“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentation 3:22,23
This weekend we celebrate 57 years of God’s faithfulness to Newcastle Fellowship Baptist Church, and we likewise praise God, that He has seen fit to bless us to a great degree in giving us Pastor Jacques Nadeau as a faithful shepherd for 19 years, exactly one-third of the life of this church. From its small beginnings of a few families to the congregation as we know it today, through joys and through struggles, God has led and built this church for His glory and as a witness to the gospel in this community. Truly, His mercies are new every morning!
However, it has been said that wherever God plants a church, Satan erects a chapel. Satan will always try to tear down the work of God! He will try to have members focus on the volume of the drums, or the quality of the sound system, or the timing of the power-point, or the clothing of the person seated nearby. He will try to set one member against another, for any number of reasons. Satan does not want you to head for home this morning with the Word of God on your mind, the praise of God on your lips, and the love of God in your heart. The enemy of our souls is real and he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
In the midst of such a setting, Pastor Jacques labours for the Lord. His task is not an easy one. The spiritual well-being of every member is always on his heart and mind. All the struggles within the church become his struggles. The apostle Paul exhorts us to “acknowledge those who work hard among you, and who care for you in the Lord” (2 Thess. 5:12). Pastor Jacques works hard, and cares for you in the Lord! Drop him a card of encouragement! Send him an email of sincere gratitude! Hold him in the highest regard in love, and, above all, pray for him!
May God fill us with a supernatural love for our Pastor, and for one another, that sees beyond trivial differences, and genuinely seeks the best interests of others. And may God use the generations following us, to proclaim the good news of the gospel, in this place, through the joys and the struggles, for God’s eternal glory!
Great is Thy Faithfulness!