{"id":3444,"date":"2024-10-05T15:08:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-05T15:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3444"},"modified":"2024-10-20T15:01:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-20T15:01:54","slug":"29-september-2024-co-incidence-or-gods-timing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3444","title":{"rendered":"29 September 2024: Co-incidence, or God&#8217;s timing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:29% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"270\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3445 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929.jpg 270w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929-24x24.jpg 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/20240929-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/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>29 September 2024<\/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 wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3431\"><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 wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3451\"><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<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Welcome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cYou are chosen by the Lord to follow and serve Him and He will pour out His grace, love and blessings on you, as you trust and obey Him.\u201d<br><\/em><br>Stella<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Worship<\/strong><\/h2>\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=\"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) - Hillsong United lyrics\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6GGFb6LcX3U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup>\u201cOceans\u201d \u2013 Hillsong; cf. Peter walking on the water<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/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\">\n<p><strong>\u2026 the barley harvest was beginning. <\/strong><\/p>\n<cite><strong>Ruth 1:22<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>God is big on timing, <strong>His<\/strong> timing. Significant spiritual matters in the Scripture are all of God\u2019s timing, the ultimate, Jesus first and second coming,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But when <strong>the set time had fully come<\/strong>, God sent His Son.<\/p>\n<cite>Gal. 4:4 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about <strong>in His own time<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2026<\/p>\n<cite>1 Tim. 6:14-15 <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>What about the smaller matters? The barley harvest, an annual occurrence, although the famine had disrupted it. When we have taken something for granted and then don\u2019t have it, be it the annual harvest, good health, or whatever, we can realise that we did take things for granted and there was even a lack of gratitude for these things. When they are restored maybe we are more thankful for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We could make a list of coincidences here,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Naomi and Ruth returned at the time of the harvest (Ruth 1:22)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ruth just happened to glean in Boaz\u2019s field (Ruth 2:3); As it turned out Boaz was of the clan of Elimelech (Ruth 2:3)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem (Ruth 2:4)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Or we could see God\u2019s hand at work. To those who attributed certain events to coincidences, William Temple\u2019s witty reply was, <em>\u201cOkay, when I pray coincidences happen. When I don\u2019t they don\u2019t.\u201d<\/em> We can see such things as \u201cordinary\u201d or start to see the \u201cextraordinary\u201d behind them. Thus the barley harvest was a BIG DEAL in more ways than one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I attended the rehearsals of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblesociety.org.uk\/get-involved\/open-the-book\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.biblesociety.org.uk\/get-involved\/open-the-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Open The Book<\/a> (OTB) last week and one of the Bible stories they were acting out was from Ruth. I loved the way they acted out the part when Naomi saw Ruth returning with a great bundle of barley, she blurted out, <em>\u201cHe wants to marry you!\u201d<\/em> Talk about getting straight to the point! Did Elimelech walk in disobedience, that resulted in all the sadness and hopelessness that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a totally different thing to go through hard times, even famines, when walking closely with God, for He will undertake for you. But to walk in disobedience, things become very difficult and we can start to feel totally abandoned by God, although He never totally abandons us. Boaz and all the people who remained in Judah got through it. And now there is that sense that Naomi is back in the place she should always have been, and we can start to see the hand of the Almighty working for her and Ruth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God will always achieve His purposes and bring about His plans despite all human inadequacies, it\u2019s why we call them God-incidences rather than coincidences! One question: Do we still give thanks to God every time we eat?<\/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:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cWe serve a gracious Master who knows how to overrule even our mistakes to His glory and our advantage.\u201d<br><\/em><br>John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verse of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>And we know that in <strong>all<\/strong> things God works for the good of those who love Him, who&nbsp;have been called according to His purpose. <\/p>\n<cite>Romans 8:28<\/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 confess our weaknesses, our mistakes, our sins, in the confidence that You forgive us, cleanse us, and work all for Your glory and our good. Come fill us anew with Your Holy Spirit, in and through our Lord, Saviour, and Friend, Jesus Christ, Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome \u201cYou are chosen by the Lord to follow and serve Him and He will pour out His grace, love and blessings on you, as you trust and obey Him.\u201dStella Worship Word \u2026 the barley harvest was beginning. Ruth 1:22 God is big on timing, His timing. Significant spiritual matters in the Scripture are all &#8230; <a title=\"29 September 2024: Co-incidence, or God&#8217;s timing?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3444\" aria-label=\"Read more about 29 September 2024: Co-incidence, or God&#8217;s timing?\">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-3444","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3444","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=3444"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3444\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3461,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3444\/revisions\/3461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}