BH Bulletin - Saturday 25 July 2020

Thought for the Day by Rich Arnold
​(Youth and Families Minister Holy Cross Church)

​Imagine you have people coming to your house to visit.  There you are relaxing in the living room when the doorbell rings (ding dong!) What do you do? You probably don’t stay in your chair.  You stand up, go to the door, and welcome them into your home.
 Now Read Acts 7:55-56:
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
 
Stephen has been preaching Christ, but now pays the ultimate price for that at the hands of the Jewish leaders who hate Jesus and all who follow him.  They drag him out of the city and stone him to death.  In Stephen becomes the first recorded Christian martyr. 
 
Yet in the midst of this horrific scene, he sees this wonderful, comforting, reassuring vision.  Jesus – his saviour and King – is in heaven, and Stephen can see him!
 
In the bible, Jesus is normally seated in heaven but here he is standing. That is surely because King Jesus is ready to welcome his faithful servant Stephen into his heavenly home.
 
Wonderfully, Stephen’s story is our story, if we are trusting the same Christ.  Stephen’s story reminds us that people will make life tough for us because we follow Jesus.  Yet Stephen’s story also reminds us that there is great hope for us when people are against us. 
 
How wonderful it must have been for Stephen to walk into the presence of Jesus on that day.  Well, in Christ, that is what we look forward to as well.
 
So, like Stephen, let’s remain faithful to Jesus – even if people make our life tough for doing so.  Let’s remain faithful to Jesus knowing that the worst those who are against us can do is send us to be with Jesus.  On that wonderful day our king, our saviour + our G will ready to welcome us home.
Rich

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​Sunday 26 July 9.00am Service. Booking now open.

​​Sunday 26 July 9.00am Service. Booking now open.
​As advised booking is open for next Sunday's service at Bishop Hannington. There has already been a good response but there are still plenty of places available.
You can book your place by either using MyChurchsuite, the website or if you don’t have internet access you can ring the office.  You will need to book a place for everyone in your group that is coming including anyone under 18.

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Book Review by Gillian Carr (Holy Cross Church Member)

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​I just wanted to alert you to the publication of Pete Greig's updated version of his bestseller, God on Mute.  It's been fully revised and now includes a 40 day devotional.  If you haven't yet come across this book before it is well worth a look - it is a personal view of prayer when we don't seem to be getting the answers we would like and anyone I've come across who's read it is always full of praise for it; describing it as readable and full of hope and encouragement. 
​It's not out until 1st August but it can be ordered now, priced £11.99 from Books Alive or through the office.
​Gillian

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