Lexden latest news

Ephesians and Colossians

on Tues 12th May a few of us are getting together at the church at 8 to chat about Ephesians and Colossians. Nothing too heavy, hopefully some insight and opportunity to pray. All welcome, the idea is to read a chapter a day before then. if you would prefer to listen rather than read, or read in a few different versions try bible gateway.com

Jonah

If you aren't in a small group at the mo and particularly if you dont have a good daily bible reading plan, how about commiting to read the book of Jonah in the old testament before Monday night, (a  chapter a day and you nearly do it twice) then pitch up at the church to talk about it and pray together from 8pm. All welcome, please contact us to go on the mailing list for this small, interesting and challenging group

28 days

Last night was the first get together for a bundle of people, who are reading Matthew's gospel - a chapter a day - and meeting on Tuesday nights.  It's not too late to join if you are quick.  Please contact us.

fri 30th

Romans 8

As we come to the end of the series its worth taking a few moments to review. We have looked at some hurdles we need to overcome to take our faith into a more public arena.

We have seen how our heart needs to be right because a whole life comes form a pure heart, focussed on seeing God bring his kingdom

We have looked at our God, and how the dynamic of the trinity brings a dynamic to the whole of our lives, then we considered how tour faith impacts our home, our work and our leisure. In those sections we thought about peace on the house, earning and money, and ministry as well as rest.

The last couple of weeks we have seen how God has commissioned us and this week how the Spirit of Christ in us helps us rise above the mundane experience of guilt, fear and despair, and helps us live above our circumstances.

So what next? Over to you. Why not take a look at living in the heavenly realms (and the church) in Ephesians, or Timothy’s leadership, or another read of one of the gospels.

Whatever you choose do make a resolve to use scripture and prayer on a daily basis to be an overcomer 24/7

thurs 29th

circumstances Reading Romans 8v28-39,

The 4^th life-drainer is simply our circumstances. The little negative things that happen that eat away at our enthusiasm or the bigger horrors that knock us sideways. Both can cause us to lose momentum and take our eyes off Jesus. Paul assures us that God is able to work in every circumstance for good. Its not that He wanted the horrors, willed the disease or planted the pain, but he is able to bring some redemption out of it for the good of those of us who love him.

Life hurts many of us much of the time, but in it all the loving, powerful God can even turn our own failings, the malice of others, the painful stuff of life and the traps of the enemy into something more positive. From our perspective it may not be ‘worth it’ but it is the glory of God to redeem. (One wonders if Mary considered the greatest redemption of the cross worth the sword in her heart of seeing her son suffer in such a brutal way.) Of course God’s primary concern is not our comfort but that we look like Jesus. Before we are born his destiny for us is to become like Jesus.

For this all the resources of heaven are available, Christ is interceding for us, no thing can come between us and his love, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us!

wed 28th

despair Reading Romans 8v17-27,

It is easy to begin to live under the spiritual smog of the society we are part of. Often we can be breathing in the polluted air of despair and pointlessness rather than the pure life giving breath of the Spirit.

A look at the future is a helpful antidote to despair. We all need hope, the belief that the best is yet to be, and in Christ we have a sure and certain inheritance that helps us see beyond the despair of the decay we see around us.

Our own pain, society’s ills and the inevitable decay all breed in us a certain helplessness and despair, but in Christ we can rise above that into the freedom of resurrection life.

Meanwhile we are patient, but not passive. We groan along with the rest of creation, longing for the fulfilment of our hope, eager to receive our full inheritance.

Yet even now we exercise our glorious freedom as children of God, living as daughters and sons and of the king, realising we belong to a future kingdom and pulling that kingdom into present reality. ‘Your Kingdom come’ is our Spirit-inspired groaning. As we look up and look ahead through the smog we begin to see visions and dream dreams, hope is born and the despair of bondage and decay lifts under the brightness of the son.

tues 27th

fear  Reading Romans 8v12 - 17

The second life-drainer is fear. The Spirit who frees us from condemnation and brings life is the Spirit who whispers the assurance to our spirit that we are children of God, part of his family. The fatherhood of God overcomes fear. My dad is bigger so I needn’t be afraid of anything,

The Spirit who shows me this is the Spirit of resurrection life, testifying that death is defeated, the grave has no hold on me and my mortality is an opportunity to inherit. Surely to die is gain.

The impact is, of course, that we can live without fear. All fears apparently are ultimately traced back to the fear of death, but we follow a saviour who has freed us from the power of death, and thus the power of fear. If God be for us who can be against us?

So instead of a spirit of fear that cannot cope around spiders, crowds or conflict we have an assurance of the love and authority of our abba father with us and in us. We all have the inheritance rights of the first born sons, and any suffering we come across because for the sake of the family is surely worth the glorious inheritance that is ours as children of the Most High. Not a fearful slave but a child, walking with father, homeward bound.

mon 26th...

In the ‘glorious eighth’ of Romans Paul reaches the heights of understanding as he sees how God deals with, at least, 4 of the biggest hindrances to our pursuit of him.

This week, to finish our series, we are looking at this chapter in some detail on Sunday, and each day in our readings. Its well worth reading the whole chapter each day, but we will reflect in the notes on about ¼ of it,

guilt Reading Romans 8v1 - 13

Even in a society that minimises guilt it is still an enormous problem to so many people. The truth is that, in Christ, there is no condemnation. We do not need to receive or live under guilt that comes from God, the devil, ourselves or others. Not guilty. Not because we weren’t sinners, but because Jesus has become our sin offering. The sacrifice is made, the price is paid, the guilt atoned for, all the requirements of the law are fully met in me!! I am no longer a convicted sinner, I am a free person.

God is faithful and just. He is fair. He doesn’t punish sin twice. He doesn’t hold our wrongdoing against us. There is no condemnation. We are forgiven and free.

The law is powerful in pointing out our faults, making us see the error of our ways and causing us to feel bad about ourselves, but it is powerless to release us. But there is a deeper law, the law of the Spirit of life that, like the law or aerodynamics can lift us up despite the gravity of the law of sin and death. The Spirit does it by applying the wonderful death and resurrection life of Jesus to us.

It is that Spirit that is in you today. Feed it!

Fri 23rd

ambassador  Reading 2 Cor 5v11-21

Paul here compares himself to an ambassador. It’s a great analogy. An ambassador lives in one country but belongs to another. However much he loves the place he lives and identifies with its people he belongs to another kingdom with different culture values and language. However much we feel at home here, in reality our primary allegiance is elsewhere, to another king and kingdom. Of course it is most difficult for the ambassador when she holds values and standards that somehow cut across the loxcal ones.

The ambassador speaks for his home land with authority in an alien environment. Paul is at pains to say that we are agents of reconciliation. We have a message of peace not confrontation, we hold out an appeal, not a criticism. We have good news. But we have the authority of heaven behind us.

The ambassador needs good communication with home. Sometimes there is a special message to convey, but all the time she is communicating the thoughts and feelings of the homeland to a culture that may or may not be interested. Carefully and winsomely the ambassador speaks the mind of her king.

At every turn, in every circumstance, the ambassador represents the homeland

Thurs 22nd

the Spirit is on me Reading Luke 4v14-21,

Jesus had received the Spirit in the previous chapter. Heaven had opened, the father had spoken and Jesus knew that he had God on his side. The threefold commission was clear from Isaiah 61. It was to speak, and Jesus did that through his beautiful stories, gentle encouragement and courageous proclamation. It was for healing & deliverance, and Jesus did that in homes in the synagogue meetings and in the open air. It was to bring righteousness and justice which he does in the way he restores broken people and honours the children.

As the 12 are anointed with the Holy Spirit  in chapter 9 and the 72 in ch 10 they are given this same threefold kingdom message, to speak of Jesus, to heal and deliver, and to bring something of the justice of the kingdom of God.

This is Jesus’ definition of the kingdom, and it happens when God extends his rule. We receive the Spirit, fill the earth, subdue it and continue to reduce the influence of the evil one. We pray and work for more of the positive kingdom.

We are a kingdom and priests to serve our God, agents of the King, princes and princesses, daughters and sons of the King of all kings.