by Steve Tunstall, Trinity Church (Baptist & United Reformed)

AS I was in town on December 5, I met up with the person who organises the Viewpoint. Steve, he said, as I left home this morning I decided that the first person I met who was a contributor, I would ask them to do a Viewpoint – will you? Sure, I said, expecting a date in January, when do you want it? Much to my surprise he said, will you do one for December 17. Wow, this left me just five days before the editor needed it. However...

There was a gardener who removed a wild briar from a ditch. The briar said: “Why is this, doesn’t he know what I am?” But the gardener took me to his garden and planted me among his flowers. “What a mistake he has made, planting an old briar like me among these lovely roses!" But the gardener came again, and made a slit in the old briar’s stem, and grafted in a cutting from a choice rose. When summer came, sweet roses were blooming on the old briar, and the gardener said: “I took you, and planted you, not for anything I could get out of you, but for what I could put into you.” I ask myself, what has Christ put into my life, or yours? Let’s look.

John 10: verse 28. Everlasting salvation! I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them from my hand.

Romans 5: 1. Justification! Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 9: 24. Glory! But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands me, that I am the Lord exercising loving kindness, judgement and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord.