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23rd November 2008 Activities & Prayer Diary
To
the Church that meets at Bethel In you Lord I live and move and have my
being.” (paraphrased from Acts 17:28) Dear Church The whole of our Christian lives should be a progression on a journey
walking closer and closer to the Father-heart of God. I heard an illustration the other day
that I could only liken to evangelism and discipleship. When people ‘come to
Christ’, ‘find faith’, ‘become a Christian’,
‘are converted to Christianity’, ‘dedicate their life to
Christ’, ‘get saved’, ‘see the light’, etc.
etc. (choose your own description that you like best that fits your stepping
over from being without God to being with Him) - we need to make sure that
this is not the end of the journey, simply the beginning. The illustration spoke about
evangelism as stepping over a border from those outside to those inside, but
then discipleship once within that border as a continuous walking closer
towards the central point of the circle, which is God. As I understood it the crossing over
and the walking towards are simply the beginning and the continuation of our
journey of faith in Jesus that lasts the whole of our lives. Paul, while writing to the early
Church, said ‘in Him we live and move and have our being’. He was talking to the Christians in
Athens—a place filled with so many gods that they even had an altar to
‘an unknown god’.
Jesus was trying to focus the people of God’s eyes and faith not
upon the many but upon the one true God seen so clearly through his Son
Jesus. The Message Bible says
this: ‘Starting from scratch, He made the space for living so we could
seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find
Him. He doesn’t play
hide-and-seek with us. He’s
not remote; He’s near. We
live and move in Him, can’t get away from Him!’ The ways of this world are being
shaken. You have to choose
whether to fall with the shake or to stand firm right in the centre of Him in
whom we live and move and have our being. I found this prayer and it spoke to
me—hope it speaks to you too. and you held me and there were no words and there was no time and you held me and there was only wanting and being held and being filled with wanting and I was nothing but letting go and being held and there were no words and there needed to be no words and there was no terror only stillness and I was wanting nothing and it was fullness and it was like aching for God and it was touch and warmth and darkness and no time and no words and we flowed and I flowed and I was not empty and I was given up to the dark and in the darkness I was not lost and the wanting was like the fullness and I could hardly hold it and I was held and you were dark and warm and without time and without words and you held me
Janet
Morley With love Jill Notes
& News Fountains in the Dust Share Jesus International are
putting on this event which “aims to help its audiences explore and
engage with the issue of poverty.”
Arian Plass retells his experiences with South America’s street
children and artist Nikki Rogers fuses musical talent with media
entertainment. Wednesday
26th November,
7.30—9.45pm, Upper Gornal Methodist Church, Spills Meadow, DY3
1YB. Tickets are £6 from
020 8781 1740 or on line at www.faithtickets.com More Hope Saturday 29th November, 7.00pm, Bethel Convention
Centre, West Bromwich. Fast paced
end of Hope 2008 year celebration, looking forward to the future! Multi-media
celebration event with worship, testimony, special guests and stories of Hope
2008. Christmas 4 All Living Springs Family Centre
are holding a family event on Saturday
6th December 1.00—4.00pm
at the centre on Bridgnorth Road, Stourton, Stourbridge, DY7 6QY. Santa’s Grotto £3, cakes,
pony rides, bring and buy, refreshments, to raise money to help their work
“with young mums and their babies.” Wedding Blessing Chris and Tova Branson would
like to thank everyone at Bethel for the lovely wine glasses and also all who
sent gifts and cards for their recent wedding. They are all very much appreciated and
they look forward to seeing everyone at their blessing service. Dreaming of a Holy Night Graham Kendrick is in concert
with his band on Sunday
7th December at
Dudley Concert Hall, St. James’s Road, Dudley, DY1 1HP. More information on
www.leabrookchurch.co.uk Committee - Diary Next committee meeting will be
on Thursday 8th January 2009 at 7.30pm Volunteering Opportunity Youth for Christ are looking
for a mature individual with good listening skills and empathy with older
people to serve as a volunteer one day a week. They require someone to speak to YFC
supporters who may be considering leaving a legacy, also someone who can help
with small gatherings where legacy opportunities will be discussed
informally, over tea and cake. No
knowledge of legacies or law is required, nor is any previous
experience. They are simply
looking for a friendly and organised person who could build relationships and
pass on information packs. If you
would like to chat about this opportunity please call Darren on 0121 502 9640
or email darren.richards@yfc.co.uk |
