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Welcome to the first edition of the new Newbold magazine. Many thanks to Eddie and Mike for their work in producing it.

We hope that the magazine will become a useful way of sharing news and information, but we pray too that God will use it as a means of testimony in the community. Many of us came to know the Lord Jesus Christ through a personal,  life  changing  encounter  which  has  made  a dramatic difference to us. This difference is something which the rest of the world needs to know. If you have a testimony of something which God has done, be ready to share it and bring the good news of Jesus to someone else.

In Ephesians 6 verse 15, Paul tells us that we are to have our feet fitted with the "preparation of the gospel of peace". It's time for new shoes, time to be prepared. How do you become prepared ?

Here are three ways that the Bible says we can be prepared.

2 Timothy 2 v 21 Being purged from the worldly elements of wood and clay, become a precious instrument of noble purposes,  made  holy, useful to the  master  and  be prepared to do any good work.

2 Timothy 4 v 2  Preach the Word and be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. Learn soundness of doctrine (thats practical faith), don't  listen to myths and gossip, keep a sound mind in all situations, don't get stressed about enduring hardships, do the work of  an  evangelist  and  discharge  the  duties  of  your ministry.

1 Peter 3 v 15  Do not be afraid,  but in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared  to  give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Every blessing,

Dave Percy.

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"A certain man journeyed from Jerusalem to Jericho",   So begins the story of the good Samaritan,  This story, told by Jesus, began with someone asking Him, ""What must I do "to have eternal life',  The trouble is that. many people accept this story as Jesus' answer and believe that, by doing a good turn for someone, we can have eternal life,  What Jesus actually said we must do to have eternal life was, "Love the Lord your God with  a11 your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbour as yourself".
It was here that the questioner, who was an expert in the law, asked, "Who is my neighbour ? "  The neighbour to the man who had been robbed, the lawyer admitted, was, "The one who had shown him mercy".

There are many people who live outside of the knowledge of God in Christ. They are robbed of the good th!ngs which the God of all love wants to give to those who receive His Son as Saviour. Our God of mercy is looking for those who will share the reality of what He has done in Christ, with those damaged people along life's way. It is not sufficient to wear the robes of the priest or the garments of the levite and walk by. He wants people who will share His grace and mercy with those they pass on the every day path of life,

Now, to whom can you go and do likewise ?

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The Prophet Micah, in the Old Testament, is known as "The Prophet of the Poor". During the luxurious reign of Jotham, Israel's nobility languished in wealth at the expense of poor. In Micah chapter 2, God speaks against this sin which brings judgement, and in chapter 3, He speaks His case on behalf of the poor.

In the kingdom of our God, Jesus teaches that poverty is unacceptable in the light of His bountiful provision. He doesn't ask that we put people to one side because they are poor, but that we share with all of God's people.

It's the same when it comes to sin.  It is totally unacceptable to God.   The way of Jesus is to invite the sinner into His presence and share with him the riches of His eternal kingdom. He forgives all of our sins and welcomes us who have nothing to offer in return. He doesn't put us to one side, in fact He loves to be seen out with us, and when He speaks of us He calls us "friends" and "beloved".

Many people have referred to Jesus as our example. I find Him too hard to follow. What we really need are hearts changed with real love so that our desire is to do the things that Jesus does.

I wonder if Jesus can change people's lives that much ?

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In his letter to the church at Colosse, Paul seeks to persuade the Christians to put Jesus at the centre of their lives and of the life of the Church.  It would seem to most of us that to persuade the Church of this would be the easiest thing in the world. After a!l, these are the ones who have been washed in His blood and made clean; forgiven of every sin and have received the Holy Spirit as guarantee of an inheritance. Why then does it seem to so many that being a Christian is such a constant struggle ?

Well, it can be like that, but the promise of God in Colossians is that He will make us holy and blameless, if we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Later he goes on to say, "Set your mind on things which are above, for Christ died and your life is hidden with Christ in God". You can wear the new life like a well fitting sweater, You can "Put on", all of the nature of Jesus, and be ruled by the, "Peace of Christ".

The Christian life isn't so much a struggle as a faith which, if we exercise it in meekness and humility, will give us a new mind set, a life of love and service in the Lord and real peace in knowing that our labour in Christ brings its reward.

Can we be persuaded to put Jesus at the centre of our lives and of the life of the Church ?

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How do you eat yours?

Can this be the greatest question (c/o Cadbury's advertising department), ever posed to the human race?

As we approach Easter again, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the world to remember what it is all about. Unlike Christmas, where a smattering of irritating religion still bespeckles the cards, Easter, for most people, now passes almost entirely as a secular chocolate egg event.

Jesus, in John's Gospel chapter 6, said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread which I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. Except you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life' and I will raise him up at the last day."

No wonder most of his followers left at this point. The Cadbury way seems much easier and much more palatable.

For the Christian believer it is becoming increasingly important to become a partaker of the flesh (the form which He had on earth), of the Lord Jesus. To become like Him in His humility, laying aside what we are in order to become what He wants us to be.

The ultimate act of Jesus, who was by nature God, was to become a man who humbly submitted to the will of His Father and laid down His life to death on a cross. This was the first Easter. There were no chocolate eggs. His death was a sacrifice for sins so that people could be forgiven. After three days in the grave, God, by His almighty power raised Jesus to life and gave to Him the highest place in heaven, from where Jesus now has power to raise all those who die believing in Him.

Today Jesus offers, not a chocolate egg, but the bread of life. Imagine you were on the point of starvation and someone offered you a loaf, what would you do? You would take it, of course. What next? Would you dissect it? Write a thesis about it? Argue about the value of having bread? Or Just eat it?

They say, "You are what you eat". Is it possible to partake of Jesus in such a way that we become like Him? The humble obedience of Jesus, described in Philippians 2, was the way through which He was exalted above every name. Our partaking of the bread of life is the laying down of our own, and feeding on that which Jesus gives, serving, loving, doing His will. Just being given a loaf is not good unless you eat it.

So how do you eat yours ?

Have a blessed, careful, restful, love-ful Easter,

David Percy.

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A man was once part of a debate about whether God existed. During the debate he sat and listened carefully whilst two others made their representations about how much we now understand with all the modern and scientific means at our disposal, and that within our understanding there could not be a God.

Eventually, the opportunity arose for him to contribute, "How much do you know?", he asked. "Do you have half of all that there is to know?" The men of course, instantly reacted and after haggling, came to the conclusion that, not only was it unlikely that they knew even one percent of ALL knowledge, but even if they did they could not possibly calculate that since they did not know the size of the unknown. "Is it not possible then", asked the man of God, "that somewhere unknown to you is the God I have come to know, by faith?"

God is not felt or touched with the hands. He is not seen, but can be known by the simplest of faith. Faith is not very scientific, but is available to alt men, so that clever or not, rich or poor, everyone might have the means of knowing God and having a personal relationship with Him which leads to eternal life. Science can't prove God, or His love for you, but faith in Jesus can, so why not
begin to trust Him today, and know that love for yourself.
 

David Percy.

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The man taking the school assembly placed a matchbox  on the table. "Can you guess what's in here?", he asked. One boy raised his hand. "Is it dead or alive?", he asked. "Alive", came the reply. "How big is it?", asked another. "About fifty metres", said the man. Immediately there was laughter and all the children became animated. "You can't get something so big into a matchbox, you must be kidding us". The man opened the box and tipped out an acorn onto the table. The children looked puzzled until he explained that inside was a huge oak tree. It's difficult to imagine a huge oak tree in a tiny thing like that, but it's certainly there.

Sometimes it's difficult to understand that the God who made the whole universe could somehow become a man and live amongst us - and even more difficult to see that this God could live inside us. If we believe that there is an oak tree inside an acorn, then the best proof would be to plant it and wait for a very long time until  it became a tree. Jesus tells us that faith in Him is like a seed, which when it is planted grows to become like a huge tree. He tells us that a man can know God, living inside him. The secret is to believe God and allow Him to plant His love, His Holy Spirit, His life into our life, then we will know for ourselves whether it's possible.

You will be amazed,
 

David Percy.

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A little boy once made a boat. It took him a long time, carefully cutting and gluing it, sand papering it and eventually painting it. He was absolutely delighted with it when it was finished, it had a sail which went up and down on its mast and a rail all around the deck. So pleased was the little boy that he gave it his own name, "Billie", carefully lettered on both sides near the front, like real boats.

When everything was finished he took his pride and joy down to the lake to try it out. It sailed perfectly. He played for ages but then a breeze came, not a big breeze but it was blowing offshore. His boat went further away until in the dimming light he couldn't see it any more. Eventually he went home in tears, his new boat lost and although he constantly returned to the lake bank he couldn't find his boat.

It was some months later when he was in town and passing the second hand shop, that he stopped in astonishment There in the window was his boat with a little card leaned against it, on which was written ""£5". He went inside and told the man that it was his boat, he showed him the name and told him how he had worked for such a long time making it. The man certainly didn't seem to believe him, or if he did he certainty wasn't going to part with the boat unless he got his fiver. Billie went home determined that he would get his boat back no matter how hard he had to work to save the money. "That boat belongs to me", he insisted to himself,
1 will get it back" The day soon came when he had saved enough money and he hurried down to the shop to buy back his boat. He came out of the shop (his time very pleased. Hugging his boat he said, "Now you are twice mine, I made you and now I have bought you back."

Now the love of Jesus is something like that.
 

David Percy.

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In America a hermit lived in a little shack, nothing more than a wooden hut and of no vaiue to anyone. The little shack however was built on the most beautiful clearing at the side of a !ake, just beneath the mountains, with the most breath taking views imaginable. One day a man drove up to the shack in a big new car. He offered the hermit half a million dollars for his iittle shack. The hermit, being a shrewd man, said that he would have to think about it and invited the man to come back next week. During that week the hermit got busy. He painted the front of his house. He took down the old rags at the windows and put up some clean sacking. He moved the old rubbish around the back so that it couldn't be seen and he swept the front steps and put up a new handrail When the rich man came back, he was quite surprised to see what had happened and thought that perhaps the hermit might not want to sell. The hermit however had decided to ask for more money. When the rich man heard this he laughed. "Don't be foolish", he said, "if I buy your house I fully intend to knock it down and build a new one. I'm not interested in living in this filthy little shack"

Some people think that for God to live in their lives, they need to smarten up their act, make a new facade and try to be good.

Jesus wants to make us brand new. His death on the Cross paid the price for all our sin to be forgiven. He bought us back from sin at a great price. He loves us so much that He wants to change us completely so that our lives may be a fit place for the Lord of Glory to live. He doesn't accept a patch up job but puts to death in
His death, our old nature and brings to us eternal new exciting life, where He lives and is Lord.
 

David Percy.

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It appears that the world in which we live has gone football crazy. After the season has finished, the FA Cup Final has been decided, we find ourselves preparing for "France 98".

Of course everyone has an opinion as to the outcome.
However there will undoubtedly be many twists and turns of fate along the way; debate of refereeing decisions, missed chances and glorious goals.

I am sure that if history teaches us anything, the final result will depend on a substitute. The world is full of famous substitutes, far wider than the world of football. The Land Rover designed as a replacement for the American Jeep and of course, George VI who took the throne after the abdication of Edward VIII.

There is a substitution worthy of great celebration. The Bible teaches that "all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We are all under achievers when it comes to being measured against God's standard of perfection. Like a foul committed on a football pitch our sin deserves to be punished.
God teaches that "the penalty of our sin is death."

That's the bad news but the good news is still to come!

God through His great love and mercy sent Jesus as our substitute - to die in our place that the punishment of our sin may no longer be counted against us. but be taken by Him. That where we are condemned we may be pardoned. Where we are in turmoil we may find peace and instead of asserting our independence we can accept His Lordship

When we accept Jesus as our substitute and accept His authority in our lives - we discover that the consequences of sin may be death, but "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus."
 

Gareth Lloyd-Jones. (Church Elder )

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I recently watched on the 6 o'clock news, the harrowing scenes in Northern Ireland as a distraught mother grieved for her three murdered children. Once the scene had switched to the studio, I realised that watching the tragedy with me, was my four year old son I was instantly hit with a barrage of questions. Questions that came from sheer amazement as opposed to my own anger. Questions that simply asked, "Why ?"

You will not be surprised that none of my replies could give a satisfactory answer. However, God speaks a great deal through the Bible, and there we find answers for every question.

We find that the world in which we live is in turmoil. Thrown into disarray not only by our neglect, but polluted by our sin. The Bible speaks of people who not only wage war against one another, but live in rebellion against God Himself. The consequence of our desire to "go it alone" and our rejection of God's authority in our lives, can be seen not only in Northern Ireland, but within our neighbourhood and even our homes. The world's problems are not purely caused by "others" but can also be attributed to you and certainly me.

It is for these reasons that God sent a Saviour, Jesus, who "was made in the likeness of sinful men" Why? "To become a sin offering for us." To literally pay the debt of mankind upon the Cross of  Calvary. It is with this truth that we can discover hope and at this point we can find an answer to our questions.

I remember visiting Northern Ireland a number of years ago. There, at a Sunday Morning Service I met two friends. Both were born as "Children of the Troubles". They were raised in very different neighbourhoods on either side of the "divide"! As the men grew up, one became a volunteer for the Provisional I.R.A. while the other took up arms for the U.V.F. Both had served lengthy prison sentences for horrendous crimes. However here they stood side by side, eyes closed and arms raised to heaven as together they worshipped the living God.

I am convinced that the answer to my son's question simply lies in the sinfulness of mankind. The answer herefore, is not that men discover peace as they simply lay down the weapons of war - but that we find peace together only when we discover peace with God through His gift of love. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
 
 

Gareth Lloyd-Jones. (Church Elder)

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It's coming up to Christmas again and no doubt there will be the usual, "Christmas messages" from the Churches I must admit it must all be a bit too much, everyone inviting you to come to Church to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, so I'm not going to do that. Not that it wouldn't be lovely to see you over  Christmas, but (God isn't looking for a once or twice a year religious service.)

In fact, when Jesus did come to Earth, He didn't announce a special service held in the local synagogue. In fact He came to where the poor people were. He did not come to be served but to serve. Later, when He came across a man who was hiding from Him (up a tree as it appened), Jesus didn't say, "I don't remember seeing you in the synagogue last Saturday, where were you?" What He said was, "Come down, I want to come to your house."

So what I want to say to you this year is, if you can't for any reason get to Church, then why not invite Jesus the Son of God to your house instead. Let Him come to where you are and bring you His love this Christmas. Whether you come to Him or He comes to you. He wants to meet you and bring you the best Christmas present you have ever had. His new life inside you.

He says He's waiting at your door, knocking and wanting to come in to have a Christmas party with you. The Bible says that the angels will join in too. It could be the best Christmas you've ever had. Is it worth asking Jesus into your home and into your life?

Wherever you are, have a very happy and blessed Christmas.
 

David Percy.

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We've only a short time left now before the turn of the millenium and a new era begins, or at least that is what everyone would have us believe.

I had one of those "significant" birthdays recently, you know, one with a zero after it. I must admit that passing from one decade to another was just actually passing from one day to another. I got a present of course but everyone has forgotten now and we are back to normal.

I wonder if all the preparations which people are making this year, in readiness for the year 2000, will actually make any difference to life or whether the same joys and struggles will continue. I wonder if the Millenium Dome (in Greenwich, London, U.K.) or the monuments or the tee shirts and videos will change anyone's lives or perhaps, just for one day, make us feel better. For people who live in darkness, just one day of relief can make a difference. Some people turn to religion and find momentary help with the religious monuments and services.

I want you to know that Jesus, not religion, offers "LIFE", abundant, full and free. he brings a quality of life which he calls "ETERNAL". It is a life, which is complete joy, even in difficult times, because He frees us from the guilt and fear of sin and its deadly consequences.

I believe that the preparation, we need to be making, isn't just for a new millenium, but the joyful preparation for an eternal life with God. The way to begin that is by accepting the gift of eternal life, which Jesus offers and from then on living, not just for one day, but for ever as a new creation.
 
 

David Percy

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Knowing the love of God is so simple that lots of people miss it. Perhaps if God had said climb a mountain or swim an ocean, or perhaps if we had to sit an exam to qualify for heaven then that would be a more satisfactory arrangement. The trouble is that none of these ways would open up God's love for every one of us. He doesn't want just the strong or the clever people to know Him. He wants all of us to experience His love in a personal way, not just as praise for what we can do, but because of what He, Himself has done for us.

In the 0ld Testament, a man who was a Syrian warrior and a captain in the army, went to Elisha the prophet. This man was ill with leprosy and couldn't do anything about his illness. When he came to Elisha's house, Elisha didn't even come to the door, he just sent his servant to tell the man to go and wash seven times in the Jordan. The man was very angry. He wanted to see Elisha personally. He also wanted to do something more than wash in some Israeli river.

The man's servant asked him, "Why? Elisha hasn't given you anything difficult to do." This is often the problem with us. We think that we must do something to earn peace with God.'

In his letter to one of the Churches, St Paul said this; "It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, not of works so that no one can boast."

God hasn't given us a difficult thing to do. He hasn't even asked that we make a contribution. God has paid the price of sin, once and for all by the death of His own Son, Jesus. No amount of works or religion will improve our chances of getting to heaven. Only by our faith and trust in Jesus as Saviour can we know the gift of eternal life.
 

David Percy.

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It's very strange! Whenever I tell people I'm a Christian, they have a sort of reaction. One lady recently said, 'You're all the same, do gooders, ramming God down everyone's throat, always after money." Then she continued with something stranger. "I'm a Christian too you know. I don't have to go to church to know right from wrong.' All of this, virtually in the same breath. How can someone just write off Christians and with the same breath seek to identify with them? I believe that the good news about Jesus has this kind of effect on people. I remember when I was little, kicking my brother's bike. I told him it was a lousy bike and I could ride it better than him and I was getting a better one. None of it was true of course, especially the bit about me getting one.

The Bible says that, 'All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." All the same in that respect Then it says, "And are justified freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ" Jesus died for everyone so that we ALL might live. Then the Bible says, "through faith". The barrier between us and God, which is called Sin, is removed by the sacrifice of Jesus. We can know Him and become Christians, "through faith". There is no need to kick against the Word of God. It's not a matter of being a "Do gooder",
either. We can ALL receive for ourselves that which comes by faith, eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
 

David Percy.

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My daughter, for a recent birthday present, was given a clock. She'd only had it a short while when my son decided to pull the battery out complaining that it had a very noisy tick that was keeping him awake. The same son needs his music on at ear splitting volume in order to sleep, but life holds many mysteries.

The clock now stands still, but time moves on. We've been informed recently, that in a few months, when the year changes to 2000, the clocks in computers won't be able to cope and huge disasters could befall us as a result.

I don't know about that, but I do know a day is coming when my time on earth will cease. I know too that there will come a day when I will stand before Almighty God and that moment for me could be either an eternal disaster or an eternal blessing.

You may be one of those people who won't get into a lift on Millenium New Years Eve, and wouldn't even dream of getting on an aeroplane in case it falls out of the sky. Why then would so
many people ignore the claims of The Lord Jesus Christ, who died, so that we could be forgiven and be rescued from the disaster of an eternity without God.

I know that when my time is finished, I will stand before God, not as one who did no wrong, but as one who is forgiven because of my faith in Jesus. On that basis alone. God has promised me eternal life and His promise is always true.

I suppose having sorted that out, I won't have to fear going in a lift on New Years Eve, or walking under a falling aeroplane.

Be Blessed of God

David Percy.
 
 

You can imagine the scene, a very dark night near Bethlehem
two thousand years ago. A very young man with his pregnant, fiancee, stumble along the road. This wasn't his child and the whole thing was quite an embarrassment. They were going to register for the poll tax. They normally lived at Nazareth, a town which had a bit of a reputation as a bad place to live. As they struggled along the dark road, it would be difficult to imagine that anyone cared about them. Life must have seemed extremely harsh.

As they approached the town, they found it already bustling with people who had got there before them. They were tired and the girl was about to deliver her child, and to cap it all there was nowhere to stay. The baby was born in the street and they had to use an animal feeding trough as a makeshift cradle. Life couldn't! get any more difficult. It seemed that everything in the world was against them.

Was there no one who cared? Had God deserted them?

Maybe you feel to be in the same situation, as if no one cares. To this young couple God came with a rescuer. It's the same rescuer who comes to us this Christmas time. When it seems that no one in the world cares for us, Jesus who loves us completely, comes to rescue us and give to us a brand new life.

May God richly bless you this Christmas.

David Percy

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