St Mary’s Rawtenstall Ladies Fellowship Meeting
Romans 4: 13 – end “Our hopes depend on God’s promise and rest on grace.
Above Chocolate Festival
The ‘Churches Together’ leaders in Ramsbottom were inspired by Pastor Phil Burns’ Hash tag #doyouknowHim? Campaign which took place in Skipton last year, to hold it in Ramsbottom.
They also contacted Capernwray Bible College 8 Students came to help as part of their syllabus. they were with us for the first ten days during which they ministered in schools, youth groups and play groups,
27th January the Launch Service with Bishop Mark and Phil Burns commissioning us to “Go and tell all nations” the good news The emphasis throughout the campaign is that all 14 Churches are ‘the one church’ in Ramsbottom, and each Sunday every church focuses on the same readings from the Bible and the small groups.
Before the start of the campaign which was on the 23rd February for 10 weeks, we’ve had a 24/7 prayer day and a prayer morning plus weekly prayer meeting.
26th January we had a training day for going out on to the streets.
Pastor Phil Burn spoke from his experience, he gave us lots of pointers on the way to evangelise. He said, do not fear evangelism. Each week there’s a theme to engage people with. and for us to enjoy and get excited about evangelism.
Phil said, the art of connecting is with your story. We all have a story of coming to know Jesus.
On Saturday 23rd February we gathered at St Pauls for 9.30am for the briefing and prayer. We took out ‘Bags of Blessings’ . A bag with several items in it.
A plaster – to remind you that God wants to heal your hurts.
A love heart – so you know how loved you are.
String – because wants to help you hold it together in tough times
Rubber – to remind you God forgives your mistakes and offers a fresh start
Star – to remind you that God will guide you forward.
Paperclip – so you are always organised
Kiss – so you know that God’s love is here to connect with.
The item given out opens-up, an opportunity to share our faith.
Two kinds of faith – when I go to the supermarket, I put my faith in paying using my credit card, believing the Bank will carry out the transaction.
Faith under God is different
Romans 4: 16 Paul writes receiving Jesus by faith, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all Abraham’s descendants.”
Faith –depends on God’s promise and rests on grace.
In Rammy when we speak out our belief, we’re resting in God’s promise, believing that the Holy Spirit acts upon the word of the promise ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ and we rest on God’s grace for people responding by coming to faith in Jesus.
Verse 17. God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”
So, for the person receiving the word by faith accepting Jesus is to call into existence’ a new creation in Christ.
Faith –depends on God’s promise and rests on grace.
Week 5 ‘Sound Portrait‘ Epiphany Musicians
A small orchestra: 3 violins, a cello, a flute, and a keyboard. Lead by the Holy Spirit they played and sang moving around the person sat on a chair. It was so moving the harmony was heavenly, afterwards the leader of the orchestra spoke to the person describing their portrait in words. Every person received the ‘Sound Portrait’ on a CD. In the evening St Andrew’s hosted Epiphany Musicians Concert. During the concert two people had ‘Sound Portraits. 
A fortnight ago week 7 it was the Chocolate festival and the theme was God’s love, we gave out a small box containing leaflet, a scripture verse and a chocolate. I witnessed to several people, but two conversations were significant:
I was stood outside the Station in Ramsbottom handing these out, when two ladies came up to me and asked me the question, ’Is Jesus God? I replied, “Jesus is the word of God clothed in the flesh.” He was sent by God from heaven to become one of us, to enable us to enter into heaven . . . .” I asked what had caused her to ask the question, she said, that she had watched the film, ‘The Shack’ and she hadn’t quite understood if Jesus was God or not. The film presents God as a Caribbean woman, Jesus a European man and the Holy Spirit as a Chinese woman. .
The author William Young chose the worst scenario, ‘A murdered child.” Very relevant with what’s happening in our cities with the knife crime.
In the film Mack Philips received an anonymous letter telling him to go to the shack, he was puzzled as to who had sent him this letter. It was at the Shack where his abducted daughter ‘Missy’ was murdered.
God took him to the shack, to the point of his pain. Mack Philips blamed God for allowing this to happen to his daughter.
Unforgiveness is the effect, of a root cause, so forgiveness takes effect, by allowing Jesus to journey with us to the point of the root cause.
There in the Shack he argued with God saying, “Where were you when my daughter needed you?” Even Jesus cried out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” God replied, “I did feel Jesus’ pain,”
God identified with the man in his suffering, and showed him the nail marks in the wrist, and pointed out that Jesus forgave his perpetrators when on the cross he cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
The man understood the cost to God, his tragic loss, where Jesus was delivered up on the cross according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. Acts 2: 23. God offered Jesus as a final sacrifice for forgiveness of sin.
That recalled when Abraham who laid his son Isaac on the altar and Abraham words, “The Lord will provide.” Or “The Lord will see to it.” “Jehovah Jireh.” Genesis 22: 14.
In the film, God asked the man to forgive the person who murdered his daughter and it was hard for him to come to that place of forgiveness, God’s love is in forgiveness.
Which links in with another lady on the street who couldn’t forgive the sin against her.
I shared with her about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and the crucifixion.
It seemed appropriate this afternoon to share the disciples and Sue’s journey: The disciples faith in him was devastated and scared they knew that Jesus had been condemned to be crucified, the crowd had mocked Jesus and shouted ‘crucify him, crucify him’ Jesus understood everything that was happening to him and he forgive them. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And shortly afterwards he said, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” He handed his whole life to God, and trusted that he would be raised up from the dead.
On the road to Emmaus Jesus opened the scriptures to them, so they knew that God had foretold that Jesus would die at Jerusalem. Their healing came as he explained why the events in Jerusalem had to take place through the prophesies and their hearts burned within them, shortly afterwards they recognised who the stranger was when he broke bread with them.
The lady straight away poured out her painful story, as a result we could identify how we suffer with someone we love, and it hurts.
Jesus knows by his own experience how we are affected, he was the injured party and in his love for those who sinned against him he was willing to forgive them, and by doing so he made it possible for sin to be forgiven. But it’s up to us, if we can’t forgive then we are holding on to their sin and it will build a wall of bitterness, that is detrimental to our well-being. We ended the conversation with a prayer.
it’s as we understand that God’s love is in forgiveness and we can find healing through forgiving others as God has forgiven us.
When a Christian forgives it’s by grace, through Jesus dwelling within us, “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ.” Philippians 2: 5.
All the conversations by the #doyouknowHim? teams were said in faith:
“Faith is having the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11: 1.
I was assured by the Lord that the word, would not return to the Lord empty as God had prepared beforehand these God appointed meetings.
Afterwards, I was asked this question: “Can we forgive the sin of another person, without being involved in their situation?
In the Anglican Church service we call it the ‘Absolution’. Were the person leading the service says a prayer of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness.
I personally believe that because Jesus’ dwells within us, every Christian has Jesus’ authority to forgive other peoples sin on behalf of our Lord God.
What are your thoughts on this question?