A clock with no numbers may seem rather pointless, but it shows us how the topic of time is crucial to each one of us:

Stephen spoke about time tonight, looking at how God’s timescales seem so different to ours. It’s important that we understand God has a time for everything (Eccl 3:1-10) and that His timing is often very different to ours (the healing of Naaman, when he was commanded to wash seven times in the River Jordan, reflects this.) We need to follow God’s instructions if we are to know healing and success, just as we have to follow the doctor’s instructions to ‘take two tablets three times a day‘ if we are to know health! Our times are in God’s hands and whilst we often run around like the White Rabbit in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ asking if we are late for a very important date, we need to trust God’s timing.

2 Pet 3:1-10 reminds us that God is not slow in keeping His promises and has our good at heart. How we use our time is our choice; we can let time control us or we can let God direct our time, remembering that He is the ‘Potentate of Time’, ruling and in control of everything.

This morning at Cherry Tree Court we looked at John 14:1-6, the famous passage where Jesus says ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

When we travel to different destinations, we use different roads: for speed and efficiency, we often use motorways which tend to be straighter and more direct:

If we are not as concerned about speed, we might prefer to take ‘A’ roads where the scenery might be prettier; sometimes, we may even end up on ‘B’ roads or even bumpier roads to reach a specific destination. Whatever the road, however, it matters that we know where we are going if we are going to end up at the correct destination!

Thomas was not so sure that he knew where Jesus was going: ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ (John 14:5) Jesus knew that the only way we could reach God, and heaven, was if we followed Him and did things His way. The only way to God the Father, he said, was through the Son. We can’t just take any old road to God and expect to arrive at the right destination, any more than we can take any old road to arrive at any destination. If we want to arrive at a particular destination, we have to go a particular way.

Whilst we may all have come to God through different routes, we cannot know God unless we are prepared to come through His Son (see also Mark 1:15, 17; Acts 4:12). He is the gate through which we come (John 10:6,8), because, being both God and Man, He is able to bridge the gulf between us and God caused by sin. We have to ‘enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ (Matt 7:13-14)

As Tim Hughes sings,

‘I was nowhere: You came to my rescue.

From the grave I’ve been raised.

When I needed a Saviour to save me,

Jesus, You made a way.

I was blind, but these eyes have been opened.

Now I walk in the light.

Every step on this road I will follow.

Jesus, You made a way.’ (‘The Way’, Worship Central)

We had three birthdays to celebrate tonight, so they decided to share the limelight together!

Mark spoke from Dan 3:1-30 tonight, looking at how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego coped with the fiery furnace. The story is from Israel’s captivity history, when they had been carried off to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, whose golden image (90 feet tall by 9 feet wide) was a symbol of all that was anti-God. Other rulers who were jealous of the favour shown to these Israelite men wanted to get rid of them and therefore pointed out to the king that they were refusing to bow down and worship this image. The king apparently gave them a second chance, but clearly thought no god was able to rescue them from his hand. Their response (Dan 3:16-18) demonstrated their faith, assuring the king that their God was able to deliver them from the fire, but even if He chose not, they would still not compromise their faith and worship a false god.

God’s ability to keep His people even through trials is demonstrated by the fact that three bound men were thrown into the fire, but Nebuchadnezzar saw four men walking in the fire, unbound. The fire had no power on their bodies. Despite the fact that Satan wants to cause havoc in the lives of God’s children, his power is not unlimited; God is able to deliver and rescue us from all trials.

This story shows good triumphing over evil and God bringing blessing even through adversity. We can take encouragement from this story, for we know that even if we feel we are going through the fires of trial at the moment:

1. God is there with us

2. He is able to save and deliver

3. He is able to bring blessing even through trials

4. The outcome is secure, for God will always triumph!

We concluded the service with a song specially written for the service by Garry & Stephen.

‘Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego,

Bow down or in the fire you’ll go.

The flames will burn and then we’ll see

Just how toasted you can be…’

Tonight’s family service looked at the subject of faith under fire, wittingly sub-titled by Mark ‘You’re Toast!’ Because of this, we had an activity that involved timed eating of toast…

Explaining the game:

Showing off the prizes…

Toast eaters!

The champion!

Stephen’s sermon this morning looked at the idea of going for a walk. Gen 3:8 talks about Adam and Eve hearing the sound of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. There is a familiarity and intimacy to this scene which is breathtaking; the thought of man’s regular communion with God in the Garden of Eden reminds us of the close relationship with God for which we were created. There is a sense of constancy and consistency; clearly, this was a regular fellowship enjoyed by Adam and Eve until the arrival of sin.

Sin spoilt that closeness between man and God, and as a result, Adam and Eve hid among the trees, no longer craving that closeness with God, but fearing it. The good news is that God has taken the initiative to restore that relationship, for just as He came down to walk with them in the garden, so He comes down to us through Jesus and restores our relationship: ‘I will walk among you and be your God and you will be my people.’ (Lev 26:12, see also 2 Cor 6:16).

We need to have a daily walk with God, knowing His presence with us every day. We no longer walk alone, for the door has been opened and God has come in. The only thing which can stop us knowing the blessing of His presence is if we run and hide from Him. The difference God can make to us is enormous, but we have to stop hiding from Him and holding back from Him, realising that we belong to Him and have been bought at a price. Enoch walked with God for 300 years (Gen 5:22) and we too can walk with God every step of our lives, knowing the mind-blowing experience of stepping out with God on a daily walk.