Thoughts/Notes on Today's Beacon Church Meeting

During the worship, Mark spoke about his vision of a Christmas tree with many gifts underneath it, all yet to be unwrapped. These are the gifts God wants to give me (you) - every one for me (you)! Gifts of healing, prophecy, knowledge etc.

Dave N_ spoke on a passage from the Old Testament, the story of Ahimaaz in 2 Samuel chapter 18, verses 19 - 32.

'Are you a person of good report?', Dave asked us. He read a couple of extracts from the school reports of two well-known Beacon ladies and invited us to guess who they were.

Dave explained some of the background to the reading: Absalom was a much-loved son of King David, yet had set himself up as an enemy of the King. Despite this, King David issued instructions that his troops be gentle with Absalom when they went into battle against Absalom's troops. Nonetheless, Absalom is killed by Joab, one of David's Generals. In those days the only way of getting news from one place to another was by runner. Ahimaaz was considered by David to be a good man. He brought good reports. Ahimaaz wanted to run to David with the news that the Lord had delivered him from the hand of his enemies - yet Joab knew that David would be upset by the death of his son and didn't want Ahimaaz to run. Instead he sent another man to take the news to the King. Nonetheless Ahimaaz persisted and so Joab allows him to go. He outruns the other newsbearer and for a while as the King learns that a runner has been spotted in the distance bringing news, his hopes are raised. Ahimaaz arrives and delivers his news with a positive spin (not mentioning Absalom's fate). Then the other runner arrives and clarifies the position and David becomes downcast.

Dave's teaching points are that we learn to:

• Focus on the Big Picture
• Speak from our beliefs, not from our circumstances

Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that King David was a man 'after God's own heart'. If we look a little deeper into this story, we can learn something more about God's perspective. If you have time, you might find it interesting and instructive to read this article by Ray C. Stedman. (Click on the link and it will take you to another website).

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Dad came to stay with us Christmas. He visited us the week before with tons of alcohol!

One day there was nothing under our tree and the next day there was beer and about 20 packs of Bacardi Breezers and Bailey’s and Champagne and so on and so on.

It did make me giggle, ‘Thank Dad.’ I said.

To Dad, this is such a good Christian thing to do. They say the gift you give to others is really what you’d like yourself.

When the girls were little I became dependent on alcohol. I would drink Whisky during the day while they were at school and it killed the feeling, the inadequacy of life, just dulled the senses I guess and it felt good.

When I sobered up though, I felt depressed and I couldn’t sleep as my sleep was so deep that I woke up too early and couldn’t sleep again. What’s more I always felt groggy. No one knew about my drinking, I don’t think. I didn’t tell anyone and I was careful to mask the smell on my breath.

I was 20 [16 years ago] with two children, unemployed, sacked from my factory job, I had a mum whose only concern was her boyfriend and an absent father who was an alcoholic himself.

I remember when my Dad went to Alcoholic’s Anonymous and he brought back the prayer

Lord, give me the grace to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I prayed this as a teenager and I truly believed the words in the prayer, trouble was, who was I praying to? I was praying to myself. I was Lord of my life. I knew of a general god like most people do but I was unaware of Jesus who is God, thee God, the one who answers prayer. I cried out ‘Lord’, but the Lord whom I had cried out to, was only too pleased to leave me where I was, on self-destruct.

It was only when I began to let Jesus into my life at the age of 28 that I realised there was more to life than the one that had befriended me and betrayed me.

So here I am, 2008, together now with my Dad [we met up again a few years ago] and all this alcohol under the tree.

Although, I walk through this life as a Christian, born-again, made new into this life with Jesus, he always reminds me that there’s a real world out there and to never forget it.

These days I can laugh off the alcohol, I can have a drink, but it doesn’t rule my life anymore and the good thing is my Dad can have a drink without becoming violent.

Instead, he has a drink and he falls asleep and that’s what I always dreamed of, a Dad who fell asleep after his drink. But surely, you’d prefer a Dad who didn’t drink? No, I love living with real and messy people. I love my colourful past and my just as colourful present, it’s what makes me real and I love my Dad.

He’s changed a lot and give him all due respect for changing, as the prayer asks, ‘Give me the courage to change the things I can.’ It took courage for my Dad to say, ‘I did wrong and I’m sorry.’ He didn’t quite say it like that LOL he actually said, ‘I’m sorry I was such a ******.’ But I know what he means, I understand my Dads language, it’s from the heart.

So Christmas Eve and my Dad’s on the beer. I ask him, ‘You are aware Dad that that we’re going to church later aren’t you?’

‘Aye’, he says. ‘But it’s ok, I’m not driving.’

‘Well Dad, there always seems to be a drunk at the back of the church on Christmas Eve and tonight it’s you!’ I said in a jokey fashion.

Sometimes you have to laugh at life otherwise it’d chew you up and spit you up like a piece of Wrigley’s.

So, we went to Midnight Mass, not the Catholic variety, but the Anglican sort, St Martin’s on The Old Dean.

It was good to see my work colleagues there aswell. Bob the vicar gave everyone a glow stick either to appeal to the teenagers or so that we could read in the dark. It appealed to my Dad who became a teenager with the beer inside him who couldn’t stop giggling and raised the glow sticks every so often in the ‘ACID…ACID’ generation style!

‘DAD! Stop it!’ I whispered with vigor.

He put his hand over his mouth and giggled quietly to himself like a naughty little boy.

St Martin’s had the church decorated out so lovely with the candles and Christmas lights. Bob’s teaching was spot on with exception to the bit about the shepherds being the outcast ‘Like Gypsies of today.’

It didn’t go down too well as I’ve just discovered my family are Gypsies, my Great Grand parent’s were travellers and then the family became settled travellers.

My Dad stopped laughing and I said a little prayer to Jesus, ‘Jesus, I will do anything for you if you would just bring my Dad’s fist under control.’

However, I need not have worried, my Dad was under control, he was a little merry with the beer and either didn’t hear or really has changed :O)

We went up for communion and had some bread and some wine. The wine was so very very strong that people were coughing left, right and centre.

It was nice going up for the Lord’s bread and wine which represents his body and Blood which was shed for us. It kinda makes you feel all Holy inside, except I had Antonia who was coughing so hard with the bread and the little old Lady in front of me who found the wine a little heavy on the chest.

.Everyone choking on The Lord’s bread and wine and Dad going back into his fits of giggles who himself was choking!

How can a girl pray with all this unholy commotion going on?

I told Antonia it was Port as it tasted like Port. Antonia looks at me with a glazed expression, ‘Mmmm I like Port.’


Oh boy! We need prayer for this generational curse!

When we got home, the girls and Dad went to bed and I wrapped all the presents as I do every Christmas Eve.

Earlier in the evening The Christmas dinner had been sorted, peeled, par boiled and made up all ready to go the following morning.

The table had been set, candles laid out and gold reindeer placed on each Christmas plate, Christmas music playing in the back ground while we all sang, ‘It’s the season, love and understanding, Merry Christmas everyone.’

My Dad playing air guitar to a bottle of beer and the ceiling dripping water onto me as I peeled and lopped the final sprout. Georgina had flooded the bathroom!

Music off, everyone rushing upstairs banging on the door, ‘GEORGINA! GEORGINA! THE FLOOR IS COMING THROUGH THE CEILING!’ Georgina come out, quite unimpressed with all the palaver, waltzed into her room with not a care in the world.

The water after what seemed like eternity stopped dripping through the ceiling and everyone was non the wiser how or why we had the problem to begin with, but at least the sprouts were done!

So, now it is 1am and everyone is in bed, the town sleeps as Christina wraps the presents to a glass of Bailey’s

As she wrote on the presents with the Sharpie pen, she heard an advert play out in her head, ‘SHARPIES WRITE ON ANYTHING!’

At the moment she saw the cat, the cat about to escape, Christina had the look of the hunt in her eyes as she writes Happy Christmas on the ears of the cat, the ginger Tom, Mitchell.

Sharpies really do write on anything!


Oh boy! Was it tiredness, was it the Bailey’s or just plain madness?

Who knows, the cat’s ok now by the way, just incase there are RSPCA fans among you. Mitchell is proudly parading his ‘Happy Christmas’ mark only needing to be updated for the New Year!

LOL

And so to sleep for me, Christmas tomorrow :O)

Christmas 2008

Well, it’s coming to the end of this year and it’s only right that I follow my heart in writing my usual end of year/ beginning of next thoughts and feelings. As much as I want to be a ‘What you see is what you get’ kind of person, and I think I am mostly, there are parts of me, like the flow of a river, a current that resonates underneath, that I’m not sure I want the whole world to see or read.
It’s not that I’m hiding it from people, just that I want to show honour to that part of me and keep it in it’s little quiet room which the plate ‘Privacy’ on the door.
I bought a diary, as I do every year, from Paper chase. Upon it 2009 beckons!
I love writing but being a lazy sort of bird, I prefer to tap my days out. Less exertion and more flavour :O)
So here’s the deal, you get to read my diary but I keep some things edited and in my personal book, printed out and not handwritten but stuck in and locked up all the same.

But you don’t have to tell anything I hear you all say, oh really? Firstly, it’s by my nature that I love to write, secondly, I believe that by showing the lighter side to life people begin to realise that we are all naked underneath this façade of ours and finally I want to do it, not to please you but because it’s something I want to do and if you know anything about me, you would know that it’s an unusual day that I don’t get what I want.
Are you spoilt Christina? No, I’m not spoilt, just know what I want and have drive and ambition to get it.

If I do come across a shut door, I just reline my thinking that God’s done it for a reason and I move on.

So here’s to it, raise your glasses and let’s say a big YAY to the online journal about to approach.
Enjoy…

Teaching by Crispin, The Crown Church, Hillingdon

The Gospel according to Luke

Mary said 'Yes'

"I am the Lord's servant, may it be as you have said."

When a man proposes to a woman he waits and waits for the 'Yes'. When the woman says 'Yes' the man is sooo excited.

God was excited when Mary said 'Yes to his proposal.

Mary let God shape her

Mary said 'Yes' with her life

God wants you to say 'Yes' with your life

What is God asking you to do?

How are you going to respond?

God is excited when you say 'Yes' to his proposal It wasn't about Mary's ability either is was all about her availability. She was highly favoured which means she had much Grace upon her

James 1:22 -24

Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. The Message

Another thing about Mary is that she emptied herself, she emptied herself of her own plan,& her ambitions for the future. She was an empty vessel ready to be filled by God, filled with Jesus

Mary also had to say 'No' she had no union with Joseph until she gave birth to Jesus. That must have been very difficult for her.You see, when you say 'Yes' to God you have to say 'No' to some things

It's not that these things are wrong, it's just that you must focus on what you've said 'Yes' to

When there was security over George Bush visiting Buckingham palace one year. The security wasn't really there to secure the palace but instead to bring security to the people inside. Just like this, Jesus is our security. He doesn't want to just secure our being but our very sprit inside.

We mustn’t just feel the need to secure a church building but we need to secure the fellowship of the people inside, that's more important to do.

[Superman]

Everyone has a kryptonite - what is your kryptonite?

Stay away from it!

Don't kid yourselves thinking you can go near it and still stay on the straight and narrow - flee from evil, your evil.

John 14:30

Evil has no claim on Jesus and so if you stay with Jesus and Jesus in you, evil will have no claim on you either.

Mary was misunderstood

She was unaccepted

She was threatened [to be divorced quietly]

People measure their success by the media: What car they have, house, clothes, lifestyle etc

[My words added]

Do not measure success by popularity, fame or fortune, instead measure success by F.O.R

'Faithfulness'

'Obedience'

&

'Righteousness'

When Jesus told Peter how he would be killed, Peter's first words were, 'But what about John?’ [you know the one who Jesus loved!]

Jesus says to you, stop looking at other people and measuring yourselves against them! This is about YOU!

Mary was strange

There was something different about her

And others didn't understand her or what God was doing in her life

The same goes for you. People may not understand what God is doing in your life and why you do the things you do, but keep doing them, be obedient to God.

So what was Joseph's response to all this?

Well Joseph was really angry. The woman who he was in love with was pregnant and it wasn’t his baby!

Joseph was going to divorce her. But the scripture reads: God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger [James 1:20 ]

Joseph was going to do this 'quietly' to cause her no shame or embarrassment

Joseph was showing his love for her in this way

Well, guess what? God feels the same way about you!

God is a jealous God and although he has every right to 'divorce' us instead he pours out his love and mercy on us every day

Joseph was visited by an angel too, as he slept and although he was passionately angry as any man would be, he still heard the whisper of God's voice, heard and understood it.

Joseph was obedient even though God's plan wasn't in line with his own.

We must listen and hear God speak into every area of our lives. God's voice is like a whisper in the storm but we must try to hear him.

1 Kings 19: 12A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.

When you wash something up, you don't just empty it, you wash it, rinse it and drain it. This is what must happen to us so that we can be filled with God.

But does that mean we have to be perfect?

No

David had an affair with a married woman and killed her husband but God still used him

Abraham disowned his wife calling her his sister but God still used him

Peter disowned Jesus but the church was still 'built' on Peter

Paul killed thousands of Christian men & women but God still used Paul

And God can use you and I, imperfect vessels

Empty yourselves, draw close to him, listen and obey...

The Crown Church, Hillingdon

Well, it was a bit of a struggle to get out of bed this morning!

I usually have a lie in on Saturday mornings but had to go to the hairdressers then onto lunch with some friends followed by Christmas shopping. Therefore, Sunday should have been my lay in and it would have been had I not decided to visit places!

The Beacon had a Pantomime this afternoon and didn't have a Sunday morning service.

Choice, stay home and stay in bed OR visit another church?

Well, I visited another church.

As it happens it was Zack's [my nephew] birthday last Thursday. I usually visit my Dad & brother and their family on their birthday itself or the Sat/Sun closest to their day. I hadn't seen Zack and my Bro on Thursday coz I had the boiler fitted. The boiler man didn't leave until 7pm so Sunday it had to be [Saturday was just out of the question!]

As I was in London anyway visiting my bro & Nephew, I thought it would be an ideal time to visit The Crown church, Hillingdon, just up the road.

The Crown Church Websitehttp://www.crown-church.org.uk/

The couple who lead The Crown are Pete & Nicky Cornford. They used to be part of The Beacon, Pete being an Elder. They have 3 young children who were mere babies when we saw them last.

It didn't take long to get there, about an hour. It was really easy to find with lots of signs everywhere so you don't drive passed!

They were so welcoming and lovely, no one pounced on you as you first walked in but equally, everyone was very friendly.

There was a gift pack with The Crown Church pen!

LOL

Pete was very proud of his gift pack!

Pete & Nicky recognised me but only just recognised my girls as they are all grown up now. After a while it all came back to them and we said we couldn't believe how big their youngest is now!

They begin their service with Tea & toast, lots of people kissing you hello on the cheeks with butter all over their cheeks!

LOL

I jest, the smell of toast was warm and inviting.

The worship or music we sing to God was outstanding, easy to follow yet filled with holiness that brought forth the feeling of being in awe of God, Jesus.

Their worship is SO lively! I don't think I saw one person not singing, clapping, raising their hands or shouting!

Indeed, you would have felt very strange not being lively, you would have looked odd!

One thing I noticed more than anything though was the men and how they worshipped God.

They praised and sang and lifted their arms and shouted praises to Jesus in a 'football' fashion and this was good and refreshing to see men so passionate for God.

There was also a moment of quiet, especially in the communion time. Everyone took this together which I puzzled how they would manage this as there must have been about 200 people there if not more!But they did and they captured the holiness of God even after such an energetic time previous.

Then Pete asked the people to pray out to God their desires for the world, there was no hesitance, everyone had something to pray about, no one held back and you could see the passion in these people and it was no mystery how and why they continue to receive God's favour.

I was expecting the prayers to die down after 3 people had spoken but the whole thing went on for about 10 minutes!

Wowee!

Such a passionate people.

Crispin preached this morning and he is such a gifted speaker. He spoke from Luke when the angel came to Mary and told her what was going to happen. He taught this passage in a way that I had never heard before and although it was about Mary, it held alot of relevance to the men of the church.

I have written about the preach in a separate note.

After the service, Pete Cornford prayed over my family we left to have MacDonald’s at Heathrow then onto My Bros

All in all it was a busy and tiring day especially with all the driving and playing Winnie the Pooh with my wee nephew who’s now 3!

Awwwww

Tonight?

I need to plan the week and Christmas and all sorts of things I haven’t yet done!

See you tomorrow :O)

The Crown Church Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2261911507

The Crown Church Myspace:

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