Thoughts

Current Thought

 Posted By: David Simms on: 2008-06-16

Sound Familiar?

"Those that earn money earn it to put into a bag with holes" - Haggai ch.1 v.6
Sound familiar?
It's a quote from the Bible, written a long time ago. God was explaining that life can seem very futile. We are sure the description is a good one for what we are told is the current "Credit crunch" or perhaps even better a definition of inflation.

"Every man did that which was right in his own eyes" - Judges ch.21 v 25
Sound familiar?
This is what we see so often around us, it amounts to selfishness and a total disregard for God, His laws and guidelines or even the norms of society.
You would think that the Creator could be relied upon to give advice to the creature but so many of us think that we can "go it alone"

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself" - Matt ch. 33 v 37/39
Sound familiar?
This is a stunning verse and the Lord Jesus Christ put it forward as the best, most successful way to live.
Maybe you have tried lots of things and been disappointed.
Perhaps you think you know what the Bible has to say. God had the Bible written to guide us through life, and to tell us about the great sacrifice His Son made in coming here to live as a perfect man.
Why?
So that He could die on the cross as a perfect man.
Why?
To take away the sin of the world, so that those who believe on him and trust in Him could be made perfect.
Why would He do that?
Because He loves those who have done wrong to be made right, and wants them to be in heaven with Him.
Perhaps you could look again at the message of the Bible. It is the most relevant book ever written.
If you don't have a Bible and would like one, free of charge, please get in touch.
If you do have one and have taken it off the shelf to have another look, may we suggest that you start to read in the New Testament, possibly the Gospel of John. Then it would be great if you got in touch to let us know what you think.



Previous Thoughts

 Posted By: John Barton on: 2008-02-18

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months
Most people at some time or another have expressed a wish for a new beginning, and many people may have made a resolution to do better or forsake a bad habit from the beginning of the new year. We have all at some time or another resolved to be different, perhaps because of dissatisfaction with our way of life.

The children of Israel were God's people, (Exodus 9:1) and they were in bondage in Egypt, (Exodus 2:23). God had determined that they should be brought out of Egypt (Exodus 6:6) into the promised land (Exodus 13:5) so that they could live for Him and serve Him (Exodus 8:1). The start of this was to be marked by what God called the Passover, and it was to be to them the beginning of months (Exodus 12:2). As we consider that, what a wonderful thing that God should devise a new beginning for mankind, and how reassuring to think that it was all of God's doing, and that a person's life could even start with God. How infinitely better then, to ask God and then allow Him to change us and our lives, rather than trying to change ourselves or our own way in life. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12). God's interest in us and His thoughts towards us are ever and always for our spiritual and eternal well-being (Jeremiah 29:11).

God's intention was that the children of Israel should be brought out from the bondage that they suffered under, and to leave behind the old life. We too need God's salvation, so that we can become something for God, like His Son (Romans 8:29), and "in Christ a new creature --- behold all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). In order for them to be redeemed the children of Israel had very simple instructions to follow. It is all detailed in the second book of the Bible - (Exodus 12). They basically had to take a lamb, keep it, then kill it, and finally apply the blood, and make sure that they were sheltering in their houses when the angel of death passed over. This required two things from them and no more: these things were first of all obedience (obedience is rarely a persons strong point), (see 1 Samuel 15:22), and secondly faith (Hebrews 11:28). This means simply trusting God and taking him at His word, just as the Psalmist did, (Psalm 56:11). If they did what God had commanded them, then they would be safe and secure (Exodus 12:13).

If we move forward to our present day then God would have us be saved by simply trusting and believing on His beloved Son - if our desire is to be saved and be right with God, then all we have to do is to "believe on the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ"., and then we shall be saved (Acts 16:31). Just as the Passover Lamb was slain and it's blood was shed so that those individuals sheltering in the house and under the blood could be redeemed; so it was that Christ died and shed His blood at Calvary when He was crucified, so that He could become our substitute (Hebrews 9:12-14), and "bring us nigh unto God" (Ephesians 2:13). dying for us as individuals (Romans 5:8) and for our sins too (1 Corinthians 15:3); this as was the case with the children of Israel, that we "might be delivered from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10), and "be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:9). The plan of Salvation is all of God, but the response is our responsibility, for which one day "every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).




 Posted By: John Barton on: 2007-07-15

Thou God Seest Me
These words were spoken by Hagar, Abraham's wife's handmaid, (Genesis 16:13). The words and the acknowledgement behind them reveal a level of understanding of God that is becoming increasingly rare in our society to-day.

God should be regarded for who He is and what He is. He is omniscient - all knowing, omnipotent - all powerful, and omnipresent - everywhere at the same point in time. God is not restricted as we are, He "neither slumbers nor sleeps" (Psalm 121:2-4). God notices "and is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed" (1 Samuel 2:3). He hears and is ready to act. The Psalmist declares that "Thee Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God" (Psalm 14:2). What did God see and find? "There is none that doeth good, no not one" (Psalm 14:3b) - See also Romans 3:10-18.

It is "the fool who says in his heart there is no God" (Psalm 14:1 and 53:1-2). It is the man and woman of faith who recognises that God is a God who sees and notices all. It is recorded of the Lord Jesus Christ that He knew "what was in man" (John 2:24-25 see also Acts 1:24 and 15:8) - of course He would and still does because He has created man. It has to be asked if our actions are those of people who realise that God sees all, and knows all, not only our deeds but our thoughts as well. These thoughts from the Scriptures are very sobering, because they indicate the fact that the God of the universe takes note of every thought we have ever had and every deed and action that we have ever done.

It is all too easy to be carried along with our little lives here on earth - lives that "are as a vapour" (James 4:14), and yet either forget or never even be aware that there is a day of reckoning that is coming when God will "judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31). For the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, this will be at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). There we shall be judged for our actions as believers taking into account our motives, It will not be for our sins, because Christ "His own self bore our sins on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). Sadly, if we have never trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation there is only "a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation" (Hebrews 10:27). This need never be our lot, because trust in Christ and his sacrificial death for us at Calvary, will bring salvation that we all need, if we wish to be with the Him in Heaven.

We all need to lead and live our lives in the light of Calvary and where it is we wish to spend Eternity. If we can say with Hagar "Thou God seest me", then how has that affected the way that we live and the response to the Lord Jesus Christ and His offer of salvation, for truly "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Such is the greatness of the Love of God, and our eternal destiny is dependent upon our response.


 Posted By: John Barton on: 2007-02-14

BETTER THINGS TO COME
The Bible speaks of better things to come, (Hebrews 11:40) and who would deny that sometimes their thoughts have dwelt on future better things. Even with the weather we are often looking forward to better days and see things in the spring as a token of better things on the way.

As we view the world around us, we might think that things only get worse, and ask the question "where will it all end". We are to realise though, that God is in control, and that he wants the best for mankind (John 3:16).This though can only be so through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). The Lord Jesus came to deal with our sin that has so blighted us and the world in which we live (Hebrews 9:26). In order to have any hope of eternal life and a future home in Heaven we need to have our sins forgiven. The question was once asked, "Who can forgive sins but God alone" (Luke 5:21). This was in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ, who because He is God, is able to forgive us (Luke 7:49). The wonder of God's Love is that we can be forgiven for all that is past, (Jeremiah 31:34), and have the assurance that we are right with God through faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Bible would indicate that all sin is against God (Psalm 51:4), and that God will not have sin in his presence (Habakkuk 1:13). Sin has to be dealt with and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who is both willing and able to deal with it. The reason for this is that He is the only one who is sinless, three times over the Bible witnesses to the fact that He is the one without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22, and 1 John 3:5), and therefore when He died at Calvary, he died for sins not his own, but rather for the sins of the of the whole world (1 John 2:2). His sole purpose in coming to earth was to die to save individuals in the world from their sins, and to give them eternal life that they may never perish (John 3:15 and 10:28). In the Old Testament sin was dealt with by the sacrifice of certain animals, but they were continually sacrificed; when Christ died his sacrifice for sins was once and for all, never to be repeated (Hebrews 10:10-12).

All of this should give us confidence to place our faith and trust in God's well beloved only begotten Son, so that we can be assured of the forgiveness of our sins, (Isaiah 32:17 and (Hebrews 10:22), and a home in heaven for eternity. With this we can then truly look forward to "better things to come", and in the meantime on earth, be in the good of all that God wants for us.




 Posted By: David Simms on: 2006-09-17

A Bumper Harvest
Isn't it good once again to see so many fields locally that have been harvested. It only seems a very short time ago that we saw the new green shoots poking up through the tough brown earth. But the year has moved on, the crops have grown and ripened, the harvest has been taken in and the straw bailed.

This puts me in mind of a parable Jesus told of a wealthy farmer. You can read about it in the Bible, The gospel of Luke chapter 12 verses 15 - 21
This man had had a bumper harvest and realised that he needed to pull down his barns and build bigger ones (Obviously before the days of planning restrictions!). No problem with that you may say, a wise decision. The problem was that the farmer says to his soul "You have many goods laid up for many years, take your ease, eat, drink and be merry".

In the next verse we read 4 very stark couplets;
BUT GOD (said) YOU FOOL THIS NIGHT YOUR SOUL (will be required of you)
None of his wealth would be any good to him if he had no soul. Only God knows when "your soul will be required of you".

It is vital that we all, individually, take time NOW to get right with God. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to be our Saviour.

Much of the time we act as if we will live for ever. The truth is that we will.
Our decision about whether or not to repent of our sins and take Jesus Christ as our Saviour will determine whether that is eternal life in heaven or eternal death in hell.

So if you have had a bumper year this year, well done, enjoy the proceeds but we urge you to get right with God FIRST.

Please feel free to contact us for literature, discussion or comment. We would be delighted to speak to you about the reality of having peace with God, and the change it has made in our lives.


 Posted By: John Barton on: 2005-12-05

Christmas 2005
"But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a women, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Galatians 4v4-5

The passage of Scripture tells a great deal about the coming into the world of the Lord Jesus Christ - God's only begotten Son. It tells us that it was in God's time; not ours. The Bible tells us that it was "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us". God in His great love, saw the need to send His Son in order to deal with our sin. He didn't send anybody else not even angels, only His well beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It had to be that way because only God can forgive sins, and the Lord Jesus was also the only one who has ever lived who is without sin, He did no sin and in Him was no sin. The Son came in willingness, and in obedience to the Father, and he lived every moment of His life in pleasing God.

He was born of a woman, indicating that although He was the Son of God he became human. "He made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men". Yet He was without sin. He was truly God but became truly human. He became that which he had never been before, but never ceased to be that which He had always been. He was born under the law and was the only one to have perfectly kept the law. Please note though that we can never be saved through striving to be like Christ, but only by faith and trust in Him, believing that He died for us as individuals. Lastly we are to note that it was to redeem us or bring us back to God that He came to earth. He died that we may be forgiven and that we might be adopted and born again into Gods family. What wonderful news all of this is at any time of the year to hear that God should ever think upon us and send His beloved Son to die for us that we may be forgiven and live eternally with Him in the Glory of heaven, where nothing defiles. Christ has done it all; will you accept Him as your Lord and Saviour.


 Posted By: David Simms on: 2005-09-01

The Harvest is Past
'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved'These words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet in about BC 600 still have a modern ring to them some 2600 years later. For some people late August/ early September have a sadness associated with the month. The mornings and evenings getting progressively darker, the days gradually get colder, and the summer holidays so long anticipated are probably now just memories and photographs on film or computer. Whilst the autumn often has sunny days and beautiful colours, there is a sense that these lovely days won't last, the cold of winter will come and the joy of spring is some 6 months or so away.More importantly, for Jeremiah, there was a spiritual aspect to this saying. He was concerned over the failure of people to take up the help, or salvation, that there was to be found in God. Jeremiah's concern has a strong relevance in 2005. God's love for us is real and so great, The Bible says that He finally sent the Lord Jesus Christ, his only son to show us the way. The Lord Jesus died upon the cross at Calvary that he might save us from the judgement of sin, to give us peace with God, and an inheritance in heaven. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ anyone, and everyone, can experience peace with God, and a knowledge that their sins have been forgiven. As you drive around Hurst village and see the fields harvested and being prepared for autumn sowings reflect on what Jeremiah had to say - 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved'


 Posted By: Nigel Thomas on: 2005-05-01

The Promise of New Life
Spring is a great time of the year for the promise of new life. The long dark days of winter receive a jolt when summertime breezes in and the daffodils burst forth in radiant new life. Daffodils are amazing flowers. Months ago maybe you planted those apparently dead and dry bulbs into the cold dark earth, trusting that the wonder of new life will be fulfilled in due time. Doesn't it make you think, when the small green blade appears? It is against all the odds naturally speaking, and yet, the promise of new life is there for all to see. One thing marks out the true Christian. He lives in the power of new life today and will appreciate it in all its fullness tomorrow. Many will remember how the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, was taken and by wicked hands crucified. When the stone was rolled across the entrance to the tomb where His body laid, man thought that was the end of Jesus of Nazareth. Yet, remarkably, the One who had the right and authority to lay down His life was the same One who had the right and authority to take it again. Despite the might of the Roman guard outside the tomb, three days later the ultimate power of heaven was seen as the angel rolled back the stone, so man could see for himself "He is not here, for He is risen". The promise of New Life has become reality. The Bible says, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old things are past away, all things have become new". Becoming a Christian is a life changing experience. The certain promise of new life commencing in time and finding fulfilment in eternity. It cannot fail. It's guaranteed by the Man from eternity who finished the work of the Father in time and is now seated in glory. We would encourage you to read the Bible for yourself, or alternatively, contact us for further details.


 Posted By: Nigel Thomas on: 2005-02-04

The Passion of Christ
It has become a familiar expression in recent days. People from different backgrounds and persuasions have been to see the film, even those who perhaps would never go to churchwhich is interesting. If you wanted to find out more about Jesus Christ and what Christianity is all about, the cinema would not usually rate as your primary source location. I wonder if you have ever dropped into your local church for an hour or so to find out more. It would be worth it, and you will find that there is no entry fee! Churches, of course, come in all shapes and sizes, and what they stand for and teach can be as varied as the different building designs and shapes. The film, the Passion of Christ, may have raised questions in your mind and you would like to know more. So if you are genuinely interested in discovering more about that unique Man - Jesus Christ, Son of God - begin by taking a look at the Bible, it contains the full story, which the film could never provide. Take a look at the gospels, perhaps the book of Mark or John. You will find them towards the beginning of the New Testament (Check the index in the front of any Bible or New Testament). They will tell you about the Man from eternity, who came into time for you. Yes, you as an individual. Why? Because He loves you! Pretty amazing, and that is just the start! Can I just encourage you? Seen the film? Now read the book!


 Posted By: David Simms on: 2004-12-01

Christmas. Nice for some?
Personally I really enjoy it - although I must acknowledge that my wife does most of the onerous work of buying, writing, and sending Christmas cards, and much of the food buying and cooking! I still enjoy giving and receiving presents and having close family and friends together for meals or walking together beside the Kennet and Avon canal, or along the river at Henley or Marlow during the Christmas break. Christmas often divides people, some prepare for it well in advance, Christmas presents often being bought in the January sales 11 months before; whilst others seem to only start thinking about it just after lunch on Christmas eve! God prepared for it hundreds/thousands of years in advance. Almost from the beginning of the Bible God, through various prophets, had been telling people that He was going to send his Son who would be someone very special. This special factor, for me, is still found in the Christmas story in the Bible. The wonder that God's Son came into this world but was found wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger in Bethlehem. The truth is heard in the message of the angel "a Saviour which is Christ the Lord." The excitement of it is seen in the song of the angels "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men". The great thing was that God wanted his gift to be seen and enjoyed by all. He didn't approach one, or two, in high office or in seats of power. He took his message to hard working shepherds - those looking after their sheep by night and invited them to find the Saviour by finding the baby in the manager. Later God would speak to those wealthier - wise men from the east, who would bring the child, God's Son, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We also read that, having found him, they worshipped him. Christ's coming into the world was all part of God's plan to rescue mankind. Christ's birth was not sufficient to save us, it took his death upon Calvary's cross when God placed mans sin upon him to complete the remedy and make it possible for us to be right with God. Christmas services are very special to me. If you are able to join us at the Gospel Hall over the Christmas time we would be delighted to see you. If you cannot join us I would ask that you find time over this busy period to spend a few moments thinking about the greatest gift of all time, the gift of God's Son and find in him the message of the angel - "a Saviour which is Christ the Lord".