biblebase FOCUS events –

biblebase FOCUS events – 2015

April 9-11th at New Covenant Church, Bracknell.

Friday at 7:30 pm – Keynote Session – Welcome and Plan of Action

Saturday: 10:00 – Coffee and Welcome

Saturday 10:30 – 11:30 Session 1 – Ron Bailey – One Bible in Two Testaments. Why?

Saturday 11:30 – Tea/Coffee

Saturday 12:00 – 13:00 Session 2 – Wayne Crossley – Subject – to be announced

Saturday 13:00 Lunch provided

Saturday afternoon – Fellowship, Q&A, Future Plans,

Saturday 19:30 Evening Meeting – songs, testimony and preaching

Sunday Morning 10:30 Welcome to New Covenant Church, Bracknell, Sunday Meeting

Here’s the plan…  to hold a series of biblebase FOCUS events in different locations to give readers of this blog and members of our Facebook “friends of biblebase” group an opportunity to dig a little deeper into the thrilling wonders of this New Covenant. Oh, I know some folks think I have a bit of an obsession with the New Covenant. Really, the truth is that I have a decades’ long fascination with the wonders of God’s revelation in the Scriptures and the progressive revelation that we find there.

Isaac Watts wrote a wonderful hymn that begins with the line…

Join all the glorious names…

He makes a journey through many of the titles and descriptions given to Christ in the scripture to show what he calls God’s “condescending ways”. (that’s the old use of the word) He believed, as did many before him and many who have followed him, that God had ‘stooped down in grace’ to communicate truth to us. He used diverse ways to reveal himself to men and in particular he used words. Usually those words were not merely titles and labels but revelations of his character. Many spring to mind immediately; The Shepherd, The Vine, The Light, The Life. Some have dropped from public consciousness but they remain revelations of his character. Some have even dropped from Isaac Watts great hymn in its modern forms. Watts first three verses set the scene for what follows…

1 JOIN all the glorious names

Of wisdom, love, and power,

That ever mortals knew,

That angels ever bore;

All are too mean to speak his worth,

Too mean to set our Saviour forth.

2 But O what gentle means,

What condescending ways,

Doth our Redeemer use,

To teach his heavenly grace;

My soul, with joy and wonder see

What forms of love he bears for thee!

3 Arrayed in mortal flesh

The Covenant-Angel stands,

And holds the promises

And pardons in his hands;

Commissioned from his Father’s throne

To make his grace to mortals known.

The prophecy of Malachi ‘sets our Saviour forth’ as Watts has it as the ‘Covenant-Angel’ or messenger. His Calvary baptism was accomplished in order to bring in a ‘New Covenant’ …through his blood.

This New Covenant changes everything and provides a new perspective for so much of God’s work of redemption.  It is the language of God’s ‘condescending ‘ways’ but it is also the most comprehensive of God’s revelations of his saving power. I have long wanted to examine different aspects of the Scriptures through the lens of the New Covenant. I mean, I wanted the opportunity to gather like minded brothers and sisters together to use the truth of the New Covenant to bring other vital truths into focus through the lens of the New Covenant, hence “biblebase FOCUS events”. Times set aside to examine the implications of the New Covenant on our life and faith.

We plan two ‘Focus’ events this year. This first one in April based on New Covenant Church, Bracknell and a second scheduled for September in Scotland. More details on costs and accommodation to follow. For the time being just book the slot in your diary. We hope to have a good cross section of folks from different age groups, so plan to come and let us know.