Some "house keeping" information -

• If anyone would like the music for our hymns today, please put up your hand and we will bring it to you.
• Toilets are between the church and the hall.
• If anyone is new here and would like to go on the Church list, which entitles you to receive the Messenger three or four times a year, and other benefits, then please fill in the card at the end of the seats and hand it to one of the helpers after the service.

Thank you.

God can enter our lives

Thank You that You have made it possible for each one of us to invite You to be part of our lives :

God speaks to us

God calls Isaiah to be a prophet

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings : with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another :

Pause whilst Isaiah goes to the back - then : )

Now, is that a bit clearer ?

The Pentecost experience

The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in the one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. "We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia - yet we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues !" Amazed and perplexed they asked one another, "What does this mean ?"

Some however made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Lord Jesus Christ, I want to belong to You from now on. I want to be freed from the dominion of darkness and the rule of Satan, and I want to enter into Your kingdom and be part of Your people. I will turn away from all wrongdoing, and I will avoid everything that leads me to wrongdoing. I ask You to forgive all the sins that I have committed. I offer my life to You, and I promise to obey You as my Lord. I ask You to baptise me in the Holy Spirit and I open myself to receive every gift that You desire to give me.

Jesus with us now

But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was on the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that he suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but it was predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful "long-cuts". Up mountains and through rocky places at break-neck speed. It was all I could do to hang on, and even though it looked like madness He just said, "Pedal !"

I worried, I was anxious, and I asked, "Where are you taking me ?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into His adventure, and when I'd say,"I'm scared", He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed. Gifts of healing and acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey - my Lord's and mine - and we were off again. He'd say, "Give those gifts away now, they're extra baggage - too much weight." So I did, to the people we met. And I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I didn't trust Him at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it. But He knows bicycle secrets. He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners. He knows how to jump to clear high rocks. He even knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

I'm learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face and my delightful constant companion, Jesus. And when I'm sure I just can't do any more, He just smiles and says "Pedal ! Pedal !"

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name;
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as in heaven;
Give us today our daily bread;
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us;
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil;
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours, now and for ever. Amen

Blessing.