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Open to God

Below you will find details of some of the encouragements we have received previously while meeting in openness to God.

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"Praise is Rising ..."

was held on Saturday 22nd November 2008 at 7:30pm

We have much to praise God for - as individuals and as a church community. We celebrate all that he is doing within us and among us. We rejoice together in our God. 

We praise him too when things weigh us down, when the path is unclear and his ways are hard to fathom. We praise him through the trials of life, as well as the joys. 

When praise for some is at its hardest, we support each other with the love of God as we come into his presence together.


Open to God was led by Ian Johnson

- oOo -

We sang worship songs to God.

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We watched the Rob Bell video "Rain" (see it again here)

It reminded us that no matter what situation we are going through in life, we have reason to praise because God is in it with us and he will carry us through. 

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We took the  opportunity to encourage each other by sharing our experiences of offering praise to God no matter what the circumstances.

We ministered to each other as the body of Christ. It was a special time.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

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We reflected on Psalm 40
using words and images, and the song "40" by U2. 

I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He lifted me out of the pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song
How long? How long?
How long to sing this song?

You set my feet upon a rock
You made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear

I will sing, sing a new song
How long? How long?
How long to sing this song?

(see the song performed here)

- oOo -

We closed with the worship song "Blessed be your name" by Matt Redman.
The words express the theme of the evening so well:

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be your name

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"Forever faithful ..."

was held on Sunday 22nd June 2008 at 7:00pm



God's blessings are new every morning.
He is at work for our good every single day - without fail. Great is his faithfulness!

We came together to reflect on the faithfulness of our Father God. We brought our worship to him for his unending love and care in our lives.

We encouraged each other with the ways he has showed his faithfulness in the past, and our ability to rest and trust in our faithful God for every future situation of life - high or low, good or bad, calm or storm.


Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever.
Praise the LORD.
(Psalm 117)


Open to God was led by Jan Haywood

We began with a time of quiet reflection. We were reminded of the faithfulness
of God through Scripture verses, music and images:

I will sing of the tender mercies of the Lord forever! Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. Psalm 89:1

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:1

For he loves us with unfailing love; the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Psalm 117:2

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

The Lord is faithful in all he says; he is gracious in all he does. Psalm 145:13

Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care. Psalm 95:6

 

 

- oOo -

We spent time in prayer, thanking God for his faithfulness:

"... we remember your tender mercies O God. You are strong and faithful, but also tender."

"... you give us strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow. You give us pardon for sin and a peace that endures. You remain faithful even when we are unfaithful."

"... each one has a testimony to your faithfulness. You are the forever faithful God."

"... where would we be if not for your faithfulness? You give us daily mercies when we transgress."

"... you lift us up when we fall down. You hold us in your arms."

"... you will never disappoint us - all through life and for the rest of life."

"... we can't earn your faithfulness. Nothing we can say or do will stop it."

"... Father God, Daddy, we run into your welcoming presence."

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Libby shared a message from God ...

"I feel God is saying we must stop interfering with what he is trying to do. Take the step beyond and work in the faithfulness of God. We must stop carrying the burdens of life ourselves - we need to be hands off, letting go and letting God work out his will."

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Mavis shared some thoughts with us ...

"Over 30 years ago, we knew a family with a young son who didn't like school. I used to take him along with my own girls to school - but he always needed stories or sweets to get him there. And even after getting there, he would be playing truant before I got home.

Sometimes we hold God's hand; sometimes we kick and scream. Remember God's side - it's more pleasant for him if we hold his hand and trust than if he has to drag us kicking and screaming all the way through."

- oOo -

God's word was brought to us by Mike Haywood
from Lamentations 3: 1-24
"Hope in the Lord's Faithfulness"

Mike reminded us of the faithfulness of God in the most desperate of situations.
We often want God to be faithful by lifting us out, rather than by bringing us through.
But whichever way he chooses, we know his faithfulness will never fail -
he affirms it to us in so many different ways ...

Listen to Mike's message here

- oOo -

We sang together ...

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning, new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness O Lord,
Great is your faithfulness.

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Ron reminded us of the words of a hymn ...

O Love that wilt not let me go ...

O Light that followest all my way ...

O Joy that seekest me through pain ...

O Cross that liftest up my head ...

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Jill shared the words of a song she had received ...

Faithful Lord

You are faithful, You are true
That is why O Lord, I love You.

Your promises they are true,
Each new day is a gift from You.

I will worship You all my life,
In the morning, at noon and night.

As I lift my voice to sing Your praise
Your grace supplies my every need.

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Rhona brought us a challenge ...

We have been encouraged with the faithfulness of God - but are we faithful to him?
He wants our full commitment - we should not hold back.
Sometimes it can be as if we are just playing at church.
We must put God first and be faithful to him as he is faithful to us. 

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"A passion for His name ..."

was held on Sunday 11th May 2008 at 7:00pm

  


We came together as a church community on Pentecost Sunday in openness to God

We were reminded that as the Holy Spirit works within us and among us, he stirs up a passion in our hearts to worship God.
We came to pour out our praise and adoration to him. 

We were reminded too that the overflow of this passion has an impact on our everyday lives in the world around us.
As we are equipped and empowered by God's Spirit, we must not be content with "just singing" but must make a difference in his name.


Open to God
was led by Ian Johnson
He opened our worship with words from Psalm 34 in The Message version:

I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise ...
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see - how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness. 

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Carol read a song she had received, "You are the apple of my eye" ...

You are the apple of my eye
You are my treasured possession
I chose you
You are my child.

I love you
I care for you
I delight in you

Do not be afraid
Come walk with me
I will take your hand
I will help you stand
You are my child
And you are mine.

So be confident
Trust in Me
Step out with me
For you are my child.

- oOo -

God's word was brought to us by Chris Cleasby

He shared a picture of a mighty river flowing through the building - and the same mighty river flowing through a desert, with its banks brimming with greenery, budding with new life.

Chris then challenged us from Ephesians 5: 18-21 about experiencing more of the power of God's Spirit being poured out in our everyday lives. Listen to Chris's message here

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Chris reminded us that God meets us where we are - he is no further than a breath away. He is here to minister to us.

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Dee sang a song she had received based on Psalm 23, "Love that is forever":

Cradled in the arms of my Saviour,
Lord I never want to go.
I long to stay in this place with you forever,
this is the place where I belong,
and I know that this abiding love will never let me go,
Oh Jesus I love you so.

Chorus:
Love that is forever,
a love so strong and sure.
Oh Jesus my only treasure,
it's you that I adore.
It's you that I adore.

I rest in your strong arms,
safe from all the storms,
you gently lead me to the place,
the water still and calm.
Your spirit refreshes me and restores my soul,
it's only in this secret place, that you can make me whole.

Repeat chorus

Joy that fills my heart anew as you lift me high above,
the circumstances of my life,
I can conquer in your love,
I can conquer in your love.

So what shall I say of this? Let my heart respond,
for surely I can say of you,
you never left me, never forsake me, never let me go.

Repeat chorus

Chris affirmed to Dee that the windows of heaven were open above her - and it is the same for us all.

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Annet reminded us from Acts 1:8 that God not only blesses us with his power through the Holy Spirit, but also wants us to be active as his witnesses. Jesus said:

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

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Dorothy gave testimony of a vision she received over thirty years ago. A picture of herself meeting a shepherd in a white gown, with sheep following. He said to her, "Feed my sheep". When she shared this vision with others at the time, they thought she was mentally unbalanced - but she had never been more sane. She has received the love of Jesus here for over 30 years, and during that time met her husband. He too had a vision, of Dorothy going through a dark tunnel and God linking them together - because they needed each other.

Terry affirmed Dorothy's testimony with a reminder from 1 Corinthians 2:14 that:

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

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Sara brought us a word from God ...

Everyone has been given gifts by God. Often we don't take hold of these gifts because we don't believe we have got them. Our walk is a walk of faith. God wants to release us into the things he has already given us. Be open to God! Say you want to receive the fullness of the inheritance you have been given in Jesus. We don't want to look back on life with regret, having not grasped and responded t the fullness of all that God has to offer.  Satan makes us disbelievers; he causes us to doubt we can be of any value. We are all very precious to God, created as individuals and beautiful in his sight.

- oOo -

 Arshad continued with an encouragement on the same theme...

God encourages us to go beyond. We must each be passionate about something - let's bring that to him, allow him to work in us. Spend time bringing something you recognise to the Lord - but don't be light about it, there may be things you need to drop. We have to be prepared to make some sacrifices, to pay the price - it is not a small thing.

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Jill brought some words she had received from God ...

The Lord says: My people you are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon (Song of Songs 4:15). I the Lord, watch over you, I water you continually. I guard you day and night so that no-one may harm you (Isaiah 27:3). If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry (physically, spiritually and emotionally) and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday. I will guide you my people always; I will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like springs whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58 :10-11). You my people will be like a well-watered garden and sorrow no more. You will dance and be glad, I will turn your mourning into gladness, I will give you comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy you with abundance and you will be filled with my bounty (Jeremiah 31:12b-14). You my people who believe in me, cleave to and trust in and rely on me- from your innermost being shall flow continuously springs and rivers of living waters - for when you are thirsty come to me and drink and I will satisfy your thirst - you will never again be thirsty (John 7:38). I am the Lord your God and I will do what I have promised.

And also a song, "Refresh us anew" ...

Streams of living water
Pour down on us
Streams of living water
Pour down on us

Renew, revive us again
Restore, sustain us once more

Come down Holy Spirit
Refresh us anew
Come down Holy Spirit
Refresh us anew

Renew, revive us again
Restore, sustain us once more

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Mavis called us to take the opportunity to bring our passion before God, as Arshad had suggested. We spent some time in quiet reflection and prayer.

- oOo - 

Ian closed our time together with a call to also be passionate about making a difference in the world for God. To not be content with "just singing", but to be active in his name.

We watched a video clip set to the song "God of Justice" by Tim Hughes.
See it again
here

- oOo -

After Open to God Jill received this song, "God of Compassion" ... 

O my Lord, fill me with compassion
for the hurting, the suffering,
the lost peoples of the earth.
Your heart is breaking, as many are dying,
not knowing you as Saviour and Lord.

May I live a life of passion,
serving you and you alone.
Not letting anything else take centre,
For it's you O Lord that I adore.

How can I sit in my comfort
and not reach out to those in need?
O God, I give you all I am,
and ask that you will use this weak child.

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"Confident in Him ..."

was held on Sunday 30th March 2008 at 7:00pm

  


We came together to worship a faithful and gracious God.
He is our rock, our fortress.

We were reminded that we move forward with confidence in him, knowing that in faithfulness he wants to build us up and move us on. Sometimes in our spiritual lives we hold back from launching out for him - but God wants to bless us with his gifts and use us in his service. He will never push us beyond what he knows we can cope with.

We acknowledged through song, prayer and scripture what a faithful and gracious God we have, and received encouragement from him as we came in openness and trust.


Open to God was led by Libby Matthews

God's word was brought to us by Terry Golding

Terry spoke about Moses, who made excuses to avoid serving God, and Joshua & Caleb, who were utterly convinced they could overcome anything in God's power.
Where are we between these two extremes?
Do we identify and then confidently use the gifts God has given us?

Listen to Libby's opening thoughts
and Terry's ministry from God's word
here

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Jenny described a picture ...

Of meeting with God as children, coming out of our adult body. He is meeting with us.

- oOo -

Alicia encouraged us ...

Our fear will diminish. We must know who we are in Christ.

- oOo -

Jenny encouraged us ...

We have peace, not human, not of our understanding.
We have hope in him. He is our hope, we can depend on him.
He has the missing jigsaw piece.

- oOo -

Dee read Psalm 100 ...

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

- oOo -

Peter read from Psalm 32 ...

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding-place; you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.

- oOo -

Dee encouraged us ...

Praise God for the spirit he has put into his people. It is not a spirit of timidity.

- oOo -

Doreen read from 1 John ...

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears
 we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.

Dear friends, now we are children of God,
 and what we will be has not yet been made known.

But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

- oOo -

Jill received this prayer and song from God before we met ...

Dear Father God, our confidence is not in ourselves, what we can do, but who we are in Christ.
Your incredible grace and mercy that you lavished upon us - so that we who believe might be called children of God. Not born of human descent but by the Spirit of God.
Thank you Father that we have been grafted into the Vine
and if we abide in Jesus we will bear much fruit.
O Lord, we want to let others know the confidence we have in the gift of eternal life and that your promises are true. We will be in your presence forevermore. We long Lord for that day - but for now, may we live in the knowledge that you will work in and through us - as we surrender our lives day by day, moment by moment to you - so that we may hear you speaking to us.
Thank you for the desire you place in our hearts to seek you and as we find you Lord, please change us and transform us into the people you want us to be. Unite us as the body of Christ, so that all we do may be pleasing to you and as we delight in you, so your delight is in us - how amazing and wonderful is your love O Lord God, thank you. Amen.


Your Promise

You have sealed me with the promise,
The promise of new life
The Holy Spirit, my deposit,
Guaranteeing the life to come,
May I serve you dear Lord always,
Because of what you've done
Through the death of my Saviour,
Lord Jesus your only Son

Hallelujah, my confidence is in you Lord
Not in myself, not in myself
Hallelujah, my confidence is in you Lord
Not in myself

 oOo -

Carol  received this song from God before we met ...

We have confidence in you
We have confidence in you
Confidence in you
We have confidence in you

You are faithful
Your promises are true
You are worthy
We have confidence in you

 You promise to remain with us
You draw near to us
As we draw near to you
We have confidence in you

You lead and guide us
You gives us eternal life
We will live for ever with you
We have confidence in you

We have confidence in you
We have confidence in you
Confidence in you
We have confidence in you

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"Hearing God speak ..."
was held on Sunday 17th February 2008 at 7:00pm

  


As we met, we were reminded that we stand in the presence of a holy God. We come with reverence and awe, and in the fear of the Lord. We worshipped our holy God in song.

We were reminded too that our great and holy God chooses to speak to us, sometimes in unexpected ways.


Open to God
was led by Annet Lukkien

God's word from Exodus 3:1-14 was brought to us by Chris Lukkien.

Chris spoke about the misconceptions and preconditions of hearing God speak.
He reminded us that we get to know God from our own experience of him,
and that  we must take steps in faith as we hear from him.
Listen to Chris's message
here

- oOo -

Alicia reminded us of 1 John 1:9 ...

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

We are on holy ground - we need to understand what that really means.
If we need to confess anything, we must do it.

- oOo -

Dee brought this word from God ...

I love you with a never ending love that is faithful and true.
I have called you by name and you all belong to me.
Come closer into my presence, come closer. I have called you all for such a time as this.
I have good plans, plans to build you up not to tear you down. Plans to give you hope and a future.
Trust my word, for it is a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet.
I will strengthen and uphold you by my victorious right hand of righteousness and justice.
Do not fear, for I am with you.

Isaiah 42:6; Psalm 119:105; Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 41:10

- oOo -

Annet described a picture ...

A drop of water falling, and the outward ripple effect that follows.
When we start to listen to God speak, it has its effect on our whole life,
and overflows into our church life.

[At the end of the evening, another person shared with Annet a similar picture they had
received - of water running over rocks and after that the stream became calm.]

- oOo -

Jenny described a picture ...

Of Jesus on the cross, and us on the cross with him, his arms outstretched, lifting us up.

Another picture was within the church building ...
we had fallen on the ground, but he was lifting us up.
The room was filled with birds.

It's not about our position. We can be lifted up and strengthened by him.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

- oOo -

Pauline encouraged us ...

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
We are sons and daughters of the living God.

- oOo -

Jill shared with us this message from God:

Have no other gods before me. I am the Lord God Almighty - who was and who is and who is to come.
I have made you, you belong to me. I am a jealous God and I will not give my glory to another.
Listen my children to my voice. As you gather together and come in my name
- worship me with all your heart, soul, mind, body and strength. 
Do not be deceived by this world and all it has to offer.
It is temporary, but your salvation is eternal and will last forever.
Live in the light of this and by the power of the Holy Spirit
- this is my gift to you, free and available for all.
Take it - receive from me because I gave my Son to die for each of you
so that I can live in relationship with you, now and forevermore.

- oOo -

Jenny encouraged us ...

Truth is so important, we must be honest.
God works with truth. His light is in our heart. Are we pure?

- oOo -

Nick shared with us this message from God  ...

Some of you are afraid, and you don't need to be afraid of me. I am your Father. 
I know you are not perfect but I will build you up. Trust my love for you.

To others, you don't fear me as you should. You too readily come into my presence. 
I am a jealous God. I am a consuming fire.

Put aside those things that get in the way. Be holy, for I am holy.

- oOo -

Doreen brought some thoughts from Exodus 3 ...

God has brought this passage to me several times recently, and here it is again this evening.
I feel I must share with you the things God has been saying to me.

Like Moses, so often we make excuses to God when we hear from him.
We need to listen to his promises; he will give us his power and his presence.

 

We should measure the size of our task against the size of our God.
God has a really big plan for this church. We should see him for the great God that he is,
not see him as if looking through the wrong end of a telescope.

We should measure the task against his size, not our idea of his might and power.
We should see God as our great and mighty God
and know that he will equip us and empower us for the tasks he sets before us.

- oOo -

Jenny said that God had put Nehemiah on her mind. She asked, "What did he do?"

From: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/61936

Nehemiah was cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes and, later, governor of the Jews, rebuilder of Jerusalem's wall, and writer of the Bible book bearing his name.

He was a man of feelings and of action. Nehemiah was appointed governor of Jerusalem, but before that, he was a high-ranking official in the Persian court in the city of Shushan. Yet, his life of comfort did not diminish his concern for the welfare of his Jewish brothers in faraway Jerusalem. In fact, the first thing he did when a delegation of Jews from Jerusalem visited Shushan was to ask them about the Jews, those who had escaped, who had been left over of the captivity, and also about Jerusalem. 

When the visitors responded that the people of Jerusalem were in a very bad plight and that the city wall was broken down, Nehemiah sat down and began to weep and mourn for days. After that he expressed his feelings of sadness in a heartfelt prayer to God. Why was Nehemiah so sad? Because Jerusalem was the centre of worship of God on earth, and it had been neglected. Moreover, the city's broken-down condition was a reflection of the poor spiritual state of its inhabitants.

Nehemiah's concern for Jerusalem and his compassion for the Jews living there moved him to give of himself. As soon as the Persian king allowed him to take a leave of absence from his duties, Nehemiah began to plan the long trip to Jerusalem. He wanted to give his strength, time, and skills in support of the needed repair work. Within a few days of his arrival, he already had a plan in place for the repair of Jerusalem's entire wall. Nehemiah divided the huge task of repairing the wall among many families, all of whom worked side by side. The result? With so many workers including parents accompanied by their children giving their time and energy, a seemingly overwhelming task became manageable.

Within two action-packed months, the entire wall was repaired! Nehemiah wrote that even those who opposed the repair work were forced to acknowledge it was from God that this work had been done.

- oOo -

Annet concluded the evening with these verses ...

Test everything. Hold on to the good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

For we know in part and we prophesy in part ... (1 Corinthians 13:9)

We have heard many things this evening,
and the things we have heard may be only part of what God is saying overall.
We should consider what we have heard,
and continue to be open to him and hear him speak.

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"Approaching the Father ..."
was held on Sunday 13th January 2008 at 7:00pm

We met to remind ourselves of the glory, majesty and power
of God our Father.

We drew near to him through the access made possible
by our Lord Jesus Christ.

We thanked him for the sacrificial death of his Son on the cross, and the forgiveness and wholeness it brings.

We responded to all that the Father said to us as we
approached him in reverence, humility and openness. 

Open to God was led by Jan Haywood

Nick Horn brought God's word to us, with a challenge to remember God as Father, to develop our relationship with him and to be more intimate in our communication with him. 
Listen to Nick's message here

We shared communion together.

- oOo -

Mike brought some thoughts from 2 Samuel 9, verses 1-8
 
 
Mephibosheth was crippled in both his feet. David showed him kindness because of his father Jonathan. He was to eat at the king's table every day. Mephibosheth bowed down before David and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"
 
As we approach our Father we are crippled by sin before him, yet he shows us kindness for Jesus' sake. He invites us to his banqueting table and waves the banner of love over us.
We bow down before him and say, "Why do you notice a dead dog like me?"
but he just loves us, and sees only Christ in us.

- oOo -

Jill brought this reading to us:

But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you , O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; You are mine.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour,
You are precious and honoured in my sight. Everyone who is called by my name ,
Whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made, are my witnesses
And my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed. I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God.
Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No-one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert
And streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

[Isaiah 43: 1,3a,4a,7,10-13,18-21]

Jill, Carol & Jane then sang these words:

Forget the former things

Do not dwell on the past

See I am doing a new thing
 

Forget the former things

Do not dwell on the past

See I am doing a new thing

 

For I have redeemed you and called you by name

You are precious and honoured in my sight.


For I have redeemed you and called you by name

You are precious and honoured in my sight.

- oOo -

Hannah brought these song words to us:

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt

Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

[from "Who am I?" by Casting Crowns]

- oOo -

Rhona reminded us not to be afraid, not to fear. She felt the Lord wanted to heal someone there that evening. She encouraged us to bow down before God and confess him as Lord.

Jenny was led in her thoughts to Ephesians 4, and brought us the challenge that we must love one another and be there for each other.

"There must be more ..."
was held on Saturday 10th November 2007 at 7:30pm

We met with a longing to receive more from God. We rejoiced in all that God has given to us through Christ and by his Spirit. We praised and worshipped our great God for every way in which he has blessed us and encouraged us - and yet the cry of our heart was to know even more of his power.  

We were encouraged through God's word to want more, to receive more, and to experience more in our everyday lives of all that God has for us in Christ 

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42: 1-2)

Open to God was led by Ian Johnson

Phillip O'Connor brought us powerful and challenging
teaching from God's word. Listen to Phillip's message here

Jill shared with us this message from God:

Come bow before my throne and I will lift you up,

Humble yourself before me and give me your all.

I am GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER BESIDES ME

I am doing a new thing.

This is a season of change,

the year of the Lord’s favour.

I will open the floodgates of heaven and rain down upon you.

Be refreshed and renewed by my showers of blessing,

ready for all I have prepared for you my people.

Do not fear or falter for I will strengthen you

 

I will shower you with blessings

Stay in my presence, trust in me.

Speak my word in your homes, in the streets, towns and cities.

You shall be anointed and the words that are planted will not be uprooted

but will give life and hope to those who are lost,

who wander in darkness without the light of my Son.

Shine as lights into this dark world,

for you have been chosen for such a time as this

so that my name may be glorified in all the earth.

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