Shock Defeat over Religious Hatred Bill

Labour's Chief Whip made key errors in calculation and the proposal was lost by the PM's failure to vote.

Praise God! The government have been defeated over proposals to end the principle of free speech with regard to religion. The media are stunned, with the BBC reporting that in one division, the government lost by just one vote after the Prime Minister failed to walk through the divison lobby on a second ballot.

This is Tony Blair's second only defeat since 1997. The Chief Whip told him it was pointless voting in the second ballot. However several Labour rebels had wandered off to get a drink and the majority of the rebellion had almost been lost. The Tories meanwhile turned up in massive numbers to scupper the bill.

Still, the nature of this strategic loss has embarrassed the Labour hierarchy. An official said: “The PM will make sure he does vote in future on important votes. This was a one-off.” He agreed that the whole episode was a “cock-up”.

It is shocking to think that this government were so intent on pushing such an iniquitous and badly thought out bill through Parliament and that our ancient religious freedoms have been protected by just 1 vote in the Commons and by the earlier intervention of unelected godly and wise elders in the House of Lords.

But the unusual nature of this turnaround is evidence that the Lord has heard the prayers of his people. Let us continue to be prayerful in these times.

Lord Chan Goes to Glory

Thank you very much for all your love and prayers.

Michael Chan went to be with the Lord at 21:25 hours GMT, Saturday 21st January 2006. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family reading his favourite Bible passages and singing his favourite hymns.

We praise and thank God for loaning him to us for all these years. He has run the race, he has fought the fight, and now he receives his crown of glory.

Praise the Lord.

Irene, Ruth and Stephen would value your continued prayers for the coming weeks.

1 Thessalonians 4:13,14. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

Mayor visits Dinner Date

The Worshipful Mayor of the Borough of Dacorum, Jane Hogg Cllr dined with the men & women of Dinner Date on Thursday. She spoke of how God’s grace was evident in miraculously protecting the public in the timing of the Buncefield explosion and the firemen from falling down open manholes hidden by foam. There were no significant injuries suffered by the emergency services throughout the incident, which was remarkable.

She also commended Dinner Date and all those who do so much in the community. She pointed out that each of us have a part to play to do our bit for the town.

It was an honour to have her come and share with us.

Pray Hemel

The first prayer meeting of 2006 took place on Sat 7th January at Maranatha Church. Around 50 representatives from the 35 or so churches in Hemel met to worship together and pray for the town. This remarkable show of unity and fellowship in Hemel was started by Penny Crosswell and has now been running for several years.

Starting with bacon butties and a hot drink, it is a precious hour or so on the first Saturday of the month to seek the Lord together. Physically turning up is something that makes a spiritual statement in the heavenly realms. I commend it to you.

Dates and venues are given below. Click on the name of the church for directions.

Sat 3rd Dec 2005 Holy Trinity, Leverstock Green
Sat 7th Jan 2006 Maranatha Christian Church
Sat 4th Feb 2006 St Mary and St Joseph
Sat 4th March 2006 South Hill Church
Sat 1st April 2006 St Barnabas
Sat 6th May 2006 Jubilee Christian Fellowship
Sat 3rd June 2006 Nash Mills Methodist Church
Sat 1st July 2006 St Alban's CofE Church

Selwyn Hughes goes to Glory

Selwyn Hughes died on 9 January 2006 ending a ministry that spanned more than four decades, in which he uniquely combined the roles of writer, pastor, counsellor and teacher. He also founded CWR (Crusade for World Revival), an international organisation that has spearheaded the training of Christian counsellors, leaders and workers in this country and abroad and that continues to produce Christian resources, including the bestselling dated devotional Every Day with Jesus.

Born on April 27, 1928, during the period of post-war depression, Selwyn Hughes was inspired by the faith of his family. Many of his relatives had been influenced by the great Welsh Revival of 1904 and, at the age of 16, he professed his own Christian faith.

Following ministerial training and ordination as an Assemblies of God minister, he served a number of churches in Cornwall, South Wales, Yorkshire, Essex and Central London.

In 1965 he initiated a series of short daily Bible-reading guides, written on blank postcards, for the benefit of friends and church members. Demand rapidly exceeded supply and soon these guides became a bimonthly publication. Now Every Day with Jesus is read daily by nearly a million people in 130 countries around the world.

Remarkably, he personally wrote every issue of Every Day with Jesus, only occasionally assisted by other writers. He continued to write prolifically for over 40 years, during which time he weathered the vicissitudes of life, including the death in 1986 of his wife, the tragically premature death of their two sons in more recent years, and his own serious illness.

In June 2005 Selwyn received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Brunel University for ‘outstanding service to Christian education’. He was described by Lord Carey, President of the London School of Theology (and former Archbishop of Canterbury), as ‘a giant in the faith’.

In September 2005 the 40th Anniversary of CWR and Every Day with Jesus was celebrated at Waverley Abbey House, drawing together over a thousand supporters and friends to offer thanksgiving to God and pay tribute to Selwyn for his dedicated servanthood over four decades of ministry. In agreement with Selwyn, plans are in place for his ministry through Every Day with Jesus to continue into the future.

Steve Bradley, CWR’s Chair of Trustees, commented: ‘This is a sad day for all who knew and loved Selwyn. He touched hundreds of thousands of lives across the world, and yet his ability to engage with individuals was immediate and life-changing. We rejoice that he has now entered the presence of Jesus, whom he served faithfully and proclaimed powerfully. He was a remarkable and singular man and we trust that God will lead us on in the work Selwyn established.’

Report taken from CWR Press Release

24-7 Prayer Talks

A couple of Mondays ago, I was privileged to lead the Mayoral Church Leader's Prayer Meeting in the Mayor's Parlour. Alongside leading prayers about the recent oil explosion at Buncefield, I was asked to talk about starting a town-wide 24-7 prayer movement among all the churches.

As a result, I have now been asked to make a presentation to the main Churches Together Forum on 7th February. These are significant and strategic times for Hemel Hempstead. If something good is to happen, then it needs to be birthed in prayer. I would invite you to join with me in praying for the Lord's continued favour on these considerations, which potentially could have an explosive effect spiritually in Hemel Hempstead...

The rules of the game

The relationship between grace and law is complicated and complementary.

Grace means that even after we have sinned, the mediation of Christ can bring forgiveness when we confess to our shortcomings. But grace is so valuable yet so freely offered that it can almost seem as if sin is not so big a deal after all. What is invaluable but free can appear to be devalued.

In fact, Paul wrote that some people were suggesting that the more you sinned, the more all-encompassing grace becomes. Paul mentions this crooked thinking in Ro 6:1 ‘What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?’

So how can we properly understand this dynamic? Let's use this picture

When you play football, you must play on the field. You can play pretty much anywhere you like inside the lines. But sin is like crossing the line. You’ve played out of touch. You can’t keep on. You need to get back into the game. So you throw it back in and get playing. That’s repentance and confession. But the line is still there. That’s law. You can’t play outside the lines.

But God’s grace means that when we mess up, he gives us a way back in to the game.

A Message from Neil Harden

Please pray for Lord Chan of Oxton, a Christian Cross-bench Peer in Parliament who has been gravely ill and in hospital since 31st December. Lady Chan and daughter Ruth would be most grateful for our prayers at this time. We will try to keep you updated on any further news.

Update: News in suggests that there have been several improvements in the last little while in terms of Lord Chan fighting back against his illness and moving towards recovery. Neil asks for prayer that he will be completely restored physically and that his family members will be able to get some rest at this difficult time.

As the rain and the snow...

It is 2 degrees out today and it is snowing slightly. It is just wet snow that doesn't settle as it falls. I realised why I love it when it snows. It is because the snow falls so gently, silently and unhurriedly. There's no rush. It's a wonder to see these frozen rain drops gently ambling to their resting place on the ground.

It reminds me of a scripture in Isaiah, where the prophet speaks of a prophetic word being just like that.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Is 55:10,11

A prophetic word goes forth and speaks to us. It falls on us, covers us, and rests upon us, taking its time. It settles. It goes through a process. It refreshes the earth. It gets absorbed. It causes growth to the seeds of talent latent within our life-purpose and destinies. Those seeds bud and flourish and push up through the soil. It's growth is painful, tender and fragile at the beginning. Eventually it produces fruit or wheat that has to be threshed and sifted. Then the wheat goes through a long process before it is ever turned into bread for the eater.

That's an encouragement to me. The prophetic word takes time to work itself through to FRUITION. But his word is true and it is real. And this is the promise that the Father speaks over us to encourage us.

'So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.'

What God speaks over us and into our lives will come to pass.

Just like snow.

Remember!

Pray Hemel is at Maranatha Church tomorrow. Starting at 8am.

Of which I am persuaded

Want to know what I really think? Read on.

I believe in the absolute sufficiency and authority of scripture for life and conduct, being persuaded of the continued relevance of Biblical preaching into and addressing the needs of contemporary culture.

I believe in the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone to mediate between God and humanity to effect salvation and redemption from sin.

I believe in the continued work of one Holy Spirit in renewal of one church; and that the ongoing empowering of the Holy Spirit is necessary for all believers.

I keenly endorse the concept of the priesthood of all believers within the church. I believe in the exercise of gifts and ministries variously in the Body as the Spirit wills, within good order and peace.

I believe that entry into the gathered church is by repentance, confession of faith and believer’s baptism.

I believe the role of a minister is to lead by persuasion and consent, working in a team environment, encouraging, facilitating and mobilising every believer into full participation in pilgrim obedience.

I am persuaded that the coming of the Lord is imminent and that we must therefore be mindful, sober and vigilant and make the most of every opportunity to win souls for Christ and kingdom.

Statement of Faith

'Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.'

I wholeheartedly affirm my belief in...

1. The one true God who lives eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

2. The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.

3. The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.

4. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.

5. The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—born of the virgin Mary, truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.

6. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.

7. The bodily resurrection of Christ, the firstfruit of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.

8. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.

9. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.

10. The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers—given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.

11. The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.

Do you have...

...a taped copy of any of my sermons of last year, including the two sermons so far on Philippians and one on Psalm 1? If you are *most probably* the one person who does, I would be most grateful if you could let me borrow it, so that I can make an mp3 file of the recording and put it up on the Internet.

Thank you.

Back to Work? It's Good for You!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4577392.stm

Prove Christ Exists, Judge Orders Priest

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1967413,00.html