Koinonias Kairoi(‘Fellowship Times’)

During a recent family trip to Liverpool we were privileged to visit some of its museums and see some of its impressive buildings, like the imposing Anglican Cathedral, built, it was said (in 1904), ‘to the glory of God.’ One wonders just how many cathedrals, ‘churches’ and chapels in this land have been built ‘to the glory of God’?

King David(2 Samuel 7) wantedto construct a templein Jerusalem, a buildingthat would bring glory to God, a place fitting for Him, in which He would be pleased to dwell. In the event, God said that He would establish the ‘house’,and do so through David’soffspring. In view of what Paul had to sayin Athens,almost a millennium later,that ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else’ (Acts 17:24+25), it is quite remarkable that God should have been pleased for a time to dwell with His people first in a tabernacle and then in a temple. Is it not amazing that the sovereign Creator, the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who is ‘high and lifted up,’should be pleased to dwell for a time in anybuilding made by human hands?

God’s true dwelling place is heaven, of course. And it is striking that in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14), ‘The Word became flesh and ‘tabernacled’ amongst us, and,’ as John said, ‘we have seen His glory, glory as of the One and Only from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ God dwelt withthe disciples in a building (a temple) that was the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. John 2:19).

But God is also pleasedto dwell in one other location, and more readily so than in any building built by human hands. As Isaiah said (57:15), it is with those who are ‘contrite and lowly of spirit’, who (66:2) ‘tremble at His Word.’The ‘contrite’ are those ‘broken’in spirit, even ‘crippled’ (cf. the same word is used in 2 Samuel 4:4 + 9:3). In other words, God dwells with those who know that apart from Him they can do no spiritual good, with those ‘too vile to venture near His throne, too poor to turn away, depending on His grace alone...’

It is because God the Son left heaven’s glory to dwell amongst us as Jesus Christ,that He overcame our inability to live spiritual lives. He makes us willing to come to Himself. He revives us, giving us spiritual life (Isaiah 57:15), and enables us to do what is spiritually good. And by this means, we are now fitted for His eternal dwelling place – to the glory of God!

Might we all personally know this Godmore and more,and as He dwells with us,enjoy His fellowship,and also the fellowship of one another, To His glory,

Gareth

  • For Home Group details, please contact one of the elders, or if you wish to join theWelsh-speaking Group, Ioan Davies (01678 – 521086), or the DolgellauGroup, Alan Woodbridge (01341 – 423218).
  • For Coffee Morning information, please contact: Carolyn Perrin, 01678 – 540614, and Edith Roberts, 01678 – 520274.

DIARY / DYDDIADUR : MAY/MAI2012

PM = Prayer Meeting; BS = Bible Study; LBS = Ladies’ BS;YM = Youth Meeting

HG = Home Groups;CM = Coffee Morning; SS = Sunday School;

CE = Christianity Explained / Explored; Dol. = Dolgellau

(All meetings in Canolfan Bro Tegid, unless stated otherwise)

As arranged:HG

Fri410.30 amCM (+ 4.30 pm YM)

Sun610.30 amMorning Worship (+ SS)

Preacher: Gareth Williams + pm

Ioan Davies is in Cefnmeiriadog (10 am) +

Llanfair Talhaearn (2 pm)

5.50 pmLord’s Supper

6.30 pmEvening Service

Tue87.30 pmPM

Thurs1010.00 amLadies’ BS

Fri1110.30 amCM (+ 4.30 pm YM)

Sun1310.30 amMorning Worship (+ SS)

Preacher: Neil Richards

Ioan Davies is in Colwyn Bay Ev. Ch. (am+pm)

Gareth Williams is in Fron, Penrhynd. (am+pm)

6.30 pmEveningService(PM, 6.00 pm)

As arranged:HG

Fri1810.30 amCM (+ 4.30 pm YM)

Sun209.50 amLord’s Supper

10.30 amMorning Worship (+ SS)

Preacher: Gareth Williams + pm

6.30 pmEvening Service

Tue227.30 pmPM

Thurs2410.00 amLadies’ BS

7.15 pmAnnualChurchMembers’Meeting

Fri2510.30 amCM (+ 4.30 pm YM)

Sun2710.30 amMorning Worship (+ SS)

Preacher: Gareth Williams

Ioan Davies is in Capel Tegid, Bala (am+pm)

6.30 pmEvening Service

Preacher: Dave Wilmot

As arranged:HG

[Fri1 June10.30 amCM (+ 4.30 pm YM)]

NB.Saturday, 19 May, AECW Annual Meeting, Newtown, 10.00 am – 3.00 pm

BALAEVANGELICALCHURCH

EGLWYS EFENGYLAIDD Y BALA

MAYLLYTHYR NEWYDDION

2012

NEWSLETTER MAI

‘For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with Him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’.’ (Isaiah 57:15)

Photo: The ridge of Aran

‘Canys fel hyn y dywed y Goruchel a’r dyrchafedig, yr hwn a breswylia dragwyddoldeb, ac y mae ei enw yn Sanctaidd, Y goruchelder a’r cysegr a breswyliaf; a chyda’r cystuddiedig a’r isel o ysbryd, i fywhau y rhai isel o ysbryd, ac i fywhau calon y rhai cystuddiedig.’

(Eseia 57:15)

Elders:Gareth Williams 01678 (Bala) 521527

David Wilmot01678 520752

Website: