Praying for Myanmar
Myanmar protesters are now protesting not only their collective freedom but in favor of releasing the political prisoners that have been taken in the past month.
Please pray that this struggle will not be ended lightly or in haste so that the government will feel more pressure to change. Also pray that more people will join us in this spiritual battle to help Myanmar.
Thanks to all the encouragement and help with this and I hope you will continue to care about these kinds of issues and join me in prayer in the future.
Dawkins/McGrath: The “Is God?” Debate
God exists…or perhaps not?: The Dawkins/McGrath debate
Check out the video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6474278760369344626
The kingdom of God is a party
This is a snap from Ken’s summer youth party a few weeks ago. Don’t forget: the kingdom of a God is a party.
Luke 15 contains three interwoven stories.
They were stories about precious things lost.
He told of a woman who had lost a small fortune, a shepherd who had lost a sheep and a father who had a runaway son.Something precious was lost and warranted an all-out search.
When it was found, it was cause for unbridled celebration.Then he said, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
It is not a stretch, nor disrespectful, to say that heaven throws a huge party when lost people come home to God.
And if we know anything about the Jewish concept of feasts and banquets, we can be sure that there is a lot of singing, dancing and joyful noise in heaven’s banquet halls.
So why should church be dull and boring?
Why should we subject people to mind-numbing boredom and sameness when heaven is cutting down the nets in victory?
Our church is not a show, not a performance, and not very polished. As a whole, we’re a pretty messed-up gathering of people. But God is good, His mercy endures forever and He is opening His arms to lost, broken people like us…and like you.
Please check us out…your visit would be cause for celebration!
Breaking out of the self
Sometimes our prayers are for deliverance from conditions which are morally indispensable–that is, conditions which are absolutely necessary to our redemption. God does not grant us those requests. He will not because He loves us with a pure and implacable purpose: that Christ be formed in us. If Christ is to live in my heart, if his life is to be lived in me, I will not be able to contain Him. The self, small and hard and resisting as a nut, will have to be ruptured. My own purposes and desires and hopes will have to at times be exploded. The rupture of the self is death, but out of death comes life. The acorn must rupture if an oak tree is to grow.
The place where God chooses to dwell
When Nehemiah heard that the walls of his beloved Jerusalem were broken down, he broke down himself and wept. (Nehemiah 1) Why? Because Jerusalem was the place where God chose to dwell. He had put his “name” there and covenanted with David (2 Samuel 7).
But, listen, YOU are the place where God chooses to dwell: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1). When Jesus said “I will build my church” he didn’t immmediately reach for a sack of cement. We are the “living stones” with which he builds.
But we have sinned “and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3). The walls are broken down. We are accessible to enemy attack. We are overrun. Sometimes life just gets you that way… sometimes circumstances seem to conspire to drive you down. But sometimes, through our own deliberate fault, we make choices that lead us far from God’s best. Every act of unkindness, every tiny cruelty… and the walls crumble.
But you can begin again. Today. Nehemiah’s first response was to break down and weep, remembering a glory that seemd lost forever. But his second response was to remind God of his promises, to hold God to his word. “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
There was a woman caught in the very act of adultery, dragged before Jesus to face his righteous judgement. If ever there was a case of broken down walls, here it was. Did he shake his head over her failure? Did he admonish or condemn? It would have been his right.
No. Jesus is the God of the second chance. He said “I do not condemn you [but] go and sin no more” (John 8).
God has more for you. YOU are the place where God chooses to dwell. He doesn’t look at you the way you look at yourself! He doesn’t treat you according to your failures but according to his grace, his covenant, his love!
Nehemiah started on a long road to recovery. It started with an admittance of failure and an acknowledgement of God’s covenant. We can start there too.
“We don’t do funerals…we’re into midwifery”
Among the astonishing sayings of Jesus, comes this one: “Let the dead bury their own dead.” He said it in response to a man who was wavering about following him. The guy said: “First let me bury my father.” Either there was a family funeral he had to attend or -more likely, I think- he was talking about the general pull of family concerns: “I have family obligations. Surely you don’t wish me to shrug off my normal responsibilities?”
Jesus’ answer was an uncompromising YES. In one short remark he divided the world between those who followed him (characterised as those who had life) and those who didn’t (who were dead). It’s a Matrix-like distinction: those who really see the truth and those who don’t. And this difference is so utterly important that it takes precedence over everything. It’s the very first priority. Jesus “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God, and then all these things will be added unto you.” Get your priorities right, and everything in your life will find it’s proper place. (Check out Herman’s paper “One-way journey of endurance” on this).
I’m always fascinated by those church buildings surrounded by memorials to dead people. Why is that, do you think? In rather shocking contrast, I heard a preacher say: “We don’t do funerals. We are into midwifery.” “Let the dead bury their own dead….” “You [however] must be born again”!
The end of the one-man-band
Seeing the church as a body spells the end of the one-man-band.
The Church Is The Body Of ChristAll who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord belong to His Body, which is the Church.
ROMANS 10:9 NKJ
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
COLOSSIANS 1:24 NKJ
24 . . . the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
1 CORINTHIANS 12:27 NKJ
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
EPHESIANS 5:30 NKJ
30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
The Church, or Body of Christ, is composed of many members. Not every member has the same function or calling. God did not create or call each member to do the same thing.
Others Are ImportantWe should recognize other parts of the Body of Christ and not criticize them. God has not given to any of us full and complete understanding of everything. Because we do not know what God has called others to do, we cannot judge whether they are being faithful to do God’s will.
We should assist, encourage, bless, and pray for other members of the Body — just as we would members of our physical body.
Different TasksA big temptation is to assume everyone should be doing what God has called us to do. God has made it clear to us, shown us the need and importance — so that we will do what He has called us to do.
But, we must always remember that we are not the head of the Body of Christ — we are only members who take our orders from the Head.
Because God loves everyone and desires to help them, He calls people to minister to them on a level and in a way that they will receive. Because people will never all be the same, ministers of God will always be different also.
Different GiftsROMANS 12:4-8 NKJ
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Many Members1 CORINTHIANS 12:12,14,17-27 NKJ
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Each Member Does Its ShareEPHESIANS 4:11-16 NKJ
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ –
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Do Not Judge OthersROMANS 14:4 NKJ
4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
Most likely, we will not understand, or agree with, all that other members of the Body of Christ may do. That is because our assignment is different, and we do not have all the knowledge that our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, does.
ROMANS 14:10,13 NKJ
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
DivisionThe devil wants to bring division and strife to the Body of Christ — over anything — in any possible way. We must resist the devil and walk with God in peace and love.
MARK 3:24 NKJ
24 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:3 NKJ
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
JUDE 1:19 NKJ
19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
TITUS 3:10 NKJ
10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,
1 CORINTHIANS 1:10,13 NKJ
10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
13 Is Christ divided? . . . .
Love As ChristWhen we criticize others who claim to be following Jesus, we show our spiritual immaturity. Jesus commanded us to love with an unselfish, self-sacrificing love. He said people would know those who were His followers because they would display His kind of love.
JOHN 13:34-35 NKJ
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
September 4: Restricting freedom to witness
Action required by Tuesday 4 September – Government consultation proposals restrict freedom to witness Government consultation proposals restrict freedom to witness Government publish consultation on biggest ever shake-up to discrimination law.Proposals would restrict freedom to preach and damage freedom of conscience in relation to homosexuality and transsexuality.The Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship urges Christians to make brief response by e-mail to the consultation by Tuesday 4th September (template response given below). The Discrimination Law Review The Government have published their Discrimination Law Review (DLR) which proposes the biggest ever shake-up to UK discrimination law. It proposes to take every single piece of existing legislation relating to discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and age, and put them all into a “Single Equality Act” which will be overseen and enforced by a new body called the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. In many ways it is good news that the Government are seeking to simplify and tidy up what has become very complex legislation. The aim of getting rid of unjustified discrimination is an admirable one – the Bible sets the standard for all legal codes outlawing discrimination: Jesus described the two greatest laws (commandments) as “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)Jesus went on to explain that “your neighbour” is any other human: whatever their sex, race, religion or other characteristic. If everyone in society were to follow this teaching, there would be no unjustified discrimination. The consultation is 190 pages long and is itself very complicated. It can be found at the link given below. Although there are many positive proposals, there also elements of considerable concern to Christians who want to be able to speak freely about the Bible’s teaching. The main concerns are: The Government are proposing to make it illegal to harass someone on the grounds of their religion or belief. However, the definition of harassment is extremely broad, and substantially depends on the perception of the person who makes an allegation of harassment and not the intention of the person accused of harassment. So, a Christian that went to a largely Muslim area to hand out tracts which said that Islam was a false religion, could be sued if a particular Muslim felt that the tract had either ‘violated their dignity’ or put them in an ‘offensive environment’. The Government have also brought back one of the most controversial proposals that they previously tried to bring in via the Sexual Orientation Regulations only a few months ago. They are proposing that it should be made illegal to harass someone on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Again, the problem is the really broad definition of harassment. This proposal would mean that although a Church is free under the SORs to gently refuse membership of the church to an unrepentant practising homosexual, that person, if they felt that they had been put in a ‘humiliating environment’ could sue the Church. Similarly, a homosexual could sue a church if they heard a sermon about sexual morality that included condemnation of homosexual practices. The Government are also consulting on whether there should be a duty on public authorities to promote sexual orientation equality. This will mean that local authorities and other bodies will take active steps to ensure that all sorts of organisations do not discriminate based on homosexual practices. The danger is that this will be taken too far and will mean that Government funding is removed from Christian projects or that support is given to projects promoting homosexuality. The Government are further consulting on whether there should be a duty on public authorities to promote religion or belief equality. There is a similar danger here that the sort of politically correct decisions (like local councils banning Christmas cards) that increasingly make the headlines, will be multiplied, with public funding being focused on promoting ‘minority’ religions like Islam and Hinduism. Another part of the consultation paper seeks views on whether Churches should be able to treat people differently because they have had gender reassignment. If the Government subsequently decided not to allow churches to do so, then a church would not be able to object to a male member of the congregation, who had a sex change (taking on the appearance of a woman), from attending a women’s retreat weekend. The Government are further proposing that the law should protect transsexual people from practices that require them to disclose the fact that their actual sex differs from their physical appearance. So, for example, the Government would allow a man that has had a sex change operation, to be able to keep it secret that he has had that operation. These are just some of the main provisions of the DLR that are of concern to Christians. LinkThe Discrimination Law Review consultation http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/frameworkforfairnessconsultation
Ready for school? Don’t forget to be yourself
For many of you reading this blog, “Back to School” is where you are going in the next few weeks. Whether a private or public school, high school. college or university, you may find yourself surrounded by those who do not believe in or love the Saviour.
You may be tempted to join the party scene (rebelliously indulge your sinful desires, James 1:14-15),
to downplay your faith (hide it under a basket, Matt. 5:14-16),
to keep an open mind (question the only eternal truth, 1 John 1:1-4),
or to chase your dreams (pursue selfish ambitions, James 3:13-18) instead of running after God’s commands.
As you consider these potential temptations, you may feel weak, unable to stand, desperate for God’s help. Good. If so, may the words of the Lord to Joshua encourage you today: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
(A girltalk post. Check them out>>>>>)
Welcome to the family
Hi! We’re Ken and Val Baker, the pastors of Northolt Grange Baptist Church. Here’s the link to the Multimap direction thingie. So now you can visit, ok?
Although we meet to worship in a building, we believe that we, the people are the real church. We believe that the church is the only institution that exists for those who are not yet a part of it, and we welcome all who visit us in an attempt to explore their own faith. As Christians we have the assurance of eternal life through believing and trusting in Jesus Christ the Son of God. He came into the world, and died on a cross to enable every man, woman and child to know forgiveness of sins and peace with God.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
The style of our Sunday worship service is designed to be fairly lively but also with quiet prayerful times to encourage open participation and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Through this and other meetings we are prayerfully seeking to serve the spiritual needs of people across the generations. As a local Baptist church we are connected to the ‘London Baptist Association’ and the ‘Baptist Union of Great Britain.’ We are also in fellowship with a number of other churches of different denominations in the locality under the title of ‘SING (Soul in Northolt and Greenford).’ We meet together to worship and pray for the needs of our communities and are seeking to promote the Christian gospel through our corporate life and witness.
We freely acknowledge that we really do need each other. Tell me this: who is the most important person in the pyramid?
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