Parish Nursing Termly Update Autumn 2016

Thanks and prayer for the liberation of Mosul

October 2016 saw the offensive by the Iraqi Army and the Kurdish Peshmerga to remove ISIS from northern Iraq, particularly the Province of Ninevah and Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.   The province housed one of the largest Christian populations in Iraq, who fled under threat of death when ISIS invaded in 2014.    Here's a video Mark put together from news reports and news items from Open Doors about current progress and needs for prayer as of end of November 2016.

Open doors have produced news reports:

London City Mission: One Woman's Journey of Faith

We recently showed this video in Church and many were encouraged by it, so here it is to share with your friends.  For more information about the work of London City Mission, please click here.

Felixstowe Town Pastors Winter Newsletter

Favourite verses and Bible stories.

As part of our Bible Sunday service a few weeks ago, the congregation were asked to list their favourite verses or Bible stories.   Here was the result. Why not get your Bible and check them out?

FAVOURITE SCRIPTURE VERSES

Genesis 1 verse 1

Numbers 6 verse 24 - 26

Joshua 1 verse 9

Psalm 23 verse 1

Verse 6

Psalm 27 verse 1

Psalm 91 verse 1

Psalm 121 verses 1,2

Proverbs 3 verses 5,6 (3 selected this)

Isaiah 6 verse 3

Isaiah 40 verse 31 (2 selected this)

Isaiah 43 verse 2

Jeremiah 29 verse 11

**************************************************************************

Matthew 28 verses 19, 20

John 3 verse 16 (10 selected this)

John 3 verse 17

John 11 verse 35 (with “and so do I” added)

John 14 verse 6 (2 selected this)

Romans 8 verse 28

Ephesians 4 verse 32

Philippians 1 verse 6

Colossians 3 verse 1,2

1 Peter 5 verse 7

2 Peter 3 verse 18

Revelation 3 verse 20

LONGER SECTIONS OF SCRIPTURE

Exodus 20 - 10 Commandments

Psalm 23 (all of it) (2 selected this)

Psalm 139 verses 1 - 14

And more specifically verses 7 – 10

Matthew 3

Matthew 25

Mark 14 verses 12 – 26

Luke 12 verses 27 – 34

John 15 verse 1 - 17

John 16 verses 5 - 33

Acts 13

Second letter to Timothy

Revelation 21 (2 selected this)

FAVOURITE STORIES

Luke 15 : 11 – 32 The lost/prodigal son (3 selected this)

Book of Ruth story of Ruth and Naomi

Book of Esther story of Esther

Book of Job Job (God never leaves us, no matter what)

Matthew and Luke Jesus’s birth

Matthew 4 :18 – 22 calling the disciples

Book of Jonah Jonah and the whale

Luke 10 : 25 – 37 The good Samaritan

DRAWN PICTURES AND PASSAGES

Matthew 5 verse 13 – 16 salt and light

The 3 crosses 

 

Have a little patience.

November 27th  Waiting for God?
Get into the right frame of mind because God promises to do amazing things.

December  4th    With one voice.
God is doing something amazing right now in your life.

December 11th   Look!
See what God has done for you already.

December 18th   The Restoration Man (part of our morning Carol service)
Look what God wants to do for you.

Everlasting Light - CDs, DVDs and show bookings.

Everlasting Light Website                                 Spa Pavilion Website

Christmas Angel Trail

Churches Together in Felixstowe is organising an "Angel Advent Trail"" of pictures of Angels in shop windows in Felixstowe Town Centre in December. All infants and junior school pupils are invited to submit one entry.

 YOUR PICTURE NEEDS TO BE ON A4 PAPER AND CAN BE A DRAWING, PAINTING OR COLLAGE.

The pictures will be on display at Trinity Methodist Church, Hamilton Road on Saturday 10th of December from 10am -4pm. We are grateful to Felixstowe Mayor, Mrs Jan Garfield for judging the entries on 10th of December and to the new Co-op Funeral directors for providing book tokens for first, second and third prizes .

PLEASE SEND YOUR PICTURES TO;
 ANGEL COMPETION; TRINITY MANSE TOWER ROAD FELIXSTOWE IP11 7PR
(To arrive no late then the 28th November)

PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME CLASS AND SCHOOL ON THE BACK OF YOUR ENTRY, WITHOUT THIS YOUR ENTRY CANNOT BE RETURNED.

Walton Parish Nursing News October 2016

Bible Sunday 2016

Our Bible Sunday Service is on 30th October. For more information about Bible Sunday go to http://www.biblesunday.org.uk

Voices from the Jungle

A few months ao David and Linda Bunn's granddaughter Rebecca worked in the Jungle Refugee Camp in Calais with Youth With A Mission for 3 weeks.    She says this: 

I worked in a warehouse in the mornings, sorting through and organising donations of clothes, blankets, hygiene products etc. In the afternoons, I went into the camp to meet and chat to the refugees there.

There are about 6000 refugees in the camp, 92% male. We found they have a lot of the basics, it’s just conversation they need, and a chance to talk about their hopes and worries. There are some quotes and some pictures from my time there below.

The people there are so lovely, but feel as though they are stuck; the future seems hopeless for many of them.Most of them want to get to the UK, but they don’t want to stay there; they miss the families they left behind, and they want the wars to be over in their countries so they can go back. The camp in Calais, along with the camp in Greece, are desperate for more volunteers, so check out this website if you feel you can help: http://www.ywamrefugeecircle.com. Please also pray that Europe will better be able to organise these camps, and give people there chances to move on; pray for the police, and for for church in the Calais camp, which is basically empty since half the camp was moved a few months ago.

Everlasting Light Prayer Letter

Autumn Fayre

For the first time in ages MRBC had an Autumn Fayre on 1st October.   Here are a few pics to show what went on.  We raised £550 for Walton Parish Nursing and Hope Trust.  Many thanks to all those who organised, helped, donated stuff and actually came and bought items.

MRBC Felixstowe Heritage Open Day Guide

For a printable version of this, click here (pdf)

Parish Nursing Termly Update Summer 2016

J John returns to Felixstowe!

Internationally renowned Evangelist J John will return to Felixstowe on September 16th for a motivational evening at River of Life.  Details below.

Here's an item to make you chuckle from J John's website page:
Ordering a Takeaeay with Archbishop Justin Welby.

Lynn Green - Growing Healthy Churches

This is a video of a speech given by Lynn Green at the Baptist Assembly in 2015 outlining the BU Council's vision for growth in the Union. The emphasis was on the importance of interdependence in the life of Baptist churches in Britain. This resulted in five main headings summarised below:

My own reflection on these is that the values that were outlined in relation to interdependence could equally be applied to individual churches too as they seek to see future growth.  So these five principles when applied to individual local churches could be as follows:

Seek to be a Spirit–led community
Feel like one team
Embrace adventure
Inspire others
Share a hunger for God’s kingdom

Concerts of Prayer by Jonathan Edwards

A Humble Attempt to Promote the Agreement and  Union of God's People Throughout the World in  Extraordinary Prayer For a Revival Of Religion  And The Advancement Of God's Kingdom On Earth,  According To Scriptural Promises And  Prophecies Of The Last Time.

The Future Glorious State of Christ's Church

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him"(Zech. 8:20-22).

In this chapter Zechariah prophecies of the future, glorious advancement of the Church. It is evident there is more intended than was ever fulfilled in the Jewish nation during Old Testament times. Here are plain prophecies describing things that were never fulfilled before the coming of Messiah, particularly what is said in the two last verses in the chapter where Zechariah speaks of "many people and strong nations worshiping and seeking the true God," and of so great an addition of Gentiles to the Church that the majority of visible worshipers consist of Gentiles, outnumbering the Jews ten to one.

Nothing ever happened, from the time of Zechariah to the coming of Christ, to fulfill this prophecy. It's fulfillment can only be in the calling of the Gentiles during and following apostolic times, or in the future, glorious enlargement of God's Church in the end times, so often foretold by Old Testament prophets, particularly by Zechariah. It is most likely that the Spirit of God speaks here of the greatest revival and the most glorious advancement of the Church on earth, the blessings of which will benefit the Jewish nation.

Indeed, there is great agreement on this point, between this prophecy of Zechariah, and other prophecies concerning the Church's latter day glory. Consider Isaiah 60:2-4,
"See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm."

Without doubt, this entire chapter foretells the most glorious state of the God's Church on earth, as does Isaiah 66:8, Micah 4:1-3 and Isaiah 2:1-4:

"In the last days the mountain of the LORD'S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it."

"Many nations will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' "

"The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more." 
 
Nothing whatsoever has  happened to fulfill these prophecies. Moreover, since the prophecy in my text (Zech. 8:20-22) and the following verse agrees with them, there is reason to think it addresses the same times. Indeed, there is remarkable agreement in the description given throughout this chapter with the representations of those times elsewhere in the prophetic books.

Though the prophet is at times referring to the future smiles of heaven on the Jewish nation, yet the Spirit of God doubtless refers to events far greater than these, of which these are but faint resemblances. The Jews had just returned from the Babylonian captivity, Chaldea and other countries, and resettled in Canaan where they were experiencing great increase of both numbers and wealth.

We find it common in the prophecies of the Old Testament that when the prophets are speaking of the favours and blessings of God on the Jews, attending or following their return from the Babylonian captivity, the Spirit of God takes the opportunity from there to speak of the incomparably greater blessings on the Church, that will attend and follow her deliverance from the spiritual Babylon, of which those were a type. 
 
The prophet, in this chapter, speaks of God's bringing his people again from the east and west to Jerusalem (vs. 7-8), and multitudes of all nations taking hold of the skirts of the Jews. Although this prophecy literally refers to the Jews return from Babylon, its fulfillment cannot be seen there for no such things spoken of here attended their return. Therefore, it must refer to the great calling and gathering of Jews into the fold of Christ, and to them receiving the blessings of His kingdom, after the fall of the Antichrist and the destruction of the spiritual Babylon.

The Power of Prayer

In Zechariah 8:20-22 we have an account of how this future advancement of the Church should occur. It would come to fruition as multitudes from different towns resolve to unite in extraordinary prayer, seeking God until He manifests Himself and grants the fruits of his presence. We may observe several things in particular:

1. THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER. Some suppose that prayer includes the whole of worship to God and that prayer is a part of worship during the days of the gospel when sacrifices are abolished. Therefore, this can be understood as a prophecy of a great revival of religion with true worship of God among His people, repentance from idolatry, and growth of the Church.

However, it seems reasonable to me to suppose that something even more special is intended regarding prayer given that prayer is not only repeatedly mentioned, but that this prophecy parallels many other prophecies that speak of an extraordinary spirit of prayer preceding that glorious day of revival and advancement of the Church's peace and prosperity. It particularly parallels what the prophet later speaks of the "pouring out of a spirit of grace and supplications" as that which introduces the great religious revival (Zech. 12:10).

2. THE GOOD WHICH SHALL BE BROUGHT BY PRAYER: GOD HIMSELF. Scripture says, "They shall go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts." The good that they seek for is "The Lord of Hosts," Himself. If "seeking God" means no more than seeking the favor or mercy of God then "praying before the Lord," and "seeking the Lord of Hosts" must be looked upon as synonymous. However, "seeking the Lord" is commonly used to mean something far more than seeking something from God. Surely it implies that God Himself is what is desired and sought after.
Thus, the Psalmist desired God, thirsted after Him and sought after Him:

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary ... My soul followeth hard after thee ... Whom have I in heaven by thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee."

The Psalmist earnestly pursued after God; his soul thirsted after Him, he stretched forth his hands unto Him. All of God's saints have this in common: they are those that seek God. "This is the generation of them that seek Him." "Your heart shall live that seek God," etc.

If this be the true sense of this phrase "seeking the Lord of Hosts," then we must understand that God who had withdrawn Himself, or, as it were, hid Himself, would return to His Church, granting the fruits of His presence and communion with His people, which He so often promised, and for which His Church had so long waited.

In short, it seems reasonable to understand the phrase, "seeking the Lord of Hosts" means not merely praying to God, but seeking the promised restoration of the Church of God after the Babylonian captivity and the great apostasy occasioning it is called their "seeking God, and searching for Him;" and God's granting this promised revival and restoration called His being "found of them." (See Jer. 29:10-14)

The prophets occasionally represent God as being withdrawn and hiding Himself: "Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. I hid me, and was wroth." The prophets then go on to represent God's people seeking Him, searching and waiting for and calling after Him. When God answers their prayers and restores and advances His people, according to His promise, then He is said to come and say, "Here am I" and to show Himself, and they are said to find Him and see Him plainly. 
 
"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I ..."
"But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation ... I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right."

"The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.' We wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." (Isa. 58:9; Isa. 45:17,19; Isa. 25:8-9)
3. WE MAY OBSERVE WHO IT IS THAT WILL BE UNITED IN SEEKING THE LORD: "the inhabitants of many cities ... yea, many people and strong nations." Many people from all over the world will unite to seek the Lord. 
 
From the the prophecy, it seems reasonable to assume that this will be fulfilled in the following manner: First, God's people will be given a spirit of prayer, inspiring them to come together and pray in an extraordinary manner, that He would help his Church, show mercy to mankind in general, pour out his Spirit, revive His work, and advance His kingdom in the world as He promised.
Moreover, such prayer would gradually spread and increase more and more, ushering in a revival of religion. This would be characterized by greater worship and service of God among believers. Others will be awakened to their need for God, motivating them to earnestly cry out to God for mercy. They will be led to join with God's people in that extraordinary seeking and serving of God which they see around them. In this way the revival will grow until the awakening reaches whole nations and those in the highest positions of influence. The Church will grow to be ten times larger than it was before. Indeed, at length, all the nations of the world will be converted unto God.

Thus, ten men, out of all languages and nations, will "take hold of the skirt of" the Jew (in the sense of the Apostle), saying "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Thus will be fulfilled, "O thou that heareth prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." 
 
4. WE MAY ALSO OBSERVE THE MANNER OF THEIR UNITY IN PRAYER. It is a visible and voluntary union that was first proposed by some of God's people with others readily joining in over time. Those who live in one city will declare to those of another city, "Let us go" etc. Many of those who hear their declaration will not only join with them but will make the call for the unity in prayer known to still others. As a result, the movement will grow, prevail and spread among God's people.
Some suppose that the words, "I will go also," are to be taken as words spoken by the one making the proposal. He states this expressing his willingness and desire to do what he is asking his hearer to do. But this is to suppose no more than is expressed in the phrase, "Come and let us go ..." itself. It seems more natural to me to understand these words as being the consent or reply of the one to whom the proposal is made. 
 
This is much more agreeable to the flow of the text which represents the compliance of great numbers of people in this movement. And though if these words are thus understood, we must suppose something understood in the text that is not expressed: Those of other cities will say, "I will go also." Yet, this is not difficult to conceive of as such figures of speech are common in the Scripture (Jer. 3:22; Ps. 1:6,7).

5. NEXT, WE CAN OBSERVE THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY AGREE TO PRAY: "Let us go speedily to pray," or, as it says in the margin: let us go continually. Literally translated this means, "let us go in going." The Hebrew language often doubles words for emphasis (e.g., the holy of holies signifies that which is most holy). Such doubling of words also denotes the certainty of an event coming to pass. For example, when God said to Abraham, "in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed," God implies that He would certainly multiply his seed, and multiply it exceedingly.

6. FINALLY, THIS PROPHECY GIVES US A PICTURE OF THIS UNION IN PRAYER BEING AN INVITING AND A HAPPY THING. We sense God's pleasure, and the results prove tremendously successful. From the whole of this prophecy we may infer that it is well pleasing to God for many people, in different parts of the world, to voluntarily come into a visible union to pray in an extraordinary way for those great outpourings of the Holy Spirit which shall advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that God has so often promised shall be in the latter ages of the world.

---

This is an abridged version of a prayer appeal published by Edwards in 1747. The rest pertained to responses to his call to prayer from churches in Britain and North America. Edwards was one of the leading figures of the Great Awakening in North America in the 18th Century. This document was hugely influential in stimulating sustained revival and promoting mission at the end of that century.

Felixstowe Town Pastors Summer Newsletter

Felixstowe Town Pastors have produced a Summer Prayer Newsletter.  It is reproduced below and is also available for download as a pdf here.

Street LIfe: Town Pastors 10th Anniversary

There is a better quality pdf version here.

EBA Assembly

The EBA have released details of the 2016 Assembly which this year is going to be held here in Felixstowe from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June. The keynote speaker is Dotha Blackwood from Spurgeon's College. Do take the opportunity to come to this event as it's a great opportunity to be encouraged and hear what God is doing in the East of England.  The programme for the weekend is as follows:

Friday
19.00pm	BBQ and fellowship at Maidstone Road Baptist Church
Saturday
9.00am	Children’s and youth programme
9.15am	Worship and Bible study
10.15am	Coffee
10.45am	AGM and discussion groups
12.15pm	Break out groups
13.00- 15.15	Picnic Family Fun
14.15-15.15	BMS World Mission
15.30pm	All age celebration
17.00pm	Break for tea
19.30pm	Evening Event - European Football at Maidstone Rd Baptist Church 18:00 (Wales 2nd half) & 20:00 (England)   Otherwise, enjoy the resort. Why not gat a takeaway and bring it to the church?
Sunday
10.30am	Final worship
12.00	Assembly ends

You are strongly advised to bring your own picnic lunch if you are participating in afternoon activities.  The Academy is in a residential area with limited places to  pick up lunch within walking distance.  However, if you are willing to drive off site, Felixstowe is a seaside town with no shortage of places for lunch.

We have produced a guide to Felixstowe, including directions to the Academy for those not familiar with this seaside town.