The raw power of nature

We all get occasions in our lives when we see something that makes us stop and stand in awe.  It may be a glorious sunset, or a waterfall or a flock of starlings making patterns in the sky.  Some have travelled north into Scandinavia to see the northern lights of gone to Canada to stand at the edge of the Niagara Falls. We can describe such experiences as breathtaking, but often such sights simply are inexpressible.

One of these that I experienced was just over twenty years ago when my wife and I were working together at Murree Christian School in Pakistan.  We were house parents to nineteen children, all of whom were aged six to nine years of age. School life followed a fairly regular routine, but, occasionally we would take them out for a special treat. On this occasion it was nearing the end of the school year so we went from Jhika Gali, where the school was sited, to Murree for an “evening out”.  

Is life just a game?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

Sports games and competitions are very important to many people. Still, others think they are only games and so don't get too serious about them.

It got me thinking! Is life just a game? From one angle, the answer is no, it is not, and it's a very serious undertaking. You only get one run of it, so don't mess it up. The Lord Jesus warned people about wasting their lives when He said, 'And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?', Mark 8. 36, NLT. You were created to know God, and without Him, this life and the next will be very pointless and hopeless.

Yet, there's a certain truth in the notion that life is akin to a game. Just as games are meticulously planned, so too is our life. The Bible teaches that our existence is not a haphazard occurrence, but a purposeful design. Each of us is a unique creation, born with the mission to know our creator, God. As Jesus said, 'I came that they may have life and have it abundantly' (John 10. 10).

Reflecting on some April surprises

 

When we eventually look back on this month, I wonder what we will

remember most, asks Bert Cargill of St Monans Gospel Hall. It has

brought some surprises, and I am not thinking about the weather this

time.

The sharp increase in fuel prices came as an unwelcome surprise,

making a trip to the pumps ever more expensive. This of course was the result of the unwelcome war against Iran. As it progressed, its effects on many Persian Gulf states came as terrible surprise for them, and now for more countries than ever. Perhaps we did not realise how vital the free passage of oil tankers really was.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Matthew

 

The Gospel in Matthew – Meeting the King Who Came to Save

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, but it also serves as a bridge to the Old Testament. It stands with one foot in the promises of the Old Testament and the other in the fulfilment found in Jesus Christ. 

Matthew wants his readers―especially Jewish readers―to see that Jesus is the promised King, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Saviour of the world.

But Matthew is not just a history book. It is a Gospel―good news. It tells us who Jesus is, why He came, and how we can know God through Him.

1. Jesus in History – A Real Man in a Real World

Matthew begins with something many modern readers skip: a genealogy. But this is not a dry list of names. It is Matthew’s way of saying, “You can check this. Jesus is rooted in real history.”

He traces the Lord Jesus through Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1).

This shows:

• Jesus is a Jew, descended from Abraham.

• Jesus is the rightful heir to Israel’s throne, descended from David.

• Jesus fulfils God’s promises to both men.

But Matthew also shows something unique. Jesus has a family tree, yet He is sinless. We all come from Adam and inherit his sin (Romans 5:12), but Jesus was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23). This means He entered the world without the sin that marks every one of us. As the angel said, “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”.