There are printed songbooks available for those who have difficulty reading the overhead projection screen and there is also an induction loop for those with hearing aids. Ladies’ toilets are located in the back hall on the left and gentleman’s toilets are through the doorway in the church on the right as you enter. Please ask if you need any help. After the morning service, tea, coffee and other refreshments are available in the back hall, please join us.

This week we’re having a look at chapters 13 to 15 of Leviticus, and seeing what the Holy Spirit would say to us through them. Several of us took a chapter each for the Men’s Cell on Monday evening, and we were all surprised how stimulating the passage proved to be. Many commentators have said that Leviticus is really about that which is unclean becoming clean so that it can fellowship with the Holy. We cannot become absolutely holy,as God is, but we can present ourselves before Him having been cleansed. This is what we should always do, and all the instructions about ceremonial cleansing are given to enable the person concerned to renew fellowship in the camp with the people of God, in the presence of God. Hence verse 31 of chapter 15, which sums up all the legal requirements:

‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling My dwelling place, which is among them’. The equivalent new testament passage is 1 John 1:5-9, the KJV using the word ‘cleanse’ where the NIV says ‘purify’. The two words are interchangeable. Are we continually allowing the God of light to continually cleanse us from ‘all sin’? (Sin takes place in darkness!) We need to!

(continued …)

Next week we’ll be celebrating this year’s harvest, and I’m jumping forward to chapter 23 of Leviticus to look at some of the feasts of Israel which have thanksgiving for the fruitfulness of the land as their main focus. I know that several folk came down to church yesterday to make some banners in illustration of the different festivals, and I’m so looking forward to displaying them! They will help to make our day very special. We’ve also decided in Council that we’d like to take up our harvest offering this time for Daryl and Maureen, who have specific financial needs in an expanding ministry. We were blessed by Daryl’s ministry to us on 9th September, so please be before the Lord as to whatever you feel appropriate to give.

Another focus next week will be prayer for Israel. An international Day of Prayer has been called for the nation, recognising the significance of the times we are living through. I’ll remind you of this in our open prayer time in the morning, and will give the nation more concerted prayer when we meet in the evening. Please remember this for your own prayer times on the day, if possible. We’ll be giving some scriptures and prayer pointers next week. Helen has made me aware of this Day, so do speak to her if you want any more details.

Two other prayer points:

1 Council Meeting next Tuesday (2nd October)

2 Small team out on the doors next week, working in the Godstone Road around Whyteleafe South station. I’m hoping to go out one more time after this before the clocks go back (27th October this year).