It is that time of year again, the last twelve months seem to have flown by. I guess not having much of a summer this year makes the last year feel all very much the same, it would be nice to have the seasons back like I remember them from my childhood, with a long hot summer and then a cold winter with snow. I guess we will get the snow in February time like we often do, I remember this as it sometimes snows around my birthday, anyway looks like there are no Christmas Snowmen again!
The talk of snow, the pictures on Christmas cards, the tinsel, the mince pies - are all things which people traditionally associate with Christmas. But I hope this year, in uncertain times, that people stop for a minute to really think about the story of Jesus; His birth, life, death & resurrection. To understand that without the resurrection there is no Easter. To understand that without Jesus there would be no point in celebrating Christmas.
I hope that as a church and as Christians that we are better able to get the message of the Gospel across to a sceptical public who are in great need of it. I was driving to work this morning and on the radio there were a couple of guests talking about Christmas from an atheist perspective and talking about the "invention of a God" and the science in which they would prefer to put their trust.
It just struck me as a Christian listening to them that they don't really understand what it is like to have a relationship with a God that speaks to me everyday, that helps me make decisions both big and small, that protects me and my family and who wants to, yes, receive our worship and thanks but also to provide us good gifts. Not just just gifts wrapped up at Christmas but gifts which are much better and that have eternal value.
I also hope that people understand that the Christmas story is not just about the day of the birth of Jesus but are able to see it in the context of the desire of a mighty and holy God wanting us back, a fallen sinful race. In the context of it being a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and not just a nice story from just over 2000 years ago. That the creator God wanted a way to bring us back to himself that those who trust and accept his Son as the amazing gift it was are able in faith to restore the relationship between us. And more than this, some 33 years later, that we can understand the cost of this gift. A most precious gift.
Whatever you are doing, have a wonderful Christmas but take time to remember why and what we are celebrating. Take time now or in the new year to find out for yourself the message of the gospel - to not continue to just blindly accept what is probably now the default view of non-belief. To just accept what others are saying or what "science" tries to explain. Ask yourself the question when you look at the creation around you and perhaps the baby or your young child - is this all just chance, a biological accident. Think about feelings, desires, attractions, sadness, happiness, love. Think about what you might consider to be your soul or your spiritual, consider that we have mere mortal bodies. Think about these deeper aspects to your character and of those around you.
God gave his son Jesus as a babe, born in humble surroundings, who lived a perfect life, who was sinless but felt all the pain of life and was tempted just like you and me. Who had all our human characteristics - who became just like us. The Messiah who was predicted in ages before, who the Old Testament prophets foretold, the Saviour of not just the World, but of YOU and me. Who was tortured by the people whom he came to save, who died an horrendous death but who rose again from death and appeared to not just a few but to many witnesses. You could refer them in today's language as eye-witnesses. The creator God gave us all this as the only way we could live with him eternally and as the best way to live life on this earth, in companionship with him and with his Holy Spirit alive in us, directing us for good.
You may ask yourself right now, is there more to life than this ? My response would be - absolutely! If only one person reads this, decides to find out more, goes to a local church, asks questions and decides to respond in Faith then it would for me be a truly Happy Christmas!
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
Listening To God
I had a conversation with a friend recently about whether Angels are HE/SHE or neither male or female. It is an interesting one and a subject which probably needs me to go off and dig a bit deeper, certainly some of the better known ones are Michael and Gabriel. Angels are often described as "the angel from the LORD".
Anyway, this is not really the subject of this entry, but it got us talking about Angels and how they are round about us (and also the ever present threat of demons trying to trip us up and snare God's people) and also how I have in recent years really been hearing God in my day-to-day life. There are so many examples recently of God through his Holy Spirit making me more aware of how He is speaking directly and evidently in my life.
Things which happen that people often might treat as coincidence I am now seeing as God guiding me and talking to me. How God really is interested in my mundane life each day. Some of the things other people might laugh at but I know. Twice recently I have got low of fuel on my journey to work, missed a garage, the computer says miles to empty...ZERO. I really do not need to be running out of fuel here, I am running late as it is... But I get to next garage, an answered prayer! I can now enjoy the Tim Hughes CD without the worry of an RAC/AA visit...(now did I renew my membership ? hmm....or was in Green Flag!)
Again, a few weeks ago I was in my car on the way home (Tim Hughes, again I think) and I just spoke out to God about something and whether I am just imagining all these things and was it really Him (you know those doubts..) and I turned right over the bridge and there was van with the words "Mark" on it. (er, WOW! ... slap me round the face with a wet fish).
Then last week I ordered half a dozen copies of Andrew Wilson's "Incomparable" (see http://my-life-as-a-christian.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-review.html) which I have found a real blessing and I wanted to give them as presents tomorrow night to a men's bible study group. Last week they were out of stock, over the weekend they were out of stock, I get to work this morning and they are sitting on my desk via courier (still out of stock by the way). There have been other examples recently where I have had similar things and I have just known that is God's hand. A God, a Father who is interested in all this stuff, who is guiding my every turn and who is giving me every breath I take. Another one, in terms of giving, the week you look in your wallet and put all of it in the collection Sunday morning and then a month or so later when you are short, the money turns up. Earlier this year we sent a small sum of money to a couple who have taken the step of Faith and have given up jobs and are doing full time work in schools. We sent them some money which they would not have been expecting but that God knew all about. I recently had a little extra in a pay packet that was exactly double the amount that I gave those few months earlier.
It is very easy to become sceptical about this sort of stuff but I would encourage you to rest on the Lord, listen to His Holy Spirit, Let Him guide you in the incidental things in life, read his Word, listen to Worship music in the car on the way to work "set your minds on things above...".
It is also important that we share these things with each other, to encourage each other, to remind each other that being a Christian is not just about turning up on a Sunday morning for an hour and half but also about a life that is is guided and that can be empowered by the Holy Spirit in the practical things of life.
And another thing, one morning I suddenly became aware how sometimes I am only looking directly in front of my own eyes, when I am driving along perhaps and just looking at the car in front, in my own zone. I thought to myself, hold on, is this sometimes how our lives can become, I need to look up, even just a little bit, see the sky, appreciate the countryside and the tops of the trees, notice the stars, the moon and the night sky - to realise I am but a speck in the greater scheme of things, but how a mighty God is still in interested in me. It is so easy for us to only have eyes for our own situation or our own views & understanding and have tunnel vision without appreciating what is going on around us or with other people. We need to look up in every sense of the word.
Anyway, this is not really the subject of this entry, but it got us talking about Angels and how they are round about us (and also the ever present threat of demons trying to trip us up and snare God's people) and also how I have in recent years really been hearing God in my day-to-day life. There are so many examples recently of God through his Holy Spirit making me more aware of how He is speaking directly and evidently in my life.
Things which happen that people often might treat as coincidence I am now seeing as God guiding me and talking to me. How God really is interested in my mundane life each day. Some of the things other people might laugh at but I know. Twice recently I have got low of fuel on my journey to work, missed a garage, the computer says miles to empty...ZERO. I really do not need to be running out of fuel here, I am running late as it is... But I get to next garage, an answered prayer! I can now enjoy the Tim Hughes CD without the worry of an RAC/AA visit...(now did I renew my membership ? hmm....or was in Green Flag!)
Again, a few weeks ago I was in my car on the way home (Tim Hughes, again I think) and I just spoke out to God about something and whether I am just imagining all these things and was it really Him (you know those doubts..) and I turned right over the bridge and there was van with the words "Mark" on it. (er, WOW! ... slap me round the face with a wet fish).
Then last week I ordered half a dozen copies of Andrew Wilson's "Incomparable" (see http://my-life-as-a-christian.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-review.html) which I have found a real blessing and I wanted to give them as presents tomorrow night to a men's bible study group. Last week they were out of stock, over the weekend they were out of stock, I get to work this morning and they are sitting on my desk via courier (still out of stock by the way). There have been other examples recently where I have had similar things and I have just known that is God's hand. A God, a Father who is interested in all this stuff, who is guiding my every turn and who is giving me every breath I take. Another one, in terms of giving, the week you look in your wallet and put all of it in the collection Sunday morning and then a month or so later when you are short, the money turns up. Earlier this year we sent a small sum of money to a couple who have taken the step of Faith and have given up jobs and are doing full time work in schools. We sent them some money which they would not have been expecting but that God knew all about. I recently had a little extra in a pay packet that was exactly double the amount that I gave those few months earlier.
It is very easy to become sceptical about this sort of stuff but I would encourage you to rest on the Lord, listen to His Holy Spirit, Let Him guide you in the incidental things in life, read his Word, listen to Worship music in the car on the way to work "set your minds on things above...".
It is also important that we share these things with each other, to encourage each other, to remind each other that being a Christian is not just about turning up on a Sunday morning for an hour and half but also about a life that is is guided and that can be empowered by the Holy Spirit in the practical things of life.
And another thing, one morning I suddenly became aware how sometimes I am only looking directly in front of my own eyes, when I am driving along perhaps and just looking at the car in front, in my own zone. I thought to myself, hold on, is this sometimes how our lives can become, I need to look up, even just a little bit, see the sky, appreciate the countryside and the tops of the trees, notice the stars, the moon and the night sky - to realise I am but a speck in the greater scheme of things, but how a mighty God is still in interested in me. It is so easy for us to only have eyes for our own situation or our own views & understanding and have tunnel vision without appreciating what is going on around us or with other people. We need to look up in every sense of the word.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
another owain update
It's great to hear that Owain has been making some good progress of late in his journey.
(see original blog entry here: http://my-life-as-a-christian.blogspot.com/2008/10/owains-journey.html)
Just want to encourage you to continue to remember Owain and his family in your prayers, for continued recovery, for a happy Christmas and the peace which comes from the Lord and the unity and love of his people as we share in each others burdens.
(see original blog entry here: http://my-life-as-a-christian.blogspot.com/2008/10/owains-journey.html)
Just want to encourage you to continue to remember Owain and his family in your prayers, for continued recovery, for a happy Christmas and the peace which comes from the Lord and the unity and love of his people as we share in each others burdens.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Lonely Britain.
Britain is becoming an increasing lonely nation. The BBC recently commissioned a report* from Sheffield University on which they ran a series of articles and interviews, you may well have heard it recently. I think most people agree that as a nation we have become much more individualistic and clearly the social fabric of our country has changed over the last 30 years.
The story was of interest to me because it basically spans my lifetime from the 70s and I can certainly feel that things have changed in terms of community spirit and the social fabric of the nation. I often hear people talk about the lack of community spirit or the apathy that is eating away at our relationships with each other. The report was very detailed and referenced census and other figures covering all sorts of areas such as immigration, increased wealth and accompanying increased mobility. It looked at the decline in the local employer where employees would spend much of their time together locally, where they would support and comfort each other. You only have to look at areas in the North of England and South Wales where coal mine closures brought about the sudden end to employment without anything to take its place. The research interestingly also looked at the effect of student numbers and the increase churn that such temporary changes in populations can have in cities such as Edinburgh.
In attempting to ascertain ‘loneliness’ the report studied amongst other things the number of population who were single, living alone, in rented accommodation and on new arrivals. In one of the interviews conducted by the BBC a member of the public suggested perhaps that people in rented accommodation might not have the same pride in where they live. I am sure this is true to a point but it might not be totally current in terms of the credit crunch and people choosing to go into rented due to house prices and economic reasons.
In terms of other areas which contribute to this feeling of loneliness and the changing face of the U.K the report referred to the decline in marriage and the increase in divorce rates, clearly these are major issues and go on to affect the demographics that the census figures focus on, such as more single parent families, more people living alone, more people in rented accommodation perhaps. These effects are reasonably obvious and can be counted and measured, but it is often the effects which cannot be recorded so easily which have the biggest influence over our nation and it’s future such as the feelings and behaviour of children from broken families and their relationships with their parents and each other. The decline in marriage and divorce rates is a subject which I covered in a recent blog entry on the ‘illicit affairs’ website, my point was should we be encouraging this type of behaviour?
However the main purpose of this blog entry was because yet again the report fails to address the area of declining church attendance and the absence of Christian morals and principles in this country and the effects I believe it is having. Don’t get me wrong there are many local churches that are thriving and movements that are growing rapidly but equally there is a general trend which shows that as a nation we are less interested in attending and listening to what the church has to say. A link here to some trend figures: http://www.whychurch.org.uk/trends.php and from Timesonline* “According to Religious Trends, a comprehensive statistical analysis of religious practice in Britain, published by Christian Research, even Hindus will come close to outnumbering churchgoers within a generation. The forecast to 2050 shows churchgoing in Britain declining to 899,000 while the active Hindu population, now at nearly 400,000, will have more than doubled to 855,000. By 2050 there will be 2,660,000 active Muslims in Britain - nearly three times the number of Sunday churchgoers.”
As a Church we need to be doing something about this don’t we. It is however not easy with deep rooted misconceptions on what local church life is like and comments from the established Church of England that sometimes just make you cringe, an established church which may yet find itself split it two over disagreements. It is not an ideal position to work from and it is easy to see why people make judgments from the outside and get confused messages from so many areas from the church is this country.
Despite all this I for one am very pleased to see where local church life is thriving and away from the established Cof E where great progress is being made in getting the Christian message across in a more relevant way. In a local environment based on sharing and caring, that which can cater for the single person or the new arrival, where you can support and comfort one another, where a strong sense of community can be found. But most of all, the nation needs to hear the Gospel – it needs to know the answers to our broken society are found in a personal relationship with God and in the change that faith can have in the life of an individual. A relationship with the God of all creation that can replace any feelings of loneliness you might feel, a love of a God so amazing that we can only begin to understand. The love of a God that wants to be involved in the incidental and trivial things of our life aswell as the big things, to be involved in every decision we make each day, to guide us and impart wisdom to us, a God who wants the very best for us.
It is up to the local church yes to get this message out, but also as individuals for us to work together and in our daily lives to live as an example so others might see a difference and want to know why. This is the greatest challenge for me and I suggest for most of us.
* http://sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/research/changinguk/Changing_UK_report_sheffield_webv1.pdf
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3890080.ece
The story was of interest to me because it basically spans my lifetime from the 70s and I can certainly feel that things have changed in terms of community spirit and the social fabric of the nation. I often hear people talk about the lack of community spirit or the apathy that is eating away at our relationships with each other. The report was very detailed and referenced census and other figures covering all sorts of areas such as immigration, increased wealth and accompanying increased mobility. It looked at the decline in the local employer where employees would spend much of their time together locally, where they would support and comfort each other. You only have to look at areas in the North of England and South Wales where coal mine closures brought about the sudden end to employment without anything to take its place. The research interestingly also looked at the effect of student numbers and the increase churn that such temporary changes in populations can have in cities such as Edinburgh.
In attempting to ascertain ‘loneliness’ the report studied amongst other things the number of population who were single, living alone, in rented accommodation and on new arrivals. In one of the interviews conducted by the BBC a member of the public suggested perhaps that people in rented accommodation might not have the same pride in where they live. I am sure this is true to a point but it might not be totally current in terms of the credit crunch and people choosing to go into rented due to house prices and economic reasons.
In terms of other areas which contribute to this feeling of loneliness and the changing face of the U.K the report referred to the decline in marriage and the increase in divorce rates, clearly these are major issues and go on to affect the demographics that the census figures focus on, such as more single parent families, more people living alone, more people in rented accommodation perhaps. These effects are reasonably obvious and can be counted and measured, but it is often the effects which cannot be recorded so easily which have the biggest influence over our nation and it’s future such as the feelings and behaviour of children from broken families and their relationships with their parents and each other. The decline in marriage and divorce rates is a subject which I covered in a recent blog entry on the ‘illicit affairs’ website, my point was should we be encouraging this type of behaviour?
However the main purpose of this blog entry was because yet again the report fails to address the area of declining church attendance and the absence of Christian morals and principles in this country and the effects I believe it is having. Don’t get me wrong there are many local churches that are thriving and movements that are growing rapidly but equally there is a general trend which shows that as a nation we are less interested in attending and listening to what the church has to say. A link here to some trend figures: http://www.whychurch.org.uk/trends.php and from Timesonline* “According to Religious Trends, a comprehensive statistical analysis of religious practice in Britain, published by Christian Research, even Hindus will come close to outnumbering churchgoers within a generation. The forecast to 2050 shows churchgoing in Britain declining to 899,000 while the active Hindu population, now at nearly 400,000, will have more than doubled to 855,000. By 2050 there will be 2,660,000 active Muslims in Britain - nearly three times the number of Sunday churchgoers.”
As a Church we need to be doing something about this don’t we. It is however not easy with deep rooted misconceptions on what local church life is like and comments from the established Church of England that sometimes just make you cringe, an established church which may yet find itself split it two over disagreements. It is not an ideal position to work from and it is easy to see why people make judgments from the outside and get confused messages from so many areas from the church is this country.
Despite all this I for one am very pleased to see where local church life is thriving and away from the established Cof E where great progress is being made in getting the Christian message across in a more relevant way. In a local environment based on sharing and caring, that which can cater for the single person or the new arrival, where you can support and comfort one another, where a strong sense of community can be found. But most of all, the nation needs to hear the Gospel – it needs to know the answers to our broken society are found in a personal relationship with God and in the change that faith can have in the life of an individual. A relationship with the God of all creation that can replace any feelings of loneliness you might feel, a love of a God so amazing that we can only begin to understand. The love of a God that wants to be involved in the incidental and trivial things of our life aswell as the big things, to be involved in every decision we make each day, to guide us and impart wisdom to us, a God who wants the very best for us.
It is up to the local church yes to get this message out, but also as individuals for us to work together and in our daily lives to live as an example so others might see a difference and want to know why. This is the greatest challenge for me and I suggest for most of us.
* http://sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/research/changinguk/Changing_UK_report_sheffield_webv1.pdf
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3890080.ece
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