Stephen spoke this morning from Acts 17:24-28. So often we take God for granted and our Christian life becomes mere habit. In this passage, Paul explores God’s greatness and omnipotence, reminding us that He is the creator of the whole world (Acts 17:24) and is not dependent on us or on our achievements (Acts 17:24-25). He has a purpose for our lives and is in full control (Acts 17:26-27), part of that purpose being that we come to know Him (Acts 17:26-28).

Jesus died so we can have a personal relationship with Him. Before His death and resurrection, the temple was looked on as God’s dwelling-place, with God ‘situated’ in the Holy of Holies, hidden behind a heavy curtain. When Christ died, that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, symbolising that we now have free access to the presence of God. God does not need our service, butHe longs for our fellowship and desires to meet with us.

So often, we restrict God to certain times and places (‘coming to church’ being one way we organise Him to fit in with our lives.) However, He wants to be with us in all places and at all times. He wants to change our lives irrevocably, so that we flourish from being in contact with the source of all life. We are meant to draw from this source as the river draws from a source. We are meant to live in this source of life, to flourish in God.

God has plans and purposes for us: ‘he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.’ (Acts 17;26) We are not here by accident, but can live in the plans and purposes of God, being shaped and influenced by Him in everything.

Esau’s wives are mentioned several times in the Bible. He married Judith and Basemath, both Hittites (Gen 26:34) and Mahalath, a descendant of Ishmael (Gen 28:8-9); he also married Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, all women from Canaan (Gen 36:1-2).

This intermarrying was frowned on by God and would be a continual source of problems for both Esau and his parents and remained a problem for the people of God throughout history(see also Ezra 9:1-15). Solomon’s reign started well, but his heart’s devotion to God was led astray by his foreign wives (1 Kings 11:1-6); marrying outside the faith was seen as unfaithfulness to God (Ezra 9:2).

Even today, Paul reminds Christians of the dangers of being yoked to unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14) and urges Christians to marry those who belong to the Lord (1 Cor 7:39). The question of marriage is a huge commitment, a lifelong tie, and for believers this must always be seen as a decision fundamental to faith, not mere fancy.

God is in control and has His people’s best interests at heart. The prohibition on marrying outside the faith is not made out of a desire to spoil our fun or limit us, but to guard our hearts, protect us from the devastating hurt of broken relationships and help us on our journey of faith. It’s better not to marry at all than to marry someone who will not help us serve and worship the Lord who has saved us.

Choose wisely in this vitally important area and ask for God’s help when it comes to the question of marriage!

We live in a very creative community! At the family fun day on Wednesday 20th February (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) at GPCC, we will be doing all kinds of creative things on the theme of transformation and new life. We’ll be looking at the story of Claudia the Caterpillar and making a large collage caterpillar and butterfly (which will be exhibited at the Dearne Community Arts’ Festival later in the year) as well as looking at transformational food (how do you make butter from cream or bread from dough?) There’ll be the opportunity to make butterfly paintings or clay models, so it will be a really fun time of creativity and learning! – free entry and free refreshments.

In preparation for the Dearne Community Arts’ Festival, we’ll also be hosting a mosaic workshop on Saturday 1st June between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Come along to our coffee morning and also take part in a mobile mosaic which will be exhibited at the arts’ festival later this year! Cllr Ralph Sixsmith will be leading this workshop… and the mosaic will then be travelling around the locality as different community groups get involved with it!

The Dearne Community Arts’ Festival itself will be on Saturday 28th September from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Dearne ALC in Goldthorpe. This is an opportunity to ‘champion creativity and celebrate community’ and we’re always looking for people to exhibit (and sell) their work, take part in performances (drama, dance, music etc.) and get involved in workshops and demonstrations so that we can learn new skills and enjoy new crafts. See Julie if you’d like to be involved or find out more, but for now, put the date in your diary and come along to enjoy the creativity of so many amazing local people!

We had another birthday to celebrate on Sunday evening:

How we respond to the injustice of life and personal insult is extremely important in our witness to the world. It is not wrong to be angry per se; the problem comes, however, in that so often we are only angry when we ourselves are wronged or hurt, rather than angry over the things which make God angry. James reminds us that ‘human anger dosn’t produce the righteousness that God desires.’ (James 1:19-20) We so often become angry when we are hurt or wounded, but there is a selfish element to much of this anger.

The Bible speaks of different kinds of anger: that which is slow, cold, almost a settled habit which has the purpose of revenge (Matt 5:22), often manifested in our desire to ‘get even’ with those with whom we are at loggerheads. Another type of anger is volatile and turbulent, flaring up quickly and singeing all who come near to it. In contrast, we are told to bless those who persecute us (Rom 12:14) and to be careful that we do not let anger tip us into sin. (Eph 4:26) Our reaction to people needs to be laced with courtesy and love, for all are made in God’s image. When we become angry, so often the self is predominant and we dehumanise others.

God reminds us that hatred will be a common response to His love (see John 15:18), but urges us to overcome anger with love. (Rom 13:8-10) We have to be ruthless in investigating the source of our anger, for so often it reveals our hearts. Love is not easily angered (1 Cor 13:8), and to mange anger successfully, we must be filled instead with God’s love (love displaces anger!) When we are angry, we need to stop, pause, and allow God’s love to be in the air!

Anger in itself is not wrong, but we need to be sure we are angry as God is – angry at injustice and a disregard for Him – and that we respond as He does, showing love and mercy even to those who don’t deserve it.

Garry spoke last night on the subject of anger. In 1977 the song ‘Love Is In The Air’ was popular, with its line that this is ‘everywhere you look around’. Nowadays, it is a sad fact that ‘anger is in the air‘. We seem to be a nation of angry people, whether this is manifested in road rage, vitriolic debates on social media, political hatred (which resulted in the murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016, for example) and a general intolerance within society.

In the eyes of many people, this anger is justified and justifiable. Some even cite God as an example of someone who is often angry, as if this excuses their selfish and uncontrolled anger (presumably overlooking the many differences between humanity and God, including mankind’s sinfulness and God’s holiness). The Bible does talk of God’s anger, but when we look at this, we see that this is manifested when people deliberately ignore or rebel against His commandments.It is not a ‘first response’. In 2 Sam 6:1-7, we see the death of Uzzah for reaching out and touching the Ark of the Covenant, something many feel to be disproportionate to the act. If we look further into this incident, however, we see how God had given His people clear instructions about how to carry the Ark, which was the symbol of His holy presence, so that the priests would carry it with poles, never actually touching the chest. God’s anger arose out of the people’s insult and disregard for His commands and their lack of respect for all that the ark represented.

In Exodus 4:14, we are told that the Lord’s anger burned against Moses. In this encounter (when God calls Moses to lead His people out of Egyptian slavery), Moses makes many excuses to God about why he cannot fulfil this commission and God is exceedingly accommodating! It is only when Moses begs Him to send someone else that God becomes angry. God is far more patient and long-suffering with people than we are!

Some also justify their anger by saying that Jesus got angry, often citing the fact that He overturned the tables in the temple as a proof of this. This incident (see Matt 23:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, John 2:13-7) shows us Jesus overturning tables to make a definite point and talks of the zeal of God consuming Him, but there is actually no mention of anger. It is only when we see Jesus confronted with the stubbornness of the Pharisees, who would rather their interpretation of the Sabbath laws be honoured than actually see a man healed and delivered, that we read of Jesus being angry (Mark 3:1-6). Jesus’s anger was not vindictive or vengeful; His response to their hardness of heart was still to go ahead and heal the man!

So often, our anger arises when we are wounded, hurt or feel wronged or insulted. Jesus did not respond to insults or personal hurt with retaliation and threats and anger (see 1 Pet 2:21-23). We can be passionate in our beliefs and fervent in our zeal, but this does not have to tip us into anger.