Thursday, November 19, 2009

Where's your treasure?

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As I mentioned two weeks ago, Wendy and I have been running a kids holiday club at North Bradley Baptist Church and throughout this week the kids were all encouraged to find the clues that led to the treasure.

To sum up on the Sunday morning family service we used the well known verse from Luke 12: 34, "For where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also." The question that arises from this verse is, "Where is your treasure?"

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What or who has first place in our lives? As I pondered this further, I mused that there are many questions that come our way relating to the priorities that we give certain things or activities. The answer to these questions can show where our priorities lie.

As I think through my own life, there have been many times when I have had to think about where my treasure is:
- whether I would play with a football team who played their matches on Sundays;
- whether I would move up to the Company Section of the Boys Brigade or continue attending the Singing Company practices;
- whether I would study for my exams on a Sunday morning, or attend the meetings;
- whether I was prepared to work on Sundays;
- whether I would be willing to tithe 10% of my income to the Lord;
- whether I would seek the Lord's plan for my life or keep to my own ways;
- and many more examples.

Often where we have got these matters wrong is thinking about them in terms of being the right or wrong thing to do. The gospel of grace reminds us that God is willing to forgive all our wrongdoings ... therefore our answer to the above question of "where is our treasure?" becomes a matter of devotion.

How I respond to questions like these shows, not whether I have made the right or wrong decision in a legalistic sense, but shows the depth of my devotion to Christ.

Albert Osborn writes:
"More than all my lips may utter, more than all I do or bring,
Is the depth of my devotion to my Saviour, Lord and King.
Nothing less will keep me tender, nothing less will keep me true;
Nothing less will keep the fragrance and the bloom on all I do!

In the secret of Thy presence, in the hiding of Thy power,
Let me love Thee, let me serve Thee, every consecrated hour."

May God bless you this week as you consider your response to the question, "Where is your treasure?"

Graeme Parkhill

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Evening with Matears announced

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Commissioners John & Elizabeth Matear

(Leaders of the Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland).

Here in Ayr we are looking forward to the upcoming visit of the Territorial Commanders of the United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland, Commissioners John and Elizabeth Matear.

This weekend has been eagerly anticipated for some time, and a number of events have been planned for the visit. The first of these will be Saturday evening December 5th at 6:30pm, in the Wallacetown Parish Church halls, with a celebration event, "An Evening with the Matears". Tickets are priced £5.00 including dinner followed by after-dinner speeches from the Commissioners. The guest soloist for the evening is our own
Bobby Irvine. (Tickets can be ordered by phoning 01292 265813).

The Sunday morning holiness meeting, commencing at 10:45am, again in the Wallacetown Parish Church halls will be led by the Commissioners and in the evening, at the
Castlehill Parish Church, a community carol service will be held. This will feature the Ayr Citadel Band, YP Performing Arts Club and the Ayr Community Gospel Choir and will be led by the Territorial Commander and his wife. Seating is limited, so come early to make sure you get one!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Always and Forever


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Perhaps during this week, as you pause for thought each day, you would pray for the safe return of our soldiers from their mission in Afghanistan.

It has been highly publicised that this is the costliest year (in terms of human lives lost) since the Falklands War of the early 1980s. For every soldier lost a wife, son, daughter, mother, father, grandfather, grandmother …. mourns.

Pray that the leaders of the World’s great democracies would seek God’s wisdom and His judgment in this matter. Pray that there would be reconciliation between the East and the West; and that we could all live together in peace.

There are, of course, many other countries in which British forces are stationed just now - in active service; many in grave danger. Pray for God’s protection over them and wisdom and guidance for their commanding officers. May each member of our armed forces seek Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Above all, pray for peace in our World. A peace that can only come from God.

Graeme Parkhill

Prayer for Peace - Church of England Website:

Almighty Father, whose will it is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all:
Govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to His just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reign in you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever more.
God, our refuge and strength, bring near the day when wars shall cease and poverty and pain shall end,
that the earth shall know the peace of Heaven.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Devotion


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During this last week my wife Wendy and I travelled down to the lovely village of North Bradley in Wiltshire to lead a children's holiday club at the local Baptist Church. We had a great time with the children, running the Landlubbers Club – a pirate themed week where we found various clues that finally led us to the treasure!

In preparing for the week we came upon a small problem – North Bradley was a good hour's drive from any significant waterway – never mind the sea! How did pirates manage to arrive at inland North Bradley? – how could we make it realistic for the children?

After making up a story about crashing our pirate ship on the rocks beside Bristol – some of the kids suddenly realised that we were stuck without a ship to sail home in! Some of the men in the congregation gave this some thought and then came up with the idea of building us a ship in the field behind the church. The result is below:


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Quite spectacular, really! It just goes to show what can be accomplished when a group of willing people put their minds to it and devote the time and effort required.

For some of the men, this really became a labour of love and they committed a good bit of their spare time to raising this model ship from imagination to reality. You see, they were devoted to the kids who came along to the holiday club and to the Christ who was being spoken of at the club.

Whilst these men may not have been directly involved in the running of the holiday club, this was their bit! An act of devotion to Christ, and his mission to turn all men to himself.

I wonder what you're devoted to? Perhaps you may take some time during this coming week to consider this and the depth of your devotion to Christ. It will be easy – you will most likely be devoted to the thing that takes up most of your spare time.

You may find the words of this song by Margaret MacMillan helpful as I have:

In the depths of my soul's greatest longing
I am coming, dear Saviour, to thee,
Offering each thought and deed for refining;
Let thy touch now descend upon me.

Draw me close to thee in deeper consecration;
Wash me, Lord, and cleanse my soul from fear and dross;
Sanctify me with the fire of thy indwelling
As I tarry in the shadow of the cross.

May God richly bless you.

Graeme Parkhill