RHS Bridgewater

I visited RHS Bridgewater near Manchester on Monday this week. It was beautiful. Here are some (unedited) pictures. 

Have a good day,

Stephen 

Do you feel like the QE2? - left to rot

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

The QE2 – the longest, widest, tallest, fastest and most expensive passenger liner when it was built – made 26 circumnavigations of the world and took more than three million passengers a staggering 5,875,264 nautical miles in glittering surroundings that were the epitome of luxury. 

Today, however, more than 55 years after she was launched, the once magnificent QE2 is a discarded shell taking on rainwater and slowly gathering rust alongside a spartan dockside in Dubai’s commercial harbour, Port Rashid. At a distance – and that’s how the security guards like to keep inquisitive tourists – the former Cunard flagship looks as if she is ready to cast off at any moment, full steam ahead on what would be her 1,375th voyage. Close up the reality is tragically different. Gone are the glorious days of pre-dinner cocktails in the Chart Room, formal meals at the captain’s table or late nights over liqueurs in the Yacht Club. No longer do bronzed couples on 80-day world cruises spend lazy hours on sunbeds or enjoy unhurried moonlit strolls around the teak deck.

Queen Victoria's Conversion - Being sure of eternal life!

Queen  Victoria's  Conversion 

Queen  Victoria  once  attended  a  service  in  St. Paul's  Cathedral  and  listened  to  a  sermon  that interested  her  greatly.  Afterwards  she  asked  her chaplain,  "Can  one  be  absolutely  sure  in  this  life  of eternal  safety?"  His  answer  was  that  he  knew  no  way that one could be absolutely sure. 

On this day!

On this day, 3 October in 1929, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was renamed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The term "Yugoslavia" was used as a colloquial name since the kingdom’s origin in 1918 meaning “Land of the South Slavs”.

On this day, 3 October in 1835, the Staedtler Company was founded in Nuremberg, Germany. Staedtler claims to be the largest European manufacturer of wood-cased pencils, OHP pens, mechanical pencil leads, erasers, and modelling clays with over twenty global subsidiaries and seven manufacturing facilities. Over 85% of production takes place in the headquarters, still located in Nuremberg.

Looking back at events that happened long ago can be quite fascinating. As a Christian, I find it fascinating to think about what the Lord Jesus did in his life. We know for instance that as a boy of 12 He visited the Jewish Temple and as a result Mary and Joseph lost Him. Three days later they were shocked to find Him with the Jewish Rabbi's and teachers of the law, asking and answering questions. I would like to have witnessed that scene!

If I understand Jewish tradition and practice correctly I am pretty sure that the night before Jesus died outside the ancient of city of Jerusalem that He sang a Psalm with his disciples. The particular Psalm He was most likely to have sung was Psalm 118. We know this from Jewish tradition. When pilgrims were travelling to Jerusalem for Passover they always sang the Psalms of Degrees. The particular Psalm they would have sung at this stage was Psalm 118. The words are very poignant when you consider the sufferings that the Lord would endure the next day. They sang - 'this is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it'. Imagine rejoicing when facing death within 24 hours. The Lord Jesus knew a deep joy in doing what was pleasing to His Father.

I am so glad that I can say that Jesus is 'the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me' - 

Can you?

Love is of God - 1 John 4:10-21

1 John 4King James Version (KJV)

4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

this site will give you access to Bible Teaching Audio's and Video's as well.

The claims of Jesus!

Can I say first that the Lord Jesus was most humble and unassuming!

You will search in vain to find any proud, arrogant, assertive statements about himself. 

BUT you will never find a denial about who He is. 

All of this is a fulfilment of another bible prophecy - Isaiah 42:2 "He shall not cry, nor lift up, not cause His voice to be heard in the street". 

Note when He had carried out a miracle he often instructed the person not to go and broadcast what had been done, see Mark 7:36 "And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it".

THE LORD JESUS LEFT ANY RECOGNITION AND ACCLAIM TO BE GIVEN BY HIS FATHER, GOD, MEN AND WOMEN WHO RECOGNISED HIM FOR WHO HE IS - HAVE YOU?

God spoke from heaven - "this is my beloved Son/Thou art my beloved Son as recorded in Matt 3:17, Matt 17:5, Mark 1:1, Luke 3:22, 2 Peter 1:17

Men said - Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God - Matthew 16:16

Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel - John 1:49

I perceive that thou art a prophet - John 4:19

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ - John      

                        4:29

This is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world - John 4:42

You have to decide who you think Jesus is? This is not an option! Either you decide in life and come to know Him as your Lord and Saviour or you leave it or ignore it and find out that He is the Son of God when it is too late to accept him as your Saviour. 

For more information and further explanations of the message of the bible via videos, blogs and podcasts please visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

#backtothefuture The Blogger's Daily Diary - Sunday

Are there lessons that we can learn from things that have happened in the past? I am sure there are!

It's seems to be quite natural and normal to have a fascination with the past. This fascination with past life is both wonderful and exciting! So back to the past or 'Back to the future' might be a more appropriate title as we celebrate it's 25th anniversary. 

It has been famously said that "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. This quote was originally attributed to George Santayana, however,  Winston Churchill seems to be the one who made the statement famous. If my research is correct I think that the statement originally was: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

So what lessons can we learn from the history of our area? It would be interesting to get feedback from some of our older readers as I am sure they can recall many things from which we can learn important lessons. 

Here is one local incident near to where I live that can teach us some important lessons. West Kirkby on the Wirral has a Victorian promenade, flanked by the West Kirby Marine Lake that permits boats to sail even at low tide. The original wall was built to create the lake in 1899 but suffered a catastrophic leak in 1985. A new lake was then constructed on the site which is wider than previously and allows better sporting opportunities. What can we learn from this?

Man made things don't last for ever? 

Sometimes things happen when we least expect them!

We need to be aware of the condition of things so that we can make changes when necessary. 

Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that my aim is to heighten awareness of the human condition of sin and the provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Any sober reflection on the human condition would need to conclude that we are flawed. No one is perfect 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'1. Like the wall of the marine lake we may not notice any deterioration but it becomes obvious over time and the end result is disaster. Again the bible states 'the wages of sin is death'2. 

Can our condition be rectified? Indeed it can for the bible also states that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'3. It make the method of repair simple when it says 'if confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,'4. 

Bible Quotations

1. Romans 3:23

2. Romans 6:23

3. 1 Timothy 1:15

4. 1 John 1:9