To the Cross

I am part of a developing team who have a growing vision for Bus Ministry in our town. We would like to raise money for a bus to see it used for example, as a Christian centre/drop in for mums and dads taking their children to school in the morning, for Christian activity for children after school and youth work in the evening. I am convinced that God will use it to save souls for Christ and it will help to bring the crime rates down in some of our more difficult estates. How wonderful it will be when we see whole families realise their need to turn away from their sin and turn to Christ Jesus!; when whole families come to know the joy of their salvation! I really do believe God is saying that this work will have a huge impact in our area. Please pray and watch this space!

'But among you there should not even be a hint of sexual imorality ... nor should there be obsenity, foolish talk or coarse joking which are out of place' Ephesians 5: 3-4 (This is an edited version of my original post) The Bible makes it clear that it is wrong for Christians, especially leaders in the church to swear and get involved in obscene talk and sexual innuendo. Unfortunately it is my (recent and past) experience that this too often happens. I would even go as far as saying that in the Church of England this is endemic and I would call for Priests to repent of this! I have known people to walk away from church because there was no fruit in the lives of the leaders. I have also known people who have been very hurt by sexual comments of leaders in the church.

One thing that gets my goat is the typical post modern attitude of ' What's true for you is fine - its true to you - but it is not necessarily true to me.' This of course is utter nonsense. Truth is truth is truth! Some time ago there was an article in the Metro paper about 'Indigo children' Apparently Indigo Children: * Have an indigo aura around them * Can read your thoughts * Can see the future * Know when you are lying * Have heightened senses * Are the next step in the evolution of mankind * Tend to be disobedient and are often misdiagnosed as having ADHD *'The special powers of indigo children make them 'older' than the adults around them. They have come to us at this time because we need old souls to help with the survival of the planet.' * In short are here to save the planet I do not know whether this looks like true teaching to you? Apart from the...

A few days ago my wife and I were visited by two friends whom we were involved in seeing make a strong commitment of their lives to Jesus after some mission work that I did in Sheffield last year. It was lovely to see how they are on fire for God, to hear how they are enjoying some serious Bible study and that God has started to use them in (and out!) of their local church. I remember during that mission that God was telling us that through it He was going to have an eternal impact on people's lives. He certainly wasn't wrong and our friends June and Julian are a testimony to that! But that is what is happening when we step out of the church and evangelise the community. We are having eternal impact on peoples lives! Think about it!

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We, all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was lead like a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression an...

Found this on Sermonillustrations.com There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." "What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all." Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction. Don't think I need to say more!!