The aim is to provide a stimulating mix of personal opinions (from a mainstream Christian worldview), and associated comments, which will be accepted and published if they comply with the usual courtesy and decency.
Friday 30 March 2012
Get Over It
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Rom 12:15 (NIV)
... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NIV)
Your world has collapsed and been turned upside down. Life will never be the same again, and some friends seem to fade into the background as you struggle with the biggest crisis you have known, or will ever face. It can be the failing health of a spouse or loved one, or maybe a serious family upset. It can happen in a hospital room, or a court room. The end result may also be similar. The death of someone dearly loved, or the death of a relationship which you had literally invested your life, time, effort, health and heart in for many years. The affected people are allowed to ask the same question: “Why did God let this happen?” There is a raw honesty to that heart wrenching question, and one which I (already) know that God identifies with, recognises, and understands. He knows our frame, (As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed Ps 103:13) and that is our whole being; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Nothing surprises Him, even though it might shock us to the core.
There are those, perhaps well meaning people who will tell us to “get over it, and move on”. These folks do not live in our skins, so have no right to tell us how to manage our fears or cope with our doubts. There is only one person who has the right to do that, and we ignore Him at our peril. Life happens, and as has been described before, “bad things happen to good people”, so how do we move on? One thing is for sure, it is not quickly, and not without pain. That pain will be felt for some time to come, but not always seen or recognised, and will shadow us nevertheless.
So, when life hurts, and you are at an all time low, and the friends who think they know best say “get over it”, or “suck it up”, or as they say in Texas, “cowboy up”, try to smile, and ask again and again for more of God’s grace. For the already forgiven child of God, this is the best source of comfort, so lean heavily on God’s free grace, and with time and loving family and friends around you, time will start to ease your pain, and eventually our loving God will heal. It will be in His time, not ours, and certainly not with anyone who thinks you can just “get over it”. I pray for God’s healing for those who may need it today. Amen.
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Bible Loving
Scotland was known many years ago as a ‘Bible Loving’ nation. This was as a result of great spiritual awakenings or revivals which took place across the land in the late 1800s, and early 1900s. The effects of these days lasted for many years afterwards, and left a legacy of spiritual awareness across a couple of generations. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, and Scotland, the place where I found my faith in Christ, can no longer be called ‘Bible Loving’. On the contrary, the pendulum has swung, and we are enduring a society which is thumbing its nose at God and all things moral, never mind spiritual. The laws of the land display how far we have fallen from grace as a once Godly nation.
There is an awakening in some third world countries, where Christianity had been suppressed, and when freedom of religion eventually happened, these societies have all grown in faith very quickly, and sometimes at great personal cost, even life itself. This is evident, but not limited to countries like Russia, China, South Korea, South America. It seemed to me that all of the established once Christian nations were in decline, just like Scotland, but I was in for a nice surprise.
The ‘Bible Belt’ of America consists of some States to the West and South of the Carolinas, down to Texas. These States were greatly affected by great revivals and spiritual awakenings in the late 1800s, just like Scotland. Christianity is alive and well across the USA, but especially so in these southern States. Churches seem to be thriving, and still growing. The outreach programs into the communities are ongoing, and I have personal knowledge of such work in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area. The Church of God is exciting and moving, and to cap it off, as if to prove the point, I noticed three brand new church buildings under construction in the 20 minute drive to church from my family’s apartment. These are mainstream new churches, launched and supported by ordinary Christians of different denominations who find their faith relevant and important.
The significance was not lost on me. Why does Christianity survive well in one nation, and yet be in decline in another? Both Scotland and the USA benefited from great spiritual awakenings and revivals brought about by Godly men and women under the influence of a Holy God. I know some will play down the whole American church because of a few ‘extreme’ TV evangelists, but these same people will probably not have experienced the true and real Christianity of the ‘Bible Belt’ areas, lived out by many ordinary people whose lives have been changed, and are testimony to God’s workings.
My questions are simple. Like it or not, my Bible Loving Scotland no longer exists, so why did this happen? What changed? Perhaps a more important question is, why did we let it happen? (Do you think my view is all wrong, or unbalanced? Don’t seethe in silence, speak your mind by clicking on the comments box at the bottom of the Blog Post! If you agree, you can say so too!!)
There is an awakening in some third world countries, where Christianity had been suppressed, and when freedom of religion eventually happened, these societies have all grown in faith very quickly, and sometimes at great personal cost, even life itself. This is evident, but not limited to countries like Russia, China, South Korea, South America. It seemed to me that all of the established once Christian nations were in decline, just like Scotland, but I was in for a nice surprise.
The ‘Bible Belt’ of America consists of some States to the West and South of the Carolinas, down to Texas. These States were greatly affected by great revivals and spiritual awakenings in the late 1800s, just like Scotland. Christianity is alive and well across the USA, but especially so in these southern States. Churches seem to be thriving, and still growing. The outreach programs into the communities are ongoing, and I have personal knowledge of such work in the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area. The Church of God is exciting and moving, and to cap it off, as if to prove the point, I noticed three brand new church buildings under construction in the 20 minute drive to church from my family’s apartment. These are mainstream new churches, launched and supported by ordinary Christians of different denominations who find their faith relevant and important.
The significance was not lost on me. Why does Christianity survive well in one nation, and yet be in decline in another? Both Scotland and the USA benefited from great spiritual awakenings and revivals brought about by Godly men and women under the influence of a Holy God. I know some will play down the whole American church because of a few ‘extreme’ TV evangelists, but these same people will probably not have experienced the true and real Christianity of the ‘Bible Belt’ areas, lived out by many ordinary people whose lives have been changed, and are testimony to God’s workings.
My questions are simple. Like it or not, my Bible Loving Scotland no longer exists, so why did this happen? What changed? Perhaps a more important question is, why did we let it happen? (Do you think my view is all wrong, or unbalanced? Don’t seethe in silence, speak your mind by clicking on the comments box at the bottom of the Blog Post! If you agree, you can say so too!!)
Sunday 25 March 2012
'Bond'age
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1 NIV
What's in a name? Not a lot you may say, but what if it is a good name? And I don't mean a fine posh society name, I mean a name of a good family or pedigree? In royal or high society circles it means a lot. It tells character, and shows integrity. Well it is supposed to, except we have seen that some of the people we once associated with integrity, have abused the name. You only have to look at the reputation of politicians for example to see where a good name can be easily lost, and tarnished. A name that may have taken generations to make good, can be lost in minutes. The Christian family name is not immune. I happens to us too.
I was told by my dad that “a man's word is his bond”, and the description has stuck with me. When all else has been taken away from a person, he or she can still be left with a good name. We can all relate to good people who are not rich in financial wealth, but have integrity. It is their character, and probably has taken many years for them to get to the place where others grant them the honour of being someone who keeps their word. Sadly, I have also seen that same good reputation be lost in a short time. My concern is that there may never be enough time on this earth to regain that good reputation.
Since a man's word is his bond, it follows that when we give our word, we are 'bonded' to the promise. That means many things, but primarily that you stake your own reputation on keeping your word. You are in 'bond'age to your word. What a thought. We give our word to our children, our friends, and our marriage partner. We do it voluntarily, and in good faith, and we give those people our assurance that we will follow through on our word, because we are 'bond'ed to it. Our integrity is wedded to our word, and we are obliged to keep faith with our promise, at all and any cost.
However, I have to confess, from personal experience, not all promises can be kept. Some promises are taken out of our hands by circumstance, and that is understandable. Children know when a well meant promise just cannot be kept, but I think as we get older, the significance of the word we give can get weakened. We go from understanding the reasons when some promises cannot be kept, to making excuses for not making our word our bond. Can I be so bold to suggest that sometimes we don't really want to be in bondage to our word?
A man or woman of integrity is still a special and wonderful person, and you are blessed if you have such a person in your life. Of course, we can't confer 'integrity' on ourselves. It has to be given to us by others, and when it is, guard it well, because these are the same people who will also decide that you don't deserve the honour of the name any longer. We all know it is easier to lose integrity, than it is to achieve it, so why do we sail so close to the wind and jeopardise it?
What's in a name? Not a lot you may say, but what if it is a good name? And I don't mean a fine posh society name, I mean a name of a good family or pedigree? In royal or high society circles it means a lot. It tells character, and shows integrity. Well it is supposed to, except we have seen that some of the people we once associated with integrity, have abused the name. You only have to look at the reputation of politicians for example to see where a good name can be easily lost, and tarnished. A name that may have taken generations to make good, can be lost in minutes. The Christian family name is not immune. I happens to us too.
I was told by my dad that “a man's word is his bond”, and the description has stuck with me. When all else has been taken away from a person, he or she can still be left with a good name. We can all relate to good people who are not rich in financial wealth, but have integrity. It is their character, and probably has taken many years for them to get to the place where others grant them the honour of being someone who keeps their word. Sadly, I have also seen that same good reputation be lost in a short time. My concern is that there may never be enough time on this earth to regain that good reputation.
Since a man's word is his bond, it follows that when we give our word, we are 'bonded' to the promise. That means many things, but primarily that you stake your own reputation on keeping your word. You are in 'bond'age to your word. What a thought. We give our word to our children, our friends, and our marriage partner. We do it voluntarily, and in good faith, and we give those people our assurance that we will follow through on our word, because we are 'bond'ed to it. Our integrity is wedded to our word, and we are obliged to keep faith with our promise, at all and any cost.
However, I have to confess, from personal experience, not all promises can be kept. Some promises are taken out of our hands by circumstance, and that is understandable. Children know when a well meant promise just cannot be kept, but I think as we get older, the significance of the word we give can get weakened. We go from understanding the reasons when some promises cannot be kept, to making excuses for not making our word our bond. Can I be so bold to suggest that sometimes we don't really want to be in bondage to our word?
A man or woman of integrity is still a special and wonderful person, and you are blessed if you have such a person in your life. Of course, we can't confer 'integrity' on ourselves. It has to be given to us by others, and when it is, guard it well, because these are the same people who will also decide that you don't deserve the honour of the name any longer. We all know it is easier to lose integrity, than it is to achieve it, so why do we sail so close to the wind and jeopardise it?
Friday 23 March 2012
Risk
The true story is told of Queen Victoria’s interview for a new Carriage driver. He would be responsible for the Queen, so he had to be the best driver, with nerves of steel. The question the last three contenders were asked was, “You are taking the Queen in the Royal Carriage on a very narrow mountain road, with a cliff face to one side, and a sheer drop on the other. How close to the edge could you drive, and stay safe?” The first man said 2 feet, the second said 1 foot, and the small, timid, shy candidate said as far away from the edge as possible. Guess who got the job? It was the man who took no risks with the country’s monarch.
Who would you take even calculated risks for? Who would you love enough to want to protect? Maybe another question is more relevant. Who would you take no risks for? Who would you want to protect so much that any gamble at all, no matter how good the odds, would not be worth the wager? The obvious answers are your husband, wife, or your children. For most folks it would be family. A good family has no monetary value. It is without price, and to be protected at all costs.
Common sense I hear you say. After all, wouldn’t everyone protect their family, especially their children? Maternal and paternal instincts are so powerful, that even in the animal world, the parent would die for their young. No doubt. No question. No second thoughts. A sacrifice worth making. What about God’s love for us as expressed by Paul, “...for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8 NIV.
We cannot understand God’s love, and we display a poor sham of human love in this life sometimes, especially to those who deserve our love and protection most. Doing the right thing can take character, and inner strength, especially if there is a high price to pay. As a good family friend said recently, “sometimes you have to do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do”. Wise words, but not always easy to bring ourselves to achieve. Maybe if we remember Christ’s love and try to copy Him, we can get closer to doing the same for our own loved ones! Take risks with the most important people in our lives? Never! So we need to stay away from the edge... at any and all costs. May God keep us faithful to His supreme example of love.
Who would you take even calculated risks for? Who would you love enough to want to protect? Maybe another question is more relevant. Who would you take no risks for? Who would you want to protect so much that any gamble at all, no matter how good the odds, would not be worth the wager? The obvious answers are your husband, wife, or your children. For most folks it would be family. A good family has no monetary value. It is without price, and to be protected at all costs.
Common sense I hear you say. After all, wouldn’t everyone protect their family, especially their children? Maternal and paternal instincts are so powerful, that even in the animal world, the parent would die for their young. No doubt. No question. No second thoughts. A sacrifice worth making. What about God’s love for us as expressed by Paul, “...for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8 NIV.
We cannot understand God’s love, and we display a poor sham of human love in this life sometimes, especially to those who deserve our love and protection most. Doing the right thing can take character, and inner strength, especially if there is a high price to pay. As a good family friend said recently, “sometimes you have to do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do”. Wise words, but not always easy to bring ourselves to achieve. Maybe if we remember Christ’s love and try to copy Him, we can get closer to doing the same for our own loved ones! Take risks with the most important people in our lives? Never! So we need to stay away from the edge... at any and all costs. May God keep us faithful to His supreme example of love.
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Heads or Tails
Statistics tell us that if we toss a coin a large number of times, it will fall equally on each side. So when we flip a coin to make a decision often enough, it will even itself out. A balance scale is only useful if we have the same weight to put on the opposite pan, otherwise it has no use.
If we hear a story from one source, and there are two people involved, it is unbalanced and incomplete. For a story to be corroborated in court, it needs at least one other witness, and for good reason. We can get only part of the story, and that can be misleading, perhaps sending the wrong message to the jury, and the wrong person being convicted.
As Christians we are warned against gossip. We tend to think gossip is a characteristic of dear old ladies only, but be careful. Hearing only one part of the story is like flipping the coin only once. You don't get the true result. Only by hearing all of the story, even in small segments (like tossing the coin many times) will we begin to see a more complete story. Humanly speaking it is impossible to be completely sure when or if we have the whole message, and only God knows the end from the beginning. The whole story. The whole 9 yards. The whole kit and caboodle!
I think, once again, that this is the reason (or at least one of them) that we must allow God to do the judging. We cannot afford to let a life or reputation fall on the single toss of a coin, can we? After all, it just could be our reputation one day, so keep watching how the coin lands, and learn a more complete story. However, I am also very aware that first impressions (that first toss of the coin) can actually be a true reflection of the final outcome, but we owe it to ourselves and others to give the benefit of the doubt and see more of the story unfold before making our final decision. I think that’s only fair, don’t you?
If we hear a story from one source, and there are two people involved, it is unbalanced and incomplete. For a story to be corroborated in court, it needs at least one other witness, and for good reason. We can get only part of the story, and that can be misleading, perhaps sending the wrong message to the jury, and the wrong person being convicted.
As Christians we are warned against gossip. We tend to think gossip is a characteristic of dear old ladies only, but be careful. Hearing only one part of the story is like flipping the coin only once. You don't get the true result. Only by hearing all of the story, even in small segments (like tossing the coin many times) will we begin to see a more complete story. Humanly speaking it is impossible to be completely sure when or if we have the whole message, and only God knows the end from the beginning. The whole story. The whole 9 yards. The whole kit and caboodle!
I think, once again, that this is the reason (or at least one of them) that we must allow God to do the judging. We cannot afford to let a life or reputation fall on the single toss of a coin, can we? After all, it just could be our reputation one day, so keep watching how the coin lands, and learn a more complete story. However, I am also very aware that first impressions (that first toss of the coin) can actually be a true reflection of the final outcome, but we owe it to ourselves and others to give the benefit of the doubt and see more of the story unfold before making our final decision. I think that’s only fair, don’t you?
Sunday 18 March 2012
Ashamed?
On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. Acts 26:10-12 NIV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 NIV
Both of these texts are spoken by the same man, Paul, so what happened? Paul (or Saul as he was) had been a one man persecution unit for the established church of its day, headed by the pharisees. Schooled by their best teachers, and fired up to hunt down, persecute and murder the early Christians. He was probably looked up to by those who were lower in the church ranks. But (I like the ‘buts’ in the Bible) God stepped in on the road to Damascus, as he was on one of his missions, and the course of Christian teaching and history changed forever. Paul encountered a very real God, and his heart was changed.
Being brought up in a Christian home is a great blessing, and I would not change that one bit, but in my early years I did wonder what I had been saved from. I did not have a life of great sin to repent of, but at an early age gave my heart to the Lord Jesus. My examples lived in my own home. There was no need for a blinding light, or to be physically shaken. I loved to hear clear testimony to the saving power of a Holy God, who stepped into a sinful life and changed it, just like Paul. Looking back now that I am a bit older(!) I can see what God did save me from. My human nature would certainly have taken me into places I should not have been, and I was saved from a lot of unhappiness and grief in that process. I am thankful to a merciful God for His wisdom. Please do not misunderstand my words. I have been less than I should have been at times through the years, and have let my Lord down, but has he abandoned me? No. Has He betrayed me? No.
I will finish this with a thought. There may be times when we should speak out, or speak up for our God and our Christian faith, and we don’t. As children of the family of God, we have a choice to openly recognise our salvation, or be ashamed. That may equate to abandonment or betrayal on our part, but never, never on God’s part. For me, that is good enough reason for me to be thankful for what I have been saved from, whether known in this life or not! No, I am not ashamed!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 NIV
Both of these texts are spoken by the same man, Paul, so what happened? Paul (or Saul as he was) had been a one man persecution unit for the established church of its day, headed by the pharisees. Schooled by their best teachers, and fired up to hunt down, persecute and murder the early Christians. He was probably looked up to by those who were lower in the church ranks. But (I like the ‘buts’ in the Bible) God stepped in on the road to Damascus, as he was on one of his missions, and the course of Christian teaching and history changed forever. Paul encountered a very real God, and his heart was changed.
Being brought up in a Christian home is a great blessing, and I would not change that one bit, but in my early years I did wonder what I had been saved from. I did not have a life of great sin to repent of, but at an early age gave my heart to the Lord Jesus. My examples lived in my own home. There was no need for a blinding light, or to be physically shaken. I loved to hear clear testimony to the saving power of a Holy God, who stepped into a sinful life and changed it, just like Paul. Looking back now that I am a bit older(!) I can see what God did save me from. My human nature would certainly have taken me into places I should not have been, and I was saved from a lot of unhappiness and grief in that process. I am thankful to a merciful God for His wisdom. Please do not misunderstand my words. I have been less than I should have been at times through the years, and have let my Lord down, but has he abandoned me? No. Has He betrayed me? No.
I will finish this with a thought. There may be times when we should speak out, or speak up for our God and our Christian faith, and we don’t. As children of the family of God, we have a choice to openly recognise our salvation, or be ashamed. That may equate to abandonment or betrayal on our part, but never, never on God’s part. For me, that is good enough reason for me to be thankful for what I have been saved from, whether known in this life or not! No, I am not ashamed!
Thursday 15 March 2012
Foolish?
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:3-5 (NIV)
There is no doubt, that at some time in our Christian lives, we have stepped outside the advice given in these verses. If you read the list again, you can easily see that it covers all sorts of activities which are not to be entertained, even in the slightest. Paul makes his advice clear, and we cannot ignore the obvious, because we stake our eternal inheritance on it. Serious words from the apostle.
Cue long faces, and a sorry look on our faces?... NO! I do not hold to the idea that the Christian life is an unhappy one, or one that leads us to avoid jokes which will make us laugh. Who said that God wanted us to be constantly frowning? My dad said I shouldn’t have a ‘face like a Lurgan spade’. I don’t read that I should be ‘Po Faced’ in my Bible. So what’s the problem? My granddaughter even told me recently that Jesus has a sense of humour! I think she is correct.
However, I do think we may have blurred the line of what is considered immoral or impure. What was thought to be against God’s Law 20 years ago, is embraced today. I am not talking about sideline issues like the cinema or dress code on a Sunday. However, I am talking about when we decide that a joke has crossed a decency line. Or how about our ‘street talk’ when church friends are not around to listen? Then there are the jokes we will listen to, and tell, which are close to the bone? There are only a few ways we show our Christ to others. Our words, well chosen, and our actions, purely intentioned. These do NOT need a long face to go along with them, so we should talk and live like our faith means something to us. Then, and maybe only then, will others take notice and recognise that our faith life is real!
There is no doubt, that at some time in our Christian lives, we have stepped outside the advice given in these verses. If you read the list again, you can easily see that it covers all sorts of activities which are not to be entertained, even in the slightest. Paul makes his advice clear, and we cannot ignore the obvious, because we stake our eternal inheritance on it. Serious words from the apostle.
Cue long faces, and a sorry look on our faces?... NO! I do not hold to the idea that the Christian life is an unhappy one, or one that leads us to avoid jokes which will make us laugh. Who said that God wanted us to be constantly frowning? My dad said I shouldn’t have a ‘face like a Lurgan spade’. I don’t read that I should be ‘Po Faced’ in my Bible. So what’s the problem? My granddaughter even told me recently that Jesus has a sense of humour! I think she is correct.
However, I do think we may have blurred the line of what is considered immoral or impure. What was thought to be against God’s Law 20 years ago, is embraced today. I am not talking about sideline issues like the cinema or dress code on a Sunday. However, I am talking about when we decide that a joke has crossed a decency line. Or how about our ‘street talk’ when church friends are not around to listen? Then there are the jokes we will listen to, and tell, which are close to the bone? There are only a few ways we show our Christ to others. Our words, well chosen, and our actions, purely intentioned. These do NOT need a long face to go along with them, so we should talk and live like our faith means something to us. Then, and maybe only then, will others take notice and recognise that our faith life is real!
Sunday 11 March 2012
Unfriend Yourself
The title may be bad English grammar, but if you are a social media user, like Facebook, you will know what it means. I don’t usually use the Blog as an outlet for a book review, but I was impressed by the title and content of the short book of the same title, by Kyle Tennent. The idea is to read the book over a long weekend, and ‘unfriend yourself’ from facebook, ie don’t look at it, check it, or update it during that time. Easy! Not so, and the author knows it.
It becomes apparent, if you think about it long enough, that you tend to treat your facebook ‘friends’ very differently, from those other real people you meet. You can and will post some silly, funny and harmless stuff, but you will also open yourself up perhaps privately to someone you do not normally bump into. They may be in a different part of the country, or even overseas. because you feel the safety of distance, you will say things which will let them see a part of you, which is usually reserved for your closest true friend, or family. Stop for a moment and reflect. Do you know of someone who got into some kind of trouble because of a facebook contact, possibly started innocently, but which has ended up in family trouble, separation or even divorce?
The young author tells his own story. He was going into a Christian college to study, and thought it a good idea to make facebook ‘friends’ with those who would be enrolling for the same year and subjects. He racked up about 40 friends, and started to break the ice before they ever met. So far so good, but he found that some of these friends started to share some deeper feelings than would normally be shared. A line (or two) had been crossed by more than one person in the social media group. The difficulty became more apparent when they met face to face when they finally got together at college. They didn’t know what to say, or even where to start. The ‘invisible’ facebook profiles turned out to be quite misleading. Why? Because each person was very selective in what they said on their wall. Only things which made them look funny, or cool, or intelligent, or wise, or handsome/pretty were put up there for the world to see. The trouble was, that was not the real person. Almost every student had to go back to square one and let folks find out who they really were, and what they were really like.
Kyle Tennent does not advocate that you ditch your facebook account. Only that you use it wisely, and not as a false advertisement for who you really are. Take a look at your profile. Do you see some warts as well as beauty spots? Or are there only beauty spots? Your true friends will still be your friends in spite of your failings, in fact they may be your friends because of your warts. Now that’s real friendship, and not just for Facebook!
It becomes apparent, if you think about it long enough, that you tend to treat your facebook ‘friends’ very differently, from those other real people you meet. You can and will post some silly, funny and harmless stuff, but you will also open yourself up perhaps privately to someone you do not normally bump into. They may be in a different part of the country, or even overseas. because you feel the safety of distance, you will say things which will let them see a part of you, which is usually reserved for your closest true friend, or family. Stop for a moment and reflect. Do you know of someone who got into some kind of trouble because of a facebook contact, possibly started innocently, but which has ended up in family trouble, separation or even divorce?
The young author tells his own story. He was going into a Christian college to study, and thought it a good idea to make facebook ‘friends’ with those who would be enrolling for the same year and subjects. He racked up about 40 friends, and started to break the ice before they ever met. So far so good, but he found that some of these friends started to share some deeper feelings than would normally be shared. A line (or two) had been crossed by more than one person in the social media group. The difficulty became more apparent when they met face to face when they finally got together at college. They didn’t know what to say, or even where to start. The ‘invisible’ facebook profiles turned out to be quite misleading. Why? Because each person was very selective in what they said on their wall. Only things which made them look funny, or cool, or intelligent, or wise, or handsome/pretty were put up there for the world to see. The trouble was, that was not the real person. Almost every student had to go back to square one and let folks find out who they really were, and what they were really like.
Kyle Tennent does not advocate that you ditch your facebook account. Only that you use it wisely, and not as a false advertisement for who you really are. Take a look at your profile. Do you see some warts as well as beauty spots? Or are there only beauty spots? Your true friends will still be your friends in spite of your failings, in fact they may be your friends because of your warts. Now that’s real friendship, and not just for Facebook!
Wednesday 7 March 2012
Reunion
School friends do it, military friends do it, university graduates do it, and many more besides, but the greatest reunion in this life is a family reunited! There are some cases of long lost family members meeting again, who were possibly separated at a very young age. As the years have rolled by, they have been granted a reunion in old age. Some have learned about siblings they never know they had. These are wonderful, heart warming stories, and cannot fail to touch the hardest of hearts.
Those who know the circumstances will not be surprised at the appearance of this subject on the Blog Page. After all, the Blogger is enjoying the happy experience of a Family Reunion, and making the most of the holiday time together. How can I, a Dad and Granda, not be overwhelmed by the love shown as we enjoy a simple family reunion? It’s not as if we are not close to start with. We are, but it is in the re-union (literally) of the individual parts that we realise how we are joined together. In family love yes, but it’s greater than that.
We, who claim Christ, are all due to celebrate our own family reunion, perhaps not now, or even very soon, but certainly in the future. We are not in control of the timing, but all those dim and hazy experiences we have enjoyed with our God here, will become clear as day as we are joined together in heaven. Not only that, there is the bonus of being truly reunited with family we still miss from our lives. Now that is a double bonus, great family reunion in Glory, to be fully enjoyed only by those who own the name of Jesus.
A double bonus of a family re-union on earth, and in heaven. Now what greater family reunion can there be?
Those who know the circumstances will not be surprised at the appearance of this subject on the Blog Page. After all, the Blogger is enjoying the happy experience of a Family Reunion, and making the most of the holiday time together. How can I, a Dad and Granda, not be overwhelmed by the love shown as we enjoy a simple family reunion? It’s not as if we are not close to start with. We are, but it is in the re-union (literally) of the individual parts that we realise how we are joined together. In family love yes, but it’s greater than that.
We, who claim Christ, are all due to celebrate our own family reunion, perhaps not now, or even very soon, but certainly in the future. We are not in control of the timing, but all those dim and hazy experiences we have enjoyed with our God here, will become clear as day as we are joined together in heaven. Not only that, there is the bonus of being truly reunited with family we still miss from our lives. Now that is a double bonus, great family reunion in Glory, to be fully enjoyed only by those who own the name of Jesus.
A double bonus of a family re-union on earth, and in heaven. Now what greater family reunion can there be?
Sunday 4 March 2012
Broken and Contrite
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NIV
God does not look down his nose when He sees our feeble attempts as we try to do what feels good for us in this life, but all the while only succeed at making everything worse for ourselves, and those around us. Even those we love dearly. We are fortunate to have a God who loves us in spite of ourselves, and “...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Of course our God is not only a God of Love, He requires justice too. Micah 6:8 says: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” So let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
When we get into trouble, yes even of our own doing, God will step in when we show two essential characteristics in our heart. Our heart must be ‘broken AND contrite”. We have all suffered from a broken heart, and God knows we have. That alone is not enough to make the sacrifice God Needs. He needs us to be contrite too. This means expressing remorse and guilt at our sin. We need to show repentence of our wrongdoing, even while we are broken. Not easy, and certainly not possible to fake before a Holy God.
When we have a broken AND contrite heart, and only then, will our God, our Abba Father, step in and accept our sacrifice. That sacrifice will NOT be despised, but it must be full and genuine. Not a pale imitation, and not a lie. So, no matter what has broken your spirit, take it to God in earnest prayer, and mean it. He will not let you down, and your heart is guaranteed to heal, slowly but surely. We have God’s Word on it. I like this promise, because let’s be honest, we have all suffered from a broken heart at some time in our life.
God does not look down his nose when He sees our feeble attempts as we try to do what feels good for us in this life, but all the while only succeed at making everything worse for ourselves, and those around us. Even those we love dearly. We are fortunate to have a God who loves us in spite of ourselves, and “...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Of course our God is not only a God of Love, He requires justice too. Micah 6:8 says: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” So let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
When we get into trouble, yes even of our own doing, God will step in when we show two essential characteristics in our heart. Our heart must be ‘broken AND contrite”. We have all suffered from a broken heart, and God knows we have. That alone is not enough to make the sacrifice God Needs. He needs us to be contrite too. This means expressing remorse and guilt at our sin. We need to show repentence of our wrongdoing, even while we are broken. Not easy, and certainly not possible to fake before a Holy God.
When we have a broken AND contrite heart, and only then, will our God, our Abba Father, step in and accept our sacrifice. That sacrifice will NOT be despised, but it must be full and genuine. Not a pale imitation, and not a lie. So, no matter what has broken your spirit, take it to God in earnest prayer, and mean it. He will not let you down, and your heart is guaranteed to heal, slowly but surely. We have God’s Word on it. I like this promise, because let’s be honest, we have all suffered from a broken heart at some time in our life.
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