Help?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2Cor1:3,4NIV

No one goes through this life without needing some help in the form of comfort, and let’s face it we can’t always depend on the ‘usual suspects’ to give that support. Sometimes it comes from the unlikely, or to be more accurate, the likely but from a different group or even good friends from another church.

Isn’t it good that the source of ALL comfort is God Himself, and although we may receive that Blessing from an unexpected or unlikely source, it originated directly from God.

I suppose my concern is this. If or when someone in any church fellowship is ill, or feeling overwhelmed and down, shouldn’t their church folks be the ones to step in first? I believe that our God is omniscient and when He sees one of His children in need, that comfort will be given when it is needed most, and by the best person or group. That may be from our own church, but on the other hand, it may not, and God will use the willing and available.

When you know your friend is absent from their place in church, are we first of all able, and secondly willing to step in to provide that Godly comfort? After all, God will supply that need one way or another. Another thought. What does it say about our own fellowship if we so often are not the ones stepping up to be either willing or able, because you will always hear our call? Lord, help me to be an extension of your comfort. After all…...

Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. Isaiah59:1NLT

Whispers

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.                      Proverbs 16:28 NIV

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 2 Corinthians 12:20

You will be aware of the term, ‘Chinese Whispers’ which is nice way of saying gossip, or tattletale. Whispers sounds better, but we do a big disservice to the Chinese to tag them in that phrase. So gossip it is and gossip it remains.

The various acts of gossip are usually attributed to the womenfolk, but I have found that men are much the same, and as bad if not worse. You see, gossip is not just a soft whisper behind someone’s back. It can be peddled as an intentional deceit to mislead the thinking of others, to help turn opinions and preferences round to their own wishes! I would go as far as to suggest that this type of deliberate, deceitful gossip is the preferred instrument of the menfolk.

Not only does gossip separate close friends but it is listed among other (we would consider) more serious sins like discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. This puts the action of the gossiper in a fresh light, doesn’t it? So we must be aware of the damage it can cause, and stay well clear. There is no such thing as it being a good thing. ‘Helpful words’ from a friend like, “I’m only telling you this for your own good”, or “I was told not to say, but…”, don’t count because it is still gossip, and we must be alert to these deceptions.

Great Love

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.             John 15:13 NIV

The first that Dave knew something was very wrong was the double thud heard on the wooden framed outer doorway of the office where he was working on assignment in North Carolina. He was in regular communication via computer with his colleagues in Scotland, and although very unfamiliar with guns, he immediately recognised the sound of heavy gunfire and bullets which embedded themselves into the office doorway just a few feet from where he was sitting. There was a thin internal wall separating him from one of the production lines. Very quickly, Dave and many others were escorted outside to safety by armed security and told to ‘get down’ which they did.

Roll back a few minutes and an ex-employee had entered the production line unofficially through a loading bay, armed with an automatic rifle, handgun, and a large belt of ammunition. He was hunting for his old manageress with the intention of killing her for firing him due to his erratic behaviour. Unknown to him, she was out that day. The other men and women on that production line knew how unpredictable this man could be, but step forward the hero of the piece. A young family man, who was a lay preacher, and a former friend, he stood between the gunman and any possible intended victim. He tried to reason with the unreasonable, and it didn’t have any effect. Instead, at point blank range, this young man paid the price with his life by defending the other folks who could also have been a target, and died immediately. The gunman fled and was captured some miles down the highway after another shootout.

Dave never got to know the name of the hero who paid the ultimate price that day, but every single person on that production line felt they owed their life to him. He died on their behalf, and had done nothing wrong. His motives and actions were pure and clean. Remind you of anyone else? It should.

Another hero many centuries earlier had laid His life down for His friends, and not just a few, but for everyone who asks for His saving grace. Jesus died just as sure as the unnamed hero that Dave never met. He was a Christian who lived and died confessing his faith to a man who possibly didn’t deserve any help or mercy, but was granted it by another friend who decided to put his life on the line, to give his friend a second chance. It failed. How like the Saviour of the world who even now stands between us and a lost eternity, and yet so many still reject His pleading, but yet His word is as true today as it was when it is recorded: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Hebrews 3:15 NIV, but we must also always remember the promise of our ever loving Saviour Jesus who declares: And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:21 NIV. How can we remain unsure and undecided knowing that we are loved that much? Maybe it’s time to take Him up on His offer of life, and that second chance we so desperately need.

Actions or Words?

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

I see some folks online, trying to prove their Christianity by their words, as if they need to convince someone of the truth. However, convincing is not our job. That’s the work reserved for the Holy Spirit. More often than not, there can be a bit of putting others down by showing through words just how much they know compared to you and me.

I love this verse because it contains a great truth, usually missed by the zealous. It’s the word ‘know’. The Word doesn’t say you will have to use fancy language, or eloquence, to all people so that they will know that you are a Christian believer. It’s the other way round. As long as we love one another as followers of Christ, all people WILL KNOW. They can’t help but notice. The Word of God reminds us that it will be obvious.

So, if you have a stumbling tongue, or are very shy, or introverted, or backward, or not very confident in company, you are every bit as able to show Jesus to others by your love. We don’t always need to use words, whether fancy or plain. We are charged to love our fellow believers, and even in the absence of words, ‘all people will know’. That, my friends, really is the good news of the gospel!

The Journey - With Friends

A good walk can be made better (or worse) depending on the company you keep along the way. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is hard work? Take that short time, and multiply it many times over because when you are on a long walk with friends that 10 miles can feel like 20 if the talk of your travelling companion is difficult.

It’s a good thing to plan your route and even more important that you choose your walking partners carefully. That’s not to say that some folks have no worth. They will be worth their weight in gold under different circumstances, but when you are side by side for such a long time, it is essential you make the journey as enjoyable as possible.

We all have friends in our lives whose company we enjoy. Maybe we have been friends since school days, but on our faith walk it becomes apparent very quickly that the common ground of conversation and lifestyle is not quite the same. You might want to enjoy the wonder of creation and talk about your friend and Saviour, the Creator. On the other hand if your walking partner wants to brag about their pub, club and Godless lifestyle, it can and will sour the experience of the journey. I am not saying our friends must all be Christians, but be careful not to exclude them as we try to look ‘cool’ and in touch with the world.

Our faith journey is a very special one, and the road can be narrow, so making room beside you for a like minded person just makes sense. And let’s face it, that narrow path is not the one chosen by some of our friends. They may stay our friends, but at the end of the trek, we will have a different destination. That’s worth keeping in mind when we start choosing. As a final thought, I have noticed that my true friends who have lasted are also the ones of like mind. Some of the pals made in my youth have become occasional colleagues now. To any younger readers, I would suggest that you take good care of the people who surround you. They may all be your friends now, but the real friends who will last will be more than just those who make you laugh now!

God’s temple cannot have anything to do with idols, and we are the temple of the living God. As God said, I will live with them and walk with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. So come away from those people and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch anything that is not clean, and I will accept you. I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord All-Powerful. 2 Corinthians 6:16-18

Faith, Family and Friends

Sometimes something old hits you again, but with more force, as if to impress within you ever deeper than before, of its truth and significance. The month of December, as it leads up to Christmas, is full of reminders of gifts and giving, but what do you think are some of the most important Blessings we can enjoy, not only in December but year after year?

These three ‘F’s go together in my mind, and they are linked unlike any others which might run round my brain at any given time. Sometimes I need a reminder of their importance amidst the hustle and bustle of December when we get busy, and can temporarily leave some other good thoughts behind. I am blessed among many to have such a good trust and Faith in God, my Family, Friends in general, and a ‘Friend of Friends’, all of whom make me feel loved, needed and special.

This is a simple thought, and I know I am not alone in having these three ‘F’s in my life, but I am thankful for them not only in December, but always. They say all good things come to an end, but that is only partly true. As I come to the end of another great holiday in Texas, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone, but I feel thankful that I can travel to be with them. On top of that are my old and new friends at Arlington First Nazarene, where worship is felt and the Word is preached with power. Everyone has played a part in making my stay memorable. But the cement that binds us all together is the common Faith in the saving grace of God. In the words of the Bill Gaither song: “I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God”.

Blogging

You can make friends and enemies when you put your thoughts down in a blog. That is understandable, because all bloggers have opinions, which they freely express, but the reverse is also true because readers have opinions too. Sometimes differing views on the same topic, and sometimes the lines cross, and we end up having a better understanding, even when not in agreement, than when we stood alone in our thinking.

As you may know, this particular website will cease in August, and be replaced by a new and hopefully better signpost to our local church at: http://portnazarene.wix.com/portglasgownazarenes and we hope you will join us there. It is impossible to know how many people read the blogs, but we can say with certainty how many respond with their own comments. Sadly, there can be little interaction so it is  impossible to gauge any general thinking on any subject whether inside or outside the local church. The new website already has links to the blogger within its pages, so you can still read, and either ignore or reply on the blogger’s original website:  http://pics-mphoto.blogspot.co.uk/. I do not expect the traffic to increase just because there is a new website, but I hope you will continue to pop in occasionally to see what’s going on in our local church and community.

I mentioned responses, and at this point, I feel I must thank Anon for his contributions over a period of time on same sex marriage in Scotland and the UK. We do not always agree. In fact we seldom do, but I recognise the depth of feeling he expresses, and the frustration that the law is not changing as fast as he would like. On this subject, I reckon we will always be in opposite corners of the debate, but I am getting to know Anon a little better each time there is a contact. It may come as a surprise, but I prefer it when someone is open and says what they think (even when anonymous), to silence when guesswork is needed. This is a church website and blog, and so I think the vast majority of readers will be mainstream Christian. So, the question I have to ask myself is, why are there no other responses? I think Anon’s opinions would represent the minority of readers, and yet he expresses himself for us all to read, but there is no alternate view to act as a balance. It is no longer an argument/debate between Anon and me, it is more like a conversation where we know what we each think, and allow our opinions to be aired, and in the process get to understand our belief systems. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so, after all we are told not to judge, even when we disagree. Now that the UK law is being altered to allow for same sex marriage, I don’t think I will hear from Anon again, because it seemed to be a one story comment response. I hope I am wrong.

So, all that to say thanks to Anon (whoever you are, and wherever you live) for your openness, and even your frustration with my own opposing opinions. I do not see you as an enemy, but just like me, a sinner in need of God’s grace! In that respect, we stand on level ground at the foot of the cross, and as individuals before the judgement throne!

Friends

You have been best friends for many years, and have gone through some bad times, but many more good times and you know each other really well. In a way you have grown to be like each other, and in an uncanny way, you sometimes know what the other is thinking, and can even finish each other’s sentences. In fact, there is a comfort in that friendship which is hard to put into words because it goes so deep, and has lasted so long.

Then, out of the blue, another ‘friend’ tells you some things about your best pal that you never knew, and these are not good things. In fact, they make you cringe, and you are left with some questions of your own, and many problems too. You have been assured that you are hearing the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it sounds, and you have only been told these things for the best reasons, and to save you heartache further down the road.

What do you do? It’s a dilemma worthy of a peak time TV soap plot. Either way you will probably lose a friend, but which one? One has been at your side for many years and there was never a hint that anything was wrong, but the other is offering to help you by telling you the truth about that close relationship which they say wasn’t all that you thought it was.

A final thought. What is your advice if that special relationship isn’t a person??

Friendship+

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:13,14 NKJV

This is a follow on to the previous Blog on ‘comfort’, so as you read you may see a continuing thread of thought. Christ’s love is supreme in that His friendship toward us, led directly to His death and resurrection. It seems that our friendship was part of His divine plan, but based on the verse we shouldn’t be surprised by that fact. Bearing in mind the standard set for us, how do we choose and rate our earthly friendships? Make a mental note of your friends and ask yourself, ‘would I die for any of them’? Probably not, although you would lay down your life for your life’s partner or children I am sure, without a second thought.

I found myself asking, how do I know who my real friends are? You can answer for yourself, but for me, one of the main characteristics is that true friends can pray for each other, but more importantly for me at least, is that we can tell each other in love, as we support one other. But what is the difference between the love of our friends and our family? In a word it is blood. In our case, family blood that runs in the veins of our children. So it is with God. We are not just ‘friends’, but friends+, in fact we are family! Therefore Christ died for us as His family, and not just as His friends.

At a human level, our earthly friends may come and go. Some real friends will leave our groups, churches, but not our lives. Not if they are true friends. This week has seen me aware of a friendship with a Godly couple which was special and supportive, but in God’s direction are now being put into another and better place, closer to family and to new (as yet unknown) friends. I wish them well, as they follow God’s Will and direction for their lives. It cannot be wrong.

We talk about God opening a door as if it is only there for us to go through into an unknown, away from the place we are comfortable. But a door has two sides, and can also be used by God to allow an (as yet) unknown friend to walk through and become visible to us, emerging from that same unknown darkness on the other side of the door. In the same way as God is in the movement of my present friends, He is also in control of those new friends He will provide. I wonder if we will recognise His moving for what it is?

So, the link between ‘comfort’ and ‘friendship’? Simply this: As we give to each one, we will benefit, and our God will not disappoint. Not those special departing friends, nor the emerging new friends either. Who knows, maybe there is also room for us to achieve that special place of ‘friendship+’, with those new God given friends, in Jesus Name! 

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!

Befriend

To befriend is more than being a friend to someone. It’s an active, deliberate and conscious action to make friends with someone who until then, has not been a friend. It happens in school, and in the playground. You know, it’s the point where you think it is a good thing to try to make someone feel included. Included. That’s a big concept, and one we as Christians should be good at, after all it is a basic part of Jesus’ command that we love one another, and love your neighbour too.

There is another aspect to befriending someone, in that it’s not always your first choice, and can involve stepping out of your comfort zone. It means taking that risk, perhaps in the knowledge that your other ‘friends’ may not agree, or accept your choice in the same way you do, but they are not the reason you would do it, right? It goes deeper. Can you go back in your mind to a time when someone took the risk and befriended you? That person possibly ended up as one of your closest, or very best friends, or bff (best friends forever for those who do not know the jargon).


I well remember when I was much younger, being given a lesson in the game of ‘pairs dominos’, when an older and wiser man told me, ‘always play the hand you want to get back’. Hmmm. We all want someone to be our friend, so all we have to do is be the friend that we would like someone to be to us. Easy? No. Rewarding? Yes, and certainly so. Human nature proves it time and again. So next time there is a new face at church, or you see someone who obviously ‘needs a friend’, why not do the decent thing and befriend them. You won’t regret following Jesus’ command and example, that I can guarantee! After all, Jesus words on the subject are: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:13-14a.

You Think YOU'RE Confused?

Ok, I am a blogger. I put my thoughts down so that others can read them, and agree or disagree. Like most other bloggers, I am not sure why I do this in my spare time, but I would not like to mislead, or give the wrong impression of who I am, or even worse still not know what I stand for myself!


In the process of blogging, you find yourself seeking out others who seem to think like you. Maybe that's to confirm in your own mind that you're not the only nutter out there who actually believes that what you think is important to somebody else! Perish the thought!


So that you know where I am coming from, and to avoid confusion, I follow the 'F' words for my life. Faith, Family, Family tree research, and Photography. Sorry about the last one :-). All in that order. I am not ashamed of my choices. Actually it is usually easier to mention any of them except Faith. That's where others have their own opinions, and a lot of heat gets generated (usually more heat than light!). But having said it, you are in no doubt where I stand, agree or disagree. I will try to understand your opinion, all I ask is that you respect mine.


I say all that because I came across a blog by someone I know. Very clever, and well educated, even articulate, but I had to conclude that I didn't know her at all, and I thought I did! She belongs to that group of people who theor-'ise', and psycholog-'ise', and psychiatr-'ise', and philosoph-'ise', around a subject, and although clever is not very w-'ise'! I used to work with a man who would say from time to time, 'I might be daft, but I'm not stupid'. A good and understandable witticism. Trouble is, some bloggers are 'daft AND stupid' and it comes across. Like politicians, they talk a lot but don't say much. An aide to an old US President used to say about him, 'he don't say much, but when he talks, he don't say much'. Ouch!


I hope I never get to the stage when people wonder what I am saying when I talk, or even worse can't tell what I stand for, and where my priorities in life are. If, or when, that happens, I will expect my family and friends (my real friends) to tell me sincerely, but quietly. That is when I will stop. In the meantime, I will say again that my life revolves around my Faith, Family, and Fotography. (Ok is that better :-)?), and in that order. Clear? Oh, I also have a 'C' word in my life, and this goes with me wherever I go, helps to form the real me, and is non-negotiable! Even clearer?