Where has our sense of community gone?

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What a fantastic day! It had been really hot in Liverpool, which is quite unusual. I had been out on the streets running a Street Meeting with a couple of friends. We have a life changing message. If we do not get out and tell people about it we would be being very selfish. Not everyone sees it the way we do. Some people on the streets think that we are imposing our views on them. Others are not really interested in anything apart from what is in front of them at that point in time.What do you think? Should we be going out to tell people the message from the Bible or do you think we should just believe what we believe and keep it to ourselves?

 

If I had a cure for cancer I would be a very selfish person if I did not make it available to all cancer sufferers. If you were in financial danger and were not aware of it (and I was) I would be very selfish if I did not talk to you about it. Good news and solutions to problems should be shared. One of the downsides of the busy modern age is that we have become very impersonal. In the past, community and family meant we shared a lot more and helped each other. There are still as many nice people in the world now but we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves. On occasions this has developed to the stage where we are not aware of others needs and we fail to raise the alarm when we spot people in difficulty.

Do you feel the need to fit in?

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At one point or another we have all felt the need to fit in. Whether it be in our childhood, teenage years or even more recently conforming is the easy thing to do. Going along with the crowd is easy, standing against the crowd can be impossibly difficult to do.

Each generation has changing attitudes, some for good and some for bad. Often generations clash over their attitudinal differences. Yet it is very possible that we may disagree with our peers but go along with them just to fit in. 

Back in the 1500s a young man called William Tyndale disagreed with the church leaders at that time. The established church would read the Bible and address their congregations. The Bibles that they read were written in Latin and although literacy levels were low, those that could read certainly could not read Latin. 

William Tyndale could read, in fact he was a clever linguist and understood Latin, Hebrew and Greek. He read the old Bible manuscripts and the more he read the more perturbed he became. He understood that the priests did not always teach what the Bible stated. He wanted the Bible translated into English so that those that were able to read, could read it and decide for themselves if what they were being taught was the truth. 

Thankyou for the music

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Music and songs create passion in our hearts and evoke vivid memories. Some of these memories are good some are sad!

Songs are very emotive and help us store memories. A very effective method of learning is linked to the rhythm in repeating words that somehow glues the words or the facts to our minds. Most of us didn’t necessarily enjoy it but we often learned facts or figures (times tables for example) by musical rhythm. If you were dragged off to Sunday School (maybe you loved going) you may remember learning bible verses, for example  “For God so loved the world that..” or “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ..”or maybe “Honour your Father and your Mother”. All of this was to get some important facts from the bible into your young mind for the purpose of living life and one day meeting God.   

If I was asked to quote some great piece of literature I would struggle but if you whistled a tune of some popular song I often amaze myself by my ability to recall the words. Maybe you do this as well. Music has a powerful effect on our memories in this respect.  

Is it right to go on a guilt trip?

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Most of us feel guilty from time to time. I know that many people are tormented at times with guilt as they wish that they could turn the clock back and change what they did. I am not suggesting that people should always feel guilty for most of us have done things inadvertently and it all went horribly wrong.

 

But there are times when it is right to feel guilty. If we have genuinely wronged someone guilt is the God given mechanism that warns us that ‘action needs to be taken’. Sometimes we can rectify the problem and make amends. Other times it is outside of our power to reverse the effect of our actions. It is only right that we should fix the problems that we have caused where possible.

 

Having said this, many mistakes in life are not really significant in the general scheme of things and will not make a big difference in our lives. Courtesy and true friendship, decency and honesty will however ensure that we behave in ways that are commendable. 

 

A more worrying aspect of life is that of human beings and their relationship with God. In our current society we are in danger of being unaware that we have disobeyed our Creator (and therefore owner) and that he does not tolerate people who break his law. I was aware from childhood of the fact that God had stated his principles (the 10 commandments in the Bible) and that I was incapable of living up to them. The passage in the Bible that explains God’s standards is Exodus 20. The New Testament passage that states that we are not capable of living up to these standards is Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’.

 

Now, contrary to public opinion God gave his Law to make us feel guilty and not to make us feel good. The Bible says ‘Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God’. The reality is that when you and I hear the Bible preached and become aware that God is holy and has his standards; we then realise that we cannot live up to his standards and get feelings of guilt. I lied, I lusted, I took something that did not belong to me (time, emotions, things etc) and as a result I am guilty and am limited as to what I can do to rectify the situation. My offence is firstly against God (Psalm 51:4) and will also often be against a fellow human being.

 

So we all need to go on a guilt trip – but not for long. When the awareness of our wrong living is heightened and guilt is triggered we will be forced do something about it. That is God’s plan.

 

What can we do? Again God in the Bible tells us what there is no point in doing! God says in Romans 3:20 that no action on our part will satisfy him because our problem is one we were born with (Psalm 51:5). The problem is reflected in our actions and behaviours but it is deeper than that. God says rather bluntly in the Old Testament that all the right things we do are like filthy clothes. We can never be good enough for God, ‘There is none righteous, no not one’.

 

I say again ‘what can we do’? The answer again comes from God. He says ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’. The Lord Jesus says ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’. The early Christian preachers preached ‘neither is their salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved’. God’s Son (The Lord Jesus) came to earth, lived and then was put to death on a cross.  God was punishing him for sin, sin that he did not commit (for he is God and perfect) but that sin that he was prepared to atone for. He paid the price God demanded to put away sin and to provide forgiveness for us.

 

Go on a guilt trip? No way - admit your guilt to God and then accept his offer of salvation through trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. You will experience inexplicable joy

Are names significant?

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The name of Caesar Augustus

 

The Roman Emperor who was in power when Jesus was born had many titles some of which have a strange similarity to those given to Jesus. The Roman Caesars made claims to deity that the Bible teaches only God can make. For instance, Caesar Augustus was  known as the Blessed One, the Anointed One (the Messiah), the  Pax Romana - The one who brings peace, the Pontifex (i.e. the Priest). He was regarded as a god and claimed that at the age of 17 he could bring men to God. He was also called the Divine Son of God in 42 BC at the age of 21. History shows  that the claims to be divine were not supported by lifestyle, behaviour or power.  

 

The claims that Jesus is God revealed in the flesh have been substantiated time and time again by eyewitness records to his perfect life, miraculous powers and glorious resurrection. 

Names are significant in Western culture.   

 

Parents choose names for their children after much thought and discussion. For the rest of a person's life, he/she is identified by the name he/she was given before birth. Proverbs 22:1, ‘A good name is more desirable than great riches.’ In the biblical world, a good name meant more than even a good reputation, because it identified the character of the person carrying it.  

Showing love in Haiti

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The country of Haiti occupies the western half of the island of Hispaniola.  The eastern part is the Dominican Republic.  Haiti is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere and has been traumatised by many unfortunate events.  For decades it was ruled by draconian autocrats who employed henchmen to enforce their rules and dominate the people.  More lately the country has developed an electoral system but corruption is endemic and instability is very much the order of the day.

In addition the country has experienced several severe natural disasters which have devastated large parts of the towns and cities. In August 2021 there was a terrible earthquake measuring 7.2 in magnitude that claimed the lives of 2,200 people.  In December 2021 a petrol tanker in attempting to avoid hitting a motorcycle crashed in Cap-Hatien and exploded.  The fireball it unleashed swept through nearby houses and businesses and over 90 people were killed.  As well as natural events there is the ever present danger of death and kidnap by evil people.  Gangs control many areas and significant numbers of people have been kidnapped, including Western personnel.  This has become a means of securing finance and has made Haiti the kidnap capital of the Caribbean.

The political and economic instability was highlighted when the elected President was assassinated.  The forces of law and order are fully stretched and can achieve very little, especially as many are corrupt and work hand in glove with the gangs. 

Do you have good friends?

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Isn’t it great to have a good group of friends around you? Do you have school, college or Uni friends that you keep in touch with? What about work colleagues or even friendly neighbours? 

Jesus had a number of good friends too. There were the 12 disciples, as an obvious example. Jesus also had a good relationship with a group of three siblings: Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. 

In John’s Gospel, we learn of Lazarus’ death. The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.” 

When Jesus heard it, He said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God.” 

Jesus added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.” The disciples replied, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.” 

Do you have good friends?

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Isn’t it great to have a good group of friends around you? Do you have school, college or Uni friends that you keep in touch with? What about work colleagues or even friendly neighbours? 

Jesus had a number of good friends too. There were the 12 disciples, as an obvious example. Jesus also had a good relationship with a group of three siblings: Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. 

In John’s Gospel, we learn of Lazarus’ death. The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.” 

When Jesus heard it, He said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God.” 

Jesus added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.” The disciples replied, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.” 

TTNY - ‘This time next year’

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A few years ago in the church I attend, there would be a short, weekly interview with an individual about TTT: This Time Tomorrow. It was a great way of getting to know what a Monday morning would look like in somebody else’s life journey. 

 

Whilst reflecting on those life journeys, I thought about TTNW: This Time Next Week. Then, we could go further into next month, next year, the next 5 years, 10 years and then reality has got to kick in at some point, hasn’t it? So allow me to ask about TTNY: This Time Next Year. 

Some of you may remember a TV show, This Time Next Year, that was presented by Davina McCall. It aired between November 2016 and March 2019 over 3 series.  

For any who didn’t watch it, participants made a pledge to fulfil a personal life goal within a 12 month period. The show continued as if a whole year had passed in the space of a few minutes. It was cleverly done. We saw massive weight loss stories such as a mother and daughter who successfully lost 15 stone between them, new careers being followed and a deaf toddler fitted with a cochlear implant for the first time being able to hear and respond to sound. 

There were before and after interviews with a brief 12 month diary clip shown in between which was very emotional and often had viewers in tears. Davina McCall gave some good advice along the way including…

How much do you value your life?

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Recently a lady took an oil painting by L.S. Lowry (1887-1976) to an ‘Antiques Roadshow’ to be valued. After inspection by a knowledgeable connoisseur of art she was informed that it could be worth £100,000. The lady was shocked and said, “I had no idea it was so valuable.” For years it had been in the house and few people even cast a second glance at it but the name of the artist so clearly visible at the bottom of the painting meant it was a treasure.

After reading this story I began to think of the people, many of whom have heard the gospel from infancy, who should know how valuable God’s salvation is, and who only discover its importance when it is too late to obtain it and they have found themselves in Hell, on the wrong side of the “great gulf fixed” of which the Lord Jesus spoke in Luke 16.26. For years they were deceived into thinking that salvation was something only for the religiously inclined, a pleasant addition to life but not absolutely necessary; to them it was a mere badge of respectability, but they never considered it a ‘must-have’ in view of an unending eternity.

My friend, you can live quite successfully and happily without salvation but you can never be in Heaven without it; that is a complete impossibility. The main reason for its importance is the name which is linked to salvation. It was the Lord Jesus Christ Who provided salvation at an infinite cost: the giving of His life. Only by accepting Him can you obtain the salvation of your soul. Salvation is not obtained in any place, practices, prayers or piety; it is linked to the Person of the Lord Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. To receive Him as personal Saviour is the only way by which your sins can be forgiven.

God is never too busy to answer your call!

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In the Gospel of Mark we read the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar from the town of Jericho. Due to his disability he was unable to work and had to beg for a living. He, in all probability, had heard about Jesus and the miracles He was doing.  The problem was that by this time Jesus was well known and was always followed by a crowd of people. They may not have had radio, television, twitter, Facebook or mobile phones, but the message would travel fast and people would surround Jesus. 

How does anyone get access to Him under these circumstances, especially someone with the disability of blindness? Sometimes we can feel like this as well. Perhaps we feel that Jesus is too busy and too consumed with the greater good or the affairs of the world, why would He stop for ‘little old me’! This story reminds us that regardless of the crowds, HE is willing and waiting to respond to our callings! HE is not beyond our reach. 

Perhaps Bartimaeus had hoped and longed that he too could meet Jesus. Then, the most unlikely thing was happening – Jesus was passing by and He was passing by the very spot where Bartimaeus was. The very person he had hoped to meet was right there, close to him, within his reach. 

The Ultimate Story

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It is not uncommon for blockbuster movies to be followed by a sequel and even a “three-quel.” The film industry has discovered that film lovers like to revisit certain stories.  They want to know more about the characters and want to see what happens next.  George Lucas, years after completing his original Star Wars trilogy, took it one step further by producing three “prequels” to look at how the characters and story lines developed. Fans around the world were thrilled to learn more. Sometimes we may find ourselves focusing more attention on our own entertainment and amusement than getting to know God through His Son Jesus.

When it comes to the Lord Jesus we have the ultimate story - a real story - provided to us through the truth of The Bible, which can awaken us to the reality of God’s love and grace. The Bible gives us glimpses of who He is and what He has done. We can track through the Gospels and be amazed and thrilled at His insight and His character. If we follow Him to the end of each Gospel it should make us weep as He is beaten and crucified, as we realise the immense cost of our sin to our shame.

Titan Rescue

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On the morning of Sunday, 18th June 2023, Titan, a submersible containing five men, slipped slowly down into the cold North Atlantic waters. Their plan was to descend to the ocean floor, survey the wreckage of the ocean liner, the Titanic, and then return slowly to the surface. However, less than two hours into the dive, the submersible stopped communicating with the support vessel on the surface. The Titan did not reappear, and the US Coast Guard was informed. An unprecedented international rescue operation was launched, and all available resources were utilised in order to effect the rescue of the five men lost in the depths of the sea, before their emergency oxygen ran out.

Tragically, it was not to be. On the Thursday afternoon it was announced that debris had been located near the Titanic’s bow. The Titan had suffered a catastrophic failure and had been crushed by the unimaginable pressure. The five men had likely been killed in an instant. All of the effort expended in pursuit of a rescue proved to be utterly in vain; it would have made no difference if every resource and skill on Planet Earth had been applied: the passengers were already beyond rescuing, even before anyone knew they were missing.These tragic events serve as a parallel of our own condition. The Bible says that in our natural state we are at an insurmountable distance from God, “dead in trespasses and sins” Ephesians 2.1, in great danger of perishing eternally, and absolutely helpless to save ourselves. As soon as the crew of the Titan lost contact with the support vessel it was recognised that they would be unable to rescue themselves. Sadly, it was later discovered that no help on earth was sufficient to rescue them. Many people recognise that their sin is serious, deserving judgment, and that they need to be ‘rescued’ if they are ever to be in Heaven. But they think that through a great application of effort or resources, such as good works, prayers, or giving to charity, they will be able to rescue themselves. However, the Bible says that salvation is “not of works” Ephesians 2.9, and even the good things that we try to do are but “filthy rags” Isaiah 64.6, compared to God’s perfect standard.

Missing Persons

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For seventy-five hours no one knew exactly where he was; in fact shortly after his escape some suggested that there was the possibility that he had already left the country. There was an immediate lock-down at Wandsworth prison when it was discovered that someone was missing. For just over three days Daniel Khalife became one of the UK’s most-wanted men until his arrest by a plain-clothes counterterrorism police officer as he cycled in Northholt in west London.

This high profile case was front-page news because of its seriousness, but around 170,000 people are reported as missing annually in the UK, a figure which is considered as an underestimate by charities and the police. There are families who have someone missing and have no idea where that person is; how distressing must that be!

Not my King!

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The coronation of King Charles III was watched by a peak TV audience of around 20 million viewers in the UK, while many thousands lined the route of the royal procession in London, supervised by 11,500 police officers. Inside Westminster Abbey just over two thousand guests, including Presidents, Prime Ministers and Kings and Queens from other nations, respectfully watched the ceremony. The steadily falling rain could not dampen the spirits of the crowds, many of whom had camped out for hours to secure a prime location from which to get the best possible view of the pomp and pageantry.

While so many were eager to be present and show their appreciation and support for the King, there was a comparatively small but vocal number of protesters who left no one in any doubt that they had absolutely no respect for the man who was going to Westminster Abbey to be crowned King. They held their placards aloft with a simple, unambiguous message inscribed on them: “Not my King”. They wanted to make it abundantly clear that they had no allegiance to this Monarch and no love for the Royal Family. Their boos and chants were drowned out by the overwhelmingly larger numbers who joined in the singing of the National Anthem and cheered enthusiastically as the procession moved past.A similar scene was enacted almost two thousand years ago, but on a much grander scale. Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, was interrogating a prisoner in Whom he could find no fault and therefore he was unwilling to punish Him and desired to release Him. He said to the multitudes of Jews who had thronged the narrow streets of Jerusalem outside the Praetorium, the Governor’s palace where he conducted many trials, “Behold your King!” John 19.14. The immediate response, without delay or dissent, from the amassed crowds was, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him … We have no king but Caesar” John 19.15. The loud, angry voices conveyed a unanimous message of total rejection of this King, the Son of God. Shortly afterwards that innocent, sinless Man Whom the world refused was led, cross-laden and thorn-crowned, to Golgotha, to be put to death by the most cruel and violent method of execution: crucifixion. This world is stained with the blood of Christ and is guilty of His murder.

Quit worrying

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Have you ever wondered how people could look at the same thing but see something totally different? Why do weather forecasters tell us there’s a 30% chance of rain tomorrow? Why don’t they just say a 70% chance of radiant sunshine?

In Bible times, twelve influential men were selected to conduct an analysis of the new country to be inhabited by their nation. They were assigned the task of looking at the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats of the land. A lot was at stake. This new land had been their dream land for quite a while. A million people had been promised a better life in a better land. They were in transition, having left their life-long homes in hope of striking it rich in a new homeland. Just now they were camping in a wilderness – not really the type of a place we would want to call home. The new land was still a dream for them.

So, the Leadership Team of Twelve set out on their mission. It did not take long for some conclusions to emerge regarding the possibilities and threats. However, they could not reach agreement on their findings and a majority report had to be delivered – not an unanimous one! The majority saw only doom and gloom in the new land. The minority report filed by Caleb and Joshua was upbeat and positive with a recommendation for immediate action.