New Inn Chapel

After Herod died ...

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:46:00 +0000

So, Christmas is over for another year! After all the frantic preparations, and those hectic two weeks in the life of the church as we approached the big day, it's now time to get back to normal, and shed those extra pounds that we have all put on. What a joy it was to be reminded of the incarnation once more. It was thrilling to remember the birth of our Saviour through the well-known Bible passages and Christmas carols.

I always think that the Christmas story in the Gospels ends with Matthew 2:19, which tells us that when Herod was dead, God's angel tells Joseph that it is safe for him to take Mary and the infant Jesus back home from Egypt. They have had to escape there because Herod has sought to kill the baby. As we see from Revelation 12, behind Herod was Satan, trying to destroy the Saviour and the plan of salvation. But Satan cannot thwart God's plan. Herod's opposition to Christ comes to an end with his death, as does another Herod's persecution in Acts 12:23, where the next verse reads "but the Word of God grew and multiplied".

I was reminded of that by two deaths that were reported in the news last month. One was of the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il, and the other of the British American writer and journalist Christopher Hitchens. As I write this, Kim Jong-il's funeral has just finished, accompanied by scenes of mass hysteria on the streets of the capital and what seems certain to have been regimented nationwide mourning. Anyone who didn't look sad would end up in a concentration camp apparently. As Christians we know that thousands of our brothers and sisters are already locked up, tortured and being put to death for their faith in North Korea. Kim Jong-il's regime, we are told, made North Korea the most dangerous place in the world to follow Christ. But now Kim is dead. And the Word of God is still spreading and the church growing.

Christopher Hitchens made a name for himself in recent years as part of the increasingly strident company of journalists and writers who have set themselves in opposition to the Christian church, the reasonableness of the Christian faith, and the right of people and organisations of faith to influence our society. He delighted in calling himself not just an atheist, but an antitheist. He was part of a movement that, if it is allowed to continue unchecked, might lead to the removal of many of the Christian freedoms that we enjoy in our land, and indeed, form the historic basis of our society. But now Hitchens is dead. And the Word of God is still spreading and the church growing.

This month marks the beginning of another year. Who knows what 2012 will bring with it, for us personally, for our families and friends, or for the church of Jesus Christ across the world? Only God does! But of one thing we can be sure. The enemies of Christ and His church will come and go. They will live and die. But Christ, His Word and His church will last for eternity. Happy New Year!

Harvest Supper on Youtube

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Bethany Cooke, one of the young people in the church, has put together a short film about our Harvest Supper this year. She has used some photographs taken by one of our members, Tom Jeffries, and you can see it on Youtube, either by using the link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJgt_Jtw6BY

or by going to the Youtube site and inserting "Harvest" "New Inn Congregational Church" in the Search box.

The Forgotten Kingdom

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:24:00 +0000

February 23rd-25th, 10am-12noon each day.

Free for all primary school children (ages 5-11).

Discover an invisible but real kingdom. A kingdom without walls or barriers. A kingdom where its citizens live in peace and care for each other. A kingdom where God walks unseen with his children. A kingdom of joy, peace and meaning.

Journey with us as we discover THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM!

Real Life Stories

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:28:00 +0100

To tie in with our real week of events aimed at clearly explaining the real hope of Jesus Christ to those who don't know him, I've spent the last few months interviewing people from our church family to find out their story.

There's a full range of backgrounds and experiences, but all have one thing in common - their lives have been transformed by a real encounter with the living, loving Lord Jesus.

Check them all out here or go to the real week homepage.

What gets your worship?

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:56:00 +0100

As I write this, the post-mortems have only just begun. Questions are being asked and angry responses are being offered by everyone. The experts are telling us that they were warning us all along, when in reality they were involved in building up everybody’s expectations. Across the country there is a flat feeling. What am I talking about; the recession? the budget? No, England are out of the World Cup!

Writing and reading this on this side of Offa’s Dyke there is, of course, a rather mixed feeling. Some of us have very little sympathy for the English at any time, especially when it comes to the obsession with football. After all, Wales has enough to worry about with our rugby side getting thumped every time they play someone from South of the Equator, and our football team didn’t even qualify for South Africa 2010! But as we watch from the touchlines, as Christians, we surely have something to say about what the event has revealed about our land.

One of the things that the Bible tells us is that people need to worship somebody or something. We are created as worshipping beings. It is more a part of us than our DNA structure. That is why wherever man has gone in the world, whenever a new tribe or people group has been discovered by intrepid explorers, we have found them worshipping some god or other. Before Adam and Eve sinned, that inclination to worship found its right focus, but ever since then, like the rest of our humanity, it has been distorted by sin, and instead of worshipping the true God, we idolise false ones. Richard Dawkins and the secular fundamentalists try to kid us that we have left such thinking behind, but events like those of the last few weeks show us that this is not the case. The amount of time and money people spend following their heroes, the passion and pride, the crushing disappointment when it all goes wrong, all testify otherwise. And for those for whom it is not football, the focus of attention is music, or fashion, or film stars, or cars, or even family and home. Whatever is uppermost in our hearts and mind, whatever fills our thinking in our spare moments, whatever is most dear to us, is what we worship. And if that is not God, we will always end up disappointed.

One of the troubles with such idols is that they always let us down. They can never satisfy us, because we are trying to replace the One who can never be replaced! That might be easy to see when our favourite team loses 4-1 to the ‘Old Enemy’, but is equally true even if the scoreline was reversed. Any ‘high’ they can give us will be shortlived, because we were created to enjoy something better – God Himself. That is why, when faced with idoltry in a city called Lystra, Paul told the people there to “turn from these vain things to the living God” (Acts 14:15). Ultimately, whatever our idol, it is empty because it can never help us in the face of death. For that, we need the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who has conquered death that we might have fullness of life on earth, an eternal life that begins here and continues in Heaven (John 10:10) . Who or what is taking His rightful place in your life?

Easter videos to get you thinking!

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:13:00 +0100

Have a watch of these two short videos from St Helen's Church, London about the Christian message of hope at Easter.

Now for the Good News!

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:28:00 +0100

“I’ve got some good news for you!” If ever there was a statement to not only cheer us up, but to make us sit up and take notice, it is surely that one. In a world that is so often full of bad news, to hear a sentence like that is particularly encouraging.

It’s the sort of statement that will be made in quite a few different places in our village this week. It might be on a very mundane level. The bill in the Spar might not be as high as usual because there is a special offer, of which we are able to take advantage. Or it might be something more important. Little Tommy has done well at school and the teacher is giving a good report to a parent more used to receiving complaints from the member of staff involved. Sometimes the news is of a more vital nature. We have gone to the surgery for those test results that we were dreading, and the doctor begins with those words; words which lift a huge weight from our shoulders. And, of course, every Sunday as we meet for worship, we hear good news that surpasses even that; news of the eternal life to be found in Jesus Christ as sins are forgiven and broken fellowship with God restored.

But there is one place, at least, in New Inn where good news is hard to find. I’m thinking of the cemetery. Not much to cheer our hearts happens there, no matter how many times people visit it. How amazing, therefore, that the best news the world has ever received was delivered in such a place as that, where the evidences of the bad news of death are all around us.

The first Sunday of this month was Easter Day, when Christians in every country of the world celebrate the resurrection of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago, on that first Easter Day, good news was the last thing that those who went to the garden tomb were expecting. They had come to anoint a corpse, and grieve for a friend that they had lost. All the hopes they had entertained about God doing something great for them and the nation had come crashing down around them. Jesus was dead. Their chief worry now was how to get the stone away from the tomb, especially as it had been sealed and guarded by the might of the Roman military machine.

But as the morning progressed that grief and perplexity was replaced by joy. An angel brought them really good news, asking them the question; “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen!” (Luke 24:5,6). By the end of the day, many of Christ’s disciples had seen Him and were utterly convinced of the truth of the resurrection; so much so that in time they were willing to lay down their lives for it.

Why is the resurrection such good news, even today? It is because death, the final enemy, the thing that fills us all, naturally, with fear has been defeated. More than that, it tells us that Jesus has defeated not only death, but also it’s ultimate cause, sin; it’s ultimate supporter, Satan; and it’s ultimate consequence, separation from God. The great news of the resurrection is that if you trust in this Saviour you can conquer death too, because He, and He alone, can give you eternal life. Will you trust Him?

Ask God: Why do people suffer?

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:10:00 +0100

Just over a week ago we held our first Ask God night looking at the question "Why do people suffer?"

You can now view the video of the main talk from the evening below.

Video clips and music "Far Away" by Lecrae used in the intro are Copyright Reach Records 2010.

Our Great Guiding God

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Just came back from a brilliant day at the Cardiff Men's Convention. The theme was 'Men of Action', looking at how Christians can and should share the good news of Jesus with people around them, as a natural result of Jesus Christ himself living in those who trust him. We don't do witnessing, we are witnesses!

But the teaching which struck me most came from reflecting on Acts chapter 8, where Philip is led off the beaten track, out of his patch, to speak to an Ethiopian government official. The official is in his chariot reading from the Bible and seeking an explanation for what he reads. And into his situation God brings his discerning disciple Philip, who leads the conversation straight to Jesus. Wonderfully, the official puts his faith in Christ there and then, beginning a new life and, on returning home, a new church.

The speaker Charles Price drew out the principle for simple, trustful, daily sharing of Jesus with others. We ask our Guiding God to bring us, as Discerning Disciples, into the lives of Seeking Souls. He is the Lord of the harvest, and in amazing ways, he leads us into the paths of those who need to hear the gospel. We need to be flexible, hard working, willing to take initiative, and above all, putting ourselves in his hands as his tools.

Charles shared several stories of what initially seemed frustrating circumstances - a delayed flight, a fruitless day knocking at people's doors - yet where God used him in weakness to bring the gospel of God's grace to people hungry for him. We can trust him in every situation, even if it is difficult. He wants to use us for his kingdom - but are we willing to be available to be used?

And what about you reading this? Perhaps you're a discerning disciple in need of encouragement to keep trusting God and keep asking for his opportunities. But perhaps you're seeking meaning in your life, a reason to get out of bed each morning.

Jesus really is the treasure you are searching for. Through his forgiveness, signed and sealed by his death on the cross, he brings freedom from your guilt, shame and regrets. Through his being raised from the dead, he brings a promise for the adventure of life neverending with Christ as your courageous rescuer and loving ruler. And through his Spirit poured into your heart, he brings the change - the freedom from addictions, habits, negative emotions and sin in your life. There is nothing but joy to be had in Jesus!

Don't wait - give your life to him now. Pray to him for the first time, from your heart. Thank him for dying on the cross for you. Ask him to forgive your sins. Let him take charge of your new life.

An Impossible Dilemma

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:33:00 +0000

Did you see the story earlier this month about an air traffic controller at JFK Airport who has been suspended for taking his young son to work with him and allowing the boy to clear the planes for departure and speak to other pilots as they flew in and out of one of the world’s busiest airports? Thankfully, the incident passed off without a disaster occurring.

It reminded me of a story I read recently about another man who took his son to work with him one day. The man’s job was to raise a drawbridge to allow steamers to pass along the river below. When the steamer had passed, the drawbridge would then be lowered so that trains could pass over the bridge safely. The son, enjoying a day with dad, soon did what all boys like him would, beginning to peak into the trapdoor that was always left open so that the father could see the machinery below. Suddenly the boy lost his footing and fell into the gears. As the father reached down to pull his son out, he heard the whistle of a train, full of people, and approaching so fast that it would be impossible to stop. The bridge must be lowered. The father now had an impossible dilemma. Does he save his son, knowing that to do so would mean the train below crashing with a great loss of life? Or does he save the crowded train, knowing that in doing so he must sacrifice his only son? What would you do?

The wonderful message of the Christian Gospel is that God too faced that dilemma. He looked down and saw a world full of sinners, men and women living in rebellion against Him. Careless about the danger their sins put them in, they were heading towards an eternity in hell, separate from God. God knew too, that the only way we could be saved was through the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What did He do? John chapter 3 verse 16 tells us:

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:17:00 +0000

We live in a world which is always crying out for something new! New technology, new fashions, a new house, new things to spend money on, and new philosophies to give meaning to people’s existence. No sooner have people enjoyed one new experience than they tire of it and move on to something else.

It may seem strange therefore that, as a church, we are rejoicing this year in a three hundredth anniversary. The fact that a Christian community has been worshipping and fellowshipping together for three centuries makes us one of the oldest features of the village! Many special meetings has been planned, the first of which is this month; meetings that I hope as many of you as possible will attend. Maybe you wonder what the value of celebrating these things is, particularly as we seek to engage with the people and the issues of the day, and as we look forward to the future. It is good, perhaps to remind ourselves of the words of Winston Churchill who wisely commented, “The further back you look, the further forward you are likely to see!”

There are a number of reasons why we celebrate anniversaries, though we should make sure they are the right reasons. We shouldn’t use the opportunity simply to praise men of the past, even if they did praiseworthy things. Nor should we use the occasion to exalt ourselves, or pretend that our church is in any way better than any of our ‘younger’ sister fellowships. Even the best of men and women in church history have been wretched sinners, saved only by the grace of God. Throughout the Bible, however, we see that God’s people were encouraged to look back at how God dealt with His people in times past, so that they might see His faithfulness, and trust Him more as a result. But perhaps there are two additional reasons that flow from this.

The history of our fellowship, if we are honest, has had its spiritual ‘ups and downs’. There have been times when our practices were not always governed by God’s Word, times when we have done what we should not, and not done what we should. In all that time God has been faithful and merciful, not treating us as we deserved. This year we need to thank Him for that. We also need to learn from such times and recommit ourselves to walking in His paths; being Bible centred, faithful in prayer, eager to take the gospel to others, supportive of mission at home and abroad, showing God’s love to one another and a lost world around us.

But our church history also shows us things that thrill our hearts and give us hope. It encompasses times like today, when things were at a low spiritual ebb in the land. And then suddenly God broke into the life of the nation by sending His Holy Spirit upon the preaching of His Word. The church was revived and built up, thousands of people were converted, and the life of the nation transformed. Church anniversaries like this one should cause us again to cry out to God that He might do a new sovereign work of spiritual revival in our land and in our village. As we look back to 1710 and celebrate something very old, let us cry out that God might yet do something new in 2010.

Back from the dead!

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:52:00 +0000

It’s a fact of history: Jesus Christ was killed on a wooden cross. But three days after his body had been buried, he came back to life! Hundreds of people saw him, touched him, and ate food with him. And for 2000 years critics have failed to find another explanation for the millions of people around the world whose lives have been changed by the living Jesus.

But so what?

Even if he did come back to life, it was 2000 years ago - what difference does it make to MY life now? Here are three ways the living Lord Jesus Christ can change lives - including YOURS.

Forgiveness

If you can honestly say you have no regrets about the past, you’re a very rare person! Regret is a big signpost that shows us we’ve done something WRONG.

Jesus died on the cross so that you could be forgiven. Like a bodyguard throwing himself in front of the President, he took the bullet of God’s punishment in your place. The cross was a SWAP and Jesus came back to life to PROVE that it had worked.

If you stop pretending you’ve done nothing wrong and pray to him for forgiveness, he will forgive you NOW, whoever you are, whatever your regrets.

Friendship

Lots of people today are lonely. Even if you have lots of friends, you still might feel that no-one really understands you.

Jesus promised that if you trust in him, he will come and LIVE in you. That sounds a bit weird right?! It’s actually amazing. By his Holy Spirit he will guide you, and help you to know and love him more.

No partner or friend or husband or wife can promise to be with you forever and never leave you. Jesus promises close friendship forever, and because he’s BEATEN DEATH himself, you know he’s not making it up!

Future

Cemetries are not fun places. People don’t go to cemetries unless they have to. We don’t like to think about death, because we know that one day we too will die.

I’m 100% sure that when my body dies, I’ll go to be with Jesus forever in heaven. How? Because I’m on his team. Unlike a sports team, I wasn’t picked for being good. I was picked because I’ve trusted in Jesus and asked him to be captain of my life.

When you trust Jesus, you don’t have to be afraid of illness, or cancer, or even death. The fact that Jesus came back from the dead is like holding a ticket to the World Cup Final. It GUARANTEES that one day you will be with him, safe and loved forever.

Why not trust Jesus today for Forgiveness, Friendship and Future?

Tiger Woods: "Confession"

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:59:00 +0000

I find the British media coverage of Tiger Woods' public confession of his unfaithfulness, and his apology to the world, really interesting. In 'The Guardian', Owen Gibson's straightforward account of events was relegated to page 3, whereas Zoe Williams' 'sketch' version was on the front page. It seems that many Brits just can't understand why Woods did this. Firstly, it insults our notions of being reserved and private about such matters. Secondly, we have so divorced sexual morality from the public sphere that many people are thinking: 'Why did he need to apologise?'

Gibson quotes Woods:

I knew my actions were wrong but I convinced myself normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead I thought only about myself. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me... I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules.

In many ways, I'm sure we can all relate to what he said. There are times when we know something is wrong, but we go ahead and do it anyway. Our motives are purely selfish. But sometime or other, there are consequences for our actions. For Tiger Woods, those consequences erupted unpleasantly when he crashed his car. Soon evidence for a string of affairs was uncovered by the media. But there are other times when our wrong actions go undiscovered.

The Bible tells us plainly that all of us will have to stand before God and give an account of our lives (Matthew 12:36). God sees everything we do, say and even all that we think as well (Genesis 6:5, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 139:2, Matthew 12:25). It's not our place to make the rules about what's right and wrong. That was Adam and Eve's mistake in the Garden of Eden: God declared that taking the fruit was wrong, and they decided otherwise. But the result of this was that sin and death came into the world. The existence of death, suffering and pain points us towards the fact that we stand under God's judgement. Why? Because we've pushed God out of His rightful place. We've snatched His crown and tried to put it on our own heads. We've rejected His right to rule in our lives.

But even if we go through life rejecting God's rules, they will still apply to us in the end. We don't get to play by different rules. There will be a Judgement Day, and if we've rejected God, then we face an eternity of being rejected by Him (Matthew 7:23).

There is punishment for those who reject God. But when Jesus died on the cross, He made a way for us to be set free. We have two choices:

1. Take God's punishment on ourselves

2. Let Jesus take God's punishment for us

If we truly believe and trust that Jesus has died for our wrong attitude towards God, then we can be reconciled to God through Him. Although we have rejected God in the past, we can become friends with God... even more than that, we can become children of God (Ephesians 1, 1 John 5).

The main criticism of Woods made by Williams' sketch was the sincerity of his apology: 'He sounded as though he had zoned out a bit, as if he was reading out the rules of a sport.' And God doesn't want a sham-apology from us. God wants real faith and real repentance, and He Himself gives us His Spirit so that, supernaturally, we are given the ability to believe and to please God by living radically different lives. This is why living as a Christian is not like life in black-and-white. It's not a boring, textbook life. It's full blown technicolour! It's life when you finally see things as they truly are. You not only see the truth, but you live it as well. You are given power to live it through God's Spirit, working in you (2 Peter 1:3).

Living life by your own rules isn't real life. You're playing a game, and a dangerous one at that. Living life with God at the centre is where you find true joy and fulfilment (John 10:10).

This article originally appeared on Sophie's blog, Treasuring Christ on Feb 21st 2010.

Facing Judgement Day

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:27:00 +0000

One thing that never ceases to amaze me in our modern culture is the fact that though for the most part we have abandoned the Bible and its message, we so readily adopt its language and its ideas whenever it suits us. Events of the last few days have underlined that again. Let me tell you what I mean.

Like many of you I guess, I watched quite a bit of Tony Blair’s appearance before the Chilcot Committee the other Friday. We know how this Committee has been set up to get to the bottom of the issues surrounding our military involvement in Iraq. Though our engagement there has ended, we know how the country remains divided over the subject, and emotions in many people still run high. Whatever our views on the war, and on Tony Blair, anyone who read the papers the next day will have noticed the religious terminology hijacked to report his giving of evidence. He was decribed in one newspaper as having a ‘Messianic zeal’ and almost ‘evangelical fervour’. Others, depending on their political persuasion described him either as ‘righteous’ or ‘self-righteous’! But it was the use of another biblical idea that struck me. For Blair, it was said, January 29th was his ‘Day of Judgement’.

I wonder if the reporter believes in such a thing. I wonder if you do. It is something about which the Bible speaks in both the Old and New Testaments. Listen to Solomon, the wisest man of the Old Testament;

That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past...

I said in my heart,

'God shall judge the righteous and the wicked'

Ecclesiastes 3:15,17

Or what about what the Apostle Paul says in one of his New Testament letters:

For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

The Bible promises us that one day, every one of us, individually, must stand and give an account for our lives; our every thought, word, deed, motive, attitude and action. We will do that not before other men and women, not even presidents, kings or prime ministers, but before the living true God, the God whom the Bible describes as being so pure that He cannot even look upon sin. Indeed, He is the God who must punish sin.

At the end of Tony Blair’s evidence before the Chilcot Committee, he was able to get up, go home and carry on with his life. But on God’s Judgement Day we will not be able to return to normal life as Tony Blair did the following day. The Bible tells us that we will either be banished from God eternally, or welcomed into the joy of His Heaven forever.

How can you, someone who has broken God’s law, be ready for that day? Only by trusting in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin on the cross at Calvary. If He has paid the penalty for your sin, God’s holiness is satisfied and you are free. If you have not submitted to Christ, you must face that Day on your own. Which is it for you?

Why are we so afraid of change? (part 2)

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:15:00 +0000

The Bible makes it crystal clear: the Christian life is a life of continuing change. Becoming a Christian means pulling a U-turn on sin, and living in the opposite direction towards Jesus. This means huge change. Being a Christian means driving against the flow of traffic, as you battle temptation, sinful desires, and the negative influence of unbelievers around you.

So from start to finish, from new life to death, being a Christian means change. And this is hard work! The preacher Paul in the New Testament describes following Jesus as being like running a race - a race where the finish line is the end of our life on earth! We're talking a marathon, not a sprint, and that means constant change and constant hard work!

In the first part, we saw that fear of change is often caused by fear of uncertainty - of stepping out of our comfort zone. And it's certainly easier to stand still than step out!

Why would I want to change? Give me a few minutes to convince you that continual change, though often hard and always painful, is the only way to live the Christian life.

It's very interesting to look at how Paul prays for the Christians he was connected with. Have a look through the verses here. The word which keeps coming up again and again is 'filled'. Paul prays that Christians might be filled with 'joy and peace', filled with 'good things produced... by Christ', filled with 'more and more' love, and most amazingly, filled 'with the fullness of God'.

Imagine you're going on holiday, but you don't know where you're going. Perhaps it's a surprise organised by your partner, or your best friend. You pack your suitcase. You make sure you've got your swimming costume, in case you're going to Cyprus, but you also pack a thick wooly jumper in case you're going to Iceland. Then a week before, you accidentally find your flight tickets hidden in a drawer. It is Cyprus - it's going to be a hot, sunny holiday!

What do you do? You unpack all the large, heavy, bulky, warm clothes you'd packed so that you can fit more t-shirts and shorts and cooler clothes in! You get rid of what you don't need, so you've got space for something better.

The idea of a continually changing life should be exciting, because of what we are being changed into! If you've trusted in Jesus Christ, your life is being changed. By his death on the cross, your sins have been forgiven. Now your body is a home for the holy God to live in by his Spirit. Bit by bit, all the dusty, bulky, scabby, dull bits of your character are being emptied out. And in their place, God is filling you with the wonderful fullness of himself!

Sometimes it's hard saying goodbye to a sinful habit, or breaking off an unhelpful relationship, or learning to curb a quick temper. But what God fills us up with instead is far more better, as he builds and shapes and grows us into the fulfilled people he wants us and made us to be!

The Christian life is a life of change. If change frightens rather than excites you, what are you clinging on to that God wants to empty out? Pray that God would show you how beautiful, how perfect, how contented you would be if the only thing you had was the fullness of God.

The Earthquake in Haiti: How Should We Respond?

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Probably the major news event in January was the awful earthquake that hit the Caribbean country of Haiti. Already one of the poorest countries of the world, it was perhaps the least prepared and equipped for such a severe disaster. At the time of writing, the death toll had been estimated to be in the region of 200,000 and although, miraculously, even eight days after the event, people are being pulled alive from the wreckage and rubble, the situation for the most part is extremely distressing to the billions around the world brought face to face with the disaster thanks to the global communications of the modern age.

What has been noticeable in the media coverage, has been the way in which the usual questions that these events provoke, have been openly debated. Why does God allow these things to happen? Can there really be a God, given these events occur? Doesn’t the earthquake show that God either doesn’t exist, or, if he does, then he doesn’t care? Notable sceptics and agnostics like John Humphrys, on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, have had a free rein to voice these views, and often the church’s response has been poor. It was a shame to see how weak the normally sure-footed Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, was when interviewed by Mr Humphrys.

How should we, as Christians, respond to these events? What help does the Bible give us? It, of course, goes without saying that we should give towards the financial appeals, if we are at all able. We must also pray; for the church in Haiti, and for the many missionaries that have been labouring there for years. It was noticeable that every time TV and Radio programmes like Today wanted a British or American perspective on the disaster that day, the only people they could find were missionaries. Businessman and holiday firms have long since deserted Haiti, with its violence, corrupt government and consequent poverty. Only those serving the living God are willing to serve such a society.

But how do we answer the questions? Firstly it is by openly admitting that we don’t have all the answers. God’s ways are inscrutable, and we shouldn’t pretend that there are easy answers. But the Bible gives us real clues. Genesis 3 tells us that the sins of men and women have an impact on every part of creation. The ground itself is under a curse (Genesis 3:17). That being so, we must expect ‘natural’ disasters to take place. Romans 8 tells us that the created order is groaning, longing for the day it will be finally redeemed and renewed – made perfect again (Romans 8:18-22). That will happen when Christ returns and Christians are made like Him. This Second Coming will be preceded by events like the earthquake in Haiti (Mark 13:8), and so we shouldn’t be unnecessarily alarmed or surprised.

On top of all that, we must remember the repeated words of the Lord Jesus when He was asked about a disaster of His day in Luke 13:1-5; “...unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Why are we so afraid of change? (part 1)

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:21:00 +0000

As humans, never mind as Christians, we just don't like change! And even when a change is inevitably forced on us we tread very cautiously. Why is this?

I think it's because we like to be in control. We like to know how the system works, we like to know where and how we fit in. And that desire to be in control is driven by a fear of uncertainty. Being uncertain is the opposite of being in control.

Uncertainty is that feeling of standing at the end of the diving board in the swimming pool. The board is wobbly, my knees are knocking, the water is deep. Anything could happen.

Uncertainty is looking ahead into the new year and wondering where the money will come from to pay for building repairs, and how we will cope if the person we are relying on continues to get more ill.

Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 says:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't depend on your own understanding.

We become uncertain when something happens which we don't understand or don't expect. Yet the Bible pushes us towards that uncertainty when it says "don't depend on your own understanding"!

But I want to show you that this is not an 'uncertainty' to be afraid of. This is in fact a certain uncertainty! Why? Because the Bible says that you should swap certainty in your own understanding with certainty in God's understanding.

Instead of thinking we know best, the Bible says trust in God, because he knows best. Just like a footballer must trust his manager because he sees the whole game from the touchline. Just like a soldier must trust his general because he sees the whole battle from the hilltop.

Really, trusting in our own understanding is not certainty at all. We're never really in control, even though we can feel like we are. Our lives are fragile. Any day we could be in a road accident, or choke on a sandwich, or just drop dead with a heart attack.

But trusting in God's understanding is true certainty. He is always in control. The Bible says he knows even when a single sparrow dies. He knows the exact number of hairs on each of our heads. And better than that, he promises that in all events, situations and circumstances, he is working for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Which is easier? To trust in yourself, or to trust in God? It's much easier to trust yourself! And that's unfortunately what we do most of the time. That's one reason why we're afraid of change. While we think we have all the jigsaw pieces in place, we can be pretty confident that nothing will go wrong.

Which is better? To trust in yourself, or to trust in God? Without doubt, to trust in God. Only he really has all the pieces of the jigsaw. Only he really knows exactly what's going to happen.

And so he calls us to a life of uncertain certainty. A life of depending on himself rather than ourselves. A life of depending on his great understanding rather than our puny understanding.

When we trust the God of certainty, we don't have to be afraid of change.

In the next post, we'll see that God calls us to a life of change.

New Year, New Beginning

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 11:40:00 +0000

How did you see the New Year in? Probably at home with your family, shielded against the cold weather, or maybe out with friends. For many people it is no special occasion and by midnight they were fast asleep! Some people, the tourist industry tell us, go to great lengths and far distances for the event, Sidney Harbour Bridge or Times Square, New York, perhaps. Maybe if you had the chance, you would like to do that.

As you may have read in the press, there is now an added reason to go to Times Square for New Year. This year the third annual ‘Good Riddance Day’ was held there, where individuals were encouraged to rid themselves of last year’s setbacks and prepare for a better future. Those arriving are given a sheet of paper and a pen, and encouraged to write down what they would like to get rid of – perhaps memories of a failed relationship, or a huge credit card bill. For others it might be something more fundamental – bad health or the sorrow of the past twelve months. The papers were then collected and put in an industrial sized shredder. To many doing so, there was a symbolic release of personal burdens and struggles from the past. The hope was that a New Year would mean a new beginning.

If only such a thing worked! Even those organising the event admitted that, though doing this might help people move on from trivial things, when it came to the real issues of life it was ineffective, make-believe at best. The people involved would be much the same when they got home, and when 2010 got going.
What ‘Good Riddance Day’ does prove however, is that so many of us recognise we need to change. There are things in all our lives that are not right, things we’d like to get rid of, ways in which we want to be different, and a New Year is a good time to face up to this. But as countless failed New Years Resolutions have shown, we are powerless to transform ourselves as we need.

The Bible, God’s Word to all men and women in 2010, tells us the only way we can change. We need to be changed by Him. He has sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world so that we might be changed. Jesus died on the cross at Calvary so that all our sins and shortcomings could be eternally ‘shredded’ by God. Whatever our failings, “the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). When we trust in Christ, he transforms us because “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God not only gives us His Son, but also His Holy Spirit, who empowers us to kill off our bad habits, and former lifestyles (Romans 8:9,10). He also gives us His promises, promises that encourage us not to worry, because instead you can be “casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

I pray that 2010 is a great new year for you. But above all, my prayer is that you have not just a new start, but a new life in the Lord Jesus.

Bridging the gap

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:31:00 +0000

As I write this it’s raining! Again! November has been one of the wettest on record, and after the lovely Autumn we had, a real shock to the system. But when we see the way some have been affected by the flooding in the north of England, we have nothing to complain about, do we?

When I was watching the television pictures from Cumbria, I was struck by the power of the water and the damage it was able to inflict. To see solid stone bridges that have stood for decades washed away in an instant was extraordinary. Our heart goes out to the family of the policeman who died keeping people safe that stormy night.

Like the people of Workington did, we take bridges for granted. We walk or drive across them every day, forgetting the great inconvenience we would suffer if they were not there. But now to get from one side of their town to the other involves an hour long drive. They long for the gulf to be bridged once more.

Seeing that reminded me of something intimately connected with Christmas. Christmas is about the bridging of a more serious gulf. The Bible tells us that our sins, the things that we have done, said, and thought that are contrary to God’s law, have meant that we are separated from God. The prophet Isaiah says;

Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Isaiah 59:2

If God were to leave us in that condition we would be hopeless. The gulf between us and God is wider than the widest of rivers, and nobody can cross it in their own strength. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s wonderful response to our predicament. By sending His only Son he has reached out to us across the divide that our sins have caused. It means that through Christ we can be reconciled to God.

Today on the news I saw the way in which a new bridge is being built to bring the people of Workington back together. The first task that needs completion is the establishment of footings on both sides of the river. Only when there is a base on both banks can the pathway across the gulf be successfully put in place, and then used with confidence by those who cross.

The Bible makes clear that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. That is because He is uniquely qualified to breach the gulf between God and man. One of the reasons for that is that He is both man and God. As we see a helpless child lying in a stable manger, totally dependent upon his mother, the humanity of the Lord Jesus is clear for all to see. But as we read on through the Gospels; of His life, preaching, sinlessness, claims, and perhaps especially His miracles, death and resurrection, we are brought face to face with God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the Man who is God.

That is why this Christmas you need to turn away from the tinsel and turkey, the presents and wrapping, even from the carols and candles. You need to turn away from yourself and to Jesus – the one who has bridged the gulf between God and man - and commit yourself to Him. Only then will Christmas be real to you.

How to avoid Hell

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Last month marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brighton Bomb, when the IRA tried to murder the whole of the British government, including the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Five people were killed and dozens injured by the outrage. Some are still in wheelchairs as a result.

I vividly remember watching breakfast television that morning, eating my cornflakes whilst watching live footage of the emergency services digging Norman Tebbit out of the rubble. He and a number of others involved that day were interviewed to mark this anniversary. Time has moved on. The IRA has supposedly renounced all terrorist activity and embraced the democratic process instead. The bomber, Patrick Magee, given eight life sentences, has now been released under the terms of the Good Friday agreement. One of those who lost a loved one in the bombing now regularly shares a platform with Magee, believing it to be the best way to heal the emotional wounds she still has.

It was something that Lord Tebbit is reported to have said of those responsible for the outrage that particularly captured my attention. He expressed the hope that “perhaps, if there is a heaven and hell, that there will be a particularly nasty, objectionable, painful corner of hell for those who were involved.”

I wonder what you make of such a statement. Perhaps you feel he has every justification for saying it. After all, his wife Margaret has been paralysed ever since, and Lord Tebbit has diligently cared for her, sacrificing his own political career. Perhaps you just put it down to the man himself, famous for extreme quotes.

But maybe his thoughts are more worthy of attention than that. It reminds us that, despite decades of secularism and materialism telling us that there is no heaven and hell, deep in many people’s heart there is an idea of the eternal. Many people have a hazy view that injustices that happen here will somehow be righted after death. People who commit great crimes must be punished by God. Though they might not believe the Bible, they will often pick up the terms of the Bible to express their outrage. Maybe you are like that. Maybe you wish the same for terrorists of our day.

Heaven and hell are described in the Bible. They are real places. The Lord Jesus spoke about them, perhaps surprisingly, more often about hell than heaven. But it was to whom he spoke about hell that we need to be aware. It was always to the religious, outwardly moral and good, Scribes and Pharisees, those who attended places of worship regularly. Do you see what that means? You, my friend, not just the murderer, are in danger of hell, because you have broken the laws of a holy God too. That may not be Tebbit-theology, or yours, but it is the Bible’s teaching.

My only hope of avoiding hell is a much greater Good Friday agreement. God agrees to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary, in place of my sin and eternal death. He suffers in my place. He dies, I gain heaven instead of the hell I deserve. But without Jesus, I must stand alongside the unrepentant terrorist on the Day of Judgement – condemned in my sin. How is it with you?