The Congregation expressed its thanks to God for another pleasant and encouraging Communion season which ran from Thursday 15th March to the Lord’s Day 18th March.
On Thursday the neighbouring Minister Reverend Andrew Allan spoke on “The Great Catch” recorded in Luke 5. Providentially studies in Luke continued when the presiding Minister for the rest of the weekend (Reverend Raymond Kemp) took his message for Friday from Luke 8, regarding the woman with the issue of blood, and allowing the congregation to look more closely at “The Faith that Heals“.
On Saturday, prior to the members being given their communion tokens, the congregation again gathered under the preaching of God’s Word and heard a powerful message regarding the saints communion with Christ, taking the Song of Solomon chapter 2 as his focus allowing those under the word to meditate on “The provisions of the Apple Tree“.
When the Lord’s Day arrived, Glasgow had been hit with a flurry of snow which had left road conditions near the Partick Congregation particularly dangerous. It was decided that their services would be cancelled and the congregation invited to join with Knightswood. This lead to a very encouraging turnout.
Those who were able to get out were treated to two fine sermons. Firstly, the congregation was commanded to behold the Lord Jesus Christ, as Mr Kemp laboured on the text “Behold the Man” (John 19:5) while in the evening a challenging message was delivered from Psalm 103. This saw many from the East End of the city join with the congregation.
While much thanks was due to the visiting Ministers and those who behind the scenes who had made the church comfortable, it was pressed home that the real thing that had to be done was that the Lord was to be thanked for his goodness. The evening service is suitably a challenging one then “Remembering to bless the Lord“.
After the evening service, Reverend Kemp spoke of the Lord’s Work in his own life. Despite having been an English teacher, he quipped that he would be providing geography lessons to the Minister of our Congregation after a discussion of the intricacies of the geography of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
Mr Kemp asked that the Congregation would remember his own congregation in prayer. Rather than asking for money or advertising – Mr Kemp asked that we would seek for the Spirit to work.
Reverend Raymond Kemp labours in the Isle of Skye. In the congregation of Kilmuir & Stenscholl (Staffin) which has greatly changed since the days where Reverend Kenneth Macleod recorded “I saw so many young people present and realised what an influence our Church has got in this place”.
In Knightswood, and in Staffin, our only hope and confidence is placed in the Lord. It is by his grace that the Kingdom shall be built. Indeed, as Mr Kemp has previously declared to the Free Church School in Theology: the Lord Jesus Christ shall build his church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Congregation in Staffin maintains a twitter account @StaffinFCC which posts edifying and uplifting content.