From Ben – 24 October 2021
As this lock down continues and we find ourselves locked out of church, I have felt the Lord direct my attention to Philippians 1:12 “these chains have served to advance the gospel”. This passage refers to the fact that, despite being incarcerated, the apostle Paul saw his imprisonment and chains as an opportunity to advance the gospel of God’s love and grace. He capitalises on the fact that every 4 hours, night and day, he has a new Roman soldier chained to him. This, he used as a fresh opportunity to witness and evangelise. By the time of his trial many months later he could say, “the whole palace guard has heard the gospel”.
I have been asking God to show me how this lock down, these chains, can advance the gospel? How can we find fresh, innovative, and creative ways to share God’s love and grace with others? For me, preaching to an empty church each Sunday, I am now praying that our online services would be a powerful blessing far and wide and the end result would be that G.P.C. and our ministry will reach more people in lockdown than we did before.
How can you advance the gospel at this time? What about sending out emails of encouragement to others, phoning contacts and sharing a bible verse with them, popping a card of encouragement in letter boxes, placing a food parcel with a verse on Scripture on it at the door of a family in need. Let’s look for fresh ways of using these chains to advance the gospel.