On Saturday September 10th the church is holding a Jubilee anniversary of its own.
The community choir are going to sing, there will be family games, a display on the history and the future of the church, a sing along session for parents and under 5s, BBQ, cakes and live music. More to follow.
For now, save the date, and get ready to celebrate 90 years of Holy Redeemer in Streatham Vale.
One of the greatest privileges of being a Christian is knowing God our almighty creator as Dad. It is the privilege of being able to pray. To come to the Holy One on the throne of the universe any time of the day or night, knowing we’ll find grace and mercy to help us.
When his disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He (Jesus) said to them, ‘when you pray say: Father …’” Luke 11:2
The wonder of this comes home when we realise that it is only Christians who can pray like this. If you’re reading this and you’re not ‘in Christ’ you can’t pray like this. You can recite prayers; you can chant; you can repeat mantras; you can light candles, you can spin prayer wheels, you can wish for things … but you can’t pray to God as Father without following Christ as Lord.
So, if you’re reading this and you are ‘in Christ’ God has chosen you to be one of His ambassadors. Pray to be able to use your privilege well. Not just to pray for your own needs but for the needs of others … and their greatest need is to come to Christ.
That is what ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is all about: Christians praying for 5 friends each to discover who Jesus is.
Between Ascension day, 26th May, and Pentecost, 5th June, the challenge is to pray for the five people the Lord puts on our hearts.
When you’ve read this, why not get a bit of paper and jot down the names of the five people you see most regularly. They could be friends, family, colleagues or neighbours. And ask for the Lord’s help to pray for them over the 11 days of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative.
Your brother in Christ,
Ian
Follow the link, or copy and paste into your browser, for more information on ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.
The message of Jesus’ resurrection is: “Jesus is Lord!”
Because Jesus has overcome death, He’s the boss … because no one else has done that!
Shortly after the resurrection, Peter stood up in Jerusalem, the city where Jesus had recently been crucified, and proclaimed, “This Jesus whom you killed, God has raised. Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Paul specifically connects the resurrection of Jesus with his role as judge of mankind at the end of the age. He says, in Acts 17:31, ‘God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.’
Jesus’ judgement is necessary for heaven to be heaven. Disobedience spoils heaven. If we choose to be rebels, God will respect that choice. But it will leave us, by our own choice, in the realm of darkness that Jesus, in the Bible, calls Hell.
The resurrection is great news for those who live with Jesus as boss, and terrible news for those who don’t.
Since Jesus’ resurrection, God’s invitation to mankind is, “end your rebellion and make Jesus King in your life!”
And his promise to all who do is, ‘’you’ll receive a full pardon and eternal life.”
Jesus’ friend Peter tells us, “in his great mercy God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade.”
May we be those who rejoice in this hope and share it with those who are yet without God and without hope in the world.
Best wishes for a joyful Easter.
Ian
