God is working His purposes out

Friday 20th March 2026

” Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. ²Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children. ³And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. ⁴Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. ⁵For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”” Judges 13:1-5 NKJV

Father God,

Samson is one of the best-known Judges. But perhaps for all the wrong reasons. He does not practice good leadership, he shows no respect for family, the vows made at his birth, God’s calling, any of the women he met, or his friends. He shows no compassion or interest in anyone else. As a judge, Samson never cared for the common good or the welfare and spiritual life of his nation. He does not really acknowledge his power is from You God. His prayers were selfish; even at the end, he asks for Your help God primarily to get revenge.

Yet You gave Him the power to deliver Israel from the power of the Philistines. You kept Your promise even though Samson had no intention of developing a godly character. He kills 3000 men after his wife tricks him into telling her the answer to the sweetness in strength riddle. Delilah a harlot we are told, is hired to find the source of hs strength. He enjoys the game till his vanity gets the better of him and he tells her. Yet we read he judged Israel for 20 years (Judges 15:20) and the writer to the Hebrews names him among the faithful in Hebrews 11:32-33. We do not always see what You see.

We learn about potential not realised, relationships not wholesome and yet Your faithfulness in all situations. Help us to look and find You in all our situations, even in our mess of a world. When we don’t understand, that You are still working out Your purposes, in spite of man’s character.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 20th March 2026

God is working this purpose out,
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)

From utmost east to utmost west,
where human feet have trod,
by the mouth of many messengers
goes forth the voice of God:
“Give ear to me, ye continents,
ye isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.”

Omitted Verse
Let us go forth in the strength of God,
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world.
Let us all fight with sorrow and sin
to set the captives free,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

All we can do is nothing worth
unless God blesses the deed.
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide
till God gives life to the seed.
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

Lyrics: Arthur Campbell Ainger

Saturday 27th December 2025

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9 NLT

Father,

You write to us the faithful, in each generation, directly through these letters! Technology, employment, politics may change but life, relationships and suffering remains the same. Peter writes to the scattered church. Living as foreigners across Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia which is modern day turkey I believe. They had it tough.

He builds them up and reminds them of who they are and what they have in Jesus. If we take this personally – as it is for us too – it is amazing. The best Christmas present ever! And to picture ourselves of great worth to God. Sometimes I question how You could know me personally among so many believers and how small I am. Yet here Peter reminds us that each one of us is precious, known and prepared for. With an inheritance yet to come.

So Peter challenges us to live out our hope in unity as we wait together. Regardless of our struggles help those around us and do not be like the rest of the world seeking vengeance and getting our own back! And he ends on a positive note, “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5:10).

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Saturday 27th December 2025
Drawing on Habakkuk 2:14 and the promise of what is to come, to keep us going. As year succeeds to year . . . a new year is coming.

From utmost east to utmost west,
where human feet have trod,
by the mouth of many messengers
goes forth the voice of God:
“Give ear to me, ye continents,
ye isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.”

Let us go forth in the strength of God,
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world.
Let us all fight with sorrow and sin
to set the captives free,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

4 All we can do is nothing worth
unless God blesses the deed.
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide
till God gives life to the seed.
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

Lyrics: Arthur Campbell Aiger

Friday 4th July 2025

“Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to rule over Judah in the fifth year of the reign of Joram son of Ahab, king of Israel. ¹⁷Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.” 2 Kings 8:16,17

^“Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years.” 2 Kings 12:1

“Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash’s reign in Judah.” 2 Kings 13:1

“Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash of Israel.” 2 Kings 14:1

“Uzziah son of Amaziah began to rule over Judah in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. ²He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years.” 2 Kings 15:1,2

God of our ancestry,

It becomes confusing trying to follow the order of Kings in Judah and Israel and whose relations they were! And who was reigning in one when the other changed. Even the scholars can only show it in complicated charts and spreadsheets. Do we need to know the detail? I must confess I find I read it and do not really take the dates in! But we need to know You are in the detail. You know intimately who assassinated who. Who murdered possible heirs and who was not a good king.

Nothing escapes Your notice and no-one can ultimately ruin Your plans. No king, no ruler, no evil despot. And we too have to trust You, God in our present and our future. As Paul explains in Philippians (2:12,13), “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 in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Your people in Israel and Judah continued to be a split family and they did not totally return to worship You in these generations. Though You were always there calling them to return to You. And it cost Your spokespeople greatly. Then You sent Your living Word and spoke into all nations. Now we have believers all around the world giving testimony and Your Holy Spirit as our strength and guide. And still nothing will or can stop You working Your purposes out.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 4th July 2025

God is working this purpose out,
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

From utmost east to utmost west,
where human feet have trod,
by the mouth of many messengers
goes forth the voice of God:
“Give ear to me, ye continents,
ye isles, give ear to me,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.”

All we can do is nothing worth
unless God blesses the deed.
Vainly we hope for the harvest-tide
till God gives life to the seed.
Yet nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

Lyrics: Arthur Campbell Ainger