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!

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.

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.

Power – Megalomania, Men and God

By Stephen Baker

Men love power – but why? Stephen points out that history is full of men who want to be God, but only one God who would be man. That man is Jesus, Son of God.

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

Men Who Want to be God

History is replete with men who have strived to be recognized as God. The ultimate power sought by many is to rule over other men and women and be worshipped by them.

Before Jesus had reached His second birthday, He had already become the target of an assassination plot by King Herod, the ruthless and paranoid ruler of Roman-controlled Judea. Joseph and Mary, prompted by a dream from God, took the baby and fled to Egypt.

Can you be born a Christian?

Can you be born a Christian?

Do you need to live to a certain standard and struggle to prove you qualify?

Can your parents make you a Christian?

Does the fact that you are born in a Christian country (so called) mean that you are a Christian?

Does going to Church or reading the bible make you a Christian?

Why did God allow Hurricane Harvey?

By the time you read this, hopefully, Hurricane Harvey will be long gone, but we all know that the after effects of such a tragedy take a lot longer to handle. The physical reconstruction work is daunting enough but rebuilding lives, families, hearts, and minds is another matter completely. Why did God allow such devastation? 

Many people claim to have answers, here are a few to think about.

1. We are being punished for sin.

God brought plagues against Egypt in response to Pharaoh's "hardened heart." The book of Revelation is full of disasters arranged by God to discipline those who reject him. Is Hurricane Harvey an instrument of his anger against our sinfulness?

If so, does this mean that people living on the Gulf Coast are worse sinners than those residing in the Wirral, London or New York City? God can use disasters to bring us to repentance, but is this always the explanation for such calamity?

2. Fairness demands that God ignores the crisis.

If God stopped Hurricane Harvey, wouldn't he have to do the same with every storm? Does this mean that he cannot cure anyone of cancer unless he cures everyone of cancer? He cannot protect one person unless he protects us all! Such logic is flawed. I, personally, know of examples where God has healed in response to prayer, and he has protected people in the past - i.e., in the UK we had a National Day of Prayer on the 26th of May 1940 before successful Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 against all the odds.

3. He does not know or doesn't care, or can't help.

Skeptics might claim that if God knew the devastation that this hurricane would bring, or cared for those in its path, or had the power to prevent their suffering, surely he would have intervened. So because he has not, he cannot? However, His word teaches that he is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Moreover, his omniscience, compassion, and omnipotence are on display regularly in our broken world.

So what is my conclusion - I do not have an answer, but I know that God sometimes intervenes in natural disasters and sometimes he does not. I do know that sometimes he heals and sometimes he does not. The scripture states in Isaiah 55:8 ”my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” 

I also know that God saves all who call upon his name, Romans 10:13 and that he loves us unconditionally despite the fact that we are all sinners, Romans 5:8. The Bible teaches that one day this broken world will be gone and that Believers will live in "a new heaven and a new earth,” Revelation 21:1.

I choose to trust God, to trust him even when I do not presently have explanations. Will you join me?

Following Instructions - A FTMP Blog

Do you find people are terrible at following instructions? Seek the Truth Bible Media presents the latest FTMP Blog on the topic. We hope you find it useful.

http://findingthemissingpeace.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/following-instructions.html

Are we getting the message?

I spotted this cute cartoon in local fast food restaurant last week in Birkenhead. It is amazing how a simple sketch can catch your imagination! It gets the message across! I was in no doubt what the message was - put your rubbish in the bin. I didn't need a lot of words, it's simple. Look and learn.

I see life and the message of the bible the same way. The main message is quite simple.




What do you think of when you see this? Do you think of death, finality, fear of the next stage, the end of life? The imagery is not hard to grasp. The bible says "It is appointed unto men once to die, after this....the judgment", Hebrews 9.27.


Most people associate a cross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The symbolism is clear, a man dying on a cross. There are a lot of questions that this raises if you take the time to stop and think.

Who really was Jesus?
Was his death miscarriage of justice?
Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things?
If he never sinned does that mean he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God?

The answers to these questions, and more, lie in the bible. There is no point in looking elsewhere. The bible is the only communication that God has given to us to answer these questions. I would recommend that you read the following verses for answers. You will get a bible on-line or in most high street book shops. I have quoted the passages below.

Who really was Jesus? John 20:31 says "these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name".

Was his death a miscarriage of justice? The bible says in Acts 2 that Jesus was "a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs" but that the people of the day had taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain him. In chapter 3 it is stated you "denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted into you". So yes, there was no legal reason to kill the Son of God but his death has provided salvation for those who will repent and trust him.

Does his death have any real significance in the big scheme of things? The bible strenuously states "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures", 1 Corinthians 15.3,4. Again in 2 Corinthians 5.19 it says "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses into them".

If Jesus never sinned does that men's he was capable of suffering for our sins, to bring us to God? 1 Peter 3:18 states "For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring is to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit".

For more information, podcasts or video links visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk.

All posts have the aim of pointing people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or to aid Christian growth and development.

Location:From Perth, Scotland

No one can be certain that there is life after death!

I hear a lot of people saying that you are welcome to your beliefs about God, the afterlife, judgement for sin etc but you can't be sure. The main logic behind this is that we only get one chance at life and that no one comes back to tell us what is on the other side.

All of this of course is true if you only have access to personal experience but of course we have far more than that. We have a vast history of people who have not just anecdotal evidence but personal history and experience with God.

As a Christian I have become convinced that the bible is the word of God. You would need to read it for yourself and do some research to check this out. Most people say that they don't have time to do this. BUT if your future destination in the next life hangs on the truthfulness of this book then it would be wise to look into it seriously.

History has proven the bible to be trustworthy and to date no freshly discovered fact has proven it wrong. The bible speaks about matters of ordinary life as well as about spiritual issues. Archeology, geography, medical science to name a few have eventually proven that the bible was accurate. Let me give you one example. In Leviticus 17.11 the bible states that 'the life of the flesh is in the blood".  This was stated thousands of years before medical science discovered the vast plethora of things that blood contains to maintain human life. I could on... about the planetary system. the water cycle, oceanic currents and much more.

My point is that if the bible can be trusted in things that we can verify it gives us the confidence to trust it in areas where we have no expertise i.e. the spiritual.

As I close may I state some of the things the bible does say about the unknown.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews.9.27)

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5.28,29)

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31

It is all true. I trust that you will be richly blessed as you consider this blog.

For more blogs, podcasts or videos log into www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Answers to life's questions - weekly podcasts

Answers to life's questions - weekly podcasts

Many people are confused and heartbroken? My latest podcast explains how to enjoy peace with God and how to experience the peace of God. Hope it helps. Stephen

I was reading today in the book of Deuteronomy in the Bible. This book title means the second law. It is the second account of how God spoke to Moses and how Moses received the Law of God and the Ten Commandments. It makes an interesting read and it is not as hard going as you might imagine. The reason it had to be rewritten was in effect because before the law had been written down the first time the nation of Israel had already broken it. As Moses came down Mount Sinai he and Joshua thought that they heard the shouts of people at war. In fact they were hearing the noise of a wild party where their people were dancing and worshipping a golden calf.





What did God do then? Before Moses left the presence of God he had been warned what was going on at base camp. God had threatened to destroy the nation and start a new one through Moses. Moses in a characteristic act of humility and bravery reminded God of the shame and criticism that God would bring on His name if he destroyed his own people and in an amazing turnaround God agreed not to judge them. Now I don't really know how all this works but it seems to me on a simple reading of scripture that there have been a few men who had real power of persuasion in the presence of God (Moses, Abraham and Jacob to name a few) and God responded to their prayers - that should give us all hope.


As I close I want to summarise by pointing you to a couple of verses in Deuteronomy:


Deut.4.24 - "The Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God". This is so true and reflects the power and holiness of God. He is jealous (this is not an evil sense of the word jealous) of His holy character and will not allow it to be violated. So where does that leave flawed and sinful people like you and I - look at the next verse and also bear in mind Moses prayer.


Deut.4.31 - "For the Lord thy God is a merciful God". Is this a contradiction in terms? I personally don't think so. God preserves His character and will not allow it to be defiled but in grace he makes provision for sinful people to be forgiven. In the Old Testament it was sacrifices that had the temporary effect of covering sin. These sacrifices pictured the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. His ultimate sacrifice makes it possible for us to be forgiven and experience the mercy of God. Scripture says "if we confess our sins, he faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1.John.1.9).

May the Lord bless you in this manner today.


Stephen


PS please watch my latest video on Moses and the Passover

Is Jesus the Son of God?

You might think that this is an irrelevant question or the most important question in the world. I happen to believe that it is the latter as your opinion of Jesus Christ will determine your eternal destiny. Why not listen to my new podcast at www.seekthetruth.org.uk to discover what convinces me that Jesus is the Son of God and to discover why it is such an important issue. Let me know what you think. Stephen