Help from Heaven

Into my head comes a song I learned at church as a child. It is called “My God Loves Me” and I wonder if there is someone reading this who really needs to soak I these words today:

My God loves me.
His love will never end.
He rests within my heart
for my God loves me.
His gentle hand
he stretches over me.
Though storm-clouds threaten the day
he will set me free.

He comes to me
in sharing bread and wine.
He brings me life that will reach
past the end of time.

My God loves me,
his faithful love endures.
And I will live like a child
held in love secure.

The joys of love
as offerings now we bring.
The pains of love will be lost
in the praise we sing.

 
One of the wonderful things about listening to and singing songs of worship is the affirmation it brings to us. I truly hope that as you read the words of this song you will know the truth it contains. God loves you! 

Sometimes we have doubts and failures and times when it feels like life is terrible and “what’s the point?” Welcome to the human condition! But, still, God loves you.

In those dark times, cling to the knowledge of God’s love and cry out to God to deliver you from the despair and doubt that you are wrestling with.

King David, in fear for his life, wrote these words (in Psalm 57):
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
I cry out to God Most High,
who will fulfil his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me.
 
Maybe today it feels like you, or someone you know, needs “help from heaven” to rescue them. Are you—will you—pray for them? Prayer is such a powerful thing. It can certainly change the person doing the praying, but I am convinced it does more than that. I am convinced that God, if he chooses, can intervene directly in response to faithful prayer. It seems that Jesus did too!

In my own dark times, I often think of the apostle Simon Peter and his denying three times that he even knew Jesus—as Jesus had foretold. How desperate Simon Peter must have felt when, despite his protestations, he found himself doing just that after Jesus was arrested. How deeply sad and distressed he must have been when Jesus looked directly at him as the cock crowed after the third denial! And yet, when Jesus told Simon Peter about what would happen, he had also said this (italics mine):

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

When Simon Peter failed, Jesus’ love for him did not. Jesus prayed for him and from the depths of failure, Peter rose in faith to become more than he could ever have imagined.  Let’s pray!
 

Simon Lace, 23/05/2019
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Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
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Planning your Visit

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I am New 

Welcome from all of us at Easthampstead Baptist Church!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about us. As you explore our website, we hope that you catch a broader glimpse of what EBC is all about. It's about people - people just like you - who want to embark on a journey to discover more of God and his will for our lives.
 

What should I expect on a Sunday Morning?

Sometimes going to a church for the first time can be a little daunting. I promise we won't bite! To help ease any uncertainties below are the answers to some common questions people have before attending a Sunday morning.
 
What do I have to wear?
We are a 'come as you are' sort of people and have no formal dress-code for our Sunday services.
We can assure you that we don't have bouncers on the door vetting your attire!
If you are still not sure, feel free to check out our services on YouTube to have an idea.
 
What time do I need to be there?
At the moment we have one Sunday morning service which starts at 10.00am.
 
On the 4th Sunday of the month we run our All-sorts service which starts at 10:00am.

Check out our other services below!
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We would recommend you turn up 10 minutes before the service starts so you have a chance to say hi!
If you have children that need signing in to the children and youth work, they need to be signed in from 9:50am.
 
Parking
There is plenty of parking both out the front and at the back of the building. Just follow the signs!
 
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How safe is my child in your care?
We run separate children and youth work during our 10:00am service, which is run by a group of volunteers who have all been DBS checked.

Children ages 11 and under must be signed in and out by their parent/carer. The youth can sign themselves in and out.
 

For information about our safeguarding policy click here