Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holy Spirit. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Letter Writing
Hey guys hope you are all well. I am doing pretty good myself but have recently got a bee in my bonnet about the work I do and the Church I am a part of. This has led me to begin writing a mammoth letter which I will be sending to the leaders of my Church both nationally and internationally. Unfortunately this probably means that the time I would use to write on this I am likely to use in working on this letter. I may post the letter on here once I am done but I am not sure. So if I don't post for a little while don't worry I have not disappeared again I am just working on something else. Hope to be back on here soon, until then guys.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
I'm a Christian, But......
Before I start this post I want to put out this disclaimer. I do not claim now and have never claimed to be a shining light of Christian purity. I would willingly admit that I often get things wrong and that I have made many mistakes past, present and likely in the future too. I also know that I myself am far from sinless despite my best efforts to be what I should be as a Christian.
Ok now I have said that I feel an awful lot happier about the rant I am about to go on. The thing I want to talk about is Christians who push themselves into positions of influence and set themselves up as supposed good examples who knowingly live in unchristian ways.
I doubt it is only me who has trouble with people who seek out positions of influence and power in the Church for their own means and then go on to act in thoroughly unchristian ways. I can't help but think that a at least part of the problems we have in the Church are in some way connected to the bad examples of leaders who are not there for God. In this I mean the people who need to be in these positions of power and influence for their own gratification and own purposes. These people who then go on to continue to act in worldly ways with inappropriate behaviour, gossiping and spreading rumours. This poison then permeates its way through Churches, in fact The Church infecting people further setting poor examples to those young or weak in the faith who perhaps then see this as acceptable behaviour.
As I said in the disclaimer, I do not believe myself to be an example of what a Christian should be, far from it. To be honest I would be willing to admit I fall far short of where I should be as a Christian many times. But without then trying to make myself sound any better, I do not claim to be a perfect example, I do not pretend to be anything but a sinful man daily asking the Lord for forgiveness. I pray that Christians would see the sin in their own lives, the gossiping, rumour spreading and general sinful behaviour and acknowledge it. By acknowledging it they can not only confront it and attempt to drive it from their lives but also show others that while sin is not ok or acceptable it is going to happen. Show that by having a relationship with Jesus and asking for forgiveness we can grow as Christians and in faith.
These people know that what they are doing is wrong, unchristian and hurtful, they know they are causing pain to those they wrong and who they gossip about. Rumours based on idle speculation, conjuncture and wild fantasy that they spread cause a level of hurt that is known only to the individual and the Father. When friends turn on friends and say things that are hurtful or cause situations where the truth is either veiled or hidden purposely for their own gain. When friends manipulate circumstances to gain an advantage over friends all of these things are a source of the pain that Christ felt upon the cross.
Paul's letters to the early Church talk about situations we still see today, brothers and sisters in Christ are still acting in ways that are far from Christlike and in ways we have be warned and instructed not to act. We are all going to sin, we are all going to make mistakes but I can't help but think that these people are claiming to be followers of Christ but have not accepted the Spirit, have not accepted Christ's forgiveness and are not following the two greatest commandments.
Matthew 22:36-40
When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"
Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."
These people know that what they are doing is wrong, unchristian and hurtful, they know they are causing pain to those they wrong and who they gossip about. Rumours based on idle speculation, conjuncture and wild fantasy that they spread cause a level of hurt that is known only to the individual and the Father. When friends turn on friends and say things that are hurtful or cause situations where the truth is either veiled or hidden purposely for their own gain. When friends manipulate circumstances to gain an advantage over friends all of these things are a source of the pain that Christ felt upon the cross.
Paul's letters to the early Church talk about situations we still see today, brothers and sisters in Christ are still acting in ways that are far from Christlike and in ways we have be warned and instructed not to act. We are all going to sin, we are all going to make mistakes but I can't help but think that these people are claiming to be followers of Christ but have not accepted the Spirit, have not accepted Christ's forgiveness and are not following the two greatest commandments.
Matthew 22:36-40
When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"
Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."
Saturday, September 03, 2011
No Surrender, We Will Not Retreat
How many people are prepared to give up everything for Jesus, how many people are prepared to turn their back on everything they have known, a safe life, a solid career in order to follow the will of God? I know many Christians who would say that they would, many Christians who would claim that they put Jesus first in all things.
How many actually do though?
We see many people who claim to Christians, who claim to be strong of faith who will just go through the motions, who will turn up week in week out "doing their bit" and "chipping in". When asked about their calling they will either ramble off the subject or say something along the lines of "I don't know what God is calling me to do yet".
I understand that God works differently with different people, and some people are desperately searching for God's plan in their lives. But I would say the problem for those genuinely searching and those just showing a Christian face on Sundays is roughly the same. They have not given control of their lives over to the Lord, they have not offered to do His will come what may.
The people who say they are praying for direction and to know God's plan for them are either not praying ernestly or are holding back. When you ask God how he wants to use you, when you offer your life to God with no provisions or caveats then and only then will you begin to see His plan mapped out in your life.
In the Church we do not need more people who are just along for the ride, we do not need more people who are wanting to remain in the world. What we do need are people who are willing to give up everything, people who are willing to say "No surrender, we will not retreat". We need people who are on fire for God, burning with a passion that only the Holy Spirit can bring.
Following on in a similar vein to yesterday I would rather see a smaller Church of people who are really on fire for God. A Church cut back and pruned to those who are healthy in the Lord. I believe that when we get a Church like this, a Church following His will, a Church willing to sacrifice all it has, that is when we see Church growth, that is when we see revivals and that is when God can do his best work through his Churches.
How many people can say they are willing to give their all to god? How many Christians are willing to do anything He requires?
I don't know the answer to this but I pray that the Lord will find more people open to His will and that we follow His ways to bring his Churches back to life so that He does not decide to prune us and remove us from the Church vine.
How many actually do though?
We see many people who claim to Christians, who claim to be strong of faith who will just go through the motions, who will turn up week in week out "doing their bit" and "chipping in". When asked about their calling they will either ramble off the subject or say something along the lines of "I don't know what God is calling me to do yet".
I understand that God works differently with different people, and some people are desperately searching for God's plan in their lives. But I would say the problem for those genuinely searching and those just showing a Christian face on Sundays is roughly the same. They have not given control of their lives over to the Lord, they have not offered to do His will come what may.
The people who say they are praying for direction and to know God's plan for them are either not praying ernestly or are holding back. When you ask God how he wants to use you, when you offer your life to God with no provisions or caveats then and only then will you begin to see His plan mapped out in your life.
In the Church we do not need more people who are just along for the ride, we do not need more people who are wanting to remain in the world. What we do need are people who are willing to give up everything, people who are willing to say "No surrender, we will not retreat". We need people who are on fire for God, burning with a passion that only the Holy Spirit can bring.
Following on in a similar vein to yesterday I would rather see a smaller Church of people who are really on fire for God. A Church cut back and pruned to those who are healthy in the Lord. I believe that when we get a Church like this, a Church following His will, a Church willing to sacrifice all it has, that is when we see Church growth, that is when we see revivals and that is when God can do his best work through his Churches.
How many people can say they are willing to give their all to god? How many Christians are willing to do anything He requires?
I don't know the answer to this but I pray that the Lord will find more people open to His will and that we follow His ways to bring his Churches back to life so that He does not decide to prune us and remove us from the Church vine.
Friday, September 02, 2011
Cutting back
Pruning - To trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, esp. to increase fruitfulness and growth.
After a conversation with my flat mate and having being forced to watch a TV program about attempting to revive a dying village in Wales I have been thinking about dying Churches. These thoughts have been running round in my head for a number of days in a different form. This has brought me round to thinking about how we deal with small, shrinking and dying Churches.
In the UK we have a problem with shrinking congregations, reduced Church attendance and Churches withering and dying. In towns and villages up and down the country groups of Christians are fighting a losing battle to keep their Churches alive. My question is, are they wasting their time and is there a different way to tackle this problem.
John 15:1-2
After a conversation with my flat mate and having being forced to watch a TV program about attempting to revive a dying village in Wales I have been thinking about dying Churches. These thoughts have been running round in my head for a number of days in a different form. This has brought me round to thinking about how we deal with small, shrinking and dying Churches.
In the UK we have a problem with shrinking congregations, reduced Church attendance and Churches withering and dying. In towns and villages up and down the country groups of Christians are fighting a losing battle to keep their Churches alive. My question is, are they wasting their time and is there a different way to tackle this problem.
John 15:1-2
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
Now for me it seems obvious that when something dies and has no life left in it something needs to be done. As in plants or indeed bodies if a portion of it dies then it should be cut off. If this is not done the dead or dying portion sucks up valuable resources and deprives the healthy areas of the things they need to survive. It can also be the case that these dead and dying portions become rotten or infected and because they have not been cut off they infect other areas.
As in gardening and medicine the Church should also be aware of areas of itself that have died or are dying. It is not that Churches can not be saved, unfortunately some can not, but once they are past a point is it wise to pour resources down a black hole when they could be spent expanding work elsewhere. As Jesus said, if a branch is not bearing fruit then it will but cut off, Jesus even tells us that these branches will be left to wither a dry up and then be cast on to the fire, they are no good for God if they are not doing his will. Even those Churches who are strong will be pruned back from time to time in order to bring them renewed strength.
The point I want to make is not that shrinking Churches are a bad thing, sometimes good can come from this and a Church that is pruned back to healthy stock can flourish again. However a dead a rotten Church is doing no one any good and could in fact be doing harm. I can't be the only one who thinks that the hard decision should be made to shut down dying Churches and use the money in different ways to extend God's kingdom. It is not even necessary to remove the money from the community it is in but perhaps use it in a more constructive way in a community than shoring up a failing Church.
When I think of Jesus and his ministry I see someone radical who pushed the boundaries of the status quo. I see some of the situations in the modern Church causing him to display the righteous anger from the temple. The way we are running the Church is not in my eyes in the spirit in which it started. The reason I think we see the problems we do is because we have turned away from God and are ignoring the Spirit. As I have already said they best way I see to remedy this is to return to the early Church, return to the Churches true calling. This is not going to happen if we continue to pump money into failing projects, dying Churches and continue to push our own agendas rather than follow God's.
Let me know what you think about this subject, do you have a better idea for a solution, or do you have any other thoughts on this subject. Please leave a comment below.
As in gardening and medicine the Church should also be aware of areas of itself that have died or are dying. It is not that Churches can not be saved, unfortunately some can not, but once they are past a point is it wise to pour resources down a black hole when they could be spent expanding work elsewhere. As Jesus said, if a branch is not bearing fruit then it will but cut off, Jesus even tells us that these branches will be left to wither a dry up and then be cast on to the fire, they are no good for God if they are not doing his will. Even those Churches who are strong will be pruned back from time to time in order to bring them renewed strength.
The point I want to make is not that shrinking Churches are a bad thing, sometimes good can come from this and a Church that is pruned back to healthy stock can flourish again. However a dead a rotten Church is doing no one any good and could in fact be doing harm. I can't be the only one who thinks that the hard decision should be made to shut down dying Churches and use the money in different ways to extend God's kingdom. It is not even necessary to remove the money from the community it is in but perhaps use it in a more constructive way in a community than shoring up a failing Church.
When I think of Jesus and his ministry I see someone radical who pushed the boundaries of the status quo. I see some of the situations in the modern Church causing him to display the righteous anger from the temple. The way we are running the Church is not in my eyes in the spirit in which it started. The reason I think we see the problems we do is because we have turned away from God and are ignoring the Spirit. As I have already said they best way I see to remedy this is to return to the early Church, return to the Churches true calling. This is not going to happen if we continue to pump money into failing projects, dying Churches and continue to push our own agendas rather than follow God's.
Let me know what you think about this subject, do you have a better idea for a solution, or do you have any other thoughts on this subject. Please leave a comment below.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Walking the walk, even if it is in the mud
Well I did intend to post before this but as usual life got in the way. Well I say life but what mean is I was busy at Leeds Festival.
For those who don't know I am a member of the Salvation Army and for the last two years we have run a ministry at a local music festival serving cheap alternatives to the wildly over priced food and providing for physical and spiritual welfare of the festival goers.
As I normally would attend the festival anyway this is a fantastic opportunity for me to be in my natural habitat yet still display to the world unashamedly that I am a Christian and that even though My Chemical Romance blew my mind serving Jesus will always come first for me. The chance to talk to other young people who normally would have nothing to do with Jesus, the Church or the Salvation Army is one that for me can not be missed. I also have to say hearing an appreciable fraction of Leeds Festival chanting about how amazing the Salvation Army is was a moment of pride I will never forget.
For me this is the sort of Christian behaviour we should always be aiming for, being in the world but not part of it. Showing the world we love them, yet also showing them how by being just a little different life can be so much better with Jesus. Walking the road that Jesus would want us to take, getting down and dirty with the unwashed (which with it being wet and muddy at Leeds Festival was oh so true this year). We may not have converted anyone at Leeds festival this year, but for us that was never the point, what we did do was sow thousands of seeds, plant tens of thousands of thoughts about why 65 people took on the challenge of taking care of 75,000 people living in a field for the weekend. Some of these seeds and thoughts will lead to people looking into the Salvation Army, finding out about the Church and Jesus for possibly the first time and maybe next year they will be ready for the conversation about how to have Jesus in their lives too.
Check out the coverage we got from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14631755
For those who don't know I am a member of the Salvation Army and for the last two years we have run a ministry at a local music festival serving cheap alternatives to the wildly over priced food and providing for physical and spiritual welfare of the festival goers.
As I normally would attend the festival anyway this is a fantastic opportunity for me to be in my natural habitat yet still display to the world unashamedly that I am a Christian and that even though My Chemical Romance blew my mind serving Jesus will always come first for me. The chance to talk to other young people who normally would have nothing to do with Jesus, the Church or the Salvation Army is one that for me can not be missed. I also have to say hearing an appreciable fraction of Leeds Festival chanting about how amazing the Salvation Army is was a moment of pride I will never forget.
For me this is the sort of Christian behaviour we should always be aiming for, being in the world but not part of it. Showing the world we love them, yet also showing them how by being just a little different life can be so much better with Jesus. Walking the road that Jesus would want us to take, getting down and dirty with the unwashed (which with it being wet and muddy at Leeds Festival was oh so true this year). We may not have converted anyone at Leeds festival this year, but for us that was never the point, what we did do was sow thousands of seeds, plant tens of thousands of thoughts about why 65 people took on the challenge of taking care of 75,000 people living in a field for the weekend. Some of these seeds and thoughts will lead to people looking into the Salvation Army, finding out about the Church and Jesus for possibly the first time and maybe next year they will be ready for the conversation about how to have Jesus in their lives too.
Check out the coverage we got from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14631755
Thursday, February 24, 2011
It's not just god who has plans
This post is something that has been on my mind for a few days now and something I have been hesitant to write about. The reason that I want to write about is because it is something that just will not go away and it is something I think we should all be concious of. However I am hesitant to write about it because the majority of this post will be about the enemy.
This post began due to the fact that I have been struggling and I have been thinking a lot about the plans that God has for me. I have been looking for signs and looking for direction form God, I feel that I know the beginnings of the outlines of the plan God has for me, I feel I know the direction but the details are sparse in places.
In thinking about the fact that God has plans for all of us I began to think about the fact that the enemy has very real plans as for what he wants us to do as well. The fact is that the enemy knows that God has plans for us and these plans are the very best, and so he will do anything he can to overcome these plans if he can. The enemy has plans, plans to destroy you, plans to harm you and plans to deny you of a hope and future.
The thing is that the enemy is very good at making his plans look fair, he is accomplished at making his plans attractive and alluring. The enemy is known in the Old Testament as the tempter and he is well deserving of that title as he is the original and most practised tempter in the universe.
We often talk about god and his plans, we mention Jesus and His love for the world and the Holy Spirit being in us and setting us on fire. But we forget about the fact that although the enemy is not perfect as God is and though his power is a fraction of His he is still throwing everything he has at us in an attempt to draw us away from the path we should be walking.
The enemy will tempt you in every way he can, he will send trials your way that will tempt you in ways that will break you and cause you to sin. The only way to successfully resist the enemy is to ask God for help, to pray ceaselessly that He will help you in your daily battle. There are going to be times when the devil will tempt you and cause you to sin, but if you accept the saving grace of Jesus and return to God with a repentant heart you will not be turned away. The best way to defend against a threat is to know it exists, don't ignore the enemy, do not belittle his power. He is very real and he has powers that are greater than we are, but God is greater still and it is only through Him that we can have eternal life.
This post began due to the fact that I have been struggling and I have been thinking a lot about the plans that God has for me. I have been looking for signs and looking for direction form God, I feel that I know the beginnings of the outlines of the plan God has for me, I feel I know the direction but the details are sparse in places.
In thinking about the fact that God has plans for all of us I began to think about the fact that the enemy has very real plans as for what he wants us to do as well. The fact is that the enemy knows that God has plans for us and these plans are the very best, and so he will do anything he can to overcome these plans if he can. The enemy has plans, plans to destroy you, plans to harm you and plans to deny you of a hope and future.
The thing is that the enemy is very good at making his plans look fair, he is accomplished at making his plans attractive and alluring. The enemy is known in the Old Testament as the tempter and he is well deserving of that title as he is the original and most practised tempter in the universe.
We often talk about god and his plans, we mention Jesus and His love for the world and the Holy Spirit being in us and setting us on fire. But we forget about the fact that although the enemy is not perfect as God is and though his power is a fraction of His he is still throwing everything he has at us in an attempt to draw us away from the path we should be walking.
The enemy will tempt you in every way he can, he will send trials your way that will tempt you in ways that will break you and cause you to sin. The only way to successfully resist the enemy is to ask God for help, to pray ceaselessly that He will help you in your daily battle. There are going to be times when the devil will tempt you and cause you to sin, but if you accept the saving grace of Jesus and return to God with a repentant heart you will not be turned away. The best way to defend against a threat is to know it exists, don't ignore the enemy, do not belittle his power. He is very real and he has powers that are greater than we are, but God is greater still and it is only through Him that we can have eternal life.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Love the unlovable
1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NLT)
See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.Matthew 5:38-39 (NLT)
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Mark 12:31 (NLT)
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.
The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.
These four verses have been so close the the front of my mind today. I have said many times at work that I know that I should love the people I work with through my job, but if only they wouldn't make it so hard. Simply said I have had a tough day at work, it started with my being late and just went down hill from there.
I don't want to dwell on the facts of today and there isn't much I can say due to the nature of the work that I do but the thoughts it has raised in my mind I feel are worth talking about. It has come to my attention over the last two days that in the job I do, working with the homeless and addicts, I am often at a fair amount of personal risk. At any moment these people could fly off the handle and cause considerable harm to myself or my colleagues. Time and again I am let down by their actions and behaviour and will be many more times in the future. Yet day after day I go into work with the desire and enthusiasm to make a difference and to help.
The thing that keeps me going, the reason I can go in day after day, especially after a couple of terrible days is that I know this is what God wants us all to do. He wants us to love the unloved, to help them and through showing them this love they will see that the Holy Spirit is in us and that God too loves them, and in a way much better than the way we love them.
But that is the problem, a lot of these people really are unlovable at times, they do and say things that cause you pain in one way or another and at times do everything they can to drive everyone away. Some people actually do not want to be loved, do not want help and certainly do not want to change, at least on the surface. Deep down I believe we all have a desire to find God and to be loved, it is something I believe is inbuilt into humans.
Even so, when Christ came to earth He loved without measure or boundaries, He helped indiscriminately and despite the fact He was let down in the most painful and terrible way He continued to love us all. I know that we are not Christ, that we will never be like Christ, but to try is surely pleasing in His eye. I pray daily for the strength to continue to work with these people who seem humanly unlovable, who try their best to push everyone away.
As a friend reminded me the other day, not everyone who is unloved who is lost or in need of the Lord is homeless, I just have a passion for them as it is what God is calling me to do right now. But we are all surrounded by people who need us to bring the light of Jesus into their lives, there are people in all walks of life who need to see us living our Christian lives and have this light in their lives. The unloved and lost are all around us, they are crying out for something, they just don't see that it is Christ.
See that as a Christian you love your neighbour, that you try to do good to all who cross your path. We need to realise that revenge, even in out own minds is not acceptable behaviour.
Love your neighbour.
Do good to each other.
Do not seek revenge.
Turn the other Cheek.
Follow the teachings from God and follow the examples of Christ, for these teachings and examples are perfection. If we do these things and pray for the strength to follow them daily them the life we are living will be good and pleasing to God. To live a life pleasing to God, what greater thing could you do?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
Letters
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this-that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!
I got a letter this morning, it is not something that happens much any more. Almost everything people send me comes electronically so when the postman drops something through the door with my name on it it is a little bit of a surprise. The letter that came was not really anything too important and but there is still that moment of excitement that accompanies the arrival of a letter.
Letters are something that are common in the New Testament, letters were one of the few ways of communicating long distances back then. If you were wanting to send a message or let people know something without personally going yourself then you sent a letter.
In this passage Paul is talking about the letters of recommendation that travelling preachers and evangelists would carry so that people would know who they were and with who's authority they preached with.
But Paul says in this passage that true Christians do not need letters of recommendation as it should be evident if we have been sent by God as He will write it on our hearts and people will know because the Spirit will be working through us. The letter that God writes on us, if His life is on our life then we need no physical ink and paper letter as His power will be evident through our actions.
I would like to think that God can be seen in the actions I perform and in the work that I do, that I have God's words written on my soul by the Spirit. I would hope that I can show God in all of the things that I do and that I can bring in some small way a ray of His light in to corners that may be dim and dark.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Do you love your brother?
1 John 4:20-21
If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.This is a concept that I will willingly admit to struggling with, there are certain people who at times cause me to come very close to breaking this commandment. I would not say that I go so far as hating anyone but at times certain people in certain situations have caused me to think some distinctly unchristlike thoughts.
I know that in being a Christian we should aim to be Christlike, to act as He acted and to love as He loved and I know this includes loving the unlovable. I know that this is axiomatic but it is something that we should not just brush over, something we should explore and consider carefully. I know that loving the unlovable is a paradox but through Him all things impossible become possible. If we have accepted God and the Spirit has come on us and dwells within us then these things that are humanly impossible become possible.
I was asked a little while ago by my minister about my feelings regarding my ex, what feelings remained, did I hate her or was there a part of me that still loved her. The answer I gave surprised me more than I think it surprised her. The reason being the one person in the world who has done more to hurt me than anyone else, the one person who in the eyes of the world I would have a justified cause to hate I don't. No matter how I think about it, no matter how much the memories hurt I can not bring myself to hate the person I once loved so much. I would also say that there is likely to always be a part of me that remembers and longs for the good times between us, she will always be a part of my heart even if it is a very small part.
On the flip side of this there is a particular client I have cause to deal with at work who would certainly be the cause of many a tarnished halo. He is a particularly difficult person to work with, he is one of those people who goes out of his way to provoke a response from people, someone so in need of attention he will do anything to get it even if it is negative attention. He works out exactly which buttons to press and works out which subjects are most likely to get a rise out of each individual. All of the staff at work to our shame have at times avoided this person and passed him off to a colleague and is the subject of much venting in the staff rooms. I felt particularly shamed the other day when one of my colleagues passed comment that as I intend to give my life to full time ministry and this person was getting to me it was particularly bad. Now all of my colleagues and most of the residents I work with know I am a Christian and most also know I intend to give my life to God's work and I felt I had let God down by my actions in this subject.
How can I someone who is a practising Christian and who is determined to do everything I need to to grown in the faith, someone who has grown to the point of being able to forgive the one person in the world who truly hurt me not feel the fraternal love towards this one person. I know that we are not Christ and that we will never be close to being Him, but we have to try. I know that I should be asking the Lord for help in this matter and hopefully God can use me as the person who can make a difference in this person's life. I pray that God will grant me the patience and the grace to work with this resident and that He will keep my feathers unruffled. If I am to boast that "I love God" then I must also be able to boast "I love all my brothers" too, I know this won't happen over night and will be something I am likely to need to work on for my whole life, but I do love God and so through Him I must learn to love my brother too.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
The fruits of the spirit - II
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
This mornings post was on the fruits of the Spirit, since then I have had some time to think about these fruits and what they mean. It has almost become a topic that has become an obsession with the song that has been in my head through to God giving me direction to write this second post today. It has been one of those days where God has decided to be unsubtle, there have been many and frequent signs of fruit today and many situations where the fruits have been needed but also been shown through others. This has come in the form of the six crates of bananas and 12 cases of cherries at work meaning everyone I have seen at work has been carrying fruit, to the man at the museum today showing patience and kindness towards the residents I took along for a day out.
I am not sure where I read it, but recently I read a blog post about the fruits. In this post the writer talked about how people who have the Spirit within them will naturally begin to produce and display fruits. When I read this and while writing my two posts on the fruit of the Spirit I have gone through the list and thought about which of the fruits I posses.
The first one on the list is one that I struggle with at the moment, I know that there are people that I do love, I love all my family and friends, I love my Godson more than anyone or any thing. But there are things I struggle with in love, I struggle with romantic love since my last big relationship and I still struggle to have love for all fellow man at times. However I am getting better at this and since I took on my job with the homeless I have found that I am finding myself with more understanding for my fellow man.
The first one on the list is one that I struggle with at the moment, I know that there are people that I do love, I love all my family and friends, I love my Godson more than anyone or any thing. But there are things I struggle with in love, I struggle with romantic love since my last big relationship and I still struggle to have love for all fellow man at times. However I am getting better at this and since I took on my job with the homeless I have found that I am finding myself with more understanding for my fellow man.
Joy is something that I have never struggled with, even in my darkest days and toughest times I have never struggled with being joyful. I have always been able to see the good in my life and enjoy my life.
Peace and patience for me come as a pair. In my family I am often the one who needs patience and by having it manage to keep the peace. Patience is something that I have developed in my life and I know that when very stressed it sometimes goes out the window but it is something I have developed over the years. Keeping the peace is also something I have had to work on in both my family and work life and something I have found is an ability that is growing in time.
Another pair for me is kindness and goodness. Being kind and good is something that all Christians really should be, it is something the world expects us to be. Being kind and good is something that everyone who has heard of Him knows Christ was. I have tried always to be kind and good but have at times struggled to be at all times. There are situations in life that have and do drive me mad and cause me to be anything but good and kind, but again I do try.
Faithfulness is something I definitely do not struggle with, I believe myself to be a very faithful person who is willing to do anything I can for the people I love. With the exception of the time I ran away from God and the Church I can not think of a single time when I could have been classed as unfaithful.
Gentleness is another trait that I feel that I do posses. I love animals and have had many many pets in my life, many of which were small animals and require very gentle handling. Also I do have a very gentle side to my personality, however it is often hidden from general view and people often do not see it until I allow them to become quite close. So I guess this is a trait I have but need to so some real work on.
The last trait in the list is self control. Now until a year ago I would say that I really struggled with this last trait. I have in the past had many problems with doing things on impulse and an inability to say no to things that I really want, and at times just things that it was possible to have. This has led to many negative impacts on my life, however since I became a Christian, since I truly became a Christian this is something I have found easier to keep on top of, I guess in a simple way, I have developed self-control.
Without trying to sound big headed I feel that I certainly display at least some of the fruits of the Spirit. I feel that it is something that as I am growing in the faith the fruits that I am displaying are also growing, which for me is a fantastic sign that I am truly growing in the spirit. I think it is a good thing that we all sit down and consider how we are doing in the faith, if we are growing fruits for the Lord. I would encourage you all to look at the list and consider are you growing fruits, if not, is there something you can do, if you are can you possibly grow more?
Peace and patience for me come as a pair. In my family I am often the one who needs patience and by having it manage to keep the peace. Patience is something that I have developed in my life and I know that when very stressed it sometimes goes out the window but it is something I have developed over the years. Keeping the peace is also something I have had to work on in both my family and work life and something I have found is an ability that is growing in time.
Another pair for me is kindness and goodness. Being kind and good is something that all Christians really should be, it is something the world expects us to be. Being kind and good is something that everyone who has heard of Him knows Christ was. I have tried always to be kind and good but have at times struggled to be at all times. There are situations in life that have and do drive me mad and cause me to be anything but good and kind, but again I do try.
Faithfulness is something I definitely do not struggle with, I believe myself to be a very faithful person who is willing to do anything I can for the people I love. With the exception of the time I ran away from God and the Church I can not think of a single time when I could have been classed as unfaithful.
Gentleness is another trait that I feel that I do posses. I love animals and have had many many pets in my life, many of which were small animals and require very gentle handling. Also I do have a very gentle side to my personality, however it is often hidden from general view and people often do not see it until I allow them to become quite close. So I guess this is a trait I have but need to so some real work on.
The last trait in the list is self control. Now until a year ago I would say that I really struggled with this last trait. I have in the past had many problems with doing things on impulse and an inability to say no to things that I really want, and at times just things that it was possible to have. This has led to many negative impacts on my life, however since I became a Christian, since I truly became a Christian this is something I have found easier to keep on top of, I guess in a simple way, I have developed self-control.
Without trying to sound big headed I feel that I certainly display at least some of the fruits of the Spirit. I feel that it is something that as I am growing in the faith the fruits that I am displaying are also growing, which for me is a fantastic sign that I am truly growing in the spirit. I think it is a good thing that we all sit down and consider how we are doing in the faith, if we are growing fruits for the Lord. I would encourage you all to look at the list and consider are you growing fruits, if not, is there something you can do, if you are can you possibly grow more?
Monday, January 31, 2011
The General-elect
For those who follow my blog you will know that in The Salvation Army we have been going through the election process of the election of a new General. Many people in The Salvation Army have been expecting this process to be a little bit drawn out as it was, and with the nomination of 9 candidates for the job this suspicion seemed to be justified. However today I was surprised to receive an email alert on my phone that they were preparing to make an announcement about the General-elect.
This afternoon I was out for work and could not find out myself who had been elected to replace the current General when he retires. I tried to get hold of a few people and was called a geek for phoning a friend to try and find out who had been elected to the position. After a few attempts I was finally able to track someone down who could tell me who the next General would be.
The official announcement can be found here and The Salvation Army's new General will be Linda Bond. She is the third female General we have had as an organisation and in a time where some Churches are experiencing huge fallout over female ministers I think this sends a message to other denominations and fellow Christians.
For me personally I am really pleased with the decision of the High Council, not because I am particularly overjoyed at the decision, I am pleased as she seems to be the most experienced candidate, but I see the quick and unanimous decision to be a positive sign that God was in the election. For a candidate to be selected so quickly out of so many shows that many people on the High council all agreed on the decision. A quick decision hopefully shows that the High Council was receptive to the leading hand of God and that the correct candidate was chosen.
I look forward to April when General-elect Linda Bond becomes General Linda Bond and takes control of our organisation. I look forward to seeing how The Salvation Army develops and hopefully grows under her leadership. There are many things I would love to see over the next 5 years under the leadership of Linda Bond, obviously growth and expansion but I would also love to see a revival and a return to the passion and drive of the early days. I would love to see The Salvation Army return to being the radical organisation it was, not scared to go to the dark and dangerous places, not scared to take God to the places where He is most needed and least wanted an organisation that dares to be different.
My prayer is that as Linda Bond begins her work with the retiring and takes up her new role that she remains close to God and has her eyes and ears open to what He is calling both her and The Salvation Army to do. I pray that she has the passion to make a difference and the drive to make The Salvation Army in to a spiritual fighting force once again. As I prayed at the beginning of the High Council I pray that Linda Bond may be humble enough to serve, strong enough to be weak and most of all to be a General who is a Godly and Holy person
This afternoon I was out for work and could not find out myself who had been elected to replace the current General when he retires. I tried to get hold of a few people and was called a geek for phoning a friend to try and find out who had been elected to the position. After a few attempts I was finally able to track someone down who could tell me who the next General would be.
The official announcement can be found here and The Salvation Army's new General will be Linda Bond. She is the third female General we have had as an organisation and in a time where some Churches are experiencing huge fallout over female ministers I think this sends a message to other denominations and fellow Christians.
For me personally I am really pleased with the decision of the High Council, not because I am particularly overjoyed at the decision, I am pleased as she seems to be the most experienced candidate, but I see the quick and unanimous decision to be a positive sign that God was in the election. For a candidate to be selected so quickly out of so many shows that many people on the High council all agreed on the decision. A quick decision hopefully shows that the High Council was receptive to the leading hand of God and that the correct candidate was chosen.
I look forward to April when General-elect Linda Bond becomes General Linda Bond and takes control of our organisation. I look forward to seeing how The Salvation Army develops and hopefully grows under her leadership. There are many things I would love to see over the next 5 years under the leadership of Linda Bond, obviously growth and expansion but I would also love to see a revival and a return to the passion and drive of the early days. I would love to see The Salvation Army return to being the radical organisation it was, not scared to go to the dark and dangerous places, not scared to take God to the places where He is most needed and least wanted an organisation that dares to be different.
My prayer is that as Linda Bond begins her work with the retiring and takes up her new role that she remains close to God and has her eyes and ears open to what He is calling both her and The Salvation Army to do. I pray that she has the passion to make a difference and the drive to make The Salvation Army in to a spiritual fighting force once again. As I prayed at the beginning of the High Council I pray that Linda Bond may be humble enough to serve, strong enough to be weak and most of all to be a General who is a Godly and Holy person
.
General-elect Linda Bond
(Photo from http://www.salvationarmy.org)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Institutionalised sexism
Now I am about to wade in to a discussion that can be a sensitive subject. It is a subject that I feel is ridiculous in nature and should have no place in our modern world. These thoughts have been triggered by a "scandal" in the English Premiership over sexism in and around the sport.
I find it terribly stupid that in this day and age people can still think that it is acceptable to discriminate against someone for any reason be that sex, race or anything else. Not that I think everyone is capable of doing anything, that is obviously not true as God has given us each different gifts. But these gifts do not make anyone any better than anyone else. But if you are capable of doing something I see no reason why you should not be able to do it, if you have been given a gift by God, who is man to say otherwise.
Now people may have realised by this point that I am not still talking about a female assistant referee in the English Premier League. I am talking about the position of females in the Church. I know that some people will disagree with me on this point, but I confident in my belief in God calling both men and women to work for Him in many different capacities. As someone who was raised in a Church that has advocated the rights and position of women in the Church since the 1800's I have had over the years many sermons preached to me by women preachers. In many cases I feel that these women have at times been more gifted speakers and more on fire with the Holy Spirit than many men I have heard speak.
Jesus came to Earth for the disenfranchised, for those who were downtrodden and those who were discriminated against. Jesus did not come with a message just meant for some people but not others, He did not limit His work to only one race or sex, He was here for all mankind.
I do not believe that God only calls men or only calls a certain race, He calls on each and every one of us. I believe that God can and does use people of all ages, all races, both sexes and all backgrounds. He has use for all who come to Him and I do not believe He limits what we can do down to differences that will not be important in Heaven.
Galatians 3:28 (NIV)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
I find it terribly stupid that in this day and age people can still think that it is acceptable to discriminate against someone for any reason be that sex, race or anything else. Not that I think everyone is capable of doing anything, that is obviously not true as God has given us each different gifts. But these gifts do not make anyone any better than anyone else. But if you are capable of doing something I see no reason why you should not be able to do it, if you have been given a gift by God, who is man to say otherwise.
Now people may have realised by this point that I am not still talking about a female assistant referee in the English Premier League. I am talking about the position of females in the Church. I know that some people will disagree with me on this point, but I confident in my belief in God calling both men and women to work for Him in many different capacities. As someone who was raised in a Church that has advocated the rights and position of women in the Church since the 1800's I have had over the years many sermons preached to me by women preachers. In many cases I feel that these women have at times been more gifted speakers and more on fire with the Holy Spirit than many men I have heard speak.
Jesus came to Earth for the disenfranchised, for those who were downtrodden and those who were discriminated against. Jesus did not come with a message just meant for some people but not others, He did not limit His work to only one race or sex, He was here for all mankind.
I do not believe that God only calls men or only calls a certain race, He calls on each and every one of us. I believe that God can and does use people of all ages, all races, both sexes and all backgrounds. He has use for all who come to Him and I do not believe He limits what we can do down to differences that will not be important in Heaven.
Galatians 3:28 (NIV)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
If we truly believe the lessons we are taught in the Bible, if we believe what we read in the verse above then there can be no argument against women in ministry, there can be no way of supporting this outmoded outdated sexist view. We can not allow this institutionalised sexism to continue, it is in my opinion unchristian and not biblical. When will we learn to be truly like Christ and open our arms to all everyone regardless of who or what they are. We need to stop putting blockades and difficulties in the way of people coming to Christ through the Church we need to stop making these "problems" into flash points which cause the Church to become further divided. We can not allow these divisions to continue, they only provide the enemy with more ammunition.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
High Council
As I write this I am watching the live footage of the opening ceremony for the 2011 High Council of The Salvation Army. This is an important gathering for my Church as our leaders from all over the world meet to elect the person who is to lead our Church as General for the next 5 years. This is the 17th High Council following it will be the election of our 19th General who will follow the current General who leaves office in April.
Even though this is not the first High Council while I have been a part of the Salvation Army, it is the first one since I became a Christian and the first since I have decided to dedicate myself to God through His work in the Salvation Army. I know I am one of a large number of people who are supporting this election in prayer and asking God to guide the High Council to the person He would chose as the leader of His Army.
Who ever it is has a huge task ahead of them, a huge responsibility. The task of taking this army of God's soldiers forward, working throughout the world, leading the charge against the enemy is not an easy one and they will need to rely on God fully. I feel that there are many people in The Salvation Army who are praying for a powerful General to take charge, a passionate General to inspire and a General who is burning with the Holy Spirit. But I also think we should be praying for a General who is humble enough to serve, strong enough to be weak and most of all a General who is a Godly and Holy person.
I will be praying this week for a General who will be the right leader for my Church, praying that God will show the commissioners who to elect and that the decision will be the beginning of a new period of growth and service throughout the world and that many more people will come to know Christ under their leadership.
Even though this is not the first High Council while I have been a part of the Salvation Army, it is the first one since I became a Christian and the first since I have decided to dedicate myself to God through His work in the Salvation Army. I know I am one of a large number of people who are supporting this election in prayer and asking God to guide the High Council to the person He would chose as the leader of His Army.
Who ever it is has a huge task ahead of them, a huge responsibility. The task of taking this army of God's soldiers forward, working throughout the world, leading the charge against the enemy is not an easy one and they will need to rely on God fully. I feel that there are many people in The Salvation Army who are praying for a powerful General to take charge, a passionate General to inspire and a General who is burning with the Holy Spirit. But I also think we should be praying for a General who is humble enough to serve, strong enough to be weak and most of all a General who is a Godly and Holy person.
I will be praying this week for a General who will be the right leader for my Church, praying that God will show the commissioners who to elect and that the decision will be the beginning of a new period of growth and service throughout the world and that many more people will come to know Christ under their leadership.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Music makes my life go
If there is one thing I think I would really struggle to live without it would have to be music, I spend all my time either playing or listening to music. The range of music I both listen to and play is mammoth, everything from classical guitar right through to hardcore rock. Because of this sometimes the transition from one track to another can be incredibly striking for example from O Fortuna leading into Dance Dance by Fall Out Boy and many other bizarre examples. While driving home last night one of those moments made me pay attention to the words in the song that came on. I can't remember what the song immediately before was but the change to Turn by Travis was striking enough to cause me to pay attention to the lyrics.
The line that really caught my attention was the line where Fran Healy sings the following words;
"I'd Like to see the Kingdom Come"
Last night before going home I went out for a meal with a friend and we talked for a long time. During this conversation a lot of things were discussed but the majority of the conversation was about our faiths and the Kingdom. We were in a loud bar and we were not particularly keeping our voices down and I am sure that the people around us knew the content of our conversation and I love that thought. The fact that two young Christians were sat in a bar unashamedly proclaiming their lives as Jesus'.
Without going into details about the conversation we talked a lot about the Kingdom and the future of the Church as it is here on Earth. We talked about the things that we do for the Kingdom, the things we would love the Kingdom grow to do and include in the future. I took a lot from the conversation and had one of the best nights in a long time which maybe why this song (one of my favourites) struck such a resonant note with me.
In essence last night was one of a number of moments I have had over the last year which has led me to have a burning desire to work in and for the Kingdom, to work fervently towards a future where the Kingdom does come. It is something that excites and inspires me to think that one day we will see Jesus once again walk on this same Earth as us.
In the song the line that immediately follows the one quoted above says "I want to feel forever young". I think that the two lines are irrefutably linked together, there is only one time when we will all feel forever young, that is once the Kingdom has come, one where Jesus has returned and won the final battle. We all know what Jesus commanded us to do, to work daily towards the coming Kingdom, to do His will and rejoice doing it, the work is hard and the hours are long but with such a prize and destination in mind how can we not rejoice. I think there really is only one kind of person who would not want to see the kingdom come, someone who has yet to give their all to Jesus, someone who is not safe in the knowledge that Christ died to save them.
Christ is coming, the Kingdom is on its way, it maybe tomorrow, it may not be for 1000 years, but why should that make any difference to the work we do. We will one day stand in glory, I want to be there knowing that I spent as many hours and as much effort as I could doing what He asked of me. If you don't yet feel the same way or you feel the fire has died down of late pray to God that you will feel the burning desire to do His will ignited in you. Pray these words;
But I must give You the whole of my life,
The line that really caught my attention was the line where Fran Healy sings the following words;
"I'd Like to see the Kingdom Come"
Last night before going home I went out for a meal with a friend and we talked for a long time. During this conversation a lot of things were discussed but the majority of the conversation was about our faiths and the Kingdom. We were in a loud bar and we were not particularly keeping our voices down and I am sure that the people around us knew the content of our conversation and I love that thought. The fact that two young Christians were sat in a bar unashamedly proclaiming their lives as Jesus'.
Without going into details about the conversation we talked a lot about the Kingdom and the future of the Church as it is here on Earth. We talked about the things that we do for the Kingdom, the things we would love the Kingdom grow to do and include in the future. I took a lot from the conversation and had one of the best nights in a long time which maybe why this song (one of my favourites) struck such a resonant note with me.
In essence last night was one of a number of moments I have had over the last year which has led me to have a burning desire to work in and for the Kingdom, to work fervently towards a future where the Kingdom does come. It is something that excites and inspires me to think that one day we will see Jesus once again walk on this same Earth as us.
In the song the line that immediately follows the one quoted above says "I want to feel forever young". I think that the two lines are irrefutably linked together, there is only one time when we will all feel forever young, that is once the Kingdom has come, one where Jesus has returned and won the final battle. We all know what Jesus commanded us to do, to work daily towards the coming Kingdom, to do His will and rejoice doing it, the work is hard and the hours are long but with such a prize and destination in mind how can we not rejoice. I think there really is only one kind of person who would not want to see the kingdom come, someone who has yet to give their all to Jesus, someone who is not safe in the knowledge that Christ died to save them.
Christ is coming, the Kingdom is on its way, it maybe tomorrow, it may not be for 1000 years, but why should that make any difference to the work we do. We will one day stand in glory, I want to be there knowing that I spent as many hours and as much effort as I could doing what He asked of me. If you don't yet feel the same way or you feel the fire has died down of late pray to God that you will feel the burning desire to do His will ignited in you. Pray these words;
But I must give You the whole of my life,
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Three times is a charm
Now I know that numbers are important, having studied mathematics as part of my degree course I know about the wonder and power numbers hold. I have also known for a while that numbers have significant meaning in the Bible. And the number I want to really focus on is the number 3.
When I was first beginning this blog I wrote a post on God is a quark linking the trinity to my knowledge of sub nuclear physics in a simple way as my understanding of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When I wrote this however I missed out the significance of the number 3. In the Bible 3 denotes perfection, solidity and reality. My thoughts on the number 3 however were that 3 is the number of completeness.
Now I don't know if this is the same experience as anyone else, but I find that when God wants to tell me, or He wants me to do something the messages normally come in threes. Time and again when I have needed a push in a direction or there has been something I have had to do I have been given the sign or told in three different ways and often by 3 different people.
This happened to me this week. Last Sunday the sermon at Church was about Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-42. Then on Tuesday night I rushed from work in order to make band practice at my Church and made it just in time for the devotionals in the middle of the practice, again the thought was on John 4:19-42. I could easily have put that down to either chance or the fact that the sermon on Sunday prompted the thoughts that led to the devotionals on Tuesday. The third occurrence of this Bible verse however could not have been the result of a cause or effect situation from last Sundays sermon, the reason is that the third time I came across this was in the daily devotions book I am using this year. So three different days, three times this Bible verse has come up, I can only think there has to be a reason and there has to be something to learn from it.
I am still pondering about this verse, the meaning and how it applies to my life but the thoughts from last Sundays sermon keep coming up and I feel have to at least be part of the reason it has cropped up as often as it has. The thought was that Jesus knew the woman before she even spoke, He knew everything about her and her life, He knew all that she had done. Not only this but despite the fact she should have been an outcast to Him and despite the fact that she had not always led a good honest life He still loved her. He wanted her to know Him and He wanted her to come into a knowledge of the Father. He also had a use for her, as imperfect as she was she was able to run back to her village and tell others of Him and her belief that He was the Christ. From this the others in the village came to Christ and heard what He had to say, and so they too became believers in Him.
God knows the very thoughts of our hearts, He knows when we are up and He knows when we are down. He has His plans for us and knows how best to use us so that we can be part of His bigger plan, but He also knows what He needs to give us to do that. He knows that as humans we are weak and that we have doubts in our abilities but He gives us the support and through Him we gain strength for the tasks in hand. We have been promised that He will always be there for us for all time, that He will guide us and pick us up when we fall. Better than that though, if we let Him He will be there for us and provide us with strength so that we can bear the load, if we allow Him He will ensure we do not fall. Trust in Him who knows best, and know that we know nothing at all that has not come from Him.
When I was first beginning this blog I wrote a post on God is a quark linking the trinity to my knowledge of sub nuclear physics in a simple way as my understanding of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When I wrote this however I missed out the significance of the number 3. In the Bible 3 denotes perfection, solidity and reality. My thoughts on the number 3 however were that 3 is the number of completeness.
Now I don't know if this is the same experience as anyone else, but I find that when God wants to tell me, or He wants me to do something the messages normally come in threes. Time and again when I have needed a push in a direction or there has been something I have had to do I have been given the sign or told in three different ways and often by 3 different people.
This happened to me this week. Last Sunday the sermon at Church was about Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-42. Then on Tuesday night I rushed from work in order to make band practice at my Church and made it just in time for the devotionals in the middle of the practice, again the thought was on John 4:19-42. I could easily have put that down to either chance or the fact that the sermon on Sunday prompted the thoughts that led to the devotionals on Tuesday. The third occurrence of this Bible verse however could not have been the result of a cause or effect situation from last Sundays sermon, the reason is that the third time I came across this was in the daily devotions book I am using this year. So three different days, three times this Bible verse has come up, I can only think there has to be a reason and there has to be something to learn from it.
I am still pondering about this verse, the meaning and how it applies to my life but the thoughts from last Sundays sermon keep coming up and I feel have to at least be part of the reason it has cropped up as often as it has. The thought was that Jesus knew the woman before she even spoke, He knew everything about her and her life, He knew all that she had done. Not only this but despite the fact she should have been an outcast to Him and despite the fact that she had not always led a good honest life He still loved her. He wanted her to know Him and He wanted her to come into a knowledge of the Father. He also had a use for her, as imperfect as she was she was able to run back to her village and tell others of Him and her belief that He was the Christ. From this the others in the village came to Christ and heard what He had to say, and so they too became believers in Him.
God knows the very thoughts of our hearts, He knows when we are up and He knows when we are down. He has His plans for us and knows how best to use us so that we can be part of His bigger plan, but He also knows what He needs to give us to do that. He knows that as humans we are weak and that we have doubts in our abilities but He gives us the support and through Him we gain strength for the tasks in hand. We have been promised that He will always be there for us for all time, that He will guide us and pick us up when we fall. Better than that though, if we let Him He will be there for us and provide us with strength so that we can bear the load, if we allow Him He will ensure we do not fall. Trust in Him who knows best, and know that we know nothing at all that has not come from Him.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The master equation
Scientists love equations, the simpler the better, the more elegant and beautiful the happier we are. For a scientist everything at some point boils down to and equation or group of equations, a simple mathematical representation of the processes and a model of the system.
Over time scientist have discovered many equations that govern many different aspects of the material universe in which we live. From Newtons Law of Gravitation through to Special and General Relativity and on to Schroedinger's Equation scientists can explain much more than we ever dreamed would be possible.
However there is one equation that scientists do not set much store by, yet it is one that has been proved time and time again throughout history. The one equation that all humans should know, the one equation that can make us complete.
God = Love
In various ways I have been coming into contact with John's Gospel a lot recently, and there is one message that I never seem to miss whenever and where ever I look in it. God is love. When reading the work of John you realise that this man has discovered something amazing, something that he can not help but talk about. You can sense from his writings that this message is pouring out of him regardless of what he may be saying. He is so excited and set on fire by the knowledge that God is love and that because of this His love for us is infinite that even through the depths of history we can still see the flames and feel the warming heat.
Do we actually stop to consider the sheer awesomeness of this information and its inevitable outcome? Do we realise that because there is this being of pure love watching over us, caring for us and helping us through life? Have we laid the hearth in out heart ready to accept the fire of this burning love?
Because if we have not then we have to begin now, we have to make ourselves ready to accept this love into our lives. You don't need to clean and scrub the hearth alone, you don't have to make yourself right without help, Jesus has already done the hardest part and He will help you with the rest. But you have to allow Him in to do what needs to be done and kindle this fire in you. And once this flame is burning no one and nothing will be able to hide it from the world.
Mathematics and science may not be everyone's cup of tea, you may not be interested or may not understand it. But the one "equation" that counts is simple and easy to understand. God is pure love, and His love for you is immeasurable, and once you allow it to flow into your life through Jesus you will shine like a beacon and be able to show this love to the world just as John once did.
Over time scientist have discovered many equations that govern many different aspects of the material universe in which we live. From Newtons Law of Gravitation through to Special and General Relativity and on to Schroedinger's Equation scientists can explain much more than we ever dreamed would be possible.
However there is one equation that scientists do not set much store by, yet it is one that has been proved time and time again throughout history. The one equation that all humans should know, the one equation that can make us complete.
God = Love
In various ways I have been coming into contact with John's Gospel a lot recently, and there is one message that I never seem to miss whenever and where ever I look in it. God is love. When reading the work of John you realise that this man has discovered something amazing, something that he can not help but talk about. You can sense from his writings that this message is pouring out of him regardless of what he may be saying. He is so excited and set on fire by the knowledge that God is love and that because of this His love for us is infinite that even through the depths of history we can still see the flames and feel the warming heat.
Do we actually stop to consider the sheer awesomeness of this information and its inevitable outcome? Do we realise that because there is this being of pure love watching over us, caring for us and helping us through life? Have we laid the hearth in out heart ready to accept the fire of this burning love?
Because if we have not then we have to begin now, we have to make ourselves ready to accept this love into our lives. You don't need to clean and scrub the hearth alone, you don't have to make yourself right without help, Jesus has already done the hardest part and He will help you with the rest. But you have to allow Him in to do what needs to be done and kindle this fire in you. And once this flame is burning no one and nothing will be able to hide it from the world.
Mathematics and science may not be everyone's cup of tea, you may not be interested or may not understand it. But the one "equation" that counts is simple and easy to understand. God is pure love, and His love for you is immeasurable, and once you allow it to flow into your life through Jesus you will shine like a beacon and be able to show this love to the world just as John once did.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Burning heart Bible school
Today I finished the first section of the Bible study book I have decided to use this year which I mentioned in another post Aware of the risen Saviour. The first section of the book was called the burning heart Bible school and focused on Luke 24:13-35 and the two disciples who were travelling to Emmaus. The reasoning behind it was that in this section the two disciples referred to the way they felt in Jesus' presence as though their hearts were on fire.
The thing is that although this feeling is great and we all experience moments like the Emmaus journey from time to time but it is so hard to keep that feeling as we go about our day to day life. We would all love to have this feeling in our live constantly, the feeling that Christ is walking beside us in all that we do.
The thing is that in this we are the problem. It is not Christ who leaves us or lets us walk alone for a while, but us who let our relationship with Jesus slide to the point where we no longer pay attention to Him. It is very easy to get bogged down with the things in our lives and we end up pushing Him away.
There is no easy fix, but there is a simple one. We have to make the time for Christ, we are the ones responsible for making the time to read God's word and to talk to Him. Jesus will always be there for us, He will always be willing to listen and always by our side. But if we ignore Him or push Him to the recesses of our lives we are the ones responsible for fixing that. We know what needs to be done, we know we have to do it, we just have to go do just that.
When we walk daily with Jesus and allow God into our lives we can have the same experience as those who were walking to Emmaus, we will have our eyes opened and our hearts will be set ablaze with the Holy Spirit.
The thing is that although this feeling is great and we all experience moments like the Emmaus journey from time to time but it is so hard to keep that feeling as we go about our day to day life. We would all love to have this feeling in our live constantly, the feeling that Christ is walking beside us in all that we do.
The thing is that in this we are the problem. It is not Christ who leaves us or lets us walk alone for a while, but us who let our relationship with Jesus slide to the point where we no longer pay attention to Him. It is very easy to get bogged down with the things in our lives and we end up pushing Him away.
There is no easy fix, but there is a simple one. We have to make the time for Christ, we are the ones responsible for making the time to read God's word and to talk to Him. Jesus will always be there for us, He will always be willing to listen and always by our side. But if we ignore Him or push Him to the recesses of our lives we are the ones responsible for fixing that. We know what needs to be done, we know we have to do it, we just have to go do just that.
When we walk daily with Jesus and allow God into our lives we can have the same experience as those who were walking to Emmaus, we will have our eyes opened and our hearts will be set ablaze with the Holy Spirit.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Dreams
I don't know about other people, but I do not dream very often. Or at least I should say, I don't remember dreaming very often at any rate. However last night I had the most vivid and strange dream that I can ever remember having.
In the Bible there are stories about dreams and dream interpretation, the most famous one we all will know is Joseph and Pharaoh. But for me while the dream was strange and the meaning did not seem at all clear, at the end of it, knowing it was a dream, I tried to figure it out and was given the meaning almost straight away.
I'll tell you the dream before I talk about the meaning. The dream began with me surrounded by all the things I love doing some of the things I find most enjoyable and was in the company of many of the people I love and many strangers but who were the easy going fun loving kind of people I love to be around. After some time it was time to leave and go home and so I headed back to my car.On leaving the place I had been I ended up in the biggest multi level car park I have ever seen, it was cavernous like some kind of sci-fi space hanger, it just seemed to keep going.
At this point although not like anything in my life nothing strange had really happened yet, but the next part is where it began to become a little different shall we say. So I began walking to where I knew I had parked my car, but it wasn't there, I looked around the area where I had parked my car and though I saw cars the same, none of them were my car. Feeling slightly annoyed at myself for not remembering where I had parked my car I began to wander the car park in the walk of shame of someone who didn't think to remember properly where they put their car.
I searched all over this level of the car park where I knew I had put my car, but it was nowhere to be seen. And now I was fully doubting myself I set off to check other levels of the car park. This is where the dream really began to be a little weird. I went down a level and ended up in an outdoor car park in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sand. Again wandering round I searched for my car but to no avail. Now feeling absolutely lost and confused I was just wandering round the car park feeling sorry for myself when someone I know through mutual acquaintances showed up. At first he was trying to wind me up but in the end after seeing how distressed I had become tried to help me.
It was at this point my Mum woke me up asking if I wanted to go shopping, I decided I was too tired and rolled over back to sleep. Now knowing that everything that had been dreamt before was a dream I tried to figure it all out, why did it happen, why did the main theme of the dream seem to be being lost and confused. No sooner had I begun to think about this when a leather bound Bible floated in to my sight. Now I have not yet had time to check if the words that appeared to me are in the Bible, and if they are if someone could point me to them I would much appreciate it. The words I saw said, "You were lost because you are not yet doing what you should be doing. The life you are living is not the life I have set for you."
Now I think I know what this means, and I am sure I know what God has planned for me in the short term at least, maybe this is God giving me a bit of a shake to say get on with things and stop dragging your feet. But I need to think about it a little more. If there is more to the message than I have so far worked out I will be sure to let you al know.
In the Bible there are stories about dreams and dream interpretation, the most famous one we all will know is Joseph and Pharaoh. But for me while the dream was strange and the meaning did not seem at all clear, at the end of it, knowing it was a dream, I tried to figure it out and was given the meaning almost straight away.
I'll tell you the dream before I talk about the meaning. The dream began with me surrounded by all the things I love doing some of the things I find most enjoyable and was in the company of many of the people I love and many strangers but who were the easy going fun loving kind of people I love to be around. After some time it was time to leave and go home and so I headed back to my car.On leaving the place I had been I ended up in the biggest multi level car park I have ever seen, it was cavernous like some kind of sci-fi space hanger, it just seemed to keep going.
At this point although not like anything in my life nothing strange had really happened yet, but the next part is where it began to become a little different shall we say. So I began walking to where I knew I had parked my car, but it wasn't there, I looked around the area where I had parked my car and though I saw cars the same, none of them were my car. Feeling slightly annoyed at myself for not remembering where I had parked my car I began to wander the car park in the walk of shame of someone who didn't think to remember properly where they put their car.
I searched all over this level of the car park where I knew I had put my car, but it was nowhere to be seen. And now I was fully doubting myself I set off to check other levels of the car park. This is where the dream really began to be a little weird. I went down a level and ended up in an outdoor car park in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sand. Again wandering round I searched for my car but to no avail. Now feeling absolutely lost and confused I was just wandering round the car park feeling sorry for myself when someone I know through mutual acquaintances showed up. At first he was trying to wind me up but in the end after seeing how distressed I had become tried to help me.
It was at this point my Mum woke me up asking if I wanted to go shopping, I decided I was too tired and rolled over back to sleep. Now knowing that everything that had been dreamt before was a dream I tried to figure it all out, why did it happen, why did the main theme of the dream seem to be being lost and confused. No sooner had I begun to think about this when a leather bound Bible floated in to my sight. Now I have not yet had time to check if the words that appeared to me are in the Bible, and if they are if someone could point me to them I would much appreciate it. The words I saw said, "You were lost because you are not yet doing what you should be doing. The life you are living is not the life I have set for you."
Now I think I know what this means, and I am sure I know what God has planned for me in the short term at least, maybe this is God giving me a bit of a shake to say get on with things and stop dragging your feet. But I need to think about it a little more. If there is more to the message than I have so far worked out I will be sure to let you al know.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Love thy neighbour
A phrase I often use at work is "it would be easy to love thy neighbour if only they didn't make it so hard". This is usually in reference to one of the residents at work being a particular pain in the neck, being awkward or even violent. I find myself thinking, and unfortunately sometimes saying some unchristian things.
While it is understood among the staff that the things we sometimes say when pushed to extremes are only a way of blowing off steam. Even at the times when the things we say are funny and cause some good cheer amongst the staff is it right to say these things?
The simple answer is no.
Matthew 5:21-22
"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
While it is understood among the staff that the things we sometimes say when pushed to extremes are only a way of blowing off steam. Even at the times when the things we say are funny and cause some good cheer amongst the staff is it right to say these things?
The simple answer is no.
Matthew 5:21-22
"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother 'idiot!' and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell 'stupid!' at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
No matter what the situation is, no matter how far we have been pushed or how bad the situation is we should always think about the example Jesus set for us. Even in the most extreme case, while being whipped and mocked by the Roman soldiers, Jesus never griped moaned or had a bad word to say about those tormenting Him. In fact the very opposite is true as we all know that Jesus asked God to forgive those who were crucifying Him.
So if we know who our neighbour is and we know how we should be treating them, if we know that we should not mouth off about people who are making life difficult for us we should try to put these things in to action. It's not going to be easy for us, but being a Christian isn't an easy thing to do. Each day is a new day and God is always going to be with us to help us, as long as we always keep trying. Because in wanting to be better and in attempting to be better we have already won half the battle.
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