Christmas 2010

We would like to wish you a God filled blessed Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Verse 1-4
Does knowing that Jesus existed in the beginning and was part of creation alter your image of the baby born at Christmas?
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day" and the darkness "night."

Verse 5 tells us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it. Do we believe that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, that the light, the love revealed in Jesus is here for eternity?

Romans 8:38-39
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse 6- 9, tells us about John the Baptist and how he came to tell people about Jesus. Our role in this life is to show people Jesus, how do we do this?
Matthew 28: 18-20
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Verse 10-13 talk about Jesus not been recognized by everyone, in fact the people he came to who should have been expecting him the Israelites rejected him. The verses go on to say that those who do believe have the right to become children of God. We live in a world that seems to have rejected Jesus, what can we do to stop that from happening where we live or work.

1 John 3
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Verse 14 – 15 refers to the humanity and the deity of Jesus. Do you struggle with this concept?

From “The Message” translation:
14The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
15John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

Finally Verses 16-18 Jesus reveals God to us, through him we can receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

The splendor of a King,
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice,
And trembles at his voice

Name above all names,
You are Worthy of all praise,
and My heart will sing how great,
Is our God.

Light of the world

John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."


Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
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John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
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John 3:19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
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John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
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John 12:35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
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John 12:36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
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John 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
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1 John 1:6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

21st November 2010

Good News!

" For God so loved the world that he gave..." Jesus to be our Saviour, our friend , our Lord...

This Sunday we are joined by our Divisional Leaders Lieut-Colonel Mike and Joan Parker who will lead our 11am service.

Please pray for them.

We are going to be blessed and God is going to speak through them.

For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son,

that all who trust him and believe have life for ever on.

And if I were the only one who had let him down and turned away,

He'd still love me as his own and just for me he'd pay!

Rememberance Day

“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

We will remember them.”

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;”

The poppy was chosen as a symbol for Remembrance Day because it reminds us of a place called Flanders Fields where many soldiers from the first World War are buried. The poppies grow wild there between all the crosses that mark their place. We live in a country that is free because people gave their lives and continue to give their lives for our freedom.
In reality, we enjoy a lot of freedom. We are free to come to church and worship, we are free to choose what we want to be when we grow up, we are free to choose where we want to live, we are free to choose most of the things that affect our daily lives. This might come as a surprise to some of you -- but did you know that freedom isn't free? Someone had to pay the price for us to have the freedom that we enjoy. There may be men and women right here in this room this morning that have helped to pay that price. There are probably some people here this morning who had loved ones who gave their lives fighting for our freedom. These are the ones that we honor as we celebrate Remembrance Day.
We have a lot of freedom, but the greatest freedom that we have is the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus. The Bible teaches that the penalty, the price for sin is death, but you and I have been set free from paying this price. We have been set free because Jesus paid the cost. The Bible tells us that Jesus died to set us free from the penalty of sin. Instead of death, we have been given eternal life. This freedom wasn't free, Jesus paid the price.
Today as we celebrate Remembrance Day, let us remember to stop and thank God for those who have paid the price for our freedom. Let us also remember to thank God for Jesus, who has set us free from the penalty for sin, because he was willing to pay the price.

Sunday 7th November 2010

Isaiah 40:31
‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, they will walk and not faint.’

Hebrews 12: 1-3
‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that YOU WILL NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART.’

1 Corinthians 9: 24-27
‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Therefore I DO NOT RUN LIKE A MAN RUNNING AIMLESSLY; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.’

The 2012 Olympic Games are now on the horizon. London is bringing the Olympic Games back to Britain for the first time in 64 years. Excitement is building as Olympic athletes all around the world are training hard with their minds and hearts set on being the best in the world at their particular sport. Their goal – an Olympic medal!

If Paul one of the writers in the New Testament were alive today, he would probably read the sports pages of the newspaper and follow the progress of various teams and athletes. Several athletic references in his letters indicate his interest in sports especially that of foot races in the arena. Paul was aware that the Jewish believers were possibly getting weary and wanted to give up on their Christian journey; so he encouraged them to keep moving forward in their Christian lives like runners on a track.

Paul wrote that he ran the race in such a way as to obtain the prize; he disciplined himself and continually pressed forward toward the goal in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:24-25; Philippians 3:12-14). At the end of his ministry, he declared that he had fought the good fight, finished the race and had kept the faith (2 Timothy 4: 7-8).

Athletes in a race do not crawl! They run! They exert themselves ,giving their undivided attention to the task at hand. The Christian life requires that same kind of discipline and focus if we live out Kingdom values and are engaged in Kingdom ambition. We must understand and embrace the fact that we not only need to run, but to run in such a way that we make a difference in our lives, our church, our communities, and even our world!

31st October 2010

Luke 10: The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Maybe making cakes is the answer, lets dream the dream for community transformation!

Exodus 20
The Ten Commandments
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."

This morning, today have we sold out our lives to God?

Is he first in all we do and all we are?

"You shall have no other gods before me."
Is God first in your life? We live in the days of a new covenant, where we live as redeemed people of Jesus. That is the driving force in everything we do and everything we say and everything we are! We are blessed, as God pours out his Holy Spirit into our lives everyday, enabling us to become a bit more like him!

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."

Harvest 2010

Luke 10:25-37 (The Message)

Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"
He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."

Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'

"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

Sunday 3rd October

Ken's pictures - totally amazing!

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Sunday 26th September 2010

The Thames Barrier - some body's vision / dream made reality!

Let me share with you a paragraph from a book called “The Heavenly Party.” The book is by Michelle Guinness, who was a Jewish lady who married a vicar. She writes from a Jewish perspective but as a born again follower of Jesus.

“I don’t know whose idea it was to make Western Christianity so lifeless and dull, but it certainly didn’t come from God. From the beginning of time, when he gave human beings a glorious garden setting where they could rest, play and sport to their hearts content, through the Jewish Scriptures with their details instructions for festivals, pageants and lengthily extended holidays, to the Gospel parables where Jesus describes heaven as a fabulous banquet to which everyone has an invitation, it is abundantly clear that God loves nothing better than having a good time.. And since no one not even God wants to party alone, he made us to share in the fun. In fact he so enjoys our company that he regular manages to out party all of us.”

Christianity, being a follow of Jesus opens the door to a new dimension of life, once we choose to accept Jesus as our lord and Saviour the colour of live in all its intricacies and all its details begin I would like to suggest to make sense of the world around us, we live in the now being part of the not yet. We live in the time between the first and second coming of Jesus. We lives as citizens of the heavenly kingdom but with a mission to bring that kingdom in on earth, as we live out and dreams the dreams and enable the visions that God has given us to become reality.

Acts 2:17-18
This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Acts 2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

We live in the days between Christ's first and second coming. We will realize that he is coming back again and that we need to live in the truth of that promise.

Let us pray for people who don't know Jesus.

Let us dream dreams, let us allow the Holy Spirit to move us and shake us as we become th people Jesus needs us to be.

Isaiah 61
The Year of the Lord’s Favour

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

The picture tells a thousand stories - I am challenged again and again by how fortunate I am.

He came to heal the broken hearted, he came to make the blind eyes see...

Lord may each one of us be obedient and open to your call on our lives.

Bank Holiday Weekend 2010

We hope you have had a good, God filled amazing summer.

As we go into Spetember 2010 we pray God's blessing upon you!


Ephesians 3:14-21
A Prayer for the Ephesians
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

1st August 2010

They are looking fot the baby chick to come out of the broken egg- the faith of children!

Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

God is in it all! Today lets all just trust him!

25th July 2010

“I am the Lord your God, who bought you out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:1-2

God is King of the entire universe and all that is in it. He created it and made human behind because he wanted our friendship. It breaks his heart when we turn away, and seek satisfaction for our needs elsewhere. Yet his love still pursues us, and sets us free from the snares and the selfishness that enslave us.

*Does God really have first place in our lives? What other ‘gods’ might be taking up more space in our hearts than they should?

*What might be our ‘Egypt’ today – holding us in slavery, instead of letting us live in the freedom that has been won for us?

*What things or when have filled us with awe and wonder, and a totally fulfilling sense of God’s glory in the past year?

Matthew 22:37-39
37Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'

19th July 2010

God's creation - the river Thames as you can only see it from a boat!

Creation - Care
The Bible tells us that in creation God has established three fundamental relationships:
First to himself.
Then to each other.
Finally to the earth and all the creatures in it.
All relationships were messed up by the fall – we live in a fallen world.
Therefore logically God’s plan of restoration includes our reconciliation to God and to each other but also to creation.
2 Peter 3:13 “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s.”
Psalm 115:16 “The earth he has given to the human race.”
Think about this statement:
“For the earth belongs to God by creation and to us by delegation.”
We are to preserve and develop the earth on his behalf.
We respect nature because of its creator; we do not worship the creation only the creator. We must be responsible stewards and be in cooperation with God.
We find our identity in God whom we are to worship as the creator of this amazing world.
What a mess man has made!
World population growth.
Depletion of earth’s resources.
Waste disposal.
Climate change.
A challenge to us who follow Jesus.
Chooses sustainable forms of energy if possible. Switch off unused appliances. But food, goods and services from ethically sound environmental companies. Avoid over consumption and unnecessary waste and recycle as much as possible.
God intends our care of the creation to reflect our love f the creator.
Deuteronomy 10:14, “To the Lord your God belongs the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”
Questions:
1. How are we going to live in light of the above?
2. What do we need to pray about?
3. What one thing can we do today that begins to reflect the way of live we should have?

Sunday 10th July

What is God’s purpose for his people?

God wants his people to become like Christ, for Christlikeness is the will of God for the people of God.

Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”

1 John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

“Follow me” “Imitate me” . That is his call to us today.

1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

If we claim to be Christian, we must be like Christ.
We must have the same attitude of mind that Jesus had:

2 Philippians: 5-8
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!”

Jesus washed his disciples feet in John 13.

Ephesians 5:2 “live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

The challenge:

Jesus said, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world; and in commissioning, he said, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

As Jesus entered our world, so we are to enter other people’s world’s. Authentically with the love of Calvary.

Questions
1. How do we show authentic love?
2. How do we enter into someone else’s world without compromise?
3. Who’s or which world do we need to enter and share Jesus?

Sunday 4th July 2010

The church we belong to is just amazing - diverse, local, real, exciting and totally dependant on God to build it - we can say this because he just keeps on building it - and so today we just want to say THANK YOU JESUS!

Psalm 107
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress .7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

"For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Sunday 27th June 2010

Matthew 5:13-16
Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

We are a shining light,
City on a hill that can’t be hidden: A shining light.
And this shining light is the life of Jesus in us: Oh what a light.
The fire of his spirit burns with justice, joy and peace.
And works through our hands and feet.

We are salt of the earth,
Here to purify and flavour: salt of the earth.
Sent through all the earth to love God and love our neighbour: salt of the earth.
As freely as we receive, so freely we must give
And we are his hands and feet.

Sunday 20th June 2010

Let us be your eyes & hands Lord Jesus!

June 13th 2010

This week we say a massive thank you to employees from Cadbury's as they rescued the jungle down the side of the hall and turned it into an amazing space!

Matthew 16:24-26

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Will you come and follow me

if I but call your name?

Will you go where you don't know

and never be the same.

Will you let my love be shown,

will you let my name be known,

will you let my life be grown

in you and you in me?

Will you leave your self behind

if I but call your name?

Will you care for cruel and kind

and never be the same.

Will you risk the hostile stare

should your life attract or scare,

will you let me answer prayer

in you and you in me.

Will you let the blinded see

if I but call your name?

Will you let the prisoner free

and never be the same.

Will you kiss the leper clean

and so such as this unseen

and admit to what I mean

in you and you in me.

Will you love the 'you' you hide

if I but call your name?

Will you quell the fear inside

and never be the same?

Will you use the faith you found

to reshape the world around

through my sight and touch and sound

in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true

when you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you

and never be the same.

In your company I'll go

where your love and footsteps show.

Thus I'll move and live and grow

in you and you in me.

Monday 7th June

The picture above is a reminder of Pentecost - taking the gospel onto the streets of Clapton - it was fun - if you missed, never mind - we will do it again!

Yesterday we remembered that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus so that we, that is you and I could be saved.

For God so loved the world he gave,

His one and only Son,

That all who trust him and believe,

Have life for ever on.

And if I were the only one,

Who let him down and turn away,

He'd still love me as his own,

And just for me he pay!

I don't know how you are feeling today, what I do know if that each one of us is loved very, very much by Jesus - so what ever you are facing, face it knowing his presence every moment of every day with you!

3rd June 2010

"Have you heard about the Teacher from Nazareth?
They say he can cure all kinds of illness.

In those days when only the rich could afford a doctor, the news spread fast. Where ever Jesus went, sick people came to him - and he made them well.
He cured the blind.
He cured the deaf.
He cured the dumb.
There was no illness of mind or body that Jesus could not sure. God gave him special power to heal. And when they saw what he could do, people began to believe what Jesus said."

Taken from The Lion Children's Bible.

Today no matter what you are facing and today is everyday.

Remember and live in the knowledge that the Jesus of 2000 years ago who walked this earth, walks with you in your situation today!

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost

He came in mighty fulness then

His witness thru believers won the lost

And multitudes were born again

The early Christians scattered o'er the world

They preached teh gospel fearlessly

Tho' some were were martyred and to lions hurled

They marched along to victory

Come Holy Spirit, dark is the hour

We need your filling, your love and your mighty power

Move now among us, stir us we pray

Come Holy SPirit revive the church today

Then in an age when darkness gripped the earth

The just shall live by faith was learned

The Holy Spirit gave the church new birth

As reformation fires burned

In later years the great revivals came

When saints would seek the Lord and pray

O Once again we need that holy flame

To meet the challenge of today

Today we celebrate Pentecost, the birth of the church, live in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit's power that empowered the first disciples is available to each one of us today.

Acts1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my wotnesses, telling people about me everywhere..."

May 16th 2010

Acts 4: The Holy Spirit

Acts 4

In the section leading up to this (Acts 3–4:22), Peter and John had been brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council of priests and elders. After considerable debate, they were released but sternly charged not to continue to preach the gospel. Yet Peter tells them, ". . . we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). Act 4:23–37 gives us an inside look at a community of witnesses to Jesus.

Acts 4
The Believers' Prayer
On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: " 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

As they pray, the community quotes from Psalm 2, a prophetic psalm referring to the coming kingship of Christ.


Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill."
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

Let's all commit to making our Church so Christ focused that when someone comes into contact with us, they will be so captured by the presence of Jesus, that they find themselves so desperate to know Jesus for themselves that we will see people getting saved every day!

9th May 2010

Mark 1:17 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
The call of Jesus transends culture, time and status, it is the same call to each of us, whoever we are. What is our answer?

How we work it out will be different but the answer for us all should be the same YES!

The Summons
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Have a great week, discovering what God has in store for you!

2nd May 2010

The picture is just here to make you smile, it is bright and shows life!

"For I am convinced that neither life nor death, neither angels or demons,neither the present or the future, nor any powers, nor height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Jesus that is Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38 & 39.

Today whatever you are having to cope with our prayer for you is that you will know the love of God every moment of every day, so you will never feel alone.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday!

“Second Mile”

This Sunday we had the band Second Mile leading worship. Here are some. verses and lyrics from Sunday

Matthew 5:41 “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

1 Peter 1:22 ”Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Isaiah 35:8-9 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there.”

Lyrics by Russ Lee
A single mum on the back row at a church outside of town
No one sits beside her, her kids are kind of loud
She never misses a Sunday she does the best she can
Faith gives her the strength she needs to stand

It's Monday morning her telephone rings
When She finally answers I begin to speak
My kids they know your kids from Sunday school they say
We wanted to know can your kids come and play

The second mile may be as simple as a smile
For a broken hearted mother and a fatherless child
The second mile it starts with just one step
With the Father's help, we give ourselves
And we go the second mile

You pass his house every morning
He sits there all alone
He rarely leaves that front porch
Since his wife's been gone
85 last Friday
There were no balloons or cake
What a difference some time with you could make

The Second mile may be as simple as a smile
For a broken hearted husband who's been alone for a while
The second mile starts with just one step
With the Father's help we give ourselves

The greatest love that ever was
Walked the longest road
When His Spirit lives in us
We have no choice we must go
The Second Mile
The Second Mile it starts with just one step
With the Father's help we give of ourselves and go the second mile

Bible Study on Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

These verses follow a section in which Jesus describes the “last things” and immediately precede the closing chapters of Matthew which recount Jesus’ trial, crucifixion and resurrection.

* What is it about? Do you sense a particular atmosphere in the passage?

* Looking at verses 31-33, describe the scene.
* What role does the Son of Man assume here?

* Verses 34-40 and 41-45 are remarkably similar in structure.
* Compare the conversation between the King and those on his right and left hands in the following ways:
* What is the fate of the two groups?
* What are the standards by which the two groups are judged?
* Whose needs had they met or failed to meet? Did everyone get a fair chance?
* What responses do the two groups make to the King’s judgment? What is common to both responses? ON what standards might they have expected the judgment to be based? (Imagine yourself in each group and discuss what would be going through your mind).
* How does Jesus answer both groups?
* Compare the description of Jesus in verse 31 with what he says about himself in verses 35, 36, 42, and 43.
* How is Jesus uniquely qualified as judge? Read the following to give you more insight.

John 5:26-27
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Philippians 2:3-11
“ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

* Why is it consistent that those who have ministered to the needy on earth should spend eternity with the King? Explain how those who the King commands to “depart” had already departed from him.
* Consider again the specific needs that Jesus identifies with in Matthew 25:31-46.
* Who did he expect to be able to meet these needs?
* What are some of the obstacles and attitudes we need to confront before we are willing to help people in need?
* Where are the hungry and needy in our world? How do we relate to them? Considering the profound importance Jesus gave to this ministry, how should we respond?
* In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches about our responsibility to make maximum use of the gifts we have been given while we still have the opportunity. What gifts do we have to offer this evening.

End with prayer that we will more clearly see the responsibility to meet the needs of people as an opportunity to minister to Jesus himself.

Easter Sunday

He has risen!
He has risen!
Jesus is alive!

Today we celebrated the amazing truth that Jesus is alive.

We celebrated the reality that God is working in the lives of people within church as Abena, Demi and Mandy became adherents in the Salvation Army. They are followers of Jesus and they stood in front of the congregation and acknowledged this and said that the Salvation Army Clapton was their church.

Melanie then became a soldier of the Salvation Army - she signed something called a Soldiers Covenant.

In so doing, she testified along with all soldiers that

• She/They worship God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• They have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
• They desire to fulfill their membership of his Church on earth as a soldier of The Salvation Army. They affirm their belief in the Bible as the word of
God and their acceptance of The Salvation Army’s articles of faith.
They declare that:
• They will be responsive to the Holy Spirit and seek to grow in grace.
• They will make the values of the Kingdom of God the standard for their lives, showing Christian integrity in their deeds, maintaining Christian ideals in their relationships, and upholding the sanctity of marriage and family life.
• They will be faithful stewards of all they have and are.
• They will abstain from the use of all enslaving substances and harmful activities.
• They will be active in God's work both in sharing the gospel and in serving the needy, and will contribute financially to its support.
• They will be true to the principles of The Salvation Army.
They witness that they freely enter into this covenant, convinced that the love of Christ requires the devotion of their lives to his service for the salvation of the whole world.
And they declare their determination, by God's help, to be true soldiers of The Salvation Army.

This Easter as we read again the story of the resurrection may we all be challenged by Gods word to live lives in and through the power of the resurrection!

1 corinthians 15 "...Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his follower at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles."

Happy Easter!

Good friday 2010

WHEN I SURVEY the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Oh, the wonderful cross,
Oh, the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find
That I may truly live.
Oh, the wonderful cross,
Oh, the wonderful cross,
All who gather here by grace
Draw near and bless Your name.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.


Kate & Miles Simmonds
Copyright © 2001 Thankyou Music

Palm Sunday

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying,
`Hosanna to the son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'
Matthew 21:9.

The multitude cried out the more, saying, let Him be crucified.
Matthew 27:23.


Easter Week begins and ends with demonstrations from the Jewish people and highlights the fickleness of the people in contrast to the constancy of Jesus. On Palm Sunday Jesus resolves to ride into Jerusalem and expose Himself publicly, even though He realized the dangers as the Jewish religious leaders have been desperate for His arrest, especially after the raising of Lazarus from the dead. From the Roman Governor’s view, this was a dangerous time to keep peace and order with the impending Jewish Passover festival and the last thing the Roman authorities wanted was a riot stirred up by religious fanaticism. So when Jesus enters Jerusalem the atmosphere is tense.
As Jesus set out from the Mount of Olives for the final descent into the holy city many people had gathered on roadside to welcome Him. Many of these had no doubt witnessed His healings, and listened to His preaching, but some perhaps were there to have a glimpse of this Jesus who had been causing a stir by His rather radical teaching. As crowds go this would not have much different from any other crowd. The majority found themselves going along with the general consensus, which was to acknowledge joyfully Jesus as a king. Yet within five days the consensus changed.

The central figure of Palm Sunday is Jesus. His teaching on this day is simple for His followers, but difficult for the bystander: peace, illustrated by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a horse. The Prince of Peace proclaims that His kingdom is one of peace. There is no violence, no retaliation, no retribution in His kingdom. Two wrongs never make a right under any circumstance in His kingdom. Palm Sunday teaches us to absorb all the hurts, heartaches and the heaviness, otherwise peace will never reign in us or in the world. Peace comes from turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and giving and giving of self and time to others until we are drained just as our Lord was drained for us.

So Palm Sunday gives us the opportunity to examine our own faithfulness to Christ. The test doesn’t come on Palm Sunday but comes the next day. Are we prepared to stay with Our Lord in Jerusalem as the atmosphere changes towards Him? Do we dare to stand by Him as He faces constant conflict with the religious leaders? Do we love Him enough to want to bathe His weary feet? Do we stay with Him in prayer in the Garden? Are our bodies and souls drained as He dies on the Cross? It is rather easy to strive towards holiness when everything seems to be going well. What about when we have to suffer endlessly whether through physical or spiritual pain, especially if it is inflicted on us by others, what then?

Has our faith rooted itself deeply enough to help us cope with hard situations, so that they do not control us?

Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!