Evening Service, 15 March 2009

Do you have a Will? Why have you done so? Isn’t it true that when a person writes their ‘Last Will and Testament’ it is primarily because they want to take care of their surviving family, friends and organisations like churches or charities with their money and other assets. And because they want to make sure there is no doubt as to their intent, and no obstacles in the way of realizing that intent, they take careful thought to the words lest they can be misconstrued or in some other way overturned. A will is a statement of loving interest and commitment that endures from beyond the grave.
Is that what we see Jesus doing here, giving a living, real-time, will?
Certainly we see Jesus even in the midst of His agony on the cross finding breathe and strength to take care of His mother after [...]

Morning Service, 15 Mar 2009
Last week we saw that in relationships within the church it is essential that we “Bear with one another” (Eph 4:2) – that is, we are to take account of our diversity, the reality of human frailty, the liberty God has given us within the boundaries of His commandments, as well as the need to validate the authenticity of our understandings. The other side of that of course is that we must also labour to be more bearable to our brethren!
However, not all tensions within the church fellowship can be or ought to be responded to in this way. There are times when the real issue is sin – including those times when we failed to forbear, but found ourselves responding sinfully.
If we are to live together to the glory of God we need to be able to exercise biblical forgiveness. From the outset we need [...]

It is no understatement to say: ‘Forgiveness is the oil that keeps the church running smoothly.’

One of the jokes that keeps doing the rounds of the Internet relates to a lady going to a motor spares shop and asking for a ‘710’ cap. This of course left the salesman bemused and confused until she showed him where it was supposed to be. The joke comes with a graphic which shows that it was an OIL cap – she was reading it upside down.

Evening Service, 08 Mar 2009
What’s next? We’ve all thought about that question at some time. Maybe in reading a novel with its twists and turns of action or unfolding mysteries, and you think what will the author put them through next. Many have been the times when we have completed a task, and then we look around and ask ourselves ‘What’s next?’
It may be a rest; it may be a new task. But there always seems to be something next. Life is not static. It is always moving on. Life is like a maze with many corners – corners which sometimes we face with excitement or with uncertainty and even at times fear. In going around life’s corners we find it very helpful to have others who can see ahead for us, and who lovingly guide and where necessary warn us of approaching dangers so that we might avoid [...]

Janice lost the chance to get a great job when her husband Marvin failed to mail the application which she had so carefully prepared. When Marvin discovered the letter under some papers on his desk, the deadline was past. He was devastated by his carelessness. He tried to apologise but it was too late. Janice was furious. When Janice accused her husband of not wanting her to get a job outside the home, Marvin felt defensive. He responded by calling her a ‘prickly perfectionist’. Their marriage deteriorated…

Regeneration makes man’s heart a battlefield, where ‘the flesh’ (the old man) tirelessly disputes the supremacy of ‘the spirit’ (the new man).
JI Packer

Evening Service – 01 Mar 2009

Last words are always interesting – they emphasise something of what is important. But don’t think you will always have an opportunity to say a few last words – always speak as if they were your last.

But for Jesus such an opportunity was given, and how precious these words have been to people ever since.

Morning Service – 01 Mar 2009

How do you describe a pecan nut to someone who has never seen one? You can talk about it in terms of its casing’s texture and colour, or of the skin layer, or you talk about the kernel. There are different layers you can peel back, each is part of the nut and can be used to describe the nut and to enable us to distinguish them.

What about church membership? Well with the local church we can say also that there are different levels of membership:

Board of Management Election
Sundays, 22 & 29 Aug 2010
There are currently 4 positions to be filled. The nomination and election is open to all communicant members & adherents 16 years & over.
Nomination forms can be obtained from Jack Adlawan. Ballot papers will be distributed on the 22nd August.

As afflictions in Christ abound and are prolonged, consolations abound and perseverance is given by Jesus as long as christians go to him as teacher for He invites them to be His Students.
Matthew Henry, Commentary