This morning we celebrated Pastor Paul and his wife Sue. After 11 years of ministry, they are moving on to a new assignment that God is calling them to.
The Whittingstalls are much loved and as you can imagine it was an emotional morning at church as he recounted the journey over the last 11 years.
From working out of a coffee shop to get wifi and Sunday services in a school basement, to being presented with a building and then sending groups of people to start two churches in different parts of the city, it has been a wonderful and blessed journey and as he rightly pointed out, for all this we are grateful to God.
I have personally loved and appreciated Pastor Paul and Sue for many things over the years that I got to know them.
I have sweet memories of Pastor Paul's relationship with Julius. Of seeing him at the hospital before we could get there and sitting with us for hours in the ER, waiting for news. For the days following and the care and love from both Sue and him. For the promise he made that the church would walk with us and yes we have never felt alone in these last almost 6 years and for these, we are grateful to God.
I have appreciated them for their partnership in the gospel in the ministry that I serve. For how Pastor Paul never waivered from preaching the gospel and taking on the tough topics that we needed to hear.
I have had the privilege of watching him counsel with grace and truth.
For encouraging text messages and coffee meetings with Sue. For ministry planning meetings and Saturday prayer times in her home. More than anything, I have been blessed and challenged by her faithful ministry of prayer. I need to get my prayer journal more organised!
I hate saying "goodbye." I think I have said too many goodbyes, having left my home country and come across the world to one that was so foreign to me.
Recently on an evening out with friends, the conversation turned to childhood memories and suddenly I had a clear memory of childhood goodbyes that had been so painful. For various good reasons, (really a topic for another day!) my parents decided I needed to be put into boarding school at the tender age of 10. I hated it. Many years later, I decided to take Julius and the girls to see the place, and as I came to a certain bend in the road, I could feel waves of pain and emotion rush over me. This was the very spot where I used to have to say goodbye to my parents and enter into a scary and harsh world. Oh, how deep are our scars of pain.
As we hugged today, I whispered to Sue: "this is not goodbye."
I know that with every good intention, coffees with Sue will likely not happen as frequently as we would like to, but even if we never meet again this side of heaven, we know this truth for a certainty: "this is not goodbye."
And why am I so sure? It is because of the hope of eternal life that Jesus offers us. Friend if you are reading this and you are under some assumption that you are good enough to go to heaven, or a better place on the other side as it is described, please please read what Jesus says. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
There is no other way. None of our works, or our attempts at righteousness, or religious observances can get us to the Father. None of us is good enough, no not one of us says the Bible.
This is a pretty bold statement and I encourage you to research this for yourself. Your eternity is too important to be decided by anyone or any of the myths you hear.
Ironically I did not even have a chance at a hug or to say "goodbye" six years ago. But I know that if I did, we would say the same thing: "this is not goodbye - this is till we meet again." This is because Julius had surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Julius knew where he was going, not because of anything he deserved but because of the unmerited grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it -turn to Him if you have not as yet. Don't wait till it is too late. This is the gospel that Julius spoke of so passionately as did Pastor Paul in every church service, every Sunday.
I can almost imagine Julius saying what the old hymn writer wrote: "Till we meet at Jesus’ feet, Till we meet, till we meet, God be with you (Joslyn) till we meet again."
I look forward to that day with certainty only because I believe and have accepted Jesus Christ's offer of salvation and for this, I am so grateful to God.
The Whittingstalls are much loved and as you can imagine it was an emotional morning at church as he recounted the journey over the last 11 years.
From working out of a coffee shop to get wifi and Sunday services in a school basement, to being presented with a building and then sending groups of people to start two churches in different parts of the city, it has been a wonderful and blessed journey and as he rightly pointed out, for all this we are grateful to God.
I have personally loved and appreciated Pastor Paul and Sue for many things over the years that I got to know them.
I have sweet memories of Pastor Paul's relationship with Julius. Of seeing him at the hospital before we could get there and sitting with us for hours in the ER, waiting for news. For the days following and the care and love from both Sue and him. For the promise he made that the church would walk with us and yes we have never felt alone in these last almost 6 years and for these, we are grateful to God.
I have appreciated them for their partnership in the gospel in the ministry that I serve. For how Pastor Paul never waivered from preaching the gospel and taking on the tough topics that we needed to hear.
I have had the privilege of watching him counsel with grace and truth.
For encouraging text messages and coffee meetings with Sue. For ministry planning meetings and Saturday prayer times in her home. More than anything, I have been blessed and challenged by her faithful ministry of prayer. I need to get my prayer journal more organised!
I hate saying "goodbye." I think I have said too many goodbyes, having left my home country and come across the world to one that was so foreign to me.
Recently on an evening out with friends, the conversation turned to childhood memories and suddenly I had a clear memory of childhood goodbyes that had been so painful. For various good reasons, (really a topic for another day!) my parents decided I needed to be put into boarding school at the tender age of 10. I hated it. Many years later, I decided to take Julius and the girls to see the place, and as I came to a certain bend in the road, I could feel waves of pain and emotion rush over me. This was the very spot where I used to have to say goodbye to my parents and enter into a scary and harsh world. Oh, how deep are our scars of pain.
As we hugged today, I whispered to Sue: "this is not goodbye."
I know that with every good intention, coffees with Sue will likely not happen as frequently as we would like to, but even if we never meet again this side of heaven, we know this truth for a certainty: "this is not goodbye."
And why am I so sure? It is because of the hope of eternal life that Jesus offers us. Friend if you are reading this and you are under some assumption that you are good enough to go to heaven, or a better place on the other side as it is described, please please read what Jesus says. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
There is no other way. None of our works, or our attempts at righteousness, or religious observances can get us to the Father. None of us is good enough, no not one of us says the Bible.
This is a pretty bold statement and I encourage you to research this for yourself. Your eternity is too important to be decided by anyone or any of the myths you hear.
Ironically I did not even have a chance at a hug or to say "goodbye" six years ago. But I know that if I did, we would say the same thing: "this is not goodbye - this is till we meet again." This is because Julius had surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Julius knew where he was going, not because of anything he deserved but because of the unmerited grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it -turn to Him if you have not as yet. Don't wait till it is too late. This is the gospel that Julius spoke of so passionately as did Pastor Paul in every church service, every Sunday.
I can almost imagine Julius saying what the old hymn writer wrote: "Till we meet at Jesus’ feet, Till we meet, till we meet, God be with you (Joslyn) till we meet again."
I look forward to that day with certainty only because I believe and have accepted Jesus Christ's offer of salvation and for this, I am so grateful to God.
The world needs more of your blogs, my friend.
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