Christmas Readings

Everyone agrees this year has been a strange and crazy year! Within all that let's focus on two key things: it has made us evaluate what is important; and it has revealed the beauty in simplicity - for example the times when it is just you and God.

Advent - Isaiah 9

The everyday talk on the street is about how gloomy the current times are. Christmas is all messed up, and normal preparations just aren't happening. Some have reacted by putting out their Christmas lights early, but overall the mood is gloom.

God's Purposes - Ezekiel 47

Through Ezekiel here are the themes we have looked at. Ezekiel had lots of visions of doom for the Israelites - despite the exile they thought they could carry on as normal, but Ezekiel was telling them that worse was yet to come, for God was doing a total reset!

Understanding Judgement - Ezekiel 6 & 7

We've all heard people say "Doesn't God want to judge us, or deal with us harshly?". They may quote or refer to a number of 'judgement passages' in the Bible. Today we look back in Ezekiel chapters 6 & 7 to look at the specific theme of judgement and how we might respond to such statements or questions in our witnessing.

Speak Life - Ezekiel 37

This is again a vision where Ezekiel is taken to a place to be shown things. In this case it is a valley full of bones scattered and piled up. It is a depressing scene - just being in a valley indicates an emotional low and sense of being stuck. The bones are dry and fragmented - the people have been dead for some time. The whole scene is lacking any life. It brings feelings that we can probably identify with right now: being dry, lacking in energy, feeling cut off and isolated.

[OUT] Where is God calling you to speak life and hope?

 Challenge: Directly speak life in the name of Jesus

Prophetic Art - Ezekiel 4 & 5

Normally we think of a prophet as someone bursting into a room calling 'Thus says the Lord' and speaking their message. Yet in Ezekiel 4 he is called to deliver a message ... by way of making a clay model, complete with props like saucepans! He builds the model to deliver a warning of a siege of Jerusalem (which actually happens a few years later). For passers-by it was something that would be intriguing, something to stop and talk about. Hopefully for people to ponder, and understand for themselves the message God was trying to get through. Yet if you think that was weird, then read on!

In too Deep - Ezekiel 8

 In chapter 8 Ezekiel has another vision where he is carried off and shown various things. In this case to the temple of Jerusalem, but what he is shown is not good. For a start there is the idol of Asherah set up in the temple area (see 2 Kings 21:7). He is shown the elders (who should know better) worshipping other gods, with carvings of unclean animals (the primitive gods of the Egyptians), and more ...

[IN] How is God Refining Us?

 Challenge: Evaluate what to keep, what to leave behind

Every Person Countes - Ezekiel 18

A natural question people ask is 'Who is to blame?'. We see it in society and on the news when anything has gone wrong - people want to hold someone responsible. In Ezekiel's vision he is reminded of a proverb that was in wide circulation at the time: "The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge". The saying basically means that the parents do something and the children suffer for it. It raises the question "Should children suffer for their parent's sins?".

Ezekiel as Watchman - Ezekiel 3 and 33

Ezekiel chapter 3 talks about a 'watchman', with the instructions to look out and warn the people of impending danger. It spells out: 'if I make you a watchman, and you don't warn the people, and disaster comes ... then it is on your head'. In other words it spells out responsibility - which is placed firmly on the watchman, holding him responsible for the people's lives.

Holiness of God - Snippets from Ezekiel

Last week we looked at the 'otherness' of God - the fact that He is beyond us, with the difference between God in the spiritual and us in the physical. This is related to the theme of the 'holiness' of God, which occurs in various ways through the writings of Ezekiel.

God is God, We are Not - Ezekiel 1

After the introduction about Ezekiel in chapter 1 it gets straight into his first vision in verse 4. Immediately it is over-whelming: a violent storm, immense cloud, flashes of lightning, brilliant light. We know that there is nothing like the ferocity of nature to stop us in our tracks and remind us of the awesomeness of God - be it a hurricane from the Atlantic, huge waves, the shock of hail stones bouncing up from the pavement or the crash of thunder. They all remind us that there are forces bigger than us.

Ezekiel - An Introduction

We are told that Ezekiel was a priest, brought up to honour and serve in the religious rituals of Israel. From verse 1 we reckon his age to be 30 - which was the typical age for a priest to commence their full duties. We also get from the book of Ezekiel clear markers in time and history: verse 2 sets a date which relates to 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles - the surrender of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 597BC. That led to royalty, officers, fighting men and skilled workers being led off to exile in Babylon.

[UP] What does it mean for us to foster resilient discipleship?

Challenge: Review where you were at in terms of your personal walk with God in January, at the end of March … and compare it to now

Prayer Simplicity - Matthew 6:5 - 13

Prayer seems to many a mystery: both to people who haven't discovered Christ and those who have. The fact is that we are all lifelong learners when it comes to prayer - none of us have it sussed. For those of no faith they may mistakenly believe they can't pray, or that they need someone to pray for them. That's why as a church we have put some simple resources on our new 'Help Me' page to help get people started.

Life Foundations - Matthew 7

We are familiar with Jesus' story of building the house on rock or sand. We know that buildings need foundations, and we know that unsteady ground spells trouble: storms will come and things will shift. So the natural question for every person is 'what are the foundations of your life?'. What is your life based on, and are those foundations going to be sound when storms come?

Covenant Relationships - Proverbs 27:17

At theological college we were reminded of this saying by Spurgeon himself: "As iron sharpens iron, so one person to another". Spurgeon was highlighting how we can help each other improve and become more Christ-like in our understanding of God, Jesus and the work of the Spirit. Spurgeon didn't make this up - he was actually quoting Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17.

Gospel Living - Romans 1

When Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, we should remember that the church had no buildings. They met in homes, as small pockets of believers - in fact in chapter 16 when Paul greets various people he even writes 'and the church that meets in their house' on some occasions. Secondly Paul himself had not yet been to Rome. He sorely wanted to get there, and was frustrated that so far he hadn't. We see that in verse 10 and 11: hoping that at last he will make it, for he is longing to see them.

[OUT] Who is God leading you to?

Challenge: Pray for opportunity

Rejoice from the Darkest Place - Psalm 57 and Philippians 4

In these times anxiety levels for most of us are raised. Some are typically more anxious than others, but right now even the calmest are experiencing anxiety. Today we are going to look at Psalm 57 to help us through.

Called to Change - Exodus 3:1 - 6

Many of us are familiar with Moses in the Bible: the one who led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery into the exodus and towards the promised land. We probably know of the 'burning bush' incident, where God first speaks directly with Moses. God reveals to Moses His liberation plan, and declares Moses will be the leader.

[IN] What is God highlighting in you at this time?

Challenge: Ask a friend to pray it through with you

Point of Contact - Mark 1

A man afflicted by a crippling skin disease comes to Jesus. This man is desperate - the disease has ruined his life. People keep their distance and he cannot get a job. Approaching Jesus he sinks to his knees and literally begs Jesus: "If you are willing, you can make me clean!".

Ever Closer to Jesus - 2 Peter 1

We can know up front that God provides. Peter makes this clear in verse 3: "His divine power has given everything we need". He writes 'everything' - not a few scraps, or just enough to get us started! See also in verse 3 that God has called us - remember again that God equips the called. He doesn't leave us to flounder with no resources. Even better than that Peter declares in verse 4 'so that you can participate in the divine nature'. Do you get just how huge this is?

True Leveller - Revelation 7

we have heard it said that the  Corona virus is a 'leveller'. On one level that is true - it can infect anybody, and all of us can spread it. It doesn't matter who you are. We have members of the Royal Family, senior government officials, and people in well paid senior positions in society all succumb. Yet when we look at the overall effects of the virus, we find it is not a leveller.

Come and See - John 4

Many of us are familiar with the story of the woman at the well. Today we will focus on how the story progresses, rather than the part where Jesus smashes the taboos and analysing the dialogue (we covered these earlier this year). Today we are concerned with then what happens - how the woman goes off to tell people.

[OUT] Who might you invite to come and see?

Challenge: Pray and invite!

Spirit Break In

Many of us are familiar with the Pentecost story, where the Spirit falls powerfully on the followers of Jesus in Acts chapter 2. Note the detail in verse 2 - they were in a house. Kind of their own form of lockdown (though with many people in the same house!). They were there intentionally: partly to keep out of the way of the authorities, but also to pray and wait.

Heart of Worship - Isaiah 1 and Amos 5

There are times when God can be right narky - seen in some of the scripture passages. For example Isaiah 1 verses 10 to 15 God seems to be having a full on rant! Fed up with the sacrifices and offerings of the people - in fact the very practices of worship He prescribed back in the Exodus times. We might think such a rant can't apply to us, since in Jesus we have moved on from primitive animal sacrifices to the sophistication of our worship songs. But not so fast - read Amos 5 verses 21 to 24. Away with the music too!

Resonant Stories - 2 Kings 5

Through the lockdown many are re-learning the art of conversation - with neighbour or the person you meet on the street. That skill of listening well and picking up on what the other person has said is perhaps largely lost, but we are now discovering it again. It gives us all kinds of opportunities to be the witness to Jesus that He calls us to be.

Lane Assist - John 16 and 2 Timothy 3

Last year we went travelling and had a hire car. We were fortunate to get an upgrade which gave us a car with all kinds of extra gizmos. One was 'Lane Assist' - sensors that could see the lane markings so the car would beep at you if you strayed out of lane. We also benefited from the built-in SatNav - handy since we were in a strange country with unfamiliar roads and place names. Both were guidance systems to help us with our driving and exploring the land ahead.

[UP] Where is God nudging you?

Challenge: Up your game with reading some scripture regularly

Restoring Community - Zechariah 8

The previous chapters to Zechariah 8 describe a terrible situation, using language like 'a desolate land'. The people are scattered, the city left behind is like waste. It doesn't have its normal activity and on the whole the situation is pretty miserable.

Coronavirus and the End Times

There is nothing new about pandemics - they have occurred all through history. In our own news we have already had comparisons with the so-called 'Spanish Flu' in 1918 which killed millions around the world. The Black Death in London 1665 killed an estimated 15% of the population. It was even worse 300 years earlier where it is estimated to have wiped out half of the mainland European population. We can go back to Roman times (or even further). A famous Roman era plague was the 'Cyprian' plague, named after a prominent Christian bishop who literally wrote "this it - this is the end of the world!". That was because 5,000 people were dying every day in Rome alone. Of course he was wrong about it being the end of the world, but it was a time where the compassion of Christians was noted across the empire.

Land Sabbath - Leviticus 25 and 2 Chronicles 36

Have you seen the news stories of people spotting wildlife in their gardens? The story of the wild goats coming into Llandudno in Wales - enjoying the freedom while there is no traffic. The Times showed a majestic view of the Himalayas from a town in the Punjab region, noting that for many residents it was the first time they had seen the mountains from their town, because until now it had always been covered in smog! Its as if normal creation is being given a time in which it can breathe again.

About Easter Saturday

Normally we skip Easter Saturday - having done a walk of witness on Friday, and then celebrations on the Sunday. Yet this year with lockdown impinging on our Easter it gives us an opportunity to think a bit more on the Saturday in between.

Soul Question

As well as asking each other the obvious 'How are you?', also ask your brothers and sisters in Christ this Soul Question:

What is your own sense of God - do you feel He is close or distant?

Suffering and Comfort - 2 Corinthians 1

We should remember that in Paul's day it could be very isolating. He would stay in a place only for months and then move on, leaving the new believers behind! They had no Zoom, no Whatsapp, no postal system - only the occasional parchment that needed to be delivered by hand! Yet when those parchments were written, they started with God and who He is. The 2nd Corinthian version declares that God is compassionate, that God is a God of comfort. Paul declares this even when the circumstances are hard, when it doesn't feel comfortable. These statements are like stabilisers on a bike or the keel of a sailing boat.

[OUT] Who is God calling you to comfort?

Challenge: Pray for one another, pray for others in your street

Spirit Testifies - John 16:1 - 15

Recall from last week that in these chapters Jesus is preparing the disciples for what lies ahead. In this season of lockdown our personal discipleship is vital - ensuring we carve out time to know God's presence (the discipline of OFF) and finding novel ways to do discipleship with each other ('share the walk').

Spiritual Living- John 15:26 - 16:15

In John 15 and 16 we see that Jesus is preparing the followers for what lies ahead - which will be a complete meltdown of their world and their understanding. Jesus knows he will be arrested and cruelly executed. He has been dropping big hints about it, and he knows it will completely shake the world for his disciples.

[IN] How wide a conduit will you be for the Spirit's testimony?

Challenge: Respond with the words: “I quietly trust in Jesus”

Kingdom Signs II - John 11

We started this series looking at Kingdom signs. Today we look at the seventh (final) sign - the culmination in a progression that leads to Jesus raising a person from their grave. Note the next phase of the gospel (chapter 12 onwards) has Jesus going up to Jerusalem for one final time, leading eventually to his death. The signs attest to who he is, but these are not recognised by the leaders of the time.

[UP] Are you willing for Jesus to stretch your faith?

Challenge: Offer prayer with the words 'Jesus has the power to change things'

Drop Our Stones - John 8

A small crowd had settled to eagerly listen to Jesus. He was sat in the temple courts. It was orderly, done in public, and all good. But then there were scuffles and commotion. A group of men are man-handling a woman, forcing her into the centre of the circle, pointing the finger, accusing. This is not going to be a quiet teaching session any more!

Foreigners Unlimited - John 4:4 - 26

In this series 'My Life - His Way' we intend to deal with contemporary issues, but doing it with our focus on Jesus. The trouble is that Jesus breaks all the social conventions, smashing down cultural barriers, and blowing your mind with respect to the company he keeps and the approaches he takes.

[OUT] Where do you need to drop the 'them and us'?

Challenge: Don't just tolerate but love your neighbour

Kingdom Sign - John 2:1 - 12

We start today our new series 'My Life - His Way' - practical living as a Jesus follower in the 21st century. The series will cover some difficult topics which are contemporary issues. Yet we will do that in a context, and that context will be faith in Jesus.

[IN] Do we come together for Jesus to be the focus?

Challenge: Pray for kingdom sign to be seen in your everyday activity