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Showing posts from December, 2018

Celebrate Jesus

In just a couple of days time, we'll be celebrating, or at least should be celebrating the most important birth ever in this world.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just as the prophets foretold to a virgin called Mary.  He was and still is the Saviour of the world, God's best gift to mankind ever.  In all of the preparations we've made, I hope that unlike so many in Bethlehem centuries ago, we'll make room in our hearts and homes for Him, the One who came to bring us the light of God.

Soon Be Christmas

As we're all aware, Christmas is fast approaching.  Let's try and spread a little of the traditional good will we're supposed to be sharing at this time.  Maybe just for a little while we could forget about the anxious and constant squabbling about the so called Brexit thing.  Maybe we could concentrate on really celebrating the birth of Jesus the Saviour.  Listen to your heart for a change instead of just your head, hear again the voices of the angels as they sang to tell of His birth.  Read the story in the Gospels of how He arrived not as He deserved in majesty but in humility, born not in a palace but in a stable.  Don't let the unbelievers rob you of your faith.  If you don't believe at present, open your heart to the possibility that you just might have got it wrong.  Jesus really was born of a virgin called Mary, in the small town of Bethlehem, the city of David.  He grew up in Israel and gave Himself not just for them, but for the sin...

Shopping For A God

Rather strange title for a blog isn't it? It is however pertinent in this day and age. Most of us are in fact looking for a god, or some other personage or concept to worship. Don't believe me? Look at your own life and that of most people around you. If they're not worshipping some kind of spiritual entity, they're enthralled by consumerism or some kind of political theory or way out philosophy. What are you and I into? It will be something. Whether or not we're aware of it or like it, each and every one of us has what's been called a God shaped void in our lives which can only be filled by God of course. In saying God I must of course declare an interest and state quite openly that to my mind heart and soul, I'm convinced that the only real spiritual reality in the world is to be found in what I call the Judeo Christian ethic. The God of the Christian Bible isn't just the only God worthy of praise and adoration, He is in fact the only God. Of course if...

Quotes 2

One of the most common phrases that a lot of businesses, small ones and large corporations are using at present, is "go the extra mile".  In other words, they want their employees and agents to do more for you than just the average, more than just the minimum.  The first person who uttered these words is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He was talking to citizens of Israel and encouraging them to put themselves to some inconvenience.  For this one we need a bit of historical context as well as spiritual truth.  At the time, any Roman soldier in any of the dominions ruled by the tyrannical Roman Empire, was allowed to compel any citizen to carry his baggage one mile.  Just picture the scene.  It's a hot day in Israel, and someone who could be young enough to be your son tells you to carry his stuff.  A mile is a long way in that heat with all that heavy gear.  So you have a choice to make.  You can grumble all the way and dump the stuff at his fee...

Interesting Quotes

It's been a source of mild amazement and amusement over the years, to find people who say that they're complete atheists quoting words from the Bible and concepts which would only apply if there is in fact a God.  For example, the word SIN, a LITTLE word with potentially HUGE consequences.  If in fact there isn't a God, there shouldn't be such a concept or word in the vocabulary.  As a society you could figure that certain types of behaviour would be unacceptable, but if God doesn't exist, you're going to have to call wrongdoing something else.  Most of us have heard various expressions which whether or not we're aware of it have their origins in the pages of the Bible.  "From strength to strength" is to be found in the words of Psalm 84.  This is often used to describe an organisation or company which is getting more successful by the day, really going places.  The leaders and owners of such outfits often claim they don't have any form of reli...

Roots of Christian Faith

It's time that people who call themselves Christians, became aware of the Hebraic roots of their faith. The denial of this is only one of the aspects or facets of anti semitism.  A lot of so called Christians maintain that the Old Testament is no longer relevant to church life and experience.  What a foolish notion that is.  If you start chopping bits out of the Bible then you undermine it all.  If you have a lovely house upon which you've lavished love and lots of money, how sensible would it be if you started knocking out the bits that go into the foundation which you think aren't really needed any more?  How long would it be before the façade and walls of the house would feel the effects of your foolish meddling?  If you say you're a Christian realise the importance of the Old Testament.  If you're a Christian you're supposed to be a follower of Jesus Christ who is the Son of God and God the Son.  Given this is the case, why would He live by th...

What Should I Believe?

People have long agonised on what to believe about the nature and character of God and on whether or not they should actually believe in a God of if there is indeed such a being.  If there is a God up there, out there, what would He, she, it look like?  Would a God be a loving kind of entity?  What if anything would a God expect from you and me?  Worship, sacrifice, love, obedience or more?  People have speculated and ruminated about whether or not a God would really be interested in us.  Some belief systems hold that God is a kind of distant entity, vaguely interested in the welfare and affairs of humanity but not overly concerned with their hopes dreams and aspirations or caring very much for example if they have some kind of catastrophe.  Some say that God isn't perfect.  The Late Spike Milligan for example said that he couldn't believe that God if He existed could be perfect given the amount of suffering he saw in the world.  Now the sub...

What's a Fundie?

Fundie is the rather derogatory term used for fundamental Christians like me.  Once you declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord & that you won't follow any other faith, religion, philosophy, call it what you will, you're labelled, branded even.  People who use this terms for us come from a number of camps.  Those who don't believe in what I call the Judeo Christian Ethic, Atheists, people of other religions and members of liberal or formal churches which don't see the need for a personal relationship with God.  I remember being told by an Episcopalian churchman, that the evangelicals made faith sound so personal, of course it's personal!  It's ridiculous that someone claiming to be a Christian should think that way.  This Jesus character, is the One we Christians believe is the Son of God, God the Son.  This is the One who came down from Heaven, lived in this often cess pit of a world and died for it.  Now if someone who is the Son of God and G...