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Old Meeting House Congregational Church (1643)

The Best Hidden Church in Norwich

Failed, you can start again.

“I’m afraid to commit myself utterly to being a Christian as I am afraid that I might fail.” This has been said to me on several occasions as I have mentored people who had once had a vital religious experience but for various reasons have lost it. Few of them doubt the reality of their original experience. It shines like a golden hour in their memories. How can they rediscover the glorious time when they first experienced the love of God in their lives? What price do they have to pay to be fully restored? Their failure may have come through just one mad hour of forgetfulness and rebellion, or over time by neglect. Satan is a magician who seeks to turn our dreams into dust. Yes, some of us blame Satan for all the trouble we have when sometimes he is quite innocent as we have caused it ourselves. Over the years that I have been involved in counselling I am constantly astonished that so many of us are our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up over and over again. We want to be loved but seem to spend most of our lives in pain! We have a fear of the future. Yet any of us can get back to that place where we first encountered God’s wonderful love and forgiveness in our lives. The way back is not by the long, slow steady climb of resolute and determined self-effort which was the way of pilgrims in the Middle Ages, but by a simple decision to face life afresh with Christ. When Peter failed so tragically in the hour of crisis, (see John 18: 15 – 27), he did not climb back to discipleship through months of weary struggle. He met Jesus face-to-face; he did not hide any of his failure. “Lord, You know all things.” He confessed his love, and received there and then his Master’s forgiveness. Our way back is by the same road. We must come face-to-face with Jesus. Confess the things that like Peter we would hide because of our shame. We need to tell Jesus that we love Him and claim that forgiveness that is deeper than our deepest sin. His love will cast out our fear; you will know that a new day has begun in your life. Let’s remember the promise found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Old things are passed away, behold all things become new.” So why not begin again today?

John.

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