On behalf of the entire congregation, we want to express our deepest sympathies to the Arnold and Beattie families. On Tuesday night, we all heard the very very sad news of the tragic and sudden death of Matthew Arnold. He was only 24 years of age, he had often sat in our church with his family to worship, and I was thinking of those scriptures, “Absent from the body and present with the Lord”. I was pondering in my mind, Lord how best could I comfort these dear families? I’m reminded, of course, of God’s person, because God indeed is the God of all comfort, and the father of mercies. He says, ” I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless”. I will come to you:-
He comforts us by His promises, and there’s 7,300 in the bible, and if you’re listening to me and your heart is breaking and you are full of gloom, then I would invite you today to get your bible, get down on your knees, and cry unto God, give me a word, and I believe God will do that.
He’s nigh to the brokenhearted. He says, Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. We also can be comforted in dark providences, remember He says, What I do now ye know not, but ye shall know hereafter, and even in this tragic death of this young man, God has a plan and God has a purpose, and already, three precious souls have come to faith in Christ.
God comforts us by His pardon, and what a wonderful think it is to have the assurance of a full and free and forever justification of all our sins, past, present and future, our sins are under the blood.
But He also comforts us by His power. Jesus Christ is the power of God, and Jesus Christ is alive from the dead, and because He is alive, and resurrected to glory, then His resurrection guarantees that we too will have a resurrection from the dead. So, death is not the end, we sorrow? yes, but not as those without hope, because we have the great hope of the resurrection. And I want you to think of those 2 dear families in particular, and lets uphold them before the Lord in prayer.
Matthew Daniel Arnold
13.06.95 – 07.04.2020
