Following Instructions

I don’t know about you, but one of the most maddening things I find about people is that they don’t listen or follow instructions. We all know that happens so often in everyday life. We know that people are told things and don’t listen. It could be to do with our health or money, but we often ignore the advice we are given. Sometimes, people are given guidelines but ignore them and just do it their way.

I am writing to point people to what God says in the Bible. But God wants them to listen and to follow His instructions for life. For instance, Jesus said one day, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14.6 – the Bible). If you follow that instruction, you will become a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.

Ruth Bell Graham's Prayer

Many years ago, the future wife of Billy Graham prayed the prayer at the end of this post. Her prayer was undoubtedly answered. 

Have you ever made a note of your prayers? It’s the only way to know if your prayers are answered. God hears and answers prayers. 

The first prayer we need to make is the prayer of repentance. Here are some verses that confirm this truth.

Before you read the verses let me explain what the word repent means. To repent means a change of place or condition, to exercise the mind, think, comprehend. It is a change of mind or to relent. 

Theologically, it involves regret or sorrow, accompanied by a true change of heart toward God. It is distinguished from mere regret - summary of definition from 'The Complete Word Study Bible'. 

Plastic Surgery

A few years ago an 82 year old woman in America had major cosmetic surgery involving a face lift, botox injections to smooth out the wrinkles, lip re-sculpting, and much much more. It all had required seven hours of surgery and had cost $25,000. When she was asked why in the world she would do this, she replied that there was no point in waiting until she got any older.

Somewhere on our planet today, according to scientists, is a child who they say will still be alive 150 – 180 years from now. That sounds so incredible until, according to the same scientists, we consider how our lifespan has increased over the years.

When Jesus died at around age 33, He would have been pretty old for that part of the world. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the average lifespan  was 49 and many women died in childbirth. Many more people died of disease. If they lived to be 60, they were pretty old. If someone died in 1965 at the age of 74 it was considered relatively old for that time, but now the average lifespan is just over 81 years of age. The retirement age is being pushed up and there are people in their 80’s who are running marathons.  

One book you ought to read more than once!

Although it is impossible to get precise statistics it is clear that the Bible is the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book. A number of years ago the Bible Society did a survey and came to the conclusion that around 2.5 billion copies of the Bible were printed between 1815 and 1975. More up to date figures put the number at more than 5 billion.

The Bible has been translated into 349 languages; 2,123 languages have at least one book of the Bible in that language source - the Bible Society.

Please read the following extract from the Bible. Listen to what God says in His timeless book. It will set you up not just for a year but for the rest of your life, if you believe it.

War Heroes Remembered

GREATER LOVE

In the city of Melbourne, Australia, there is a very impressive shrine in memory of those from the state of Victoria who gave their lives for their country in times of war. The shrine was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in memory of the thousands from Victoria who served and died in the 1914 -1918 war. It has been a growing monument with other memorials added to the site as Australian soldiers fought in various campaigns. Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the forecourt in 1954 to those who served in the 1939 - 1945 war. There is a prominent inscription that declares, "Let all men know that this is holy ground". This is recognition that there is something very special about those who died on behalf of others.

Storm Survival Advice

Scripture Reading

Acts chapter 27

Scripture Verse

‘I believe God that it will be just as it was told me’

Acts 27:25

This part of the story is scary for anyone who does not like sailing. Paul is starting his journey to Rome where he will meet the Roman Emperor. The soldier who is guarding him is called, Julius.  Julius is a nice man. He is kind, thoughtful and polite. He must also have been good at his job. He was part of a group of important soldiers and he was the boss.

How to change your life in a moment

I remember once that my attention was caught by a Scottish Widows advertising campaign slogan, it said...

‘Change your life today’! 

That seems a bit dramatic - Is it really possibly to have a personal revolution in a day?

Being honest there are not many things that cause a transformation in a day; but it could happen. Let me give you one example  there are others. For instance, you could meet an individual who changes your life for ever. The love of your life! You have just been introduced or your paths have only crossed but immediately your heart is captured and things are never quite the same again. 

For some people their first encounter with Jesus of Nazareth changed them from that day forward. His grace and love captured their hearts. The voice of God stirred their spirit and they became aware of their failings and sin. The feeling of guilt was crushing as they discovered how rebellious they were by nature and why life hurt so much. The outcomes and consequences of sins were devastating but what blew them away was that 'Christ died for our sins'. He, the holy Son of God paid in person the full price God required to clear the guilty and forgive the fallen.

The words of the Bible, despite being shocking in their starkness and truthfulness, ring true to reality and are in tune with the human conscience. 

Let me remind you of the blunt, basic but honest truths of the Bible:

In respect of wrong that is found in every human being: 

‘All have sinned’

‘The soul that sins shall die’

‘The wages of sin is death’ 

Sinful people 'will be cast into hell’

In supporting the claim that Jesus is the only means of rescue (salvation) 

Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the Father (God) but by me’

'Neither is there salvation in any other' (only Jesus)

'Through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins'

In explaining what you need to do to take advantage of God’s rescue plan

'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved'

'Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'

'Repent and believe the gospel'

The truth is there!

The choice is will you believe!

Your life could be changed, in a moment!

Last Days

Over 30 years ago a young couple and their family had a little time free, before going to Brazil as missionaries, to help me in Cornwall do some personal evangelism. We went to a popular beach at Bude and positioned ourselves in the car park and gave gospel leaflets to people passing by. One holiday maker saw us and approached us saying, “Are we in the last days then?” to which I replied “It depends which last days you are thinking about”. He engaged in conversation with us and told us that for the past five years he had been associating with Jehovah Witnesses in Derbyshire. We spoke about the Bible and the Person of Christ. He surprised us by saying, “I am fast coming to the realization that the Jehovah of the Old Testament in the Jesus of the New”. I replied “That’s great! You are half way there”. What did I mean by that? He had come to understand that Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. What he needed to do was to acknowledge that he was a sinner for whom Christ died and to ask His forgiveness and receive Him as his Lord and Saviour. How lovely it would be if he went all the way!

Why do we need forgiveness?

Why do we need forgiveness? What does God’s forgiveness look like? And is it possible to truly be forgiven? Stephen Baker explores the topic of forgiveness by looking at what the Bible teaches.

Life is full of questions and often the answers are difficult. Stephen Baker seeks to answer various questions about life and faith using the Bible as his only source. Listen to Stephen’s show, “Life Questions,” on HopeStreamRadio as he tackles the challenge of life questions.

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”– Ephesians 1:7

Does It Matter Who Jesus Is?

Is Jesus Christ the Son of God? 

Why are Christians are so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and why is it deemed to be so important? It’s an excellent question! Christian belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First of all we believe that God has revealed information, to the prophets who wrote the Bible, to point us in the right direction. Our beliefs are not just based on human research or discovery. 

In other areas of life when we want to learn about something outside of our sphere of experience we seek information from a trustworthy source. So if you are researching space travel for the first time you would go to NASA or some other space agency to ask them questions. It is wise practice to go a reliable source. 

Easter and the Cross - Verified and Proven Accurate

Why are Christians so convinced that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and why is it deemed to be so important? It's an excellent question!

Christian belief is laid on a very solid foundation. First, we believe God has revealed information to the prophets who wrote the Bible to point us in the right direction. Our beliefs are not just based on human research or discovery. In other areas of life, when we want to learn about something outside our sphere of experience, we seek information from a trustworthy source. If you are researching space travel for the first time, you should go to NASA or some other space agency to ask them questions. It is wise practice to go to a reliable source.

Would you die for a stranger?

On Wednesday the 19th. November 1997, the M.V. Green Lily ran aground on Bressay, near Grut Wick. After loading a cargo of approximately 3000 tonnes of frozen fish, bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Isles, the Croatian-born captain decided to set sail in foul weather, in spite of warnings from the Harbour Master not to leave the port at Lerwick, Shetland. Shortly after leaving the harbour, the ship suffered engine failure in a force 9 gale forecast to reach force 11 imminently and was left drifting in 50ft. waves, eventually running aground off Bressay.

The eye in the sky - is there too much surveillance?

In 2013, it was reported that the UK has some of the most surveillance cameras per head in the developed world. The surveillance commissioner, Tony Porter – a former senior counter-terrorism officer – said ‘the public was complacent about encroaching surveillance and urged public bodies, including the police, to be more transparent about how they are increasingly using smart cameras to monitor people’.

Post-truth and Fake News

Every year the Oxford English Dictiounary introduce a new word to their word dictionary.

Back in November, Alison Flood wrote an interesting leader in The Guardian about post-truth, she wrote,’ In the era of Donald Trump and Brexit, Oxford Dictionaries has declared “post-truth” to be it's international word of the year. Defined by the dictionary as an adjective “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”, editors said that use of the term “post-truth” had increased by around 2,000% in 2016 compared to last year. The spike in usage, it said, is “in the context of the EU referendum in the United Kingdom and the presidential election in the United States”.

Chile or Chilly?

If you were asked to spell ‘Chile’, what would you say? Chile, chilly or chilli? Please don’t panic as it really is Chile 3 ways. It was this third chilli that I prepared for an evening meal that got me thinking of the three chilly options I’m presenting to you today.

 

The first Chile is officially known as the Republic of Chile. This is a developing country and is one of the most economically and social stable nations in South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica. The Republic of Chile occupies a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and has Peru to the north, the Drake Passage to the south and Bolivia to the east. Santiago is the capital city and Spanish is the national language.

 

My second chilly is when it’s not warm and is typical of a winter’s day when the temperatures drop and there is a definite need for the heating to be put on. Some synonyms for chilly include crisp, brisk, wintry, and snowy. It can also be used in the context of being unfriendly or cold.

 

Our third chilli is the infamous chilli con carne, chilli with meat. Chili con carne is a spicy stew of Mexican origin containing chili peppers, meat which is typically minced beef or steak, tomatoes as well as kidney beans or pinto beans. Other ingredients used can be garlic, onions, and cumin. In our home, a tin of baked beans is often used as well as some tomato passata and a splash of tomato puree or ketchup. 

Joy & Sadness - the offering of Christmas

Joy and sorrow are opposite emotional experiences that all of us know throughout our lifetime. Life is like a tapestry of bright and dark colours and often the bright parts shine the brighter when set against a dark background. 

I am reminded of Benjamin Malachi Franklin’s poem ‘Just a Weaver’, 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

One of the things that I really love about this time of year is the music. I mean all of it, I love all the songs but particularly the Christmas Carols.

We sing the same songs, year after year, and the words get stuck in our heads; we can often recite the words without even thinking about it. 

Many people attend Carol Services and Concerts and while a wide range of songs are sung the majority are still Carols. The words of the Carols can teach us a lot about the message of Christmas. 

Does anybody care?

Does Anyone Care?

Does anyone care? That’s a question that lonely people often ask themselves throughout the winter season. Everyone else seems to have people to share the Christmas season with, and the first weeks of the year can be dreary and depressing.
Life is full of questions and often the answers are difficult. Stephen Baker seeks to answer various questions about life and faith using the Bible as his only source. Listen to Stephen’s show, “Life Questions,” on HopeStreamRadio as he tackles the challenge of life questions.

Does Anyone Care?

This time of the year can be a lonely time for many people! Everyone has their family, or do they? There are a lot of people about who are very private and keep themselves to themselves. They would not trouble anyone with their problems and would not presume that anyone else is interested.

Happiness

'Happy Christmas' A departed friend of mine used to say, ‘Happiness depends upon happenings but joy abides!’ I hear what he was saying because there is a difference isn’t there?