Nothing can change me - that's the way I am! True or False?

TRUTH U CAN TRUST - DIRECT BIBLE QUOTATIONS - TITUS 1:4-16

Please read the bible quote and the comments at the end - thanks.

4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

⁵ For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

⁶ If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

⁸ But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

⁹ Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

¹⁰ For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

¹¹ Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

¹² One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

¹³ This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

¹⁴ Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

¹⁵ Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

¹⁶ They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The caricature of national characteristics does not go down well with the

members of the nation being described. 

To call the Scots mean is not only insulting but untrue. 

To call the Irish stupid is equalling insulting and any brief visit to the Emerald Isle

will reveal that in terms of making money they are far from stupid.  I could go on

but I'd rather have some friends when I have finished writing this piece! 

So what is my point?

In the chapter quoted above the residents of Crete are described as 'liars, violent and

greedy", not guaranteed to endear one to the nationals but one that seems to have been

commonly accepted in the days of the New Testament; I am sure that things have changed

drastically since then. 

The point that the writer is making is that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ (also

described as getting saved or being converted) completely changes a person and

counteracts what we are naturally. 

I whole heartedly recommend turning from your sin and accepting Christ as your Lord and

Saviour. To find out more read some of my previous blogs or visit me on

www.seekthetruth.org.uk.   

Collecting wood for a bonfire in July!

Ballyduff, Northern Ireland - Preparing for the 12th

I have just come back from speaking in a local church in Ballyduff in Ulster. To most of us that means Northern Ireland or just Ireland but to the people who live in that part of the province it's Ulster. Look at the picture that I took. They are preparing and collecting tyres and wood for their annual bonfire on the 12th of July. What commitment! I could hardly take it in! 

Most of us find it hard to understand the mindset of people who hold on to their traditions with such veracity. Nothing seems to divert them from the task of celebrating an event that took place hundreds of years ago. 

If you follow this blog you might be asking what has this got to do with Liverpool? A good question!

Here is the reason. When I was in Ballyduff I met a lot of people who love Liverpool - I can't blame them; it's a great place. Their love however was for one of the city's famous football teams. I am not letting out which one it was, you can guess. The devotion for their favourite team equalled their commitment to their preparations for their annual bonfire. 

My question to you is this? Is there anything that you would show that amount of commitment to? What would you risk everything to preserve or uphold? In my view none of the things that I have talked about in this blog rank high enough in my list of priorities to give them that level of commitment. I do however have one thing that is at the top of my list - my faith in Jesus Christ. One of the early Christians said about the Lord Jesus that he is 'the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me' (Paul the Apostle). One of the great missionaries from England of a past generation said this 'If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him (C.T.Studd).

What are you living for?
What would you die for?