Stand Firm!

Mar 15, 2023

Terry Goodkind wrote a fantasy series called the ‘Sword of Truth’ in which one character (Richard), injured in battle, wakes to find not only his beloved wife missing but all memory of her apparently erased. (‘Chainfire’) His struggle to find her, and to remain convinced of her existence when all around him believe he is delusional and believing a lie speaks powerfully to me of faith and truth.
So often, we are brainwashed by a majority view which seems so convincing. The sheer weight of popular opinion can make it hard to swim against the tide. The Christian is called to do this on a daily basis, and what makes this even more difficult is that our own hearts are often not confident or assured. We are frequently beset by doubts, tormented by unanswered questions, buffeted by trials and temptations. External bombarding by cynics, sceptics and atheists is one thing, but the insidious questions and doubts which assail us from within can seem even worse. Does God really care? Is God really powerful AND loving? Where is God when I need Him?
The skill of the author is to take us as objective readers into a story and allow us to walk with the characters to a conclusion that sheds light on our own predicaments. Richard and Kahlan are eventually reunited. His tenacity and faith, based on the solid evidence of his life, remind us that it is possible to stand for truth in a world based on lies, however plausible the lies sound. If we are anchored to God’s truth, we can withstand the assault on faith and remain true to our Maker, Protector and Deliverer.

Acts Of Worship

Mar 15, 2023

“Worship opens doors to all His goodness.” (Ps 34:9, The Message)
Worship of God is an act of faith. No one has seen God, a simple fact which puts off many who believe that ‘seeing is believing.’ We worship God by faith, not only believing that He exists, but that He is good and seeks our good. (Hebrews 11:6)
Every time we gather together in worship, we do so by faith. Worship focuses our attention from egocentric living (‘I’m the most important person in the world‘) to theocentric livng (‘God is the most important’). This worship opens doors all God’s goodness because it grants us access to a spiritual realm usually hidden from our sight.
Like the children entering the world of Narnia through an ordinary-looking wardrobe, we enter a vast spiritual world as we sing songs of praise to God and pray. Neither activity looks spectacular in itself. But sincere, heartfelt worship which spills over into sincere, heartfelt service opens doors to another dimension, where the presence and power of God make a direct impact on us.
Each day in our area these activities of worship go on, some in church buildings, some in workplaces, some in the privacy of our homes, for worship can be both an individual act (as David’s prayer in Ps 34 demonstrates) or a corporate act.
Join us today at the Salvation Army at 1.45 p.m. for our ‘Churches Together’ prayer meeting, an act of worship where we can walk boldly into God’s presence through the blood of Christ and can be confident we will find mercy and grace to help us, no matter what our situations. (Heb 4:16)

Living Without Fear

Mar 12, 2023

Fear only came into the world after Adam sinned (see Gen 3:6-10); after sin, man feared God in a bad way, aware that He was holy and pure (unlike us) and that we deserved punishment for our disobedience and sin. The world does not necessarily believe in God and therefore does not fear Him, fears can be healthy in keeping us safe from harm. Nonetheless, some fears (often called phobias, from the Greek word for fear) are unhealthy and do not lead to happiness or freedom.

Machiavelli, an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries wrote that ‘it is better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both.’ He argued that fear was a good motivator and an effective tool for leaders. Certainly, many governments have used fear to control people (think of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution in 1792/3 or the Red Terror in Soviet Russia in the early 20th century.) Fear was used unashamedly by political leaders during the Covid pandemic, especially through Government posters and propaganda. Their fear tactics still have ongoing effects to this day. To use fear to control behaviour is never God’s way.

God wants us to fear Him and remove all other fear from our lives. Fear of God is a respect for the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28); it is not an enslaving fear. Jesus told us that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14:15); love is the greatest motivator, not fear. God is our refuge and strength, our help (Ps 46:1-3); He is our protector and refuge. (Ps 91:1-6) Because the Lord is with us, we need not fear (Ps 118:6-7). Because Jesus has overcome death and the devil, we no longer have to fear either. (Heb 2:14-15) God has the power to break captivating, traumatising fear and set us free so we can love and serve Him gladly..

 

The Raising of Lazarus

Mar 12, 2023

In our series ‘The Miraculous & The Mundane’, we looked at the last of John’s seven sighs, miracles which Jesus did during His lifetime. (John 11:1-44) This sign is obviously the most spectacular, since to have the power to bring Lazarus back to life after four days in the tomb demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt the truth of Jesus’s statement, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life.’ (John 11:25) Yet despite the very visible and popular nature of this miracle (which led to many people coming to believe in Jesus), we see also much that is confusing in this narrative.

This was not the only time Jesus raised someone from the dead (see Luke 8:49-56, Luke 11:7-12), nor the only example of this in the Bible (see 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:18-37, 2 Kings 13:20-21, Acts 9:36-42, Acts 20:7-12). But we see clearly here the bewilderment of Jesus’s disciples, the pain and grief of Martha and Mary, and the confusion that arose because of Jesus’s delay in responding to the initial call for help. This reminds us that delay and confusion can be as much a part of the miraculous as anything else. Jesus clearly knew from the start what He was going to do and how this would bring glory to God, but still there was grief and anguish to endure.

We see in Jesus’s weeping at the tomb His total empathy with those who suffer and are reminded that He is indeed isaiah’s suffering servant (see Is 53:3) who never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we do not understand His timing or ways. His ultimate victory over death (echoed in 1 Cor 15:54-57) comes to show who us He is and what He can do, but this miracle still requires human help (to take off the grave clothes) and faith. We have a hope beyond the grave, for Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. There is nothing too difficult for Him, so we can call on Him today for deliverance and help, and He will surely come. Though we may have to wait for His arrival, He will not leave us; He will not forsake us. (Heb 13:5) Habakkuk spoke of a revelation of God and said, ‘Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.’ (Hab 2:3) Miracles may seem to linger and be delayed, just as Jesus waited another two days before setting off to Lazarus, but we can be sure that the Resurrection and the Life will come at the right time, and that when He arrives, we will be changed beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Coming Soon…

Mar 9, 2023

Easter is on the horizon, and we have a busy week planned with Easter celebrations.

We will be joining with other local churches in an Easter Family Fun Day on Wednesday 5th April between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Furlong Road Methodist Church in Bolton-on-Dearne. We’ll be doing Easter crafts and re-telling the Easter story. Lunch is provided. Please contact Julie on 07729 421405 or email julie@gpcchurch.co.uk to book in to this free event to help with numbers for catering.

On Thursday 6th April between 1 and 4.30 p.m. we’ll be joining with other community groups at the Spring Fair at Goldthorpe Railway Embankment. We’ll be doing crafts and telling the Easter story, but there’ll also be an Easter bonnet competition and other activities happening on site.

On Good Friday (7th April) we’ll meet together at GPCC for a fellowship meal at 5 p.m. and will hold a short service afterwards at 6 p.m.

On Easter Saturday (8th April) we will hold our coffee morning, but will be doing lots extra there to raise funds for a summer trip to Flamingo Land for families who attend our Parent & Toddler group. There’ll be a table top sale, a tombola, raffle and Easter games to play!

On Easter Sunday, services will be at 10.30 and 6.00 p.m.

We hope to see you at these events!

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Mar 5, 2023

This evening at our ‘Little Big Church’ service, we looked at stories, exploring what kind of stories we like (fairy stories, princess stories, romances, science fiction, crime novels and so on) and what is needed to make a good story (interesting characters, good plot, interesting language and, especially in children’s literature, illustrations.)
Jesus often told stories (parables) to communicate, for a story draws us into active participation. Lately, we have been looking at parables: how the Good Samaritan teaches us about loving our neighbour and helping others, how the parables of the lost coin, lost sheep and lost son remind us of God’s love for each one of us, how the parable of the Sower teaches us about God’s word and what is needed for spiritual growth (we saw how the cress seeds planted last month had grown as well!)
Paul tells us we are all letters from Christ (2 Cor 3:3). He wants us to realise that we all have stories to tell, stories of testimony (Ps 107:2). The greatest story ever penned is the story of God, and we can play an important part in this story. God has great plans for each one of us and can use us to spread His love and fame to others. Do we want to be part of God’s story?