Chaplain’s Comments.
Pentecost - all about Control. 19th May.
‘Let go, let go, let God take control. Let His Holy Spirit release you.
Trust Him, Trust Him and then you will know, to move in the Spirit’s flow.’
Pentecost came for the waiting, expectant disciples of Jesus in the upper room in Jerusalem, where they were praying and reflecting on the promises of God’s Word about the coming of the Holy Spirit. And He came, just as promised. They were united, waiting, praying and all together in one place.
Wind and Fire are two powerful forces and the Holy Spirit came in both ways.
· ‘Breathe on me breath of God’. The ruach or breath of God brings life, but is sometimes more of a gale, sweeping in to clear out the rubbish and fill us with new life. Our response is to open the windows and doors of our life and allow Him in to refresh and renew our lives in every way.
· ‘It only takes a spark to get the fire going’. The fire of God’s presence and power may start small, like a match or a pilot light on a cooker. But when He comes to FILL us, it becomes like a forest fire or cooker on full power. Again we need to surrender our lives to allow God to purify our hearts, to refine us of impurity and fill us with fresh love for Him.
· ‘I surrender all...’ my life, time, words, heart, money, relationships... my all. When we surrender all to Jesus and ask Him to take control as Lord and Master, then He can send His Holy Spirit like wind and fire to fill and renew our lives with love for God, ourselves and all others.
Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you want to be? Are you willing to let God take control? Your life will never be the same again!
Simon Holloway
Lay Readers comments. 12th May 2013
THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF ALL
There are many important questions being asked around our world today, but it seems that no one is asking the most important question of all. In our reading from Acts, a pagan jailer asks the most important question that has ever been uttered in the history of the world. He asks, “What must I do to be saved?”
THE RESPONSE TO THIS QUESTION
It involved a person - Paul points the jailer to the “Jesus Christ.” Jesus is lifted up as the sinner’s only hope for salvation.
It involved a plan - The jailer is told to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, he is to place his faith in Christ and His work alone for salvation. At this point, the jailer does not know all about the message of the Gospel, but the basis for salvation, “faith in Jesus”, has been established.
THE RESULT OF THIS QUESTION
It Led To Salvation – Acts 13 v34 tells us that after he heard the Gospel, he believed and was saved. Remember, that’s how it works! You see, there is a difference between historical faith and saving faith. Historical faith believes the facts of the Bible, saving faith embraces the Christ of the Bible. Every plan of salvation in the world has been tried and all have failed! The only one that works is salvation through grace by faith, Eph. 2:8-9.
What is the main question that has your attention today? Are questions of war, the economy and the troubles of the world bringing you fear and confusion today? Let me encourage you to ask yourself the most important question of all, “What must I do to be saved?” What is your answer to that question, eternity hinges on your answer!
5th May - Foundations.
Whenever you want to build something that will last, especially a building, you need to make sure that the Foundations are solid and deep enough to support what is to be built. Jesus warned about building a house upon sand which would not survive the rain, floods and storms. Instead He counselled would-be disciples to build on the rock - listen to His words and obey them. (Matt.7) The Apostle Paul also used the metaphor of building and advised the church in Corinth to build on Jesus Christ, the only sure and solid foundation (1 Cor.3) and to be careful how they build.
The unnamed writer to the Hebrews encouraged the Jewish believers to keep on growing to maturity and not to lay again the 'foundation of Repentance from dead works, faith towards God, instruction about Baptisms, the Laying on of hands, the Resurrection of the dead, and Eternal judgement' Heb.6v1,2. Over the next few weeks, we shall be looking at and checking on our Foundations as believers and as Christ's Church in Ayia Napa.
Simon Holloway
Lay Readers comments 28th April 2013
People of the 1
st century were blown away by the early Christian community. They did not live for their own interests, they lived in a kind of reckless generosity to one another. They were a new kind of people living in a new way and those around them could not ignore it saying "how they loved one another". It was impressive, it was magnetic. It was extreme yet genuine love.
This was and is the evangelistic power of the church. We are not only tyo tell about God’s love and the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection, but we are also to embody that love. This becomes the best explanation of how Christ can transform lives. Without this dynamic of Chris-tian love being visibly expressed, all of our otherwise credible attempts at outreach will be di-minished and undermined. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, if we do not have love we are just a lot of noise.
Whenever you want to build something that will last, especially a building, you need to make sure that the Foundations are solid and deep enough to support what is to be built. Jesus warned about building a house upon sand which would not survive the rain, floods and storms. Instead He counselled would-be disciples to build on the rock - listen to His words and obey them. (Matt.7) The Apostle Paul also used the metaphor of building and advised the church in Corinth to build on Jesus Christ, the only sure and solid foundation (1 Cor.3) and to be careful how they build.
The unnamed writer to the Hebrews encouraged the Jewish believers to keep on growing to maturity and not to lay again the 'foundation of Repentance from dead works, faith towards God, instruction about Baptisms, the Laying on of hands, the Resurrection of the dead, and Eternal judgement' Heb.6v1,2. Over the next few weeks, we shall be looking at and checking on our Foundations as believers and as Christ's Church in Ayia Napa.
Simon Holloway