Watchnight

As the Moses and the Israel nation left Egypt the Bible calls that night a WATCHNIGHT because God watched over them carefully.

God kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because God kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honor God by keeping watch this night—a watchnight. - Ex 12 v 42

Growing up I was taken each year to a Watchnight service at church. It started at 10:30 pm on the last night of the year and ran into the early hours of the new year. To be honest I used to hate going I wanted to be out celebrating with friends. But once I was there they were great times. It was one of those sorts of services where the floor was open for anyone to speak. After the obligatory long silence someone would break the ice. What I used to love was hearing people tell their story of how God had been involved in their lives through good and sometimes tragic circumstances. People that would never as much as say boo in a church service seemed to pluck up courage to honour their Saviour. Often tears ran down my face. Faith in the middle or crap always messes me up.

I guess they were called watchnight in that somehow we kept watch at night before God and kept our eyes on Him.

I think I still prefer God's version of Watchnight. When he is carefully watching over us even through the night of dark times. When the darkness invades and its way beyond your control and your are facing the death of your expectations, it's comforting to know the God who is in control is on watchnight duty.

The Story of a Chair

About 3 weeks ago we launched a Chair Fund at MKCC. The aim to buy 700 chairs for our new auditorium which is due for completion early September. (Builder permitting)

Trying to ensure we got the best deal possible we shopped around and found that we could import the chair we wanted direct for £26 each.

So we needed 700 chairs at £26 each. A total sum of £18,200.

So far the great people of MKCC have given £1 million towards the building project and are in the process of fulfilling their pledges over the next 3 years to give another £300,000. All this means that the building its self is fully funded but we still needed to equip the building. So the first step is the chairs.

Today we have pledges for 694 chairs. People have given from MKCC as well as Albania, Spain, Scotland and the USA.

God has helped us shop around and we have been able to get all 700 chairs plus furniture for our cafe. This includes 55 tables, 16 chairs, 8 high stools. All this for approximately £14,500.

That means that with the Gift Aid we are able to collect on the gifts, we have raised approximately £24,500. Meaning we have £10,000 to go towards our other equipment requirements like PA, AV, Lights etc.

Thank you to everyone. Another step along the journey of faith. Another alter of thanksgiving.

Now we pray that everyone of these chairs will be filled with people who need to know Jesus.

I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer!

Honestly, I have never come even close to touching the heartache and pain that this guy Job, written about in the Bible, faced. But some of the things he says resonate so much with our thought process, doubts and questions about God.

In v 20 of Chapter 30 he says:

“I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer!
I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare!

Not getting what we want tends to rattle our Faith.

In Chapter 29 Job takes us back to his life before all this started. A life guided by God, being respected by others, of honesty, of kindness and generosity to people. The list goes on. The picture of a life I only wish I come close to living.

So in our mind and Job's God HAD to turn up. He HAD to step in. Job had done his part by living an exemplary life so now God was obligated.

Pete Wilson says in his book Plan B:

"We are looking for a quick spiritual transaction that doesn't lead to a deeper level of intimacy but gives us what we want."

The story of Job leaves me with more questions than answers and I don't understand why God sometimes does not act.

What I am coming to realise more and more is that God is calling us, through anything and everything, the good and the bad, something that actually scares us more than anything that life could throw at us. That is a journey of intimacy with Him and trusting in the silence is a vital part of that journey.

Roumors of Wisdom

The book of Job in Chapter 28 contains review of our search for wisdom. We seem to live in an age of information. It is so easy to get information. Books are a plenty, 24 hour news channels, conferences, seminars and the Internet boom. Often I feel on information overload.

Growing up I would gather information about godly things largely by books and attending church services. Hear a guy preaching in flesh and blood. If I was not there I didn't hear it. Now on a Monday morning my iTunes downloads podcasts of sermons given in various continents around the world. Being there is no longer required.

Information, knowledge is not a problem. What I do with that knowledge is much more vital. That's called wisdom and that's much more hard to find.

Wikipedia says: Wisdom is the ability to optimally apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results.

Ultimately we often replace wisdom we seek with the knowledge we have found. Knowing some thing is of little use if we do not discover what to do with that knowledge.

Job describes in great detail our futile quest for wisdom because we fail to look in the right place.

Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth’s secrets to light. “But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? - Job 28 v 9 - 12

20 “So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? It can’t be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, ‘We’ve only heard rumors of it.’“God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it. - Job 28 v 20 - 23

We already KNOW so much maybe its time to go to God and find out what we should DO with it?