Wishful thinking

https://jamesbishopblog.com/2017/11/21/is-belief-in-god-just-wishful-thinking-no-argues-lawyer-craig-parton/

Concert of Prayer 4th October

United Prayer

Dear brothers and sisters

The prayer meetings which took place nationwide across the three Saturdays of June 28th and July 5th and 12th were again times of encouragement. Several meetings were led to pray in repentance about the lack of vibrant spiritual life in our churches and our individual Christian lives – perhaps the most urgent aspect of the entire theme of prayer for revival.

Some expressed disappointment at the numbers attending. That reminds us of something which the leader of one of the Yorkshire meetings wrote in his report:

I suspect the root problem is our spiritual sluggishness, lack of desire to sacrifice leisure time for a prayer meeting, and our lack of understanding of our utter dependence on God for any blessing whatsoever. But then these prayer meetings ought to be including this very issue.

This letter comes to remind you that the next Yorkshire prayer meeting will be held on Saturday October 4th from 10 am till 12 noon, and will be a County-wide event. So there will be just one meeting taking place in York, at Millthorpe School (Philadelphia Terrace entrance).

Please be aware that there are other entrances to the school, but this is the only one which will be available for our use.

The school postcode, for satnav or ‘googling’ purposes, is YO23 1DH. This will bring you to the correct entrance.
Holding another central meeting this time is an exciting opportunity. The earlier central gatherings  have  been
inspirational. It is rare that we have the opportunity of praying in concert with so many people, and it is a really uplifting experience.

It is true that some of us will have to make a big journey to get to York (up to 65 miles in a few cases). But we’re convinced in our heart of hearts that the effort will be wholly worthwhile, that the Lord will bless us as we prioritise prayer for the outpouring of his Spirit in desperate times, which demand a determined and obedient response from us as his people. So please, please do join us, and come encouraged and in confidence that God will meet with you, will meet with us all, and pour out a wonderful blessing – on us, and on the souls for whom we are burdened.

Here’s an idea: the stress of getting to York might be reduced if a church or a group of churches hired a minibus or a coach, and all travelled together. Just think of the joy of fellowship on the journey – an added bonus!

We have been challenged recently by 1 Samuel 7:6: They gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day. God’s people then were in a sad state. The ark, symbolizing God’s presence, was out in the woods. The enemy was oppressing. But when they prayed with fasting, confessing their sin, the LORD thundered against the Philistines, and they were routed.

Here’s a suggestion: you might like to consider fasting on October 4th. We can’t pressurize God by such a discipline, but it is a way of giving evidence of our seriousness in prayer.

If you are receiving this letter as the representative of your church, please don’t forget to make it available to the rest of your congregation. A poster is enclosed so that you can publicize the meeting. Please make the meeting known early, so that everyone can get it into their thinking and diaries. Please feel free to pass on the information to other Bible-believing churches in your vicinity. Thank you so much for your support for this exciting movement of prayer.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or need additional information, please use the contact details below.

Yours faithfully in Jesus

Jonathan Bayes Josh MacDonald

War Weekend 2010 Pickering Saturday 16th October

 

Wall to wall people.

WHAT A DAY!…

 

THOUSANDS OF

PEOPLE!

…

CRAMMED INTO

..

ONE SMALL

..

MARKET TOWN!

…

IT’S 1943 AGAIN,

..

MANY HAVE COME TO PARTICIPATE AND AS MANY COME TO WATCH.

A selection of the day.

 

A GOOD

OPPORTUNITY

TO SPEAK ABOUT

‘PEACE IN OUR TIME’.

Give us peace in our time, O Lord.

Over 700 leaflets were distributed, and so many people stopped to talk there’s not enough room to tell about them all.

Three examples will need to suffice:

The first lady saw the reference to peace and  thought we were Quakers!

I had the privilege of speaking with here about the One and only Saviour and Peace Maker, Jesus Christ.

Romans chapter 5 and verse 1:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts chapter 10 and verse 36:

You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Man’s peace is just the absence of war, God’s peace is present and permanent, the kind for which  everyone is looking! You find it when you find Him!

The Second Was A Young Man, mid Twenties, Who’d never read anything from the Bible!

He gladly took away copies of booklets, but most especially, Luke’s Gospel, written to give a factual account of Jesus life, death and resurrection to a Roman Official called Theophilus.

Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1 and verses 3 and 4:

Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Christianity is based on evidence, not emotion or imagination, within a few years of His death and resurrection Godly men like Luke checked and recorded the details.

The Third was a mature lady who boasted of being an Atheist.

I briefly challenged her with the statement that “It’s illogical to be an atheist as no mere human could ever prove the non existence of God, and that He might just be where she hadn’t looked. At best you can be an agnostic, because you just don’t know”.

She went on to tell me that she’d been a Sunday School teacher but now rejected all she’d taught!

How is this possible? Because liberal teaching has robbed many Christians of confidence in God’s Word, and modern society says you can’t be definite about anything.

I’m glad to say she left with something to read, I pray that the Lord has graciously revealed Himself to her in salvation.

Psalm 14 verse 1 doesn’t mince it’s words regarding those who reject the existence of God:

The fool says in his heart,  “There is no God.”

If you’ve read this far please don’t waste any more time in the muddle of modern times,

Seek God until you find Him and He delivers you from the shackles of sin, listen to Jesus:

Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 says:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “

 

Pickering – Saturday 15th August 2009

Another fine Saturday

morning and we have

good news to share!

Table Set For Use.

Nick, ready to speak.

PEOPLE WITH WHOM WE SPOKE:

My first conversation was with Anthony. He happily conceded the existence of God and that we will most certainly meet Him on the judgement day, but had no fear of doing so. He thought God would welcome welcome everyone regardless of who they were or what they’d done.

It took some time, but I think I was able to persuade him that such an outlook was really quite dangerous, ignoring the evidence freely available to all who would take time to examine what He has revealed about Himself in His book, the Bible.

John Explains this in his Gospel, Chapter 3 verse 36

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Wrath describes God’s attitude toward those who do not believe on Jesus Christ, He is offended by their unbelief!

Because He has taken time to send and sacrifice His Son to save sinners, those who ignore His work of salvation are in great trouble now and will feel His displeasure on the day they meet Him.

The Good News is that Jesus Christ has borne the full weight of this wrath on behalf of all who trust Him.

1Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse 9

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

The 11 am locomotive draws attention.

If only people paid as much attention to preparing to meet our Holy God!

Everyone falls into one of the following two categories, the Good News, is that you can transfer from the first to the second, TODAY!

Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7  :

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Hebrews chapter 9 verse 28  :

Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Mark was the next person with whom I spoke. He was happy to agree to most of the Biblical truth that I shared with him, but kept saying that assurance of sin’s forgiven depended on whether you had enough faith. I happily explained to him that the object of faith was what mattered and not the amount of faith.  It isn’t a form of energy by which we save ourselves, but a resting in the promises and person of Jesus Christ to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. His philosophy leaves him and all like him on a merciless treadmill where you never know when enough is enough. Listen to the Bible:

Galatians chapter 3 verse 22 :

But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Romans chapter 10 verse 9:

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts chapter 16 verse 31

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Nick and Vanessa explaining the amazing grace of God.

Finally, I spoke with Julie. She had previously received and read literature from us, and was happy to receive more. We pray that the Lord will reveal Himself to her, giving her the faith to believe and be saved.

Saving faith may thus be defined as a voluntary turning from all hope and grounds based on self merit, and assuming an attitude of expectancy toward God, trusting Him to do a perfect saving work based only on the merit of Christ. L. S. Chafer, True Evangelism, pp. 55–6 Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

Market Place

Can you see yourself? Write and let us know, well send you a gift.

Park Street

Yorkshire Day – Pickering – 1st August 2009

Sorry to say it was raining hard all day and we were unable to get out to share the gospel.

I’m able to report that Adriana came back to Church on Sunday. Praise the Lord.

Pickering Saturday 11th July 2009

Another beautiful day and we are out to speak to to those whom the Lord sends our way.

We have ‘Good News’ for those who understand the ‘Bad News’ that sin separates people from God.

All this to tell you about Him.

Were you in town? Have a look at the following pictures. If you see yourself, write a comment and we will send you the booklet: ‘Ultimate Questions’ by John Blanchard.

Market Place around 11:30 am

The Ropery around 11:30 am

Market Place and Ropery

Sir Nigel was in town, right on schedule

CONVERSATIONS

Nick and Vanessa, waiting ........

Though we meet many  different people each week, those who pause to talk have very similar out looks. There appears to be an almost universal idea that ‘if I don’t do anything too bad’ then the ‘good’ that I do will be enough to convince God that I am worthy of a place in heaven. Surprised? I’m not, they are held captive by the same evil spirit, a self declared opponent of God and the beings He has created in His image..

The Apostle Paul writes these words in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 and 4:

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

I spoke with a number of professing believers today, 4 in all.

The Lord clearly has His people in other Christian groups and we are glad to meet them, but few have seem to have grasped the implications of the Great Commision.

Mark 16 verse 15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

We are privileged to have heard the gospel and through it to have come to know the author, and therefore the best equipped to recommend Him to all who will listen. Not every one is an evangelist, but all are witnesses, sometimes the only believer with whom an unbeliever ever has contact.

My Final Conversation of the Day.

Was with a 17 year old girl and her friend who hovered in the back ground.

What significance has the Gospel for one as young as this, one who is in the prime of life and with the world apparently lying at her feet? EVERY SIGNIFICANCE! Her life could really be worth living!

I was once 17, but I’m a lot older now, most grow old, some don’t!  Average ages mean that for everyone who reaches 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 there is one who doesn’t.

No one is guaranteed another breath, never mind another day. From our earliest years we learn to take precautions to avoid danger: Walk on the pavement [sidewalk] not the road. Look both ways before you cross a road. Don’t play with fire or put your fingers in the electricity sockets. I thank God for every one of those little, life preserving rules.

But why is it thought so strange that people need to be told to avoid the danger of hell fire, by fleeing to the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We spoke for a while and it was soon clear that she’d not thought about herself as a sinner for a long time, but she was thinking now. She left when her friend eventually persuaded her to go, but with many words about the Saviour of Sinners in her head and some good literature and music in her hands.

These words of Solomon are 3000 years old but as fresh and relevant as any spoken today:

Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,

Before the difficult days come,

And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”

The Lord has appointed His people as lights shining in the dark, and through the truth they pass on, the Holy Spirit graciously turns on the light of faith and dispels the darkness and bondage with which Satan keeps people captive.

2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verses:

5  For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.
6  For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Matthew chapter 5 verses:

14  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
16  “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Pickering, Saturday 5th July 2009

Another fine day and great opportunity to speak of the amazing grace of God.

Table Set And Ready

WERE YOU IN TOWN?

Take A Look At These Pictures And If You See Yourself Write a Comment and Let Us Know. 

 

Looking up Market Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Across Market Place

 

 

 

 

Park Street and Locomotive.

The Morning Began Quiet and Then Came A Rush Of People Ready To Talk.

Edith spoke of her childhood church attendance, but for all she’d learnt, she’d no idea whether her sin might be forgiven. What has religion done for this country of ours? Experience is showing that it has created a delusion, blinding minds and destroying any sense of need to seek and find forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 describes it like this:-

“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. “

Daisy told us she was an agnostic, we quickly explained the foolishness of such a a position, and exhorted her to make finding out the truth her priority. Though she gladly took literature and Dwayna’s new cd, the lack of urgency was obvious.

Acts chapter 24 verse 25 Describes such a scene:-

Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”

Our most dramatic and prolonged discussion was with a young man who called himself James. His response to everything we said was the same: “Its only ink and paper, anybody could have written the Bible, I could have written it”. Add to his assertions that nobody knew whether God existed, that we were wasting our lives and should go and do something useful, and you get the picture of a young man bound up in a bubble of his own making and proud of it.

 

Talking with James.

 

 A proud and haughty man —”Scoffer” is his name;

He acts with arrogant pride.

2nd Peter Chapter 3 and verse 3 says:-

“knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days,

walking according to their own lusts”.

LETS BE CLEAR THAT CHRISTIANITY HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM HONEST INVESTIGATION. THAT IT INVITES THE SERIOUS MINDED TO EXAMINE ITS CLAIMS. THAT ITS TRUTHS ARE CONFIRMED AS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE.

2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 16 says:-

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables

when we made known to you

the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

1st Corinthians 15 is a record of the Apostle Paul’s Words:-

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

This book is not of human origin. Long had I despised it; long had I deemed it a class-book for the credulous and ignorant; until, having investigated the Gospel of Christ, with an ardent desire to ascertain its truth or falsity, its pages proffered to my inquiries the simplest knowledge of man and nature, and the simplest, and at the same time the most exalted system of moral ethics. Faith, hope and charity were enkindled in my bosom; and every advancing step strengthened me in the conviction that the morals of this book are as infinitely superior to human morals as its oracles are superior to human opinions.—M. L. BAUTIN.

 

 

Proverbs chapter 21 verse 24 says:-