{"id":2447,"date":"2022-05-10T19:13:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T19:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2447"},"modified":"2022-05-25T18:44:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T18:44:18","slug":"15-may-2022-but-god-there-is-always-hope-with-god","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2447","title":{"rendered":"15 May 2022: &#8220;But God&#8230;&#8221; &#8211; there is always hope with God"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:28% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2448 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515.jpg 720w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515-24x16.jpg 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515-36x24.jpg 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/20220515-48x32.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>Bethel Baptist Church<br>Worship Service @ Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>15 May 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2441\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1006\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/> <strong>Previous Service<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2453\"><strong>Next Service<\/strong> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1007\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Service available on Youtube, or as text (below), or for audio see the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=72\">Podcasts<\/a>&nbsp;page<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"15 May 2022: \u201cBut God\u2026\u201d \u2013 there is always hope with God\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z_vblm8wXv4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Welcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLord, help us to love one another like You love us, Amen!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Testimony<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#feddaf\"><em>\u201cA picture of wheat becoming bread \u2013 wheat and flour go through a number of processes before becoming bread. So we all need to be patient as the Lord takes us through a lot of stages till we conform to His likeness and become vessels for His use and glory\u201d.<\/em><br><br>Stella<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Worship<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Give Thanks with a Grateful heart with Lyrics\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/047xtru0ZR0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Word<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us<strong>.<\/strong><\/p><cite>Rom. 5:8<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time we see the phrase, <strong>\u201cBut God\u201d, <\/strong>we know it\u2019s going to relate to something good following some kind of mess, sin, or evil that the world has brought about. In this short passage, Romans 5:1-11, we have the phrases \u2013 Romans 5:6 \u201cpowerless\u201d &#8211; Romans 5:6 \u201cungodly\u201d &#8211; Romans 5:8 \u201csinners\u201d &#8211; Romans 5:10 \u201cGod\u2019s enemies\u201d &#8211; so humanly speaking there is no chance! In the culture of the day, even under Judaism, as we have been told in Romans 5:7: \u201cVery rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die\u201d &#8211; a righteous person being a morally upright person and a good person being a benefactor. Dying for enemies was unheard of, so no chance! \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut God &#8230;\u201d There is always hope with God; there is always a way out with God; there is always a way through with God \u2026 \u201cBut God demonstrates His own love for us\u201d &#8211; This is remarkable love; love unheard of; love unimaginable, for God loves even His enemies, so great is His love. There is no merit on our part, rather the opposite, \u201cwe have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God\u201d (cf. Rom. 3:23). There is nothing deserved on our part, rather the opposite, we deserve wrath rather than reconciliation (Rom. 1:18-3:20). But God loves us because that is what He is, \u201cGod is love\u201d (1 John 4:8, 16), and that is what He does, \u201cGod so loved the world\u201d (John 3:16; Eph. 2:4; 1 John 4:9-10)&nbsp; &#8211; \u201cWe look in vain for an explanation \u2026 as in Deuteronomy 7:7: God loved you \u2026 \u2018because He loved you\u2019\u201d (Thiselton).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How very humbling all this is when we think of people we don\u2019t love; and then when we think of people we don\u2019t love with the same love that we love say the members of our own families with. What! are we to love even our enemies like that? \u2013 yes and even more than that for we are to love them with the love of Christ for we read here, \u201cGod demonstrates <strong>His own love<\/strong> for us &#8230;\u201d &#8211; it\u2019s His love that is the standard! God doesn\u2019t simply shout down from heaven \u201cI love you\u201d and that\u2019s it. No, He demonstrates, or proves His love for us, by giving His Son up for us, 2 Cor. 5:19: \u201cthat God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself\u201d as James D. G. Dunn puts it, \u201cthe death of Christ &#8230; a timeless proof of God\u2019s love.\u201d And we can\u2019t even leave it there for this love must be the measure of all we do, say and think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What a different world it would be if we all imitated Christ in this way, demonstrating His love.&nbsp; I still believe that the most loving thing we can do for people in our communities and neighbourhoods is to tell them about the love of Christ in dying for them but we might have to show love in so many ways before they listen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quote of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fdd791\"><em>&nbsp;\u201cIf they can see you love them, you can say anything to them\u201d<\/em><br><br>Richard Baxter<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verse<a><\/a> of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;rises upon you.See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the&nbsp;Lord&nbsp;rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.<\/p><cite>Isaiah 60:1-3<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let\u2019s Pray<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Heavenly Father, we worship You for proving Your love for us in giving Your Son and reconciling us to Yourself. Thank You that we now know peace with You and that You have poured Your love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Help us to love others like You do in Jesus Christ, Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Service available on Youtube, or as text (below), or for audio see the&nbsp;Podcasts&nbsp;page. Welcome \u201cLord, help us to love one another like You love us, Amen!\u201d Testimony \u201cA picture of wheat becoming bread \u2013 wheat and flour go through a number of processes before becoming bread. So we all need to be patient as the &#8230; <a title=\"15 May 2022: &#8220;But God&#8230;&#8221; &#8211; there is always hope with God\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2447\" aria-label=\"Read more about 15 May 2022: &#8220;But God&#8230;&#8221; &#8211; there is always hope with God\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2447","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2447"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2468,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2447\/revisions\/2468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}