Hold Fast Gospel Church

An update from the ministry of Pastor Jeremy Searle:

Greetings in our Saviour’s precious Name.

Thank you to all our dear brother’s and sister’s in Christ who have been praying for us and with us. We rejoice with great hope in the Lord’s wonderful grace and mercy that has been upon us.

As I write this update, we have finally come into some cooler weather here in Gladstone. That is, it has finally felt like Autumn and not Summer, apparently the duration of winter is measured in hours and not months in this part of the world.

We thank the Lord for His goodness to us this past year as we fast approach the 12 month mark since our return from the USA. It has been a comfort to my heart to reflect on how the Lord led us through His Word and the continual workings of His providence to bring us up to Gladstone. Then all the workings of grace bringing together a group of people whose heart is for truth and who have a deep longing for the Lord.

As we look to the Lord to establish this small local church, we have taken on the name of “Hold Fast Gospel Church”. Our desire in this name was to identify as an end time gathering of believers who are not simply “holding the fort” till Christ comes, but are holding fast to the Word of God and holding forth the faith once delivered to the saints.

1Th_5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
2Th_2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2Ti_1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Heb_3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Heb_4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb_10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Rev_2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Rev_3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev_3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

We have included the word “Gospel” in the title to identify our stand on the fullness of the Gospel in a day when the Gospel has been limited by Neo-Christianity and a day when so many false gospels are being preached.

Thank you to all those that have been praying for the establishment of this ministry, truly we have been aware of the Lord’s good hand upon us in answer to much prayer being offered up by the saints. Presently we have been blessed with some 5 families, including 20 children school age and under, to minister to. As we are praying for a permanent meeting location, we continue to meet in the Calliope RSL Memorial Hall on a Sunday morning. This has worked well for us and is only 15 minutes from the center of town. In addition to our Sunday morning services we have commenced Friday morning prayer meetings and “family nights” on Friday evening. Lord willing next week we will be able to commence mid-week services and Sunday evening services. These services will be held at another building in the center of town which a local church has given us access to.

Another blessed part of the ministry has been in a village (Raglan) some 45 minutes out of town where one of our church families has an old church building. Once a month we hold a Sunday evening service in the old church and there are a good number of locals that have been attending. We have now also commenced a mid-month Bible study to build up some of the young in Christ out there. Please be in prayer for the “Raglan ministry”.

As we see the increased shakings and trials that are coming upon the church as we draw ever nearer to the return of our Lord there is an ever deepening desire to preach and minister in order to prepare hearts and lives of His people for that longed for day of His coming. May He keep us faithful as we seek to “hold fast”.

Please continue to pray for: