MCC BLOG

We just sent off for material to create a discussion group, after the showing of the De vinci Code film. It will be in the cinemas in the middle of May and the plan is to go see the film, or even hire the cinema, and then start a discussion group of the facts and fiction of it all. Willow Creek have done material and I think that Scripture Union have done something too. Michl is half way through the De Vinci Code book at the moment, and said that it is very gripping, but it has not really said much about what it is claiming so far. I think it will be a very interesting discussion point and as long as people are debating things about God it is our opportunity to get our experiences and oppinions about God and Jesus over. I think that God will turn this whole thing around for His good purposes as He always does. So watch this space!! Emma was going to write from an artists point of view about the whole thing so we look forward to reading that. I think she is so busy with the Parenting Group doing ‘The Sixty Minute Parent’ course at the moment.

We just read an absolute ‘must read’ book called ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Dr Spencer Johnson. It is a great book which shows you how to discover who you are when it comes to change, and how to react differently to change so that you can make change work for you. Change is inevitable!! It happens in all parts of our life, family, job, business, church and so on. I actually thrive on change and I used to see it as a negative thing as I thought I had no stickability, but now I see it as positive as long it isn’t change for change sake. I always wondered why I get bored if I do something consistantly for more that about 2-3 years but now I know that this is good, as life never gets boring or stale. I am always looking for the new adventure, or venture, and I guess that is why I am leading a church, I am determined that we will never get stale or boring at MCC. It has been a great read and now we have the task of getting the message across to other people. It will be a must read in our leadership team. As I was reading it I named about five people I wanted to lend it too straight away. Change should be the most consistant thing of any organisation. This book can be read in an hour and it will change your life.

Tracy

Well we had a great celebration of Easter day today. We had a puppet show, video and song from Emma and Neil and Michl bursting out of a cupboard to shock everyone. So is Easter all over now? No it’s only just begun. The great thing for Christians is that Jesus has been alive since the first Easter day and He is alive now!! No other religion or belief system can say that. We had a great time celebrating life and life to the full at MCC this morning. When Jesus made appearances after his death on earth, people were very shocked and surprised as we would be now if we physically saw Him. We may not see Him with our eyes but we certainly still see God and Jesus at work in many ways in our own lives. Miracles still do happen!! Many people will try to disprove the Resurrection but no one has ever succeeded yet. Some who have tried to disprove it have become Christians themselves, because of the amazing evidence that Jesus is Alive!! So Happy Easter everyone and remember real life is available to everyone now, there is hope and a future in Christ Jesus.

It’s made the headline news that 20 year old Wayne Rooney has bad debt problems, but is it not relative? So many people are in debt as money is so easily accessible. The average person can get a least three credit cards and run up 20 thousand pounds worth of debt in a few days, if they want to. Poor Wayne has got a gambling problem, but it’s a hard thing for a 20 year old to be responsible for all that money. The debt he is in could actually be paid off in six months with the wages he is on, where as some people have debts that will take years and years to pay off. Does having loads of money bring true happiness, I don’t think so. It’s seems to be that it just bring loads more worries and responsibility. I don’ t think there is anything wrong with having lots of money, but man is naturally greedy and it is ‘the love of money’, as it says in the Bible that is the problem. When getting more and more money becomes a priority, it soon becomes a phobia, and then it gets out of control. As Christians we try and get our money into God’s control and He is the great provider, and he does a good job of supplying all our needs. He uses money for good and it is only man’s greed that gets in the way. Poor Wayne Rooney that his private life is spread all over the newspapers, maybe if he gave more of his money away he wouldn’t have as many problems.

We were discussing this morning about Dan Brown’s book the Da Vinci Code. What do you think about this Best Selling Book? It certainly is causing a big ooh ha! First of all thoughI must claim that the Bible has actually sold millions more copies than this fictional novel. I think that Dan Brown is claiming his novel to based on truth and the fact that some group of catholics have hidden this truth for years. Or was is just another dogma that they haven’t decided to bring in yet? I guess the question is whether you believe in the truth of the Bible that Jesus was the Son of God, and was in fact all God and all human when He came to earth as a man. He did not marry Mary Magdelene and they did not have a child as far as I am concerned. I haven’t read all of the Da Vinci Code book yet, as basically I think it is trying to undermine the Christian faith, but maybe I should as we should always we ready to defend what we believe. My hope is that it will get people thinking about the truth and that people will actually start to see the reallity of God and Jesus and what effect that has on their lives. I hope that people will be thinking it through this Easter time and really finding the truth, in a world where there are so many lies, and money making scams, like the Da Vinci Code.

Coming up to Easter, and remembering what Jesus did for us over 2 thousand years ago, I just wanted to focus on the fact that Jesus is still doing things for us here an now. Prayer works and the more we pray the bigger difference we can make in the world of great need. How we pray is very important and what we pray for is very important, but I would like to give everybody the oportunity to send in their prayer needs and requests this Easter time. Please feel free to email any prayer requests to prayer@mcc.uk.com. Please be sensative with this and do not abuse it, prayer is a serious matter and we know indeed that “Prayer Works”. (It would be great to hear from those in Lancashire area)

Can you believe it is a year ago since Pope John Paul II died. Again thousands of people were out in Rome to mourn the anniversary. He was a great and faithful man and I am sure he is very missed. What is more important though is that in 2 weeks we remember the death and RESURECTION of our Lord Jesus Christ, and because it was over 2 thousand years ago I guess that is not as much at the forefront of peoples minds. I think more likely they will be thinking about choclate, Easter eggs and little chicks and Easter bonnets. Lets bring the real meaning of Easter back, and the reallity of it’s meaning. The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us so that we wouldn’t have to die. He paid the price for our sins and He rose again from the dead on the 3rd day so that we might have life. He conquered death so that we could have life and life to the full. “For God so love the world, that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3 : 16 the BIBLE that is exactly what Easter is about and I truly hope that many will hear and believe that message this Easter. Life and Life to the full who could want more. Time flys very quickly it’s a year since Pope John Paul II died, make this Easter the Easter that you start to experience the power of God in your life. Don’t wait till next year, you’ll only miss out!!