Helions Bumpstead Gospel Hall

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  • Floods, floods, and more floods

    Floods, floods, and more floods

    At the end of November, the news headlines were constantly based around the tragic flooding that was being endured by Wales and the west of England.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those people who have lost much and been affected by flooding.

    This reminded me of a time recorded in the Bible when God flooded the whole earth so as to wipe it clean of every living thing.  It was deep enough so that the highest mountain was submerged in water. This was an act of judgment from God – the Bible tells us, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually.” God cannot abide sin, and as He is righteous He must judge sin. The way sin is judged is by death. We are all sinners because we are born with a sinful nature that is so evident in our lives; in things we have done, or said, which do not meet the standard of a Holy God.

    When God flooded the earth there was one man and his family that survived. Noah was a man who was different to the rest of mankind for he had faith in God. God told him that the earth was to be flooded and to build a boat that was going to protect him and his family from the floodwaters. Flooding was a concept Noah had no idea about, as the earth had never seen rain before – but still Noah trusted God and did as God had said. God gave Noah an escape route from the judgment, and today God has an escape route for us – His own Son Jesus Christ. He was completely without any sin. He was the One who left heaven and came to earth. The One who was crucified, and whilst He was nailed to a cross, God poured out all His wrath for our sin and punished His Son, so we don’t have to be punished.  Today we can be saved from God’s judgment by asking for forgiveness of our sins on the basis that Jesus Christ has already taken the punishment that we deserved.

  • Remember November

    Remember November

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    November is a month when we are caused to remember. Firstly on November 5th we have Bonfire Night. While sitting around the fire and with the fireworks overhead it is a night when according to the old rhyme we are supposed to remember “gunpowder, treason and plot”. Apparently the tradition of lighting a bonfire goes back to the bonfires which were lit around London to celebrate the preservation of King James’ life following the failed plot of Guy Fawkes to blow up parliament and assassinate the King.

    Not long after our bonfires have gone out we have another special day in our calendar – Armistice Day, or Remembrance day on November 11th. On this day we respectfully remember members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

    King Solomon also told us something extremely important which we must remember – “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” Ecclesiastes 12:1

    It is vital we remember that we have each been designed and created by an Almighty God and that we are consequently accountable to him. Our great Creator God speaks to us today through His Word – the Bible. In the Bible God tells us we have all sinned and fallen short of His holy standard. However, God also tells us that He has a great love for us and that this love has been wonderfully demonstrated to us by God sending His one and only Son into the world. After living a perfect life, God’s Son was crucified on a cross outside Jerusalem. While on that cross, the Lord Jesus Christ bore God’s wrath against sin. This means we do not have to face the consequences of our sin if we are willing to repent of it and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

    The words of Solomon in our verse come with a sense of urgency. Solomon knew it was vital for each one of us to remember our creator right now as the Bible makes it clear none of us are promised another day. Please take time to remember your Creator right now and trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ!

  • The Lance Armstrong Debacle

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    Everyone has seen and heard about the findings against Lance Armstrong and his former pro-cycling team – the damning verdict was delivered…”he doped before his cancer…he doped after his cancer…he doped in his glory years…and he doped on his comeback.” Here is a man who thought that he had gotten away with cheating all of his career. But justice caught up with him.

    The Bible says something to each and every single one of us – “be sure your sins will find you out.” So many people live a life of sin, and expect to get away with it – but the reality is that there is a holy God who abhors sin, and must judge it. Armstrong has been stripped of his Tour de France wins, but only time will tell if he has to pay any more penalties. Is there a penalty that we have to pay for our sins against God? Yes. The New Testament tells us that “the wages of sin is death“.

    Be sure of this one thing – God WILL judge sin. He has to, because He is holy. Be assured of this as well – God will not ‘let you off’ your sin. Your good life, good deeds, clean living, charity work and church attendance (all good things) will not tip the balance in your favour. Only one thing will save you from the wages of sin – “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord“

    Trusting in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ completed at the cross of Calvary is the only way you can be cleared of your sin, all your guilt before God. In three hours of intense, worldwide darkness, the Son of God became sin on our account. He exhausted God’s righteous anger against sin – then, on the third day, He rose up from the dead and returned to Heaven.

    Lance Armstrong probably thought that he’d gotten away with doping so long that he would never get caught. You might be happily living your life, thinking that there is no God, no life after death, and no accountability for sin. You’re wrong. Trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and make sure your sins never find you out.

  • You’re being watched!

    You probably are aware of this but you are being watched, more than ever.  With increasing amounts of CCTV cameras on the streets, in shops and in gardens, our movements are being recorded like never before. It doesn’t bother some people, but really annoys others. But it certainly helps make some accountable for their crimes. 

    How many times have we had CCTV pictures released to help identify and catch criminals? But there is something else that we ought to remember. We are constantly bombarded with statements that seek to portray that God does not exist. But He does and He is watching. He is the all seeing, ever present, and never sleeping Creator God who records every thought, word, and act of every day. There is no area of our minds that He does not have access to, not a room in our homes that His eye cannot penetrate. Now do you still think CCTV is intrusive? Why is God like this? Because we are accountable to Him. One day soon, He will say to everyone of us… ‘This is your life’ and we will be shown an accurate account of our lives. Scary? Of course it is, but it needn’t be. Our sins which are many, can only be blotted out by the death of Christ. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Believe it by faith, confess honestly your sin, and know the joy of sins forgiven and peace with God.

  • Results Results Results

     

    As students, parents or teachers we’ve just been through the exam period and by now have had the big ‘D’ day for ‘A’ level and GCSE results.

    The hard work put in over the last few years we hope for the most part has paid off for those of you who’ve just done your exams.  The hours and hours of coursework and all the revision made all the difference and got you that grade you were hoping for – maybe enabling you to get into sixth form or the university of your choice.  There are the odd one or two who just seem to be able to drift through and get good marks with no effort but for the most of us, it depends on how hard we work.

    All of this caused me to think just how different things are with God.  The Bible clearly tells us that no matter how hard we work, however good and pure our intentions – there is nothing we can do of ourselves to secure a place in heaven.  In today’s society of doing and making it for yourself, it’s very hard for anyone to believe that someone else could have done everything on our behalf.

    Ephesians 2:8 says “For by grace you are saved, through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast.”  In dying on the cross the Lord Jesus Christ took the punishment due to us for our sins. He was sinless and therefore the only person able to be our substitute.  We do not have to work for salvation or pass some exam – the Bible simply says “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31.

    “It’s looking unto Jesus
    The holy One and just
    It’s His great work that saves us
    It is not try – but trust”

    We warmly invite you to come and hear how relevant Gods message is to you every Sunday evening at 6:30pm

  • “In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the earth”

     

    As Christians, we implicitly trust the Bible’s account of how the universe came into being. None of us at the Gospel Hall are scientists, but we can see all around us with our own eyes the beauty of the world – and we see within it the mark of an intelligent creator…God.

    It is this creator God who has also offered us the way of salvation.

    As great as His creation is, His love is far greater. Despite the fact that we are all sinners, God sent His only “beloved Son” Mark 1:11 to this world – here, He lived a sinless life for 33 years among the most sinful of men. At the end of those 33 years, He was crucified at the cross of Calvary. In 3 hours of darkness when He was hanging on the cross, this same creator God poured out all of His anger and hatred for sin on His sinless Son.

    When those 3 hours were finished and the wrath of God was exhausted, the Lord Jesus Christ cried “It is FINISHED” (John 19:30), and gave up His own life. Then, 3 days later, to prove to the world that He was satisfied with the work that His Son had completed at Calvary, the Creator God raised the Lord Jesus back to life – He is now in Heaven, sitting “on the right hand of the Majesty on high” Hebrews 1:3

    Discarding God from our lives is a dangerous thing to do – the very existence of God gives us something to live for. If there were no God, and nothing after death, then life itself would be completely pointless. But there is a point to life – salvation gives the Christian something to live for – namely trying to please God in a sinful world, and telling others about the Lord Jesus.

    If you want to hear more about the good news of the Gospel, you can either contact us here, or come along to one of our Gospel meetings.