Jet washing the patio
That’s another job ticked off our list!
Over this period of lock-down we have finally got around to jet washing the patio outside the back door, the pathway out the front of our house and the stone circle at the top of the garden.
And what a difference it has made!
One of the delightful things about jet washing is the immediate transformation it makes. Slabs that were grimy or had mould on them suddenly, before one’s very eyes, become clean and new looking as the high-pressure hose is applied. The dirt flies off at the press of a switch – and what satisfaction it brings!
Not everything in life brings such immediate results but jet washing is one of them.
Doing this made me think of what we believe as Christians, namely that when we first put our faith in Christ and receive Him as our Saviour He cleanses us from all our sin, so much so that as the apostle Paul says – ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ (2 Corinthians 5 verse 17).
It really is as good and as true as that!
At the same time, we all realise that as Christians we live far from perfect lives. What good news then to know that the sins we daily commit, the ‘travel stains’ of life, can also be washed away – ‘If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1 verse 9).
You too may have been deep cleaning your house or garden during this time. May this little message speak to you about the deep cleaning Jesus gives.
‘Oh, the blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow.’
Anthony Walker
P.S. from Stephen: There are lots of different versions of the hymn ‘Nothing but the blood of Jesus’ on YouTube, both traditional (Virtual Choir) and contemporary versions – Matt Redman does a nice re-working of the hymn but perhaps you’d like to be adventurous and try: GuvnaB nothing but the blood lyrics
PRAYER NEWS
Lynn’s mum, Mary had a successful operation on her hip a couple of days ago and is now receiving physiotherapy. She is also now clear of COVID19 although still in isolation at the hospital.
Our BMS friends Neil and Jane are still in the UK and using their time to take on-line training courses so at to keep their qualifications up to date. They still hope to be able later this year to teach dentistry to their students abroad.
On the Open Doors website, towards the bottom of their front page – on the left is,
5 WAYS COVID-19 IS AFFECTING NORTH KOREA
In the article they ask us to PLEASE PRAY:
- That the impact of Covid-19 on the food and medical situation would soon be reversed, and the people of North Korea would be able to get what they need
- For open borders so that Open Doors secret networks of Christians can be reached by North Koreans
- That the North Korean regime will open their hearts to see the truth of Jesus and His love, and that this will lead them to care for the millions of people living under starvation and persecution.
Another of our BMS friends Judy in her latest newsletter about Hope Home in Ching Mai, Thailand, describes how lock-down is affecting them. “Schools are still closed and we are still not sure what form at home resource learning will be provided from our children’s special school – for some it is via TV lessons across the country but these are not at an appropriate level for our children in the majority. Pray for us as we face the challenge of keeping the children progressing in their education needs, as well as their socialization skill needs outside of being only at Hope Home. Tada and Choppy and Yim are back at their private OT therapy each Saturday with very strict cleansing and social distancing in place. This certainly helps with the socialization side. The government physiotherapy and occupational therapy places are not yet open and we do not know when that will be.”
Please remember in your prayers the children and staff of Hope Home, especially Judy as she deals with all the additional pressures of lock-down.
On Saturday you will receive an email giving you the link to join me in a ‘Zoom Meeting’ on Sunday at 5pm. It will be an opportunity to share which two descriptions you chose from Wednesday’s list of names of God.
I will as usual write to you on Sunday - Stephen