KCF Notes 2013

Please note, these are my jottings during the sermons/messages given by the preachers, teachers and speakers.
They contain actual phrases spoken, summarised comments and other relevant thoughts that came to me at the time.

17/8 Richard Hobson - Rom 1:1-15

Remembering is a spiritual activity. The Psalms encourage this. Romans is a systematic book, with difficult & controversial parts & personal sections. Rom 1:1-15. Paul wants to travel to Rome. Three ways he mentioned his desire to visit them. v11, 13, 14 it wasn't just a whim. He was obliged to preach the gospel. He was keen to keep the work growing. How do we deal with being prevented in doing God's work? He prays for God to overcome the circumstances. Paul submits to God's will. God worked out a way for Paul to preach. v11,12 God had a spirit gift to impart to them. Not a spiritual gift as in 1 Cor 14:12. Faith is a sign of God working in people's lfe. v5 obedience of faith, lives growing is a blessing. Paul needed the Church, the body of Christ, as much as we do. He did not have a monopoly on spirituality. Personal fellowship is indispensable. His letter is extensive, but was inadequate; Paul needed to be with God's people. Communications are good & useful, but personal fellowship is invaluable. Relationships are vital. Although Paul was itinerant, he stayed for weeks or months with people to minister to them. The people of God are a community. We are part of the covenant, one body. More than individuals, corporate. Our Christianity should reflect this. Acts 2, devoted to prayer & fellowship. Press in till goals are achieved. Heb 10:19-26 the corporate nature of Church; we/us. The body does it together. Our spiritual activities are to be done together. v26, there is an urgency. We are preparing for the bride to meet the groom. 3 things to learn. Greater power is not in greater numbers [where 2 or 3]. It comes through faith. There is an awesome spirituality when we meet; seen or unseen. Enjoyment is not the same as power, strengthening or equipping. We are here to be built up, grow, mature, bear fruit. Check scriptures for definition of a good meeting. Look for reliable signs; not always outward. Do not only come to receive or be blessed; do not come empty. As we study & pray during week, keep KCF in mind, share & encourage. Minister to one another. Jesus wants to build His Church.

10/8 Allan Weir - Mk 1:9-13, Isa 11

...wild animals with Jesus. Everything reconciled Col 1:19-20. All of creation. A work of Jesus. Jesus moved from the place of reconciliation, in the power of Holy Spirit. He brought peace, hope, healing, restoration. 2 Cor 5:18 new creatures; from God, our ministry too. He commits His Word to us. Our job is to bring people to God, to rebuild relationships & families. As we fulfil this ministry people will find God & the reality of His Kingdom. Clarity, truth, Kingdom of Heaven. People need hope & purpose. To fulfil this ministry, we must pay the price, deny ourselves, become vessels of honour (His work in us). Present yourself to God, be open to Him. Am I reconciled to God, am I at peace? His deposit in us is peace. Are we reconciled to ourselves, secure in who we are? Mature people can be insecure. It is important to be who you are. Be reconciled to your calling; citizens of heaven, no longer part of the world. Our allegiance is to God. We will be led into, pushed into the dessert, the testing place. He tests us to show/prove how much we have grown. In trials we are disciplined, we develop and grow. Realise how strong & loving, we really are. Discover that you have all you need. His grace empowers & enables us. We have the message & the means. The Word does the work, not our effort. He commits this to us. Power left Jesus each time He healed. Heb 1:14 angels work with us. We have His authority & leading. Gal 5:6 faith expressed through love.

4/8 William Butchart - Col 1:24-end The Word is good news! Bring hope to all areas of your life. We have been in situations where we have suffered, even if just humiliation. Paul was always able to rise above & see through the trials. Paul doesn't stumble upon salvation or a life of discipline. He knows when we come to Christ, it is all about Jesus. Can we rejoice in suffering? It is not true that the Christian life is all rosy. All suffering is for Christ, not just work or family etc. We are always living for God. Suffering can be unjust; this happened to Jesus. All that you do is for God. Our whole lives are for Christ. God cares about everything. Be a good steward of what God has given. He is our hope, of glory. Paul understood something much deeper; in all situations there is hope in God. Paul knows that with God in him & in his life he would overcome. In the end we will be with God. We are going to be with Him. Keep a heavenly perspective. Satan has lost his hold on us. Our victory is assured. Is the thing that is being shaken more precious to you than God? Nothing is powerful enough to pull us from God's grasp. v28 His power. Being in a Christian community is being discipled, being responsible. Keep on His path, become mature. This is for everyone. We are not to make clones, but disciples. Invest in one another, care, nurture. Encourage & build up. God is working in us and using us. Let God use you. Live with God working through you, doing His work. We are part of a community of sinners. We are sanctified through HS, but we hurt one another. We will share in suffering, we may need to suffer due to someone else. Rejoice in Christ.

3/2 James Palmer - Isa 40

Comfort, comfort my people... We encourage each other. We take comfort in the familiar verses. It is deeper & has a greater context & significance. It follows a very significant miracle. (evidence in British museum) Sennacherib, not a military campaign, an internal building program. The neighbouring nation start trouble. He becomes confident and starts to take over the world. Then in 2 Kings 18:13-37 he tries to take over Jerusalem. He surrounded the city, they had no hope. They try to undermine Hezekaiah. Jerusalem has nothing left but its trust in God. They were eating their children since they had nothing else. Hezekaiah was a godly king. How close does God feel at times like this? Hezekaiah prays and pleads with God. God liberates them. 180,000 were slain by God. Babylonians & Persians had no tactics, but many men. They were destroyed by God. A victorious, yet bleak moment in history. We take comfort and encouragement from being God's people. Israel was a hollow shell, but God brings comfort. He reminds them who they are. God is to be trusted more than any man or army, sickness or trouble, even death. God is bigger than any of our problems. v28... Wait on God.

27/1 William Butchart - Jude 1-4

[Currently on placement @ Glenrothes Baptist & memorising scriptures.] Twitter, condensing life into 140 characters. Thinking & reason are not the means of salvation. Doctrine is important, but what is its correct place in Church life? Misuse can cause division. v4 the Church is Blind, false teaching has sneaked in un-noticed and they are being perverted. Truth is being exchanged for lies. We should know what we believe. The background is that Jude, a servant [the half-brother of Jesus], sees a problem with the people of God, Satan is deceiving them. 1 Pet 2:9 they have been called by God. Jn 1:13 He loves them. The Church is slipping into legalism. Do we know we are beloved? We are kept for the purposes of Jesus 1 Cor 1:8, He will lose no-one! He is stronger than our enemy. What should Church look like? Be aware of the threats that attack the Church. Doctrine, when used wrongly is harmful. When used as teaching, it can guide us. Use with discernment. Use it to understand correct Biblical truth, orthodox faith. What false teaching are we subjected to today? Are we accepting sensuality in place of ? Search for the truth. How equipped & ready are we for what will come [or is already here]? Do we know the meaning of the gospel? Even the basics of the faith can become muddied. What is our hope? Are we depending on God for our righteousness? Jesus is our saviour - much more than just an example. What motivation do we have to live the life Jesus is calling us to? The gospel will highlight our weaknesses and lacking abilities. Salvation is never by works. He is the sole hope for redemption. Abide in Him, produce fruit. Christ's ones are called & beloved, prepared to give an answer. Reflect His graciousness. Find the truth, avoid being polarised on either side. Doctrines are summaries, the Bible is truth.

20/1 Allan Weir - Heb 6:9-20

Our goal is love. God's Word is transformational. There are 7000 promises in Bible. Some are for now, others for beyond time. There is a gap between the promise being given and being fulfilled. Prov 13:12. How do we manage the period? 1 Jn 2:25. Hope = confident expectation. In vv 9,14 promises accompany salvation. There are promises to enter into now. The Kingdom of God has come. We have spiritual blessings; from Holy Spirit. Gal 3:9 we have the blessings of Abraham - in every way! We are body, soul & spirit. There are physical and non-physical blessings. The promises lead us into divine life, 2 Pet 1:4. His promises are magnificent, glorious, wonderful. With the promise of life with God, He promises abundant blessing. His promises are true, God is faithful. Num 23:19. Heb 13:8. James, no turning with God. He is constant. Believe and let the truth get hold of us. Heb 6:16. Heb word faithful means prop-up, support, carry. Deut 32:4 God of faithfulness. Mal 3:6. He keeps promises even when we don't. In Christ all the promises are ours. God is faithful to His purpose. He wants us to have eternal life. Adam & Eve had the tree of life, we have the saviour, Jesus. How do we bridge the gap until we see the fulfilling? Attitude & thinking are very important. Believe the promises are for you. There are usually conditions with promises. They are a partnership agreement. Our participation is normally required. God has a priority of personal growth in us. Rom 5:3 - character is important to God. Heb 5:8 the Son learned obedience through suffering to become perfect. Heb 5:14. Faith and patience lead to inheritance; to move us into the bigger place, God has to grow us. Deut 7:22. Trade scientific thinking for a spiritual approach. Take refuge, abide in God, to inherit. Maturity is a requirement for inheritance. Gal 4:2. God is our guardian. Build on a good foundation. Heb 6:1-8. Be practitioners of the faith. Walk the walk. Be patient, wait. Wait actively, trusting God. Our action can be out of insecurity & impatience. Imitate the people of faith; those alive and dead. Be diligent. God doesn't work in a vacuum! Be a disciple, be disciplined. Keep anchored in the eternal hope. Keep your eyes on Jesus. All these things will be added to you. Focus on the God of blessing rather than the blessing of God.

13/1 Paul Younger - Gal 5:16-26

Self-control [Gk enkrateia - self-governance, krateia=government]: temperance, self-control, discipline. The term is not unique to this passage. Plato refers to self-mastery. William Barclay uses phrase: master of desires. 1 Cor 9 alludes to athletic discipline & training. 1 Cor 7 - contains a similar list of effects of the sinful nature and impure living. This is the daily war we wage within over our base instincts. The choices we make: reading material, films, friends. If you didn't want Jesus watching over your shoulder, should you do it? Spirit-control may be a more helpful concept. Call on Holy Spirit to help you. Take care of the details and stick to the plan. Love (top of the list) is the foundation, enkrateia (last on the list) is the enabler of all these fruit. This will enable us to make the right choices and stay faithful. Jesus, again, is the highest example: the garden of Gethsemane, trial, crucifixion. We can emulate this control. Heb 12, cloud of witnesses, look to Jesus, don't grow weary. Be fruitful!

6/1 William Butchart - Mark 1:1-11

Good news for Gentiles. Israel has had 400 years of propetic silence. They were wandering lost, although some were seeking God. They were controlled by a foreign power & their expectations were mis-directed. Into this bleak situation, Mark declared that good news was coming. John's ministry was thriving, people were thirsty. The clothing of John is that of Elijah, the messenger. He proclaims the gospel & repentance. Something was going on; it was big, yet something bigger was on the way. John remembered that this was all about God. What does this reveal about our expectations? Israel was still looking for God to move. What do we think God will do? How will it happen? Baptism - a new, quirky form of ritual washing. Then comes Jesus. Not inside the Church! Hold fast to God, pray, expect and trust His faithfulness. He does unexpectedly great things. Remarkable things happen when God moves in on ordinary situations. Believe in the promised Messaiah. Hold fast & believe. God is not remote & uninterested. Everyone came to John to repent. He maintained his humility, served in the ministry that God called him to. Keep focussed on the Messaiah. Present success must be seen in relation to God. Jesus is coming back! Fulfill your calling; remember who you are. Follow John's way, Jesus' way. The Saviour alone makes us righteous. Whatever you are holding out for, hold fast to God. Practice humility, His return is near. He works to His own timetable.

9/11/13 Sandy Thomson on FB N T Wright tells us that when Paul was talking to the Philippians he said “they are to live as light in the midst of darkness, as resurrection people.” (Phil 2:14) They must look to the job they have been given. I have often wrestled with where we start as resurrection people, saving the trees, oceans or even fighting poverty is all good. Making disciples is mandatory. I am now confident that we must re-establish the sharing between the generations in the church and look again at what we mean by formation and development. We have a chance to share the excitement of the good news through all the generations and to begin to understand what that means to each of the groups within our fellowship.
(Sandy gave KCF a prophecy re sheep in 2010 when Jan, Colin, Maureen, Billy & Gail joined KCF. This qoute was spotted following a message by Allan Weir & a discussion on discipleship on 6/11/11)

22/2/12 Matthew Parris (Spectator 2012) One of the reasons we can be pretty sure Jesus actually existed is that if He had not, the Church would never have invented Him. He stands so passionately, resolutely and inconveniently against everything an established church stands for. Continuity? Tradition? Christ had nothing to do with stability. He came to break up families, to smash routines, to cast aside the human superstructures, to teach abandonment of earthly concerns and a throwing of ourselves upon God’s mercy.

1/1/12 Paul Valler (Christianity Jan2012) - Sabbath

"Not working all the time means more of a dependence on God to provide. Activity & achievement are ways we feel good about ourselves. Sabbath helps to guard us from that achievement-centred spirituality."
"In music, rests and silences are the context in which sounds are enjoyed, and in the same way, rest provides the context from which meaning is drawn from work and life"
"It is this 'time outside of time' that we pursue in the Sabbath. I find that starting the Sabbath on the previous evening helps me unwind."
"Sabbath says the oppposite. Everything else is what is left when you have put the Sabbath (and therefore time honouring God) first"
"To think not just about holidays but holy days... sustains us for the future"

1/1/12 Mike Taylor (Christianity Jan2012) - Interview

There's quite a battle raging in America (and starting here too) between creationists and evolutionists. How do you view the arguments?
"They are a complete waste of time and energy. Scientists who should be doing valuable research are distracted into refuting frankly loony 'science'. Worse still, Christians who should be spreading the love of Christ are distracted into a fruitless argument that has nothing to do with the gospel, and can only be a hindrance to scientists who might otherwise be open to Christ. It really is the most appallingly pointless and destructive conflict - all the more so because it's between two sides that aren't even opposed, as they would realise if they'd only listen to each other.

1/1/12 Darrel Tunningley (Christianity Jan2012) - From prison to pulpit

When did you become a Christian ? "'This morning!', because it's a daily decision."

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