'Theo's Door' launch CD

New Album - Navigate The Infinite: Promo
I am very pleased to announce that the band 'Theo's Door' has finally given birth to their first CD 'Navigate the Infinite' - after a four year 'pregnancy'! Two of the band members are ex-Queens Road Church members - bass player Ben Kyte and lead singer Emily Woods. This group of former Brighton uni friends originally got together to make music and weren't necessarily looking to gig or record. Ben expressed his surprise at how the project had taken off but is really pleased to have a record of several years of creative writing - which in many ways expresses a personal journey through the songs he contributed. The CD is really well produced by the talented Mr. Lumgair and the songs are God focussed, worshipful and, at times, intense. There are some great musical moments - I particularly like the intro to 'Something True', Luke's guitar work on 'One-Sided', the funky bass lines on 'Electric Vibes' and the 'face-melting' lead guitar solo by Duncan Spear on 'Defects' - awesome!

The CD is available from all good band members (except Ben Kyte who was the last to hear the finished album and has taken our copy!) To hear clips of some of the tracks and find out more go to www.myspace.com/theosdoorofficial

Moyles talks up church...

I saw a cyclist waiting at a red traffic light the other day!

I realise that the following information may come as a big surprise to some cyclists, but someone needs to say it: there is a set of rules that govern the use of roads - it's called the Highway Code! Cyclists are not exempt from the rules despite the fact that most of them clearly believe they are! I have got so used to seeing cyclists disregard the law that I was amazed to see a cylclist waiting at a red light the other day! As a car driver it is somewhat unnerving. I've got a pretty good idea what other car drivers are likely to do but I haven't got a clue what the average cyclist is thinking once he or she dons the obligatory cycle helmet (which evidently has the effect of scrambling all the 'common sense' neurons in people's brains).

Several times cyclists have headed towards me going the wrong way up a narrow one way street. On one occasion I turned right on a one way street and nearly hit a teenager nonchalantly cycling the other way. What annoys me is that he demonstrated a total disregard for his safety but if he had been injured you can be sure that I would have been blamed.

So what does the bible have to say about cylcists?! Well nothing. But it does have something to say about obeying laws. Both Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 affirms that every human authority that exists has been established by God. Romans 13:2 states quite clearly 'he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted'. So cyclists next time you are tempted to ignore a red light...don't!

The ghost of 'Cold War Past'

Some while ago, in one of my sermons, I talked about the endless variety of things to do and see here in London. I commented that you could go to a different museum, concert or event every day of the year and you wouldn't have seen half of it. As an example I said I had never been to the Imperial War Museum despite living in London for 30 years. As soon as I said it there was an audible gasp from one of our Kiwi contingent - he loves the museum and couldn't believe I'd never been to this great establishment!

Anyway a terrible oversight on my part has finally been corrected. I have now been to the museum and it has to be said - it's very good. Considering the somewhat morbid theme, it is light and airy and the exhibits are well presented. It neither glorifies war nor does it manage to entirely depress you.

One of the first exhibits I looked at was the V1 flying bomb (aka 'doodlebugs') in the main hall. One of them hit a tall chimney opposite my dad's house in Windsor and the debris knocked down the front of his house. Fortunately he was playing up the road and other family members were in the back of the house, so no-one was injured.

As I looked around the museum my strongest emotion was enormous gratitude that I haven't had to live through a major war. That was closely followed by a deep sense of sadness (even anger) that human beings can spend so much time and money inventing countless ways to destroy other human beings. Every generation seems to be hell-bent on annihilating one another.

The recent announcement from North Korea - that they have revoked the peace treaty that was made with South Korea following the Korean War has sent a shudder through the diplomatic world. Having flexed their military muscle with an underground nuclear explosion, North Korea has revived the ghost of 'Cold War Past'. Today nations have the potential to wipe out entire nations. We can expect increasingly apocalyptic headlines if the nuclear threat grows.

But we shouldn't be surprised. Jesus warned us that there will be wars and rumours of wars (Mark 13:5-27) but they will not mark the end of the world. All kinds of natural and man-made disasters will occur but none of them will cause its demise. Jesus will return and he will wrap up everything. After the Judgment a new earth and universe will be created. War, earthquakes, floods, pain and suffering will be things of the past.

The question for all of us is this: 'will we be ready for Christ's return?' Jesus said, 'At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens (Mark 13:27)

Will anyone vote in the European elections?!

Given the current expenses claims scandals that are being drip-fed to us daily by The Telegraph, I predict a dismal turnout in the European elections on June 4th! My wife works in Westminster and passes the House every day. In the last few days she has witnessed a frenzy of media reporters and cameras conducting numerous interviews on the lawns opposite.

But if the MPs expenses claims system needs reforming in the UK, there is a good chance that the European equivalent needs the same treatment. Concerns about the expense claims of MEPs have rumbled around for years. The general dismay over some MPs behaviour combined with general British ambivalence towards the European Union may not be a recipe for success. But we should never take democracy for granted, however disillusioned we might currently be with those who represent us. It isn't perfect, but at least with a democratic system we all have a voice - unless we choose not to use it.

Many years ago a Christian organisation used to hold meetings at our church. It got dubbed 'the Conservative Party at prayer' because so many of their views were straight out of the Conservative Party manifesto. There was an assumption that true evangelical Christians would, of course, align themselves with the policies of the Right.

I think it is good and healthy for Christians to be involved in a range of political parties. Of course we need to be aware of the different policies but more than anything (in the current climate) we need men and women of integrity who have genuinely gone into politics to serve other people and not themselves.

'The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.' (Proverbs 11:3)

That's My King!

Above All Powers

Rome - now there’s a city packed with relics of past glories! Everywhere you look you have monuments, obelisks, arches, fountains, statues and buildings that commemorate great emperors or victories in battle. And not one of them is of any real importance today. Nero, Domitian, Julius Caesar, Trajan, Agrippa, and many more have their names carved in stone but their power disappeared with the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. However impressive their legacies – which include buildings, cities, roads and so on – none of them comes close to the everlasting power of Jesus. Unlike him, they bullied their way into positions of power. They crushed surrounding nations, they enslaved thousands, they plundered foreign cities and built their own empires to their own glory – but death defeated all of them. Even when rulers managed to establish dynasties by passing on power to their sons it all petered out in the end.

It is all foretold in scripture. In the book of Daniel, Daniel has a vision in chapter seven in which he sees four beasts. In Daniel 7:17 he is given the interpretation – ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it for ever – yes for ever and ever.’ Some commentators equate them to different empires – that of the Babylonians, the Medes & Persians, the Greeks and finally the Romans. Each empire will come and go but believers will inherit a kingdom that will last forever.

In Mark 13 1,2 we read: ‘As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."’

That temple building was an amazing building – it was built by King Herod. The Temple itself was a statement about the power of a King Herod and was probably built more to reconcile the Jews to their king rather than to glorify God. Jesus’ prediction that the Temple would be destroyed was fulfilled in AD70 when the Romans ransacked Jerusalem.

One of the monuments in the Roman Forum in Rome is a grand arch (pictured above) commemorating the victory of Emporer Titus over Jerusalem. The arch is decorated with scenes of the destruction of Jerusalem. The holy items such as the golden candlestick and the showbread table were taken back to Rome with other items totalling 50,000 tonnes of gold and silver. With the proceeds from the sale of the gold and silver they built the Colosseum which was to become notorious for the blood-thirsty gladiatorial games that took place there. It was also a place of execution for criminals and some Christians who were torn apart by wild animals. By the 15th century the Colosseum had long since fallen into disrepair and its stones were raided to build other monuments in the city – including the massive St. Peter’s in Vatican City.

Isn’t it amazing that one empire is succeeded by another which in turn is succeeded by yet another. The power, prestige and wealth of one empire is stolen by the next and transferred to former enemies.

Ephesians 1:21 tells us that Jesus has been placed on the Throne above all powers. Jesus must look down on the ambitions of kings and emperors and laugh. In the end they will all fail – only one throne will remain, only one name will matter, only one ruler will be undefeated – Jesus Christ – Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

The room shook quite violently for about 15 seconds!

My wife insisted I accompany her to Rome last weekend to celebrate her 50th birthday - of course I protested but felt duty bound to go anyway! It was our first visit to this extraordinary city where history seemingly oozes out of every nook and cranny. We managed to do just about everything we'd planned but one event was definitely a surprise...

In the early hours of Monday morning I stirred and then suddenly woke up as the hotel room shook quite violently for about 15 seconds. The doors rattled in the doorframes and small pieces of masonry could be heard falling down. In the background was a barely audible rumble. It took me several moments to work out that it was an earthquake. On a couple of occasions there were other very minor tremors. In the morning, I checked with my wife just to make sure I hadn't imagined it. She had felt it too but thought it was all part of a dream and didn't really wake up. Nobody in the hotel mentioned it at breakfast and it had happened too late to get a mention in the papers. So it wasn't until we arrived home that we realised that we had been only 60 miles or so from the epicentre of the major earthquake that hit L'Aquila.

Since Monday I have often thought about the people whose lives have been devastated and in a very small way can identify with what they must have felt. Buildings aren't supposed to shake like that - they are supposed to be solid, immoveable. You can't quite connect what is happening with a lifetime's experience which tells you it can't be happening. We've seen banks and even nations collapse financially but when hotels and houses shake it makes you realise that nothing is secure - except God Himself. Psalm 46 is a great comfort in such times - 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way...'

The Mom Song!

Specially for Mothers Day...

What are you waiting for?

At the end of last year, I drove into Wimbledon early one afternoon. It was one of the last shopping days before Christmas. As I came past the shopping centre I saw that the traffic entering Queens Road had backed up all the way to the end of the road. So I quickly decided to carry on down the Broadway, turned left into Trinity Road and left again into Queens Road to approach the church from the other end. I was pleased with myself for avoiding the queue but just before I reached the church, a milk float passed me coming the other way and I realised it was the same milk float that had been at the back of the queue! So I didn’t got there any quicker – it just meant that I didn’t have to wait.

There is something within most of us that struggles with waiting – we’d rather travel a couple of miles out of our way than wait!

Waiting has a different effect, depending on what we are waiting for...

· A child waiting for Christmas does so with excitement and impatience
· A bride waiting for her wedding day is full of excitement and anticipation
· A mother waiting for the birth of a baby knows excitement and apprehension
· But waiting for exam results is different!
· Waiting to see the dentist doesn’t usually fill you with glee does it?!
· Waiting for results of hospital tests isn’t easy
· Waiting at a bus stop for a bus to come is tedious
· Waiting for the morning when you are having a sleepless night is disheartening

Someone observed that…

Waiting is the antithesis of hurrying. We learn very early in life that we are expected to hurry most of the time’ (some of us can remember our mothers telling us to 'get a move on' otherwise we would be late for school)

For some reason it seems easier to hurry than to wait. Miles Stanford wrote: “It seems that most believers have difficulty in realizing and facing up to the inexorable fact that God does not hurry in his development of our Christian life. He is working from and for eternity!”

Psalm 130:6 says 'I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.'