Monthly Musings

I think I need to write about a new garden I have just remade.

The soil was like dust after the old plants had been taken out, so I put some compost in the holes I dug for three blue moon plants. As the garden is on a downward slope water runs off easily and I try to soak the bark to keep in the moisture.

The first plant gets the sun all day, while the other two are in shade during the morning, so are healthy. But the first one started loosing it's leaves and drooping.

I now make sure the plants get an extra soaking. 

I think we can all have days like that, when busyness takes over and we don't spend enough time with the Lord. Remember what sap is to a plant, so the Holy Spirit is to us, let's keep watering us well with God’s Word.

Blessings,

-Wendy Bell

This summer has seen our garden produce a lot of veges, namely tomatoes.

It is always amazing to plant this tiny seed and watch it grow....and even more amazing to see the result as it produces big red tomatoes!

But there is a little more to it, than simply planting and waiting and watching.

I have learnt that the tomato plant has a large root system, it could be up to one metre deep in good conditions, although they can also survive with smaller roots. And of course the plants need feeding and watering to ensure growth takes place.

My tomato plants have had their root systems a little restricted because of the garden bed and although there has been good fruit, those planted out in the designated spot in the paddock, have grown like weeds and the tomato plants have been prolific!!

There is something for us to learn in that.

We begin our Christian walk with a little seed of faith and we trust that it grows as we follow Jesus. But without the depth of foundation and the nourishing of our faith, we can wither and growth stagnates, it can become hard to withstand the problems of life and the fruit we are called to show may be small and insignificant.

So....How are we growing?

Are we putting down roots into good soil, that is deep, well fed and well watered...... deeply anchored in strong Biblical faith, building the foundation on Christ alone?

Are our roots a little restricted because we perhaps ‘graze’ in our learning more of Jesus and listening to what others say without seeking Jesus for ourselves.

Are our roots failing to supply the nourishment we need because we are not ‘feeding our faith’ from the Word of God?

Are we doing as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11, “receiving the Word with all readiness and searching the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so.”

The Bible speaks of roots ...think of the parable of the sower where some of the seed fell on good soil and produced a great crop.

Col 2:7, “AS you therefore have received Christ Jesus our Lord, SO walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Eph 3:16-19, “That you being rooted and grounded in love...that you may be filled with the fulness of God.”

The Bible speaks for itself, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and hearts as we read it, study it, mull over it; our faith grows, it is deepened, strengthened and we grow in maturity.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good.” 2 Tim 3:16,17

May we all “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”

-Jillian Walst

A Mystery

In April, Graeme asked us whether we have a book in which we record important things, or perhaps we use our phone for recording.

I have a small notebook. I particularly like to get it out during my quiet time, as it helps me to focus as I pray and give thanks.

Starting at the front page, I have written verses of the Bible which have jumped out at me on particular days. Starting at the last page, working forwards, are things I have written which are part of my personal walk with the Lord. Additionally, I note what specific issues, good or difficult, are present in my life on that day.

None of you will be surprised when I tell you that the Bible verses and the words heard from the Lord are precisely, completely relevant to my issues at that particular time. What is more, they are helpful in banishing any developing anxieties or fears!

How many times have you read the “page for today” in your devotional and find that it is totally relevant to your situation? And then, what if you talk to a friend about it, only to find that the same devotional page was exactly what fitted their situation, too? The meaning from the devotional will be precisely, specifically, relevant and timely to all who read it.

How God does this is one of His many wonderful mysteries. We will never know how He does this but we can thank Him with grateful hearts for His loving care for each one of us.

- Beth Jarrald

I’ve been reflecting on the encounters with Jesus.

One in particular, John 5:2-15 The Pool of Bethesda, the account of Jesus healing a paralyzed man at a pool of water in Jerusalem.

Imagine the hope this lame man placed in being healed, also to walk, and live more fully.

For 38 years his hope kept him alive, yet he remained doggedly persistent in the possibility of healing.

I’ve had times of waiting, waiting, hopefully waiting. Maybe you have too, for that healing, for that child, for that relationship, for that freedom.

When, Lord, will that prayer be answered? When will Jesus turn up?

Today, renew your hope that His timing is perfect. Refresh your spirit. Refresh your faith. He hasn’t forgotten you.

Blessings,

-Brian Cook

At our weekly Bible Study group we work through various books of the Bible…John, Galatians, Ephesians being the last books looked at. We learn as we go, reading different Bible translations, using some commentaries, but always coming back to what the Bible says itself. Group input and discussion is so worthwhile and all of us realise afresh each week what truth there is in the Word and the necessity of learning more of what the Bible says….especially these days when there is much uncertainty about what is truth.

For the Word of God is living and active and full of power (making it operative, energizing and effective). It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the divisions of the soul and spirit (the completeness of a person), and of both joints and marrow (the deepest parts of our nature), exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (Amplified)

The Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (GNT)

What a truth to read, absorb, to consider. The Bible that we read and hear preached, is not only a book of God’s dealings with His people through the ages, it is not just a record of missionary journeys and letters to new churches, it is not simply a book that remembers Daivd’s songs, it does not only tell of Jesus’ life and teachings… it is God speaking to us NOW, deeply and intently. When the Holy Spirit brings this Word alive to us and in us, it is full of power, searching our innermost being to open us to God and to bring God to us.

What a responsibility it is then to preach this Word.  Paul exhorts Timothy to ‘preach the Word of God, be ready when the time is right and even when it is not…’

The early Church was founded on the preaching of the Word as written in Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.” The church today must be built on the preaching of the Word… this is not to suggest that there are no other aspects of church life, but undergirding it all there must be the strong and clear teaching of God’s Word. And when we gather to hear, we do so in the belief that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts to glorify God, to encounter Christ, and to be changed by Him.

John Stott said, ‘Nothing is more important for the life and health of the church than biblical preaching. Churches live, grow and flourish by the Word of God.’

I wonder if that is one reason for the latest news comments about how our  NZ churches are declining?

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

-Jillian Walst

I'm at the age where I can look back on my life and see God has had His hand on my life... that He has a plan for each of our lives.... before He created the world, He knew us... doesn't that blow your mind.... that He uses ordinary people to confound the wise.

In His timing we are born and in His timing we make the decision to follow Him. And in His eyes it's never too early or too late to make that decision... my Mum was 74 when she asked the Lord into her heart in the late 1980's ... who knew she would walk with the Lord for another 26 years. 

The Lord gives us gifts and talents to be used to bring Him glory and point the way to our Lord.

When my marriage broke up over 35 years ago, I have leaned on the Lord as my constant companion and He has helped me through many situations... but I have not always listened... but I know He is always there no matter what.

May you know, that you know, that you know.

Finally a saying I like to read occasionally…

What you are is God's gift to you;

What you do with yourself is your gift to God.

Blessings,

-Wendy Bell

Did you enjoy the Paris Olympics last month? I found myself most evenings watching the highlights with a cup of tea and a ginger nut, often getting caught up in the tension and the drama as the athletes worked their way through the pool stages and then onto the final for a chance to compete for a medal. It did not matter what the sport was, if a kiwi was taking part then I wanted to see them succeed.

For the most part I enjoyed the games and while I did not get caught up in the controversy, I did try and understand them from a personal level.

The opening ceremony, which I did not watch, certainly caused quite a stir around the world. At one point drag queens depicted Leonardo da Vinci’s representation of a biblical scene in “The Last Supper,” with some calling it a “mockery” of Christianity. Christians across the globe took to social media, venting how offensive it was to them and some advertises even pulled their funding.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 "You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved," so this comes as no surprise to me. But one online response I read stayed with me above all the others. "I wonder if all those so up in arms about the opening ceremony are also as passionate about actually doing what Jesus asks us to do, feed the hungry, look after the poor, and spread the good news about the gospel?" And then quoting from Augustine of Hippo they wrote “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."

The other drama that played out was the Algerian Boxer who eventually went on to win the Gold medal, and the controversy surrounding his or her gender. I was reading conflicting articles claiming very different "facts" so I endeavoured to find out the truth, not because I was particularly invested in the story, I just wanted the truth. And this is what I discovered, after reading from a myriad of online sources, each claiming to know what was really going on I still have no idea as to the gender of the boxer in question. In the age of endless information at our fingertips, I could not answer that simple question.

Thank you Jesus that you have made it very clear who the truth actually is and that your truth never changes!

-Graeme Cook

Paul and the Olympics: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

The self-discipline, sacrifice and focus of the competitors, and their families at Paris is more than I can imagine. They do it for momentary glory and a piece of metal. Our reward for faithfulness to the call of Christ is eternal. Are we willing to pay the price?

-Joanna Comely

Words! I love words. Words have so many uses and take very many different grammatical and written forms. They can also be extremely powerful. Let’s consider them from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Starting at the beginning, with the sublime, the first word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made…” (Genesis 1, 1-2). God spoke the whole of creation into being; each day, God said, “Let there be…” And there things were! Everything!

Now to the ridiculous: do any of you remember the scene in Blackadder, where the aged Dr Johnson comes in to show the Prince Regent his finally completed dictionary containing every single English word? Blackadder jumps in immediately with a string of words: “contrafibularities”, pericombobulations”… ! We also cannot know every word, even in our mother tongue or the language we have spoken for years, but we can use the words we do know wisely, in ways that are pleasing to God.

In our everyday lives we speak words with each other, words that can have a profound effect on the lives of those we talk to. The book of Proverbs is full of wise advice about speaking. Proverbs 18, 21 says, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit - you choose.” (The Message). How powerful; what can be clearer?

It’s not only other people that we can hurt with our words, though. We can, and frequently do, hurt ourselves and God. We all have an internal dialogue, talking to ourselves all the time. We can, in our minds, speak happy, pleasant, cheerful things or we can grumble, and we can speak anxious, angry, hate-filled thoughts. While it is easy to give credit and thanks to God for all the positive things in our lives, we may fail to remember that saying the negative things not only displeases Him but also hurts and disappoints Him, as we forget His loving kindness.

The obvious, as well as effective, way of moving towards right speaking is to throw out, as far away as possible, the negative thoughts - the grumbling, the disappointment, the anger, the anxiety - and immediately speak to ourselves and God one or two of the many thousands of wonderful promises that God makes to us. (Somewhere I read that there are 3,573 promises in the Bible.)

Another important time when we speak and hear words can be in our conversations with the Lord. Whilst God speaks in different ways such as pictures and dreams, He very often uses words. He assures us that He will listen when we speak to him, and He answers. Sometimes His answer comes through His written Word, sometimes in thoughts that “just” come as words into our minds.

And what about the diversity of languages? Many times in the Bible we read about different people, nations and tongues. In Genesis, we hear about God speaking to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and that, later, “all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words” (Genesis 11, 1). People migrated to the east and found a place where they were going to settle, deciding to build a great city with a tower that reached up to the heavens, and make themselves famous. We will all know the fate of these proud people, and will have read how “God took one look and said ‘One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next – they’ll stop at nothing!’” (Genesis 11, 5-6 The Message). So, God went down and confused their language so they would not understand each other. Confusion reigned, the people were scattered, and from then on there have been a myriad of different languages.

Nowadays, with global travel, if we wish to speak to others of a different tongue, we have to work hard at it in order to communicate meaningfully with them and to understand about their lives. Many of us have friends who have gone out as missionaries, needing to learn to speak one or more languages new to them, in order to be able to spread the Gospel.

Words can be spoken in prophecy. For instance, God said to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezekiel 37, 4 NIV). And so it was, the bones were covered and came alive!

Words are also powerful as we speak or receive blessings. On several Sundays in the last few months we have been encouraged not only to pray for each other but to bless each other in the name of Jesus Christ.

So, I have mused and meandered a little around words as we approach July. I’m sure there are more uses for words that you can think of, so please may I encourage you, in this coming month, to try to use words in ways that you have not done before to strengthen your walk with the Lord and to encourage others.

-Beth J.

Acts 3:3-7

I am constantly astonished at the power of blessing a person and Peter’s example demonstrates this. His response to the lame begger was, “look at us”. With eyes on Peter, he received more that expected.

Recently we were visiting De Bretts Thermal Pools in Taupo. While relaxing alone in the large spa pool we were suddenly joined by a Maori man, Tane, in his min-twenties. We said hello and began an ice-breaker conversation. Soon he was sharing openly of his struggle with mental health and his steps to find peace.

What steps? we asked.

Shyly, he said, with Jesus now in my life.

Can we pray with you? we asked.

Please, yes, and bowed his head.

Look at us, we said, and proceeded to bless his life with the fullness of Jesus’ love, with victory over his mind challenges, to find work, and healing.

Tane was overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and we saw again, the power of eye contact in establishing trust.

If you get an opportunity to speak into someones life, bless them in the name of Jesus.

- Brian Cook

Hello May ….

Have you ever read a lengthy part of the Bible in one sitting? A whole book (like Romans or a Gospel)? Or a long Psalm like Psalm 119? Or one of Paul’s epistles?

We all ought to be reading our Bibles on a regular basis, daily if possible, and seeking God’s leading in our lives through his Living Word. Psalm 119 vs 105 tells us “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path,” and the reading of God’s word can be a sure way of allowing God to speak into our lives so that we live in a way that pleases him.

But have you ever sat down for an hour or two or more and read whole sections of the Bible.

I first learned the benefit of this when at Bible College. My New Testament professor required that we read the book we were currently studying (James, Philippians, ….) once a day every day for a month, and each reading was to be done in one sitting.

It was not until well into the month of repeated, “whole book” reading that the wonderful benefits of this practice became evident. The book was now understood as a whole, with each passage starting to link to other passages in the book. What a blessing this was!

Have you ever thought about how the Christians first read a letter when it arrived from Paul, or John, or Peter? I am sure there was great anticipation, and the whole letter was read in one reading. There would not have a been a person saying, “Shall we read chapter 3 verses 10 – 16?” Even long letters like 1 Corinthians or Romans would have been read as one reading.

Taking time to read whole sections of Scripture is not new. In Nehemiah 8:2-3 we read, “Ezra the priest brought the law (a copy of Genesis to Deuteronomy!) before the assembly which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon … and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.”

In 2 Chronicles 34:30, “King Josiah called together all the elders of Jerusalem … He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the temple of the Lord.”

During these coming winter months, I encourage (challenge!) you to set aside some significant time to get into the Word and read it in significant chunks. I suggest you take a shorter letter from one of the apostles and read it 30 times in 30 days, and let the Word of God soak into your soul, allowing the Spirit of God to make his Word as living water in your life.

And if you do, I’d love to hear how it goes. God bless you as you read His Word.

Ken

Do you have something that you use to record things that you hear or read:  a quote that you liked or an idea that just came to you? It could be a notebook, but more than likely it’s a device you might carry around with you. I have a specific notes app on my phone for such things. On thinking what I would write for this month, I decided to read through and I saw that 12 months ago I wrote a note titled Uzziah.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to share at church, and part of that message pointed to the messianic miracles that could only be done by the Messiah himself, and when you heard of these things happening...good news... you would know that Messiah had come!

The first messianic miracle would be that a Jewish person would be healed from leprosy. As a quick recap, the rabbis taught that there was no record of any Jewish person being healed from this disease. Leprosy, it was believed, was inflicted by God Himself as a punishment for sin. They called leprosy “The Finger of God”. Therefore, only God it was believed, could remove it.

There were three incidents of leprosy afflicting Israelites in the Old Testament:

1. Moses

2. Miriam

3. King Uzziah.

Of the three, only king Uzziah was not healed, and eventually died.

It's not often, if ever that  King Uzziah has come across my path, so I took notice of that. Now would be a good time to learn or re-learn about him.  In 2 Chronicles - chapter 26... I'll give you a few minutes to dust off the bible …..

So here is what I wrote in my phone...

KING UZZIAH

Pride and a religious spirit go hand in hand. A religious spirit causes a person to think they are humble because of their appearance of spirituality. The truth is they are too proud to admit they have such a spirit. This is one reason pride is so well camouflaged in the church.

King Uzziah became angry. Pride will always justify itself. This self-defence will be coupled with anger.  We blame everyone else and excuse ourselves.

And then I had recorded 1 Corinthians 8:1 that says ‘Knowledge gained without love results in pride.”

My hope as March draws to a close and we welcome in April is two things - firstly, God is always speaking to us, if you don't have a place to record and remember the gems that often come your way then think about incorporating that into your daily routine, and secondly, we all need to be open and honest with ourselves to examine if any sneaky pride in the name of religion has found a home - we will never know if we don't at least ask the question...

Love to you all

Graeme 

March is a beautiful time of the year…we’ve had Christmas with family and/or friends, had some relaxing time in the summer sun and a new season of Autumn is awakening. The vegetable gardens and fruit trees have been harvested and thoseindustrious amongst us will have preserves stored for the winter months.

As a church we are awakening to a new season with a new Pastor being called and new Ministry leaders eg Chelsea for Kids Church, Jean as our new Administrator etc.. changing and exciting times for us as a Church family.

We must keep our lights shining for Christ and stay planted in the Word to be effective to those who don’t yet know Him in our families and in our church family and community.

We are to be bold and courageous with our faith and lifestyle choices to follow Gods ways as were reminded in Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you, Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid;do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”

Jesus also said to his followers that we as Christians are to be salt and light to those around us…as said in Matthew 5:13-16

How do we do this:

• We need to help people get a true understanding of who God is, and how much He loves them. They often have a distorted view of Christians as those who want to correct rather than connect with them. We can change that by being available and encouraging those around us eg neighbours, shop staff, school staff and parents, schoolmates, preschool staff and parents, co workers, Homeschool friends, gym buddies, Retirement Living neighbours and staff, children and grandchildren etc

• Sharing our own stories of coming to know Jesus and keeping the faith from our time of decision.

Be encouraged, stand firm, and look for opportunities this month to share your story with someone God brings across your path of daily living.

God bless

Maree

I had the pleasure recently of playing a game of “dreams” with a younger member of my family, dreams of things we would like to explore: places we might go to, people we would like to meet, actions and activities we would like to do…  Some were real possibilities, others were more fanciful.

Around this time, I was reading a book written by Paul Tsika, “Dream Doer”. Early in the book, there is a quote from Winston Churchill, “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.”  Tsika takes it further, he says, that for dreams to be fulfilled, we must dream and do; dreaming and doing go hand in hand, like faith and works. His example is Noah, he stood alone and heard from God, dreamed of pleasing Him and got the job done.  Are we listening and doing too?

As followers of Jesus, we are privileged to know that Churchill’s “something” is, for us, really “someone”, our Lord. We know that “Jesus came so that we might have an abundant life” (John 10,10).

What is our understanding of “abundant”?  Wealth, travel, mixing with important people, extreme sports?  These are earthly dreams and imaginings. Or, is our understanding Godly abundance: following Him, talking to Him, listening to Him, waiting on His answers and putting them into practice when we ask for guidance as we make our way in and through specific situations and through life in its totality?  

We often miss the mark.  When we walk away from God’s way, are we really happy? Do we honestly feel that this is or gives abundance?  Fortunately for us, God is a great and faithful God, and he stays with us through all our failures.

This game of “dreams” came at the time of a recent, strong wake-up health alert for me, thankfully now well medicated.  So – I stopped and looked back over past years of my life and asked myself how my present compared with my past.  Am I walking more closely with the Lord?  Spending more time with Him? Trusting Him more?  Am I going off His path less often? Are the fruits of the Spirit riper now?  And where am I going with His guidance?

A major health incident, as many of us know, brings sharply into sight several completely different, alternative futures as possibilities, to go alongside the general, hazy, continuation of present circumstances, through which we may be expecting to progress towards the fulfilment of some, even many, of our life’s dreams.

And so, my game of dreams turned from fun flights of fancy to nightmares and stark reality.  My dreams had to turn fully onto His purposes and my part in them. I had to look at my past in order to prepare me for my future, whatever it is.  Having asked the Lord for wisdom and discernment in looking back, then it was possible to see the many gaps and shortfalls that still need to be overcome.  In order to do this, to develop, work, and walk in the right direction, according to God’s purposes, I had to ask, seek, find, and knock in order for the door to be opened, and His guidance to be available.  

The Word tells us that “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19,21); let’s thank God for that and work towards bringing to fulfilment His purposes and the dreams He gives us.

Beth J

Last week I passed a particular milestone. It was reaching a 50,000 view count for a blog I began on Wednesday 22nd February 2012. Now I know many blogs of famous people reach 50,000 instantly when they write about what they had for breakfast, and the number isn't really the point. I began my blog as a small spiritual outreach with the post. "It's a rainy day in New Zealand. But as good as any to start. Welcome to my world."

For three years during the last eleven I posted a poem a week and the content of most of them were aiming to point people to the Lord. Later on for a year I posted a prophetic word once a week. At the moment I am posting a poem and a prophetic word each week.

Why? Because I wanted to reach out to people and this was the way I decided I could. People have read it in over twenty countries, and if it has made an eternal difference for one person's life it is worth it. 

If the Lord has asked you to do something, and it seems very small or insignificant please start doing it. Today is as good as any to start. Recently I thought about the many things I put off until tomorrow. I was convicted by the Holy Spirit and this poem came out of my thoughts. If you would like to read my blog or share with others the address is

https://sarahbethangus.blogspot.com/

Let's not put off what the Lord has asked us to do until it's too late.

Much Love

Sarah

It's not too late      By Sarah Angus 2023

It's not too late to prepare

...Until it is.

It's not too late to tell that loved one

about the Lord

...Until it is.

It is not too late to love others,

and do good,

and be the light 

we've always dreamed we could be

...Until it is.

Life and death 

pass without warning.

So many crumpled people,

hugging the ground,

unaware devastation was coming,

to their part of the world

...Until it did.

Don't let this stop us though,

from doing the most important thing

in our own eyes.

God forgive me,

and have mercy upon me,

and knowing that there will

always be tomorrow

...Until there's not.

A message to our fathers...

September is my favourite month of the year. It's the first month of Spring. It sees the celebration of Fathers Day, of my wedding anniversary (32, in case you are wondering) and my birthday (29, in case you are wondering ). So, I usually receive a wee bit more affection that I normally do, and I usually put on at least an extra kilo of weight (blame it on Sarah's five layer chocolate birthday cake).

Fathers Day is a profound celebration for me. I lost my Dad to when I was a boy, and then at 21 had the life changing encounter with Jesus who gave me The Holy Spirit and led me to God the Father. Two verses of scripture rewrote my life:

Romans 8:15-16

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 

As fathers, we have a responsibility to love our wives and together raise our children in The Lord. One tradition Sarah and I put in place as soon as our first child was born was to have a family prayer at the beginning and end of each day. We would huddle together like a rugby scrum and I would lead a prayer asking God to guard and guide us, to fill our hearts with love and our minds with wisdom, and to help us to be a blessing to all we encounter that day.

At days end we would give thanks and ask God for his peace and blessing upon our home, family and rest.

Two simple prayers, but ones that have rooted our sons in the concept and privilege of prayer.

If you aren't already doing something like this, make a start. It's all part of being a Dad.

Much love

Stu

How many times have you heard someone say “well, we are all sinners, saved by grace!”

I have friends that have built their foundation of faith on that statement, and it seems no matter what discussion we may be having at any given time this is how they always seem to end it.

And I would always find myself nodding along or politely agreeing  with them because it sounded like something a humble christian should acknowledge... right?

But not anymore. I simply do not see myself this way, nor do I think our father defines us this way either.

 But hold on... as you reach for the phone to complain about my heresy to whoever might listen, I am not saying I am not a sinner or that I have not been saved by his grace, the bible is crystal clear about those issues, I am saying that I don’t think it’s  particularly helpful for my relationship with Jesus.

 Paul talks about Jesus coming into the world to save sinners of which he then describes himself as the chief sinner! The understanding of what Jesus has done for us should be the foundation of thanksgiving that emboldens us to step out and profess with Joy to others that we have been set free and its available to you too! And thats exactly what Paul did.

 Let me put it another way.

Are you a sinner, saved by grace?

Or are you a citizen of heaven and a child of the King?

Both statements are truthful – but the second one I believe is the lens that our Father views us through.

 Someone else on the internet ( so it must be true :) agrees with me, so at the very least I’m not alone in my thinking...

 “Sinner saved by grace gives us the consciousness of sin therefore, because I am just a sinner saved by grace, my constant falling into sin is understandable, or even expected. It is often used to make others comfortable in living a saved life filled of compromise. Never able to move into holiness because we are sinners saved by grace. Wherefore, we never obtain the fullness of Christ because we live a life conscious of sin.”

Random internet person of intelligence, hopefully not AI :)

So this August, I challenge us all to ask Holy Spirit,

Father, is there any area of my thinking that does not align completely with how you see me?

 Graeme

What a wonderful series of weekly preaching we are having on the nature and character of God. There is so much to follow up in each topic of these Sunday teachings. I am dipping in and out of those different topics, but keep coming back to Ken’s teaching on the bigness of God.

How many times do the Scriptures talk about the sun, moon and stars, beginning with the description of the creation in Genesis? (A Bible challenge for us here!)  The Scriptures also tell us that God “determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name” (Psalm 147, v4 NIV). We have only to look up into the night sky on a clear night to be awestruck each time by the overwhelming, uncountable number of stars, which appear, even from earth, to be of different sizes and hues.

With the use of even a comparatively weak telescope, the different hues of the planets are striking.  Pictures being sent back from the Hubble telescope over the last few years have greatly enlarged our knowledge. And now, we have the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sending to earth from outer space the most amazing pictures of the universe, showing heavenly bodies that are further and further away, enormous distances measured in light years that I find totally impossible to imagine. Millions more galaxies than we have ever seen before, with each star within them placed and named by the one great creator God.

What have these mind-blowing new discoveries revealed? How are the majority of scientists reacting? It appears that astrophysicists and their colleagues are now rightly extremely amazed, but they are also discomfited by these images of the universe, because they do not tally with their Big Bang theory regarding the development of the universe, the widely accepted explanation of the origin of the universe.  Not only are there enormous numbers of previously unknown galaxies, the universe is not slowing down, as the Big Bang predicts, it is speeding up; it appears to be “continuously expanding faster than the speed of light and seems to be stretching and enlarging” as one commentator says.

Several TV programmes show interviews with some of these astrophysicists and others, who have, to their credit, built up on top of previous discoveries and have shown us some wonderful things. However, it seems as if these latest pictures have sent them in consternation to examine the Big Bang theory, altering sections of the most complicated mathematics, their “explanatory” equations, as the predictions from these are not supported by the JWST pictures. These scientists are very clever, learned people, but it appears from the reports accompanying these new space pictures as if even these scientists see that another, alternative explanation is needed in order for everything to fit precisely.  The answer has been in plain sight for many thousands of years: God created the universe!  So, let’s thank God for his ‘bigness’ and “all the works of his hands”, and pray that He will be revealed, through this telescope’s images, to countless numbers of people as the awesome God that He is. “Take a good look at God’s wonders - they’ll take your breath away.” (Psalm 66 The Message),

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge” (Psalm 19, v1-2.) I wonder how science will try to explain these things.

Beth

If I mentioned the fruit of the Spirit, we should all be able to list what the 9 are. Love, joy, peace... 

Often, we as believers have this idea that once we have accepted Christ into our lives, we now need to reach this standard of perfection or a certain standard of holiness, and the way we think we do this, is by striving and working toward being better at living out these 9 fruits. Should we be successful in being patient for a specific situation or with a particular person, we pat ourselves on the back and we say "job well done, your life shows the fruit of the Spirit". This is not what the bible talks about.

Galatians 5:22 says "the fruit of the Spirit is...". It does not say "the fruit of our effort", or "the fruit of our works" or "the fruit of our striving". It says it is the "fruit of the Spirit". Certainly we can discipline ourselves to become more loving, more patient, more joyful etc. but that is only a temporary change that does not have long lasting results, nor is it coming from a place of rest and ease.

When we allow Holy Spirit into our Soul (the place from which we make our decisions, our character, our will), only then can He begin transforming our character and giving us His. If we live our life thinking it still belongs to (me), then we will continue to keep and operate from our own characteristics, and that's when the striving to "do the fruit" happens. 

When we are given the fruit of the Spirit, by the Spirit, then we are no longer doing the fruit, but we ARE the fruit.

Jesus said it clearly, "you will know them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:16). This is not a once-off kind gesture that someone may do, nor is it a person who serves at church, but perhaps is arrogant in their business. This fruit is not someone who is able to act out the fruit in one situation, but not in another. 

When the Spirit transforms us with this fruit, we cannot be anything other than joyful, and gentle and kind...

I cannot be anything else, other than a woman, and if I was to go against the gender that I've been given, I would have to go through a lengthy process of changing and deliberately fighting against my design. I don't have to strive to be a woman, I just am one.

This is the same when the fruit is given to us and we are transformed by it. We cannot be anything else other than this fruit. It is easy, and there is no striving or effort “to become…”. 

Would you invite Holy Spirit into your Soul, and ask Him to transform your character? Wait and listen. 

Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts (Holy Spirit) to those who ask him!"

Much love, Kendal

As I watch boats being lifted to dry dock for anti-fouling I wonder, are we prepared for winter, or do we need a spiritual anti fouling?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,    fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12: 1,2

Take a moment: what is slowing me down?

Anxiety? Fatigue? Distraction? Prayerlessness?

The process for spiritual anti fouling is:

1. Recognising our barnacles 

2. Repentance (change direction)

3. Being washed in the Word (Ephesian 6:26)

4. Overcoming by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11)

5. Establishing healthy habits 

6. Having prayer support from trusted friends

7. Don’t give up!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as aliving sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

Be encouraged! Whatever challenge you are facing today, Jesus is with you, cheering you on and interceding for you before the Father (Hebrews 7:25).

Be strong, and take courage as we face the challenges of “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

Blessings, Joanna

I had the privilege of sharing a sermon message at Kerikeri Baptist Church on 19th March on the subject of peace. I don't think I have wrestled with sermon preparation quite as much as on this occasion. I started by getting swamped on the internet looking up things and getting bewildered by how many different opinions and even definitions of peace there are. The next day as I was looking up Scriptures I came across the passage in Luke 24 v 36-53 and I encourage you to read it slowly and think about the wonderful truths within it.

It suddenly became alive to me in a way that I had not seen before and I understood the disciples were translated from a place of fear to a place of great joy by being with Jesus. This was even before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. So the answer became clear. Spend time with Jesus. We don't need to grapple with self help books promising us inner peace in 10 easy steps. We need to live in relationship with Jesus, the Prince of peace and receive His gift of peace in our lives. I shared how worry has been a big part of my life and as I thought about different memories I realized the times when I have had God's Word quickened to me in a situation I respond much better than if I don't. I have faced the serious illness of a beloved child and cancer in my own life with a great measure of peace because I had Scriptures that had come alive to me that I could rest in with great assurance. 

Thank you Lord that we can know your peace in these days of so many "What If's" in our own lives and in the world around us. You are the Prince of Peace and we worship you and receive your peace with thankful hearts.

John 14 v 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Much love

Sarah

March is my second favourite month of the year. The weather is settled, the football season is getting underway and the fishing is fabulous. Later in the month I am taking my family down to Oakura for a six day break and to celebrate our Elijah's birthday. The fellow who has afforded us the use of his beach house was surprised when I told him we wanted to be in church both Sunday's either side of the break. I explained that I just love being in our church and I am so looking forward to Sean McNulty and Jeremy Rolston's messages for those Sundays on our theme, "The Nature & Character of God". We are blessed to have so many gifted speakers in our church family, and this theme is a fabulous one. 

To ascend in our understanding and appreciation of things visible to things invisible, from palpable to impalpable, from terrestrial to celestial, from the creature even up to the Creator is the hope for this study. Our attempts will betray the poverty of human speech, the sheer limitedness of our present experience, and yet if we only scratch the surface, what glorious discoveries are in store for us. 

As Paul wrote, "That I might know Him..." As David declared in Psalm 42: "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you, O God".

Let's lean into God, in these coming days, let's gather to worship Him and to learn from His Word, and hear the promise in the words of Jeremiah, "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Woohoo! Bring it on, Lord. We are hungry for You.

Aroha nui

Stu

What brings you Joy?

In my earlier years of being alive I fell for that well recycled rhetoric that joy comes from acquiring things. If you work hard, you can buy this or that; if you seek out fun and pleasure, then that will cause happiness. The problem was – the more I put myself first, the faster I became empty inside, and it didn’t matter what the bank balance said or what was parked in the driveway, my pursuit of pleasure on this quest to find and keep perpetual happiness, only ever ended with that internal haunting feeling that I was missing the mark somewhere, that my system of personal governance was broken. Yet everything in society kept pointing me in the same direction – perhaps I just needed to try harder, because if you are not happy, then its you that is broken, it can’t be the system...right?

I have been reading, and re-reading Geoff Woodcock’s excellent 76 page book “Valuable” in which he writes about value and design among other things. The opening line on page 1 reads “You don’t know what your worth. And that’s a problem.”

We have traded how our father defines us for the worlds twisted definition and have discarded lasting joy for at best, the feeling of fleeting happiness.

When I reflect over my life, the experiences that have given me the greatest infilling of joy are all when I have done something for someone else, and usually, the greatest cost to me personally was proportionate to the amount of joy received. Geoff writes that when something works according to its design then we value it. Our father has designed us to love him and then to love others. When we do, we find our real value...and then we experience joy. Simple and yet if you take some time to unpack and meditate on it, I think it’s profound.

I have included below the families that were indebted to bonded slavery for so many years and were recently released after our church donations to freeslaves.org. The joy on their faces is infectious, something stirs within our souls that this is what we are designed for,  that this was the task that Jesus set before us just before he left for Heaven.

 From ‘Valuable’ by Geoff Woodcock:

 “Instead of seeing love as a duty or obligation, we can view it as it really is – an emotional currency that creates lasting emotional wealth. Only unlike material wealth, which we accumulate through working, investing, and hoarding, love only enriches our lives as we give it away. Once we understand this dynamic and place real value on acts of selfless love, we will then experience lasting Joy.”

Graeme Cook

Family #1 - The Adash Masih family have been in bonded labour slavery for the past 3 years after Mr Adash took a loan from the brick kiln to pay for his medical treatment when he had a paralysis attack. Tragically he died and left the family in slavery.

Family #2 - The Allah Rakha family have been in bonded labour slavery for the past 7 years after Mr Allah took a loan from the brick kiln to pay for his wife's medical treatment when she had a miscarriage.

Family #3 - The Samson family have been in bonded labour slavery for the past 15 years after Mr Samson took a loan from the brick kiln to pay for his mother's medical treatment when she had kidney stones.

Dear friends,

Welcome to December! I have the privilege of writing this month’s “Thoughts” for our church’s newsletter. This month sees the end of another year.  Endings can often be very sad, we know, but, thankfully, there are also others that can make us glad; whichever, they come round to us all. Sadnesses of the past year are not forgotten, but God graciously brings sprouts of renewal.

Wonderful new beginnings can emerge, and what a wonderful new beginning we have, this month, in our remembrance and celebration of the birth of our dear Lord Jesus Christ.

In a recent article, Dr David Jeremiah talked about keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Light of the world, in two ways: the Great Commission, to go into all the world and make disciples in every nation, and the Great Commandment, to love one another. What better time than now, in this month during which Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord, for each of us to ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine ourselves, to consider how we are doing in both of these areas and then to begin our own lives anew, with increased passion and commitment? This may well involve ending and throwing out old behaviours, finding ways of avoiding old stumbling blocks, putting things right with someone where there is tension, and exploring a range of new ways of discipling.

Dr Jeremiah reminds us that our priority in life is the Great Commission, and that everything else we do - worship, giving, prayer, service - should be in service to that mission, either directly or indirectly. So, while very many of us struggle with, for instance, walking up to a stranger in the street and saying “Do you know Jesus?”, we all teach, even unwittingly, through all that we say and do. As Dr Jeremiah says, “People will think about Jesus the way they think about us.”  How challenging, yet how exciting!

Have a happy and blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year in the Lord!

(Beth J)

Monthly Musings: The Centrality of the Cross

Every day things seem to get more crazy. Facts that we take for granted are being challenged and even refuted. It is vital that we are founded on the Rock that is Christ and His Word (1 Corinthians 10:1-13).

And do not grumble as some of them did- and were killed by the avenging angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come (vs 10,11).

The chiasmic (mirrored) structure of John 3:12-18 shows us the relationship of Moses lifting up the serpent

(Numbers 21:4-9) and Jesus dying on the Cross, bearing your sin and mine.

In verse 16, John comments after the Cross, looking back. It is not Jesus speaking as He always called Himself the Son of man.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

(Romans 5:8).

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God ( 1 Corinthians 1:22-24).

As we approach Christmas, let us keep the Cross central to all we do, and not be distracted by all the noise around us.

Blessings, Joanna.

Within the space of just a few short days, we saw four of our beloved church family loose their earthly bonds and slip into those "everlasting arms". Keith Cullen, Bernadette Downes, Bunny Honiss and Kiri Richardson, people greatly loved, people of faith. I visited with Keith on the day before he died, tho' greatly reduced he was able to nod amen after our prayers. He was in the arms of his beloved Colleen and then, in the twinkling of an eye he was in the arms of Jesus.

How precious is our faith and how precious is the generational faith which is carried and continued by children and grandchildren. This is the legacy of a person who has succeeded in life, passing on to those who come after them the gift of the love and knowledge of God.

Let us each make it our business, our greatest and most important business: to live a life which speaks and models this gift of faith.

Proverbs 13:22: “A good man lays up an inheritance for his children's children.”

With love and affection
Stu

God has been teaching me so much, that I can’t choose 1 thing to share, so I will try to summarize and capture all the lessons and “ah-ha” moments from just the past 2 weeks.

#1 Our physical bodies are oftentimes a direct link to what is happening with our emotions. If we struggle to articulate and deal with our underlying emotional responses, it can manifest into a physical condition. Some examples from various people’s stories I have been listening to recently – bitterness toward a husband caused arthritis in a hand, deep grief caused tension leading to migraines, unforgiveness toward parents caused whole body joint issues, hatred and blaming oneself for someone else’s error caused fatigue and brain fog. These ailments don’t happen suddenly, but slowly creep in overtime as we try to cope with undealt emotions or a trauma. Proverbs 14:30 “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot” (there are many more verses you could explore).

#2 Grieving is not associated with physical death only, but we grieve because of loss. I believe loss in our lives, happens more often than we like to admit, and therefore, we need to allow ourselves time to grieve these losses. Some examples of loss – A vision or hope that didn’t come to pass, loss of a relationship, loss of purpose, loss of ‘what could have been’. It’s okay to admit loss, and then grieve it.

#3 Being ready and willing to receive, is a key element to allowing the Holy Spirit to heal us. This is for all categories of healing. If we pray for someone, or if we allow someone to pray for us, we must be willing to receive it or else we have not yet given the Spirit full permission to move.

#4 It is incredibly beneficial to let God do deep heart surgery within us, and then it’s okay to recover for days afterward! Let Jesus heal you. Let Him heal all your hurts, losses and pains, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

These are called “Pastoral Thoughts”, so that is exactly what I have left you…my thoughts 😊

Much love, Kendal

Anybody know where I can find Elijah? (not the one who lives in a yurt...the other one)

I am familiar with rain. In Myanmar you have virtually 2 seasons, a wet one and a dry one. In the dry season every single day dawns bright blue skies and everyday you check the level of your well if you are lucky enough to have one  - trying to calculate how long your water is going to last (it never does) And in the wet season, every day you wake to the sound of torrential rain and you spend a good portion of that day trying to drain water away from your property. But at least when it rains, the temperature rarely dips below 28 degrees, no such luxury here in NZ.

In the Bible, rain is referred to as a blessing after a drought, a symbol of God's love and teachings to spread over the world, and even as a flood to wash away the sins of a corrupt world.

Any child who has ever gone to Sunday school can tell you in detail the story of Noah and his ark and wether (weather) you take the side of rain existed or didn’t before this event (yes that is an actual debate) the trust and faith that Noah put into God at a time where literally the whole world had turned from him is , I think, a biblical benchmark for us all.

Most of us know the story, but if you brave the waters and you dive a little deeper into the narrative, there are teachings for us all that seem to point to the situation the world finds itself in now... I love how the bible does this all the time, don’t understand how, just know that it does!

So here is your rainy day  challenge, read the story of Noah again, read at least 3 commentaries on it from sources you trust - here is a good place start, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/meaning-and-significance-of-noahs-ark.html

and the next time you feel your legs growing faint as you are walking around Kerikeri township, seek out one of the rainbow painted seats, and as you rest there for awhile, try to avoid the northland rain and contemplate the story of Noah, the world you find yourself in today and the very promise that your bottom is now in close contact with :)

Oh, and one last thing, why did I begin with does anyone know where I can find Elijah? Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
“Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5  17-18)

If you live in Kawakawa, Kaeo, and halfway along Waimate north road, I’m sure you are looking for him too!

Graeme

I hope you are enjoying a stimulating Bible study and fellowshipping in a home group. In these troublous times it is not enough to attend services on Sunday or listen to utube.
We need each other!

In 539 BC Daniel was told the day when the Messiah would be presented to Israel (Daniel 9). He came on that very day (6 April 32 AD) but the Jews did not recognize Him (Luke 19:28-44).

He is coming again, on schedule. Will we be ready?

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” (2 Peter 3:9,10)

Blessings, Joanna

I think it is safe to assume that we all know the ‘during’ and the ‘after’ feelings when you know you have failed in your character. You may have just had an argument with your spouse, or an unkind word was said to a child, or a judgment was placed on someone that was unfair, or you’ve grumbled for hours on end about a particular situation, maybe jealousy rose up when you saw the success of someone else.

When these times happen (which they often do), we all experience different emotions and feelings as we try to cope with our failings, and humanness. Some people withdraw or may feel guilt and shame, others stress, some may get angrier while others get anxious as we reflect on the “what just happened”.

We know in these times, that what we are experiencing is not who God has designed us to be. So above all else, above success, wealth, purpose or calling, what I desire most, is to have a clean heart. When I find myself in a position where I want to react or my flesh rises up, I am reminded that I don’t want all those yucky feelings to follow because it separates me from intimacy with My Father, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit who grieves for me.

So I pray often, “Create in me a clean heart o God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and make me willing to obey you” (Psalm 51:9-12)

Without His Spirit reminding me, convicting me, and being my greatest teacher, I am left, once again with a dirty and unclean heart that separates me from what He desires most for all of us, relationship and intimacy.

Much love,

Kendal

He has lost the ability to manage most simple self-care daily functions. Yet he is still made in God’s image and in need of love, care and compassion as much as any other person on the earth. I have been thinking about Mother Teresa and her work with the Missionaries of Charity looking after the sick and dying in Calcutta. How she treated those living and dying on the streets in absolute poverty with dignity, care and love.

I think sometimes our understanding of God’s Kingdom can get a bit muddled and we begin to value success through the lens of the world’s kingdom in terms of such things as careers, financial and material wealth, physical attributes and social reputation. Jesus said some very sobering words from His perspective as the Judge who will come at the end of the age. I encourage you to read the full passage from Matthew 25 verses 31-46 [see below]. Mother Teresa got it right and the Lord allowed her to be raised up as a witness of His Kingdom values around the world. I think it is good to hold onto Jesus’s words in the days to come: 

Matthew 25 v 40 “And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Sarah Angus

Matthew 25:31-46 - New King James Version

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set thesheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink;I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The greatest mandate of all…

Many are wearied by the word “Mandate”. For some it is a dirty word, for others a necessary precaution, probably for all it is a sign of the times. The Bible is full of mandates, (1,663 of them): “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creep upon the earth”; “Go forth and multiply”; “Go into all the world and preach the gospel”; “Repent and believe in the gospel”; “Resist evil and do good”; “Follow peace with all men”; “Don’t forsake gathering together”; “Give thanks with a grateful heart”; “Pray for all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity”. One of my favourites is: “Make sure your pastors have plenty of home baking”, but I cannot seem to locate the scripture reference for this particular command. 

The greatest mandate of all is to love. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, our soul and our mind, and our neighbour as ourselves. To love one another as He has loved us. To love our families, to love our enemies. The second Sunday in April is Palm Sunday, marking the arrival of our Lord into Jerusalem for the start of what is known as “Passion week”, the greatest exhibition of love the world has ever known - culminating with His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. Love tested and triumphant. 

Our nation needs the healing power of God’s love manifested through His people. Let us keep our eyes on God’s mandates, let us meditate upon them, be guided by them, obey them, live them out in this fallen world. Let us love, and if you need to learn how, meditate upon the Easter story, and read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Our Lord and His word, the way of love.

In Him

Stu

PS: You could also listen to Karen’s sermon (from 20th March) from Mark 12:28-34 “Love your neighbour”

Well, if we all had hopes that the beginning of 2022 would give us a reason to forget the chaos of last year I think we are already disappointed 😊

With Omicron taking a foothold, mandate protests, civil unrest and the world the closest it has been for decades to a possible world war, 2021 is not looking that bad after all!

With so much uncertainty I think we sometimes fall into the subtle trap of always running to God, which we as believers are absolutely supposed to do, the problem is often we seek the Lord's hand and not his face, and don’t even realize we are doing it.

Do we desire to be in his presence, not to necessarily receive anything, but just to be with him? 

The psalms (27:8, 119:58, 105:4) point this out to us, so does Moses – and he got so close to God he had to suddenly take off his shoes as he was standing on holy ground, and Isaiah when he got close to God, cried out how unclean he was. If as Revelation tells us, that one hundred million angels bow before him and cry out how holy he is, I think we need to approach God with reverence and awe and humility and thankfulness, before we ask him for anything

I wonder how many of our prayers go unanswered because we have sought only His hand and not His face?

Take this moment to think about your interactions with someone close to you. What would happen if every time you saw this person they asked you "what do you have for me today?” "How are you going to bless me?” "Come on, empty your pockets, I know you must have something!"  If it was me, I would want to teach them a lesson and until I felt valued in the relationship I would not give them anything... food for thought 😊

God desires that we love him for who he is, not what he can do for us.

This March, please take more than a moment, more than once, to talk with God about how awesome he is, and then ask him to help, and consider helping yourself, the people of Ukraine where a staggering 87 percent (38,280,000) identify as belonging to him. 

Graeme

For several months I have experienced a growing desire and urgency to go more deeply with the Lord.  Yes, we are now on our way in another new year, after another new beginning.  We might have resolved to increase our quiet time with the Lord, lengthen the passages of the Word that we read each day, add to our prayer list…  These can indeed lead to progress in several directions, yet I was becoming increasingly aware of the need for quality, not just quantity, in what I was doing.  (When You said “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, will I seek.”  Psalm 27,8.)  I felt the need for something more, to find an even closer relationship with my God and Saviour, who, in addition to his greatness, is my friend.

My first step along the way was make my prayer life very much fuller with thanks and praise. After all, God knows our needs and requests before we bring them to him.  Rather than keeping on rehearsing the difficulties I have already poured out to Him, I have been giving Him heartfelt thanks with much more abundant joy and praise for all He is already doing “behind the scenes” as well as visibly to improve every situation and obstacle that I have talked to Him about.

Secondly, I read a book focusing on the Holy Spirit, about being more aware that He lives WITHIN us as well as WITH us, that BEING in Him precedes DOING with Him and doing what He directs.

Thirdly, I have borrowed a wonderful “Manual for In-Depth Discipleship” entitled “Self-Confrontation”.  Even the title is a challenge!  However short or long a time we have been followers of Christ, we can always go deeper and grow closer.  I have an exciting path ahead as I undertake this study, rooting out the things in me that need to go, increasing my focus on God and the bountiful knowledge and directions given in His Word, and then, having worked on the being, I pray that I will be much more effective in doing His will as a disciple.

Beth Jarrald

I can remember last year waking up in the morning many times wondering if the global pandemic would turn out to be a strange dream. If last year was strange, this year has become even stranger to the point where you literally do not know what will happen next nationally or globally in the next twenty four hours.

For instance just as those of us with loved ones oversees were watching closely to see if border restrictions would indeed ease in the New Year, a new variant has again sparked global border lockdowns.

The strange dream does not show any signs of disappearing, but instead it is shifting and changing rapidly in so many areas of life. As humans we don’t tend to like change; especially change we have not initiated. I’m so grateful now more than ever that God has given us His Word that does not change, and an assurance that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13 v8

As we enter this Christmas season remembering Jesus’s first coming, let us hold onto the sure hope that He will come again to the earth. “Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2 v13

We don’t know when that will be but the Bible encourages us to be ready, with oil in our lamps as we await the arrival of the Bridegroom. “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom….”but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Matthew 25 v 1&4

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, let us be filled continuously with the oil of His Holy Spirit, and let us keep our thoughts fixed on His Word in these strange, ever changing times.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15 v13

A blessed Christmas season to you and your loved ones.

Sarah Angus

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

The older I get, and the more experience I have discussing various topics with other believers, leads me to conclude that there is one common theme that is often lingering in (most) of our thoughts. It’s an area that either gives us great comfort or gives us the greatest sense of guilt and possibly fear. What emotions or thoughts automatically surface when solitude with God is mentioned?

I'm not talking about the kind of solitude where it is a time and a place for ourselves in which we are not bothered by other people or can think our own thoughts and do our own thing, in other words - privacy. I'm talking about a solitude where the voice of Jesus is acknowledged as He tries to have an honest and truthful conversation with us, and we are willing to listen and engage. It’s a kind of solitude where we can't run or hide away anymore from ourselves, from the areas in our lives we have avoided for far too long.

To some, there is immediate comfort in knowing that it is only in this place that you are able to discover your true identity. You find comfort in the fact that the Creator of the universe is willing to talk with you, show you what is in your heart and correct you, being able to easily acknowledge that I am lost and blind.

If this is you, you know it's often an uncomfortable process, but you also know it is the only way of truly being free from what holds you back. If Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and the life" and we are not experiencing any of those truth claims, then could we possibly be missing who Jesus has called us to be? Trusting Him in the process as He changes our character and transforms the old into the new. He is a gentleman, and would never do that without our permission first. He can't transform us or set us free when we continue to grip tightly or avoid this kind of solitude.

Henri Nouwen said "In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding: no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books to distract, just me - naked, vulnerable, weak, sinful, deprived, broken - nothing. It is this nothingness that I have to face in my solitude." 

If we never find ourselves in solitude with Jesus, we will never truly know how much we are dependent on Him.

Maybe it's time we view our time with Jesus a little differently.

"Tell me what time you spend alone with God...and I'll tell you how spiritual you are" (Leonard Ravenhill).

Much love,

Kendal

My battles with the world, the flesh and the devil over the past 40 years have at times been fierce, and I have learned that God's support of me and love for me has never waned or wavered, even when I have lost some of those battles. He is faithful. His love endures forever. This is perhaps the greatest blessing of battles and trials, emerging from them knowing that, no matter what, He will never leave us or forsake us. Another faithful love is my wife of 30 years, Sarah Elizabeth. September marks that anniversary, and the blessings of Fathers Day and my birthday.
[Chris and Shirley win the award for the cheekiest gift, a tin of hair gel... and Chris calls himself an Elder!]

God and Sarah's faithfulness to me are lessons. The words we all want to hear when we pass from this life are, "well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of The Lord". Faithfulness. Faithfulness. Faithfulness.

I am grateful to be a part of a faithful company of people at Kerikeri Baptist Church. Watching the commitment of folk to put on their aprons and sacrificially serve, week in and week out, is an ongoing lesson. I thank you for it. You are beautiful people.

With love and affection,

Stu

Kia Ora Whanau,

September is here, and what better way to usher in Spring than with a lockdown. 

I have to confess that the last week or so stuck inside has intensified my tendency for introspection, and as a result I’ve begun thinking about the dichotomy of this lockdown.

On one hand I’m grateful for the slight breather it has provided us, the mental distance from work, colleagues and the ambient noise of the outside world. 

The busyness, and the constant need to overextend ourselves has become almost non-existent again. But as with everything in life we have a tendency to become complacent about it.

The breather of this lockdown transforms into a monotony instead. As if all the lessons we were charged with last time have become neglected.

It was a time of reset, a time to lean into the unforced rhythms of grace, to find balance and to listen to that still small voice. 

Perhaps this lockdown is a reminder of those lessons. 

It’s easy to get lost in the monotony, to allow anxiety to creep in over the things we cannot control. To fear about business and livelihoods. 

A good friend though recently reminded me that the remedy to quell the pessimism is to put it into context. 

We only have to look abroad to see a greater manifestation of the chaos in this world. The current events in Afghanistan and Myanmar are prime examples of this. 

Fortunately, we are unlikely to ever experience even a shadow of that horror in our lifetimes. 

It’s all about perspective. 

How we perceive this lockdown, and this time is up to us. 

Are we heeding the lessons, or have we become negligent?

Have we allowed the monotony to numb us to the movements of the Spirit? Are we listening? 

Despite the challenges gifted to us in this time I am grateful that our answers lie in the one thing that does not change.

 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"

-       Hebrews 13.8

Love to you all.

Sarah

My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one. For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.…”  Song of Solomon 2.

There are a few signs around that winter is being given the short shrift. The recent winds which usually accompany an equinox; snowdrops in my mums garden,;Taiwanese cherries blossoming - much to the delight of our resident tuis; warmer nights; the sound of lawn mowers... I quite like winter, it is the football season after all, and we can enjoy open fires and that certain sense of inwardness which accompanies the season. But Spring, O Spring is a season that lifts the heart.

It seems though that our world is mired in a permanent state of bleak mid winter.  The sheer amount of catastrophe, confusion, corruption and chaos emanating from various places around the world and sometimes in our own personal lives induce anxiety, fear and depression, and a desire to escape.

Where can we escape to, though? A desert island? A hut in the deep bush? A holiday away can help, as can a good book or film. But the very very very best place to go is into the presence of our God. He calls each of us "His beloved", "His beautiful one" and asks us to accompany Him into a place of peace in times of trouble, calm in the midst of storms, hope and restoration in times of devastation. 

I'd like to write that the world is going to improve, but my sixty years on this planet and my understanding of history lead me to believe otherwise. In the words of Bob Dylan, "there'll be no peace.. war won't cease, until He returns”.  While we await Our Lord’s return to make all things right, let us seek His presence, dwell in it and gain from Him the grace, love and wisdom to sustain us - both for the remainder of our journey, and to enable us to help others in theirs. In His presence is fullness of joy.

With love and affection,
Stu

"Thank you Lord for this food, bless the hands that prepared it and bless it to our bodies, Amen.”

We all have our own unique versions of prayer that we may have said for many years either as children or as adults before our mealtimes. I was brought up to always say grace with my family, and only until I reached a certain level of maturity, I started to question why we got ourselves into this tradition when it actually had very little meaning to me. So as time passed on, this tradition began to fade, until I only ever said grace when visiting someone else’s house, initiated by them.

When I began working with the people of Myanmar, I often would stand back in awe at the dedication that every one of our students and teachers had as they thanked God before any bowl of rice was placed before them. Eating for most of them, was a privilege, and no matter how simple or small the meal was, they were always truly grateful for the food they acknowledged was provided by only God.

I received a message from one of my teachers a few weeks back, updating me with her situation. She is living in a bamboo hut the same size as most people’s lounge areas with a total of 9 people. Food has been a challenge for them as the Military have seized power, and have taken away their basic human rights. 

As I usually ask her how she is, she very casually replied “we are hungry, but we are content”. A sentence I will never forget. A perspective changer that has profoundly impacted me yet again by reminding me what I have. 

Graeme and I have now made a commitment to give thanks to our Creator who has provided us with more than we need with every meal. Before we utter any words, we stare at what is before us and we truly remember those who are hungry. We use that time as an opportunity to pray for the Christians of Myanmar, that God would continue to miraculously provide for them, just as He did so faithfully for the Israelites in the wilderness.

Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Contentment does not come from what we have, but it is in remembering who the One is who gave to us.

Much love, Kendal

Kia Ora Whanau,

I hope you’re all keeping well and warm as this autumn makes itself known. It’s definitely a new season that we’ve stepped into and I’m feeling it in a myriad of ways. I am slowly adapting to the realities of home ownership and very much enjoying the new fruit that is developing on my trees. 

In a similar vein, we’ve stepped into a new season with Tribe too. 

It’s always a privilege for me to experience the way God moves in the lives of our young people. During Easter Camp I was able to have a better insight to those encounters as I witnessed how our teens responded in the prayer sessions and times of worship. 

It was really special seeing them explore their spiritual giftings, as they began to develop that deeper appreciation and love of Jesus. 

Our challenge moving forward from camp, however – as it is every year – is figuring out how to cultivate these connections so that the momentum we experienced at camp isn’t lost or diluted. For us it’s about breaking that tacit belief that some young people have, that says a deep connection with God can only be achieved through camps and corporate events. It’s about being intentional with what we do, and why we do it. It’s also about leaning into those unforced rhythms of grace, being present, slowing down and making time for those selah sabbath moments.

These are the things that I have been keeping in mind as I plan our second term of Tribe.

So be encouraged by our aspirations, God isn’t just in the big things; He is in all things.

“For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” -    Romans 11:36

Love to you all,

Sarah

Kia ora church

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins." Mark 2:22

Autumn is falling from the trees. A new season is upon us. Sarah and I lived for four years in the Czech Republic where the local word for Autumn is "Listopad" which literally means "Leaves fall". When a new season arrives it usually means a shedding of the old. The seasons are so pronounced in Central Europe, less so here in our "Winterless north". But even here we exchange jandals for gumboots, sunhats for umbrellas. As in the natural, so in the spirit.

Over the past months our Pastoral, Prayer and Worship teams have sensed that God is leading us into a new season in the life of our church. God is speaking to us, calling us and anointing us to go deeper with Him. Our study in the Gospel of Mark is freshly acquainting us with our Beautiful Saviour. Our worship is deepening and intensifying. Folk are questioning the state of our nation and the world in general, and being drawn to search for meaning and hope. The signs of the end of the age are becoming more emphatic. The Lord is near, even at the door.

For this new season, we each need to prepare and present our hearts before God, to receive the fresh outpouring of His Spirit. Some things may need to be shed from our lives. It may be a habit, it may be a resentment, it may be an attitude. If God is asking you to let go of something, it is because He has something better and eternal for you. Our Church family is here to help you find Gods grace for this season. Lets journey together.

With love

Stu

Hello Everyone,

I am writing the week before I start my maternity leave. Filled with such a sense of anticipation and excitement to meet our new baby girl, but also busy working on the many necessary transitions as I pass on the youth ministry for this season to Sarah Hazelden, Isaac and the team.

It's funny. As I reflect on conversations I have had with Isaac recently, I feel they are relevant here. We have been discussing the whole differences in our cultures. In Ireland we often don't ask for help. We don't like to inconvenience someone. And so we very much have the 'I'll do it myself' mentality. Which can often disconnect us from community, even though we mean well. I have learned since coming to New Zealand there is much more of a community and family atmosphere where people ask for help. The classic bring a plate is a simple example, or a working bee ( I don't think I had heard of this prior to coming to NZ Hahah!).

I was blown away recently in seeing how so many people from church helped us move house, cleaned when I couldn't clean, baked meals, the list goes on. It is incredibly humbling and yet a learning curve of how beautiful community can be.

In 1 Corinthians 12;27 it says

'Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.'

Isn't that beautiful? We are ALL part of it. And we all have a part to play. We were made for community. We were made to have eyes to see one another's needs. And no matter how small the task feels, you have no idea what gap that will fill for someone else or what a blessing that can be.

As an Irish girl I am certainly learning a lot from living here in New Zealand and I am so grateful.

May we all be learning and growing as we operate as a body in the church and make steps towards a sense of family and community.

Love to you all and would appreciate your prayers for our own little family in this precious new season for us.

Karen

Kia ora church.

“Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart.” Over one hundred years ago Rudyard Kipling wrote that description of New Zealand.

What a glorious summer we are enjoying. Sweetcorn, watermelon, plums, tomatoes and other fruit & vegetables to feast upon, our beautiful Bay of Islands back yard to enjoy, our wonderful climate, a safe haven from all the madness going on around the world. I have always loved Scotland but I am so grateful that my great, great grandfather boarded that boat way back in the 1850’s to bring the family to this “last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart” place.

Among all the many blessings we have, the greatest privilege we have in living here is our freedom to gather to worship, especially in recent times when our fellow believers around the world are limited in their opportunity to do so. The Bible teaches us that when we honour God, He honours us. 

The LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.  1 Samuel 2:30

 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.  John 12:26

Our calling as Christians is to honour God with our worship and to serve Him. 1. Because He is worthy. 2. Because it brings about blessing upon our lives, our families and our nation. 

So, let us, each day, along with the boardies, jandals and sunhats, put on two items of clothing which every priest should wear: the garment of praise and the apron of a servant.  Let us enjoy the blessings but make sure we are fully realising where and from Whom those blessings flow.

Much love

Stu

December is upon us, so let us count our blessings. This year…

1. I still haven’t found an end to the love and grace of God.

2. I got to eat watermelon, catch fish and play my 55th season of football.

3. During lock down Sarah, Solomon and I drew closer together and did a once in twenty-year clean-up of our orchard.

4. When I broke my leg playing football, I discovered the blessings of our Health Service, and the benefits of belonging to the best church and best football club anywhere.

5. Judy (Barrow) reminded us all of what is important in life and that our ultimate destination is Heaven.

6. Turning 60, I thought that I am too old to experience falling in love again, and then I became a Poppa. Doh.

May I encourage you to do this same exercise. Write down six things that occurred during 2020 which you are grateful for. Though we all likely experienced some tough times, some trauma, some moments we would rather forget, let’s not allow them to shrivel our hearts and shape our future. Rather, let us be a people who are grateful for all of Gods mercies, small and great.

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”
Psalms 92:1-2

And let’s head into the Christmas season and towards 2021 expectantly watching for more blessings to come, and looking for opportunities to be a blessing to those around us.

We are blessed to be a blessing.

Love ya all, Stu

Hello Everyone!
I have been reflecting on this aspect of God’s character recently: ‘El Roi’.  This is the name Hagar called God when she was in the desert [Gen 16:13]. It means ‘The God who sees me.’  Isn’t that beautiful? God sees you exactly where you are at.

For me, I am in a season of being a mum to an active toddler. My walk with God looks very different from that of a few years ago. I would have time to myself to sit and read the Bible and pray at length. If I didn’t have that time, I would feel super guilty and feel like a ‘bad Christian’!!!

Right now, I have to be super intentional about my time with God, but I also have to learn to have grace for myself the way God does. It’s actually been a huge learning curve for me, learning that the Lord is a lot more gracious then I give Him credit for. Quiet times often look like snippets of time throughout the day with God; praying throughout the day; praying with Iona and including her in my prayer times. The season is one of learning to be selfless and serve a young child. And that is good!

I am so grateful to ‘El Roi’: the God who sees the season I am in (even as I write this I am trying to distract Iona with toys so that I can focus and type!!)  What season are you in?

• Is life slower than it used to be? Maybe you can't serve the way you used to, but you have beautiful long prayer times with the Lord. God sees you.

• Maybe life is really tough, you’re unwell and most prayer times are just ‘Help me Lord!’ God sees you, He has compassion and sees exactly where you are at.

• Are you in a season of plenty? Full of gratitude? God sees you.

• Are you in a new season? Maybe worried about the changes about to come? The God of peace sees you!

I want to encourage you all to explore what season you are in right now - and to take comfort in El Roi. He sees exactly where you are at and will meet you there.

Love you all lots!

Karen

Hello October!

A fellow standing on a bridge douses himself in petrol, holds a lighter above his head and explains that he is going to turn himself into a human fire ball before jumping into the river below which will extinguish the flames. Just before he does, he turns to the camera and says, “don’t try this at home”… As if! 

Recently we have been examining ways of developing spiritual practices in our lives in order to strengthen and sustain our faith. These are practices we do want you to try at home!

• Hospitality: meeting in homes, sharing meals together, building faith friendships, reaching out to friends and neighbours.

• Communion: Taking the Lords supper doesn’t have to wait until a Sunday morning. Take it at home with your family, or with faith friends with whom you gathering.

• Confession: Choosing someone you trust to share your heart and pray with.

• Sabbath: Taking time away from the tyranny of the urgent, to rest, to recreate and refresh.

• Blessing: Being proactive with praying blessing over those in our lives, our spouse, children, grandchildren, employees, friends. Forming family huddles to ask Gods blessing over your day/ your sleep. 

• Silence & solitude: Regularly tuning out of the surrounding world to find a quiet place to tune into God. Being still and learning to listen to His voice.

If you missed any, you can access them through the church web site. Springtime is growth time. Let’s get our roots down into God and through these practices draw His presence into our lives. 

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.     [Ephesians 3:17-19]

With love,
Stu

Hey Everyone,

The months seem to be rolling around so fast these days! Happy September!

As we approach the school holidays and House to House ministry begins again, I was reflecting on the last holidays when we met in houses.

Isaac and I hosted a number of young adults and we had food, fellowship and communion together. It was incredibly special to meet in a smaller number, to really see how everyone was doing, and celebrate the Lord's Supper as a group. I valued the conversations and the prayer time we had, hearing where each person was at, and praying into their situation.

As I look forward to our next smaller gathering, my heart is excited to see what God does in our homes. How we connect with one another in deeper ways. How we creatively host our brothers and sisters, neighbours and friends.

Why not have a theme? A unique focus just for your home? Morning tea? A dinner? A particular colour that everyone has to wear? A specific focus on something the Lord has laid on your heart to pray or share about in the smaller group? 

I would love to hear what you did in your home. Actually I would love to SEE! Please take some photo's and send them to me at karen.kkbc@gmail.com. (Let me know if you’re ok with them being shared on a Sunday morning or on the website). Let's inspire one another.

I truly believe the Lord is doing something special in this season of intentionally committing to opening our homes and hosting others.

I encourage you to re-read Acts 2; 42-47 which has inspired this new season.

God bless you and I look forward to seeing what you all get up to!

Karen

It is great to see KBC Kids up and running. The team of Rebecca, David, Laura and Deanne are full of ideas and enthusiasm to see our children grow strong in faith. "Strong like a tree" is the KBC Kids theme for this season, and you will have noticed the wonderful Pohutakawa tree on the auditorium wall. It was fashioned by David from material which came from the section of wall we removed. About two years ago our Youth and young adults Pastor, Karen had a profound vision. She saw the walls of our church come down and a strong tree grow up in their place. The tree was laden with fruit, an abundance enough to feed the folk of the church with laden baskets being carried out into the community. Since that vision was given we have literally seen a wall come down and we have seen our Foodbank ministry growing rapidly. We have also seen our other ministries which use our venue; Olive Branch Drop in Café, Mainly Music, Tribe, Busy Bees, growing and continuing to nourish our community spiritually (as well as with food). 

We are in a season of putting down our roots, learning to develop spiritual practices which will sustain us and allow us to be fruitful, a season of renewal. Not just our children, but all of us. Psalm 1 gives us a beautiful description of this process. I ask you to read and meditate upon this psalm. If we implement its instructions into our lives we shall be blessed and will be a blessing.

Much love

Stu

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all keeping warm and dry this Winter!

I have been doing a Bible Study plan called 'The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry' by a Pastor called John Mark Comer.

And on Day 1 the reading was from the following Scripture;

Matthew 9;18-22

While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Do you notice Jesus was on his way somewhere else, but he paused, stopped and had TIME for the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years?

Jesus had margin in his life. He had spaces and time which allowed him to be interrupted so the Holy Spirit could move.

In this new season of slowing down, are we allowing margin in our lives? I am so challenged by this concept. I am a planner and I like schedules. And they are good. But how often are my schedules so full they don't allow for change, or for the Holy Spirit to interrupt them?

The question Pastor John Mark Comer asks at the end of Day 1's reading is this; How did Jesus' unhurried, present-to-the-moment nature increase his capacity to meet the woman with internal bleeding in her need?

This question challenged me to model Jesus' pace and to be present-to- the - moment and notice the opportunities the Holy Spirit brings across my path.

Bless you all and may you know the peace of Jesus Christ this Winter!

Karen

A blueprint for a different rhythm...

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”  
Matthew 11:28-30 [The Message]

Before Covid-19 and our lockdown experience a word came to me for sharing with my son, Elijah and his wife, Emily. The word was “Reset”. From then on it seemed that the word was becoming common parlance among prophetic folk around the world. As the virus and its attendant drama gripped the world “reset” became a theme as to what God was wanting to do with individuals, families, churches, nations and our planet.

The words of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s gospel came to me time and time again over the past weeks, especially the phrase, "learn the unforced rhythms of grace".  

In the early stages of lockdown, Karen brought a word to our Eldership asking us to meditate upon it. The passage of scripture is: Acts, Chapter 2 and especially the verses 40 – 47 which describe the outcomes of the arrival of The Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost. 

Would you prayerfully meditate upon this word, "reset", and these two passages of scripture?  Karen and I both feel that within them lays a blueprint for our future as a church family.

Much love

Stu

Kia Ora everyone!

This term at Tribe we are doing a series called ‘Stepping into the Story’ and we are trying to creatively revisit bible stories that the teens may have heard since they were children. And to look at them with fresh eyes.

Last night at Tribe we looked at Noah’s Ark. We had wood and pallets and tools and animals set up, with animal face painting going on too haha!  And as we began our journey in Noah’s steps, I was reminded of the verse in Genesis 8;1 that says “But God remembered Noah…… and he sent a wind over the earth and the waters receded”

We were considering that when Noah was on the boat, in the rain and floods, did he get to a point where he thought;

 ‘Has God forgotten about us all down here on the ark?

Will these floods ever go away? Will we ever see dry land again?’

And as I reflected, I was reminded that often when we go through storms ourselves, we may think, has God forgotten about me? Will I ever see this ‘flood’ recede?

There is a similar verse in regarding Rachel in the Bible - Genesis 30;22 “But God remembered Rachel, He listened to her…..” in relation to Rachel longing for a baby.

And I want to encourage you with these simple verses - and to remind you… GOD REMEMBERS YOU!

God remembers YOU, and He sees YOU, and He sees what you are going through.

And like the ark protected Noah, he wants to protect you. Like the ark saved a family, God wants to save you. And like the fresh olive leaf that the dove plucked from new vegetation that was beginning to grow on the earth, God wants to give you HOPE.

Hope that He has not forgotten about you or left you in the storm and floods.

Praise God, that He sees us.

Blessings - Karen

It was for freedom that Christ has set us free… 

How many of you remember the events of 26 December 2004? Our festive spirit was stunned by the unfolding tragedy of the Boxing Day tsunami which took the lives of almost a quarter of a million people. A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE. While that disaster is off the scale, it seems that we are daily confronted with pain and suffering arising from appalling events, criminal acts and personal or familial tragedy. 

Newsflash: things are not going to get better. The bible is a prophetic document which details the period we have entered into more than any other historical era. Jesus warns us that there are things coming upon the earth which will cause men’s hearts to fail for fear and anxiety. (Luke 21:26). We are warned that nations will rage and the environment will become increasingly septic (Psalm 2, Matthew 24).

Perhaps, here in our home town of Kerikeri, in the beautiful Bay of Islands we can feel insulated, but with the ubiquity of information at our fingertips, our excessive consumption of it 24/7, and the difficulty assessing whether it is true or false, we expose ourselves to anxiety beyond our own circumstances and beyond our own ability to cope. The temptation is to withdraw, to retreat into a “safe” place where no one can hurt or confuse us. It is no wonder that so many people are caught up in the escapism of alcohol, drugs, or the virtual world of Netflix or on line gaming. 

Escapism and anxiety are understandable responses to these things, but escapism leads us to hiding our light under a bushel of self medication. And anxiety can cripple us if we do not learn to cope with it. We grow weary.
Life breaks our hearts and wears us down. 

Unless we follow Christ. Truly follow Him. 

This year we shall be looking at the theme of Freedom in Christ.
Our Lord has a prescription for us for this present turbulent time, a prescription that will not only help us survive, but also to thrive.

With love

Stu 

Kia ora Whanau,

December is upon us. This tends to be the month that I find myself reflecting on the year that’s been and the year that is to come. I’ve been incredibly blessed this year to have journeyed with you all in my capacity as an intern. My studies though, have now come to an end. While at times it has been a challenging year, I’m so grateful for the growth it has brought me. I’m thankful also for all the opportunities, support and encouragement that you have all extended to me. Being part of this church family has brought me great joy.

With December, the arrival of Christmas is also on our doorstep. I have never regarded Christmas fondly, in fact I’m probably a bit of a grinch. Christmas for me is best represented by an insane amount of stress. It’s the most hectic season of the year - where family tensions run high, and we are invaded by the exodus of the south - although I suppose it’s always fun to witness our seasonal traffic jams. Christmas is a time where in my parent’s business I see just how much commercialism seems to reign supreme. While I was teaching my Bible in School’s class this week, I was reminded about why we actually celebrate Christmas. My attention was drawn from the stress of this season to the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ - who sacrificed everything so that we could be brought into relationship with The Father.

If anything is worth celebrating it is that.

I think that we must be intentional about seeking the joy that Jesus brings this season. So I encourage you, any time you begin to be overwhelmed by the sheer extent of tasks that Christmas necessitates, turn your thoughts to Jesus and bring the Christ back to Christmas.

And just for my own personal sake please remember to reserve an extra portion of your grace and patience for all our retail and hospitality workers this season.

With love and affection,

Sarah.

Dia Duit! ( God be with you in Gaelic)

Isaac, Iona and I have just returned back from Ireland, in which we had the privilege of a) going back as a married couple, and b) introducing our precious little girl to her family. It has been 4 years since we have been back, and it was a very special time!

God has taught me so much in this new season of life of being a new mum. And the main thing that has stood out so strongly to me is his wonderful grace.

During the haze and exhaustion of having a new baby in the initial first few weeks, I wondered how on earth do I spend time with God? Where does it fit in, in this season?

My mum, when visiting me after Iona was born, left her devotional notes behind by accident when she returned to Ireland. And I picked them up one morning.

They were simple, not too much to read. And perfect for my baby brain head to take in haha!

And I was reminded how amazing God is in every season. Each time I would pick up the notes, God would have something specifically for me and He was so gentle.

One day was about the 'watches of the night' and how to seek him if you're awake during the night! (Very relevant when up every few hours with Iona!)The other was about seeing his glory through creation, which I read just before bringing Iona out on a walk. Among many other days that were so relevant to what I needed to hear.

The beautiful and simple truths of the Lord, at just the right time.

In writing this I was reminded of the passage in 1 Kings 19 where Elijah was looking for God in all the 'big, dramatic things' and yet in verse 12 it talks about 'After the fire came a gentle whisper.'

God was in that simple, still, small voice.

I encourage you to seek God in your season in the simple things too and give Him thanks.

Whether it be the birds singing at dawn, a line of a worship song, a word of encouragement from a friend, the laughter of a child, the crash of the waves on a beach, the list goes on.

Be encouraged we have such a wonderful and gracious God, who will meet us exactly where we are at.

Bless you all!

Karen

Kia Ora folks.

With our upcoming local elections, we need to dedicate some time to prayerful action.

In 1 Timothy 2:1–4 Paul calls the church to pray for those in authority. He reasons that we want good government that allows us to live "peaceful and quiet lives" - ultimately freeing us to reach out to our communities. 

Paul would have been amazed that Christians could someday actually take part in selecting those leaders. I believe he would have been even more amazed that many of those Christians didn't even bother to get involved in selecting those leaders for the purposes of God to be fulfilled.

Praying for the electoral process is the first step in seeing the fulfillment of what Paul is writing about to Timothy. I don't believe we should wait for a leader to be selected before we move into obedient prayer for those in authority. In prayer, we invite the Lord into the process of electing those leaders who will ultimately allow us to lead "peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness".

So why pray for the elections? There are a number of compelling reasons:

The Bible commands us to pray for those who are in leadership, which would include those who are vying to become leaders.                                                                                                                                           Godly leaders can help slow the erosion of religious liberties in our land, providing an increased window of opportunity for the Church to pray and evangelise.

The selection of leaders who understand and lead according to God's righteous standards can bring great blessing to a nation (Prov. 14:34).  Scripture also says, "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers" (Prov. 11:14).
The determination of who leads our nation will also determine who advises that leader and how we are guided.

Let’s get on our knees and then to the polling stations.

With love

Stu

A call to prayer in light of the forthcoming elections…

God defend New Zealand.

Pray for the judges of this nation, that they will seek the wisdom that comes from above. "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17).

Ask the Lord to thwart the efforts of those who would remove religious freedom from our nation. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1).

Pray for truth to become valued again in New Zealand society. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

Pray that our nation will increasingly see that God is our only refuge in the midst of the troubles of this world. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1).

Pray for our judicial system and lawmakers—that justice for all, tempered by mercy and compassion, will guide our nation. "This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another'" (Zech. 7:9).

Repent on behalf of our nation, because we have turned from making Scripture the basis of law, leaving behind wisdom and instead, looking to ourselves for truth. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6).

Ask the Lord to pour out a spirit of repentance on our nation, that we might become a nation committed to following His ways. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13).

Pray that a holy fear of God will sweep across our nation, leading us back to a place of wisdom and walking in the Lord. "Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God" (Isa. 50:10).

A few weeks ago I came across this short message from Max Lucado. Thought it was really great, so here it is. 

But first a scripture.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
(Colossians 2:6–7, NIV) 

A Done Deal and a Daily Development

by Max Lucado

Are a bride and groom ever more married than they are the first day? The vows are made and the certificate signed—could they be any more married than that? Imagine fifty years later. They finish each other’s sentences, order each other’s food. They even start looking alike– a thought which troubles Denalyn deeply. Wouldn’t they be more married on their 50th anniversary than on their wedding day? Marriage is both a done deal and a daily development.

The same is true of our walk with God. Can you be more saved than you were the first day of your salvation? No. But can a person grow in salvation? Absolutely. Like marriage, it’s a done deal and a daily development. Do you feel so saved, you never serve? The fact is, you and I are here for a reason, and that reason is to grow and glorify God in our service.

Here is my prayer for you for this month.

“... We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” (Colossians 1:9–10, NIV) 

Pastor Brian

Hey Whanau
I was asked to do a write-up for this, so I thought I’d let you know how things are going in the land of the intern.
It’s been a busy term for us, we finished up term 2 of Tribe with an awesome reflective worship night. Our pilot programme of Shine at Kaikohe Christian School was a great success, and we’re hoping to run another one there later in the year.
Over the first week of the holidays, myself and a couple of the boys from Tribe joined about a few hundred other teens from all over the country at Xtend Conference down in Hamilton.
Xtend is targeted towards older teens, as an opportunity to really enhance their faith and to help them ‘xtend’ themselves through new experiences.
Most nights we had a time of testimony, where the teens got on stage and shared in front of everyone. The majority of the testimonies were hard-hitting, involving all sorts of things like abuse, drug & gang involvement, depression, suicide, disease – the list goes on. It was difficult at times to keep the emotions in check.
It’s easy to get lost in this world that seems to only be growing darker each day but listening to those teens’ testimonies gave me hope. Hope for our future. Despite the heaviness of their testimonies they all ended the same way, with Jesus. They spoke about how they met Him and how He helped them find a way out.
I was encouraged by the realisation that these teens were our future leaders,
And I guess I just wanted to leave you with this,

John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

With love and affection,
Sarah

Connecting Vikings, Picts and Kiwis. 

You probably know that the term “Bluetooth” describes a wireless communication technology that allows devices to connect and transmit data wirelessly over a short distance. But maybe you don’t know that Harold Bluetooth Gormisson was a Danish King in the 10th Century who ruled over the whole of Denmark and Norway, and turned the Danes to Christianity. Both Denmark and Norway have the cross of Christ as the prominent feature of their national flags, and each Danish passport shows the picture of Christ from the Jelling stone. Harald ‘connected’ the Danes with Christ and the process of this conversion from paganism to Christianity is recorded by inscriptions on the 1,000 year old Jelling Stones now displayed at the Viking Museum in Jelling, Denmark. 

"So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime and write on them all the words of this law… Deuteronomy 27:2-3.

While in Scotland I appreciated more deeply the spiritual heritage my family enjoy. We Angus’s trace our roots back to the Picts, who have their own standing stones which record the process of their conversion to the Christian faith. The earliest stones show scenes of lightning bolts, serpents and animals typical of the veneration for nature pagan religion demonstrates. Later stones show images of Christ, the cross, saints praying and angels, as the gospel spread among the Picts and the worship of the Creator overtook that of the creation. 

A similar thing occurred here among Maori as the gospel penetrated their society and the cross became a central motif in their carvings which can be seen at Te Papa, Auckland Museum and in many Whare around New Zealand.

At Oihi Bay we have Marsden Cross and in Kerikeri we have our very own Stone Store and Mission House, beautifully preserved memorials to the coming of the gospel to our land. Today we are to be these stones, living stones, with Gods word carved upon our hearts, set, each of us in our community to be a witness to His transforming love.  1 Peter 2:5.

Let’s be faithful and play our part in history.

With love

Stu

A couple of weeks ago I picked the last tomatoes off my vines. The harvest had ended. No more garden fresh tomatoes. I was reminded of that today when I was thinking about one of the saddest verses in the bible.

“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20, NIV) 

It’s a statement from someone who has given up hope. They were looking for something or someone to come and rescue them from their situation. But it hadn’t happened. The harvest had passed and no help had come. Summer had ended and they were still not saved. No hope.

Many people in Kerikeri are like that. They know there should be more to their lives. They try different things to find it but whatever it is that they are searching for eludes them and they live on with little hope of things being different. To quote Thoreau they “lead lives of quiet desperation.”

The good news in all this is that we know what it is they are looking for and we know where to find it. We have found it ourselves and we can help them find the way. We have Good News for them. We can talk to them about the one who is the Way.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV) 

What a privilege we have! We have been entrusted by God with the Good News of Jesus. When he was writing to the Corinthian church Paul put it this way.

“Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! It is all from God. He brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ. God was bringing the world back to himself through Christ. He did not hold people’s sins against them. God has trusted us with the message that people may be brought back to him. So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God! Christ didn’t have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:17–21, NIrV) 

We are Christ’s official messengers! Let’s keep on telling others the message which can bring hope to people who have given up on life and help them exchange their life of quiet desperation for the abundant life Jesus can give them.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10, NLT) 

With much love

Pastor Brian.

Hello Everyone!

With term 2 starting up, we as a youth group are entering an exciting season. As many of you have probably already heard, the teens had an amazing time at Easter camp, with God showing himself to them in miraculous ways.

Because I was a bit too far into my pregnancy I was unable to go, but was receiving ongoing updates throughout camp from the leaders which kept me in the loop of the miracles happening down there.

We had a post- camp get together with the teens to help them process what had happened at camp, and to have space to lean into the Holy Spirit as a group.

I was able to see just how much the teens faith had grown, their expectancy of miracles and healing. Their enthusiasm as Christian's to want to keep growing and going deep. I got to see the encouragement that camp had been for the leaders faith and see a sense of anticipation for all that God has for them and for our teens. 

Many of you will have heard that there were numerous healing's that happened within our group at camp. There were awakenings in people's hearts again to the Lord and a new freedom to operate in their gifting's. There were teens who were experiencing the Holy Spirit in a way they never had before.

I pray that this generation of teens would encourage us as a church with the freshness and enthusiasm they have brought back from camp.

That our faith would be increased as we begin to hear their stories.

The verse that has been on my heart since the teens came back is ; Philippians 1;6 ' Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.'

Please pray for Tribe that the Lord would continue on this amazing work He has birthed  in them. Please pray for boldness for the teens as they share their stories and faith.

And please pray for protection over them.

But also may you be encouraged by the amazing work God is doing in our church!!!

God bless you all!!

Karen

A beautiful Hebrew verb… 

During March I preached a sermon about God being our Vindicator. I looked at the 3 J’s, Job, Joseph and Jesus, who each trusted God in the midst of suffering and trauma.

Joseph, went from the pit and prison to the palace of Pharaoh and guided the surrounding world through a period of prolonged famine. How?

How did he flourish despite being rejected, falsely accused and imprisoned?                                                  He didn’t allow bitterness to shape his future. His statement to his brothers (those who persecuted him) reflects the understanding he reached…

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. — Genesis 50:20 

In God’s hands intended evil becomes eventual good.

 “You meant evil against me,” Joseph told his brothers, using a Hebrew verb that traces its meaning to “weave” or “plait.”

“You wove evil,” he was saying, “but God rewove it together for good.”

God, the Master Weaver. He takes frayed and broken strands along with colour and silk, the pains with the pleasures. Nothing escapes His reach. Every ruler, weather pattern, and molecule are at His command. He passes the shuttle back and forth across our lives and across generations, and as He does, a design emerges.  He works all things together for good…

Satan weaves; God reweaves. Let’s remember this truth and hold onto it, for ourselves, our families, our community and our nation.

With love

Stu

Making it personal.

While we were away catching up with our family, we stopped and spent time with a friend on the way home. He was telling me about what he does when his wife is at band practise on Monday nights.

Firstly, he uses YouTube to listen to and sing along with some of his favourite Hillsong (and others) music. Then he spends a while in prayer, praying for friends and family. Next he spends some time reading scriptures and letting God talk to him. He finishes by thinking about what God wants him to be doing next with his life. In all, a couple of hours spent with God. He says it is a great time and one that is strengthening his relationship with God.

That started us talking about the need to make sure we have a personal relationship with God. A close, intimate, life-changing relationship. A relationship where we experience;

• his miracles of healing and provision

• his grace that changes our lives

• his forgiveness when we confess our sins

• his strength in our weakness

• his mercy in our times of need

All these things can be just words or just ideas that other people talk about until we actually experience them. Once experienced they become a vital part of our lives. 

We agreed that our lives wouldn’t be the same without this personal connection with God, and we rejoiced together that by God’s grace we can live such a life. We were so thankful as we talked together and would never want to take all this for granted.

Do you agree with my friend and I? Is your relationship with God growing stronger and closer as time goes by? I pray that it is. If it is, then rejoice and be thankful. If it isn’t, feel free to talk to me, I’d love to help.

With all my love 

Pastor Brian

Kia Ora Everyone!

As I write this note, the Tribe youth leaders and I have just returned from our leaders retreat. We spent time learning and praying and reflecting on God’s word. A passage of Scripture that we looked at was; 1 Corinthians 12;12-27.

Such a beautiful passage about being one body with many parts.

Each of us was very touched by the contents of this familiar passage and received something precious from it.

Isn’t it beautiful how it talks about the idea of being completely different and yet given one Spirit? Common ground, a bond that brings us together as family. No matter who we are, or where we are from.

We, as leaders, were really taken how every single part is needed in our family for the functioning of the church. Whether you are up the front or in the background.  Those parts that are hidden and serve quietly are so valuable and I wonder what would happen if they didn’t operate? And sadly sometimes we just expect it, rather then honour and take time to notice and thank those serving in the background.

There is such an emphasis on belonging. Belonging to this body. And in verse 18 it says ‘But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, EVERY one of them, as he wanted them to be.’

I love that God has placed every one of us as part of the body. We belong, because HE has orchestrated this and placed us here. 

Verse 21 is humbling where its says ‘The eye cannot say to the hand, I don’t need you’

Again this emphasis, no matter how different we are, we are all needed for the body to function as it should.

Verse 25 says ‘there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.’

How often and how much easier is it to stay with circles of people who are most like us? And yet there is so much we can learn from diversity! And we can achieve so much more as we work in unity in a variety of giftings.

Even if you know this passage inside out, why not have a read of it again and allow God to speak to your heart about the beauty of church. Amen!

God bless ya!
Karen

The gift of faith

Kia ora folks

I spoke at our Family Christmas service about the greatest gift of all time, the gift of Christ and how He brings us gifts within the gift that is Himself. The gifts of forgiveness, of a new heart, a new spirit, the promise of new bodies, of eternal life… there are so very many treasures already given, but also what is to come, “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has in store for those who love Him.” That is an exciting promise. Faith in God is a gift, a gift to be treasured, to be cherished, to be nourished, and to be protected.

For parents the responsibility to pass on your faith to your children is one of your highest callings. We at Kerikeri B.C. seek to do our utmost to serve families with our Children’s church ministry. It is intrinsic to our vision to be a “Family Church”. We are grateful to Ken and Margie McLeay for the years of leadership they have invested into our Children’s church, and are blessed to see Sean and Heidi McNulty (there’s something about those Mc’s) pick up the leadership reins for the coming year. It is important that we all support them, pray for and encourage them. And make sure our children are regularly attending, for their benefit, for the benefit of your family, our community and our nation.

Throughout the years of our family life we have prayed every morning, a short coming together before we go off to work and school. We have a family devotion each Sunday or Monday evening, reading scripture together and then each member of the family praying prayers of thanksgiving and request. It has been a spiritual discipline which our boys will carry into their family lives, extending the gift of faith to the next generation and, hopefully the following.

Proverbs 13: 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.

Looking towards the coming new year, be you a parent, a grandparent, a teacher or care giver, let each of us determine to be a godly influence upon the next generation.

Arohanui

Stu

I was part of an international skype call today with Christians from around the world. Near the end of it one person asked a man from the USA who is suffering from motor neuron disease “What is giving you joy?”

I thought that was a marvellous question.

How would you answer it?

For a group of shepherds back at the time of the original Christmas they got the answer from an angel.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ” (Luke 2:10–12, NIV) 

They were hearing good news of great joy. Great joy that would be for all people. Good news about the birth of a Saviour. This is to be the source of our joy.

We all know all about the extra stresses that Christmas brings and like everyone it can be easy for us to focus on those things that have to be done, the problems that have come up, the urgent demands, the family situations ....  You know what I mean. 

Throughout December we need to focus on the “good news of great joy.” To focus on the source of that great joy “he is Christ the Lord.”

Christmas is meant to be all about “good news of great joy.” Why should we let the way that so many people approach Christmas rob us of that great joy? Why should we miss out on a wonderful chance to focus on Christ the Lord? We have a readily available source of joy – “Christ the Lord.”

So why don’t you give yourself a joy challenge and ask yourself each day “How’s my level of joy?” If it’s getting low, then get a top up – spend time focusing on the source of joy – Christ the Lord.

How is your level of joy today? 

With much love

Pastor Brian.

Hello Church Family, 

Over the past month or so the Lord has been speaking to me over and over about prayer.

It was in numerous bible readings, in a book I was reading etc etc.

In these times I have felt reminded of the deep importance of prayer, especially when it comes to ministry.

In Roy Godwin’s book ‘ The Way of Blessing’ he talks about a ‘Rhythm of Prayer’  in our daily lives. And to quote him he says;

 ‘How can we minister blessing if we have not been in the tent of meeting?’.

This challenged me. How can we give, if we have not been in that meeting place with the Lord? Deeply being in His presence.

How can we give from a place of emptiness rather then overflow?

We talked about this at my youth leaders meeting before Tribe one week. How often do we ‘fall into’ ministry?

With Tribe, it is at the end of a working day, and how easy is it to ‘fall into’ it rather then have Tribe and prayer at the forefront of our mind no matter what we are doing. So that we come ready, and come from a place of overflow.

And my challenge to myself and the team, was to be in that place of prayer, that tent of meeting, as we come to do youth ministry.

I have been studying the book of Colossians and time after time it highlights the importance of prayer;

Colossians 1;9  ‘… we have not stopped praying for you.’

Colossians 4;2 ‘ Devote yourselves to prayer…’

Colossians 4; 12 ‘ …. wrestling in prayer.’

We are running the Alpha Youth Series this term, after having run our outreach Shine and Strength programmes last term at Tribe. Our hearts are to introduce these new young people that have begun to attend, to Jesus. It is the goal and the cry and prayer of our hearts, that these teens would come into relationship with the living Lord Jesus. And not only that but grow in Him.

I made a request to the church family a few weeks ago, to ask people to cover us and the teens in prayer each week this term.

And with Week 1, Isaac and I really noticed we could FEEL those prayers as we launched this term.

We felt protected and cushioned by God, and could feel His presence there.

Prayer is a powerful tool as we serve and go in God’s strength and not our own. It makes us more aware, that it is HIS work that we can take part it, as we hold His hand and walk with Him.

It also brings us together as praying people, to rejoice together when we see answered prayers and God at work as the result of prayer.

And so may I remind us as a family this month, to go back to a foundation and one of the simple basics of our faith. 

Prayer.

God bless you - Karen

Busy lives need quiet corners.

This year I have dragged my body through its 52nd season of football. I usually get to the end of a season nowadays achingly looking forward to the resurrection body promised me. New knees, new back, boundless energy and eternity to develop my skills to a ‘Lionel Messi’ standard. Most of my football life has been spent playing in the hurley burley of midfield, but over the past decade I have worked my way back to a less vigorous, less demanding, quieter role at Centre back. Here you are not expected to cover every blade of grass, not quite being put out to pasture but a position from which you can see the whole game.

Life can be full of hurley burley, by which I mean busy, boisterous activity, but to be fruitful a life needs to be governed from a quiet corner. A place which allows for reflection, prayer and interaction with our Creator. A place from which we can emerge stilled, centered, restored and refreshed. A place from which we can see the wider picture, the whole game.

I have walked with The Lord for 37 years and been in missionary or pastoral ministry for almost all of that time. I have discovered that longevity arises from intimacy with God. Stability arises from intimacy with God. Survival arises from intimacy with God. Fruitfulness arises from intimacy with God. Wellbeing arises from intimacy with God. I trust you get my gist. Our shalom is found only in Him. I still forget this at times and, trusting in my own strength discover that things fall apart. We need to orbit Him. 

As the early church father, Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you”. As King David wrote, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside the quiet waters, to the still meadows. There He restores my soul.”

So, my encouragement to you is, find some quiet corners. Carve them out of your day. Everything good about who you are and what you do, depends upon doing so.

Arohanui

Stu

Thoughts from a funeral

On Monday Stephanie and I were in Tauranga attending the funeral of a long-time friend of ours. Events like that obviously get people thinking and talking about the issues of life, death and dying. One of my friends said to me “Brian, when you get to our age our days are finite.” The mathematician in me thought “It doesn’t matter what age we are our days are always finite.” We don’t live forever so they must be. I guess she was meaning that there comes a time when you realise you have less days ahead of you than you do behind you.

All this got me thinking about what the bible says about this sort of thing. The scripture that first came to mind was Ps 90:12
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV) 

Or as a more colloquial version puts it.
“Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.” (Psalm 90:12, GNB) 

There is great wisdom to be had by realising that our days are finite. This is not morbid thinking but just being real. Our days are finite so we had better make the most of them. Our days are finite so we need to be ready to face God at any time.

Our current culture has a focus on staying young, looking young, living as long as possible. None of these things are biblical. They certainly aren’t worth worrying about especially the idea of living as long as possible.

Here’s what Jesus said.
“Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying?” (Matthew 6:27, NIrV) 

In fact, worrying will probably shorten your life. We all need to learn to come to a place of trusting our lives to God and learning to live them totally for Him. 

Psalm 31:14–15, (NIrV) says
“But I trust in you, Lord. I say, “You are my God.” My whole life is in your hands.”

Whatever your age - Love God, trust Him, put your life in His hands and enjoy it.

With much love

Pastor Brian.

Shalom aleikhem. (Peace be upon you).

Hello and welcome to this new format of our church newsletter.

It’s August! A month named after the Roman Emperor who reigned at the time Christ was born. But the year is 2018 AD. Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. None of this ‘before common era’ and ‘common era’ nonsense. Jesus divided time with His first coming, and no amount of secular modernistic rebranding will change that fact. Do I hear an “amen”?

While Augustus gave us the concept of Pax Roman (The peace of Rome), it came at the cost of bloody and ruthless military conquest. Peoples were subjugated by terrifying force, killed or enslaved, made into second class subjects of a ruling elite who deified their leaders and carried their cruelty and bloodlust into their gladiatorial games.

Jesus gave us the peace of God, a peace that the world cannot give, a peace which passes all understanding and cannot be taken away. A peace which restores our relationship with God and enables us to make peace with each other. History is replete with Christ motivated people like William Wilberforce, Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King, people who fought hatred, slavery and prejudice with love, sacrifice and the words of Our Lord. Religion can be twisted to meet the ends of those who seek earthly power but Jesus called His followers not to seek power but rather to serve humbly, to pray boldly and persistently, to love passionately and sacrificially, and to be peacemakers… to bring God’s “shalom” to our communities. Isaiah prophesied, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God”. Let’s respond to this high calling and be partners in His everlasting Kingdom of peace.

Shalom aleikhem. 

Stu