Royalty

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1Peter2:9NIV

It doesn’t get much better than this, does it? We are chosen, royal, a holy nation, special possession, declaring praises, into His light!! To get the full weight of this verse you have to read it more than once, and slowly to let it sink in.

When you wonder what God thinks of you, and the failings you have, consider this verse. When you have struggled and tripped up on the way, read this verse. When you doubt your salvation let that verse drip feed into your soul.

I have heard it said that if God had a fridge, He would have our photo on it. Certainly not scriptural, but it carries the sentiment well. God loves us completely, and the list of ways He loves us runs through this verse and the whole of Scripture like the lettering on a stick of Blackpool rock. All we have to do is believe, and trust in the same God who says them in His Word.

Blessed

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3-10 ESV

I had a fresh look at the so familiar passage we call the Beatitudes, and as happens so often with Scripture, found another truth that I had overlooked before. It isn’t so much seeing something there that’s new, but more like noticing things that are NOT there!

The people called ‘Blessed’ are not seen as proud or arrogant, or self seeking, or ill tempered know-it-alls. These special people are a breed of the Kingdom of God unlike others, and bear in mind that these words were spoken by Jesus to a great crowd who were not disciples or followers. Jesus had the temerity to call these ordinary folks, ‘Blessed’!

My revelation in reading these verses afresh is that I must be open to receiving God’s many Blessings in a humble and contrite manner. I can’t presume on God’s Blessings just because I go to church and call myself a Christian. The multitude who stood and listened didn’t fall into the ‘churchy’ group. They followed because He had the Words of Life, and Jesus was showing them the heart of the matter, and the way they should act. Now would be a good time to read the list again, and better still meditate on what it means to our own lives. How can I be ‘Blessed’ or ‘happy’? Certainly not by standing on a soap box and shouting how bad we all are and deserving of hell (which we are). But by changing from the inside first, and then showing the life of Jesus to the wider community.

This is not a pithy little list of nice sayings you might see on social media to make us feel good. These are all Blessings coming from the heart first, and only then do we see the result that God has stored up for us. Seen in this light, I have found new meaning and insight into the heart of a primarily Holy, but loving and giving God who will change us from the inside out.

Another Special One

“Hearts footballer Craig Thomson has been placed on the sex offenders register after pleading guilty to two charges of indecent behaviour. The 20-year-old was also fined £4,000 for his lewd, libidinous and indecent behaviour towards two girls, aged 12 and 14, over the internet. The 20-year-old footballer was kept on by the club despite admitting sexual offences against two young girls.”

It seems our game of football is in the news, and for the wrong reasons yet again. We have a backdrop of alcohol abuse, and sectarian chanting to cope with already, and as if that wasn't enough, we now have a row over a convicted paedophile who initially would not be sacked from his Scottish Premier Club, Hearts of Midlothian. The club management supported him fully and therefore endorsed his behaviour.

Two (could there be others?) under-age girls were groomed on the internet by Thomson and will now be coming to terms with their stupid internet encounters. They could have been much closer to other more damaging actions by him. The fans wanted the player sacked. The girls' parents wanted him sacked. The main sponsor withdrew and wanted him sacked. A leading children's charity wanted him sacked. Like the three 'wise monkeys' the club could not see anything wrong with keeping the player on their books, after all, 'he was a good footballer' they said.

What does it take for football clubs to take ownership for their problems, whether by their staff, or fans, and do something about it? The latest news is that Thomson has been suspended, well that is a start. They now need to apologise to the fans and parents, and try to distance themselves from their initial foolhardy support. If our so called 'beautiful game' is going to improve as a family sport in the UK, the clubs, players and fans will have to take some responsibility, and not just nod knowingly on the sidelines, which we are very good at already.

As Christians, shouldn't we take note of the lives of celebrities and 'stars' and shine a light on their indiscretions? After all, like it or not, they are role models to many young people in our society. We desperately need more good examples for our youth, and it seems that these are in short supply right now, especially in football.