Hero

Cam was this fierce little boy, the youngest, but always scampering to follow after his brothers. He was trying hard to find his place in the world and holding on for dear life. Take the camping trip, the one where he saved his brother Pete's life.

Pete hadn't been well all the previous week, and he didn't really want to go camping, but he was never one to miss out on an opportunity. He had come down with an allergy and should have been more careful not to eat peanuts, but when you are camping, well....

Pete went down so fast, gasping for breath, and a feeling of dread came over all the boys who were camping with Cam and Pete.

Cam searched for his allergy pen to inject for his brother, but couldn't find it. As small as Cam was, he hauled big brother over his shoulder and struggled through the bush for at least 4 kilometers until he finally found a passing car and flagged it down.

Fortunately, Pete was still breathing, albeit pretty faintly. The driver of the car, a lady, quickly turned the car around and went back the way she came to the local hospital ten kilometres away.

The hospital organised a helicopter and flew Pete and Cam to the main hospital, at least 150 kilometres away. Cam asked the pilot to contact their parents, and of course, they obliged, and they flew into Sydney hospital.

Cam stayed with his big brother as the doctors and nursing staff rushed Pete through the emergency ward and to the theatre. Cam stayed with him as long as he could until one of the nursing staff very nicely took him aside and seated him in a waiting room not far away from his brother.

Cam and Peter's parents arrived and were rushed to the waiting room, where they met up with Cam. Pete had to have a resuscitation operation, and when it was over, two doctors came into the room where Cam and his parent were waiting.

They quickly got up to talk to the doctors to find out exactly what had happened, and one of the doctors explained that it was really touch-and-go when it came to saving Pete's life. They explained in great detail exactly how much young Cam had actually saved his brother's life.

How amazing to be in such a place to have saved someone's life like that - it makes me wonder just how many people have actually been in a very similar situation. Incredibly, people put themselves in precarious situations to help others - a sentiment we have heard many times over the years.

Cam is a HERO

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It was when the twin towers at the World Trade Centre were horribly destroyed in the USA on September 11th, 2001, by Islamist terrorists' suicide attacks by al-Qaeda. 

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four airliners, and then one flew into Centre in New York City. So many people were horribly killed, but what was extraordinary was the fact that so many people put their very own lives at incredible risk to save others. My heart goes out to the families of the 2,977 people killed on that day, and also to the thousands more injured.

This from Wikipedia

"Firefighters from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) rushed to the World Trade Centre minutes after the first plane struck the North Tower. Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer and his crew with Battalion 1 were among the first on the scene."

How amazing were these firefighters and, of course, the many, many others all on the scene - truly awe-inspiring 

It's so sad when a family member dies. It truly can be heartbreaking.

These firefighters and rescuers are HEROES

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Jesus put his life well and truly on the line for all of us. He gave his life to save mine and yours on that devastating day over 2000 years ago. WHY? Because without His payment for my sins, I would be held accountable by God and would pay the price.

We have heroes in this old world of ours - people who really put their lives on the line for us every day. 

Jesus actually gave his life to pay for my sins and yours - all you really have to do is ask Him to lead your life.

JESUS IS OUR HERO

God bless you this week

Gabby dabs her eyes with a tissue

Gabby dabs her eyes with a tissue. She looks at Jennie. It's been a lot to process, you know.

Jennie nods. You're doing great. Wish I could be really helpful.

Poor Gabby, losing her boyfriend Nate in a disastrous car accident, isn't anyone's favourite thing to witness - he was horribly hurt - Gabby just couldn't take it. She was so right saying that it is a lot to process.

Yes, Nate was speeding, and yes, Gabby was with him when they collided with that truck - all he did was lose his concentration for hardly a second, reaching for a surprise present for Gabby in the back seat. He had spent a long time choosing this surprise, and he certainly didn't expect that this surprise was something that would cost him his life.

Jennie, too, was so physically injured that it was really touch-and-go! Why was Nate speeding so much? They really weren't in that much of a hurry! Oh Nate! What have you done?

Nate's friend Martin trots after Jennie and Gabby. "You all right, Gab?"  says Martin. "Yes," says Gabby, but of course, she isn't.

Martin nods, his expression sympathetic. He couldn't help but express his thoughts out loud. "Nate shouldn't have been speeding - what an idiot."

Thank goodness Gabby can be comforted by friends such as Jennie and not Martin.

It's amazing, isn't it, how some people express themselves.

I know, from my limited experience, that people can be really thoughtful and expressive, but some people, like Martin, have to express their feelings regardless, and let everyone know how they are really feeling and reacting.

I know in my own family, when we lose a young loved one, some people can be sympathetic and can take your burden and really show genuine concern. While others can, and yes, they seem to show concern, but then just brush the concern away and get onto the next problem.

It can be a problem, especially for those of us who have been really hurt and sharing our hurt and concerns with others, only to find out down the line that these others really don't care at all.

A bit like Martin - showing concern and then bad-mouthing the deceased, Nate - sad but unfortunately so common.

Jesus's disciples were like this in lots of ways - they all stuck with him over at least three years of his ministry, only to let him down at the last minute before his horrible crucifixion.

I guess it would have been pretty ghastly when Jesus was crucified, and in lots of ways, I can understand where the disciples were coming from. If they had stood up for Jesus during his trial, then I guess they could have been crucified along with him - pretty horrible, really.

But then, as we know, Jesus knew all along exactly what was going to happen to Him; He was born of the virgin Mary, he was a sinless child, and a sinless youth and adult. As he grew, He knew exactly what was going to happen to Him and yet His life was sinless in every possible way.

Jesus died to take away sin, and he did. Unfortunately, not all of us accept what Jesus did when He gave His life for us. 

Only those of us who accept His sacrifice as an atonement for our personal sins will gain eternal life when we die and spend eternity with Him.

In John 3:16 in the Bible, it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

So...To receive eternal life, we must believe with all our heart and soul in Jesus and accept what he did on Calvary all those years ago. This also involves confessing our sins and accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives.

Do you want to come to Jesus today? Then ask Him into your life; accept what he did on Calvary all those years ago; then ask Him to come into your life and lead you.

Life will go on regardless, and the world can have some nasty results, BUT when Jesus comes into your life, then He becomes your pilot and leader; you rely on Him entirely regardless of any calamities you may experience as we travel along life's paths.

God bless you this week. Rely on Jesus regardless of what you are going through.

Hope to see you soon.

My Tribute

It's truly amazing what the mind believes when you are in a hurry to do what you need to do. We can get really carried away with all the things that are happening in our lives, and it goes on.

Our minds are amazing - they dictate to us what needs to be done, what needs to be amended, and often, sadly enough, they tell us all sorts of lies and crazy things, which we believe and will cause us all sorts of grief and anguish.

The "prince of this world," Satan! loves to goggle our minds and stops us from seeing the very marked truth that screams to us and shows us the very image of God through the life of Jesus Christ.

Satan has pulled the wool over the eyes of so many people and has stopped them from seeing and even thinking about what possibly could be true. The very fact that Satan has become a huge obstacle to make so many people 'blind' to the truths of their very need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour is a huge obstacle for so many people.

Jennifer makes her way over to the podium - a thousand things are going on in her mind - she is not sure why she is going except that after the guy out front said that anyone wanting to accept Jesus as Lord of their life should come down the front to talk to someone about accepting Jesus as No. 1 in their lives.

She felt a huge tug in her heart, and for the very first time, she felt so strongly the need to have Jesus in her life. Up until now, her parents had described Jesus as just a 'story', and he was seriously cute!

After tonight, sitting there with a couple of friends (and she didn't really hear what the guy was saying out the front), she felt this gigantic urge to walk out the front to somehow come to Jesus - she needed to pay him her tribute - and her huge thanks for everything he had done for her.

Suddenly, what Jesus did on that cross all these years ago all made sense. He died for her to pay for her life of sin - all those times her conscience was worrying her - all those times she had to push herself forward, not thinking of others - all those times her jealousy got the better of her and she put people down so often behind their backs, and it went on and on.

Not that she was overwhelmed by the address by whoever was talking out the front, BUT something inside of her clicked, and she knew she had to make a decision - a decision that she knew would affect her life from now on.

When she went out the front and made a commitment to the Lord of heaven, she knew in her heart without being told that her life would go on seemingly as normal, but in her heart, she knew that she had changed inside. She realised that her life would change, but she was fully aware that she would be making a lot of mistakes, and what would happen after that.

When she went out the front, there stood a lady with a big smile on her face and a BIG welcome hug.

She sat with Jennifer and talked a lot about her decision to come wandering down the front. Jennifer explained that she didn't really listen to the sermon at all, but she felt that God had spoken to her in a very special way. The lady explained that it was actually God who talked to her and not the minister at all. She also explained that the decision she was taking tonight would actually miraculously change her life.

That miraculous way was that her life path (which often can be hard to negotiate) was now going to end in heaven, where she would meet her saviour, Jesus Christ, in person. She also explained that while here on earth, she was going to continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.

The miraculous part of that, as the lady explained, was that when we make mistakes (as we all do) that we are constantly reminded that "YEP! You've made a mistake." Come to Jesus and confess your sin and ask His forgiveness - of course, He will.

She also explained that no matter what we have done, God will accept us into His amazing kingdom when our time comes, because we have asked Him to lead our lives, and we are going to trust Him, regardless of what may happen in life.

The lady also explained that because God, in His mercy, has accepted us and granted us eternal life with Him, that is indeed a huge and amazing gift. She explained that God always answers our prayers, but we can't expect an answer in the way we expect for every single one of our requests. 

Does that stop us from asking God to answer our requests? Not at all - pray in faith knowing that God, in His mercy, will keep us ever close to Him regardless of whatever happens to us or our loved ones here on earth.

Jennifer was pretty excited - she felt overwhelmed and yet hugely overcome with thankfulness for God's amazing gift of eternal life for her, regardless of what she had done in the past.

You can come to Christ right now if your heart asks you to. All you need to do is accept His great love and sacrifice for you, accept by faith His life and love - Put Him before everything else, and I can guarantee that your life will change amazingly - you may not feel it straight away, but I know you will change as a person.

Give your life to Jesus today.

God bless you this week  - looking forward to getting back in contact next time.

Log in to my account

 How many times have I seen this on the computer - I am so (very often) bewildered by it all. Go to pay your bill and have to press the key which says "Log in to my account," so there you go, it is all over to you - all they ever want is your $$ and be quick about it.

I shouldn't be whining - when you consider what is happening in the world around us, we live in a special place here in Australia, which is pretty comfortable considering what other people are going through. So, I thank the Lord that we are here.

I am so overwhelmed when we see the world around us. So many people take for granted the actual creation of God - the amazing start of each day and the equally amazing end of each day. The creation of the Earth as we know it. The stunning sunrise, then the equally stunning sunset. God's incredible creation.

When we read Genesis and how God created the earth, it really does blow your mind - God was here well before time! Which in itself never ceases to amaze me. He created time when you think about it.

Our beautiful world is amazing, even though many in this world of ours are suffering horribly, and their particular world is falling apart just by looking at it. BUT God's creation of our world, His invisible attributes, His eternal and amazing power, and of course His very divine nature stand out so visibly in all of creation - even though we take it so much for granted.

When, on the odd occasion, we stand back and look at God's amazing creation (if you haven't done it, then I suggest you do), we can just catch a real glimpse, and sometimes it's more than a glimpse - it's a real whack over the head as we consider there are over 100 billion galaxies and when we stand and look we can see the glory and the total might of God.

Even when we consider the very intricacies of life as we know it, well, it never ceases to amaze me.

God's very presence is in every living cell - there are 96,560 kilometres (60,000 miles) of blood vessels all placed in correct and amazing places in each of our bodies - WOW, what an amazing God we have.

So when you think about it, what does it mean to be in the presence of God, or in other words, to be close to God, which in itself is amazing as it sounds.

When Adam and Eve were created, God was with them all the time, personally and spiritually. Then, unfortunately, when they sinned, it meant that no longer could they, and of course, we ever have real face-to-face and heart-to-heart conversations with God. That to me would have been truly awesome. Instead, God had to turn away from them and us because he couldn't look at sin.

That is why God sent His son Jesus to live here on earth in a sinless and holy way and to die and shed his blood for all of us so that He would atone for the whole sins of the world. 

Of course, we have to accept his forgiveness, come to God through the death of Jesus, who died for us to atone for our sins. If we decide NOT to come to Jesus and ask His forgiveness, then we can't or ever will be able to come to God. 

The very fact that Jesus died for us can wipe away any sins we have committed or will commit in the future, BUT of course, we have to ask Him into our lives and make Him No. 1 in every situation where we find ourselves.

Once we have given our lives over to God, we never lose the gift of salvation, no matter how quickly or badly we fail - we never sin enough after giving our lives to God that we lose our salvation. Of course, we must continue to come to God, asking for forgiveness and relying totally on His Holy presence to guide our lives.

No matter how badly we fail through life in our Christian walk with God, we never sin so badly as to lose the miraculous miracle of salvation given to us through the very death of Jesus, who died to save us from our sins. I can imagine how sin angers God so so much, and he can't look at sin, BUT because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and saviour, he will still be our God.

All of us, unfortunately, continue to sin because that is the world we live in, and human nature, being what it is, dictates to us all sorts of weirdness. But God accepts us through the very blood of Jesus, which was sacrificed for us all those years ago.

BUT...Being part of God's amazing family is and will continue to be one BIG JOY! Being gloomy in God's presence is and can be normal, so don't knock yourself out if life's misery can override your happiness, but God, in His wisdom, understands everything we are going through.

Underneath all of what life throws at us, perseverance through countless heartaches is at the core of our salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The very presence of God in our lives increases and really helps us through the many crises we may face, as we often have to travel along life's rocky paths.

So...keep your faith strong in our Lord - keep looking to Him for guidance and encouragement as you travel along this week.

God bless you heaps and hope to see you next time

We are Truly blessed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority

This is an actual case registered by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority...

"Around 9pm, on Monday, 29 September, a Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by NSW Ambulance and asked to plan for a winch extrication of a passenger suffering a serious medical condition on board a cruise ship off Seal Rocks, northeast of Port Stephens. 

Due to the distance offshore, an aircraft from Essendon in Melbourne was dispatched by AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) and provided top cover during the rescue. The NSW Ambulance critical care paramedic from the helicopter's critical care medical team was winched onto the vessel and treated a man in his 60s, who was stabilised before being winched off the ship and airlifted to John Hunter Hospital."

This is just one of the most frequent cases of paramedics saving lives off our coast here in Newcastle, Australia - we are really and truly blessed.

It happens all too often, unfortunately - many people come to all sorts of grief off our coast. We have so many beaches that it is a constant job for so many people in all kinds of situations. As I mentioned, we are truly and honestly blessed to live where we do.

Grief is an awful thing; so many times we have seen people truly overcome by grief, which can affect all of us in so many ways. What some people see as truly immeasurable grief, to others, it may not seem to be grief at all.  Everybody is so different.

I am truly overawed by the very grief in my own family - sad but true, and sadly, where we have been overwhelmed by sadness and grief, others see it as 'just life', so get on with it.

Our neighbours agree with me that the world is going crazy with all sorts of grief and pain - we are often overwhelmed with the news we hear - the horrible and ghastly things that are happening in our world - none of us is immune to anything that happens.

Grief is an emotion, a huge emotion in our human experience, and I guess we all suffer from grief in our own way as we go through life - heaps of people recorded in the Bible went through grief, and we still are.

Sadly, we all experience all sorts of grief - it is a human experience and is part of life, unfortunately. We lose all kinds of things - and of course, people,

BUT...the amazing part of grief is that we have our hope and trust in God alone, knowing that He is strong and willing to help us carry whatever burdens we may have.

In Matthew 11, God's message to us is that  "His yoke is easy and his burden is light"; in other words, he is strong enough and so willing to help us carry our burdens.

We can give all of our troubles to Him - our hurts and our disappointments - our bereavements and our solitude, and he is strong and willing enough to help us carry them.

If we ask God to help us through our troubles, He will give us, through the Holy Spirit, a special comforter. In John 14 and verse 16, he says: "I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate (helper) to assist you and be with you forever!"

Life can be so short - it wasn't all that long ago as I sat beside a dying man in a nursing home, he held my hand and he said to me, "Is God really there? - Can he see me where I am at the moment?'

It's so sad, isn't it? I always had the impression that this particular man knew God and had asked Him into His life to lead Him - I know He had a quiet time each day and read God's word through his bible, and yet here he was on death's bed and wanting to know if God was indeed real.

Praise God that when we give our lives to Him, He will come in and there He will stay.

You know we need faith, and that's what brings us to God in the first place - if we accept Christ and have him in our hearts like this chap did and ask him to lead us in life, then Christ does come in and will make His home in our hearts.

Praise you, Lord, that salvation does NOT depend on us - if it did, then it definitely could be lost and lost forever. BUT it doesn't depend on us at all!

We can all have doubts, but God's word, especially on the subject of ETERNAL LIFE, cannot be temporary - God won't ever EVER go back on His word - In Titus 1:2 it plainly says "GOD DOES NOT LIE."

In John 10, it says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

So how encouraging is this! God is with us if we truly believe in His word and put our whole faith and trust in Him!

Have you done that? Are you ready to give your life to Christ? Ask Him today!

God bless you this week.

startling gongs

 

What is a GONG?

This from Wikipedia

"Suspended gongs are played with hammers and are of two main types. The gong has been a Chinese instrument for millennia. Some gongs are loud enough to be heard from up to eight kilometres (five miles) away." 

Gongs were also used to summon the slaves from the fields.

Slaves years ago were apparently known as JIANMIN. Apparently, different dynasties used captives and criminals as their slaves.

It was also at that time, that is the Shang and Zhou dynasties,  peasants were constantly in servitude and weren't ever able to own their own land or even leave it without the permission of their 'owners'  - sad really!

Then there were the Qin and Tang Dynasties, when slavery, such as it was, expanded to not only using criminals and war captives but also all prisoners of war and whoever the chief in charge thought was needed to expand public works or to be spared execution to work the rest of their lives in hard labour.

Some people worked as domestics or on all sorts of large-scale public works. Slavery was a persistent and recurring issue.

Slavery was all around the world, even in Jesus' time. Slavery in Greece and Rome during this time was far in advance of what horrible things were happening in China at that time.

Slaves were considered property of their owners and must have faced really brutal conditions. Slavery in those days was really institutionalised and so virtually par for the course, as the saying goes, and everyone just accepted that fact. I can't imagine what some poor people were going through.

Jesus Himself must have seen what was happening all around him, and he was sure that His whole being was totally against slavery of any kind. Exodus 21:16 was so explicit against all kinds of slavery - reading that verse says it all - virtually anyone found selling people at all will be put to death - WOW, couldn't be more explicit.

But here we are in today's world, where slavery is still in existence - pretty horrible. People tricked into or even forced to work for no pay - kidnapped even - it's pretty devastating. 

Wow, even today, there are approximately 27 million people who are subject to slavery, forced labour, sex trade, and so it goes on and on. In the Bible, in Leviticus 25, it says that slaves should be treated as hired workers or temporary residents.

When we become Christians and we give our lives over to Christ, who paid with His life to save us from our sins, our lives are often changed dramatically, so dramatically that our entire life around us changes amazingly.

All women and men are created in God's image - we are ALL loved so intensely by God that slavery really has no place in our world at all. This condemns all who kidnap and sell persons from any race, anywhere, at any time.

In Genesis 1:27, God created us in His own image, which is itself an amazing and truly beautiful concept. It actually says in 1 Timothy that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord, which is very encouraging.

God, in His love and mercy, created us to love and be loved in hugely various forms - his love is evident and with us in all sorts of situations which are available to us when we give our lives to Him. Unfortunately, there are lots of people in the world who refuse to know God at all.

Just recently, Sue and I were walking on the beach, and just on the promenade leading down to the sand. there is a memorial to a young bloke who was savagely knifed in the chest by one of his so-called acquaintances - he died instantly. 

They were apparently vaguely aware of each other, and it was late at night or quite early in the morning, and there was an argument, or what you could call a so-called indiscriminate argument.

Apparently, it wasn't what you would call a savage type of argument, but a guy pulled out a knife anyway and stabbed the young fellow, who died pretty much straight away.

These young people had no idea about God and what he actually did for them all those years ago. In today's world, there are a few people who truly believe in lots of ways that they are really important and, in fact, in God's eyes, they are, but here on earth, we should really be putting others ahead of ourselves.

I know I have had all sorts of trouble with that, so I really can't point the finger at anyone - But this young man really wasn't going to let another young man take the shine off his personality - so so sad, really.

The young guy who was killed so dastardly that early morning now has a tribute along the beach walkway put there by his mum and dad. As a parent myself, I can only imagine what they go through - I really can't wrap my head around that fact.

It wasn't that long ago in a nearby neighborhood that a young man approached a group of noisy young people wrecking garbage bins and things on the sidewalk, and the same thing happened - they pulled a knife and he ended up dead.

When you think of the slaves mentioned above, even today, and also of the families so bereft of their members, young or old, taken from them forcefully and horribly, hundreds of them worldwide, it really gives us a wake-up call!

Where do we go with this? Always makes me really wonder where it will all end.

Putting God first is extremely important for us when we give our lives over to Jesus. In the Bible, in Matthew 22 and verse 37, it says, "Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind." In other words, we have to be totally 100 percent given over to God

Nothing has to come before God - of course, loving your family is awesome, and we are so willing to give up everything for them - the same has to be said for God - he actually comes first in everything. Does that make it hard to live like that?

Of course not - putting God first means we strive constantly to give Him first place in everything we do.

So, where are you with God? Do you think of Him at all? - Is He some sort of mystic being that you are vaguely aware of?

Do we know God at all? Are we going to have to give an account of our lives to God?

Yes, we are!! Are you ready?

Our very salvation is gained by faith. In John 3:16, it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Through faith in Christ and by fully trusting in Him, salvation is ours.

How are you? Ready to give your life to Christ? Jesus' death on the cross fully paid for your sins. Accept Him today and fully trust in Him. Doesn't mean that you will live the perfect life, but what it does mean is that God is there for you. Come to Him, always asking His forgiveness.

Have a great week, and hope to see you next time.

A murmur of surprise went up from the watching crowd

 A murmur of surprise went up from the watching crowd - no one was expecting this - Cameron looked as startled as anyone - he was the one who actually did it - but Ned was the one who now was going to pay the price.

It was Cameron who initiated the fight with the student Jack through his constant taunting and being in the line of sight of his so-called enemy - Cameron whacked Jack a beauty straight across the face, dislocating his jaw and opening up his left eye - laying him straight out on the ground and making him unconscious.

Ned came to the rescue, and Cameron disappeared quickly behind the accumulating crowd. Shocked! the crowd assumed it was Ned who lay into Jack, and because Ned had tried to stop the profuse bleeding of the unconscious Jack, blood was all over Ned's shirt, and everyone assumed Ned was the instigator of the brutal one-hit wonder that left Jack lying straight out on the ground.

Ned was dismayed - in fact, everyone was shocked. Then there was Scooter, Ned's best friend! Or so Ned thought! Scooter gave his evidence, all twisted and disguised, lacking any dignity whatever - Scooter?? Who would have thought it?

Scooter was so convincing, accusing Ned of starting the whole thing. Ned had been convinced that Scooter was on his side - he was THE witness - he actually saw what happened. 

Ned was going to pay the price - obviously going to be expelled from his job as an ambulance driver and told to have severe and complicated counselling. 

Scooter, Ned's friend, came onto the scene later and just assumed, like everyone else, that Ned was the culprit - so much for being his 'bestie'.

Scooter!!! What are you doing? It wasn't me, cried Ned, but it was too late. Scooter was convinced it was Ned and was so prepared to officially accuse him.

Straight away, the ambulance station attendants took young Jack to the hospital, and there he stayed unconscious and almost wavering between life and death. It was pretty nasty.

During the inquiry, not one person backed Ned's version of events - in fact, more and more witnesses came forward to accuse Ned of whacking Jack, and things were getting more and more complicated.

Ned was laid off. His employment was cancelled temporarily, at least while the police were called and he was hauled away to the police station, where he was cautioned and interviewed by numerous police officers. He had to contact a solicitor, and he was bailed eventually - Ned was devastated.

Ned's hands were clean, there was no bruising or anything, and yet the accusation remained, and even more and more of the crowd came to testify that it was indeed Ned who whacked the unconscious Jack.

Oh dear, what do we do in a situation like this?

It reminds me so much of the trial of Jesus - He was accused by so many, and so many lies were told about Him that it was really impossible to see the real truth.

His friends and disciples all left Him, and even one of His closest disciples, Peter, denied ever knowing Him three times, and then took off so no one would recognise Him.

Many Pharisees at the time were totally convinced that Jesus deserved what was about to happen. Stripped in public, beaten with whips, ridiculed and mocked, punched in the face. whipped again, a crown of really horrendous thorns jammed harshly on his head, scorned and wearing the crown of thorns and the 'royal' robe, jeered at by the crowd, and found guilty of what??? Hard to say, really.

Jesus was found guilty and sentenced to death by being nailed to a huge cross, which he had to carry to Calvary.

Why?? Because it all amounted to paying the price of our sins - Yes, even the sins of today, Jesus has paid for them, and all we have to do is to accept His forgiveness and realise what he did for all of us and to make Him number one in our lives which helps us put aside all the things that come into our lives like jealousy, contemptuousness and wanting to hurt and ridicule.

Ned was extremely hurt and so worried. What about Jack? What if Jack died? What of Ned's future? What was to be? A life behind bars? And so it went on.

Jack remained in the hospital with all sorts of tubes and paraphernalia in and out of his body, and there he remained.  Ned was arrested and found himself on bail as more and more witnesses testified against him.

Scooter knew in his heart what was going on - he was actually on the scene when it happened - he saw what Cameron did, but he didn't want to own up to the truth and be ridiculed and made to stand up for  Ned, whom everyone else was totally convinced was the perpetrator.

Ned was his friend, but the embarrassment of owning up to the absolute truth was totally too much to bear.

Peter fled the scene at Jesus's crucifixion, similar to what Scooter was doing - denying the truth and denying Jesus. Scooter denied the truth and, in so doing, denied his friend.

Jack sadly passed away, quietly and unassumingly. Ned was accused of murder and sent to trial.

Cameron and Scooter never came forward to own up to the truth - just like so many sinners today.

Jesus paid for all of our sins on that hideous cross, and he died. Amazingly, He rose again three days after His death, and today He is in Glory. God raised Him from the dead to complete His plan of salvation for all mankind.

Do you want to come to Christ? All you have to do is ask Him to come and change your life so that you can leave your old self behind and become a new creation in Christ.

God bless you this week

Nothings gonna stop me now!

Jimbo was completely and surely adamant when he blurted out that absolutely nothin ABSOLUTELY NOTHIN on God's earth is ever gonna stop me!!

Oh, that can be so sad - Jimbo was determined and absolutely adamant that he should be first come what may. 

Jimbo was like this right from the start - the family was totally and utterly confused as to what they should do - he was a difficult and pushy child. Maybe a solid need in his heart for recognition - common in many, but can be hugely problematic.

Maybe nowadays he may have been diagnosed with something like narcissistic personality disorder, which is an underlying feeling of being special and, of course, having to receive recognition come what may.

Jimbo pushed his way forward time and time again - nothing was going to stop him, absolutely nothing! Going to school was a huge problem for Jimbo - always pushing himself forward in the classroom, in the playground - pushing his ideas forward to those teaching him, making himself (so he thought)  the beacon of light and wisdom.

Unfortunately, that didn't work for poor Jimbo - having to be number one in ALL situations was essential in his life - he couldn't possibly think otherwise. As far as he was concerned, no one else in the whole world could possibly come anywhere near him in respect of knowledge and wisdom.

The result must have been so lonely - no one could come near him - as far as he was concerned, being No. 1 was absolutely essential; no one on God's earth came even close. Jimbo was also a totally controlling person, telling everyone what they should do and making others do what he wanted them to do.

So sad really - it wasn't long before his life faded away - a terrifying road accident when he insisted that he must be first, pushing himself forward at a set of traffic lights with another person, obviously with a similar personality, and making their own way to the front, and both ending up under a truck.

Life cut short! Horrible! Devastating!

Reminds me of the unfortunate and horrific sinking of the Titanic when the makers said the ship was practically totally and utterly unsinkable. 

Back in 1910, the White Star Line's brochure describing the magnificent Titanic as "practically unsinkable" - Oh what a mistake!

She was a beautiful and really modern ship, which amazed the world with her magnificence. My mind can't really comprehend what those poor people must have gone through that night back in 1911.

Through it all, so many people vanished, never to be seen or heard of again.

It is devastatingly sad when we lose someone we love and who has had a huge effect on our lives - Jimbo's parents must have been devastated, and I can't imagine what the families of the Titanic's victims must have gone through.

Death has really no bounds - losing someone, especially those we have loved, is a painful and horrific experience.

Jesus Himself loved His very best friend, Lazarus, and at his death, Jesus, being so deeply moved, cried when he found out Lazarus had died. Jesus raised Lazarus up from the grave only because He had the very power to do it. 

I am always confronted by the question of how I possibly find any sort of peace after someone I loved has died. Death is certainly not the end for anyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

We still will be devastated when our loved ones die - I can only imagine what the survivors and families of the Titanic disaster must have gone through, and also the family of Jimbo. How sad, and yet those who believed that Jesus is Lord and has prepared a place for all believers, then that is a huge rally of comfort and peace.

When we look back, the impact of our past loved ones who have passed away can have a profound effect on our lives.

I remember so well the impact my Mum had on my life - she loved Jesus as lord and made Him number one in her life - you can look at her testimony here on this blog dated May 23rd, 2013, and titled  "My Mum's Amazing Message."

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die (John 11:25-26). In other words, we who ask Jesus to come into our lives and accept Him as our Lord and saviour will be guaranteed to have everlasting life, living with Jesus even though death whips us away from everything here, which never ceases to astound me. 

You know, apart from what Jesus did on that cross all those years ago, there would be absolutely no eternal life at all.  Death has no power over us once we give our lives to Him. Yes, we will all die here on earth, and sadly, we all experience just what that means, BUT once we have given our lives to Jesus, then death really has no power over us at all.

If we decide not to accept Jesus as Lord of our lives, then we will actually be destined for death (and I hate to think of the consequences). However, having faith in Jesus and asking Him to come into our lives and take first place, we will indeed receive eternal life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Do you want eternal life after this life on earth is over? If so, pray a prayer similar to this one:-

Dear God, please forgive me for the things in my life where I have turned my back on you. I am sorry for the sins I have committed. Please come into my life and change me. Help me make you number one in my life. I know I will continue to stumble along, but please be there for me and always remind me of your great sacrifice for me. Amen

Have a great week, and hope to see you soon - Huge blessings to you and yours

The Armour of Light

"I've given up on Jane,"  - Gav said sourly. Tossing his head to get all the hair out of his eyes - "Or rather she's given up on me."

This was important news for Phil - "What happened?"

Gav's handsome face twisted in a grimace of disappointment and resentment. "She has jilted me, that's what."

Aww, so sad when someone says goodbye, and you probably won't see them again. I guess in many ways, we have all been in very similar circumstances.

So where do we go from here? That's a pretty good question - we have all heard of really sad circumstances when this sort of thing happens, and unfortunately break ups can have very dire consequences.

Sometimes, there is absolutely nothing we can do when our partner decides to leave us. We can try to speak to them and really encourage them to stay, but often it can lead nowhere. I guess we have all seen it happen.

It can be so sad to be on your own - especially if your ex-partner has taken off and taken the family with them.

You can be so, so scared of the future, especially when you may be on your own and more so if you have been so horribly deserted by your family and/or friends.

Being lonely is horrible and can have a big effect on each of our lives - coming to Christ, on the other hand, can be like an anchor in the rough sea of life - He is there with us no matter what we are going through. He can surround us with an armour of light - an armour designed by Him to give us courage and a huge ability to cope with whatever comes along, regardless of what the world may say.

Hebrews 13 verse 5 says He will NEVER leave or forsake us, which is a remarkable promise and one that I personally have fallen back on many, many times in all the years.

So many people ridicule what they call a COMING TO JESUS moment  - so many times I have heard that said in a joking and ridiculing way. WHY? I always ask myself because that was a huge moment in my life. A moment of huge realisation and huge change in my life personally

To me personally, my coming to Jesus moment meant one huge change to me - it was a decision of mine that changed my life completely around.

Jesus had a secret meeting with Nicodemus, a High Priest who CAME TO JESUS at night because, even though it's not really stated, I reckon Nicodemus didn't want anyone seeing him coming to Jesus.

Anyway, along he came with a heap of questions for Jesus - Jesus answered and said I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again - Nicodemus was horrified -how can a person be born again when they are already born (or along those lines anyway).

Jesus answered him by saying no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and of the Spirit. (a bit confusing for old Nicodemus).

Born again literally means born from above - coming to God and asking Him to take over your life. In Ephesians 2 and verse 8, "for it is by grace that you have been saved, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God."

When you first become a Christian, you start on a journey that often has so many twists and turns that it makes your head spin.

One day, you are praising God and really basking in the goodness that he has given us. the next day, you may be overcome with doubts and anxiety that give you the wobbles, which throws off your reaction of becoming a born-again Christian.

BUT...The great news is that even if we find ourselves going in reverse, He still loves us and His Holy Spirit will keep reminding us of that very fact - He will always have you back no matter what sin you have committed. Believe me, I am the worst of sinners in lots of ways, and yet Jesus died for me, and He has taken all my sinful ways and killed them for me on that cruel cross all those years ago.

Does that make me a wonderful free-of-sin person -NO WAY!! Unfortunately, we keep on sinning probably every day, BUT the remarkable and truly amazing thing about salvation is that we can keep coming back to Jesus and asking for His forgiveness, which is freely given.

To me, that is probably the most amazing gift God has given us - the very fact that Jesus died to take away our sins, and all we have to do is ask Him to come into our lives and lead us to where He wants us to go.

So how do we cope with the traumatic and, unfortunately, everyday problems? 

The only way to really cope is to keep our eyes on Christ and keep looking to Him, no matter what we may be going through.

Way back in Genesis, Cain horribly killed his brother Abel (Genesis chapter 4 starting at verse 3), so we can see that even then, sin was beginning to become rampant, and from then on, family conflict became quite a problem and has been ever since.

Jesus's own family became highly embarrassed by His miracles and preaching, and they told him so, and didn't pull any punches, and they let Him have it -  so you can see that family break-ups and hostilities became the 'norm' which is still the norm even today.

Some members of our family accept Jesus fully and He becomes their Lord and Saviour, while others in the family look upon the whole thing as something ridiculous and tell the person so, and so it goes on. It can often break family unity, which is really sad.

Jesus actually said this could happen and says so in Matthew chapter 10, verses 34 to 36 - it's an amazing read and one which clarifies a lot of problems we personally may be experiencing.

Of course, there are many families faced with the situation where some members love the Lord with all their hearts, while maybe brothers and sisters deny Christ entirely, yet nothing seems to come between the love brothers and sisters have for each other, which is truly lovely and beautiful.

And yet, unfortunately, we seem to have to face a lot of trouble in a lot of families regarding the following of Jesus, just like He said would happen.

Please don't take it personally - Jesus died for you and all you have to do is come and ask Him into your life - He will love to come and motivate you in so many ways. 

Your family is still your family, and regardless of how they feel about your coming to Christ, that should not and will not deter you from asking Him into your life to take over all of your life, not just parts of it.

Just remember that a healthy family can provide a safe and secure place, regardless of the individual feelings that they may have towards other members.

God bless you this week - keep your eyes and hearts on God.

Oh No! I've done it again

"I've done it again - I should have learned to keep my big mouth shut. I've caused so many problems, it's totally unbelievable."

Not keeping our mouths in gear often hurts not just one person, but sometimes a lot of people associated with our lives at some point.

Often, we do things over and over again, and frequently it is just what we say rather than what we do, like when Toby shoots off his mouth. He reckons it is always best to reply with the right comeback, which makes you look like you are so intelligent.

Toby reckons it makes you appear strong and intelligent, especially when using funny insults, like when he said to Harry he's one-time mate,  "Geez mate, someday you should go far. I really hope you stay there." and again, " I'll never forget the first time we met. But I'll keep trying hahahaha."

He thought he was so, so funny coming up with these quips time and time again.

Things were going fine until Harry told Toby where to go and how to get there - they had been friends for so long, and Harry finally got thoroughly sick of this so-called friend of his insulting him over and over again.

Toby was devastated. "I didn't mean to hurt him - what should I do - just get me out of here!!  "I've gotta be a man on the run - I've gotta stay out of trouble - I've gotta stop trying to be so funny."

It's so sad when our 'funny' side can destroy what we have and what we did have, maybe for years. 

There are many times when our mouths, hands, and emotions speak and act before our heads are even in gear, or when we give even a little meaningful thought to our actions or even our reactions.

Jesus talked about what it would cost to cause someone to stumble. In Luke 17, Jesus said, "It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So be on your guard." 

WOW, what a horrible way to die - jumping in the sea with a millstone around your neck.

Causing someone to sin or "stumble," as the Bible puts it, has many connotations. It can be physical or emotional; either way, it can have a huge lasting effect on our lives. 

Whatever we do, we need to remember that no matter how big or small we feel our actions may be, they can or could have a lasting impact on other people.

Like Toby and Harry. Their friendship was amazing, and they went back years and years, even while they were at school together.

Toby was ALWAYS funny - always had to be the man in charge of being Mr. Cool - Harry, in the meantime, was the quiet guy, always there helping Toby with schoolwork and accepting everything he did and said.

Must have been hard for Harry. He always just accepted everything Toby did and said until that fateful day when, after all those years, he had had enough.

He thought, "Enough is enough. I'm not taking any more crap from this guy." 

Their friendship suddenly stopped! I wonder if they ever got back together?

Often, what we say or do can have a lasting effect on other people.

Jesus was so aware of how His actions were perceived by other people. He was always truthful and even told many in the so-called authority of the day just exactly how things were.

In Romans 14 and again in Corinthians, we are told we have a responsibility to our fellow believers in Christ. We also have a responsibility to our families and friends who aren't walking with the Lord at all.

Our attitude should reflect the love of God to everyone we come into contact with - our personal convictions towards others are a reflection of what Jesus has done in our lives.

We can have all sorts of disagreements regarding anything from entertainment, smoking, food, drinking - you name it, even when we set aside days to remember what Jesus did for us on that cross - all of these differences really don't matter at all.

The Bible doesn't provide instructions, and it is purely a matter of personal conviction as to how God is leading you. In other words, let's not share our individual feelings on how others should worship, as long as they worship Jesus and make Him their number one priority in life.

We shouldn't make it hard for others, and we should really stop passing judgment on each other.  Ways of worshipping God can be different for some people, so we shouldn't stand as a judge in any way at all.

Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7, "Do not judge or you will be judged,"  which seems pretty straightforward, BUT Jesus also gives us the opportunity and ability to tell right from wrong. We just don't and should never accept something that is way out of context with what the Bible teaches.

In other words, we need to be cautious about what we hear and shouldn't accept anything that contradicts what the Bible clearly teaches.

I hope you have a great week. Please keep in mind that the Bible teaches us all sorts of amazing truths. take time this week to study some of God's word, bearing in mind how your actions can often have a marked effect on others.

Jesus is our Lord and God, and how He lived is a great example for all of us.

Huge blessings

Some heroes don’t wear uniforms

The leader of the gang - The king of the school yard delivered a vicious kick, the heavy boot striking the base of the spine. His victim felt his body jolt, but managed to suppress the cry of pain before it could escape. The situation always escalated if he reacted.

His nose was blocked with blood and tears, but he mustn't show his tears. That would be fatal.

The bell rings - finally, and the shouts fade away.

Waiting a minute - he then opens his eyes (well, one of them anyway) and looks around. He is alone in the schoolyard. Getting to his feet, he knew he would get into trouble for being late again!

Hmmm, quite a thing to happen in a schoolyard, but unfortunately, it happens regularly - maybe not a physical fight as such, but emotional bullying - really, it is aggression. 

The bully uses lots of non-physical means to get at their victim. Things such as harassment in torment, name-calling, gossiping to others, and making sure their victim is totally excluded from as many people as possible.

Pretty sad, really!

Totally blessed when we can escape such bullying and exclusion when we go through life.

Bullying can make you feel extremely unhappy and also completely unsafe wherever you are. Bullying can ruin your life if you don't stop it.

We should share our bullied experience with others constantly to prevent bullying from continuing. As adults, we should respond to bullying quickly and consistently, regardless of what sort of bullying is happening.

Talking about bullying can be extremely helpful in lots of situations, like below:-

I am totally gobsmacked when I see parades of men and women in uniform - they astound me as to what they do - there are often marches that include everyone from the Police to the armed forces who are totally committed to their professions.

They look so pristine when in uniform, and they continue in their total commitment to their specific careers. I am completely in awe of so many.

Why am I totally gobsmacked? My friend's grandson, who is just 16 years old, has decided that he really wants to join the police force when he graduates from high school in the next couple of years. I'm so impressed with him. How amazing that he has this dedication so early.

Why does he make this decision? He was bullied so horribly when he started high school - not just verbally and scornfully, BUT physically as well. Hence the story above.

How did he cope with bullying? 

He certainly tried his best at school, but it wasn't good enough - the bullying continued.

He finally told his Mum and Dad, who, in turn, instead of just ignoring the situation and telling him to grow up, they went to the school and had it or with not only the principal but also with the year advisor. 

This is really important - not only about physical bullying but also emotional bullying - Schools should be fully aware that bullying is consistent, unfortunately, and all schools should be aware of that very thing.

I can't help feeling that we here in Australia are so blessed to have the dedication of so many people. People who are aware of what is going on in schools, workplaces, universities, etc.

Seeing parades of people in uniforms is not only encouraging for the populace, but it is also a sign, obviously, that, looking at the parade as such, there must be many who have had heaps of problems and yet they have overcome many things to arrive at where they are today.

And yet....there are so many who aren't wearing uniforms, nor are they attached to any workforce, who are also totally committed in all sorts of incredible ways that help so many people. Many who have been bullied and set upon so many times and yet have outlived it continue in their lives to live for the present and not yesterday.

We are so blessed to have so many people in the armed forces, in the ambulance network, the hospitals. the police forces, etc, and so it goes on  - we are totally so so grateful for the tremendous work they do for us, regardless of what a lot of them have been through.

In the Bible, there are numerous heroes and heroines - here are just a few to name: Abraham, Moses, and Noah. Esther, Joseph, Deborah,  David, Gideon, and Jacob, and so the list goes on.

What had they been through - reading the bible is a real eye-opener - Moses on the run - Joseph bullied and beaten - Jacob scared to come back home after being threatened with death by his brother, and so it goes on.

The biggest hero of the lot, of course, was Jesus - a poor little boy born in a filthy stable years ago - a son of Mary.

Mary, a young virgin found to be pregnant and yet carrying the very son of God. Her husband Joseph was going to cancel the whole wedding thing, but was brave enough to realise just what was happening. Can't possibly imagine what Mary and Joseph must have felt or what they went through, and yet they brought in the Messiah of the world.

You know, regardless of what we have gone through - and I guess we have all got a story to tell - giving our lives over to Christ can have an enormous effect.

The pain caused by bullying can be a silent killer - sometimes, if we have been bullied over the years, our anger can overflow when, in reality, it may be a feeling of rejection!

So what does the Bible say about rejection? In Hebrews 13:5, He says, "I will never leave you or forsake you"- that to me completely blows me away - the fact that God will NEVER leave us, regardless of what has happened in our lives or what continues to happen. 

And then in Jeremiah 31:3 God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love," and then again in Matthew 28:20, "Surely I am with you always."

These verses mean so much to me - God loves us all with a never-ending love. Jesus promised, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11.

God bless you this week - please seek help if you have a burden. Huge blessings.