Underhill Baptist Church

PASTOR’S  PAGE - History (Rev Emmanuel Ntusi)

Our Monthly Message History For The Year

You may find it useful during the year to reflect back on our Pastor’s monthly messages of encouragement - so here they are.

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Pastor’s Message (December 2010)

Greetings
It’s advent again! Advent season is a time of preparation, a time of going toward the coming again of the Messiah, a time of great expectation and great anticipation. Advent invites us to fill the cup of today with a full measure of tomorrow.

 

So, what I would like us to do this Christmas season and beyond is simply this:

E Reach out and share the true meaning of Christmas with our neighbours

Like the innkeeper in Bethlehem, let us be willing to open our hearts and our homes in genuine friendship
(Luke 2:1-7).

E Connect with those that are overlooked

Remember that God continues to identify with the poor, so see God’s face on those that are ignored; touch them with your eyes, your time and your love (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)

E Give praise to God (whether good times or in bad times)

I am aware that for some of you, life is pretty sweet right now.
You have family all about.
It is a time of happiness.
For others, life is more bittersweet and difficult.
For even others, it is just plain sour.

But we all have reason to celebrate - the reason comes from the angel Gabriel, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)
Whatever you face today, it is not impossible for God…
 

Remember this – The TRUE spirit of Christmas is worship

 

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year. 

 

Yours in Christ Jesus

Emmanuel

Pastor’s Message (January 2011)

 

Dear Friends and Happy New Year!

 

We all know how to dial 999 the emergency number. It is our link to help during a desperate situation. We can call anytime day or night and there is a voice on the other end of the line to reassure us that someone would respond to our need.

 

God has an emergency number too, it is 333.

Jeremiah 33:3 – ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things, you do not know’.

Jeremiah was living in desperate times. The people of Jerusalem had been taken captive. Jeremiah had faithfully preached but his message had been totally rejected. Moreover, Jeremiah was imprisoned. Yet God gave this man, an invitation to prayer.

 

But, wait for a minute that is not all - if you call today within the next few minutes … Yes we all have heard that line from the commercial adverts. But the truth is there is no limit to the possibilities of prayer.

 

Here at Underhill God has given us Jeremiah 33:3 as a text for 2011. Jeremiah 33 covers the spectrum of life.

· What are the things that hold you back on becoming all that God wants of you?

· What are the things that we find difficult to do as a congregation?

· In what ways are we open to explore some new ways of thinking about prayer?

 

What do you want to know, do you need some answers?

My friends let me remind some of you that God has more answers than Google. God has the answers to all your questions and his provisions are greater than your problem or petitions.

 

Some of us need to take God at His word and "Call to Him."
Who knows, but that He will immediately "answer us” and give us access to what has been inaccessible and make known to us what has been unknowable.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, to Him be the glory"

(Eph. 3:20,21).

 

Yours in Christ Jesus
Emmanuel

Pastor’s Message (July 2011)

Dear Friends,

“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, if a person continues asking, that person will receive. If a person continues looking, that person will find. And if a person continues knocking, the door will open for that person." (ERV) Matthew 7:7-8

As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations, we are opening our doors to  family, friends and neighbours to share an informal afternoon of fun and  fellowship for all ages, including a barbeque, tea and cakes, bouncy castle, face painting, + other activities & games.

As we begin to celebrate our anniversary in the next three months let us ‘Ask, look and knock’.  These actions sound so harmless and so easy.                      But behind these words is the intent of Jesus: "Be persistent! Keep asking! Continue looking! Don't quit knocking!" This is not a cookbook prescription, but the target approach we should have in our prayers and our lives. We must be persistent and faithful.

But before making that persistence our key to acquiring and achieving for ourselves, let's remember Jesus' example in the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13: the focus is on God's will -- his Kingdom and his glory, on our most basic needs -- daily bread, and on overcoming sin through forgiveness and healing. Jesus is reminding us that if we stay after these, not only will we get what we ask for, but we will also be changed in the process!

So, do come along yourself and keep praying for those that have received invitations. Keep looking for others and be involved to help make this a good day. Yes, keep knocking (encouraging) others to join us in one of our celebration events.

Yours in Christ Jesus

Emmanuel

Pastor’s Message (September 2011)

75th ANNIVERSARY FLOWER FESTIVAL

Dear Friends,

I hope and pray that you are ready to welcome friends and family as we approach this important weekend in the life of our church. We have called upon the Lord and I believe that it is going be a superb three day Anniversary Flower Festival, celebrating 75 years of worship and service at Underhill. I want to remind all of us that this landmark event is a time of Celebration and thanksgiving for the many years that the Lord has guided us. So “Give thanks to God, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1).

Men and women have been blessed with the skills to write hymns and songs of worship that express our response to God. Our Anniversary Flower Festival brings together hymn writers and some of the variety of His creation. Let us pray that the flowers will speak of God and His provision for us.

To God be the glory for great things he has done.

Yours in Christ Jesus

Emmanuel

Pastor’s Message (October 2011)
 

“Give thanks to God, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

Psalm 118:1 was one of the verses we reflected on at our 75th Church Anniversary weekend- “Give thanks to God, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

I want to encourage us to continue to give thanks to God because…

- It was good to have Grasvenor children  and their parents at opening on Friday

- Fellowship was shared as soup lunch had been very popular

- Arrangements reflected some of the great words of the Christian faith found in hymns and songs

- Beautiful displays spoke of God and His provision for us

- Even those who did not manage to come to the building but saw the photos in our church website were touched by God.

- About £200 had been raised for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice

- Some visitors had attended the service on Sunday and many good contacts were made and we need to continue to build on these.

Finally, give thanks to God for the able co-ordination of Elsie Griffin, Penny Chambers and the team for their work in planning and preparation.   Also I want to express my appreciation to everyone who contributed in a variety of ways to ensure our 75th Anniversary weekend was a success.

I wish you a happy Harvest season, and pray that God’s grace will enable you to engage meaningfully and deeply with His provision.

 

Yours in Christ Jesus

Emmanuel