Growing in Every Circumstance

Today is officially the last day of Phase 2 (HA)! Yayy!! The good news is that tomorrow we will begin Phase 3 (HA). The bad news of course is that for those of us who are looking forward to when we can dine in again, apparently Phase 3 (HA) is going to happen in two phases - which means no dining in until 21st of June 😩

Jokes aside, what is going to happen for us as a church in Phase 3 (HA)? Specifically, will we be coming back for in person services? Or will we continue our services online? How does all this affect our worship of God?

The short answer is this - for the months of June-July-August, CNL will be continuing our Sunday Worship Services through online streaming. The primary reason for this is to keep our routines as the church as stable and consistent as possible. Our driving concern is that throughout this fast-changing and unstable environment, we want to keep our spiritual routines and disciplines as stable as possible.

But what about our personal spiritual development? What about our children and our friends - how do we keep them connected? What about the fulfilment of our responsibilities as God’s royal priesthood and our vocation to preach the Gospel and disciple the nations? These are the questions that occupy the leadership team and we are developing plans to answer to these questions as we step into the second half of 2021. But for now, let me encourage with this simple thought - regardless of what Phase we are in; regardless of our situation, regardless of our circumstances, we can grow.

Whether things are going according to our plans or they don’t, we can grow.

Whether things are going well for us or not, we can grow.

Whatever challenges we might face, we can grow.

In any situation and in every circumstances, we can grow. We can grow stronger for Christ. We can grow deeper in Christ. We can grow our faithfulness to Christ. This is the implication of the Gospel that we believe in. This was the amazing confidence that the apostles had.

After completing his exposition of the Gospel to the church in Rome, Paul says ““And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 ESV); or when he completes his exposition to the church in Ephesus, he says exhorts them - “Be Strong in the LORD and in the strength of His might! Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11 ESV)

For Paul, because of the Gospel of Jesus, the full armour of God as Divine Warrior, is now available to us as His children. The apostle Peter would put it more directly - “His divine power had granted to us all things that pertains to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Or in other words, if your desire in this life is to live well, to live true, to be fully human as God intended for you and me to be, then ALL OF GOD’S POWER is already available to you.

We have all been undergoing tremendous pressure and strain in this Pandemic. And even after a year on, it doesn’t look like the end is in sight. Even if we have been able to hold on, we can see many around us who are struggling and showing signs of fatigue. But let those of us who know the Gospel, not lose hope. Immanuel, God is with us. Let’s learn to grow. Stronger. Deeper. More Faithful. Amen.