RUBBISH

Refuse Collection Van

Where would we be

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without someone

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who was willing

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to clean up after us?

27 Million Tonnes Of Rubbish Is Thrown Away In The U.k. Every Year.The Current Population Of The U.k. Is 60 Million. So How Much, On Average, Does Each Person Throw Away Each Year? 27 000 000 / 60 000 000 =0.45 tonnes. Therefore, each person produces 0.45 tonnes of rubbish on average in a year.

"And humans make such a fuss about us"!

Dirt and pollution is everywhere, we may love our steam locomotives, but who would want live near them?

I may look shiny, but I pour out soot all the time.

I'm no different.

Clean enough to eat from .. !

Much as we like our streets to be clean and tidy, it takes lots of work and must be repeated each and every day.

Their task is endless, the rubbish just keeps on coming – and thankfully going – so we live a healthy life in a healthy environment !

 The Physical Problem and how it’s managed pictures a far greater pollution, the crippling , all contaminating corruption of sin.

Everywhere is affected, the world itself groans under it’s weight:

Romans 8:22 (NKJV)

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Mankind is Corrupt, to the extent that he pretends pollution is good and being clean is bad:

Genesis 6:5 (NKJV)

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jesus Christ Came To Cleanse Believers and Restore Them To Their Original Condition:

Matthew 8:3 (NKJV)

Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

 Those whom He has cleansed are kept clean by the daily application of Jesus’ sacrificial death

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Work He completed on the Cross has changed the world forever.

1John 1:7b (NKJV)

The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanses us from all sin. 

A preacher was speaking from the text, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Suddenly he was interrupted by an atheist who asked, “How can blood cleanse sin?”

 For a moment the preacher was silent; then he countered, “How can water quench thirst?”

 “I do not know,” replied the unbeliever, “but I know that it does.”

 “Neither do I know how the blood of Jesus cleanses sin,” answered the preacher, “but I know that it does.” —Sunday School Times

Pickering 25th July 09

 

2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14 :  Now thanks be to God  who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

These were the words of our meditation and prayer before venturing out today and were are pleased to report His amazing kindness is allowing us to speak of the one who is ‘altogether lovely, the fairest of ten thousand to our soul’. [Song of Solomon 5:16, 10]. There is a great personal benefit in bearing the light of the Gospel to an indifferent world, it drives home the wondrous nature of the mercy by which God gave new life by His Word and Spirit.

His Great Love Has Made Us Children of God, a family that transcend ‘tribe and tongue and nation’. One of the joys of being out on the streets is meeting and encouraging other believers.

This week we met Adriana, a Romanian girl who is living in town and who was delighted to find like minded people to speak with. We were doubly delighted to have her join with us on Sunday Morning to worship the risen Saviour.

 

Adriana with Dwayna’s cd and Nick

 

 

Were You In Town Today? If you are in one of these pictures, please get in touch or leave a comment.

Market Place

Park Street

The Ropery

 

People with Whom We Spoke:

He was in town for a Lawn Bowls Competition. He was from the Lake District and said he was a Church Warden.

His willingness to listen was remarkable, I explained the priority of knowing Jesus Christ as the one who forgave sin, spoke of his need to be born again, asked whether he would get a welcome from God when he met Him? He responded with lots of information about his religion, but there did seem to be a seeking soul within, pray with me that this dear man will come to know God for himself and be graciously saved.

She was a local woman, who appeared to have a knowledge of Christ and His word but would not be drawn as to whether her sins were forgiven, typical of so many we meet, she has her own thoughts and opinions but no fellowship with believers and therefore a law unto herself.

Literature Table

Let me take a moment to remind you that when people are converted they are immediately part of the universal Church of Christ, but as disciples they are called to identify with a local congregation. The Lord’s purpose is plainly recorded in the Bible, He has come to build HIS Church and its members are to show their love to one another by caring and mutual encouragement and discipline.

Matthew Chapter 16, verse 18  :

I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Acts Chapter 2 verse 47 b:

And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

John Chapter 13 verse 35:

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Hebrews Chapter 10 verses 24 and 25:

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

If you do claim to be a believer, let me encourage you to take your place in the communities of His people that we might work together to convince the world of His great salvation.

For those who are interested, I managed to photograph the 12 noon locomotive this week:

Locomotive

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.

Sunday Evening 24th August 08

The evening message was that ‘Judgement is coming’ from Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 to 15.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

I explained the unique and awesome nature of the judge, then that all must appear before Him, and finally that he has and will use his detailed record of each life to establish His justice. Only those in the Lamb’s book of life have any confidence of a positive verdict.

Sunday Morning 24th August 08

The sermon this morning was “Behold the Lamb of God” from John’s Gospel chapter 1 verse 29.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

In it I explained the significance role of lambs as sacrifices in ancient Israel, then Jesus Christ role as ‘the Lamb of God’, and finally the call to ‘behold’ Him with the eyes of saving faith.