Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Yesterday afternoon, Sunday 31^st July 2011 I attended a fiftieth birthday party. It was poignant in that the celebrant was not an individual but an organisation, AFB (Assemblies of the First born). One into which I was immersed when I arrived in England in 1968 to join my parents. The festivities occurred in the local town hall which was a far cry from the rented pub rooms and church halls that were the habitats of our 1960s parents. My mother and father were part of this journey and were they still alive today they would have revelled in the festivities. The service reminded me that in spite of our inadequacies we are to be people who not only talk about their faith but people who are prepared to live out their faith in the society and culture they are surrounded by and live in. The celebration was quite a lengthy one, however there was no porter standing outside the door shaking his bunch of keys telling us it was time to leave. As I reflect on the service it was as if God is saying to us, it is time for the next phase of the journey. And for many of us who have heard about the experiences of our parents, it is time to move from the Exodus to Deuteronomy. Let me explain, those who were the pioneers are now on their last laps and we who remain are the ones who are reaping the rewards of their labours. Not only are we en-cultured, we know the systems and we should understand the times. However, like the Israelites let us not become complacent and allow the material blessing from the Lord to blur our vision. So when Moses told the Israelite crowd (Deut 1:10) that the Lord had multiplied you from your original numbers. [For us as descendant of West Indians, the original numbers who first arrives on SS Empire Windrush in 1948 was 492]; and may he increase you a thousand times. [Up and down England alone there are now much more than 492,000 of our people around]. We now as the ones who are reaping where we did not plant and are harvesting where we did sow must always remember this; never allow the material blessing to blur your vision of the Lord and as we strive and prosper let us serve him continually in our home away from home. Read Deuteronomy 1.