Jesus is tested in the Wilderness

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4

We begin with Jesus as we must. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.

The connections between Christ and Adam are strong. Adam is tempted by food, symbolising rebellion and release from the limitations set by the Creator. Jesus, too, is offered and is therefore tempted by the possibility of food in the form of bread. Like Adam, he can [...Full item]]]>

Jesus is tested in the Wilderness

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:1-4

We begin with Jesus as we must. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.

The connections between Christ and Adam are strong. Adam is tempted by food, symbolising rebellion and release from the limitations set by the Creator. Jesus, too, is offered and is therefore tempted by the possibility of food in the form of bread. Like Adam, he can fail the test, satisfy his hunger and break free from divine discipline. But Satan has misjudged, for, as the Father and the Son ore one (John 14:10-11), Jesus will not divorce his will from that of the Father.

There is an additional ironic twist in that as Christ is the bread of life (John 6:35), Satan tempts him with a caricature of himself. By accepting Satan’s advice, Jesus would be turning away from the spiritual to the material. We all need bread but, thanks to God’s goodness, we can get it anywhere. There is only one source of mercy and eternal life, however, and that is Christ, the bread of life. Satan is trying to get Jesus to abandon his mission at the first hurdle.

What Jesus shows us by resisting the first temptation is that out hunger is not for bread but for the bread of life.

Father God, we are your children, negligent of your love. Give us a spirit of fasting this Lent, that we may he reconnected to you in renewal and restoration of body and soul. Amen

You can follow our readings in several ways

1. By visiting our Lent 2012 web page each day:

godmanchesterbaptist.org/lent

2. By reading an email sent direct to your email client:
Subscribe to “Lent 2012” by daily e-mail.

3.   By using an RSS feed to your web browser or email client:
Click this link to subscribe to “Lent 2012” as an RSS feed.
Find out more about RSS feeds [click here]

4.    By linking to our Facebook group:
Click this link to join our Facebook Page

Rend Your Heart

12 “Even now,” declares the LORD,    “return to me with all your heart,    with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your heart    and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God,    for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,    and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent    and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings    for the LORD your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,    declare a holy fast,    call a sacred assembly. 16 Gather the people,    consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders,    gather the children,    those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room    and the bride her chamber. 17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,    weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD.    Do not make your inheritance an object [...Full item]]]>

Rend Your Heart

¹² “Even now,” declares the LORD,
   “return to me with all your heart,
   with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

¹³ Rend your heart
   and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
   for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
   and he relents from sending calamity.
¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent
   and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
   for the LORD your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion,
   declare a holy fast,
   call a sacred assembly.
¹⁶ Gather the people,
   consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
   gather the children,
   those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
   and the bride her chamber.
¹⁷ Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
   weep between the portico and the altar.
Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD.
   Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
   a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
   ‘Where is their God?’”

Joel 2:12-17

Historically there have been two fixed fasts in the Christian calendar. One is today and the other is Good Friday. Fasting is not simply about not eating or giving up certain foods. It is about being humble in the presence of God (Isaiah 58:3-4); for example, David fasts after his indiscretion with Bathsheba has led to her pregnancy.

Lent is time to tear our hearts and return to the Lord.  Everyone – men, women, the old and the young – are called to fasting and prayer that indicates to God their sincerity and love. If the people did what Joel proposed, it must have been quite a sight. Just imagine the whole of our nation or community united in sorrow for its sin.

Today, Lent has become identified with ‘giving something up’. It works on a simple level: eat something nice on Shrove Tuesday, then deny it to yourself and return to it at the end of the fast on Easter Sunday, when you will appreciate it all the more. In this way, the spiritual season is physically marked out, but it is very different from what Joel had in mind.

At its heart, Lent is a period in which we are invited to renew our relationship with God, to ‘deny ourselves’ and ‘take up the cross’. There is no point in giving up chocolate, alcohol, sugar, caffeine or some activity if doing so is actually quite easy. Lent is not about what you give up, but about what you do. Therefore, if there is something that comes between us and God, it is good to abandon it in Lent, not only in order to draw closer to God but also to engage in the spiritual discipline of self-denial.

Lord Christ, may we remember that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. Help us turn away from sin to he faithful to you. Amen

You can continue follow our readings in several ways

1. By visiting our Lent 2012 web page each day:

godmanchesterbaptist.org/lent

2. By reading an email sent direct to your email client:
Subscribe to “Lent 2012” by daily e-mail.

3.   By using an RSS feed to your web browser or email client:
Click this link to subscribe to “Lent 2012” as an RSS feed.
Find out more about RSS feeds [click here]

4.    By linking to our Facebook group:
Click this link to join our Facebook Page

Are you passionate about seeing the lives of children, the children within your community, transformed as they discover Jesus and become His followers? Arise Ministries are excited and driven by a desire to work with and through the local church, equipping the church to reach a generation.

Arise Ministries are running a day conference at Sandy Baptist Church, Bedfordshire on Saturday 24 March 2012 where they will be exploring how we can reach and release children with the Gospel and also help them grow as disciples of Jesus. There will be lots of opportunities to share thoughts and ideas with the group, as well as breaks to enable networking with others attending.

More information can be found on the Arise Ministries website: www.ariseministries.org.uk/support.htm.

A flyer for this event can be viewed and downloaded here.

Saturday 5 May 2012 from 2pm – 4.15pm

The Praise Party is aimed at primary school aged children but will suit younger children if accompanied by adults.

Do note cheaper cost if booked before 1st May 2012!

Organised by Diocese of Ely. GenR8 and John Hardwick.

More details and booking form [click here]

1 Cor 11 v 17 – 34a

Baptism is a one-time event. It’s a way of declaring publicly that the person being baptised is now welcome in the community of faith. Based on the grace and the love of God, they are part of us.

When Jesus was growing up, the practice of baptism was already around. If a Gentile decided to become a part of the Jewish community, that conversion could be expressed through the act of baptism. It was a way of saying, "This person, who has been an outsider, is now part of the family."

Jesus commanded his followers to do the same. His final command in the gospel of Matthew is to be baptised.

The offer of forgiveness and new life in this world and forever in the next is given only by the grace of God, only through what Jesus did for us on the cross. We receive it by trusting him. We have to respond, but there is nothing magic about the water itself. [...Full item]]]> DO THIS NUMBER ONE

Baptism is a one-time event. It’s a way of declaring publicly that the person being baptised is now welcome in the community of faith. Based on the grace and the love of God, they are part of us.

When Jesus was growing up, the practice of baptism was already around. If a Gentile decided to become a part of the Jewish community, that conversion could be expressed through the act of baptism. It was a way of saying, "This person, who has been an outsider, is now part of the family."

Jesus commanded his followers to do the same. His final command in the gospel of Matthew is to be baptised.

The offer of forgiveness and new life in this world and forever in the next is given only by the grace of God, only through what Jesus did for us on the cross. We receive it by trusting him. We have to respond, but there is nothing magic about the water itself.

If you would say that you’re a Christian, but you have never been baptised and you have no plans to do so—then, in a way, what you are saying to Jesus is:

“Jesus, I know you suffered for me. I know you died an agonising death on the cross for me. I understand you clearly commanded that all of your followers are to be baptised as a way of declaration of devotion and being part of your community. And Jesus, I will take your sacrifice to get into Heaven, but when it comes to obeying you in the very first step of the Christian life … when it comes to declaring to the church and the world that my ultimate devotion is to you … I think I’ll pass. When it comes to the first thing you’ve asked me to do … to obey you in the sacrament of baptism … I think I’ll disobey you.”

This is not a good way to launch into spiritual life. It’s not a good dynamic to hold onto in spiritual life.

DO THIS NUMBER TWO

The other practice, or sacrament, that Jesus instituted, and that the early church was devoted to, was the practice of observing the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. Sometimes, this can become something of a "tacked on" exercise in a worship service, but it wasn’t so in the early church. The writers of the Scriptures took Communion very seriously (1 Cor 11:27)

“Communion is not just what we do. It is fundamentally about what God is doing. Jesus, who is always present—at all times and in all places—is present in a special way when we come to the Table. It expresses what happened just before he went to the cross. It’s a remembrance of the Passover meal, where he gathered His disciples together in a small room, and they had dinner together.” John Ortberg.

1. He said to His friends: I have eagerly looked forward to this meal with you. (Luke 22:14)

This is the first time that we know of where he hosted a meal. All he had to give them was himself: His body and His blood. He gathered His friends, and he took a piece of bread and said: I want you to do this and eat this bread on a regular basis, and, as you do, I want you to remember my body broken for you, my hands nailed to a cross, my side pierced by a sword, my head torn by a crown of thorns.

He took a cup of wine, and he said: I want you to drink this cup on a regular basis, and I want you to remember it is my blood poured out for you. I died so you could live.

2. He said: Do this in remembrance of me. (Luke 22: 19)

There’s a lot about "remembering" in the Bible. In the Old Testament, God would call His people to build alters out of stones so they would "remember." He instructed them to tie the law on a string and bind it around the fingers, put it on their doorposts. Remember, remember, remember . And in the Bible, "remembering" is more than just recalling information. In the Bible, when you remember something, if you do it right, what was real once before becomes present, becomes real once again.

Baptism never has to be repeated. Communion has to be redone, redone, redone as long as you live. Why? It’s because we keep sinning, because we keep messing up, because we keep falling down. I’m tempted to despair. I’m tempted to think, "God, have you given up on me yet?" And I’m tempted to think, "This time, I’ve gone too far." And Jesus keeps saying, "No, I’ll come back and love you. Come on back to my only table. And remember, not your guilt, not your failure, not your shortcomings." Jesus says: Do this in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24)

Psalm 84

More details from: http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/shoebox-live

For a whole weekend we’ll spend as much time as we can together as a whole church family. We’ll experience some great worship, challenging and inspirational teaching, and discover God in new ways.

Together we’ll have fun and enjoy each other’s company. We’ll make new friends and relax with old ones.

So that as many people as possible can come we’ve chosen a local venue: Burleigh Hill Farm at St Ives.

The farm has great camping facilities and you can come and camp or caravan from Friday through to Sunday. Alternatively you can travel up each day. Our programme will run from 10am to 10pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

There will be plenty to enjoy for all ages. Our children and young people will have a special programme.

The LORD will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will [...Full item]]]>

THE MIX will be an amazing time when we will celebrate that God has brought us together as an incredible mixture of people.

For a whole weekend we’ll spend as much time as we can together as a whole church family. We’ll experience some great worship, challenging and inspirational teaching, and discover God in new ways.

Together we’ll have fun and enjoy each other’s company. We’ll make new friends and relax with old ones.

So that as many people as possible can come we’ve chosen a local venue: Burleigh Hill Farm at St Ives.

The farm has great camping facilities and you can come and camp or caravan from Friday through to Sunday. Alternatively you can travel up each day. Our programme will run from 10am to 10pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

There will be plenty to enjoy for all ages. Our children and young people will have a special programme.

The LORD will march out like a champion,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.

THE MIX teaching will focus on our great God who is both Lord and King.

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God

A church weekend is an important time when we let God work in our lives. At THE MIX we’ll have time to receive from God.

How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!

Sit down, relax and enjoy a Spectacular Spectacular! Has GBC got any talent? Oh yes it has! Can I just be quiet – possibly! Great food – No problem. Go for a walk? Of course! Get an early night… only if you want.

COSTS
The weekend costs just £20 per person including all the activities, refreshments and three good meals. There is no charge for under 5’s.

You will be very welcome to bring your caravan or tent and camp. Many of us will be doing this. Burleigh Hill Farm has good camping facilities including showers and some electrical hook-ups. There is a small extra cost of £8 per unit per night.

Because we believe this is a very important opportunity to be together, we do not want finance to be a barrier for anyone to attend. If the cost is a problem, therefore, please speak to one of the pastors about it. We’ll do everything we can to help you attend.

TRANSPORT
Burleigh Hill Farm is easily accessible by road. If you need transport just jot it down on the booking form and we’ll sort it out for you.

SMALL PRINT
There is no small print really. The weekend is our weekend, and we’ll serve each other in making it great. We are not going to a conference centre, so we’ll probably ask you to help out with the odd job or task!

Download booking form