Golden Weddings

The traditional gift for a 50th Wedding Anniversary is gold. Gold is a metal that is durable so I suppose that the symbolism is that of something that has lasted fifty years, is very valuable and has survived the ups and downs of life and is still standing and hopefully in good condition. There are not many things that increase in value over the years but a good marriage does, as does gold.

Life by its very nature is moving towards days of decline. Over time we lose strength, we are not quite as sharp as we used to be and one day life will ebb away and the question is, what then? One of the reasons I am a Christian is because the Lord Jesus Christ has given me eternal life. The biblical definition of eternal life is twofold. 1. It is the spiritual life that a person gets the moment their sins are forgiven and they have made their peace with God plus 2. It is the guaranteed prospect of existing forever in heaven (with a new body at the resurrection) in a place where death, sickness, sorrow and the effects of evil can never touch the people who are there. 

God's fair creation

On my return from the USA I had two days in the Lake District of England. We met my parents to catch up with the intention of chilling for a bit.

What a delight it was to discover Lowther Castle. It's just off Jct 44 on the M6. The 130 acre plot (just a small one) has been owned by one family for 800 years. It's history is fascinating but due to financial pressures the family castle was de-roofed (is there such a word) in 1937 so that double inheritance tax could be avoided.

Carole (my wife) and walked in the grounds for a couple of hours and had a delightful time.

It stuck me forcibly again that what humans build can be damaged or destroyed. God's word however is incorruptible and eternal. The bible states that the 'word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached into you' (1 Peter 1:25). The bible also says that the physical world is deteriorating over time (science now accepts this concept) but that God is the same and His years shall not fail (Hebrews 1:12). God is eternal, life giving, dependable and a saving God for those who 'repent (have a change of mind) and believe the gospel' (Mark 1:15).

For further information on Lowther Castle go to www.lowthercastle.org.

For further information on the bible and it's message go to previous posts and www.seekthetruth.org.uk

My daughter's Graduation Ceremony

This week was an exciting week for me. I witnessed my daughter graduate and receive a prize for all the hard work she put in at University over the last four years. I left school at 16 with barely 5 o'levels to my name and would not count myself to be overly intelligent by any stretch of the imagination. So it was a thrill to see my daughter achieve her personal best and to do so well matching up the brains God had given her with the hard work and effort that she chose to put in to her course.

I'll not name the university in case I get into trouble for commenting on the procedures that took place that day but some of the stuff was extremely impressive and some was incredibly funny. For instance I enjoyed watching the chair of the graduation ceremony and the various speakers donning their hats one to another at various stages in the proceedings. The style of some of the students or graduanes as they were known was amazing to say the least. Some of the girls could barely walk with the height of the heels that they were wearing and others could barely contain their excitement at arriving at this stage in their life. I heard whoops and catcalls from the guests and witnessed people so excited that they had reached this stage in their life that they almost danced across the stage. I must temper these comments by pointing out that these acts really were the exception and that most people behaved with a high degree of sophistication and the appropriate sense of occasion.

Lots more could be added to this description. Many other things that went on later in the day, at a prizegiving, were very interesting to watch but I will refrain. Save to say this hard work pays - congratulations to all who achieved so highly.


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Spectacular Events

In recent weeks there have been some spectacular events taking place in and around London. The Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth 2^nd’ ascension to the throne were unforgettable days of pageantry and splendour. The four days of celebration began on Saturday 2^nd.June by the Queen and Prince Philip attending the Epsom Derby.

The Daily Mail reported on Sunday’s ‘Big Lunch’, The Queen and her family will attend a City of London Livery companies lunch at Westminster Hall - The Livery Companies of the City of London originated in medieval times as Guilds responsible for trade regulation, including checking the quality of goods, weights and measures and training…. Some 700 guests representing the companies’ abundant trades and professions, ranging from grocers and gunmakers to fruiterers and fishmongers, will join for the tribute.’ Afterwards there were a 1000 boats on the River Thames as a Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, the Queen and her Consort were in the Royal Barge, forming the centre piece of the flotilla.

Monday was Day 3 and there was a concert outside the Palace, but the following day was the pinacle of celebration. The following are extracts from the Palace’s official website,’ Diamond Jubilee Weekend, Day 4: The Procession The final day of celebrations included a service at St Paul’s Cathedral, a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace where there was a Balcony appearance, Flypast, and Feu de Joie. The BBC reported that there were one and a half million people from all over the world, lining the Mall that runs from Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace, waving flags and cheering H.R.H. as she went passed.  In all it was a fitting expression of gratitude and affection by multitudes of people to Her Majesty for her long and faithful reign.

The Queen’s official birthday is celebrated with the Trooping of the Colour Parade in Horse Guards Parade. The Trooping of the Colour website provides the following information. ‘The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. The first traceable mention of The Sovereign's Birthday being 'kept' by the Grenadier Guards is in 1748 and again, after George III became King in 1760, it was ordered that parades should mark the King's Birthday. From the accession of George IV they became, with a few exceptions and notably the two World Wars, an annual event. This impressive display of pageantry is now held on the occasion of the Queen's Official Birthday. It takes place in June each year to celebrate the official Birthday of the Sovereign and is carried out by her personal troops, the Household Division, on Horse Guards Parade, with the Queen herself attending and taking the salute. Over 1400 officers and men are on parade, together with two hundred horses; over four hundred musicians from ten bands and corps of drums march and play as one. Some 113 words of command are given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.’ It is a splendid sight of colour, sound and precision.

The annual All England Tennis Club’s championship at Wimbledon is an event that attracts royalty and sporting stars to witness the skills and athleticism of men and women from across the globe, and is a foretaste of the imminent Olympic Games that will have its own pomp and ceremony.

Two spectacular events in the Bible that will soon take place are:

1.the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the air to take His Church to Heaven and then seven years later
2.the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When Christ comes to the air it will be a private coming, private in the sense that He will come alone and only those who are born again will respond to His call to meet Him in the air. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” If you are not born again you will not participate in this spectacular event, nor will you see it.

When Christ returns to earth it will be public, every eye shall see Him coming with His saints. John said, in Rev.19, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Those participating in the first event will also be there at the second, with Christ in the outshining of His glory however any who have never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will face the judgement of God which will be executed by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God bless you this week.

Written by Stan Burditt for Stephen G Baker

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