Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 in a nutshell


2013 in no particular order.
  • Turned 50 and celebrated with an amazing family holiday in Florida and partied in my favourite restaurant Seasons 52. Also had Ben Cantelon sing happy birthday to me at MKCC. See the pic below. lol
  • Celebrated being married to the wonderful Nicola Ritchie for 25 years
  • Abbie came of age - 21. Wow where did those years go.
  • Liam finished college to his delight and started his first job as a Facilities Apprentice.
  • Saw the end of an era with Sir Alex retiring. Sure he did good for Man U but will never be forgotten for what he did at Aberdeen FC. 30 years since Gothenberg wow!
  • Witnessed a Scotsman win Wimbledon!
  • Saw many years of prayer come to fruition with 1000 people gathering each week at MKCC. Now for 2000!
  • Said goodbye to my old mate from college days. William Dillon. Proud to have been give the privilege of saying a few words at his funeral and to carry him down the Shankill Road.
  • Said a goodbye to a new friend of the last couple of years. Loved my chats with Juergen Brinner downloading his wisdom. My regret? there were not more of them!
  • Got to see my friend Roger Blackmore's new church building taking shape before its opening this month. Great times ahead for - Genesis Church
  • Spent time with the love of my life at home and in York, Spain, France, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida & Long Island.
  • Benefited from the ministry of Roger Blackmore, Carlos Whittaker, Lee McDerment & Dave Kraft at MKCC. Amazing!
  • Lost a stone in weight and been pretty good at keeping it off!
And whatever 2014 brings this is my song:

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Saviour;

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Saviour as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

(For anyone reading this from Cairnbulg AOG, I can always here old Obie singing out loud when see that song)


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Glory to the new born king

Some Rend Collective Love.

Click here if you can't see the video

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

I shall be satisfied


When I shall see Thy glory face to face,
When in Thine arms Thou wilt Thy child embrace,
When Thou shalt open all Thy stores of grace,
I shall be satisfied.

When I shall gaze upon the face of Him
Who for me died, with eye no longer dim,
And praise Him with the everlasting hymn,
I shall be satisfied.

- Horatius Bonar

Monday, December 23, 2013

Grace so Glorious


Beneath the cross of Jesus Christ
No shadow remains for shame to hide
Redemption shone for all to see
Perfection bore our penalty
With a grace so glorious...

Immortal day the veil was torn
When mercy donned a crown of thorns
As law gave way to liberty
And freedom for humanity
With a grace so glorious.

Oh the glory of the Saviour's love
Surrounding our surrender
To know forever we are welcomed home

Crowned in glory to glory
Worthy is the Lord of all
The glory forever Holy is the Lord

Triumphant praises without end
All hailing the King of righteousness
And every eye beholds the One
Our hearts were undeserving of
With a grace so glorious

O wondrous day when I will see
The face of Him who ransomed me
I'll fall in worship at His feet
And rise to reign eternally
In a grace so glorious
In a grace so glorious

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Grace is one-way love


Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…. The cliché definition of grace is “unconditional love.” It is a true cliché, for it is a good description of the thing. Let’s go a little further, though. Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the lover. Grace is irrational in the sense that it has nothing to do with weights and measures. It has nothing to do with my intrinsic qualities or so-called “gifts”. It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold…. Grace is one-way love. - Paul Zahl

(HT Pastor Tullian)

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The Risk Love Takes


Thanks to Anne Marie Miller for sharing this great poem by Madeleine L’Engle.

The Risk of Birth

This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war & hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out & the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honour & truth were trampled by scorn
Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Gospel is not meant to make us happy....

Pure Gold - a new video just released by the MLJ Trust of an interview with Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones.

The Gospel is not meant to make us happy....it is meant to reconcile us to God

Click here if you cant see the video

Monday, December 09, 2013

Thank you and where now for MKCC?

Over the last few Sundays we have seen the fulfilment of many years of prayer as we have seen over 1000 people join with us each Sunday at MKCC.

This past Sunday Pastor Mark Sherratt shared our core values at MKCC and cast the vision for our church to grow to see 2000 people join with us each weekend.

To facilitate this MKCC will be moving to 3 services each Sunday - 9 am, 10:45 am & 12 noon.



Click here if you can't see the video

Milton Keynes Christian Centre exists to bring people to Jesus, equipping them to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

As fully devoted followers of Christ... :

WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE 
Lost people matter to God, so they must matter to us.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY 
We do life together - building a loving community.

WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS MATURITY 
We have made an intentional commitment to grow up in Christ.
WE'RE SAVED TO SERVE 
We are simply God's servants doing what he equipped us to do and watching him make the difference.

WE'RE FORGIVEN TO FORGIVE 
We will share radical grace with others in the same uncompromising way we received it from Christ.

WE'RE GIVEN TO GENEROSITY
We will lead the way with irrational generosity - we truly believe it is more blessed to give than receive.

WE'RE BRINGING OUR BEST 
We want to excel in all that we do so that we inspire others, honour God and bring a smile to His face.

Friday, December 06, 2013

A 10,000 year perspective of suffering

An amazing discussion in the goodness of God in suffering by John Piper, Matt Chandler & David Platt.

"I set out to prepare my people for suffering... I don't know how you rejoice in suffering without a sense of the size and magnificence of God" - Matt Chandler

"The fact that He (God) is sovereign over all is the rock for praise, for confidence in the middle of pain." - David Platt

"Sorrowful yet always rejoicing" - John Piper

"God uses sorrowful tragedy to set the stage for surprising triumph whether in this life or the life to come. - David Platt

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Final whisper.... GAIN!

The Calvinist by John Piper

See him nearing death,
Listen to his breath,
Through the ebbing pain,
Final whisper.... GAIN!


The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.

Click here if you can't see the video

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

All About Jesus


God is known to us most profoundly in the mediatorship of Jesus Christ, and it is through the economic relationship of Father-Son and Son-Spirit that we can glimpse into the Trinity.

In creation, God makes the universe in, through, and for Jesus Christ.

In revelation, Jesus Christ unveils the mystery of God, executing the divine covenant for redemption, hidden in ages past but unveiled in these last days.

In eschatology, the end of all things involves every man and woman appearing before the judgment seat of Christ and Christ himself consummating the Father’s purposes of the new creation.

On the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the bearer of the Spirit and the dispenser of the Spirit; only through him is the Spirit given.

The church is a community called and commissioned by Jesus to represent him before the world.

Ethics is the practical discipline of learning to walk in Christ’s steps behind him and showing our likeness to him in our behaviour….

If theology were a maze, every corner and every turn would lead us to Jesus (343-344).

Evangelical Theology - Mike Bird

Monday, December 02, 2013

For yours is the KINGDOM

I had the total honour of closing out our series, "When you pray say...." at Milton Keynes Christian Centre this past Sunday. For yours is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever amen!

Click here if you cant see the video


When You Pray Say - Yours is the Kingdom from MKCCpreaching on Vimeo.