on the one side it said his name, but on the other, it had written, faithful unto death. Of the hundreds of calling cards I’ve been given in my life, this one I remember. He was keeping the faith.

• Staying true to God’s Word at every turn, in every way and in every place.

C.H. Spurgeon who has been called the prince of preachers, and the best known from his generation, died in his early fifties. Some say from a broken heart because the Baptist Union of which he was a part, had embarked on what became known as the ‘downgrade controversy’. This movement downgraded the Bible from its pre-eminent place as God’s infallible word to a book of out-of-date ideas and mythical miracles. Spurgeon was deeply upset by such a thought. He wanted to keep the faith.Keeping the faith will also mean staying on track with your assignment, which NOT only includes what God wants you to do BUT the way in which God wants you to do it. With the correct motives, attitudes and character. Your true values in life are only tested under fire. You have to keep the faith.Keeping the faith does not mean, never making a mistake, always avoiding failures, or even making errors of judgement along the way. It will mean facing and experiencing disappointments. The bigger the call on your life, the bigger the test you will face.Keep the faith.Join us this Sunday as we unpack more on this powerful truth from our series, 'Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves.'Catch Up On Previous PartsCOMING UPWe are calling all our churches and all our people to a full week of prayer and fasting from Monday 3rd May '21. Primarily for the court case which is live and active and will press into a final conclusion in June. We are also praying for God’s grace on all our churches as we find our feet in the new normal, and for many new outreach opportunities to open up before us as we follow our vision statement for the next season - together as one!Please fast as much as you are able this week, and we will be staying in touch with a daily e-News and update.If you want to know more about fasting, we highly recommend Arthur Wallis’s book ‘God’s Chosen Fast’.[yotuwp type="videos" id="D48wuMpCrJo" ]Crowdfunding PageHappy holidays to those who have managed to get away for a few days.We love you guys,AndrewChurch Online Get Connected Get InvolvedGive