In last weekend's sermon Pastor Rex surveyed what the Bible says about retirement and growing older as God's "Senior Saints".

The long list of Bible characters who were active in God's service in their older years (for instance, Noah was over 500 when he built the ark!) is testimony to the respect and value God holds for older people. Even He is called the "Ancient of Days"! Interestingly, Paul talked about himself as an "old man" in Philemon 9, but his advancing years didn't hinder his zeal to serve his God (verse 22),

God's command that the Levites retire at age 50 (Num 8:25) shows that He approves of the principle of retirement. Life has its seasons, and retirement is an opportunity to enjoy grandchildren, and to devote more time to prayer and involvement in God's Work (Psa 71:18).

Our "Old" years can be our "Gold" years if we ensure that the "G" in our years refers to our participating with God in everything we do.

James Henderson, our Regional Director in the UK and Europe, recently posted this "Thought for the Week". We reprint it here as we wish our readers a very meaningful Christmas.

"According to some recent surveys, Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas message is one of the programmes that will be most watched on TV or listened to on radio on the 25th December. Maybe you’re one of those people who will tune into it, or maybe you’re not. "If you think about it, the remarkable birth of Jesus Christ is all about a message that was broadcast for everyone everywhere. It was first announced to shepherds in a field. This is a message not to be missed, and it’s the main message of this season.

Eyebrows were raised recently when a painting was sold for NZD 600 million, shattering the record for the most expensive artwork ever sold.

The painting is of Jesus, "Salvator Mundi". While this sale puts a price on a painting, the value of what Jesus did as "Saviour of the World" is priceless! No amount of money is large enough to pay the penalty of our sins and buy us eternal life. But that's what Jesus did for you and me, and anyone who accepts His free offer.

Each of us is described in God's Word as a masterpiece (Eph 2:10), and we were each bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20), greater than any money could buy (Prov 3:15), the precious blood of Jesus, Salvator Mundi.

This month marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which began when Martin Luther nailed his "95 Theses" on the door of a church in Germany in 1517. The 95 theses forcefully opposed the Roman Catholic Church teaching of the time that sins could be forgiven by paying the Church money for "indulgences" to gain pardon.

Luther believed the Bible was more important than the pronouncements of Church authority and tradition, and that it should be available to the general public. Through studying the Bible he came to see that salvation is not earned by works, as taught by the Church of the time, but rather is a free gift of God through the grace of Christ's sacrifice, to be accepted by faith alone.

The Holy Spirit was opening Luther's mind to see the wonderful light of God's truth. Actually, there have been numerous times in history where God has stepped in to cause a Reformation when people have strayed from the truth. A couple of Old Testament examples were the reformations led by Kings Josiah and Hezekiah. A modern instance happened when the Holy Spirit opened the mind of Joseph Tkach Sr to see where our denomination had gone astray.

Indeed, God works with all of us in this way when we are called to repentance from our past way of life. Each of us is guided through our own personal reformation, you might say. Five hundred years after the famous Reformation, God graciously and lovingly continues to bring reformation to us frail and fickle humans, both individually and corporately, in the light of His glorious gospel through the eye-opening Holy Spirit.

The fiftieth anniversary of our congregation took place on 4 November 2017, 50 years to the day after our very first service. The anniversary cake was cut by five members who had attended the first service. Half a century later, loads of memories came flooding back as members past and present enjoyed comparing stories and anecdotes.

A 50th anniversary is also called a golden anniversary, and interestingly, the Bible compares the members of God's Church to spiritual gold being refined and purified to be part of the New Jerusalem, a city made of pure gold (Rev 21:18). Pastor Rex's sermon the week after the anniversary focused on the comparison between rare and valuable physical gold and the character of a true Christian -- precious spiritual gold. You can read the sermon in the "Pastor's Note" section of our website.

A number of prophets are claiming the world will end next Saturday (23 Sept)! You can google this to see their names and predictions.

Maybe it will seem like the end of the world to either Bill English or Jacinda Ardern if the voting goes badly for them, but when will be the end according to Bible prophecy?

In fact the Bible nowhere gives us a date for the end. Rather, it affirms that no one knows the date! (Matt 24:36). But this hasn't stopped scores of "prophets" (beginning with the Essenes in 66AD) claiming they had the biblical inside knowledge and citing a date.

When Daniel asked for the explanation of the prophecies God had given him, God answered (Dan 7:17-18) :"The four great beasts are four kings that shall rise from the earth. But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it for ever." What a succinct summary of human history, past, present and future, in just two sentences! Mankind has tried multiple forms of governments and kingdoms in the course of history, but all have failed dismally in solving world problems. But God's Kingdom will be established, and will solve all those problems forever!

Those two verses are a summary of all of Bible prophecy. They confirm we don't need to know the exact date of the end of the world. As long as we are counted among God's people we don't have to worry. God is in control, and He will work all things out.

This week we have watched Irma, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, leave a path of destruction and devastation throughout the Caribbean, and then Florida.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are facing “barely habitable” conditions.

Yet, Irma is not alone. Hurricanes Katia is strengthening off the Gulf of Mexico, and Jose is lining up with the Caribbean, again. This is just days after Harvey tore through Texas and Louisiana.

With the frequency of these hurricanes, watchers are getting through the hurricane alphabet quicker than usual. Hurricanes are named in order of the alphabet; the first letter of the name comes from the alphabetic letter next to be used.

It reminds me of a name given, not to a hurricane, but to one who calmed a great storm. He is called the “Alpha and Omega” – these are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and was a name given to Jesus. He found Himself in a boat, with His friends, in the middle of a storm. But something different happened. Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (Mark 4:39).

Where hurricanes may come and go, Jesus is constant and never ending, with the power to change circumstances. Not that He stops every hurricane now: that won’t happen until He returns to earth to restore all things.

But, today, He can be invited into the boat of our life to be a constant companion in helping us endure and weather the storms of our life.

This message was written by Richard Fowler, and published on the website of Grace Communion International in the UK: http://gracecom.church/

Imagine how deep the roots of these trees must be. Actually, they aren't deep at all! Redwood trees, even these giants in Sequoia National Park have relatively shallow roots, and no tap root at all. The trees are held up by their roots spreading out widely and intertwining with those of the other trees. They always grow together in groups--lone redwoods aren't to be seen.

Similarly, Christians need to support each other in community, their spiritual roots interwoven one with another, and deep into the foundation of Jesus Christ (Col 2:6).

Rex Morgan's sermon last week featured many photos of redwoods as he branched out into his experiences at Sequoia National Park, and members leafed through their Bibles to twig on various important lessons.

Is fire a friend or enemy to sequoias like these? Surprisingly, it is a friend! In fact, sequoias depend on fire for their existence and reproduction. Forest fires heat up the cones so they release their seeds.

Reflecting on his recent trip to California's Sequoia National Park, Rex Morgan's sermon last weekend showed how Christians can be compared to spiritual sequoias. Fiery trials are essential to the Christian's growth (Acts 14:22; 1 Pet 4:12).

With Lianne Tree-varthen as worship leader and Jim Wood in the front row, the service was tree-mendous!

Last weekend Rex Morgan reported to the congregation on his return from the International Denominational Conference in Orlando, Flor

ida. The accompanying photo shows some of the eager Ghanaian participants. Here is the report from the Announcement Bulletin:

Over 1000 members, hailing from 29 countries, attended the International Conference in Orlando from August 1st through 6th, joyously celebrating the theme “We are GCI!”.

The programme kicked off with a Theological Seminar for Pastors given by Gary Deddo. After an opening address by Joe Tkach, Cathy Deddo spoke on “Finding Personal Wholeness in Jesus”. Among other sessions, Heber Ticas gave a powerful presentation on Evangelism (“Outside the Walls”), Ross Jutsum conducted a workshop on “Worship for Fellowship Groups”, and outside guest speakers covered the issues of “Generosity” and “Leadership”. Each of the Mission Developers gave updates on the situation in their parts of the globe, and the five US Regional Pastors gave an account of highlights and trends in their respective areas. There was a presentation on Youth Ministry Development including addresses by some of the Church’s emerging leaders, a ceremony for 30 students graduating from Grace Communion Seminary, and a hilarious evening session featuring a Christian comedian. In his closing address, Joe Tkach announced that he will be retiring at the end of next year, with Greg Williams replacing him as GCI President. The Church Office is moving from Glendora, California to Charlotte, North Carolina in April 2018.

For Dennis, Sue and me it was a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow ministers from all over the world, including meeting up with old friends, quite a number of whom Dennis and I have known since we went to Ambassador College, Bricket Wood in 1970, as well as being brought up to date with the issues of importance for GCI at this time. We were also invited to a special evening gathering of all the Filipinos at the Conference. All in all, it was a very successful and inspirational conference, and we will look forward to sharing more with you verbally in the various church areas in the near future.

Watching the America’s Cup victory parade last week brought to mind the Christian victory parade mentioned by Paul in 2 Cor 2:14: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”

In those days a victorious Roman general, after conquering in battle, would ride through the streets of Rome in his chariot, brandishing trophies of victory, followed by his troops and their prisoners, with fragrant clouds of incense (today’s confetti, ticker tape and fireworks).

Paul uses that colourful image to show that Christians are travelling in the triumphal procession of our Lord, and it is our job to spread the glory of His greatness to the world around us.

What a lot of useful lessons we can learn from Team New Zealand’s exploits! They were models of discipline, dedication, perseverance and diligence. The way they mastered the contest despite their limited resources compared to the unlimited purse of their rivals shows that money isn’t the answer to everything. And their remarkable comeback after a total capsize of their only boat was a classic lesson in how to handle adversity.

Christians are called to “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor 9:24), living a disciplined life, as athletes (or match-racing sailors) do.

Perhaps the greatest lesson for us to gain from the aptly named Team New Zealand is the reminder that it is essential for us to act with spiritual teamwork, as Paul pictured in his marvelous passage (1 Cor 12) describing the way the church needs to work together, each of us pulling our weight, just as all the parts of the human body work in harmony.

Our prayers and hearts go out to those affected in the horrific fire that devastated London's Grenfell Tower. One of our church members in the U.K., Richard Fowler, wrote the following message on our U.K. website (http://www.gracecom.church), drawing out a valuable lesson from this disaster.

'I woke up with two sad stories in my head that have emerged from the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London. Both involve forgiveness.

'Two separate men told of similar conversations they had with their family members who were stuck in the tower. As the fire was getting closer to the two different families, the mother of one called her son, and the brother of the other family called his brother, and requested: “If I have done anything wrong to you, please forgive me.”

'The brother and the mother (with the rest of her family) who were stuck in the tower realised that they may not make it out. They wanted and needed the peace that comes from forgiveness. Heartbreakingly, these two men, outside the building, with tears in their eyes, reassured their mother and brother of their love. No wrongs were remembered, nothing separating the bond. The relationship was secure as each man reassured their mother and brother. In both cases the phone then cut off.

'Such examples of forgiveness humble us. Forgiveness is a precious gift from God that we can give others and thus bring them peace. And, it is also a precious gift we give ourselves. In forgiving those who may have wronged us, we let ourselves go free. Free from any negative emotions. Free from the pain that we carry around with us when we remember past injustices.

'We all need forgiveness, and so we offer the same gift that we would like to receive. As we pray that God would comfort the survivors of Grenfell Tower and that he would bring hope to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, let us also forgive one another.'

Photo: Metropolitan Police

We have so much going on in our lives, we often don't take any time to stop, to pause, to "smell the roses", or to simply : "Be Silent".

You have heard the song say : "Silence is Golden", and another one say: "Listen, to the Sound....of Silence." But do we really appreciate the value of Silence?

See that space above? Did you think it was EMPTY? Did you think that the emptiness was a mistake? or an omission?

But was it REALLY empty? Or, was it simply... SPACE?

And the word SPACE - what does that evoke? Does that mean emptiness? Does it mean nothingness?

Think about SPACE... in the terms of the Universe. The Universe is not empty, but it does have a lot of SPACE. But SPACE is not empty. It can simply mean ROOM. It can contain things, and some very big things!

Similarly, SILENCE does not necessarily equal emptiness. You can have Silence, but be FULL.

A conundrum isn't it!

So Silence isn't necessarily empty, and it might be full, but what it doesn't have, is a lot of sound. You know, the kind of noisiness, that busyness, that reflection of activity, that generally fills our lives. We don't always notice but all the sounds and activity of life can drown out what is basic to our lives. Noise can drown out the important things, such as thought, and reflection, and reason.

Thought, reflection, and reason are not empty. However, they sometimes exist best in SILENCE.

In a similar way, spirituality also may exist best in SILENCE. The thought, the reflection, the meditation, that is best achieved when the distractions of the world are put to one side, and when they can be properly considered without the competition of THINGS! But spirituality doesn't mean that someone is empty of thought, does it? There just might be some thoughts, some concepts, that are huge, but cannot be heard when they are drowned out by the multitude of voices that shout out over top.

Why did Jesus go into the desert? Why did he fast for so long? Why did any of the Saints separate themselves from the World?

There are so many distractions in our lives, and, at this time in humanity, probably even more distractions than the Saints ever had! Temptations, worries, responsibilities. The horrible, the ordinary, and the joyful, realities of life. Yes, Life throws it all at us! Some of us cope with it, some of us excel in it, and some of us drown in it.

But maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to gain perspective. Maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to recharge. Maybe we need a bit of SILENCE to stay sane!

SILENCE is golden. It is a time to reflect, to recharge, and to even repent, and to rebuild. Sometimes we need space and time without distractions to get down to basics, and to confront our weaknesses, challenges, and to work on our dreams.

If you are reading this, the likelihood is that you recognise the importance of silence. And, if you have got to this point, you are also thinking about using quiet time for reflection and for thinking. You are probably realising that Silence is a language too, and one that is not often listened to. Silence is golden, but too few people are buying it.

I would encourage you to buck the trend, and buy into silence. You will probably have to invest some time into it. To listen to the sounds of silence, and to stretch your thinking. Expand your thinking. Don't limit yourself to your daily life and the problems you face, but think about Eternity. Is Eternity empty space? Or is it something that can be full?

I am convinced that most Christians would believe in an eternity that is full and fulfilling. And it isn't a matter of filling the space of eternity with noise. Believe it or not, Silence can be fulfilling. Value it, and use it, and pray God, He will talk to you through it.

Some graphic elements on this blog were sourced from Freepik.com

How much faith do you put in God's promises? Does your life reflect hope in a future? Does it reflect hope in the Kingdom of God? Does it reflect joy in Christ now being seated in heaven?

If you have doubts that it does, perhaps you are suffering from Ascension Deficit Disorder.

It seems appropriate to address this, on the weekend when Christ's ascension to heaven is commemorated. Rex Morgan gave a sermon with this as his topic at our weekly service, and a couple of the slides have been included in this blog post.

In a book titled "The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry" by Andrew Root and Kenda Creasy Dean, Dean describes A.D.D. as the tendency -

"...to act as though the future God has promised in Jesus Christ is a fairy tale, which shrivels our ability to practice hope. When we don't believe that Christ's promise to secure the future is true, we live as people fearful for our own prospects, protecting ourselves instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to use us as Christ's witnesses. A.D.D. is the reason churches get distracted so easily from the work Jesus commissioned us for: to be his witnesses throughout the earth. Instead, we are stymied and stressed, straining to make sense of the future's cloudy uncertainty" (p202).

To act as if the Holy Spirit is not alive and working in our lives, is to deny God the opportunity to use us. Jesus did not die for nothing. He died to give eternal life, not just to us but to all mankind.

Looking back at the time he spent with his disciples after his crucifixion, Jesus used the time to speak about the Kingdom of God, to speak about the future and the Great Commission. He encouraged them by the powerful witness of his physical presence, proof of his resurrection. And when the time came for him to return to his heavenly home, he encouraged them to continue in the power of the Holy Spirit even though he was gone from their presence.

But once Jesus was hidden from sight, a cloud hiding him from their view, perhaps their doubts started to form. Perhaps they relied on Jesus' presence too much, to bolster them. Perhaps they didn't realise that the Holy Spirit would be that presence, that comfort, and guide that they were used to having in the person of Jesus. Did their faith flag? Did they go back to their lives and act as if they never knew Jesus? Or were they nostalgic in hope for the return of Jesus Christ, when the ending of the whole story would unfold? Or, even better, were they eager in the hope of the return of Jesus Christ, knowing the certainty of his return would be a glorious culmination of his life's work, that to be a witness to that life's work was now their privilege and honour?

The work of Christ isn't over, he is still interceding for mankind, and he is seated at the right hand of God doing that 24/7. Our role is to tell people about that, and to let them know Jesus is still alive.

“God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:20-23

It is encouraging to know that Jesus is in control. He does have all power, and all things are under his feet. He is above us in all ways. Some of those with Ascension Deficit Disorder, they do not act as if Jesus is above all. Sometimes they think it is all up to them, and that they need to fix things on earth themselves, forgetting that God has a plan for all things, and he knows all things. Sadly, when things are not "fixed" in their own way or timeframe, they start to lose hope and focus. In looking too hard at the ground, they lose sight of Jesus above.

Instead, let us remind each other of the verse in Hebrews 4:14:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Read more of the book by "The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry"... HERE (sample on Google Books) by Andrew Root, Kenda Creasy Dean, InterVarsity Press, Oct 12, 2011. ISBN-10: 0830838252

Some graphic elements used in this blog have been sourced from Freepik.com.

Last weekend Rex Morgan's sermon topic was "Christianity and Coffee--the Gospel in a Cup", outlining some of the spiritual principles we can learn from coffee. For instance, coffee is all about relationships, and so is Christianity. Coffee wakes us up, and so does the Holy Spirit. Lukewarm coffee is no good, and neither are lukewarm Christians.

Some fresh green coffee beans were cooked in a portable roaster and pulverised in a small grinder to illustrate the way Christians must go through trials to develop character. The lovely aroma of roasting coffee permeated the hall as members read the scriptures about our duty to spread the aroma of the gospel (2 Cor 2:14-17).

New meaning was given to the blending of incense as a sweet perfume for God (Ex 30:36).

After services members tasted a plunger of freshly roasted coffee and reflected on the adage that "Christians are like coffee: their real strength doesn't show up until they are in hot water."

Some of you may have heard of Samuel, and some of you may know nothing about him. He was a boy that was given by his mother to the priests of Israel - to raise for service to God. He had been adopted out, if you like, but not abandoned. His mother still cared for him, and had raised him when he was very young, but he went to live in the House of the Levites, to learn about God, to learn the scriptures, and to serve in the Temple.

As a young boy, we don't know how old, he had a close encounter with God. He didn't know at first that it was God, but thought it was Eli, the blind priest he was living with. How Samuel responded to the voice of God has become an example and moral tale, and used by many to teach children about obedience and responsiveness. But one wonders whether the example of childlike faith and responsiveness is better addressed to adults.

I came across an old hymn for children, published in a Methodist hymn book, which I share below. It was written by James Drummond Burns (1823-1864).

HUSHED WAS THE EVENING

Hushed was the evening hymn, The temple courts were dark, The lamp was burning dim, Before the sacred ark: When suddenly a voice divine Rang through the silence of the shrine.

The old man, meek and mild, The priest of Israel, slept; His watch the temple-child, The little Levite, kept; And what from Eli's sense was sealed, The Lord to Hannah's son revealed.

Oh, give me Samuel's ear. The open ear, O Lord, Alive and quick to hear Each whisper of Thy word! Like him to answer at Thy call, And to obey Thee first of all.

Oh, give me Samuel's heart. A lowly heart, that waits Where in Thy house Thou art, Or watches at Thy gates! By day and night, a heart that still Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

Oh, give me Samuel's mind. A sweet, unmurmuring faith, Obedient and resigned To Thee in life and death! That I may read with childlike eyes Truths that are hidden from the wise.