Dear Friends

Some time ago the Reverend Charles Ellis wrote, “I am a tremendous sports fan. Since many sporting events take place when I am not at home, I videotape them. When it’s time to sit in my easy chair and view the tape, unlike most people, I don’t rewind to the beginning to view it. Instead, I rewind to the climax to discover who won and who lost. If my team lost, I’ll put the tape away, but if my team won I’ll rewind the game back to the beginning, get out some snacks and watch the whole game.

Some have told me that this method can’t be much fun. On the contrary, I know that no matter how bleak things look for my team, I don’t have to worry because I know the end of the story.

That’s how we ought to think about the world and God’s ultimate destiny for believers. We ought to have a VCR mentality: no matter how bad things look, we don’t have to worry because we know the end of the story.”

In Titus, Chaper 1 we are told that God created “time”, and that being eternal or timeless He is actually the God of Time. People often debate about what exactly “time” is, but whatever it may be Scripture gives us some comforting facts – that time is itself a created thing, that God is Eternal and stands outside of time, that He is in full control of “time” and that “He knows the end from the beginning and from ancient time things that have not yet occurred”. (Isiah 46)

Scripture reassures us that God’s ultimate purposes and intention for creation will in the long run come to pass and that God’s will, will ultimately be done. It teaches us that God was fully aware that human beings would use their freewill to rebel and sin, and that He made provision for a solution to our disobedience long before the first sin even occurred.

In Revelations Chapter 13 verse 8 it says, “the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world.” What this means is that when God created the world, He did so with the fore-knowledge that it would cost Him seeing His Son suffer on the Cross, to address the mess we would make of things. When God sent His Son, 2000 years ago to Bethlehem, it was no afterthought, - it was no last minute desparate attempt to help a sinful race – no, the God of love had it planned from eternity. Little wonder Scripture warns, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”.

The Bible is unique and different from all other religious books in that one third of it is composed of prophecy and predictions. These predictions make it clear that God would not have created the world, if He couldn’t ultimately bring His long term plans for the human race to pass in spite of their rebellion. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows that He will one day pay back those who have suffered unjustly, He knows that one day He will punish the wicked and that they will not escape justice forever. He knows that one day the righteous will be rewarded for their labour. God sees the end from the beginning and knows all wrongs etc. will be redressed in eternity. He remains calm. We too should be calm and stop worrying. As bads as things may get in this world, let us remember God has seen the end of the video and “the right team wins”. Stop worrying.

Your pastor and friend