Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
When reading through the account in Mark 5 of how Jesus healed the demon-oppressed man called Legion, I was struck by the contrast of verse 4 (“No one had the strength to subdue [the demon-possessed man]”) and verse 15 (“And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid”). Nobody had the strength to even just subdue the man – but Jesus had the strength to free him.
That’s true of our neighboring schemes of Merkinch & South Kessock, too. Nobody has the strength to even change the outward signs of deprivation in our community. But Jesus has the strength to bring eternal change and hope as people dead in sin are raised to newness of life.
And that’s true of our little church planting team. Nobody has the strength to keep us unified and persevering with joy. But Jesus. And it’s true of my own heart: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25)
That’s why we are here planting a wee church here in a forgotten part of Scotland, because only the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has the power to change lives for eternity. What a wonderful King we serve!
Madras Court:
A house over from my house & the church hall is this little tunnel which leads to Madras Court. The council housing hidden away back there is specifically set aside for people who have learning disabilities.
In the past few weeks, the Lord has given our church planting team a lot of favor with a group of folks who live in Madras Court. The people we know are becoming more friendly, open, and curious about the church, and a couple of them have been coming to our Sunday gatherings. Would you pray with us for the people living on Madras Court?
I can’t help but praise the Lord when I think of the work that He is already doing in drawing some of those folks to come learn about the Gospel. Isn’t it just like our Lord to be drawing people to Himself from places the world looks down on and pushes aside? It brings to my mind the glorious truths of 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
Oh that one day many people from Madras Court and all over our scheme will join us in boasting in the Lord. How I long for that!
From the rising of the sun to its setting may the name of the Lord be praised,
Claire
Claire in Scotland 