Helions Bumpstead Gospel Hall

Category: Gospel

  • The Story of Two Crosses

    The Story of Two Crosses

    William Coltman was born on 17th November 1891 in the small village of Rangemore, near Burton-on-Trent. 

    Lance Corporal Coltman became the most highly decorated non-commissioned officer of the British Army. 

    Just over 100 years ago, he like many other young men across the country, prepared to leave for the front during the First World War. However, William refused to fight because of his strong Christian beliefs. At just 5ft 4 ins, he stood one inch taller than the height required to join the army. He had great strength though, as out on the front line alone, he carried wounded soldiers back to safety on his back, refusing to take stretcher-bearers with him in order not to increase the risk of losing any more lives. 

    Among the medals awarded to him were: the Military Medal and Bar/Distinguished Conduct Medal and Bar and the highest award of all the Victoria Cross, each being awarded as a result of his incredible outstanding bravery, complete disregard for his own personal safety and an unquestioned devotion to duty. 

    Tim Coltman is the great-grandson of William Coltman VC. He will be coming to give a talk on the 7th November to tell us about his great-grandson and the cross which was of far greater importance to him.

    Please visit the Facebook event below to find out details of when and where this event will be held. This is a free event

    GEt Event Information

  • Good News 4 You


    It’s always good to find good resources. Good news 4 you have provided just that, just click to get more information.

  • A Guide to Christmas

    A Guide to Christmas

    A Guide to Christmas

     

    What does Christmas celebrate?

    We often think of Christmas as a time of year where we spend time with family and friends, and where we give and receive presents. Although we enjoy doing these things, they are a long way from the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ, a man whose whole life on earth was very different to those who lived around Him. In John 1 we are told who Jesus is. John introduces us to Him as “the Word”, who is with God, and who is God. John states that ‘the Word’ came into the world, and lived among men. John does not leave us wondering who this ‘Word’ is – it is Jesus Christ.

    John is not the only person who tells us who Jesus is – the apostle Paul also does this in Philippians 2:6-8. Here Paul confirms that Jesus is indeed God, before going on to say in verse 7 that He was “born in the likeness of man”. This is very important when we look at what He did while He was on Earth.

    When was He born?

    It is commonly believed that Jesus Christ was born between 4 B.C and 4 A.D. When we read the record of events in the Bible, Luke 2:1 tells us that the Roman ruler at the time was Caesar Augustus, who demanded that everyone should return to the town where they were born to be taxed. For one couple, Joseph and Mary, this meant they had to leave their home in Nazareth whilst Mary was heavily pregnant.

    Where was He born?

    Mary and Joseph were both descendants of King David so they had to travel to Bethlehem, a small town in Israel. When they arrived they were unable to find any room in the inn, so the baby Jesus was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7).

    What did He do?

    The Bible gives us a detailed record of what Jesus did. In fact, in John 21:25 it says that “all the books in the world could not contain everything that Jesus did.” Jesus was able to walk on water, make the blind to see, raise the dead to life, make the lame walk, turn water into wine and feed a multitude with a few loaves and fishes. We also learn that He knows our thoughts and our actions because He is God and knows all things. All these things were recorded so that “we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).

    However, the most important thing that Jesus did happened when he was about 33 years old. It was then that he died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins, even though He was truly perfect and had no sin Himself. After He died, He was buried and rose again from the dead three days later – something we think about at Easter.

    Why does it matter to me?

    All of this may seem like history – you might not think it concerns you. Actually, it does.

    The Bible also says a lot about you and I. Romans 3:23 says that we are all sinners. We all fail to meet God’s standards because we have a corrupt and sinful nature. Therefore, we are deserving of God’s punishment (Romans 6:23). This punishment will separate us from God, and stop us entering Heaven where He is.

    We can’t earn salvation by good deeds, and our wealth won’t buy us entry into heaven. However God sent His holy, righteous and sinless Son into the world to save us. Jesus Christ could not sin but in loving kindness towards us, he bore the punishment for our sins on the cross.

    He has done everything that He can do, it is now up to you. You need to accept that Jesus is the Son of God. You need to believe that He died on the cross for your sins before He was raised back to life, and that He is alive in Heaven today. You then need to call on Him and ask God for your sins to be forgiven.

    If you have questions or would like to speak to us, follow this link to visit our contact page.

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    Happy Christmas from Helions Bumpstead Gospel Hall

  • Nothing is Certain except…

    Nothing is Certain except…

    …Death and Taxes

    In a letter written by Benjamin Franklin in 1789 Franklin states “Our new Constitution is now established and has an appearance that promises permanency but in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes”. Whilst some might seek to avoid paying taxes and many more go to great lengths to prolong life Franklin’s observation remains true to this day.

    Fundamental to the Christian faith is the certainty of the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. When approaching Jerusalem for the last time Jesus sought to forewarn his disciples of what would take place there. In Mark Chapter 10 verse 33 He says “Behold we go up to Jerusalem and The Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief priest and unto the scribes and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles; and they shall mock him and shall scourge him and shall spit upon him and shall kill him and the third day he shall rise again. Twice earlier in the previous two chapters Jesus had told the disciples of his impending death but he always concluded with the fact that on the third day he would rise again Mark Chapter 8 verse 31 and Chapter 9 verse 31. Mark also records that the disciples had difficulty understanding these things but were afraid to ask Him Mark Chapter 9 verse 32. In John Chapter 10 when speaking of Himself as the good shepherd Jesus says that of His own volition “he lays down his life for the sheep” John Chapter 10 verse 11. Later on in the chapter he speaks of the authority he has both to lay down his life and to take it again” John Chapter 10 verse 18. When seeking to comfort Martha concerning the death of her brother Lazarus Jesus declares “I am the resurrection and the life”.

    After the Resurrection had taken place and Jesus had returned to heaven the disciples empowered by the Holy Spirit began to carry out His instructions and preach the gospel Mark Chapter 16 verse 15. Central to this good news was the fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead indicating that God was satisfied with the sacrifice Christ had made for sin at Calvary. In the house of Cornelius, Peter spoke of being a witness who had eaten and drunk with Jesus after he rose from the dead. Acts Chapter 10 verse 41. On the authority of scripture the Christian can rejoice and echo with certainty the words of Job “I know that my Redeemer lives” Job Chapter 19 verse 25.

     

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  • Spring from Christmas to Easter

    As I start to write this article, we are preparing for the birth of a new grandchild.  I have a bag packed, ready to travel to Colchester with minimal delay to look after our two year old grandson, when my daughter goes into labour.  It is not long since Christmas time, when we were remembering the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ whose grandparents did not seem to be involved, even though potentially they too may have had to travel to Bethlehem to be taxed around that time.

    A Baby in a manger

    A Baby in a manger, in a stable sweet with hay,
    made the animals around Him and the trough in which He lay,
    all the visitors and angels, were the work of His great hands,
    as the star that showed His presence to wise men from distant lands,
    yet those tiny little fingers were quite swaddled close in bands,
    which hid from sight His greatness and those wonder-working hands,
    but years later made fine carpentry, healed blind folk, sick and lame,
    before nails held Him to a cross. He died but rose again! FCG

    “I am the Lord who makes all things.”  Isaiah 4:24

     In January we made this small snowman with my youngest grandson, but we had run out of carrots. It lasted a few days, but has now melted away.  God made the first man Adam, and the first woman Eve, from whom we have all descended through their children; Cain, Able, Seth etc. but we have unfortunately inherited their ability to disobey, or sin, too.

     

    It is not an easy thing to give birth to a child.  It wasn’t an easy thing either for the Lord Jesus Christ, as a young adult in his early thirties to be crucified on a cross.  He was held on the cross by nails, through His hands and His feet, but held there too, by His love for us, as He suffered and died, taking the punishment for our sin, i.e. all that we have done wrong, on Himself so that we can be born “into His family.” It may not be an easy thing for us to benefit from what Jesus did for us, as it is hard for us to confess that we have failed in any way, but we all have, for instance…

    As a driver, in a thirty mph speed limit, it is so easy to go over thirty mph, maybe without realising it.  Yet in doing so, we have inadvertently sinned, and unfortunately one sin is enough to keep us out of heaven.  If we admit we have done wrong, God will forgive us!

    The months between Christmas and Easter are the time of year when new lambs are born. It is a very good time for us too to be born again, but this time into God’s family forever!
    “Supermarket offers have dates of expiry,
    as God’s offer, also does too,
    it takes less than a minute, to trust Him,
    repenting, the best thing forever, to do!”

    Our family’s late January baby; Scarlett Celia, has eventually been born!

    We are now coming up to Easter, when we remember that Jesus, also called ‘The Lamb of God’, rose again from the dead, after taking our punishment on the cross! We can believe He did, and we will be eternally grateful.

    “What must I do to be saved?” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”Acts 16:31

     

    Incidentally, the space inside an Easter egg denotes the empty tomb from which Jesus rose again!

     Spring has arrived!

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  • Can we “rank” sin?

    Can we “rank” sin?

     

     Well known singer-songwriter Jack Johnson released a song back in 2004 called ‘Good People’, and a part of it went like this:

    Well it’s bad, getting worse
    Where did all the good people go?
    I’ve been changing channels, 
    I don’t see them on the TV shows,
    Where did all the good people go?

    He poses a very good question, and it’s one that looking around us we might actually struggle to answer. There are some pretty awful things happening in the world today. Not just the world, but in our own country, right here in our own back yard. You won’t need to be reminded of the Jimmy Saville affair, damning allegations coming from the Hillsborough enquiries, the Boston bombing and now the horrific murder of the soldier in Woolwich, London. The world has been shocked by these instances of depravity, and it’s only right that we all join together in calling for the right and proper form of justice and punishment to be handed to the perpetrators of these dreadful crimes.

    Do you know how God would answer Jack Johnson’s question? Well, He already has; in Romans 3:12, He tells us that no one does good, not even one. You see, God’s definition of “good” is sinlessness; in other words, perfection. One answer not enough for you? Well God gives you and I another emphatic reply to the question in 1 Kings 8:46…there is no one who does not sin. So that is God speaking – there are definitely, categorically, unconditionally no good people in this world.

    All of this has got me thinking. It is striking in day-to-day life how often we are guilty of “ranking” sin, and trying to convince ourselves that we are actually good people. If you’re not totally sure what I mean, here is the attitude that I’m driving at:

    “Sure, I do bad things. But none of mine are the really bad things that people do. I’d never commit those. Like murder. Or adultery. Mine are smaller stuff like bad thoughts, losing my temper, spreading a little gossip, or being impatient and irritable. Everybody does that stuff.”

    I really want to share with you what God thinks though. Check it out…Romans 3:23 says this: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So the Bible is telling us that all of us have the same problem; we all come short of meeting God’s standard, which is total perfection. That therefore means that whoever you are, and whatever you may or may not have done, you are a sinner.

    It’s really not nice to hear that sort of thing, but it’s true. The reason it’s not particularly pleasant for you to hear it or read it is ­pride. Now when we rank sin, I can guarantee you that pride doesn’t come very far up your list. Humanly speaking, we would put dozens of other sins higher up the scale. Murder. Adultery. Theft. Child abuse. All deeply shocking things. But let’s take a step back for a moment and consider pride from God’s point of view.

    Let’s establish first of all that pride, before God, is a sin. Does He take it seriously? Of course He does! Every sin is serious before God, and Proverbs 21:4 tells us that a high look, and a proud heart, is sin. You can’t really get it much clearer than that. That’s not all though, because Proverbs 16:5 tells us what pride is to God: everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished. So the attitude of pride is repulsive to God. Repugnant. Abhorrent. It is as vile to God as any other sin that you would care to mention.

    So…where did all the good people go? I’m hopeful that you can see that the answer to Jack Johnson’s question is that they are nowhere to be found. You may think you are a good person, but I urge you from God’s Word, the Bible, to reconsider your position.

    Frankly, every single member of the human race is in a dire situation because everyone has sinned, however “big” or “small” those sins may be. But there is a way out of this terrible mess that we’re in. You know, God is a God of love. We deserve to be left in our sins; we have done nothing to deserve being rescued from them – but God has provided a way back to Him from our sin through His only Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus wasn’t just a historical figure. He is the only man to ever have walked this planet who could lay claim to being a “good person”. But it wasn’t His good works and exemplary life that can save us from our sin and its consequences; when He was 33 years of age, He was crucified for crimes that He did not commit.

    On that Roman cross, in 3 hours of intense worldwide darkness, God laid on His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, the entire sin of the world: past, present and future. He was the only one who could do that because He was the only person to have ever lived a sinless life. Then, after those 3 hours, after He had exhausted all of God’s totally righteous and justified wrath and anger against sin, Jesus Christ cried out it is finished and voluntarily gave up His own life. He went into death, and experienced the worst that man and Satan himself could throw at Him.

    So is that the end then? Of course it isn’t! If Jesus Christ were still dead and buried, there would be no point in me writing this post. There would be no true Christianity. The Bible tells me in 1 Corinthians 15:17 that if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Three days after His death, God raised His Son from the dead! You see, when the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead 3 days after His death, God was validating the work He had done on the cross. God was saying “MY SON HAS DONE ENOUGH TO SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD FROM THEIR SIN. I AM PLEASED WITH HIM. HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING I ASKED OF HIM AND MORE.” Right now, Jesus Christ is in Heaven, exactly where He belongs…and He is waiting for your response to what He has done at Calvary.

    So how can you be saved from your sin?

    Many people say that you don’t have to do anything to be saved – in fact, salvation does require one thing – belief. In the book of Acts, a man asked Paul and Silas “What must I DO to be saved?” They didn’t reply “Nothing”. Instead, they said “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”. You need to:

     

    • Acknowledge you are a sinner before God.
    • Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work on the cross of Calvary is enough to save you from your sins.
    • Repent of your sin. This is a complete change of mind and direction, to consider the horror of your sins and to make a deliberate decision to turn from them.


    I hope you’ve seen what I’m trying to communicate in this post. This is massively important. You may not be a murderer or anything so drastic, but your sin still repulses God and separates you from Him. He has offered you a way back. Won’t you accept it?

  • 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.