1 May 2026, 08:35Dr Kirk Thomas, South England Conference PresidentWatford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Encountering Jesus: Knowing Christ Personally
Pastoral Letter, 1 May 2026
Dear Church Family,
Powerful things happen whenever a human being encounters God. We shouldn’t need to look any further for proof of this fact than your life and mine. Yet it is mind-blowing to consider that Jesus, the King of the Universe, takes such personal interest in every individual.
This is the second in a series of devotions on the experience of encountering Jesus. About this, Ellen White highlights one-to-one encounters Jesus had in the Bible with individuals such as the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, and Zacchaeus, referring to these as “personal interviews” and as the main activity of His ministry. Thousands benefited from what these transformed individuals learned and carried forward in living for Jesus through these personal encounters (Testimonies to the Church Volume 6:115). Through reading about these precious meetings in the pages of scripture, the spread continues as we are party to these moments too, like being a ‘fly on the wall.’ The truths that arose in these discussions are still searching, revealing, convicting, and powerful in their ability to touch lives and change us today as they continue to define the Christian faith. Maybe you have had similar quests and questions as them, similar needs, pressures, statuses, for example, of responsibility or being on the fringes. No doubt, as you read them, you will find an individual you can identify with in one way or another.
For example, the story of the meeting of Nicodemus with Jesus holds many gems of truth (John 3:1-21). We know he was a very learned Pharisee and religious leader who had arrived at a level of faith regarding Jesus. There were important things he still did not understand about who Jesus is, and he wanted to ask, so he came to see Him at night (verse 2). There are several possible reasons why he apparently was not ready to associate with Jesus: for example, not wanting it to be out in public, which would become an endorsement. It appears he feared what others might think, not least his fellow religious leaders and the people who looked to him for leadership. Despite his stature in Israel, he had never been ‘born again’ into a new spiritual life with God. When he only goes as far as acknowledging Jesus as an amazing Teacher and Miracle Worker, Jesus cuts to the chase and tells him he must be born again in verses 3 and 5. This is not a moment for prolonged theological discussion or debate. Jesus never plays games with our salvation, and there is no salvation without transformation. The Holy Spirit must effect a change of heart. Here, Jesus also introduces the truth of the gospel when He utters the most loved Bible verse among Christians, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” His love awakens and enables our genuine, loving service.
Like Nicodemus, we cannot take our connection with God for granted. You can know about someone without having a real connection. Some of us feel we ‘know’ well-known people: we can at least say we know of individuals like King Charles, for example. We may, through careful observation, see patterns in what he says or does and make inferences about him, but most of us cannot say we can have personal experiences of the King because we have no access to him.
We can’t rely on having a history of a long background in Adventism, or family that has been in the faith for generations, theological learning through institutions or personal studies, knowledge, status or whatever we or others may believe about us. Jesus shows us there is no place for pride in the face of the truth. Forget about externals and appearances. These things can all be used by God, but salvation only comes through our connection with Jesus Christ. For this, we must know Him personally.
Truth has a way of cutting away unnecessary things that come between God and us. Jesus, who is “The truth” (John 14:6), is still the same. In these moments of spiritual examination, just like a successful surgery may be painful or inconvenient, afterwards, it will bring the healing we need. In the end, as with Nicodemus, who assisted with the burial of Jesus, we can be used more freely by God because of that change (John 19:38-42). All pretence and falsity must die under the piercing, all-knowing gaze of Jesus, who convicts our hearts, with His amazing love. Is there anything you or I need to let go of so that more change can be evident in our lives?
At any given moment, there may be people around us who are stirred by Jesus’ message but have not yet come to the point of being able to publicly identify with Him. Remember them in your care, prayers and outreach. How about you and me, who publicly demonstrate our faith as practising Seventh-day Adventist Christians? Jesus shows us that a person can be learning for some time but not be able to understand what He considered to be basic spiritual things. Could Jesus be trying to show us something we did not see? Is our concept of Him rather harsh and punitive? Or maybe we have somehow developed an unchallenging, laid-back concept of Jesus as though He accepts anything and is whatever we want Him to be. As with Nicodemus, such a realisation could lead to fearfulness, self-consciousness or pride that makes us bury these newfound realisations. We know but are not ready to be out in the open: the equivalent of approaching Him but ' at night’. Perhaps that is because the way He is convicting us may require admitting we didn’t know all we thought we did, or that we need to change. Let’s not silence these convictions so they remain in the shadows, where no one can see that we are really considering a change of heart. Instead, if we seek Jesus and His truth in the earnest way Nicodemus did, we can always expect an increase in maturity and faith. Let’s ask for an ever-growing faith in God that is always ready to adapt by expanding with our understanding to take on more of the fullness of who He really is. If we are in a living walk with Jesus Christ, we will be able to talk about the experiences we have had with Him along the way. Let’s use them to encourage each other.
Do we really know Jesus or just know about Him? Is excessive theologising or what others may think preventing this? What important decisions do we need to take in order to more closely follow Him? Here are some wonderful promises to encourage us:
“Call to me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Congratulations to Pastors Bogdan and Samuel on the baptisms recently celebrated in their districts. It is also a joy to announce that the SEC has now officially passed the Thirty Thousand (30,000) membership mark. We praise God for this significant milestone and for every life being transformed through His grace. Let us continue moving forward together in faith – GO SEC! INSPIRED FOR MISSION
Dear Church Family,
Powerful things happen whenever a human being encounters God. We shouldn’t need to look any further for proof of this fact than your life and mine. Yet it is mind-blowing to consider that Jesus, the King of the Universe, takes such personal interest in every individual.
This is the second in a series of devotions on the experience of encountering Jesus. About this, Ellen White highlights one-to-one encounters Jesus had in the Bible with individuals such as the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, and Zacchaeus, referring to these as “personal interviews” and as the main activity of His ministry. Thousands benefited from what these transformed individuals learned and carried forward in living for Jesus through these personal encounters (Testimonies to the Church Volume 6:115). Through reading about these precious meetings in the pages of scripture, the spread continues as we are party to these moments too, like being a ‘fly on the wall.’ The truths that arose in these discussions are still searching, revealing, convicting, and powerful in their ability to touch lives and change us today as they continue to define the Christian faith. Maybe you have had similar quests and questions as them, similar needs, pressures, statuses, for example, of responsibility or being on the fringes. No doubt, as you read them, you will find an individual you can identify with in one way or another.
For example, the story of the meeting of Nicodemus with Jesus holds many gems of truth (John 3:1-21). We know he was a very learned Pharisee and religious leader who had arrived at a level of faith regarding Jesus. There were important things he still did not understand about who Jesus is, and he wanted to ask, so he came to see Him at night (verse 2). There are several possible reasons why he apparently was not ready to associate with Jesus: for example, not wanting it to be out in public, which would become an endorsement. It appears he feared what others might think, not least his fellow religious leaders and the people who looked to him for leadership. Despite his stature in Israel, he had never been ‘born again’ into a new spiritual life with God. When he only goes as far as acknowledging Jesus as an amazing Teacher and Miracle Worker, Jesus cuts to the chase and tells him he must be born again in verses 3 and 5. This is not a moment for prolonged theological discussion or debate. Jesus never plays games with our salvation, and there is no salvation without transformation. The Holy Spirit must effect a change of heart. Here, Jesus also introduces the truth of the gospel when He utters the most loved Bible verse among Christians, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” His love awakens and enables our genuine, loving service.
Like Nicodemus, we cannot take our connection with God for granted. You can know about someone without having a real connection. Some of us feel we ‘know’ well-known people: we can at least say we know of individuals like King Charles, for example. We may, through careful observation, see patterns in what he says or does and make inferences about him, but most of us cannot say we can have personal experiences of the King because we have no access to him.
We can’t rely on having a history of a long background in Adventism, or family that has been in the faith for generations, theological learning through institutions or personal studies, knowledge, status or whatever we or others may believe about us. Jesus shows us there is no place for pride in the face of the truth. Forget about externals and appearances. These things can all be used by God, but salvation only comes through our connection with Jesus Christ. For this, we must know Him personally.
Truth has a way of cutting away unnecessary things that come between God and us. Jesus, who is “The truth” (John 14:6), is still the same. In these moments of spiritual examination, just like a successful surgery may be painful or inconvenient, afterwards, it will bring the healing we need. In the end, as with Nicodemus, who assisted with the burial of Jesus, we can be used more freely by God because of that change (John 19:38-42). All pretence and falsity must die under the piercing, all-knowing gaze of Jesus, who convicts our hearts, with His amazing love. Is there anything you or I need to let go of so that more change can be evident in our lives?
At any given moment, there may be people around us who are stirred by Jesus’ message but have not yet come to the point of being able to publicly identify with Him. Remember them in your care, prayers and outreach. How about you and me, who publicly demonstrate our faith as practising Seventh-day Adventist Christians? Jesus shows us that a person can be learning for some time but not be able to understand what He considered to be basic spiritual things. Could Jesus be trying to show us something we did not see? Is our concept of Him rather harsh and punitive? Or maybe we have somehow developed an unchallenging, laid-back concept of Jesus as though He accepts anything and is whatever we want Him to be. As with Nicodemus, such a realisation could lead to fearfulness, self-consciousness or pride that makes us bury these newfound realisations. We know but are not ready to be out in the open: the equivalent of approaching Him but ' at night’. Perhaps that is because the way He is convicting us may require admitting we didn’t know all we thought we did, or that we need to change. Let’s not silence these convictions so they remain in the shadows, where no one can see that we are really considering a change of heart. Instead, if we seek Jesus and His truth in the earnest way Nicodemus did, we can always expect an increase in maturity and faith. Let’s ask for an ever-growing faith in God that is always ready to adapt by expanding with our understanding to take on more of the fullness of who He really is. If we are in a living walk with Jesus Christ, we will be able to talk about the experiences we have had with Him along the way. Let’s use them to encourage each other.
Do we really know Jesus or just know about Him? Is excessive theologising or what others may think preventing this? What important decisions do we need to take in order to more closely follow Him? Here are some wonderful promises to encourage us:
“Call to me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3). “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Congratulations to Pastors Bogdan and Samuel on the baptisms recently celebrated in their districts. It is also a joy to announce that the SEC has now officially passed the Thirty Thousand (30,000) membership mark. We praise God for this significant milestone and for every life being transformed through His grace. Let us continue moving forward together in faith – GO SEC! INSPIRED FOR MISSION
