Hold tightly to God in 2014. Search and cleanse your hearts even as you cleaned out your homes during the Christmas season, and stay focused on God in the New Year.
This was part of the message to the congregation of God’s Vision Of Prayer, Praise And Worship in Silver Sands, Christ Church, during its late-night service on Old Year’s Night.
Speakers Reverend Cecilia Harewood and Minister Jennifer Reid both urged their listeners to remove the masks and get real with God.
Harewood admonished them to give God their best and not to serve Him in a lacklustre manner in 2014.
“God deserves the best you can give. This season is not a season to play around Him. In fact, God ‘ain’t mekking nuh sport’ this year,” she warned.
She added the signs of the times signalled that unless people held tightly to God in 2014, they could become dismayed and give up the faith.
She advised listeners to “stop playing church”, serve God wholeheartedly and not to be sidetracked or distracted from their service and commitment to Him.
“The world is facing perilous times and more than ever, God should be the focal point of our lives,” she noted.
In asking them to cleanse their hearts, she quoted Psalm 51:10, where David asked God to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him.
She reminded them that God did not look on their outward appearance, but on the content of their hearts.
In her turn, Reid, using Jeremiah 29:11, told the people that “God has a good plan for their lives, if only they would walk closer and hand in hand with Him”.
The members of God’s Vision Of Prayer, Praise And Worship had earlier heard that the Christmas season was not about “commercial celebrations”, but that one must pay attention to the reason(s) why Jesus came into the world.
Harewood stressed that apart from being sent to redeem man from his sins, Jesus pointed out six reasons why He came into the world:
• that we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10);
• not to bring peace as some supposed, but to bring a sword (Matthew 10:34);
• that our joy may be full (John 15:11);
• to send fire on the earth (Luke 12:49);
• as a light unto the world (John 8:12); and
• to fulfil the Law, not to abolish it (Matthew 15:7).
She specifically stressed that “abundant life is living according to the purpose for which God created us”, and it was about experiencing the fullness of God and rejoicing in the grace which He offers.
“It’s about a personal, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ; that you know the depths and heights, length and width of God’s love,” she added.
During the New Year’s Eve service, there was special ministry in song by Stefan Hope and Christan Trotman, after which members and friends partook in a hearty fare during the early hours of New Year’s Day.
