23rd November 2014

 The Fifth sign. The man born blind John 9:1-41
Geoff looks at the significance of this healing in the light of John’s unfolding explanation and argument that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. This is part of our series of “Jesus and the prophets. “ It is both an incident that provides revelation, but also of judgment, as the scenes play out with the actors involved.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website .

16 November 2014.

 Worship God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.Revelation 19: 9, 10.
In this final talk from Revelation Jane Thorington-Hassell sought to understand this statement about the nature of prophecy. She suggested that the meaning is expansive and also definitive. The co-operative nature of prophecy is the Holy Spirit at work with men and women born again of the Spirit. THE Holy Spirit will always bear witness to Jesus. This statement explains what is going on continuously in OT prophecy, and John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, and the prophets of the church past and present. Also the Spirit continues to bear witness to Jesus both in the local church worship and also in the world. We can all as true sons and daughters of God prophesy and should desire to do so as we bear witness to Jesus.  Prophecy builds up the church but also witnesses to Jesus in the world. JTH

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the  website

9th November 2014.

Revelation 22: 6 – 21. Jesus is coming: wash your robes clean vv 14, 15.

In this Communion talk we remember what Jesus has done – until he comes. Again the focus on how we live until he comes. We are to get ready for the wedding by washing our robes; a metaphor for righteous living – thoughts and actions that are pleasing to God. Blessing: those who do this will be happy according to the words of this prophesy. Consistency is a problem for most of us who follow Jesus. Those who do the Scripture tells us will eat of the tree of life and also enter the city. We are not told where the others are but rather where they are not and what they don’t enjoy. They are simply not there. John lists 7 groups of people who will be excluded because of their choices and actions. (7 number of completion). There are “no dogs” in the city (this has nothing to do with Collies and Labradors). Listen and discover the grace (v21) that everyone needs.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website.

2nd November 2014.

Revelation 22: 6- 21 – Jesus is coming.

How do we therefore live? Creation teaching runs from Genesis through to Revelation and beyond. How do we use the time we have until he comes? Today’s learning included break out groups within the talk and feedback about how we use the time. Timing: what does “soon” mean as Jesus says 3 times that he is coming back. (Meaning of parousia). Peter says, There is no difference in the Lord’s sight between a day and a 1,000 years (2 P3:8). These verses state 7 things of importance for us until he comes. (7 again number of completion). Finally 2 signposts point to the return of the Lord Jesus: the collapsed Temple and also the sun and the moon. Listen to discover why.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

26th October 2014.

Walking on water. The fifth sign: John 6:16-21.

The fifth of seven signs has at its heart terror and revelation and follows hard on the heels of the fourth sign pointing to Jesus as the Son of God so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah the Son of God and that through your faith in him you may have life”(John 20:31) asking and answering the question who is Jesus? Geoff as the speaker explores the attitude of the crowd and compares this to the disciples as they become increasingly convinced of who Jesus is as “ the Christ of God “, the “Holy One of God “ which becomes the settled basis of commitment to follow after whatever the consequences that play out because they are convinced increasingly just who Jesus really is.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

19th October 2014.

Revelation 22: 1-6. River of the Water of Life in the new Jerusalem and the new heaven and earth.

Vision of a future city with no temple – a strange idea for Jews. V5 Now I am making all things new! The gates of the city stand open and it is set within a new heaven and earth. The doctrine of creation runs throughout the Bible and is not limited to 6 days or even eras. Genesis to Revelation : creation to new creation. The most significant parallel to Revelation 22 the last chapter of the Bible is the first chapters of Genesis. The miraculous river flows throughout Scripture and is prophesied by Joel, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Jesus himself spoke of the waters of eternal life and of the river of the Holy Spirit that he would release. Human need of fresh, clean water for life. The tree of life spans both sides of the river and bears fruit and leaves for the healing of the nations.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

12th October 2014.

Revelation 21 – new heaven and new earth, new Jerusalem.

The speaker again asked us throughout to consider what we can learn from the insights of the revelation. Also she stressed that “each vision is to be interpreted in the light of the rest of scripture”, Michael Wilcox. The promise of a “new Jerusalem” around AD90 just about 20 years after the destruction of Jerusalem would have been very significant to the churches. We refreshed our minds about the biblical metaphors of city and bride and talked about a city with no buildings. The city represents God’s people and God dwelling with his people. So what? How do we then live? We have no permanent city here on earth but God calls us to be co-builders now of a city whose builder and maker is God. Abraham also looked for such a city.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website

5th October 2014.

Revelation 20. Millennium – evil and final judgement.

We asked how Christians view the 1,000 years and Satan being bound for 1,000 years. Is the millennium symbolic or literal? Some Christians await a “golden age”. The speaker examined Amillenialism – the view that the rule of Christ is current and that evil is being restrained. We briefly made reference to 2 Thessalonians 2 – the man of lawlessness and the OT prophet Ezekiel 35 – 48. The speaker argued that the perspective of Revelation gives us a larger perspective.

Notes will usually be available on the downloads section of the website