King's Church 40 Days daily notes - The Sermon on the Mount by King's Church London

6!January!2013! Dear!Friends,! Following!the!success!of!last!year’s!40!Days!series,!we!are!repeating!the!idea!at!the! start!of!this!New!Year,!with!genuine!excitement!at!the!potential!for!God!to!use!this! important!time!as!we!seek!His!face!together!! During!this!period,!we!are!calling!the!church!to!pray!and!fast!every!Wednesday! before!coming!to!our!Evening!Celebration.!This!year!we!have!decided!to!have!four! Wednesday!celebrations,!with!an!emphasis!on!receiving!God’s!power.!On!our! second!week,!I!am!delighted!that!Tope!Koleoso!will!be!our!guest!speaker.!You!will! find!the!full!programme!on!the!back!cover!of!this!booklet.! Our!theme!for!this!year’s!40!Days!Bible!reading!notes!is!The$Sermon$on$the$Mount,! taken!from!Matthew!5!–7.!Each!day!let’s!pray!together!through!this!brilliant!passage! of!Scripture.! Our!Sunday!preaching!will!cover!key!themes!from!Mark!6!and!our!Vision.!We!will! look!in!turn!at!each!of!the$themes$of$our$Vision:$Mercy,$Mission,$Maturity,$Ministry$ and$Multiplication.!These!are!foundational!themes!that!will!help!shape!the!church! we!are!seeking!to!become.!The!Bible!reading!notes!will!also!provide!fuel!for!your! prayers!and!our!Wednesday!Celebrations!will!have!an!emphasis!on!waiting!on!the! Holy!Spirit!and!receiving!a!fresh!touch!from!Him.!! This!season!of!prayer!and!fasting!comes!at!just!the!right!time!as!we!seek!God’s! empowering!to!help!us!continue!towards!the!fulfilment!of!our!Vision.! Let’s!come!together!over!these!40!Days!to!meet!with!God,!seek!His!direction!and! enjoy!fellowship!together.!We!are!about!a!great!work!of!believing!God!to!transform! life!after!life!–!our!own!and!those!of!the!people!in!the!local!communities!! Kings,!let’s!seek!God!together!at!the!beginning!of!this!New!Year…!

! Steve$Tibbert$ Senior!Pastor!

Read$or$subscribe$to$my$blog$ ! kingschurchlondon.org/blog$ Follow$me$on$Twitter$ ! @SteveJTibbert$

MONDAY 7 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 1-2 • M atthew 28 : 16-20

The Final Clue

Day

One!of!the!reasons!Matthew!wrote!his!gospel!was!to!give!the!early!church!a!manual! on!discipleship.!That’s!obvious!when!you!read!how!he!ends!it.!The!final!words!he! writes!are!the!words!of!the!Great!Commission!(Matt!28:16_20)!where!Jesus!tells!His! disciples!to!‘go$into$all$the$world$and$make$disciples$…$teaching$them$everything$I$ have$commanded$you.’$So!it!is!not!surprising!that!in!the!gospel!he!gives!us!such!an! extended!record!of!all!that!Jesus!taught.!Matthew!is!saying!if!we!want!to!know!what! to!teach!to!make!disciples,!teach!them!what!Jesus!taught!us.!! Obvious,!but!not!often!done!in!my!experience.!So!this!year!our!40!Days!Bible! Reading!notes!are!designed!to!make!us!better!disciples!by!taking!us!through!the!first! great!sermon!we!find!Jesus!giving!in!Matthew’s!Gospel,!the!most!famous!sermon!of! all!–!the!Sermon!on!the!Mount.! It’s!pretty!certain!we!don’t!have!everything!Jesus!said!on!that!occasion!because!what! we!have!written!would!only!take!a!few!minutes!to!preach.!What!we!have!are!the! edited!highlights.!So!you!may!find!that!some!days!there!is!only!a!verse!or!two!to! read,!but!give!yourself!time!to!ponder!and!maybe!memorise!it.!Allow!its!truth!and!its! challenge!to!seep!into!your!spirit!and!bring!its!medicine!to!your!soul.!Because!it’s!not! how!much!we!read!or!how!much!we!know!that!really!counts,!but!as!both!Matthew! and!Jesus!make!clear,!it’s!how!much!we!obey!that!is!the!real!test!of!discipleship.!

Prayer Points 1. ‘Lord,!as!I!begin!these!40!days!with!You,!make!Your!word!a!light!to!my!path!and!a! lamp!to!my!feet.’! 2. Pray!that!as!the!first!disciples!turned!the!world!upside!down!we!too!might!be! agents!of!God’s!kingdom.! 3. Pray!for!an!increase!of!faith!as!the!many!ministries!at!King's!prepare!to!launch! their!programmes!for!this!term.! Follow$us$on$Facebook$ ! facebook.com/kingschurchlondon! Follow$us$on$Twitter$@KingsChurchLDN$ ! Use!#40days!in!your!tweets!to!get!involved!in!the!discussion!

TUESDAY 8 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 3 • Luke 18 : 10 -14

Pursuing Poverty

Day

Jesus!doesn’t!start!His!sermon!with!things!we!should!do;!rather!He!describes!the!sort! of!people!we!should!be.!He!paints!a!picture!of!the!sort!of!people!that!God!approves! of,!those!who!are!truly!blessed.!It!would!have!been!a!provoking!start!to!His!message! and!it!should!grab!out!attention!today.!For!what!He!sets!out!are!not!the!sorts!of! things!we!are!encouraged!to!write!in!application!forms.!They!are!not!the!qualities! promoted!in!the!media.!None!of!them!would!appear!in!a!list!of!the!top!ten!tips!on! how!to!succeed.! So!He!begins:!Blessed!are!the!spiritually!bankrupt,!those!that!have!nothing!to!boast! about.!Blessed!are!the!desperately!needy!and!undeserving.! Jesus!once!told!a!story!of!two!men!who!went!to!the!Temple!to!pray:!one!a!Pharisee! the!other!a!tax_collector!(Luke!18:10_14).!One!was!confident!he!was!acceptable!to! God;!the!other!knew!he!needed!mercy.!One!trusted!in!his!good!works;!the!other!had! nothing!to!offer!but!his!need!of!forgiveness.!! We!all!start!off!praying!like!the!tax_collector,!‘have!mercy!on!me,!a!sinner’,!but!if!we! are!not!careful!we!quickly!start!sounding!like!the!Pharisee.!Guess!which!one!was! poor!in!spirit?!! It!is!vital!at!the!beginning!of!this!series!of!readings!that!we!come!realising!our!need! of!God’s!help,!otherwise!we!will!misunderstand!everything!Jesus!says.!His! commands!are!not!the!steps!we!have!to!take!to!get!to!God.!!No,!they!are!the!steps! we!can!take!with!God’s!help.!

Prayer Points 1. ‘Lord,!give!me!awareness!today!of!how!much!I!need!You!and!how!willing!You!are! to!help.’! 2. Pray!for!those!whose!pride!keeps!them!from!meeting!the!God!of!mercy.! 3. Pray!that!our!FP!Impact!team!will!have!a!brilliant!time!at!Center!Parcs!as!they!join! with!other!trainees!from!all!over!the!country!for!a!week!of!training.!

NOTES & REFLECTIONSâ&#x20AC;Ś These!spaces!are!provided!for!your!notes,!for!personal!prayer!topics!and!for!you!to! record!hopes!and!aspirations!for!the!future,!as!well!as!to!record!anything!God!says! to!you.!

WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 4 • 2 Corinthians 7 : 10-11

A Time to Weep

Day

Take!an!honest!look!at!the!world!today.!Turmoil!in!the!Middle!East,!grinding!poverty! for!countless!millions,!the!exploitation!of!the!weak!by!the!strong,!revelations!of! abuse!by!famous!celebrities.!Christians!should!mourn.! Consider!the!reality!of!lingering!and!persistent!sin!in!our!own!lives.!We!should!weep.!! But!when!we!face!these!realities!honestly!with!God!He!brings!comfort.!He!will!never! say,!‘There,!there,!it!doesn’t!matter’,!but!His!word!does!say!that!one!day!He!will! wipe!every!tear!from!our!eyes.!That!one!day!‘there$will$be$no$more$death$or$ mourning$or$crying$or$pain,$for$the$old$order$of$things$(will$have)$passed$away.’! (Revelation!21:4)! He!does!hear!our!prayers!for!those!in!need!and!bless!our!efforts!to!be! compassionate.!He!is!our!ally!as!we!fight!for!justice.!His!word!does!say!to!those! believe!in!Christ’s!sacrifice:!‘There$is$now$no$condemnation$for$those$who$are$in$ Christ$Jesus.’$(Romans!8:1)! Christian!joy!is!never!supposed!to!be!superficial.!It!never!is!a!sign!of!indifference!to! suffering!or!compromise!with!sin.!It!is!a!joy!that!soars!to!know!the!God!who!has! given!His!Son!to!rescue!the!world.!It’s!the!delight!of!the!forgiven.!The!joy!of!those! who!know!He!has!sent!his!Spirit!to!empower!His!people.! Each!day!we!are!called!to!engage!with!our!sin_sick!world!sensitively!and!humbly.!We! are!to!bring!the!comfort!of!God!because!we!have!been!comforted!by!Him.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!soften!your!heart!that!tears!may!turn!to!prayer,!prayer!to!praise!and! praise!to!action.! 2. Pray!for!those!who!minister!to!the!most!needy!in!our!world!that!they!may!be!full! of!compassion.!! 3. Pray!for!tonight's!Celebration,!that!God!will!manifest!His!presence!amongst!us!in! a!powerful!way.! TONIGHT’S EVENING CELEBRATION 7.45 - 9.30pm @ Catford site Focus: THE HOLY SPIRIT

THURSDAY 10 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 5 • Genesis 13 : 5-11

What on Earth is Meekness?

Day

There!is!an!incident!in!the!life!of!Abraham!which!perfectly!illustrates!meekness.!Do! you!remember!that!Abraham’s!nephew!Lot!had!travelled!with!him!to!Canaan?!But! when!they!finally!arrived,!the!time!came!for!them!to!part.!Neither!of!them!travelled! alone,!they!had!flocks!and!herdsmen!with!them!and!once!they!were!no!longer!on! the!move,!quarrels!broke!out!between!their!servants.!So!they!had!to!separate.! Pasture!and!water!were!too!scarce!for!them!to!stay!together.! All!this!made!sense,!but!what!was!surprising!is!that!Abraham!let!Lot!have!the!choice! of!who!went!where.!It!was!surprising!for!one!thing!because!Abraham!was!the!older! man,!Lot’s!uncle!in!fact.!Yet!much!more!significant!was!the!fact!that!this!was!the! land!God!had!promised!to!Abraham.!It!would!have!quite!understandable!if!Abraham! had!said,!‘Well!son,!it’s!time!for!you!to!move!on.!This!land!is!the!land!God!has! promised!me,!so!go!and!find!somewhere!else.’! This!was!meekness!in!action.!Meekness!is!never!weakness!according!to!the!Bible;! rather!it!is!the!desire!to!put!the!interests!of!others!ahead!of!your!own.!It!is!not! concerned!with!self_advancement!or!image!projection.!For!Abraham!it!was!based!on! the!utter!confidence!he!had!in!the!promise!of!God.!All!the!land!would!one!day!be! his.!He!didn’t!have!to!fight!for!it!or!protect!it,!he!didn’t!have!to!make!it!happen;!in! fact!he!could!be!generous.!! Meekness!leads!to!a!gentle!generosity!of!spirit.!!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!for!opportunities!to!be!generous!this!week.! 2. Give!to!God!any!area!of!your!life!where!you!feel!you!are!striving!to!make!things! happen!rather!than!trusting!Him.! 3. Pray!for!our!on_going!leadership!training!initiatives,!that!God!will!raise!up!a! generation!of!courageous!leaders.!

FRIDAY 11 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 6

Target Practice

Day

How!ambitious!are!you?!Do!goals!and!targets!inspire!you?!Or!are!you!more!easy_ going,!just!happy!to!feel!you!are!making!progress,!travelling!in!the!right!direction!but! not!too!worried!to!measure!the!distance!travelled!or!how!far!there!is!still!to!go?!This! verse!is!a!challenge!to!both!types!of!people.!! For!the!highly!motivated!goal_setting!types!it!asks,!what!is!your!overriding!goal?!The! thing!which!above!all!else!you!most!want!to!achieve.!What!is!your!strongest!passion! and!deepest!desire?!What!would!make!life!not!worth!living?!Or!as!Jesus!puts!it,!what! do!you!hunger!and!thirst!for?!He!does!not!tell!us!to!stop!being!ambitious!but!to!set! our!sights!on!the!right!thing,!in!fact!on!righteousness.!By!this!He!means!to!live!a!life! pleasing!to!God,!where!our!character!is!a!reflection!of!His.!And!Jesus!promises!that!if! that!is!your!ultimate!goal,!it!is!the!one!objective!you!can!be!certain!of!achieving.!It! won’t!come!quickly!or!easily!and!your!death!will!be!a!stage!in!the!journey,!but! success!is!guaranteed.! For!the!more!relaxed!personalities!who!live!and!walk!at!a!gentler!pace,!the!challenge! is!to!check!that!calmness!is!not!a!cloak!for!casualness!or!carelessness.!A!quiet!spirit!is! not!the!same!as!a!complacent!spirit.!Christ!calls!us!to!have!a!passion!for!becoming! like!Him.!He!doesn’t!call!us!to!change!our!personality!type!but!he!does!call!us!to! commitment!to!becoming!righteous!in!all!our!ways.!!

Prayer Points 1. Thank!God!he!has!made!you,!you!and!ask!Him!to!make!you!rightly!ambitious.! 2. Pray!for!those!who!you!know!who!lack!confidence!and!are!unsure!of!God’s!love! for!them.! 3. Pray!for!a!spirit!of!generosity!as!we!prepare!for!our!Multi_Site!Gift!Day!this! Sunday.!

SATURDAY 12 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 7

Be Merciful like Your Father

Day

‘Mercy$is$the$beating$heart$of$the$One$Creator$God$as$He$revealed$himself$to$Israel$ and$is$characteristic$of$the$way$He$runs$his$kingdom.’!(Phillip!Greenslade)! So!it!should!come!as!no!surprise!that!God!not!only!wants!us!to!be!merciful!but! mirrors!our!efforts!by!pouring!more!mercy!on!us.!We!certainly!need!mercy!–!left!to! ourselves!we!are!naturally!selfish!and!risk!averse!but!in!showing!mercy!to!others!our! own!hearts!soften!and!widen.!A!wonderful!cycle!of!grace!occurs!as!we!venture!out! of!our!comfort!zone!to!care!for!others.! Luke!sums!this!up!when!he!says:!‘Be$merciful$just$as$your$father$is$merciful’,!and! gives!us!concrete!examples!of!what!that!looks!like:!loving!your!enemies,!turning!the! other!cheek,!giving!to!those!in!need!and!even!lending!without!expecting!return!(Luke! 6:27_36).!This!is!mercy!and!goes!beyond!kindness!to!a!sacrificial!love!for!the! undeserving.! Often!we!aren’t!merciful!because!we!judge!others!as!not!worthy!of!a!second!chance.! Something!that!they!have!said!or!done!makes!us!write!them!off.!But!no!one!is! beyond!God’s!mercy!and!therefore!our!mercy.!The!Parable!of!the!Good!Samaritan! cuts!across!the!lines!of!prejudice!showing!mercy!in!action!and!ending!with!the! challenge:!‘Go$and$do$likewise.’!(Luke!10:25!–!37)!

Prayer Points 1. Remember!with!thanks!the!many!times!God!has!shown!mercy!to!you.! 2. Ask!God!to!reveal!the!people!around!you!at!work!and!home!that!you!have! difficulty!showing!mercy!to.!Pray!for!them!and!for!yourself!that!as!you!show! mercy!you!will!receive!mercy.! 3. Pray!for!Steve!Tibbert!as!he!speaks! to!us!tomorrow!at!Vision!Sunday.! !

SUNDAY 13 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 8

Purity of Heart

Day

Purity!of!heart!seems!a!strangely!old!fashioned!phrase!–!we!can!relate!to!integrity,! which!speaks!of!being!consistent,!but!to!be!pure!in!our!world!of!compromise,!lies! and!brokenness!is!a!tall!order!!Jesus!later!speaks!with!challenging!rhetoric!about! tearing!out!our!own!eye!if!it!causes!us!to!stumble!because!He!knows!the!easy!way! we!let!a!look!turn!to!lust!and!lust!to!action.!Of!course!we!can!never!achieve!purity!by! our!own!efforts!alone!–!we!would!end!up!blind!and!limbless!!How!wonderful!that! purity!is!available!in!the!Cross!as!we!recognise!our!need!of!a!Saviour,!confess!our!sin! and!ask!Jesus!to!cleanse!and!forgive!us.! That!daily!need!to!come!for!forgiveness!is!beautifully!expressed!by!David!in!Psalm! 51:! ‘Create$in$me$a$pure$heart$O$God,$and$renew$a$steadfast$spirit$within$me.$Do$ not$cast$me$from$Your$presence$or$take$Your$Holy$Spirit$from$me.’! The!whole!Psalm!is!worth!meditating!on!as!David!cries!out!for!God’s!mercy!and!finds! it.!To!be!forgiven!is!to!truly!meet!with!God,!to!see!God!and!rejoice.! Maintaining!a!pure!heart!is!connected!with!what!we!think!about,!so!today!resolve!to! guard!your!heart!and!mind.! ‘Whatever$is$true,$whatever$is$noble,$whatever$is$right,$whatever$is$pure,$ whatever$is$lovely,$whatever$is$admirable$–$if$anything$is$excellent$or$ praiseworthy$–$think$about$such$things.’!(Philippians!4:8_9)!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!through!Psalm!51!allowing!God!to!wash!you!whiter!than!snow.! 2. Pray!for!those!in!our!community!trapped!by!habits!and!addictions!that!make! them!feel!impure,!that!they!will!be!set!free.! 3. Give!thanks!for!the!impact!that!God!has!enabled!King's!Church!to!have!in!this! city,!and!pray!that!it!will!increase!in!a!major!way!over!the!coming!year.!

MONDAY 14 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 9 • Colossians 3

Peacemakers Change the World!

Day

UN!peacemakers!often!seem!thrown!into!dangerous!situations!with!inadequate! resources!or!unclear!mandates!which!mean!their!missions!can!sometimes!fail.!We! however!have!a!very!clear!mandate!to!bring!peace!into!situations!with!the!resources! of!the!Holy!Spirit!within!and!God’s!Word!equipping!us.!! Paul!in!Colossians!1:19_23!explains!God’s!plan!to!reconcile!all!things!to!Himself!by! making!peace!through!Jesus’!blood,!shed!on!the!cross.!We!were!once!alienated!from! God!but!now!we!have!been!reconciled!to!Him!through!Jesus.!So!we!have!no!excuse! but!to!be!peacemakers!bringing!that!message!of!reconciliation!to!those!around!us.!In! chapter!3!Paul!makes!things!very!practical!by!describing!how!we!need!to!take!off!the! old!clothes!of!anger,!malice!and!slander!and!put!on!the!new!clothes!of!compassion,! kindness!and!humility.! It!will!mean!breaking!down!the!categories!we!use!to!divide!ourselves!according!to! race,!education!or!economic!status.!!It!will!mean!we!have!to!‘bear!with!one!another’! and!‘forgive!whatever!grievances!you!have’.!But!the!end!result!will!not!just!be!peace! and!thankfulness!but!real!life!in!the!body!of!Christ,!when!we!each!use!our!gifts!to! build!one!another!up.! Children!of!God!acting!like!we!all!belong!to!the!same!family!–!what!could!be!more! wonderful!and!world!changing!!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!that!God!will!help!you!be!a!peacemaker!and!break!down!the!barriers!that! divide!people!in!your!family,!your!work!and!church.! 2. Pray!for!leaders!at!every!level!in!the!areas!of!the!world!you!know!about!where! there!is!conflict.!May!God!give!them!courage!to!be!peacemakers.! 3. Pray!that!the!vision!that!was!cast!yesterday!will!capture!the!heart!of!every!person! who!attends!King's.!

TUESDAY 15 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 10-12

Be Prepared

Day

It!can!feel!sometimes!as!Christians!that!our!voice!in!society!is!sidelined!or!squashed,! but!we!are!still!remarkably!free!to!worship!and!have!our!say!in!the!UK.!In!many! other!countries!the!freedoms!we!enjoy!are!non_existent!and!Christians!face!danger,! discrimination!and!restrictions.!Historians!reckon!that!more!Christians!were!killed!for! their!faith!in!the!twentieth!century!than!during!all!the!other!centuries!put!together.!! But!there!are!moments!even!here!when!we!need!to!stand!up!for!justice,!refute! atheistic!beliefs!or!bring!the!values!of!the!kingdom!to!bear!in!a!situation.!That!takes! courage!and!sometimes!will!cause!a!negative!reaction.!That’s!when!we!need!to! remember!it’s!‘blessed’!to!be!insulted!and!we!need!to!rejoice!! That!doesn’t!give!us!the!excuse!to!be!arrogant,!argumentative!or!insulting!to!others! in!return.!We!need!to!remain!humble,!gracious!and!full!to!overflowing!with! compassion.!Let’s!be!known!because!of!what!we!are!for!–!justice,!mercy,!marriage,! true!equality!where!every!person!is!valued,!and!sexual!purity!–!rather!than!be! against!everything!!If!you!want!to!know!more!about!how!we!can!stand!for!these! things!in!our!society,!check!out!www.care.org.uk,!or!Tearfund!for!international! issues.! Read!1!Peter!3:8_17!and!think!how!you!can!equip!yourself!to!be!prepared!to!give!a! reasoned!answer!about!your!faith.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!for!Christians!in!other!countries!who!face!physical!persecution!or! discrimination.!May!God!protect!them,!give!them!courage!and!transform!their! societies.! 2. Pray!that!you!will!be!a!witness!–!full!of!grace!as!well!as!truth!–!in!your!work,! among!your!friends!and!with!your!family,!even!if!it!gets!difficult.! 3. Tonight!there!is!a!Leadership!Summit!for!those!involved!in!leadership!at!King's.! Ask!God!to!strengthen!them!as!we!take!up!the!challenge!of!the!new!vision!God! has!given!us.!

NOTES & REFLECTIONS… !

WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 13-16

Salt and Light

Day

Have!you!ever!eaten!beef!jerky?!It’s!lean!meat!cut!into!strips,!rubbed!with!salt!and! then!dried.!The!addition!of!salt!prevents!it!from!going!rotten,!and!means!it!can!last! for!months!without!refrigeration.!Jesus!says!that!we!are!the!‘salt!of!the!earth’.!Salt!is! a!great!preservative,!and!God!has!put!us!in!the!world!to!slow!down!the!process!of! social!decay.! Salt!also!gives!flavour!and!creates!thirst.!Christians!should!be!against!the!dull!and!the! bland,!and!for!colour,!richness!and!diversity.!And!let’s!pray!that!our!presence!in!the! community!increasingly!provokes!thirst!in!others!for!something!better.!!! Jesus!says!too!that!we!are!the!‘light!of!the!world’.!We!are!the!people!through!whom! God!wants!to!shine!His!light!into!the!world’s!dark!corners,!not!simply!to!show!up! evil,!but!to!enable!people!who!are!stumbling!around!in!the!dark!to!find!their!way.!! We!may!wonder!how!we!are!to!fulfil!these!roles.!How!can!we!be!‘salty’!as! Christians?!And!what!are!the!‘good!deeds’!others!are!to!see!as!our!light!shines?! Well,!it’s!no!coincidence!that!today’s!reading!comes!where!it!does.!At!the!most!basic! level,!Christian!saltiness!is!the!sort!of!character!depicted!in!the!Beatitudes!we’ve! been!looking!at!over!the!last!few!days,!and!our!good!deeds!are!the!godly!behaviour! Jesus!is!about!to!describe:!it’s!the!nitty_gritty!of!dealing!with!anger!and!lust,!of! seeking!reconciliation!and!speaking!truth,!and!loving!our!enemies.!That’s!the!sort!of! behaviour!that!comes!from!being!a!devoted!disciple!of!Jesus!Christ.!How!are!you! doing?!

Prayer Points 1. Is!there!an!area!of!your!character!where!you!could!be!more!‘salty’?!Talk!to!God! about!it.! 2. Pray!for!opportunities!for!God!to!shine!His!light!through!you!in!the!next!few!days.! 3. Pray!for!Tope!Koleoso!speaking!to!us!at!tonight's!Celebration,!that!he!would!hear! God's!heart!for!us.! TONIGHT’S EVENING CELEBRATION 7.45 - 9.30pm @ Catford site Visiting speaker TOPE KOLEOSO, leader of Jubilee Church London, a multicultural church in Enfield, North London.

THURSDAY 17 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 17-20

Better than the Pharisees?

Day

When!did!you!last!read!something!from!the!Old!Testament,!other!than!the!Psalms?! It’s!all!inspired!by!God,!and!it!points!forward!to!Jesus!and!fills!out!our!understanding! of!just!how!wonderful!He!is.! ‘The!Law!and!the!Prophets’!is!shorthand!for!all!the!Old!Testament!Scriptures,!and! Jesus!says!that!He!didn’t!come!to!abolish!them,!but!to!fulfil!them.!Jesus!does!more! than!simply!give!assent!to!Old!Testament!teaching,!He!takes!it!to!a!new!level;!by!His! person,!His!teaching!and!His!saving!work,!He!fills!with!meaning!what!was!true!and! good!but!partial!and!incomplete.!Like!light!shining!through!a!prism,!something! happens!to!Old!Testament!revelation!when!it!is!appreciated!through!Jesus.! In!Jesus’!day,!righteousness!was!judged!in!terms!of!keeping!the!Law,!and!the! Pharisees!were!the!experts:!they!calculated!that!there!were!248!commands!and!365! prohibitions!!Obedience!to!all!of!them!was!their!obsession.!So!how!can!we!ever! hope!for!our!righteousness!to!surpass!theirs?!The!glorious!truth!is!that!our! righteousness!is!greater!than!the!Pharisees’!because!it’s!deeper!–!it’s!a!righteousness! of!the!heart.!Our!righteousness!is!better,!not!in!its!amount,!but!by!its!very!nature!!! In!Jeremiah!31:33,!God!promised:!‘I$will$put$my$law$within$them,$and$I$will$write$it!on$ their$hearts’.!And!in!Ezekiel!36:27:!‘I$will$put$my$Spirit$within$you,$and$cause$you$to$ walk$in$my$statutes’.!Through!God’s!amazing!work!of!regeneration!and!the!fact!that! the!Holy!Spirit!lives!in!us,!this!deep!obedience!really!is!possible.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!speak!to!you!through!the!whole!of!His!Word.!! 2. Thank!God!for!a!righteousness!greater!than!that!of!the!Pharisees,!even!though! we!did!nothing!to!deserve!it.!! 3. Pray!for!all!those!involved!in!pastoral!care!at!King’s,!for!discernment,!compassion! and!patience.!

FRIDAY 18 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 21-26

Choose Reconciliation

Day

Reading!today’s!passage!(and!the!passages!for!the!next!five!days!)!could!make!you! feel!inadequate!and!overwhelmed!in!view!of!some!of!the!things!Jesus!says!–!they! can!seem!unattainable.!It’s!good!to!remember!that!God!is!our!loving!heavenly!Father! who!only!wants!the!best!for!us.!The!Sermon!on!the!Mount!is!not!a!big!stick!God!uses! to!beat!us!when!we!fall!short;!it’s!an!invitation!to!the!best!possible!way!of!life!–!life! lived!God’s!way.!Jesus!is!describing!the!life!of!discipleship!God!creates!among!us!as! we!embrace!His!kingdom!rule.!It’s!His!way!of!life,!which!we!will!demonstrate!as!we! are!increasingly!‘conformed!to!his!likeness’!(Romans!8:29).! The!Scribes!and!Pharisees!limited!the!application!of!the!sixth!commandment!–!‘You! shall!not!murder’!–!to!the!act!of!killing!itself.!Jesus!disagreed;!He!pushed!the!Law! deeper!and!further!in!the!direction!God!intended!it!to!take.!It!includes!thoughts!and! words!as!well!as!the!act!itself.! You!can!see!how!important!Jesus!thinks!this!is,!and!it’s!not!just!a!theoretical! discussion,!it’s!very!practical.!He!even!says!that!reconciliation!must!take!precedence! over!taking!part!in!worship.!We!mustn’t!take!these!things!lightly;!Jesus!doesn’t!want! us!singing!songs!in!church!if!there’s!something!wrong!between!us!and!someone!else.! It!doesn’t!ring!true!if!we!say!we!love!God!but!we!hate!our!brother!or!sister.!Let’s! have!the!courage!to!live!God’s!way!–!the!best!way!!

Prayer Points 1. Thank!God!that!His!ways!are!best!and!commit!yourself!again!to!live!as!a!disciple.! 2. Examine!your!heart!and!resolve!to!sort!out!any!issues!where!reconciliation!is! needed.! 3. Pray!for!all!the!teenagers!associated!with!our!church,!that!their!gifts!and!energies! will!be!dedicated!to!Christ’s!kingdom.!

SATURDAY 19 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 27-30

Choose Purity

Day

How!wise!are!the!choices!you!make!in!the!area!of!sexual!purity?! As!we!saw!yesterday,!Jesus!focuses!not!just!on!the!end!result!that!the!Law!talks! about!(in!this!case!adultery)!but!what!goes!on!in!our!minds!and!our!hearts!that!leads! to!the!final!outcome.!‘To$go$on$looking$with$lustful$intent$at$another$woman$is$ tantamount$to$adultery$because$it$is$the$deliberate$nurture$of$desire$for$an$illicit$ relationship.’$(Philip!Greenslade)$ Gouging!out!eyes!and!cutting!off!hands!are!clearly!exaggerations!to!make!a!point,! but!just!because!we!don’t!take!these!words!literally!doesn’t!mean!we!don’t!take! them!seriously.!It!is!very!clear!that!we!must!be!willing!to!make!tough!choices!and! deal!ruthlessly!with!lust:!don’t!let!your!eyes!linger;!don’t!tune!in!to!that!channel;! don’t!buy!that!magazine;!don’t!read!those!books…!This!is!not!a!rigid!new!set!of!laws;! this!is!making!wise!choices!as!a!devoted!disciple!of!Jesus.! It!is!also!not!‘repression’,!as!our!society!might!seem!to!suggest.!Think!of!it!more!like! pruning!a!rose:!you!cut!off!some!buds!so!that!the!plant!grows!stronger!and!produces! better!flowers.!Some!pain,!but!ultimate!gain!! We!don’t!have!to!give!in!to!basic!animal!instincts!–!we!are!so!much!more!than!that!! As!human!beings!made!in!God’s!image,!we!can!choose!to!live!a!much!better!way.!

Prayer Points 1. (Men!particularly)!Read!Job!31:1!and!pray!about!it.! 2. Pray!for!King’s,!that!we!will!be!a!beacon!of!purity!in!our!community.! 3. Pray!for!all!those!getting!baptised!tomorrow,!that!they!will!meet!God!in!a!special! way,!and!that!their!testimonies!will!impact!others!and!draw!them!to!faith.!

TO M O RRO W ’S M EETINGS: M ERCY @ Catford & Downham Site preach @ Lee

SUNDAY 20 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 31-32

Choose Faithfulness

Day

When!Jesus!was!questioned!elsewhere!about!divorce!(Matthew!19),!He!replied!by! going!right!back!to!Genesis,!and!to!God’s!original!plan!for!marriage.!And!it’s!a!great! place!to!start.!Marriage!is!God’s!idea,!and!it’s!the!lifelong,!exclusive!relationship! between!one!man!and!one!woman.!So!divorce!is!a!tragedy,!and!however!well!the! two!partners!behave!in!splitting!up,!it!is!never!painless,!especially!where!children!are! involved.!! At!the!same!time,!divorce!is!not!the!unforgivable!sin.!If!you!have!been!through!the! heartache!of!divorce,!remember!that!God!is!still!committed!to!you!–!He!will!never! give!up!on!you.! It’s!worth!noting!that!Jesus’!tough!sounding!words!here!are!motivated!by! compassion!–!they’re!almost!certainly!aimed!at!protecting!women!of!the!day!who! were!part!of!a!society!where!they!could!easily!find!themselves!dismissed!from! marriage!and!home!for!quite!trivial!reasons!on!the!whim!of!their!husbands.! As!always,!Jesus!is!pushing!the!Law!deeper!and!further!in!the!direction!God! intended.!What!He!wants!is!not!a!superficial!obedience!like!the!Pharisees’,!but!a! commitment!to!the!deeper!issues!of!faithfulness!and!love.!For!those!of!us!who!have! the!privilege!of!being!married,!this!is!a!challenging!but!vital!area!to!live!as!disciples!of! Jesus,!displaying!His!character!to!our!wife!or!husband.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!that!as!a!church!we!will!work!hard!to!support,!protect!and!honour!marriage.! 2. Pray!for!anyone!you!know!who!has!been!affected!by!divorce.! 3. Thank!God!that!we!are!part!of!such!a!wonderfully!diverse!family.!

MONDAY 21 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 33-37

Choose Truthfulness

Day

Don’t!swear!!That’s!what!Jesus!says!in!verse!34!of!today’s!reading.! But!what!He’s!actually!talking!about!is!not!what!usually!springs!to!mind!when!we! think!of!swearing,!i.e.!bad!language.!He’s!referring!to!making!vows!and!oaths.!And! the!background!is!the!Pharisees’!devious!treatment!of!the!Old!Testament,!so!as!to! make!it!easier!to!obey.! There!are!various!instructions!in!the!Law!emphasizing!the!evil!of!false!swearing!or! perjury,!that!is,!making!a!vow!and!then!breaking!it.!But!what!the!Pharisees!did!was! shift!attention!away!from!the!importance!of!the!vow!itself!to!the!formula!used!in! making!it,!that!is,!what!people!swore!by!when!they!made!the!vow.!They!developed!a! whole!list!of!which!formulas!were!allowed,!and!they!also!came!up!with!idea!that!the! only!ones!that!were!really!binding!were!those!that!included!God’s!name!!Jesus! shows!how!ridiculous!this!is,!by!making!the!point!that!however!hard!you!try,!you! can’t!avoid!some!reference!to!God,!because!He!in!some!way!stands!behind! everything.!Anything!you!mention!is!part!of!His!world,!and!you!can’t!take!Him!out!of! any!of!it.! Nowadays,!you!might!hear!someone!say,!‘I!swear!on!my!mother’s!grave’,!or! something!similar.!Jesus!says!that!what!you!swear!by!is!completely!irrelevant;!what! matters!is!that!you!keep!your!word.!Once!again,!He!pushes!the!Law!deeper,!to!its! underlying!intention;!we!must!keep!our!promises!and!be!people!of!our!word.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!put!His!finger!on!any!aspect!of!the!way!you!speak!which!needs! attention.! 2. Resolve!before!God!to!speak!truthfully!and!keep!your!promises,!even!when!it! hurts.! 3. Pray!for!the!daytime!Alpha!course!starting!on!Wednesday,!for!the!team!and! those!invited.!

TUESDAY 22 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 38-42

Breaking the Cycle

Day

‘Eye!for!eye!and!tooth!for!tooth’!comes!straight!out!of!the!Old!Testament!Law.!To!us! it!may!seem!archaic!and!severe,!but!it!played!an!important!role!in!defining!justice! and!limiting!revenge!among!God’s!people.!It!was!given!as!an!instruction!for!judges!to! apply!in!court,!and!forbade!the!taking!of!the!law!into!one’s!own!hands!by!pursuing! retribution!in!family!feuds.!The!Pharisees,!however,!stretched!the!principle!to!apply! to!personal!relationships,!where!it!does!not!belong.!! The!situations!Jesus!describes!–!turning!the!other!cheek,!going!the!extra!mile!etc.!–! are!examples!to!give!us!an!idea!of!how!His!disciples!are!to!act.!The!behaviour! consistent!with!being!a!disciple!of!Jesus!is!what!He!Himself!exhibited.!He!doesn’t!ask! anything!of!His!followers!that!He!hasn’t!faced!Himself.! In!some!ways,!the!Sermon!on!the!Mount!isn’t!just!about!us,!it’s!about!Jesus!Himself.! This!was!how!He!lived.!When!He!was!falsely!accused,!He!stayed!silent;!when!He!was! spat!upon!and!mocked,!He!didn’t!retaliate;!when!the!guards!hit!Him,!He!took!the! pain;!and!He!prayed!for!those!who!crucified!him.!

‘The$Sermon$on$the$Mount$isn’t$just$about$how$to$behave.$It’s$about$ discovering$the$living$God$in$the$loving,$and$dying,$Jesus,$and$learning$to$ reflect$that$love$ourselves$into$the$world$that$needs$it$so$badly.’$ (Tom$Wright)$

Prayer Points 1. Spend!a!few!moments!worshipping!Jesus!in!the!light!of!what!you’ve!just!read.!! 2. Pray!that!you!will!be!changed!to!become!more!and!more!like!Jesus!(2!Corinthians! 3:18).! 3. Pray!for!the!Elders!and!Trustees!as!they!meet!this!evening,!that!God!will!continue! to!give!wisdom!in!all!the!decisions!they!have!to!make.!

NOTES & REFLECTIONS… ! !

WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY M atthew 5 : 43-48

What Kind of Love is This?

Day

The!Pharisees!knew!the!Old!Testament,!but!they!also!knew!how!to!misquote!it!if!it! suited!them!!The!last!six!days’!readings!have!started!with!Jesus’!words,!‘You!have! heard!that!it!was!said’!(not!‘It!is!written’,!which!is!what!He!says!when$He!quotes!the! Old!Testament).!The!Bible!never!tells!us!to!hate!our!enemies!–!this!was!something! the!Pharisees!had!made!up!! God!sends!rain!on!the!righteous!and!the!unrighteous;!that!means!He!is! indiscriminate!in!His!love!and!we!are!to!be!the!same.!Can!this!be!done?!Let!these! history_changing!words!of!Martin!Luther!King!inspire!you:! ‘To$our$most$bitter$opponents$we$say,$“We$shall$match$your$capacity$to$inflict$ suffering$by$our$capacity$to$endure$suffering$…$do$to$us$what$you$will,$and$we$ shall$continue$to$love$you$…$throw$us$in$jail,$and$we$shall$still$love$you$…$send$ your$hooded$perpetrators$of$violence$into$our$community$at$the$midnight$hour$ and$beat$us$and$leave$us$half$dead,$and$we$shall$still$love$you.$We$shall$so$ appeal$to$your$heart$and$conscience$that$we$shall$win$you$in$the$process$and$ our$victory$will$be$a$double$victory.”’$ This!is!the!way!of!disciples!of!Jesus.!Our!love!for!those!who!irritate!us,!the!difficult! and!the!unlovely,!may!seem!trivial!in!comparison,!but!it!will!still!be!hard.!We’ll!need! God’s!Spirit!who!lives!in!us!to!help!us!love!in!God’s!way.!!

Prayer Points 1. Thank!God!for!His!undeserved,!indiscriminate!love.! 2. Think!of!someone!you!find!it!hard!to!love,!and!pray!for!them.! 3. Pray!for!tonight's!Celebration,!that!we!will!experience!God's!healing!power.!

TONIGHT’S EVENING CELEBRATION 7.45 -9.30pm @ Catford site Focus: HEALING

THURSDAY 24 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 1

Motives Matter to God

Day

The!next!few!verses!challenge!us!about!our!spiritual!habits,!often!called!disciplines,! and!how!they!help!or!hinder!our!growth!spiritually.!Acts!of!righteousness,!giving!to! the!needy,!prayer!and!fasting!are!all!part!of!the!spiritual!life.!Jesus!assumes!we!are! doing!these!outward!habits!but!He!then!looks!deeper,!asking!us!to!question!our!own! motives.! The!religious!people!of!Jesus’!day!made!a!show!of!their!righteousness.!They!had! become!proud!of!their!good!deeds.!Jesus!isn’t!saying!that!good!deeds!are!wrong!but! He!is!calling!us!to!a!life!of!humble,!selfless!integrity.!We!are!after!all!called!to!be!His! servants!(see!Luke!17:5_10).! Reflect!for!a!moment!on!how!often!when!we!do!something!good!at!work!or!home! we!look!over!our!shoulder!for!someone!to!say!‘well!done’!or!‘good!job’.!Our!hearts! desire!approval,!recognition!and!praise.!In!the!spiritual!life!our!motives!matter!more! to!God!than!what!we!do.!He!sees!our!hearts!and!wants!us!to!focus!on!Him!and!not! on!what!others!think!of!us.! The!wonderful!news!from!this!verse!is!that!He!will!reward!us!!But!it!may!not!be!as! we!expect;!it!could!be!through!spiritual!growth,!joy!or!an!eternal!heritage!that!won’t! fade,!unlike!the!compliments!or!pat!on!the!back!we!desire.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!for!opportunities!this!week!to!act!righteously.! 2. Ask!God!to!reveal!the!motives!of!your!heart!as!you!seek!to!serve!Him.! 3. Pray!for!a!successful!Alpha!meal!this!evening,!and!for!the!start!of!the!New!Life! course.!

FRIDAY 25 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 2-4

Mercy

Day

Giving!to!the!needy,!the!disadvantaged,!and!the!marginalised!can!be!tricky,!can’t!it?! We!wonder,!‘Should!I!give!to!that!person!on!the!street,!the!charity!that!phones!me,! the!neighbour!who!has!lost!their!job?!Will!they!waste!the!money,!take!advantage!or! be!embarrassed?’!Whatever!the!dilemmas,!giving!to!those!in!need!shouldn’t!be! something!you!only!do!at!Christmas.!It!shouldn’t!be!something!you!do!to!salve!your! conscience!for!your!own!excesses!or!as!a!quick!solution!instead!of!fighting!for! justice.! Jesus!challenges!us!to!give!secretly,!unobtrusively,!generously!and!spontaneously.! That!way!we!won’t!become!proud,!self_satisfied!and!those!we!give!to!will!feel! respected!too.!That!doesn’t!mean!we!shouldn’t!also!be!intentional!about!our!giving,! so!maybe!the!start!of!the!year!is!a!good!time!to!review!your!giving!to!church,!Multi_ Site!and!those!in!need.!(See!2!Corinthians!9:6_15!about!giving!out!of!a!gratitude!to! God!‘for!his!indescribable!gift’!)! There!are!many!great!charities!that!can!use!our!gifts!and!channel!them!in!the!most! effective!way.!We!are!also!blessed!as!a!church!to!have!the!Jericho!Road!Project!that! provides!housing!for!the!homeless,!food!for!the!disadvantaged,!advice!for!those!in! debt!and!is!a!voice!for!justice!in!our!community.!Check!it!out!on!our!website.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!for!the!work!of!the!Jericho!Road!Project,!that!God!will!use!Simon!and!his! team!to!serve!and!help!many!in!our!community.! 2. Pray!for!the!King’s!Debt!Advice!Centre,!that!those!in!financial!trouble!will!seek! help.! 3. At!the!end!of!another!working!week!for!many,!pray!that!this!weekend!will!be!a! time!of!refreshment.!

SATURDAY 26 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 5-8

Just Simply Pray!

Day

It’s!great!when!people!at!King’s!contribute!to!our!worship!by!praying!out!on! Sundays,!but!here!Jesus!homes!in!again!on!our!motives.!Do!we!like!the!sound!of!our! own!voice?!Do!we!go!on!and!on!when!we!pray?!Do!we!somehow!think!we!need!to! earn!the!answers!to!prayer!we!seek?!Do!we!find!it!difficult!to!stop!and!listen!to!God?! Jesus!paints!a!picture!of!a!person!who!prays!regularly,!who!has!found!a!place!and!a! way!to!genuinely!connect!with!their!heavenly!Father.!A!person!who!is!real,!praying! simply!in!their!own!words,!confident!that!God!hears!and!answers.!Jesus!Himself! withdrew!to!pray!regularly!and!listened!closely!to!what!God!would!have!Him!do!each! day.! Jesus!isn’t!saying!we!shouldn’t!be!persistent!in!prayer!(He!commends!a!widow!who! kept!on!bringing!her!requests!until!she!received!justice).!But!He!is!saying!don’t!pray! for!effect,!don’t!use!formulas,!copy!others!or!make!a!big!fuss!with!longwinded! prayers.!(See!the!parables!about!prayer!in!Luke!18:1_14.)! Why!not!reflect!on!when,!how!and!where!you!pray?!What!can!you!change!to!help! you!connect!with!God!more!effectively?!What!will!help!you!grow!in!prayer,! persevere!in!prayer!and!really!draw!near!to!your!Father!who!longs!to!answer!your! requests?!!Start!with!small!changes;!these!verses!are!not!to!condemn,!but!to! encourage!you!–!God!loves!it!when!you!pray!!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!help!you!connect!more!deeply!with!Him!through!prayer!every!day,! starting!today!! 2. Pray!that!we!will!continue!to!grow!in!prayer!as!a!church.! 3. Pray!for!our!children's!workers!who!will!have!the!responsibility!tomorrow!of! impacting!young!lives!for!Christ.!

TO M O RRO W ’S M EETINGS: M ISSIO N @ Catford & Downham M ERCY @ Lee

SUNDAY 27 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 9-10

Pray like Jesus Prayed

Day

This!prayer!of!Jesus!is!so!simple,!straightforward!and!concise,!yet!loaded!with! meaning.!Many!preachers!and!authors!have!meditated!on!these!words!and! discovered!volumes!of!truth.!Why!not!read!it!again!slowly!from!The$Message$or!New$ Living$Translation$and!let!the!words!come!to!you!afresh?!(For!different!versions!see! www.biblegateway.com.)! God!is!‘Our!Father’!–!how!amazing!!1!John!3:1!says:!‘How$great$is$the$love$the$Father$ has$lavished$on$us,$that$we$should$be$called$children$of$God.’$He!has!generously,! graciously!lavished!His!love!on!us,!unworthy!and!ordinary!as!we!are.! ‘Hallowed!be!your!name’!–!Yes,!God!loves!us!deeply!but!He!is!also!holy,!awesome! and!mighty.!He!should!be!approached!with!respect!and!reverence.!Without!the! death!of!Jesus!who!took!our!punishment!we!couldn’t!even!come!to!Him.! His!kingdom!is!coming!in!this!world.!It!won’t!be!fully!revealed!until!He!comes!again,! but!amazingly!our!prayers!help!His!kingdom!gain!ground!here!on!earth,!in!London.! God!wants!us!to!partner!with!Him!to!see!His!will!done!on!earth.!In!our!work!places,! our!homes,!our!families,!our!church!–!God!is!looking!to!us!to!bring!in!His!kingdom.! Think!for!a!moment!about!how!things!need!to!change!around!you!to!reflect!His! kingdom.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!this!prayer!back!to!God,!starting!with!gratitude!that!He!is!your!Father.! 2. Pray!about!God’s!kingdom!and!will!being!done!in!all!the!situations!you!face! today.! 3. Pray!that!as!we!meet!together!today,!we!will!make!every!effort!to!keep!the!unity! of!the!Spirit!through!the!bond!of!peace!(Ephesians!4:3).!

MONDAY 28 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 11

God’s Provision

Day

This!prayer!is!both!a!humble!admission!that!each!day!we!need!God!and!a!thankful! recognition!that!even!if!our!fridge!is!full!today!we!should!not!take!that!for!granted.! We!have!a!loving!heavenly!Father!who!gives!us!good!gifts!but!we!do!have!to!ask,! seek!and!knock!to!receive!what!God!has!for!us!(Luke!11:1_13).! For!many!in!our!community!there!is!an!anxious!daily!struggle!to!make!ends!meet.! For!others!the!struggle!is!with!the!‘more!monster’!–!trying!to!accumulate!more!and! expecting!what!we!have!to!supply!happiness!and!security.!In!trusting!God!with!both! our!needs!and!our!plenty!we!will!find!perspective!as!Paul!did!(Philippians!4:4_20).! How!are!you!doing!in!recognising!each!day!that!you!are!dependent!on!God?!‘Saying! Grace’!is!sometimes!seen!as!old!fashioned!but!whether!you!are!sitting!eating! watching!TV!or!round!a!table,!alone!or!with!others,!do!you!regularly!thank!God!for! all!you!have?!‘While$they$were$eating$Jesus$took$bread,$gave$thanks$and$broke$it…’! (Matthew!26:26)! Whatever!company!or!government!department!puts!money!in!your!bank!each! month,!God!is!your!ultimate!provider.!Be!thankful!for!the!means!He!uses!but!never! forget!to!be!grateful!to!Him.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!that!your!meal!times!with!family,!friends!or!at!work!with!colleagues!will!be! used!by!God!to!build!His!kingdom.! 2. Pray!for!your!boss!and!the!company!or!department!that!provides!your!salary!or! benefits.! 3. Pray!for!all!those!who!are!unemployed!and!would!love!to!be!going!to!work!today.!

TUESDAY 29 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 12

Daily Forgiveness

Day

It’s!easy!to!understand!why!we!would!ask!for!bread!every!day!–!our!bodies!can’t!go! long!without!calories.!But!daily!forgiveness?!Forgiving!others!daily?!Is!that!really! necessary?! Jesus’!words!remind!us!that,!like!spiritual!food,!being!forgiven!and!readily!forgiving! others!empowers!us!to!live!the!free,!clean,!holy!life!God!has!called!us!to.!Temptation! and!sin!are!ever!near!us;!who!can!end!the!day!without!some!confession!of!sin,!some! bad!attitude,!some!need!of!forgiveness?! Henri!Nouwen!said:! ‘Forgiveness$is$the$name$of$love$practised$among$people$who$love$poorly.$The$ hard$truth$is$that$all$people$love$poorly.$We$need$to$forgive$and$be$forgiven$ every$day,$every$hour$increasingly.$That$is$the$great$work$of$love$among$the$ fellowship$of$the$weak$that$is$the$human$family.’$ How!wonderful!that!our!Father!does!not!tire!of!forgiving!us,!of!washing!us!clean,!of! separating!us!from!our!sin:! ‘Come$now,$let$us$reason$together$says$the$Lord.$Though!your$sins$are$like$ scarlet,$they$shall$be$as$white$as$snow.’!(Isaiah!1:18)! ‘So$great$is$His$love$for$those$who$fear$Him;$as$far$as$the$east$is$from$the$west,$ so$far$He$has!removed$our$transgressions$from!us.’!(Psalm!103:11_12)! Why!not!read!the!whole!of!Psalm!103!and!remember!all!His!benefits!to!you?!

Prayer Points 1. Spend!some!time!asking!God!to!reveal!any!sin!in!your!heart.!Let!Him!forgive!and! cleanse!you.! 2. List!all!the!ways!God!has!blessed!you.!Praise!God!for!all!His!goodness,!mercy!and! grace!towards!you!today.! 3. Pray!for!all!the!King's!Community!Groups!and!their!leaders,!that!through!the! groups!many!will!find!a!place!where!they!can!connect!and!belong.!

NOTES & REFLECTIONS… !

WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 13

Our Daily Battle

Day

Our!daily!battle!with!sin!depends!on!how!we!deal!with!temptation.!It’s!not!a!sin!to! be!tempted,!to!have!thoughts!come!into!our!mind!which!are!negative!and!wrong;! it’s!what!we!do!with!them!that’s!important.!Martin!Luther!said:!‘You$cannot$keep$the$ birds$from$flying$over$your$head$but$you$can$keep$them$from$building$a$nest$in$your! hair!’!Someone!else!has!said:!‘Flee$temptation$and$don’t$leave$a$forwarding$ address…’$ We!have!an!enemy!who!seeks!to!undermine!our!faith,!our!mission!and!ruin!our!lives.! But!we!also!have!a!Saviour!who!has!not!only!defeated!the!devil!but!knows!what!it’s! like!to!be!tempted!yet!didn’t!fall.!He!is!able!to!help!us!find!a!way!of!escape!and! overcome.!(See!Jesus’!temptation!–!Matthew!4:1_11;!our!enemy!–!1!Peter!5:6_11;! Jesus!our!high!priest!–!Hebrews!4:14_16.)!‘Let$us$then$approach$the$throne$of$grace$ with$confidence,$so$that$we$may$receive$mercy$and$find$grace$to$help$us$in$our$time$ of$need.’$ Let’s!be!careful!not!to!underestimate!our!foe!and!get!complacent!–!let’s!actively! eradicate!things!from!our!lives!that!cause!temptation.!But!let’s!also!be!careful!not!to! overestimate!our!foe!and!be!in!fear.!Let’s!renounce!anything!that!would!give!him!a! foothold!but!rejoice!that!God!is!in!control,!Satan!is!defeated!and!we!are!on!the! winning!side!in!this!battle!!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!for!God’s!help!in!your!daily!battle!against!temptation.! 2. Thank!God!for!the!example!of!Jesus!who!was!tempted!yet!did!not!sin.! 3. Pray!that!God!will!be!glorified!by!our!worship!this!evening!as!we!gather!for!our! final!40!Days!Celebration.!

TONIGHT’S EVENING CELEBRATION 7.45 -9.30pm @ Catford site Focus: W ORSHIP The evening will include songs and the band from the Everything album.

THURSDAY 31 JANUARY M atthew 6 : 14-15

Keep Forgiving

Day

We!are!still!prone!to!sin,!we!are!still!in!need!of!forgiveness!and!so!are!the!people! around!us.!The!challenge!is,!can!we!be!as!quick!to!forgive!others!as!God!is!to!forgive! us?!It’s!uncomfortable!to!think!that!our!unforgiveness,!our!lack!of!generosity! towards!others,!our!bitterness!could!separate!us!from!God.!Our!eternal!salvation!is! secure,!we!are!forgiven,!but!if!we!hold!on!to!sin!our!relationship!with!God!suffers.! Jesus!is!clearly!warning!us.!The!story!of!an!unforgiving!servant!rams!home!the!point! when!Peter!asks!‘How!many!times!shall!I!forgive!my!brother?’!(Matthew!18:21_35).! Some!offences,!insults!and!wrongs!are!easily!forgiven.!Others!are!burned!deep!into! our!consciousness!by!words!and!actions!which!continue!to!wound.!Some!sins!and! betrayals!leave!a!trail!of!destruction!in!our!lives.!It’s!then!we!need!the!Holy!Spirit!to! help!us!forgive!daily.!We!need!the!Holy!Spirit!to!transform!our!thinking,!break!the! cycle!of!anger,!regret!and!pain!so!we!can!walk!free,!forgiving!even!our!enemies.! Many!people!condemn!themselves!because!they!can’t!forgive!and!forget!instantly.! Most!of!us!need!prayer!and!encouragement!or!to!go!on!a!Freedom$in$Christ!course.! Even!so!it!will!be!a!daily!choice!to!keep!forgiving!for!some!time!until!the!wounds!in! our!life!are!healed.!Remembering!how!generously!we!have!been!forgiven!helps!us.!

Prayer Points 1. If!you!have!unforgiveness!in!your!heart!ask!God!to!give!you!courage!to!seek!help! to!deal!with!it.! 2. Pray!for!those!who!have!been!betrayed!and!hurt!that!they!will!find!the!freedom! to!forgive.! 3. Pray!that!many!will!return!to!Alpha!tonight,!and!many!of!those!will!come!to!faith! through!this!term's!courses.!

FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY M atthew 6 : 16-18

Maturity in Action

Day

Again!Jesus!challenges!us!when,!not!if,!we!fast!!Fasting!is!a!spiritual!habit!that! enables!us!to!concentrate!and!devote!time!we!would!have!spent!on!food!to!God.! Fasting!reminds!us!that!life!is!more!than!food!and!drink!!Actually,!like!Jesus!we!want! to!affirm!that!our!food!and!drink!is!to!do!the!will!of!our!Father!(John!4:34).! Fasting!can!easily!cause!condemnation!if!we!fail.!Fasting!can!become!competitive!if! we!compare!ourselves!with!someone!else.!Fasting!can!be!legalistic!if!we!do!it!to!earn! God’s!approval.!But!fasting!can!help!us!treat!our!requests!seriously!and!stir!up!our! faith.!That’s!why!Jesus!advises!us!to!keep!our!fasting!private,!looking!as!if!it’s!just! another!normal!day!while!inwardly!putting!Jesus!first!over!our!natural!appetites.!! In!our!spiritual!habits!it’s!what!is!unseen!that!really!matters.!We!are!living!a!life! based!on!unseen!realities.!There!are!sobering!consequences!and!joyous!rewards! both!in!this!life!and!eternally,!because!of!simple!things!we!do!or!don’t!do!each!day.! ‘Therefore,$my$dear$friends…continue$to$work$out$your$salvation$with$fear$and$ trembling,$for$it$is$God$who$works$in$you$to$will$and$to$act$according$to$his$good$ purpose.’!(Philippians!2:1_18)!

Prayer Points 1. Prayerfully!think!of!issues!that!could!do!with!some!determined!prayer!and! fasting,!then!decide!how!and!when!you!will!fast.!(Please!refer!to!the!Fasting$ Guidelines!at!the!back!of!this!booklet.)! 2. Pray!that!God!will!reveal!His!will!to!you!as!you!make!every!effort!daily!to!work! out!your!salvation.! 3. Pray!for!our!students!away!at!university,!that!they!may!be!a!positive!influence!for! the!kingdom!amongst!their!fellow!students.!

SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY M atthew 6 : 19-21

Treasures in Heaven

Day

A!case!study!was!done!where!a!psychologist!took!a!child,!set!him!in!a!room!by! himself!without!any!thing!to!read,!no!music,!or!TV,!and!he!said,!‘There$is$a$bar$of$ chocolate$on$the$table;$you$can$eat$it$if$you$want$to,$but$if$you$don't$eat$it$until$I! come$back$in$about$15$minutes.$Then$you$can$have$two$of$them.’!One!child!after! another!was!tested!in!this!way!and!they!were!graded!according!to!their!willingness! to!say!no!to!short_term!benefits!in!order!to!have!greater!gain!later!on.!Those!who! waited!turned!out!to!be!the!children!who!were!the!most!mature.!They!were! followed!up!ten!years!later!and!then!in!twenty!and!thirty!years,!and!it!was!found! that!those!who!had!chosen!delayed!gratification!were!the!most!successful!in!life.! Some!people!look!for!instant!gratification;!Jesus!warns!us!not!to!seek!happiness!in! things!that!are!seen.!Ultimately!we’ll!be!disappointed!if!we!set!our!hearts!on! material!goods!because!they!will!wear!out,!decay!or!become!obsolete.!It!is! commonly!said,!‘You!can’t!take!it!with!you!when!you!die’!–!all!that!we!accumulate!is! stuff!that!our!kids!will!have!to!sort!out!after!we’re!gone!! Jesus!says!we!should!store!up!for!ourselves!‘treasures!in!heaven’.!The!Greek!literally! means!‘Do!not!be!treasuring!your!treasures’.!So!we!should!use!our!material! possessions!to!honour!God,!build!His!kingdom!and!provide!resources!for!ministries! that!are!reaching!the!world!for!Jesus.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!show!you!if!material!things!have!become!your!‘treasure’.! 2. Pray!that!God!would!show!you!specifically!how!you!should!store!up!‘treasure!in! heaven’.! 3. Tomorrow!is!our!Multi_Site!Gift!Day.!Pray!that!God!will!open!up!the!windows!of! heaven!to!provide!the!resources!we!need!to!fulfil!the!vision!He!has!given!us.!

TO M O RRO W ’S M EETINGS: M ATURITY @ Catford & Downham M ISSIO N @ Lee

SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY M atthew 6 : 22-23

Optical Illusion

Day

This!week!I!received!a!letter!from!the!opticians!reminding!me!that!I!was!due!for! another!eye!test.!The!letter!underlined!the!importance!of!the!test!because!what!the! optician!observes!during!the!test!can!reveal!a!lot!about!a!person’s!general!health.! In!Jesus’!day,!the!eye!was!considered!to!be!the!window!for!the!whole!body.!The! condition!of!a!window!determines!how!much!light!enters!a!room.!If!the!glass!is!dirty,! frosted!or!distorted,!the!light!will!be!restricted.!So!the!amount!of!light!that!enters!a! person’s!heart!will!depend!on!the!state!of!his!spiritual!eyes.!Also!the!way!we!view! others!will!be!affected!by!our!spiritual!eyesight.!Prejudice,!jealousy!and!self_ centredness!will!obscure!our!outlook!on!life.! But!there!is!one!particular!quality!which!fills!the!eye!with!light.!Jesus!says:!‘if$your! eyes$are$healthy$your$whole$body$will$be$full$of$light’!(NIV).!!The!original!Greek!word! translated!‘healthy’!implies!‘generous’.!In!contrast!the!word!translated!‘unhealthy’! (v23)!implies!‘stingy’.!In!other!words,!if!you!have!a!generous!attitude!in!life!you!will! be!filled!with!spiritual!light!as!opposed!to!an!unhealthy,!stingy!attitude.! When!we!are!generous!in!our!judgements!of!others,!in!our!attitudes!towards!others! and!in!our!liberality!in!giving,!spiritual!light!is!able!to!flood!into!our!lives.!On!the! other!hand,!if!we!adopt!a!niggardly,!grudging!and!ungenerous!attitude!we!will! remain!in!spiritual!darkness.!

Prayer Points 1. How!is!your!spiritual!eyesight?!Ask!God!to!reveal!any!prejudice!you!might!have.! 2. Pray!for!a!generous!spirit!in!all!that!you!do!this!coming!week.! 3. Thank!God!for!our!Elders!and!Site!Leadership!Teams,!and!pray!that!He!will! protect!and!provide!for!them!and!their!families.!

MONDAY 4 FEBRUARY M atthew 6 : 24

Jesus’ Financial Model

Day

At!the!end!of!January!2012,!the!total!UK!personal!debt!stood!at!£1,456!trillion!and! the!average!household!debt!in!the!UK!(excluding!mortgages)!was!£7,975.!Average! consumer!borrowing!(including!credit!cards,!motor!and!retail!finance!deals,! overdrafts!and!unsecured!loans)!per!UK!adult!was!£4,221.! In!contrast!to!previous!generations,!this!generation!lives!in!an!age!of!credit.!We’ve! seen!a!shift!from!the!post!Second!World!War!‘save!it,!then!spend!it’!model!to!the! modern!day!‘spend!it!now!and!pay!it!back!later’!model.!But!Jesus’!attitude!towards! money!is!different!again!–!His!model!is!‘trust!God!and!be!generous’.!He!emphasises! the!need!to!trust!God!for!our!finances!and!to!be!generous!givers.! Jesus’!model!for!handling!money!is!counter_cultural!–!and!most!of!us!will!have!to! work!very!hard!to!adopt!his!attitude!to!money!because!we!have!been!so!conditioned! by!society!to!conform!to!one!of!the!worldly!models.!Christians!don’t!automatically! adopt!Jesus’!model!for!handling!money!the!day!they!become!believers.!It!will!not! come!naturally.!Jesus’!model!challenges!our!pre_conceived!ideas!about!handling! money.!It!is!tempting!to!try!and!bolt!it!on!to!our!existing!model,!but!it!isn’t!always! compatible.!So!if!we!are!going!to!take!Jesus’!teaching!on!money!seriously!we!will! have!to!allow!the!Bible!to!shake!our!existing!attitudes.!Disciples!should!be!marked! out!clearly!by!their!attitude!to!money,!which!essentially!means!that!financial! decisions!will!be!affected!by!their!relationship!with!God!more!than!any!other!factor.!

Prayer Points 1. What!kind!of!finance!model!did!you!grow!up!with?!Pray!that!God!will!help!you!to! move!towards!His!model!of!faith!and!generosity.! 2. If!you!feel!you!are!enslaved!to!money!in!any!way,!ask!God!to!set!you!free.! 3. Pray!for!the!office!staff!and!volunteers!who!work!hard!to!make!sure!things!run! smoothly.!

TUESDAY 5 FEBRUARY M atthew 6 : 25-34

Pathological Worriers

Day

According!to!one!newspaper,!worrying!has!become!a!national!pastime!and!it!claims! that!one!in!ten!of!us!are!pathological$worriers.$The!worst!worriers!are!filled!with! anxiety!about!events!as!unlikely!as!being!trampled!by!a!herd!of!elephants!and!can! even!find!reasons!for!worrying!about!feeling!happy:!‘they$have$a$habit$of$ catastrophising$–$coming$up$with$worse$and$worse$possible$scenarios’.$ I!don’t!know!if!that!describes!you,!but!many!of!us!will!worry!about!something!today.! It!might!be!your!child’s!health,!your!job,!your!lack!of!a!job,!the!economy!or!global! issues.!In!this!passage!Jesus!emphasises!the!fact!that!the!Father!already!knows!our! needs.!We!cannot!change!anything!through!worrying!and!every!time!we!worry!we! convey!a!lack!of!faith!in!God.!Of!course!we!may!go!through!testing!times,!but!that!is! when!we!learn!how!to!lean!into!God.!He!knows!you!need!a!job,!He!knows!you!need! somewhere!to!live,!He!knows!you!need!a!new!outfit!–!go!to!Him!in!prayer!but!don’t! extend!your!worrying!into!your!prayer!life!!! Philippians!4:6!says:! ‘Do$not$be$anxious$about$anything,$but$in$every$situation,$by$prayer$and$ petition,$with%thanksgiving,$present$your$requests$to$God.$And$the$peace$of$ God,$which$transcends$all!understanding,$will$guard$your$hearts$and$your$ minds$in$Christ$Jesus.’! It’s!difficult!to!worry!at!the!same!time!as!giving!thanks.!When!we!give!thanks!we! express!our!trust!in!the!Jesus!who!said!‘I$will$never$leave$you$or$forsake$you’.$

Prayer Points 1. What!is!worrying!you!right!now?!Commit!it!to!God!in!prayer.! 2. Who!is!the!biggest!worrier!you!know?!Pray!for!them!today,!that!they!might!know! the!peace!of!God.! 3. Pray!that!our!FP!Impact!team!will!be!wonderfully!equipped!at!their!training!days! this!week,!Tuesday!to!Thursday.!

NOTES & REFLECTIONS… ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! If!you’re!interested!in!attending!the!Membership!Morning!on!Sunday,!please!email! office@kingschurchlondon.org!or!phone!020!8690!4646.!The!morning!is!for!anyone! interested!in!finding!our!what!it!means!to!become!a!member!of!King’s!–!attending! doesn’t!commit!you!to!becoming!a!member.!

WEDNESDAY 6 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 1-2

The Reluctant Cannibal

Day

Michael!Flanders!and!Donald!Swann!were!a!British!comedy!duo!who!were!popular!in! the!1950s!and!60s.!One!of!their!songs,!The$Reluctant$Cannibal,!was!an!argument! between!a!father!and!son!on!the!topic!of!cannibalism!and!contained!the!line!‘Don’t! eat!people…eating!people!is!wrong!’!Hopefully!we’d!all!agree!with!that!sentiment! but!metaphorically!we!‘eat!people’!every!time!we!pass!judgement!on!them.!! How!critical!are!you!of!other!people?!In!this!passage!Jesus!tells!us!not!to!judge! others.!But!did!He!mean!we!should!never!exercise!any!judgement!in!any!areas!of! life?!Nicky!Gumbel!says:! ‘…surely$what$Jesus$is$attacking$here$is$a$judgemental$attitude$towards$other$ people.$He$is$warning$that$we$must$not$judge$harshly,$condemning$others$ with$censorious$and$carping$criticism.$We$are$not$to$set$ourselves$up$as$ God…we$are$not$to$magnify$the$errors$and$weaknesses$of$others…we$are$not$ to$be$fault\finders$who$are$negative$and$destructive$towards$other$people…’$ Jesus!said!that!we!would!be!judged!by!the!measure!we!use!on!others.!That!is!an! alarming!statement!because!so!often!we!set!higher!standards!for!others!than!for! ourselves.!If!we!make!a!mistake!it’s!because!of!our!upbringing!/!being!overworked!/! tiredness!/!stress!etc.!Before!jumping!in!with!both!feet!and!criticising!someone!else,! let’s!examine!ourselves.!When!it!comes!to!criticising!others!and!being!judgemental,! let’s!be!reluctant!‘cannibals’.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!show!you!if!you!have!a!tendency!to!judge!others!too!harshly.! 2. Pray!for!patience!when!dealing!with!people!who!frustrate!you!and!ask!God!to! give!you!His!perspective.! 3. Pray!for!all!those!who!attend!The!Feast!this!evening,!that!God's!love!and!grace! will!be!evident!to!all.!

THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 3-5

Look in the Mirror

Day

A!rather!pompous!deacon!was!endeavouring!to!impress!upon!a!class!of!boys!the! importance!of!living!the!Christian!life.!‘Why$do$people$call$me$a$Christian?’!the!man! asked.!After!a!moment's!pause,!one!youngster!said,!‘Maybe$it's$because$they$don't$ know$you.’$ There!does!seem!to!be!a!tendency!for!some!Christians!to!be!fault_finders!or!part!of! the!‘spot!it!and!stop!it!brigade’!as!one!humourist!has!put!it.!They!are!quick!to!make! judgements!on!other!believers!without!knowing!very!much!about!their! circumstances!or!background.!He!is!speaking!about!the!kind!of!judgemental!attitude! that!can!take!root!in!local!churches.!Some!men!and!women!act!as!if!they!have!the! spiritual!gift!of!criticism!and!they!make!sure!they!fully!exercise!it.! Jesus!warns!us!not!to!be!quick!to!criticise!our!brothers!and!sisters!in!Christ!because! our!judgemental!attitude!may!actually!reflect!our!own!sins!more!than!theirs.!There! was!a!sad!example!of!this!a!number!of!years!ago!when!televangelist!Jim!Baker's! sexual!sins!were!exposed.!His!loudest!critic!was!televangelist!Jimmy!Swaggart,! whose!own!sexual!sins!were!exposed!a!few!months!later.!! In!The$Message!version!of!the!Bible!it!says:$‘Don't$pick$on$people,$jump$on$their$ failures,$criticise$their$faults$–$unless,$of$course,$you$want$the$same$treatment.’!Let's! address!our!own!problems,!weaknesses,!sins!and!inconsistencies!before!we!start! trying!to!fix!anybody!else!! It’s!time!to!look!in!the!mirror.!

Prayer Points 1. Ask!God!to!show!you!your!own!blind_spots.! 2. Pray!for!God’s!help!to!change!those!character!defects!that!you!become!aware!of.! 3. Pray!for!our!youth!leaders,!that!they!will!inspire!the!next!generation!to!attempt! great!things!for!God.!

FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 6

The Dogs, the Pigs & the Pearls

Day

When!I!was!at!college!I!got!involved!with!the!Christian!Union.!I!vividly!remember!the! night!we!went!‘door_to_door’!around!the!halls!of!residence.!My!friend!and!I!came! upon!one!room!where!about!five!male!students!were!playing!cards,!gambling,! drinking!spirits!and!smoking.!Most!of!them!were!not!interested!in!talking!religion! and!concentrated!on!the!game.!But!one!student!robustly!dismissed!all!religion!as! worthless!and!swore!that!science!had!all!the!answers.!We!debated!with!him!for!a! while!but!it!seemed!a!pointless!exercise!and!we!left!after!a!short!while.! Faith!is!frequently!regarded!as!nothing!more!than!a!set!of!superstitious!beliefs! designed!to!give!comfort!to!weak!people!(e.g.!as!argued!by!Richard!Dawkins!in!The$ God$Delusion$p.!394_404).!Such!attitudes!are!commonplace!today.!! In!this!passage,!Jesus!is!warning!His!followers!to!be!discerning!about!when!and!with! whom!we!share!our!faith.!When!Jesus!sent!out!the!disciples!to!the!surrounding! towns!and!villages!He!told!them:!‘If$anyone$will$not$welcome$you$or$listen$to$your$ words,$leave$that$home$or$town$and$shake$the$dust$off$your$feet.’!(Matthew!10:14)! Michael!Green!comments:! ‘Some$people$hear$the$message$of$God’s$kingdom$and$do$not$want$to$know.$It$ is$an$irresponsible$use$of$time$and$effort$to$continue$to$hammer$on$a$door$that$ is$firmly$closed.$The$disciples$should$push$on$a$door$and,$if$it$is$ajar,$enter$in.$If$ it$is$firmly$bolted,$that$is$the$indication$to$move$on$elsewhere.’$

Prayer Points 1. Ask!the!Holy!Spirit!for!wisdom!to!know!when!to!share!your!faith.! 2. If!you!know!someone!who!is!hardened!to!the!gospel,!pray!that!God!would!soften! their!heart.! 3. Pray!for!those!who!will!find!this!weekend!difficult!because!they!will!spend!much! of!it!alone.!

SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 7-8

Keep Pressing On

Day

At!one!point!in!his!life!George!Muller!began!praying!for!five!of!his!friends.!After! many!months,!one!of!them!came!to!the!Lord.!Ten!years!later,!two!others!were! converted.!It!took!25!years!before!the!fourth!man!was!saved.!Muller!persevered!in! prayer!until!his!death!for!the!fifth!friend,!and!throughout!those!52!years!he!never! gave!up!hoping!that!his!friend!would!accept!Christ!!His!faith!was!rewarded,!for!soon! after!Muller's!funeral!the!last!one!was!saved.! In!the!original!Greek!this!verse!is!written!in!the!continuous!present!tense,!that!is:! ‘ask$and$go$on$asking,$seek$and$go$on$seeking,$knock$and$go$on$knocking’.!Too!often! we!ask!a!couple!of!times,!get!discouraged!and!give!up.!But!Jesus’!instructions!are!to! go!on!asking,!go!on!seeking!and!go!on!knocking.!J.C.!Ryle!wrote!that!we!are!to!pray! and!not!faint:!‘Prayer$is$the$very$life\breath$of$true$Christianity…$Here$it$flourishes.$ Here$it$decays…$Neglect$of$prayer$is$the$sure$road$to$a$fall…’$ Have!you!ever!tackled!a!DIY!job!and!started!with!great!enthusiasm!only!to!struggle! to!complete!it?!Praying!persistently!and!consistently!is!not!easy!but!if!we!want!to!see! results,!that’s!the!best!way!to!pray.!One!church!leader!always!signs!off!his!emails! with!the!words!‘Keep!pressing!on’.!That!phrase!is!a!timely!reminder!that!the! Christian!life!requires!perseverance!and!tenacity.!

Prayer Points 1. If!you!don’t!already!have!one,!write!a!list!of!all!those!you!are!praying!for.! 2. Ask!God!to!remind!you!of!situations!that!you!still!need!to!pray!about.! 3. Pray!for!all!our!Sunday!serving!teams,!that!they!will!show!God's!love!to!everyone! who!comes!through!our!doors!tomorrow.!

TO M O RRO W ’S M EETINGS: M INISTRY @ Catford & Downham M ATURITY @ Lee There is also a Membership Morning (@ Catford site) open to anyone interested in finding out more membership at King’s.

SUNDAY 10 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 9-12

The ‘Golden Rule’

Day

‘Do!to!others!what!you!would!have!them!do!to!you’!is!known!as!‘The!Golden!Rule’.! Apparently!Emperor!Alexander!Severus!had!it!written!in!gold!on!his!wall,!hence!it! became!known!as!the!golden!rule.!Jesus’!statement!sums!up!the!teaching!of!the!Law! and!the!Prophets!–!we!are!to!love!God!and!love!our!neighbour!as!ourselves.!! Jesus!was!not!the!first!person!to!make!this!kind!of!statement!but!He!was!the!first!to! express!it!positively.!Confucius!said,!‘What!you!do!not!want!done!to!yourself,!do!not! do!to!others.’!The!Stoics!basically!said!the!same,!and!the!book!of!Tobit!(Apocrypha)! states,!‘And!what!you!hate,!do!not!do!to!anyone!else.’! But!Jesus’!way!of!expressing!the!‘Golden!Rule’!is!far!more!challenging!than!other! versions.!He!has!raised!the!standard!by!expecting!us!to!positively!bless!others.!It’s! not!enough!to!smugly!think,!‘I!don’t!do!anyone!any!harm’.!The!real!question!is:!‘Are! you!doing!anyone!any!good?’! We!used!to!live!next!door!to!an!old!man!who!was!alone.!He!was!often!confused,!had! inadequate!heating!and!needed!help!with!his!shopping.!Despite!being!very!busy,!I! felt!that!I!should!offer!to!help.!So!for!a!while!I!bought!his!food!and!regularly!checked! up!on!him.!At!his!funeral,!his!son!asked!me!if!I!was!there!in!a!professional!capacity! (i.e.!as!a!church!minister).!I!replied,!‘No!–!just!as!a!neighbour.’!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!that!God!will!open!your!eyes!to!the!needs!immediately!around!you.! 2. Thank!God!for!all!the!good!things!He!has!given!you.! 3. Today!there’s!a!Membership!Morning!(at!the!Catford!site).!Ask!God!that!those! new!to!King's!will!find!a!real!spiritual!home!here.!

MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 13-14

The Last Lap

Day

At!this!point!the!Sermon!on!the!Mount!takes!the!final!turn!into!the!home!straight.! The!whole!thrust!is!now!to!bring!home!the!radical!challenge!that!discipleship! demands!a!decisive!response.!For!the!original!Jewish!readers!this!concluding!section! would!have!reminded!them!of!how!Moses!ended!his!final!sermon!in!Deuteronomy.! There!Moses!pleads!with!the!people:!‘This$day$…$I$have$set$before$you$life$and$death$ …$now$choose$life!’!(Deuteronomy!30:19)!!Jesus,!the!one!greater!than!Moses,!sets! before!his!hearers!the!same!stark!choice:!life!or!destruction.! Of!course,!if!that!was!all!there!was!to!it,!everyone!would!choose!life,!but!it’s!not!so! easy.!Jesus!makes!it!clear!that!the!road!He!has!mapped!out!is!not!the!road!most! travelled.!It’s!not!popular,!it’s!not!easy.!At!times!it!feels!a!bit!of!a!squeeze,!for!the! gate!is!narrow.!! We!live!in!a!pick!‘n’!mix!generation.!We!would!like!the!road!to!life!to!be!one!where! all!along!the!route!there!are!cheering!crowds!encouraging!us!on,!people!impressed! with!our!commitment!and!delighted!in!our!progress.!The!reality!is!however!that! choosing!to!follow!Christ!means!being!willing!is!to!tread!the!same!path!that!led!Him! to!a!cross!where!He!was!mocked!and!jeered!at.!! There!is!an!old!Sunday!School!chorus!that!begins!‘I$have$decided$to$follow$Jesus’.! One!of!its!lines!is!‘Though$none$go$with$me,$still$I$will$follow’.!Jesus!pulls!no!punches! but!He!breaks!no!promises!and!He!promises!life!!

Prayer Points 1. In!prayer!recommit!your!life!unreservedly!to!Christ.! 2. Pray!for!the!clear!preaching!of!repentance!in!the!power!of!the!Spirit.! 3. Pray!that!God’s!joy!will!be!our!strength!in!this!final!week!of!prayer!and!fasting.!

TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 15-20

Roadside Warning

Day

Jesus!has!just!challenged!his!disciples!to!take!the!narrow!road;!now!He!warns!that! even!there!they!have!to!take!care!who!they!follow.!For!there!will!be!some!who!will! offer!to!be!expert!guides!who!are!experts!in!nothing!but!deception.!It!is!strange!that! Christians!can!take!all!the!promises!in!the!Bible!seriously!and!yet!frequently!ignore! the!warnings.!Under!the!guise!of!not!being!judgemental!we!can!become!gullible!and! follow!strange!and!unhealthy!teaching.!It!happened!in!the!New!Testament;!it! happens!today.! We!should!take!care!who!we!read,!who!we!listen!to!or!watch,!even!on!Christian! television!channels.!Jesus!is!warning!us!to!be!discerning.!There!are!some!who!at!first! glance!come!across!as!gentle!and!caring,!knowledgeable!and!gifted,!but!are!more! like!wolves!than!sheep.!Following!them!would!lead!us!to!back!track!on!the!road!of! discipleship.!This!is!serious!but!Jesus!gives!us!a!test!to!help!us!be!discerning.!! Check!out!what!is!the!fruit!of!their!lives.!Jesus!is!saying:!‘Though!they!may!sound! good,!will!following!their!teaching!lead!you!to!the!lifestyle!I!have!been!describing!in! this!sermon?!Will!it!encourage!you!to!take!the!courageous!sacrificial!choices!I!have! been!demanding?!If!not,!give!them!a!wide!berth.’! When!I!think!about!this!I!am!grateful!for!all!the!excellent!teachers!I!have!had!who! not!only!accurately!taught!God’s!word!to!me!but!were!models!of!what!it!meant!in! practice.!

Prayer Points 1. Thank!God!for!those!who!have!been!your!teachers!and!role!models!in!the!life!of! faith.! 2. Pray!for!those!who!teach!and!preach!at!King’s,!that!they!remain!faithful!in!word! and!deed.! 3. Pray!for!all!the!teachers!and!staff!who!serve!our!children!in!local!schools.!

WEDNESDAY 13 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 21-23

Strangers on a Train

Day

I!am!sitting!on!a!train!trying!to!write!these!notes.!Jesus’!stark!words!are!spawning!a! hundred!ideas!and!they!are!whirling!around!my!brain.!I!am!slightly!distracted!by! another!passenger!who!has!just!sat!down!opposite!me.!This!middle_aged!woman!got! on!the!train!at!the!last!station!and!I!find!out!later!she!is!travelling!to!see!her!very! elderly!mother!who!needs!constant!care.!She!and!her!sister!take!turns!in!providing! the!24_hour!cover!she!needs.!So!for!the!next!four!days!she!leaves!her!husband!and! devotes!her!time!to!her!housebound!mum.!! So!I!am!struggling!to!write!the!notes,!keen!to!find!just!the!right!words!to!get!exactly! the!correct!meaning,!to!write!well,!to!be!insightful.!Then!it!comes!home!to!me!what! Jesus!is!saying.!What!counts!is!not!fine!words!(Lord,!Lord)!or!impressive!displays!of! power!(prophecy!and!miracles)!but!doing!God’s!will.!At!this!moment!that!means!I! need!to!stop!typing!and!listen!as!a!caring!daughter!shares!about!the!burden!she! carries!for!her!mum.! Nothing!dramatic!happened!on!that!journey,!but!I!hope!a!burden!was!made!a!little! lighter!because!a!stranger!on!a!train!listened.!Nothing!dramatic!but!something! important!did.!It!made!me!realise!it!is!all!too!easy!to!be!busy!seemingly!doing!God’s! work!but!not!His!will.!! Prophecy,!worship,!miracles!can!be!misleading.!Preaching,!witnessing,!serving! likewise.!By!themselves!none!of!them!are!a!reliable!guide!to!anyone’s!spiritual! standing!with!God.!Trustful,!humble!obedience!is!what!counts.!

Prayer Points 1. ‘Lord!today!I!want!to!do!Your!will.!Show!me!what!it!is.’! 2. Pray!that!we!learn!not!just!to!share!the!good!news!but!to!be!good!news!to! people.! 3. Pray!for!the!team!and!all!those!involved!in!Wednesday!Welcome,!our!ministry!to! the!elderly.!

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 24-27

Mr Happy & Mr Silly

Day

These!final!verses!in!Jesus’!most!famous!sermon!work!well!as!a!Mr!Men!story.!I!tried! it!once.!At!the!end!of!a!holiday!club!that!the!church!ran!I!had!to!give!the!final!talk.! This!last!meeting!was!on!Sunday!afternoon!in!a!lovely!country!park!and!we!invited!all! the!mums!and!dads!and!grandparents!to!attend!as!well.! It!was!a!beautiful!sunny!day!and!an!artistic!friend!had!drawn!out!on!huge!pieces!of! card!this!little!story!Jesus!told.!The!wise!man!was!Mr!Happy!and!poor!Mr!Silly!played! the!foolish!man.!It!went!down!a!treat.!And!I!think!there!were!times!that!Jesus! deliberately!included!implicit!humour!in!his!teaching.!But!making!people!smile!was! not!His!ultimate!goal,!providing!an!entertaining!story!for!children!while!their!parents! dozed!in!the!sun!wasn’t!His!purpose.!Jesus!wanted!people!to!sit!up!and!take!notice,! for!ignoring!what!He!was!saying!was!as!foolish!as!asking!cowboy!builders!in!to!erect! your!dream!home.! Take!the!time!to!read!through!the!whole!of!the!Sermon!on!the!Mount!and!note!the! points!where!you!felt!God!particularly!speak!to!you!or!those!points!that!were!most! relevant.!The!key!to!a!successful!life!of!discipleship!is!not!being!able!to!answer!exam! questions!on!this!extraordinary!message!or!even!recite!it!by!heart.!It!is!to!be!one!of! those!who!listen!and!obey;!anything!else!is!sheer!foolishness.!

Prayer Points 1. Pray!that!as!we!continue!to!grow!as!a!church!we!will!grow!as!disciples!and!not! just!listeners.! 2. Pray!for!the!other!churches!in!Lee,!Catford!and!Downham!–!that!they!flourish!and! grow.! 3. Pray!especially!for!single!parents!for!whom!school!holidays!next!week!can!bring! added!pressures.!

FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY M atthew 7 : 28-29

Hearing with Hope

Day

Before!Jesus!began!preaching!He!went!up!the!mountainside!and!His!disciples!came! to!Him!(Matthew!5:1)!but!now!at!the!conclusion!of!His!sermon!a!great!crowd!came! to!listen!in!on!what!He!was!saying.!What!they!heard!amazed!them,!for!while!it!was! demanding!stuff,!it!didn’t!come!with!a!condemning!tone.!It!sounded!more!like!an! invitation.!Jesus!made!it!sound!like!the!life!He!was!describing!was!a!possibility!for! people!like!them.!That’s!why!ordinary!people!flocked!to!hear!Him!teach.!He!didn’t! sound!like!the!religious!leaders!who!made!their!ordinary!hearers!feel!second!class,! unworthy!and!without!hope.!Their!words!brought!death;!His!were!the!very!words!of! life.!He!not!only!described!what!they!should!be!but!what!they!could!be!like.!! How!could!this!be?!The!standard!He!was!setting!was!even!higher!than!that!of!the! Pharisees.!How!could!His!teaching!bring!such!hope?!It!was!because!Jesus!never! asked!people!just!to!accept!His!teaching!but!to!accept!Him.!They!were!not!only!to! obey!Him!but!to!follow!Him.!The!secret!to!the!Christian!life!is!to!keep!close!to!Jesus.! He!not!only!has!the!authority!to!teach!us!but!the!power!to!help!us.!! So!as!we!come!to!the!end!of!these!notes,!are!you!closer!to!Jesus!40!days!after! starting!them?!Are!you!aware!of!your!need!of!Him!even!more?!Are!you!more!hungry! and!thirsty!for!righteousness!because!you!see!more!clearly!what!it!means?!Then!you! are!blessed!indeed!!

Prayer Points 1. Thank!God!for!all!you!have!learnt!in!the!last!40!days.! 2. Pray!for!preachers!at!King’s,!that!their!messages!bring!hope!as!well!as!challenge.!! 3. Pray!that!the!fruit!of!this!40!Days!of!prayer!and!fasting!will!be!an!ever_greater! sense!of!God's!presence,!and!ever_greater!expansion!of!His!kingdom.! !

SUNDAY’S MEETINGS: M ULTIPLICATIO N @ Catford & Downham M INISTRY @ Lee

FASTING GUIDELINES Introduction It!is!time!to!seek!the!Lord.!!The!primary!motivation!of!fasting!must!be!to!seek!the! Lord.!!Fasting!is!a!Biblical!discipline!which!aids!us!in!the!seriousness!of!seeking!God.! To!assist!you!in!preparing!for!fasting!please!read!the!following!and!ask!the!Spirit!to! guide!you!as!to!how,!when!and!for!how!long!He!wants!you!to!fast!and!pray.!The! Elders!are!encouraging!everyone!to!fast!on!Wednesdays.!

Types of Fast 1. The$Absolute$Fast! To!fast!completely!without!food!or!water!up!to!a!maximum!of!three!days:!see! Esther!4:16,!Ezra!10:6!and!Acts!9:9.! 2. The$Partial$or$Daniel$Fast! A!determined!cutting!back!of!food!to!vegetables!and!fruit!only,!or!one!meal!a! day.!This!is!a!practical!fast!for!those!involved!in!heavy!work!or!who!have!medical! reasons!for!requiring!regular!good!intake:!see!Daniel!10:2_3.! 3. The$Normal$Fast! No!food!is!eaten!and!drinking!only!water! 4. The$Juice$Fast! Some!prefer!to!have!a!liquid!only!fast!which!allows!for!more!physical!work.!!Many! use!this!type!of!fast!for!their!long!fast.! 5. Fasting$from$other$things! E.g.!television!and!use!the!time!to!pray!instead!! !

Spiritual Guidelines 1. Fasting!must!first!and!foremost!be!unto!God.!!Receiving!from!God!or!seeing! situations!changed!are!secondary!matters.!!Be!sure!your!motives!are!appropriate! as!you!enter!into!your!fast.!Desire!to!meet!with!God,!to!be!more!Christ_like!and! for!the!holiness!of!God!to!be!more!evident!in!your!life.! 2. Schedule!in!time!to!pray!and!read!the!Word!of!God.!If!you!donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!you!will!miss! wonderful!opportunities!to!hear!from!God.! 3. Be!prepared!for!opposition.!This!will!come!from!the!enemy!as!he!doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t!want! you!to!fast.!It!will!also!come!from!your!own!body,!which!is!used!to!having!three!

meals!a!day!!You!may!also!find!that!well_meaning!friends,!family,!neighbours,! work!colleagues!etc.!will!actively!encourage!you!to!stop.! 4. Headaches,!dizziness,!tiredness,!touchiness,!etc.!are!all!part!of!fasting!too!!One! writer!said!he!never!new!the!strength!of!the!‘desires$of$the$flesh$and$lust$of$the$ eyes’!to!be!so!strong!as!when!he!fasted.! 5. Expect!to!hear!God!in!dreams,!visions,!revelations!and!through!the!Word!of!God! in!new!and!exciting!ways.! 6. Do!not!listen!to!the!lie!that!nothing!is!happening.!Fasting!is!a!discipline!that!God! has!instigated,!He!blesses!the!obedient.! !

Practical Guidelines This!is!not!a!comprehensive!list!of!guidelines!but!some!helpful!hints.! 1. Fast!with!someone!else.!There!is!strength!in!numbers!! 2. Make!a!commitment!and!set!a!duration.!!However,!be!willing!to!review!the! duration!if!health!or!circumstances!change.! 3. If!drinking!juice,!drink!low!or!non_acidic!diluted!juices.!Watch!your!intake;! schedule!it!so!you!are!self_controlled.! 4. If!underweight!or!ill,!consult!your!doctor!even!for!a!few!days!fast.! 5. Don’t!boast!about!your!fast.!!It!is!to!be!done!in!secret,!but!don’t!be!legalistic! about!this.!Tell!those!who!need!to!know.! 6. Schedule!in!regular!rest!breaks!as!you!grow!weary!and!exercise!only!lightly.! 7. Break!the!fast!gradually,!especially!prolonged!fasts.! 8. Remember!we!are!under!Grace,!not!Law.!!If!at!any!point!you!feel!you!need!to! break!the!fast,!be!released!to!do!so.!!Fasting!is!to!meet!with!God,!not!to!damage! our!bodies!or!create!condemnation.! We$are$not$expecting$anyone$to$fast$more$than$3$days$at$a$time,$$ however$if$you$are$planning$on$fasting$for$longer,$$ it$is$good$to$let$someone$on$the$leadership$team$know.$ If$you$want$to$talk$to$someone$about$fasting,$$ please$feel$free$to$speak$to$any$of$our$Pastors$

Upcoming dates not to be missed

! Please!prayerfully!consider!what!you!can!give!into!our!March!MultiKSite$Gift$Days.! This!money!is!for!the!development!of!our!three!existing!buildings!to!facilitate!the! extension!of!our!mission,!helping!us!reach!thousands!more!with!the!gospel!message.! During!March!we!are!also!asking!everyone!who!calls!King’s!home!to!consider! pledging$how$much$they$anticipate$being$able$to$give$towards$MultiKSite!over!the! coming!financial!year!(April!2013!to!March!2014).!

‘Healthy Church’ Preaching Series The series will cover Community, Serving & Diversity. It starts Sunday 3 March @ Catford & 10 March @ Lee & Downham.

Launch of Second Meeting @ Downham site On Sunday 3 March we launch a second meeting at our Downham site. Meetings will be at 9.30am & 11.30am from this date.

Easter Good Friday Services This year we are holding Good Friday services at all our sites on Friday 29 March. The!40!Days!Bible!reading!notes!have!been!written!by!Hilary!Dalziel,!Malcolm!Kyte,!Martin!Alley!&!Mick!Taylor.! ©!2012!King’s!Church!London! !

DIARY DAY

JANUARY

W ed 9th

40 Days Evening Celebration THE HOLY SPIRIT

Sun 13th

VISION SUNDAY

W ed 16th

40 Days Evening Celebration TOPE KOLEOSO

Sun 20th

MERCY @ Catford & Downham Site preach @ Lee Baptisms @ All sites

W ed 23rd

40 Days Evening Celebration HEALING

Sun 27th

MISSION @ Catford & Downham MERCY @ Lee

W ed 30th

40 Days Evening Celebration W orship

FEBRUARY 28

Sun 3rd

MATURITY @ Catford & Downham MISSION @ Lee

Sun 10th

MINISTRY @ Catford & Downham MATURITY @ Lee) Membership Morning @ Catford

Sun 17th

MULTIPLICATION @ Catford & Downham MINISTRY @ Lee

Sun 24th

MULTIPLICATON @ Lee

MARCH

Multi-Site Offering and Pledge Month

We would encourage you to fast if at all possible each Wednesday before we gather together in the evening.

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