King of kings

“KING OF KINGS, MAJESTY, God of heaven living in me”, so begins one of the songs we sing at Ashurst Drive.  this weekend many of us will be focussing on things royal.  However the Bible says that as Christians we are part of  a ‘royal priesthood’ – we are royal.  We are part of God’s royal family and he is the King of kings and God the Holy Spirit lives within us.  That first verse continues ” Gentle Saviour, closest Friend, Strong Deliverer, Beginning and End”.  What a wonderful King we follow who is our friend, saviour and deliverer.

This weekend let us also contemplate that we are in the royal family of God – the King of kings.  And don’t forget to practice your royal wave!!!!

Diamond Jubilee

What were you doing sixty years ago?  For many, perhaps even most, reading this they will not have been born.  For one lady and her husband they were adjusting to becoming the Queen and consort of this country. Princess Elizabeth grew up knowing that one day she would be Queen, but the position was still thrust upon her with the unexpected death of her father. Philip did not grow up with any such expectations, but accepted them when they came. Both the Queen and Prince Philip had to make adjustments when they had their new role which was not a job, but involved all of their lives.

For us, some were born into Christians home, some were not.  However for all of us there was a day when we realised that ‘I follow God’. What were you doing beforehand?  Making the decision to follow Christ meant adjustments.  For some these would have been small, for others the changes were drastic.  For being a Christan is not a job, but is our lives.  As we think towards the Diamond Jubilee, may it be a time of renewed commitment for all of us as we live our lives in Christ.

CELEBRATING OUR MULTI DIVERSE CHURCH

ADBC celebrate 19 nationalities within the church. We are delighted to share worship and ‘family’ life within our multi diverse culture. Our mission statement speaks about being ‘inclusive’ to all and this is a God given gift. Tomorrow we have our children and youth leading our service – its great having all-ages contrrubuting into the life of  the church.

This Sunday afternoon (13th May at 4 pm) we have a special service that gives an opportunity to reflect on people who have been significant to us but are no longer alive. Naaman Murphy (minister at Blackhorse Road Baptist Church in Walthamstow) will be speaking about his experiences of coping with the death of a friend and facing a current potential loss. We recongise how imporant people are to us and how much they have shaped our lives. This invitation is extented to all readers.

To be continued…

As we have re-lived the events of Easter once again over the past few weeks, we are reminded of the roller-coaster journey that the followers of Jesus went through during that time.  We remembered the joy and excitement of Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd.  To be a follower of Jesus at that time was something to be proud of.  But in no time at all, everything had changed and Jesus was on trial.  Suddenly we find the followers of Jesus in a very different position.  Now to be associated with him has become extremely dangerous.  But what is worse is when they see their Lord arrested, beaten and killed on a cross.  Can you imagine being there?  Imagine the crushing devastation they must have felt.  It was all over, Jesus was dead.  Their hopes and dreams shattered.  Everything they lived for, gone.

But this was not the end.  Jesus was not finished.  In dying he achieved the greatest victory of all, not only defeating death but putting an end to the restrictions of a relationship between God and people.  In his death and resurrection he made it possible for us to come close to God.  At the end of Matthew’s gospel Jesus gives his followers a new job to do.  To tell people everywhere about him, to tell people the good news that they too can be part of God’s family because Jesus has made it possible.  This is the good news of Easter.  Not the end of the story as they thought, but the beginning of a new chapter.  A new life with God, made possible through Jesus.

Excitement

So often we can excited about so many things. I was recently in a department store and happened to see some toys for younger children. My mind went to my grandchildren and I wondered about the toys.  They would be excited to get the toys and would switch it on and then, as far as I could see that was it. I then thought that within a very short time the novelty value would wear off and when the batteries ran out, the toy would be discarded.

On that first Palm Sunday, there was so much excitement generated. People were having such a good time. It was like a royal visit; even better that an Olympic torch being paraded through the streets! But the crowd that Palm Sunday seemed to quickly evaporate away – the equivalent of the batteries running out.

Do we get very excited about what God has said to us, or is doing in our lives, but then that feeling of excitement can so quickly melt away? That first Palm Sunday Jesus knew where his journey was going to end up, at the cross. Are we too prepared to suffer for Christ as he did for us?  Does the prospect of suffering get us excited? Probably not, but it could be where God leads us. Let us pray that we will not have short time excitement with the things of God.

Budget and Life

As I write this, I am conscious of the Budget looming up tomorrow.  What will George Osborne do?  Where will he cut taxes and raise taxes.  Will petrol duty be cut or not? As a country we are still in the grip of an economic winter and it seems that we will be there for some time.  Apparently we are all saving now instead of spending because so many were caught with debts when the credit crunch came about.  This means that money has stopped flowing in our economy and is being stored – even with such a low interest rate!

People are being made redundant still and sadly I heard the other day of a friend who ran a small business but the taxman wanted his money now instead of by installments and so the business had to fold – and this is when we are hearing that small businesses are being encouraged!

On Wednesday we shall hear who are the ‘winners and losers’, but with God there are no losers – only winners.  With God we gain eternal life which begins now and extends into the future.  With God we know total forgiveness.  George Osborne may have the power over our finances, but God has the power over life.

Wars and Rumours of Wars

Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” War has come to the fore with six young British soldiers dying and then the news of the US soldier being under arrest, after it is said to have carried out Sunday’s attacks. War is something that we hear about every day on our televisions, radios and can read about them in our newspapers. It is not easy to see the pictures and read the reports, but we cannot put our heads in the sand either.  But as ‘such things must happen’ do we need to pray about them and pray that God will intervene?

The answer is ‘yes’.  In war there is suffering of the innocent, there is death – it is never like Rambo where one man defeats the enemies, but he himself comes out unscathed. There are widows and children without a parent due to war and also orphans being made due to war.  We need to pray that there will be peace in so many places, some that are not even mentioned by the news media.

But what about Mothers’ Day?  What has that to do with war?  Mothers will be losing their sons and daughters in war situations.  There are mothers around the world who have had children disappear due to the place where they live. This Sunday, being Mothers’ Day, let us pray and think about mothers, especially those who have lost children through death or because of a regime taking children or even because a child has died before they have. It seems wrong that a child dies before its parents.

War may be with us, but we can still pray that peace will reign.

SPRING FEVER

Mark Twain wrote: “It’s SPRING fever…… You don’t quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so much” I guess that’s what most of us are thinking after the winter, but turn his words around and think of our spiritual thirst then we see the picture of the one who can turn ‘losses and the mourning of life’ into new hope – found during this season of Lent and Easter. Hope is at hand. Look at John 3: 16

 

March 2012 ministry team letter

Click here to read the March 2012 letter

LENT

During the 40 days of Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray before beginning his work for his Father. Generations later we still use this time to reflect upon his journey. The modern hymnwriter Rachel Parkinson wrote: “Lord, save us from the desert” is what we often pray yet cushioned by securities we often lose the Way.”  (© Rachel Parkinson March 2009). She goes on to say that as we are stripped away from the things which bind us God will gently turn our trust away from ourself and bring us to a place where we trust Him for the securities which are eternal. Her hymn seems a fitting reflection in our 21st century lifestyles.

BMS World Mission Day of Prayer

Monday, 13 February,  BMS World Mission have asked us to be with them in prayer for the day.  BMS World Mission send people all over the world to spread the gospel, to bring justice where needed, to bring education where required and to bring healing, setting up clinics and hospitals where there are none.  They also bring relief when disasters happen.

Do pray for the staff at Didcot, in this country as they raised funds for this faith mission which only exists through donations.  Pray for the staff as they provide administration to be able to send workers overseas.  Do pray for the overseas workers and also for the partners in other countries.  Remember this arm, this partner of the Baptist Family.