riversmeeting
a church in carrick-on-shannonArchive for May, 2007
Something big is coming! June 9/10
For some strange quirky reason, this picture is entitled “the wrath of God”. Anyone got a good explanation for that??
Anyway, here’s the rivers-june-3.doc magazine for your edification and delight.
And just a note to remind us that the special weekend is coming up June 9th/ 10th. A large group from CFC Belfast is coming over to bless and encourage us.
On Saturday night tHE eDGE is on at Sligo with Pizza and Pezazz, 7.30pm. It’s a youth event so act childish. See Pastor Ken for transport details. If you’re going in your own transport, the map is here: http://www.sligomethodist.org/sligo.php
On Sunday morning the group is down at Roscrea (Pastor Noel’s Elim group in North Tipperary) at http://oasisroscrea.wordpress.com and at 1.30pm on Sunday afternoon we are having a Big Do at Drumshanbo Methodist Church. See the map here. http://www.sligomethodist.org/drumshanbo.php
We will need bigger facilties than we can manage in Carrick. Bring some food (and cushions?) and we’ll have a fellowship meal after the worship time. Kids are especially welcome. There will be a creche and a childrens church runnning in the halls at back of the sanctuary. Email for info.
Wilberforce: “feelingly alive…”
“If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.”
- William Wilberforce, 1759- 1833, the British abolitionist and subject of the recent film Amazing Grace
What do you think?
Okay, I’m really trying to get some work done here, but things just keep getting in my way. A billboard with a picture of the likeness of Jesus Christ and the tagline “Jesus affirmed a gay couple” with the scripture reference Matthew 8:5-13 fell victim to vandals in Indianopolis [see photo above]. Another sign was hit, too, but has been repaired.
So what does Mathew 8:5-13 have to say?
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6”Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”
7Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
8The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Now… I’m no Bible scholar. I leave that stuff to the big kids at BaylyBlog, Boar’s Head Tavern, David Holford, Michael Spencer, Necessary Therapy, and Sigmund, Carl and Alfred. But seriously, folks, does anyone really take this passage as an endorsement of same-sex relationships? Anybody want to lay some Greek on this boy for some clarification?
Rev. Andy Hunt of Body of Christ Community Church is quoted in the article saying that vandalism is always a wrong response. Andy said:
It ignites passions whenever someone brings a lie against the god you worship, but we can’t go down to their level.
Good call. While I’m not in favour of what I believe is a gross misrepresentation of God’s Word, I’m not in favor of vandalism as a method to get my point across. What do you think?
All over the world our brothers are suffering
This is a clip about the persecution of believers across the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFQgCOsC_7g
Check out Voice of the Martyrs for further information.
So far so good?
Dear Lord,
So far I’ve done all right.
I haven’t gossiped,
haven’t lost my temper,
haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.
I’m really glad about that.
But in a few minutes, God,
I’m going to get out of bed.
And from then on,
I’m going to need a lot more help.
- Author Unknown
I want God
In The Pursuit of God Tozer explained the danger of thinking that union with God through justification is the end of all things. Tozer writes, “We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him” (16). And earlier, “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the Soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart” (14). Read the rest of this entry »
Getting connected…
Are you a “lone ranger” Christian? Are you connected to a local body of believers, or is it just you and Jesus? According to Scripture, fellowship with other believers is of crucial importance. Without it, not only can we not be of benefit to others, but we ourselves become starved of the benefits that come from being in community. Thus, we fail to fulfil God’s purposes in our lives. Read the rest of this entry »
May 27th Rivers Bulletin
Hi guys. Here’s this week’s bulletin rivers-may-27.doc for your upload. Please pay special attention to the plug from Noel.
This Sunday we will be looking for some responses!
The Bible as Pornography
From http://www.earthtimes.org: Hong Kong- More than 2,300 Hong Kong residents have lodged complaints about indecent and sexually explicit material in the Bible in a bizarre campaign to restrict sales of the Christian holy book. Hong Kong’s publications watchdog has received an avalanche of complaints about tales of incest, rape, cannibalism and violence in the Bible since the website truthbible.net began urging people to file complaints. However, the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority said it will not act on the complaints as it considers the Bible to be “a religious text, which is part of civilization.” Now the website says it may raise the issue with Hong Kong’s public ombudsman on the grounds that the “abnormal sex and violence” described in the Bible is at odds with the moral standards of people in the former British colony. If the campaign succeeds, the Bible could technically have its sales restricted in Hong Kong in the same way that pornographic magazines must be sold in sealed packages and to only those over age 18. The motive for the campaign is unclear.
The number of complaints lodged against the Bible with the licensing authority is the highest received since a magazine last year ran pictures of a semi-naked female pop star changing backstage at a concert in Malaysia. Hong Kong, which has a population of 6.9 million people, is home to around 250,000 Catholics, including Beijing-appointed chief executive Donald Tsang, and around 60,000 Anglican Christians.
Rivers Bulletin 20th May
Hi guys.
Just posting this week’s rivers-magazine.doc. Please notice the important notice about forthcoming classes towards water baptism. Answering a few questions about baptism:
Baptism isn’t an act that gets us into heaven – it is faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord that offers that assurance. Baptism (by full immersion as taught in the Bible) is an act of obedience that should be an immediate part of our acceptance of the gift of grace offered by Jesus Christ. But it does not mean that one who truly gives their heart to Jesus on a death bed, in the heat of warfare, or in a crashing airplane, will be kept out of heaven because they failed to be baptized. The thief on the cross next to Jesus didn’t have time to be baptized before he died, but he had an opportunity to believe in Jesus and put his trust in Him, and Jesus responded by saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Read the rest of this entry »
