God said you cannot kill (Exodus 20:13), and he who is angry with someone is as guilty of murder as someone who commits that crime (Matthew 5:21,22; 1 John 3:15), and because of his anger is going to be impaired in his judgements and perceptions .

The bible does however say that nations have the right to kill humans when bringing justice to restrain evil and bring true justice (Romans 13); and we have the dispensation to kill animals for food (Genesis 9). The irony about our current legal position is that we outlawed capital punishments for crimes, and in the next decade introduced killing to the maternity wards of our nation by legalising abortion. Since that landmark ruling there has been pressure on so-called mercy killing of the infirm adult with increasing publicity in a compassionate sort of way on those who decide to take their own life in assisted suicide.

Within this debate there is an assumption that we have a right to take our own life when we choose to; just as mothers can decide when to end the lives of their unborn children. The Bible would say we have no such right, but in our godless society I quite expect there to come about some allowance of assisted suicide. The one thing that prevents it now is that if the law changed, there would be the real possibility of pressure being brought by professional or family on a helpless infirm person to be murdered legally.

I would like to know if we are currently complying with the view that we should not have assisted suicide because of the occasions when the person could be killed when they do not want to die, why does this same argument not apply to abortion also? No unborn child wants to die! Wouldn’t it be great if politicians revisited some of the foundations on which our nation stands now and returns to biblical foundations. It would help strengthen our society and stabilize our nation.

Jonathan

Our nation is at a crossroads without knowing the way to the cross. We have so ignored, and in some cases fought against the Christian faith, that now few realise how precious and good Christianity is, and how wonderful to discover Jesus is real! Yet despite all this the Christian faith still lives and grows.

Despite declining church attendance, prayer being purged from hospital staff routines or bible teaching from schools; hundreds are finding Jesus in our land today. We will not necessarily find a faith to return to God in the corridors of power in our land. But faith is rising amongst the poor and needy who cry out to Him; Amongst victims of life’s twists or man’s rules, faith can rise.

The Church needs to be ready, for the gospel reaches far beyond the church and God is calling many to follow Him who have never been to church. God is calling us to welcome and include all who wish to follow Jesus. We are in this together. God has a purpose for our country and we want to follow Jesus as He reclaims our country to serve the nations of the world.

Lord make us a blessing not a curse; make us wise not foolish; may we understand what the will of the Lord is. May your Kingdom come so that your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jonathan

Dear All

Jesus came to give life on the inside where it counts . This life comes by knowing God as Father (John 17:3), something which we all can do whether we had an earthly father we knew or not. On the inside we know how to pray without anyone telling us, and once we give Jesus permission to partner with us in that inside realm of our lives, we also begin to know what He is doing and thinks about stuff around us and within us. We start a journey which means we grow in trust and obedience of Him. This changes our life, brings to us on the inside resources we never knew we could have, and this inside life will show itself around us. When this happens to people in sufficient numbers it brings blessing to communities and changes nations for the better. “God so loved the world” reminds us that God is for everyone having this life and living life to be a possible blessing to everyone.

The adverts would try to say that life is found in money and possessions. Jesus explicitly said that you would not find life there (Luke 12:15), but only anxiety (Luke 12:22,8:14). The Bible also says that life is now found in knowledge and education (Ecclesiastes 12:12; 1:18). In addition breaking any of the 10 commandments do not bring life. Committing murder kills; but so does adultery! Relationships where there is immorality or betrayal do not bring life. Sex in the forbidden zone has an excitement which quickly turns sours as there is no true foundation to move on into building the relationship together further. Proverbs 9:17-18; 23:27; 5:15-23; 6:23. How many in our nation are being fooled into seeking to find life in this way....immorality is so prevalent that few even question sex outside marriage as a possible wrong thing to do, and the church is often silent on the issue! Where are the adults with a righteous lifestyle who can model the truth? There are many faithful marriages, but how many of those were engaged in sex before they got married?

Life is found in repentance. Turning from our pride and self assurance to Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Repentance is marked by change. Our old choices will still raise their heads trying to get us to repeat first the patterns and then the sins of our past or the sins within the community where we live; repentance is a path where we stick to obedience in the relationship with Jesus. Jesus died on a cross so that we could be forgiven. We no longer need to operate according to the sins we once did, making up for the past or fearful of the future. We can live life with God each day, for Jesus is raised from the dead!! All we need to do is follow Jesus. Life is found here and nowhere else!!!


Jonathan

On The Move at Scarborough 26th – 29th August 2009

Scarborough Churches Together are holding another On The Move and would appreciate your prayers and support. You can also volunteer to take part.

Dates for the Scarborough On The Move are:

Commissioning Service – Sunday 23rd August, 6.30pm at Albermarle Baptist Church
Training Night – Tuesday 25th August, 7pm at Albermarle Baptist Church
Wed 26th – Sat 29th OTM – meet at 9am each day at Albermarle Baptist Church
Open Air Service – Sunday 30th August, 6.30pm outside the old Woolworths site

Please note that if you would like to attend they would appreciate it if you attended the Training Night on the Tuesday evening - just turn up

For further information regarding On the Move barbque Ministry visit

www.onthemove.org.uk

News In Brief

• There is no Prayer & Presence Prayer meeting this Tuesday 4th August and no Tuesday mid week service Tuesday 4th August

• Please remember to book up for the Yorkshire Prayer Conference on Saturday 15th August at York University. Booking forms are available from Key Centre Reception or info online at

www.yorkshireprayerconference.org.uk

IONA PILGRIMAGE (5th-9th October)
There are still a few places available on an autumn pilgrimage to Iona led by writer and broadcaster, Revd Rob Marshall. The pilgrimage leaves from York Railway station in the early afternoon of Monday 3rd (easily reachable via train from all parts of the south) and journeys north to the Erskine Bridge where there is an overnight stay with dinner. Next morning, the coach takes us via the beautiful shores of Loch Lomond to the lovely town of Oban from where we board a ferry to Mull. We journey across Mull on our coach to Fionphort and take a smaller boat onto the island of Iona for three nights of prayer, reflection and meditation. Accommodation is in a range of comfortable B&B’s on the island. The return journey is from Iona direct to York on the Friday, arriving back in the early evening. The price in a twin room is £465 (half board). Iona played an enormous role in the spreading of what is now called Celtic Christianity across the UK in the 7th/8th centuries. Brochures available on 01482 562455

Kingfisher Trust

Extraordinary General Meeting

Catholic Church Hall July 29 @ 7.30 pm

Kingfisher trust is an interdenominational Christian Trust currently giving help and a voice to the rough sleepers in Bridlington. The Board faces a crisis
and would ask all persons with a heart for the homeless to come to the meeting to help us move forward into the plans which the Lord has for us . We are
on the verge of getting premises to use as a day shelter but urgently need to call on the skills and resources of the churches in Bridlington.

Please come if you can and pray for our future,

Deirdre McGarry Chair

New Conference Details

We are delighted to announce that Andy Hall will be coming back for another Releasing the Kingdom Conference at Christ Church in October.

For full details click on the link below

www.christchurchbridlington.com/releasing%20the%20kingdom.html

You can also find out more information about Andy Hall on his website

http://www.equippedtolivenetwork.org/

News From Epiphany

Dear friends,

Thanks for praying for our involvement in the ‘Whatever Next?’ day on Monday. We had a lovely day working together with Jeremy Clare to put on this pilot venture. Jeremy’s idea of having a day away to explore the question ‘Whatever Next?’ as people come to various crossroads in their life, is a tried and tested model that has worked extremely well for many people over the last few years. Adding music to this to help in the exploration process seemed to be an excellent idea to try.

We played several pieces of music throughout the day: some classical music (a lovely Handel Sonata movement which we all took part in – even Keith Entwistle on percussion!), a gentle rendition of a well known worship song – and a number of different and varied improvisations. Clearly many were touched or spoken to as we played, including a number who were not Christians.

One person came up to us at the end of the day and said that our improvised music was just like Jesus ministering – He comforted those in pain, struggling with life. Sometimes He was misunderstood or rejected but He reached out in love to those in greatest need. This person felt that our music was like this – Jesus walking among them ministering to needs in a deep way. Some wouldn’t understand as the music sometimes isn’t ‘easy listening’ (like worship music or gentle classical music is), but it touched the deepest parts of people’s lives.

Others wrote:

• Your music released words, pictures, thoughts etc in such a concentrated amount of time compared to what I would normally ‘hear’

• The improvisation was brilliant – sensitive, inspired and helpful
We’re going to explore whether it may be possible to put on more days like this. It would be great to offer such a day again as it clearly helped many who were there. However, from a cost perspective it isn’t easy to make this work as the team was fairly large: 5 musicians, Jeremy Clare and 2 other facilitators – plus catering, travel, venue hire etc. So do pray that Jeremy in particular would have wisdom as he ponders this.

All in all, and excellent day and one which we thoroughly enjoyed being part of.

I thought you may like to know that we have now posted videos onto YouTube of our recent performance (in June) of Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet as part of the ‘Sunday Evening Coffee Concerts with Epiphany’ series at Poynton Methodist Church. We thought you may like to see a video of this – so here are the links to the various movements of this piece:


Do let us know what you think!

Our main series of 5 ‘Sunday Evening Coffee Concerts with Epiphany’ for next season begins with our 1st concert on Sunday 20th September – with 4 other concerts planned over the following few months. I’ve attached a flyer about this series - do come along if you can. Seasons tickets are available offering 5 concerts for the price of 4. Do get in touch if you’d like to join us for all/some of these concerts.

Please also put the date of our next ‘Happening’ in your diary – which is Saturday eve 24th October. Again, do join us for this if you can.

Thanks again for your much valued prayer. Please continue to pray that we'd walk closely with our Father and continue to be obedient to His call.
Every blessing,
Richard

UK Revival Prophecy:

Smith Wigglesworth 1947

Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947), who is known as the apostle of faith, moved in mighty signs and wonders and even raised people from the dead! Shortly before he passed into glory he prophesied, “During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterised by the restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches.

In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, ‘This is a great revival.’ But the Lord says, ‘No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.’ When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit.

When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nations, and indeed, the world have ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years. The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth.” UK Revival Home

Jonathan writes:-

We should look to events where the new meets the old. The marks of the beginning of this revival that Smith Wigglesworth proiphesied is when there are both the old church and the new church together in a obedience and love of the word of God with an openness to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Yorkshire Conference on August 15th might be just one such event.

New Wine also might be another. I wonder too if the Bawtry gathering might be another such event. I expect a series of different manifestations all of which lead to the revival in our land which spills out into other nations of the earth. It is gtreater than Wesley and Welsh revivals because its effect on church and their communities will be greater all over the land and from there spread by contagious heat and light to places of darkness and brokenness where nations can be revived with Jesus central to its life.

Photos From Licensing of Dave Chislett

Revd Dave Chislett at St Mark’s West Hill

on Thursday July 9th, 2009 as he was licensed by the Bishop of Hull
as Assistant Curate of Christ Church and of Bessingby with special
responsibility for Bessingby

Rachel Hickson - Visiting Christ Church Bridlington 19th & 20th July

Sunday 19th July 6pm Service at Christ Church

Followed by

Monday July 20th 2009
4.00pm - 6.00pm & 6.30pm - 8.00pm

Rachel Hickson of Heartcry will be coming to Christ Church and will provide teaching as well as encouragement for us to intercede for Yorkshire and the nation

Tea & Coffee available during 6.00pm to 6.30pm

Bridlington Is Good News Photos

Thanks to Dan Mackay for the photos

Jean Darnall

Back in the sixties American evangelist, Jean Darnall, experienced a dramatic vision of charismatic renewal coming to the church in the British Isles. At Harrogate recently she referred to this...

Churches Together in Bridlington

Items for Information and Prayer July 2009

Monday 20th July: East Yorkshire Prayer Conference, Christchurch 4pm and 6.30pm

Saturday 15th August: Yorkshire Prayer Conference, York University, All Day.

Tuesday 1st September: Passion Play planning group, Emmanuel Church 7.30pm

Thursday 17th September: First Rehearsal, Churches Together Choir, for “Come Together” (Spa 21st November), at Salvation Army, 7.30pm.

Monday 21st September: Churches Together Prayer and Share, Priory Office, 7pm

Sunday 8th November: Auditions for Passion Play Good Friday 2010, Emmanuel Church, 2pm.

Monday 16th November: Churches Together Prayer and Share Meeting, venue to be confirmed, 7pm.

Wednesday 18th November to Sunday 22nd November: Christian Cultural Music Festival

Entry forms for the Youth Music Festival Competition and other details may be found on http://www.ccmf.co.uk/

Why The House of Prayer?

The focus of the House Of Prayer is to release GOD’S KINGDOM down here on earth. It is a powerful tool not only to strengthen & protect the church but to fight against the works of darkness remembering the battle is the Lords’

We pray to cover, protect and bring into being down here on earth God’s Kingdom into our families, church, community and nation. We also bring GOD situations in the world.

A tall order! BUT A MIGHTY GOD. We find joy, blessing and strength as we obey. Every prayer counts - yes - even Amens! Would you like to join us?

Contact 01262 404100 for details

Kathyrn Scott - Causeway Coast Vineyard